Day One with some Chinese fun.

First stop? Wong's Kitchen on Osborne St. in Arleta.
My older sister suggested I check this place out. According to her, Wong's Kitchen has "super cheap and yummy food!" I heard the words "cheap" and "yummy", and I was already hooked. So after my friend and I bought a couple of things form the Target down the street, we headed to Wong's with our empty stomachs and pocket change (Okay, not really "pocket change", but whatever cash we had on us.). We were greeted by an elderly woman who seated us next to the door. I usually do not like sitting next to the door, but her hospitality allowed me to excuse it for just that one time. She gave us these yellow, almost orange-colored, menus and I was practically shocked at the prices I saw! The pictures are a little blurry, but everything on the front page cost less than six dollars. The items ranged from vegetable chow mein, to chicken chop suey, and even sweet and sour ribs. Wong's even offered lunch combinations at a great deal- for example, pork chow mein, egg foo young, and pork fried rice was only a mere $3.95! Although  I was starving, the lunch combinations were just way too much food for me to handle. So I opted for shrimp chow mein that only cost $4.55! My friend ordered a quart size of bar-b-q pork fried rice for $3.75! Great deals, right? Definitely.

That's the shrimp chow mein I managed to down in a whopping 25 minutes. The plate of crispy egg noodles, succulent shrimp, and steamed carrots and broccoli was simply scrumptious although a little greasy. As I sat there while my friend finished up her fried rice, I began to get slightly dizzy. I assumed maybe I just ate too quickly...and then I remembered I did not request to cook my food without MSG.
MSG, monosodium glutamate, is used to enhance the flavor of food- it is commonly used in Chinese food, canned foods, and processed meats. It causes a wide range of reactions in certain people, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, sweating, and even chest pain. (Monosodium Glutamate)
Unfortunately, I am one of those "certain people" who are affected by MSG; I experience dizziness and nausea if I consume it. I was so satisfied with my meal until this happened, sigh.

So final grades?
Price: 10
Health: 6
Taste: 8.5

Here is a better, more healthier alternative! Less grease, and no MSG used.

• Peanut oil is used, which is an excellent source of fiber, protein, and magnesium. It is considered a "good fat" that protects us from cardiovascular disease, lowers cholesterol and helps improve both blood and brain activity. (Peanut Nutrition) 
• Instead of using salt to flavor the food, soy sauce is used instead. Although it is high in sodium, soy sauce is also a great source of protein since it is made from legumes. Soy sauce is known to protect us from cardiovascular disease and cure diarrhea. (Soy Sauce Nutrition)

Ingredients

• 16 oz shrimp, peeled & deveined 
• 2 carrots, sliced thin on diagonal 
• 5 stalks celery, sliced thin on diagonal 
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 1 medium portabello mushroom, sliced 
• 2 tbsp grated ginger root 
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup Progresso chicken broth 
• 2 tbsp peanut oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1-2 tbsp corn starch 
• 3 tbsp white wine

Directions

Mix broth, wine & soy sauce into the corn starch. Set aside.
Add the peanut oil to a hot wok. Add garlic, ginger, onions, celery, and carrots. Stir fry quickly until onions are just turning soft. Then add shrimp and mushrooms. Stir fry until shrimp begin to turn pink. Then add the cornstarch, water & soy mixture. Mix well and stirring occasioinally, until the shrimp are thoroughly cooked and the sauce thickened. Serve over brown rice.
Makes 6 to 8 servings. Nutritional info based on 6.
Spark Recipes