Confucius Says: Keep Prices Low

About the only thing missing in Little Tokyo lately was a Chinese restaurant to replace a few antiquated mom-and-pop places swept out of existence by urban renewal.

Now there is a small Chinese restaurant that does the ghosts of Chinese Restaurants Past proud. It’s called Confucius Says, and Confucius knows what he’s talking about.

Confucius said: “Better make the prices low. That way sure to get people.” Well said, Confucius.

Prices are not only low, but the diner is given a choice of two--the price for a large portion and a proportionately lower price for smaller portions. So you might pay $4.95 for a large almond chicken dish or $3.95 for a smaller portion. The smaller portion, I might add, is gargantuan by usual Chinese restaurant standards. It’s a good deal.

Cuisine With Accents?

Confucius said: “Let’s stick to Sichuan and Hunan cuisines.” Did I detect a Cantonese accent in such dishes as sweet and sour and the lemon chicken and the low mein?

Then Confucius said: “How about doing the place up in nouveau Chinois. “ And that’s what the place looks like--clean, streamlined in black, gray, black with red accents, gray tablecloths under glass and Art Deco-style lamps that reminded me of my beloved Charlie Chan movies. A few touches, such as a mock red door frame and black Chinese motif moldings running along the walls, prove the value of ingenuity over cost.

Then Confucius probably said: “Better make the food fresh and tasty or customers won’t come back.” You can say that again. “And by the way,” he added, “let’s make that iced tea for lunch, not hot tea.” Good show.

The menu, the same for lunch and dinner, has a savvy commercial merchandising edge so that it’s not only easy to read and understand but contains items that most people who eat Chinese food know well. Which means no experimentation for the aficionado looking for something different. The beauty of this restaurant is that nothing is surprising.

The menu is divided among appetizers, soups, pork, beef, poultry, seafood, vegetables and noodles or fried rice, as is done in many other Chinese restaurants, but you won’t need an aspirin to manage these lists. They are brief and to the point. Some, such as Sichuan- and Hunan-style dishes, are repeated in each category using other ingredients, but they are easily recognized.

Then there is a luncheon menu of combination plates served with tea, a spring roll (or substitutes thereof), fried or steamed rice and Chinese salad for $2.95, $3.25 or $3.75, depending on the dish. And that’s a bargain.

Appetizers are pot stickers, explained as pan-fried dumplings stuffed with meat and vegetables for those who don’t know them--and who doesn’t, spring rolls, fried won ton (you get eight), paper-wrapped chicken and six jumbo prawns deep-fried in a batter, called palace prawns. These are not always available, as you will discover. There is also barbecued spareribs (two) on the menu, which I found not terribly exciting but still worth the price.

The soup section (check the noodle section, too) has the usual popular soups--for two persons--such as hot and sour, won ton soup and war won ton, which has an assortment of meats and fish added to it. We tried the hot and sour soup, which was quite good.

Curry Passes Inspection

Moo shu pork was ample (four pancakes) and quite fresh--pork sauteed with bamboo shoots, scrambled egg, nappa cabbage and green onions. I also tried the curry beef, to see if the curry passed inspection. It did, with flying colors. The beef used was exceptionally tender (and on the rare side). The kung pao shrimp were somewhat pasty, but quite tasty and certainly ample.

Sichuan eggplant made with pork and hot garlic sauce was outstanding--a hot bite for those who enjoy hot and spicy Sichuan cooking. And for a chicken choice, chicken low mein was somewhat balanced with vegetables and noodles, although I prefer more noodles to vegetables.

Confucius didn’t say anything about desserts or alcoholic beverages, but I asked anyway. You’re in trouble if you’re thirsty or your sweet tooth aches. You will get a fortune cookie or almond cookies or canned lichees, and, if you ask, Confucius will prepare dessert for special parties or takeout.

Confucius Says restaurant, 341 1/2 East 1st St., Los Angeles, (213) 626-3566. Open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.--closed Sunday. Cash only. Reservations accepted for large parties. Ample street parking evenings. Entrees $2.50 to $8.95 for large portions, $2.50 to $6.95 for smaller plates. Special luncheons $2.95 to $3.75. Takeout available.