to-go coffee cup tinted orange sitting on a windowsill overlooking a city scene
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Review: Clean Plates Cafe & Juice Bar

order counter with a green wall behind it and a second white wall with a black logo reading "Clean Plates"

In the last 12 months, Berks County lost not one but two vegan restaurants. Greenhouse Kitchen closed in November 2024. That was followed by the closing of Firefly Cafe in Boyertown in the summer. 

While there are plenty of places that have meat-free dishes, there are only a handful of in the county that call themselves vegan. One of those is Clean Plates Cafe & Juice Bar.

small sign in front of a large stone building that reads "Food Court"

Clean Plates is located inside Reading’s Downtown Food Court. The space opened in the spring of 2024 and had as many as seven different eateries, including a pizza shop, donut bakery, and ice cream stand. When I visited in October, only two stands were still open – Clean Plates and The Pulse Cafe – while a third, Sizzling Island, sat dark with “we are closed” written on a hand-drawn sign. The remaining spaces were vacant, the sandwich board on the corner of Sixth and Washington advertising stands that no longer exist. 

But Clean Plates was busy while I was there. A steady stream of customers were stopping by, some for just smoothies, others ordering full meals like myself. 

three rows of tables for two separated by a railing from another row of tables for two along a window-lit wall

I ordered my food and drink and sat down at a table for two at the windows looking out at Washington Street. The row of seats sits two steps above the main dining area, which is filled with tables for two that can easily be pushed together. There is a second dining area in what was the teller area of the Berks County Trust Company, the company that originally built the historic structure. The old bank vault still sits behind the teller stand – a spot that also had multiple food vendors at one time.

(One of those was Sunset Mexican Ice Cream, which recently moved to a larger space on Lancaster Avenue). 

A couple smoothies went out ahead of me, but it only took about 10 minutes before my matcha latte and falafel pita were ready. 

clamshell container with a falafel pita and a mound of sweet potato fries

The falafel pita is available as a lunch combo with fries or sweet potato fries – which I will always choose when given a choice. It was a huge portion stuffed inside a clamshell package. The pita was overflowing with veggies – lettuce, red onion, and cucumber, along with three large falafel balls, all drizzled with tahini. 

I love falafel, and Clean Plates did not disappoint. Though it fell apart while eating it, it was very flavorful with the chickpeas soaking up tahini sauce. Red onion is always good for a little added bite and a little crunch, a necessary complement to the pillowy pita. 

The sweet potato fries were also very good, hot and crispy just as they should be, and just how I remembered them from my first visit. 

basket with three pulled jackfruit tacos topped with coleslaw from Clean Plates

That first visit came in May 2024, when there were a lot more options at the food court. Clean Plates was still doing well when I stopped for lunch and ordered one of their specials, the jackfruit tacos. 

I have loved jackfruit as a meat alternative since the first time I tried it at Firefly Cafe. (I’ve even made it at home many times since). The tacos were served on hard shells with coleslaw on top. Jackfruit has a very mild flavor on its own with just a little hint of sweetness, but it absorbs other flavors very well. This allowed the BBQ sauce and coleslaw to really shine. And those homemade hard shells were perfect. 

pumpkin-colored to-go cofffee cup on a window ledge looking out at a city scene

Clean Plates also does a great job with their drinks. My matcha latte was excellent, sweet but not too sweet, and not too heavy on the milk alternative. 

With my drink and falafel pita, my total was $19, well worth it in my book. 

In addition to lunch and dinner, Clean Plates is also open for breakfast. There is also a cooler full of juices for those who love fresh-pressed juice. 

I’m glad Clean Plates is still going, and I hope they continue to thrive as an anchor, both of the Downtown Food Court and as one of the only vegan spots in Berks County. 

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Good
Price: $$

Clean Plates Cafe & Juice Bar
35 N. 5th Street
Reading, PA 19601

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bowl of hummus from Aladdin Restaurant
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Review: Aladdin Restaurant

white painted exterior with black awning and a sign on the roof that reads Aladdin

In a county that has what feels like an endless number of pizza places, sandwich shops, Mexican restaurants, and bars, Aladdin stands out.

