New Star's Chinese Restaurant

  • 2817 Cantrell Road Little Rock, AR
  • (Across Cantrell from Riverdale shopping center)
  • 501-280-0022

Description

New Star's has finally jettisoned the buffet that had been the hallmark of previous administrations. Much like the early versions of New Fun Ree, with which it is loosely affiliated (the paper-only menus are very close in content and style), this is primarily a pick-up and delivery enterprise.
Although the sign says "Eat In & Take Out" and New Star's has retained the tables and booths of its predecessors, they're not very well set up for people to actually sit at them.
Most of the dining room is barely lighted and there's no wait staff, only the kitchen staff and the young lady behind the counter, who answers the phone, works the cash register and conveys the bagged food from the kitchen staff to the hands of pick-up customers or the delivery driver.
New Star's portions are remarkably generous; we discovered that adding soup or an appetizer meant we couldn't finish most accompanying entrees.
Best "new star" by far is the fried dumplings, eight medium meat-filled pot stickers for a reasonable $4.75 with just about the right amount of garlic-soy-scallion sauce for dipping or pouring. The hot and sour soup ($1.50) lives up to its billing, lively enough spice-wise to give the palate a good tingle but not too fiery and nicely balanced against the vinegar sourness. Also suspended among the red pepper flakes is a decent amount of pork and tofu chunks and tiger lily buds.

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