95736 Sun Jan 08 03:05:46 -0800 2006 9 6 Southwest 0 523236 (Note: Additional photos can be found at my food blog. Please click the link below.) Madge and I haven't been out together in quite some time. Most of this is Madge's fault because Madge has been husband shopping. Alas, she seems to have landed someone special. What a better way to tell me all the details of your love life than over a Chinese lunch. As luck would have it, Madge was a fan of Autumn Court when they were housed on Central Avenue. A fire in the kitchen last year, however, closed that location and the folks behind the scenes discovered the building that used to be home to the Flat Iron Grill at 38th Street and East Indian School Road in Phoenix. They have only been open about two weeks, but we decided to give it a try as I was dying for some great Sweet & Sour Pork. The thing to remember about Autumn Court is that this is a Chinese restaurant to head to if you are looking for American Chinese food. You won't find the authentic tastes that are cooked up over at Golden Buddha. The best way to decribe the Chinese food is to say it is very similar to what the food served at the old China Doll use to be like. And I don't mean when China Doll took over the space next to Basha's at 7th Avenue and Osborn, but when it was across the street in what is now Bruno Mali's. We headed into the restaurant shortly after the lunch rush and were seated in a comfortable booth. The interior is still the same as when RotiJoe's and Flat Iron occupied the space (dark woods, exposed beams, etc.), but a few "Asian" touches have been added. Right off the bat, Madge wanted BBQ Pork Slices ($6.50) and I wanted Egg Rolls ($1.50 each), so we decided to eat "family style" and share the dishes. Our very attentive server took our drink order (water and Diet Coke for us both) and was back in a flash. Right off the bat, I was please with the large glasses used to serve our beverages. These quart-sized containers were perfect for a warm Saturday afternoon. Any restaurant that gives large glasses of a drink (or leaves a pitcher on the table) gets bonus points from me. We requested our appetizers and then I ordered the Sweet & Sour Pork ($8.95) and Madge chose the Sesame Chicken ($9.95). Our meals also came with white rice. The first thing to our table was a large plate of the BBQ Pork Slices. They slices were about 1/4" thick and were sat in two rows, topped with some additional BBQ sauce along the top. A small puddle of the sauce was also at the bottom of the dish. Madge and I dove in and were hooked from the first bite. The meat was tender and juicy. The BBQ sauce was thin, but flavorful and, thankfully, not overpowering. It was a perfect mix of tastes. Next up were the Eggrolls. A large plate was set forth with two steaming hot eggrolls, accompanied by a ramekin of Sweet & Sour dipping sauce. The eggrolls were cut in half and the wrappers were deep fried and super crispy. Inside, the filling of pork and vegetables was hot, but the vegetables were still crisp and gave the roll a nice, soft cruchy texture to enhance the wrappers. Another winner for Madge and me. Next up was the Sweet & Sour Pork. This was a dish I grew up on, and the sight of it took me back. In front of us sat a large, shallow platter with a sizable helping of the pork. The pork pieces were deep fried and then tossed with a mixture of fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers and pineapple before being mixed with the sauce. It was wonderful. The best part of the dish was the fact that the batter surrounding the pork pieces was still crunchy. The vegetables were tender crisp and the flavors enhanced the dish perfectly. The chef could have made this dish on the cheap, but the fresh vegetables and the crispy pork make this dish heavenly. Our final selection arrived and it was another success. The Sesame Chicken had an intense, savory aroma and the bite-sized chicken morsels were battered and deep fried like the pork. They were then tossed with a somewhat smokey, slightly sweet sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This was a great way to round out our meal. While it had similarities to the pork, it was just a very well prepared dish with a few simple ingredients. Madge and I chatted away about the potential new husband while we finished every speck of food on the plates. The service was very good and our drinks were kept topped off regularly. This was a great lunch and an even better opportunity for Madge and I to catch up on life and our roles in it. There was no downside to our meal, which cost $33.24 including tax. Our bill was, of course, accompanied with fortune cookies. We paid and headed out, but not before getting the lowdown on the new location. Although the old location on Central had been the site of a bad kitchen fire, the owner told me they were rebuilding once the insurance claim was processed and would open the old location and keep the new location open. I was thrilled by the news because Autumn Court will do well in the Arcadia District. Its only true competition will be the Pei Wei down the street. If they keep the