Even in the dining-heavy downtown of West Reading, Aladdin is unique with its shawarma, falafel, and other Mediterranean dishes. 

Aladdin changed hands since we reviewed it in 2020 (See the original post below). It was a great – and hearty one – with lamb kebabs, chicken saute, baba ghanoush, stuffed grape leaves, and tabbouleh. (Jakob also had chicken fingers and fries as any three-year-old would). 

dining room at Aladdin Restaurant

The dining area remains mostly unchanged – the same yellow-hued walls against burnt orange floor tiles. Wooden chairs at tables covered with off-white tablecloths and booths with light blue-green padding. 

Much of the menu remains the same, as well. My tastes have evolved and expanded since our last visit, though. So rather than go with a shawarma or similar meat dish, the moujardara caught my eye. 

rice and lentils with side of baba ghanouj from Aladdin Restaurant

Found on the vegetarian menu, moujardara is a dish of seasoned and simmered lentils and rice topped with caramelized onions. It came served with my choice of side, which will always be baba ghanoush for me. 

It was a very impressive meal. I couldn’t tell you what spices were in it, but they came together for a savory dish that was delicious and complex in flavor. And the lentils were meaty in their function, proving to be extremely filling, especially with the portion size. 

And the baba ghanoush is one of my favorite things anywhere. For the unfamiliar, it’s similar to hummus but instead of chickpeas, it’s made with roasted eggplant. I love the smoky flavor that comes through. Even though it’s served cold, it tastes warm and inviting. 

kebab skewer with salad from Aladdin Restaurant

While Julie’s horizons have also been stretched since we began the blog, she once again ordered the lamb kebabs. They were prepared very similar to how we remembered them with six or so large chunks of lamb skewered with layers of onions served atop a bed of rice. The meat was tender and flavorful and there was a delicious char on every savory piece. Overall, an excellent dish. 

Julie opted for fattoush for her side. The tomato and potato salad was topped with crispy pita chips, which was a great little touch to add a crunchy element to the plate. 

chicken schwarma and rice kids meal at Aladdin

Neither of us were able to finish our entire meals. Neither was Jakob who got the kids chicken shawarma with rice. It was a full plate with a tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping or pouring over the meat. Aladdin does a very enjoyable shawarma and Jakob seemed to enjoy his. 

bowl of hummus from Aladdin Restaurant

And because we couldn’t resist, we also ordered a side of hummus for the table. We absolutely love their hummus. It’s so much fuller in flavor than the one-note store-bought kind. Maybe it’s the olive oil drizzle, maybe it’s something in the recipe. Either way, it’s a must-have if you go to Aladdin. 

For our meals, the total was around $70. It’s not a cheap meal, but you’re also getting a lot of food for your money so it doesn’t feel outrageous at all. 

The new owners are doing right by the Aladdin name, and we are certainly glad to have them here in Berks County. 

BCE Rating
Food: Excellent
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: $$

Aladdin Restaurant
401 Penn Avenue
West Reading, PA 19611

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Original Post: February 24, 2020

An exterior view of Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

When I was working in King of Prussia, there were options when I wanted Mediterranean food – schwarma, falafel, kebabs, etc. In Berks County, those are rarities on our restaurant menus.

But I did find all of those and more at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant in West Reading.

Aladdin has been around since 2009 when the restaurant renovated a former gas station adjacent to the West Reading Diner (now Americana Diner). More than 10 years later, Aladdin is still going strong, as we found out on a recent Saturday night.

A view of one of the dining areas at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant with a table for four in the foreground and a fireplace in the background

We arrived around 5:30, a little early for dinner, and found just a couple other tables taken in the dining room. Aladdin offers two dining areas. We were seated in a booth by the window in the standard dining room. It featured a large fireplace at one side with photos of beautiful coastal towns, musical instruments and other keepsakes from the old country adorning the walls.

A look at one of the dining areas at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant with red cushioned seats with pillows along a wall in front of large windows covered with red curtains.

The second room (on the right-hand side when entering the restaurant) has a completely different feel to it. Red curtains cover the windows behind a long row of cushioned bench seats with red and black throw pillows to support diners.

