With the holidays closing in, life starts to feel like the Indianapolis 500. Rushing from here to there to finish shopping, preparing for travel and trying to keep with work can force us to choose fast-food solutions to meals.

Good food, however, doesn't have to be sacrificed. A guest and I recently visited Beijing Chinese Restaurant in Frederick and enjoyed quality food and fast service at a reasonable price.

Located in the East Gate Center on East Patrick Street, Beijing offers an array of Chinese cuisine featured on their buffet. From the moment I walked through the doors and was greeted with a customer recommending the sweet and sour chicken, I knew my guest and I were in for a treat.

My guest and I chose the dinner buffet priced at $7.95. A lunch version is available for $5.95.

The small dining hall mas dotted with several Formica tables and chairs. A mirror in one wall helped make the room appear larger and served as a backdrop for the buffet awaiting. Light music was barely audible, making the ambiance an easy-in, easy-out kind of place.

Simply decorated, with just a few Oriental wall hangings, the restaurant clearly focused on providing fresh food to customers.

From won-ton soup and steamed dumplings to General Tso's and Kung Pao chicken, the buffet boasted more than eight traditional Chinese combinations, along with a selection of rices, vegetables and fruits.

I tend to be a little hard on the chicken found at Chinese restaurants, but was pleased to find the sweet-and-sour chicken pieces to be plump, fresh and kept at a desirable temperature. My guest, preferring spicy items, found the Hunan chicken to tickle his taste buds, and commented he didn't expect to find a selection of spicier foods on the buffet.

The meal proved to be a delectable experience. However, a customer, unfamiliar with Chinese delights, migth be intimidated by the spread of unidentified foods. The buffet lacked labels for the entrees and, most importantly, failed to identify spicier foods.

Beijing doesn't hold back. Although small, its menu contains over 80 different selections, including meals with poultry, pork, beef, seafood and traditional recipes such as lo mein and chow mein. Prices range from $7.75 for large portions to an average of $4.50 for small orders.

The dining establishment also offers six vegetarian entrees at $7.50 for a large and $4.25 for the small. Vegetables featured include broccoli, string beans, eggplant and beans.

Not forgotten is the health food section of the menu. Steamed vegetables are combined with shrimp, chicken, scallops or beef to create a meal for those health-conscious patrons. Large entree meals starts from as low as $7.50.

Beijing was a great place for dinner on the run, and also offers specials for those on a limited lunchtime schedule. Twenty-four lunch specials, all priced at $4.95 will satisfy your hunger without hurting your wallet. All lunch dishes are served with white rice or vegetable fried rice, and your choice of won-ton soup, egg drop soup or hot and sour soup.

--debra Summerall
The Frederick Post