Fish with Black Bean Sauce, though, looked interesting enough that I wanted to try it, especially at "lunch special" prices. The waitress did not know what type of fish was being used, but I suspect it may vary according to what can be purchased. There were too many onions for my taste, but the other vegetables were quite good, including fresh tomatoes. The black bean sauce was about as flavorful as I have had anywhere, including the west coast. The chef seemed to have added quite a few extra spices not always found in the sauce, including a liberal dose of ginger. The black beans themselves were fresh, and it tasted as if every ingredient was purchased from the market and the sauce was made from scratch.

Lunch specials come with Hot and Sour Soup-- not quite Cantonese but it was about as good as the one at Dot Wo (in other words, one of the best in OKC).

Cucumber salad served as a complimentary appetizer

The Cucumber Salad is a spicy appetizer that is normally served with all meals (although I am not sure about the lunch specials). It had a flavor that reminded me of the salads served in Japanese restaurants, and it seemed to add a touch of authenticity to the Asian food served at Grand Village.

Jellyfish

As much as I liked the cucumber salad, the Jellyfish appetizer was even more of a treat (although I wished I did not know what it was before I tried it). My experience from very good sushi restaurants is that they do not serve any type of seafood that is not good, no matter how it sounds to Westerners, and so far the same has been true with the food I have had at Grand Village. The appetizer was spicy (even more so than the cucumber salad), and served to cleanse the palate in preparation for the main meal.

7-Hour Ribs with Chinese broccoli on the side

An item offered as a special on the board (written in English, Chinese, and Vietnamese) was 7-Hour Spare Ribs with House Garlic Sauce. While I am not often in the mood for a strictly meat dish, the restaurant prepared a side order of Chinese Broccoli with a special dipping sauce. The ribs were fried, and I would say were very close to salt and pepper style with garlic on top. This was quite delicious, but I felt rather guilty eating a meat dish with such a high fat content (although thankfully they did not supply an overabundant portion of meat as is the case in most restaurants). It was explained to me, though, that these "pork chops," coming from the rib area, are healthier than the typical pork chops that come from the leg or other portions of a pig's anatomy.

Chef Eric says he not only attempts to order the best cuts of pork, but the same is true with the beef, fish, and other meats.

Salty fish with tofu hot pot

The Salty Fish with Tofu Hot Pot looked as if it was mostly tofu, but it actually contained a good amount of meat. The salty fish was more for flavor than anything else, with Chinese chefs using small amounts in most dishes to make them more interesting. Pork is usually added (as it was here) for meat, as most people (including me) would not want to eat a whole dish of just tofu. I could probably think of traditional Chinese dishes that would be more interesting, but I liked this one.

Salty fish and chicken fried rice

A dish that souded much the same, but that I really would recommend to people who have not tried it before, was Salty Fish and Chicken Fried Rice. This was listed on the menu under "Fried Rice," and several of the rice dishes souded interesting. The waiter said the salty fish version was the chef's specialty, and I found it to be possibly the best fried rice I had ever tried. The salty fish was used in the cooking process, but the chicken was the only meat that was obvious by looking at it. To me the secret of it seemed to be that the salty fish was used in such small quantity, and combined with other flavors, so that it added flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients that were used. The yellow color was what I usually expect in fried rice, but this rice was moist and somewhat sticky rather than the hard, dry rice I many times find in restaurants.

A small bowl of crab meat with fish maw soup

Crab Meat with Fish Maw Soup is one that I consider a delicacy, at least when it is cooked correctly with a good texture and flavor, as it was here. This comes in a large bowl and can either make a meal or be shared.

Steamed halibut

Another excellent way to try the seafood here is with the steamed whole fish, and in this case I tried the Steamed Halibut. Steamed fish, more than any other cooking method, requires the freshest fish. Because of this it tends to be listed only on the specials board, and I thought the one I ordered was very fresh. In this case the fish was about the right amount for two persons.

Shredded pork with preserved vegetables

The various dishes at Grand Village have really all been about equally well prepared, but I am listing the Shredded Pork with Preserved Vegetables as one of the best dishes because it was very much to my taste and is not something that is found in every Chinese restaurant. I thought this was a very good mixture of meat and vegetables with the tart taste of the preserved vegetables being offset by a sweet dark sauce. If Hong Kong cooking is known for its complexity, this dish was a very good example.

The Jasmine Tea was brewed with loose leaves and was a good addition to a good meal.

I am a big fan of the fact that the menu is loaded with traditional Chinese dishes, specials are listed on the board, and there is no "secret" menu that they only offer to Chinese people or other customers who ask for it. Everyone who comes to Grand Village is treated to traditional Cantonese style food if they want it, or more American style dishes if that is their desire.