I didn’t remember until I did a little research that the building that currently houses the restaurant was formerly a Getty gas station. It certainly shows no signs of that today.

A plate with six rolled and stuffed grape leaves and a side of yogurt for dipping from Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

At our table, I was struggling to make a decision as I looked over the menu. Aladdin promotes itself as offering the “best quality Lebanese and Mediterranean dishes,” and there are a lot to choose from. The one easy decision was choosing an appetizer – Julie and I agreed on stuffed grape leaves.

I first discovered stuffed grape leaves at the annual Greek Food Festival. I really enjoyed them there. And I enjoyed them even more at Aladdin.

Stuffed grape leaves opened to show a mixture of seasoned rice and ground beef from Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

The stuffed leaves were shaped – and sized – like cigars and filled with rice and seasoned ground beef (a vegetarian option is available). The filling was very good; the beef had hints of many different seasonings and spices that I couldn’t immediately identify. The tangy leaves were done well, and it was a great beginning to the meal. Even Jakob, our often fussy two-year-old, ate his (the filling, at least).

Deciding on the main course was more difficult. Entrees at Aladdin include kebabs; schwarma; rack of lamb and lamb chops; various sautes and a range of vegetarian options. I settled on the chicken saute.

A plate with a stir-fry mix of chicken, green peppers, onions and tomatoes and a side of rice pilaf at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

Though it sounds boring, it was anything but. The chicken breast was sauteed with green peppers, onion and tomato in a garlic sauce. I really enjoyed the olive oil-based sauce. It had enough garlic to really pop without overpowering the flavors on the plate. The tomatoes really stood out for me, too. They were diced and cooked so tender that they practically melted away. The tomatoes were like little bites of marinara sauce throughout the dish.

Many of the entrees, including both mine and Julie’s, are served with rice pilaf. The pilaf was lightly seasoned, but good. I did enjoy using it to soak up some more of the garlic sauce at the end.

A dish of baba ghannouj with olive oil drizzle from Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

Because that wasn’t enough food, the meal also came with a side: your choice of hummus, baba ghannouj, tabbouleh or fattoush.

A plate with three thin pitas in the foreground with a glass of rose iced tea and a plate of stuffed grape leaves from Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

I love baba ghannouj and was excited to try Aladdin’s version. I didn’t have to wait long as it was actually served as an appetizer along with a basket of pitas. Baba ghannouj, if you’re not familiar, it is basically hummus but it’s made with pureed eggplant as the base instead of chickpeas. It’s more moist than hummus, a texture I like better. I also prefer the flavor as it’s less nutty.

Aladdin’s version was everything I wanted it to be.

A skewer of lamb and onions atop a bed of rice pilaf with hummus in the background at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

While this was my first visit to Aladdin, Julie has actually been there twice for business lunches. And she has had the same thing on each visit: lamb kebabs.

The skewers feature large chunks of lamb mixed with onions, served over rice pilaf and choice of two sides. Lamb meat is so rich; I always enjoy it. But while it was grilled, it picked up this nice char that trapped in even more flavor. It was very good, and I understand why Julie loves it so much.

For her two sides, Julie ordered tabbouleh and hummus. The hummus came on the plate with the kebabs. It’s a very good hummus, but I still prefer the baba ghannouj (that’s just me, though).

A small plate of tabbouleh (parsley salad with tomatoes and lettuce) from Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

The tabbouleh actually arrived early as an appetizer. Tabbouleh is a Mediterranean salad that uses parsley as the base green. Aladdin makes theirs with cracked wheat, tomato, oil and lemon juice (with some lettuce thrown in).

It’s really flavorful. I think the lemon juice shines nicely giving the whole salad a bright citrus flavor. I would order the salad as an entree on a return visit.

A plate with three chicken fingers and a handful of fries from Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

Not knowing how Jakob would take to the cuisine, we played it safe and ordered him chicken fingers and fries off the kids menu. We hadn’t anticipated that he would fill up on grape leaves and tabbouleh before it even arrived. Though he did eat some, we brought most of it home for him to have later in the week.

