Visit to Shoots Chinese Restaurant offers fortunate timing
Firecracker chicken and Seafood Volcano at Shoots Chinese Restaurant in Provo.
Seafood Volcano at Shoots.
Firecracker Chicken at Shoots.
Holidays are never in short supply it feels like, and I’m just fine with that.
I may have caught the celebration bug — I blame my best friend, whose personality resembles that of a female Santa Claus. Half Christmas? Sure! Hanukkah? Yep. Pioneer Day, of course. Black Friday, sleepily yes. Chinese New Year? I’m all stocked up on sparklers. This week, you may not be aware that China celebrated Singles’ Day.
The Chinese holiday is in fact a billion dollar industry for the country (and retailers hope to expand it to the Western Hemisphere too). At first read, it might seem like another anti-Valentine’s Day. I assure you it is not. Millions of singles organize parties, buy gifts and set out to have a memorable and hopefully final Singles’ Day.
This week a group of my friends and I happened to dine out at Shoots Chinese Restaurant in The Shops at Riverwoods, and it coincidentally coincided with my newfound knowledge of China’s Singles’ Day. What better way to celebrate a holiday than with tasty food and lots of laughs?
Shoots is one of the nicer Chinese restaurants in the area. The environment is clean and nicely decorated and because of its location at the Riverwoods, it is a tad more upscale, though luckily for customers that’s not completely represented in their prices.
The group of our friends ate family style, passing around plates (and drinks) we each handpicked while finding new favorites from the others’. Being somewhat of a Boba tea/smoothie fanatic, I try to sample them at any eatery where they grace the menu. While my mango boba smoothie was underwhelming, the restaurant’s varied lemonades were refreshing — kiwi and peach being favorites.
The mix of our main dishes included Shrimp Mu Shu, Mongolian Beef, Hot Garlic Chicken, Firecracker Chicken and Shrimp Chow Mein. The Mu Shu dishes caught our attention mainly because we had no idea what Chinese pancakes were. Turns out, it’s essentially a tortilla, and the Chinese dish could be similarly compared to Mexican fajitas. With shrimp, egg, onions, lettuce and carrots served with an unusual tasting hoisin sauce, it was tasty and proved slightly adventurous in its assembly.
Perhaps we were in a spicy mood, because at least half of the dishes packed a little heat. My favorite, which I ordered, was the Hot Garlic Chicken: sliced crispy chicken breast and scallions in a dark, flavorful garlic sauce. While I’m not sure Singles’ Day and eating an abundance of garlic sauce is an ideal mixture, can you really turn down something so tasty? Garlic guarantees a dish will be flavorful, and that’s a guarantee I can’t afford to pass up.
The Mongolian Beef was also delicious — our table sat swooning over the whole mushrooms scattered in the dish, somehow sautéed in an unforgettable way. The meal of course wouldn’t be complete without fortune cookies, and these are dipped in chocolate. Win. According to my fortune, my financial future is looking up. When you finish reading this review, perhaps just mention that to my boss.
SHOOTS CHINESE RESTAURANT
Where: 4801 N. University Ave #820, Provo
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, and noon to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sundays.
Cost: $2.99-$16.95
Info: (801) 225-0445, shootsrestaurant.com