Magic Dragon: Tasty, Quick And Healthy

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Magic Dragon, Aurora Village, 205th St. N. and Highway 99, Shoreline. 546-6668. Hours: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cash and checks accepted. Non-smoking. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Besides just being hungry, it was the neon sign offering "$1 Chinese Food" that caught my eye. Looking for something tasty, quick and healthy, the Magic Dragon looked like a good possibility. And it was.

The food at the Magic Dragon is delicious and served quickly, and there is a large selection.

All of the selections are on view at the open kitchen-style set-up. In the background you can see their chefs preparing the Szechwan-, Cantonese- and Mandarin-style Chinese food. Diners get their own soft drinks and bus their table, but that's what makes the meal so inexpensive.

The Magic Dragon has been open since November in Aurora Village, but the original Seattle restaurant has been open about a year and a half.

At the Aurora Magic Dragon, single serving items start at 50 cents for a vegetable spring roll and 59 cents for a serving of steamed rice. The $1 items are baked hum bow, pot stickers, chow mein, fried rice and a vegetable medley.

For $1.75, diners can choose from black bean chicken, General Tsao's chicken, honey sesame chicken, curry chicken, Mandarin pork chops, Cantonese broccoli beef, sweet and sour pork, cashew chicken delight, Mandarin chicken, Mongolian beef ($2.25), or one of the chef's daily specials.

The specials depend on the day. Monday is satay pork; Tuesday is Szechwan chicken; Wednesday is Szechwan tofu; Thursday is the cook's choice; Friday is black bean chicken; Saturday is garlic chicken; and Sunday is ginger pork.

Diners can pay less than $5 and have some variety with a combination dinner.

The regular combo includes chow mein, fried rice and a choice of any two entrees. For $3.98, it's more than most people can probably eat, but for $4.98 the deluxe combo gives diners the choice of three entrees plus the chow mein and fried rice.

I tried a regular combo with Cantonese pork and the cashew chicken. The Cantonese pork was sweet, tender and loaded with onions and big chunks of pork. The cashew chicken was a little lean on chicken and cashews, but still tasty. Served over a won ton, it had lots of crunchy peas, carrots, celery and onions.

The fried rice was on the dry side, but OK soaked with soy sauce.

The Magic Dragon also offers a children's meal for $1.98. It includes fried rice, chow mein, honey sesame chicken and a fortune cookie. Another tasty selection is the magic bowl, which includes one or two entrees and a bowl of steamed rice ($2.98 or $3.50). On a recent visit I had the Cantonese broccoli beef. Served on top of the rice, the broccoli beef had a mild flavor and the rice was moist and sticky.

The Magic Dragon uses no MSG. The menu also specifically states that Magic Dragon uses 50 percent less oil than normal Chinese cooking.