Two glasses of rose iced tea on a table at Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant

We were all stuffed by the end of the meal and didn’t have room for the baklava sundae that we really wanted. We did splurge a little when we ordered rose tea for our drinks. The iced tea was given a little rose flavoring (I believe it was from a syrup). It was almost like sweet tea but with a little extra herbal flavor that we found refreshing.

I have to admit that the meal was more expensive than we had anticipated at $78. Part of that was our rose tea ($4 each) and also the fact that we ordered an appetizer ($12). The entrees were $22 and $25, respectively. When you look at the portion sizes, though, I didn’t feel cheated at all.

Aladdin’s food is serving a niche here in Berks County, and I’m glad for it. The next time I have a craving for baba ghannouj, I know where to turn.

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: A Little Pricey

Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant
401 Penn Ave
West Reading, PA 19611

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Hive Red Thai Chili Bowl
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Review: HIVE Local Food

blue door on a tan building with an unlit neon sign that reads "Hive with five hexagons

Some restaurants serve a very specific niche. They identify and fill a need for the community around them.

In a college town like Kutztown, there are students from all walks of life. Along Main Street, there are what feels like an endless number of restaurants that are casting a wide net – pizza and bar food that appeal to a wide range of students and locals, alike.

But then there are places like Hive, a local organic farm-to-table cafe.

chalkboard with the words "Welcome to Hive Cafe Support Local and eat real food"

The appeal for Hive is that it doesn’t have mass appeal. It’s tucked away along Sacony Alley, only one street off Main Street, but it feels like a mile away. The alley is quiet. Instead of storefronts, it’s dominated by the backyards – or back parking lots – of homes and businesses.

The “front door” for Hive looks more like the backdoor to a warehouse. Essentially, it is. The space that houses the cafe is repurposed industrial – a large room that would otherwise be very sterile and cold if not for the vibrant metal tables and chairs, the beautifully drawn menu signs, and the shelves of organic produce.

dining room in Hive Kutztown featuring orange metal tables with matching stools

It was a quiet Sunday, just after 12 noon when we arrived. There was just one table in use. We claimed the other four-person table and brought over a high chair for Jakob before placing our order at the counter.

Hive’s menu – full of vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian options, all organic – expands on Sundays, when additional brunch items supplement the regular lunch menu.

I ordered the heaviest out of the three of us – opting for both a noodle bowl and a smoothie.

Hive Red Thai Chili Bowl with bean sprouts and zucchini noodles

My fin sùt sùt red Thai curry featured rice noodles, spiraled zucchini, carrots, kale, cilantro, lime wedges and scallions in a Thai curry sauce.

Like a pho noodle bowl, the sauce was a thin broth. Rather than a soup with vegetables cooked in the broth, many of the vegetables were placed on top of the noodle bed – the carrots added raw and uncooked.

The broth was definitely kicking, spicy enough to clear out my sinuses but not too spicy that I couldn’t enjoy the dish. This is where most of the flavor came from as rice noodles are rather plain on their own. Aside from the broth, it was a bowl of individual flavors, but I enjoyed it throughout.

pink colored smoothie next to a bowl of noodles

I was also glad to have the smoothie to ease the heat – especially because the one glass of spring water – though served in a very cool beaker – didn’t last very long.

It was the “Queen Bee,”  a strawberry banana smoothie with almond milk and bee pollen. I was a fan. It was sweet, but not overly sweet. It definitely helped cool down my burning mouth as well.

grilled cheese sandwich on a metal tray

For her meal, Julie went with the smoked mozzarella and mushroom panini. It was served on a locally made ciabatta bread. It was simple, but delicious. The smoky flavor of the cheese really shined through. And the mushrooms made for a nice, flavorful filler.

small mixed green salad with a cup of dressing

Her sandwich came with a mixed green salad that was served as an appetizer.  It featured spring mix, beets, carrots and a strong, but enjoyable, balsamic dressing. The carrots were raw and cut thick so they were a little more challenging, but the beets added a nice note to the salad. And everything tasted like it came right out of the garden that day.

