We almost missed the restaurant while following the GPS instructions – it’s in a strip-mall/business park, pretty much in the middle of nowhere off of Lawrence Expressway.  The owner (I think?) mentioned in passing that it relies largely upon business park customers in the area.

The interior of the restaurant reminded me a lot of the family-owned restaurants that we used to frequent back in Taiwan.  Well, that, or the cluster of Chinese restaurants in Cupertino Village… anyway.

We started off with appetizer – fried won tons.  They were piping hot and pretty good!  Next came entrees – chicken chow fun, green beans, sha cha beef, and sweet and sour pork.

Chicken chow fun – it was too greasy, with not enough flavor.  The chicken was tender (brother liked it) – but there wasn’t enough flat rice noodle, and there were some clumps of noodle, too – that’s my pet peeve!

The green beans were on the oily side (I think all the dishes were, really) – but not overcooked, and just the right amount of salt/soy sauce!  – and therefore a winner in my book.  :)

Sha cha beef – my brother’s favorite of the dishes.  I thought it was okay - pretty bland, actually.  I did appreciate the veggies, though - the broccoli especially! 

Sweet and sour pork!  The problem with these deep-fried dishes is that they’re only really good for about ten minutes… and then they get all soggy and nasty.  Anyway, this was my favorite dish – not at all like the sweet and sour pork that you get at steamtable/fast food Chinese places, you could really taste the vinegar in it!

According to the owner, there are enough customers coming to the restaurant that nothing lasts beyond three days – which means the veggies are extra fresh!  If I were staying in this area for longer (or employed), I think I’d definitely stop by this place for takeout.  They also do delivery within 3 miles with a minimum $25 purchase!

If you do decide to visit Happy Cafe, definitely check out www.restaurant.com, because they’re offering 70% off gift certificates right now!

Happy Cafe

I made quesadillas today for the first time today.  I don’t think I’ve ever made a dish where the amount of heat actually matters (read: I only ever stir-fry).  Well, anyway, the point is that quesadillas require super low heat, otherwise the tortillas get burnt. 

The quesadilla piled up high!  Pretty grainy, but you get the idea…

The quesadilla came out really crispy and delicious – I want to say I waited about seven or eight minutes with the heat on super-low (lowest possible).  One secret I discovered while making the quesadilla was that chicken + chicken fat (ran out of olive oil, oops) + chicken stock = delicious!  The tomato was a nice touch – next time I want to try cooking the tomato for a little longer so it’s sweeter.  Also, I think I want to add squash to the mix next time.

In other news – while pita + tomato sauce + cheese is a great recipe for a mini-pizza, the same does NOT hold for tortillas… ew.

I was a fan of the purple leaves and pink flowers.  So pretty!

There was a mini baseball field setup going on at one end of the park – no one playing, though. 

To mix my metaphors, it’s the little house at the end of the tunnel!

Closeup of the pink flowers and purple trees.  I love the colors!

I really liked this picture of the tree.  It’s just a huge tree at the end of the park, standing all by itself. It reminded me of the bodhi tree, Siddhartha, and all that Buddha stuff. 

Information and directions to the park are given below:

Las Palmas Park