Happy Garden, a Huntington Chinese food staple is located just a block away from the Metro and easy to spot from the road. There is plenty of parking and the moment you enter, it smells amazing. The restaurant offers both takeout and delivery, and a couple of tables are available inside.

At first the restaurant’s cleanliness and the kindness of the entire staff was enough to make me forget about the entire owner’s family sitting down to dinner across the room. A real family operation, I was greeted by all and was provided with suggestions for the sold out appetizer I tried to order.

The most disappointing part of the experience was the 40 minute wait for the food. I am willing to give the single cook the benefit of the doubt because there were several orders in. Now, it’s all down to the food.

To start, the Egg Drop Soup ($2.25) was delicious and not too salty, but the Wanton Soup ($2.25) had absolutely no flavor. The Pork Fried Rice ($6.75 ) was exactly what you’d expect from a neighborhood restaurant and was quickly devoured.

Less appealing were the chewy Shrimp with Snow Peas ($9.25), soggy Steamed Dumplings ($4.50) and inedible Crab Rangoon($4.25). General Tao's Chicken ($7.50) was easily the best tasting dish of the bunch, though the plain White Rice (free with entree) was fluffy and just the perfect consistency.

As a hit or miss, it’s worth it to try a few items and figure out what tastes best to you. With no place to eat inside, it’s not worth it to bring friends or guests, but the lunch menu is only $5.25 for an entree, rice and an egg roll. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., it’s perfect for lunch, dinner and evening snacks.