The Harvest Inn is one of the most beautiful Oriental restaurants
in the area. It features mostly Mandarin cuisine, and diners enjoy
comfortable booths or cloth-draped tables in an atmosphere of understated
elegance. The restaurant is quiet, and tables are well spaced so
that diners do not feel crowded and can converse easily.
Lunchtime is busy, but dinner is much more relaxed and leisurely.
There is convenient free parking, accessed from Maryland Avenue
behind the building.
The menu is extensive, featuring many traditional favorites, so
there is definitely something for every palate. I love Peking duck, and
it is beautifully prepared and presented. However, you must order it
in advance when you make your reservations and pre-pay. You won’t
be disappointed, and you can have your choice of either pancakes or
steamed buns.
We usually order our dishes family-style so that we each can sample
a variety of dishes.
Start your dining experience with shrimp and sizzling rice soup or
the flavorful sweet corn and chicken soup. The hot-and-sour soup is
also excellent and definitely worth consideration. Since mu-shu is a
family favorite, we usually have an order of pork mu-shu with extra
hoisin sauce. For those who enjoy sweeter dishes, the sweet-and-sour
pork is very good, as is the lemon chicken.
Another tasty choice is the sweet and pungent chicken. It can be
a bit spicy, which is also true of the tangerine beef. Other delectable
entrees include diced chicken with walnuts, Kung Pao chicken,
shrimp with lobster sauce, sauteed scallops and shrimp, shrimp
sauteed with asparagus, and fish fillets in special wine sauce with garlic.
The Mongolian beef is consistently good, and the beef with broccoli
makes for a beautiful presentation.
For vegetables, try the sauteed sweet pea leaves or the baby bok
choy with Chinese mushrooms. Round out your meal with pan-fried
or lo mein noodles with your choice of meat or vegetables. I like the
Yang Chow fried rice, so we usually order that instead of a noodle
dish.
If you have a difficult time making choices from the large menu,
try one of the special dinners for two or more people. Lichee nuts
make a refreshing dessert, enjoyed with orange wedges and fortune
cookies.
The Harvest Inn is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. On Sunday, it is open
from 4 p.m. 9:30 p.m. The Harvest Inn has private rooms available for
meetings or parties. This is an award-winning restaurant and is certain
to become a favorite. Reservations are recommended. Call (818) 956-
8268 or (818) 956- 8278.
Read “Heads Up!” and more restaurant reviews and chef interviews
at www.columnsfromstauffer.com
Harvest Inn manager Christophe Chang guarantees diners a
pleasant experience.