My family decided to have Christmas Dinner at Orchid in Garden City, New York.  I was overwhelmed by the number of people who also had that idea.  I had mixed preconceptions because the restaurant was a flight down from the street.   I never liked restaurants that below ground.  My initial reaction to the decor was traveling back into time and space and visiting Las Vegas in the 1970s (with all the glitter, mirrors and neon signs). 

I have been decidedly unhappy with the Chinese food choices out on Long Island.  In most cases, I equate our Chinese food to the equivalent of just fast food take out.  I have searched high and low for great Chinese food on Long Island but to no avail.  As a foodie, I am most focused on the quality of the food.  Any day of the week, I would eat in a dumpy restaurant if the food was good.  The quality of the wine tends not to be of primary concern for me and my family so I will not venture an opinion on theirs.

The food here was definitely upscale and better than most.  For our table, we ordered, Won Ton Soup, Egg Rolls, Steamed Vegetable Dumplings, Tangy Spicy Shrimp, Chicken and Broccoli, Shrimp Lo Mein,Szechuan Chicken and Sizzling Steak Pot.  The rest of the entries were superior to the many other Chinese food that I have sampled.  My regrets is that we did not have the opportunity to try a few other dishes like the Phoenix Roll or the Hunan Veal.  On whole, the food was excellent.

On the downside, the restaurant seems to be aiming at a higher class of people than me.  Some would argue that is a good thing.  The cost to us was approximately $120 for four adults and four children.

I ill continue my hunt for the "Best Chinese on Long Island" but Orchid definitely tops the list so far.