by MATHILDE RABBAT

Chinese writing dates way back before Jesus, an interesting bit of trivia included on the menu at Le Caractère Chinois, nestled on a residential side street in Parc Lafontaine’s shadow. The double entendre in this restaurant’s name is hardly a coincidence, no doubt referring both to the Chinese alphabet as well as to the charm of the place, which they aptly describe as “un petit resto de quartier.”

Entrées, affordably priced between $1.50 and $5.75, include your standard imperial, spring or egg rolls, as well as dumplings and shrimp canapés. The dumplings ($4.35) wade in a thick peanut mixture with a splash of soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. The ivory dough from the dumplings’ outer shell is so tender, they melt in your mouth. Their sparse filling, however, makes the chicken inside hard to perceive. In addition, the peanut sauce coating these little jackets harbours a strong peanut flavour that may be pleasing to some but too strong for others, enhanced even more by a drizzle of soy sauce that thins the stuff out.

The egg roll ($1.50) stuffed with shredded cabbage, celery, carrot, onion, glass noodles and sprouts deserves an honourable mention. Their crunchy, golden skin and tasty innards are made that much more delectable by the clear, sweet-and-sour dip that accompanies them, along with a tiny pile of fresh spouts. I strongly urge you to throw the latter into the puddle, only to fish them out again dripping in the yummy potion which is neither too sweet nor too sour, but just right. The cool, crispy sprouts counterbalance the steaming rolls quite nicely by providing a cooling sensation between bites.

If egg rolls just aren’t your thing and you want to slurp a warm soup ($2.50) as an appetizer, they’ve got those too. A hot and sour soup should do the trick. Dried red pepper flakes suspended in the thick broth put the “hot” in hot and sour, and are accompanied by shredded seaweed, tofu cubes, pieces of cooked egg and crunchy palm hearts. The mixture is fairly gelatinous in texture, but the calibration of sweet and sour elements is bang on.

When it comes to the drink, the policy’s byob. And don’t sweat it if you left that bottle of wine on the counter at home. The dep across the street will be happy to oblige; you can pick one up between the entrée and the main course that will set you back no more than $11.

Main course selections include veggie, beef, chicken and shrimp dishes. The tofu and mushroom concoction spiked with garlic and ginger ($7.95) is composed of these ingredients plus sautéed baby corn, snow peas and circular slices of water chestnut, an ingenious little critter that remains crisp even when cooked. Thankfully, nothing is made soggy from over-cooking, but the whole thing could definitely use a touch of pizazz. The ginger is hardly there, overshadowed by the garlic. The dish should take a cue from others like the chicken in peanut sauce accompanied by a bed of fried spinach and served with a mound of steamed white sticky rice ($9.75). The poultry slivers were cooked just right and came nicely complimented by the peanut sauce, light enough to let other elements like spring onions and mushrooms shine, though once in a while some spicy chili, or a chunk of garlic, boldly announced its presence.

For a sweet finish, try the hot fried banana dessert, which is well worth waiting for. Then, the bicycle-inclined can burn it off on the way home, as the place is almost right next to a cycling path.

Postcards? cheapmotel@hotmail.com

Le Caractère Chinois
ADDRESS: 1870 Gauthier
PHONE: 905-0289
HOURS: Mon–Wed 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. & 5–9 p.m.; Thurs–Fri 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m. & 5–10 p.m.; Sat 5–10 p.m. (closed Sun. for rice cooking)
BEST FEATURES: Very good value for your buck, nice atmosphere,
egg rolls with sauce rocks the house, scrumptious fried banana,
server is quite a character
ALCOHOL: Bring your own
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: A couple of steps up
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Yes
CREDIT CARDS: Cash only
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Sort of
PRICE: $12–$15 per head before tip
RATING: *** out of ****