I’m not going to lie. I had my doubts when I first sat down at Magic Dragon Cuisine. The spacious restaurant was nearly empty, but to be fair, my wife and I had shown up at about 4:30 on a Sunday afternoon. Not a good sign, but I tried to give the place the benefit of the doubt.
Then I looked at the menu, and it was really long, with lots of pictures. The plates looked great, but most of the time, broad menus are full of bland food. There’s a saying in my family: “Specialists are the best-alists.” We’re fans of badly forced rhymes and generalities. This book of dinner options seemed like another red flag, but as I read the dish descriptions, they all sounded pretty good, with unique takes on your standard Chinese fare.
I started to get excited and ordered a plate of crab wontons immediately, before I noticed that I could make any entree a combination plate with soup, egg roll, dumplings, rice, and wontons added to the side for another $3.95. So we ended up with a lot of wontons, which was fine because they weren’t soggy with oil or stale from sitting under a heat lamp. They were light and crispy and utterly fantastic.
I let myself get more optimistic. They passed the first test. Bring on the soup.
That cup of hot and sour goodness was probably my favorite part of the meal. I could’ve had nothing but a big bowl of that broth and walked away happy. I’d always been an egg-drop kind of guy, but not anymore. Hot and sour for life, baby (although my wife did say her egg drop soup was great).
For my entree, I got the double-flavored shrimp. On one side of my plate, there sat a sizzling pile of crustaceans coated in a creamy white wine sauce that tasted distinctly Chinese (probably the ginger) even though it sounds kind of Italian when I type it out. Separated by a few pieces of broccoli and a decorative slice of carrot, there sat another pile of shrimp, this time simmering in a spicy red sauce with garlic, scallions, and peas. Both were great, and neither tasted like anything I’d ever had before.
My wife got lemon chicken because she always gets lemon chicken. She usually is an adventurous eater but not with Chinese food. I think she had mind-blowing lemon chicken as a child once and has been chasing the dragon ever since. This version was good but kind of typical.
We’re only two people, so I can’t describe the literal dozens of other dishes offered at Magic Dragon Cuisine. The Kung Pao squid and spicy tangerine chicken both sounded delicious though.
They’ve also got about 20 vegetarian entrees, including a Szechuan hot garlic eggplant I plan to try next time.
While North China is clearly Santa Maria’s most revered Chinese restaurant, with rows of “Best Of” plaques lining its walls, Magic Dragon Cuisine holds its own as a worthy, perhaps underestimated, competitor.
Contributing writer Nick Powell is angling for triple-flavored shrimp. Send all the flavors to npowell@santamariasun.com.
Powell’s Picks
• The wife and I were craving something extra fancy for dessert the other day and turned to Scratch Kitchen to satisfy the itch. We were not disappointed. Their peach upside-down cake was downright artisanal and paired beautifully with a house-made pear sorbet. D’oh! I should’ve said “pear”ed beautifully. Too late now. But it’s not too late for you all to try some excellent and unique treats at 610 North H St. in Lompoc.
• Looking to feed your belly and your brain? Head to Loring Winery for Wine and Wisdom: Adventures on the Frontier of Ignorance, an evening of wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres eating, and philosophizing lead by Professor Emeritus Joe White. The event takes place Saturday, July 27, from 6 p.m. until whenever the discussion gets dull. The tasting room is located at 201 Industrial Way, suite B, Buellton.
• Or, if you’d rather party hardy than debate the meaning of existence, celebrate the coming harvest season in Los Olivos at Zaca Mesa Winery’s Harvest Hoedown, also happening Saturday, July 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy boot stompin’ diddies by Just Dave Country Band while sipping wine and scarfing down pork ribs, beef brisket, cornbread, coleslaw, and banana pudding. Tickets cost $60 for club members and $75 for other folks. Call (805) 688-9339 to reserve a spot.
• Stretch that pinky as far as it’ll reach at First and Oak’s Afternoon High Tea on Sunday, July 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Solvang. They’ll serve fine teas from Royal Albert pots with scones, tarts, sandwiches, and such. It’ll be right delightful. Call (805) 688-1703 to reserve a spot for $59 per person.
Contributing writer Nick Powell hasn’t had a good tea party since his daughter was 5. Send your fanciest hat to npowell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 25 – Aug 1, 2019.