Hive offers two kids items – a grilled cheese and the a PB&J. We ordered the grilled cheese because it’s something we know he has eaten at daycare. But I can tell you, they don’t serve it like this at daycare.

grilled cheese sandwich and a banana on a metal tray

The grilled cheese featured a sharp cheddar that was bright orange and full of flavor. And the wheat bread from Daily Loaf Bakery was delicious, especially toasted as it was. Jakob (and mommy and daddy) thoroughly enjoyed it. He finished half of it at the restaurant. The other half went home in a box with the banana that was served as a side (he also got a juice box with his kids meal).

A lot of times, “organic” is synonymous with “pricey,” but I thought our meal was very reasonable. For a noodle bowl, panini, smoothie and a kids meal, we paid just under $40. I would pay that again for our meal.

Hive serves a specific niche, sure, but the food is definitely good enough to expand the customer base. Yes, the cafe specializes in vegan, vegetarian and organic foods. But it’s a cafe first.

And it’s a good one at that.

BCE Rating
Food: Very Good
Service: Good
Ambiance: Fair
Price: Reasonable

Hive
236 W. Sacony Alley
Kutztown, PA 19530

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Review: Hawaii Kitchen

First-floor retail space on a townhouse with a sign that reads "Hawaii Kitchen Sushi Burrito & Poke Bowl"

I can’t think of a place in America farther away from Berks County – both physically and culturally – than Hawaii.

Hawaii is a tropical paradise. Berks County sometimes gets hit with a tropical storm. Hawaii is a destination thanks to its pristine beaches. The “beaches” at Blue Marsh Lake just can’t compare.

So the last cuisine I expected to make its way to Berks County was poke bowls, the Hawaiian specialty dish usually consisting of seafood, rice, vegetables and sauce – think a deconstructed sushi roll.

black dry erase menu board for Hawaii Kitchen in front of a stone lined garden

But then Hawaii Kitchen opened in West Reading in early 2018 and a piece of the islands arrived in Berks.

Hawaii Kitchen opened earlier this year in the former Petite Milan – a children’s clothing store – in the 500 block of Penn Avenue.

The restaurant is roomier than it looks from the outside. Despite the narrow footprint, Hawaii Kitchen packs in tables of two and four with an additional row of counter seats. It’s not the biggest dining room in West Reading, but it serves its purpose.

long counter seating area along an unadorned wall

There were only a few others seated inside when we arrived on a recent Saturday night – Julie and I with little Jakob in tow. The restaurant’s owner fawned over Jakob when she saw him so I’ll give some bonus points there.

We ordered at the counter and grabbed a table for two at the front window.

bowl with greens topped with avocado and sesame seeds

The first item to arrive was my avocado salad. It was a simple salad with just three ingredients: mixed greens, avocado and sesame-ginger dressing. But it was absolutely delicious.

I loved the dressing. It was salty; it was a little sweet without the bitter aftertaste of a balsamic. And with the simplicity of the salad, it just worked. It was also more filling than I would have imagined for a side salad, mostly thanks to the avocado.

bowl with shrimp and fruit toppedw ith avocado and cheese

Our entrees arrived shortly thereafter. Julie was going to be the one to try a bowl, the avo-coco shrimp bowl, a summer special advertised on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

The bowl included mango, strawberry, pineapple, avocado and shrimp tossed in a coconut sauce. This is not a “traditional” poke, but Julie loved it.

Part fruit salad, part poke bowl, it was sweet and bright. Coconut and shrimp are always a winning combination, but the addition of the other fruits – including the avocado – added a little more flavor depth and really helped make it into a real meal. Julie was very surprised by how full she was after finishing it.

table with a bottle of snapple Peach tea and a Gold Peak green tea next to a wooden flower box

I skipped the bowl and went for the restaurant’s other specialty, the sushi burrito.

My first sushi burrito experience came courtesy of Hai Street Kitchen at the King of Prussia Mall. Hai Street has a few more than Hawaii Kitchen for its rolls, but the concept is the same: take sushi and supersize it to eat more like a burrito.

There are five sushi burritos on the menu – all but one of them are seafood based with shrimp, salmon, crab salad or a combination of the three. I skipped the fish and went with the vegetarian option instead.

burrito-sized sushi roll cut in half with black wrap filled with purple rice, lettuce, tofu and avocdo

My “burrito” included tofu, cucumber, avocado, spring mix and sweet chili sauce rolled in purple rice and seaweed wrap.