food as consistent as they have at the old place, they will have a wonderful, thriving business. I know that Madge and I will be back! Autumn Court Chinese Restaurant 3752 East Indian School Road Phoenix, AZ 85018 Dress: Casual Link: http://phoenixfeast.blogspot.com Image: http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c208/sethchadwick/sesamechicken.gif Sun Jan 08 03:05:46 -0800 2006 0 Seth Chadwick 1 523245 I am thrilled to hear they're rebuilding the old one, I absolutely love the atmosphere in there. I just hit the new one last night and was very pleased to find out that the food is every bit as fantastic as at the classic location. My one quibble with the new one is that the TV in the bar is visible from virtually every table in the joint. Other than that, the new space works well; something about it feels more relaxed than the original location (where one could occasionally pick up on a slight sense of panic behind the scenes). Link: http://thecosmicjester.blogspot.com Sun Jan 08 14:53:45 -0800 2006 523236 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester) 1 523263 Is there a buffet? Also, being next to Thai Lahna, it might be interesting to see if those seeking Asian fare will choose one over the other (or as you mentioned, the Pei Wei down the road). Regardless, there's a nice stretch of options in that area for foodies (including Sprouts for shopping for home). But don't bother with the Mexican place (something Nachos) that replaced the Asian place that replaced the other Asian place down the road - which you also mentioned in a previous post. I gave it a shot and was not impressed. Sun Jan 08 22:28:20 -0800 2006 523236 0 TastyJon 2 523268 TJ, I didn't see any potential set up for a buffet, which I know was quite popular at its Central Avenue location. My guess is that, due to space considerations, they will opt to hold off until the old place is re-opened and have that feature the buffet. Thinking about it, they could, I guess, use the bar area for the lunch buffet, but that would be a bit cramped and they do have their hearing notice up for the liquor license. I will make a point of asking next time I go in. As for Nacho's, I don't know what to think. There has been a steady stream of cars there, but they have the most bizarre hours. I think they close at 8:30 or 9 PM on weekends. And it will be interesting to see how the Asian diners make their choices. It could be a round robin event like no other! :o) Link: http://phoenixfeast.blogspot.com Mon Jan 09 00:15:48 -0800 2006 523263 0 Seth Chadwick 1 526140 i was wondering if peking duck was on the menu. Tue May 09 23:48:15 -0700 2006 523236 0 joe leonhart 2 3737953 No peking duck. I just wanted to give a quick review being I just had take out from autumn today. It was awesome! It has been hit or miss IMHO over the last few months so I wasn't expecting anything great. I ordered the shredded pork with garlic sauce-it was soooo fab and spicy. and the sesame chicken was perfect as well. They changed their carryout to plastic containers not the ususal chinese boxes and they give crunchy stick like noodles as well gratis. anyway they have pretty good food for arizona I just don't think they are very consistent. Sat May 31 16:10:54 -0700 2008 526140 63433 drewb123 3 3737987 Autumn Court delivers, which is awesome, so we do them about once a month. Those crab puffs with more cream cheese than crab? They do those very well, the last couple orders have been fried perfect. Beef egg foo young, lemon chicken (all-white breast meat) and mu shu pork seems to be the theme from them. They've done the plastic containers for at least the last year, so it's probably been a while since you've visited. Good neighborhood place, just wish they'd remember where I lived. A big plus is that the food always comes very hot; we've never had temp issues. Sat May 31 16:27:18 -0700 2008 3737953 67548 azhotdish 4 3738083 Tara and I stopped into AC for the first time a few weeks ago. While the apps and service was kinda sketchy on our visit, the main dishes were outstanding. I got orange beef and it was about as good as I've had. A nice thin crunchy coating and tender beef inside I can't remember what Tara got. It looked like it should be bland, but actually had a really nice flavor. Sat May 31 17:14:36 -0700 2008 3737987 21290 Firenza00 4 3738098 I know all about the delivery :) That is mostly how I get autumn court. I must be foggy from last night b/c I know it's only been a few months since I had autumn and I cannot recall the plastic containers?? the food is always piping hot though when it is delivered which is nice. Do you happen to know of nay other chinese delivery in the area? Sat May 31 17:24:33 -0700 2008 3737987 63433 drewb123 5 3738141 No, I don't. I know you can order from Sesame Inn on 32nd St/Camelback via Delicious Deliveries, but I don't know if they do delivery themselves. I've tried asking about delivery and faxing a menu from Little Shanghai on 40th/Indian School, but English is obviously not the preferred language so I've never pursued it further. Sat May 31 17:45:25 -0700 2008 3738098 67548 azhotdish