While most opt for turkey in their Thanksgiving celebration, our Newspaper class chose the classic taste of sweet and sour chicken from Chef Chan’s Chinese restaurant here in The Woodlands. So, with just a few days before we go on Turkey Trots and eat grits (still don’t know what that is) and 10 different types of pie, us Newspaper students ordered a large takeout banquet from the restaurant’s newly opened Indian Springs location.

Before I walked into the calming ambience, I had no idea what to expect from the family business founded back in 1982. Though I arrived early to pick up the takeout order, all the food was somehow ready, which was greatly appreciated under my time crunch. At the pay stand, the hostess greeted me with the warmest smile and the most customer-friendly attitude as she handed me the fragrant feast. And because of her, in less than 2 minutes I was heading out of the restaurant with a bagful of fortune cookies graciously gifted to us by the biggest girl boss in the world, our friend the hostess. And with a rumbling stomach, I headed back to the Newspaper room ready to critique whether Chef Chan’s original location had given us a feast or a flop.

As I walked in and the smells of our grand take-out box banquet filled the room, the fried crab puffs, wonton soup, hot and sour soup, sweet and sour chicken, and the chicken and broccoli begged to be devoured. And their wish was soon fulfilled by the students and our graceful editor, Ms. Laura Landsbaum, all of whom had a lot to say about the food.

To kick off the banquet, we decided to try the fried crab rangoon. The general consensus was that they were simply D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S: perfectly crunchy with deliciously smooth filling and for a fried treat, it was not oily at all. All this for just $6.95.

We then moved on to the chicken and broccoli ($15.95), which was largely liked by the populace. Though the sauce was a bit underwhelming, the steamed broccoli was not mushy at all and the chicken was perfectly tender.

The two soups, the wonton and the hot and sour, were not the highlight of the day, both priced at $4.50. The wonton soup, though acceptable, was nothing special and the wonton itself had a flimsy and bland dough. The hot and sour soup, however, had mixed reviews. Some said they enjoyed the tingle of the hot tofu, but some said it tasted like cow manure (not ideal).

The sweet and sour chicken, on the other hand, WAS the highlight of the day for just $11.95. Not only was the chicken perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the sauce was also amazing: creamy and sweet, but not the type of sweet that leaves a gross taste in your mouth.

To sum all of this up, Chef Chan’s has a lot of great dishes well worth it for some school day takeout (don’t skip school, Highlanders). The only considerable critique I had after this great experience was that they gave us no chopsticks with our order. So if you happen to be in the Chinese Thanksgiving mood, stop by Chef Chan’s for some sweet and sour chicken and crab rangoons instead of that regular, old Turkey with grits.