The purple rice made for great presentation but it was really just rice. And the first bite – mostly tofu and rice – was a bit disappointing. But the second bite hit home with the sweet chili sauce. Eventually all of the flavors started to mingle a little more and every bite was flavorful.

Tofu is mainly just filler, and that was fine with me. The other flavors – especially the delightful sweet chili sauce – were what really mattered.

Neither Julie nor I are experts in poke bowls, sushi or anything else on the menu at the Hawaii Kitchen, but we were both impressed with our meals. Though at $32 – with two bottles of iced tea included – I wouldn’t call it a bargain.

Still, we enjoyed it. And whether or not it was “authentic” doesn’t really matter to us. We liked it.

Also, it’s not like we’re going to Hawaii anytime soon so we’ll just enjoy what we have.

BCE Rating
Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
Price: Reasonable

Hawaii Kitchen
510 Penn Ave
West Reading, PA 19611

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Vegetarian Mango Chicken from Chen Vegetarian House
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Review: Chen Vegetarian House

exterior of a restaurant with a light orange awning that reads "Chen Vegetarian House"

It is very hard for a Chinese restaurant to set itself apart. With so much competition—it seems as though there is at least one in every town—there has to be something unique, a hook that separates it from the pack.

One West Reading restaurant found a way to make its mark on the Berks County food scene by taking Chinese food in a new direction by giving it a vegetarian twist and making it more healthy.

That’s what makes Chen Vegetarian House different from the rest.

In addition to healthful foods, Chen offers a range of healthful drink options including 18 fruit and vegetable juices, five dairy-free smoothie flavors, and four kinds of hot teas.

large glass with a papaya smoothie

I was craving something sweet so I went with a papaya smoothie. Papaya has always been one of my favorite fruit flavors, but it’s one that isn’t readily available. The fruit has a light sweetness, a perfect base for a refreshing drink.

large glass with pineapple juice

Of the 18 juice bar options, more than half start with carrot. The rest are pure fruit, most mixed with ginger to add a little spice to the sweetness. Julie’s juice cocktail was a combination of apple and pineapple with a hint of ginger.

Chen Vegetarian House has some familiar sounding entrees on its menu: General Tso’s chicken, beef teriyaki, and sweet and sour chicken. But as a vegetarian restaurant, all of the “meat” is made from soy  and wheat. The shapes and textures are meant to resemble the real thing because sesame chicken sounds a whole lot more appealing than sesame tofu.

My original plan was to try the vegetarian version of General Tso’s, but the description of the mango chicken sounded so good that I changed my plans. And it was the right decision.

sliced mangos with a bowl of rice

The dish included strips of mango, “chicken,” onions and peppers tossed in citrus sauce and served inside a mango shell. The best part of the dish was the fresh mango, which took center stage over the tofu that was there strictly to absorb the sweet sauce and make the dish more filling.

I was actually happy that there was no meat in this dish because chicken would have made it too heavy. It was hard enough to finish the giant plate of food as it was, but I couldn’t let any of it go to waste.

plate with broccoli topped with vegetarian version of orange beef

Across the table from me, Julie went with the orange flavored beef. The tofu in this case was made to look and feel more like strips of steak and served atop a bed of broccoli. The orange tangerine glaze was thick and stuck to the tofu.

The flavor was spot on, sweet and tangy with just a little spice. The tofu came close to the right consistency, though it was a little chewier, closer to beef jerky than steak. Still, it was a great dish, one that Julie got two meals out of (it was just as good heated up as it was fresh, the mark of good Chinese food).

Not only are Chen’s dishes comparable to its meatier counterparts, but the prices are similar as well. Entrees are all in the $10-12 range. Our two specialty drinks put our final bill right at the $30 mark.

Chen Vegetarian House is truly unique in Berks County, a place that serves one-of-a-kind dishes not found anywhere else around.

And it’s meals like this that make Chen as good as, if not better than, all of the other Chinese restaurants out there.

BCE Rating
Food: Excellent
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Fair
Price: Very Reasonable

Chen Vegetarian House
709 Penn Ave
West Reading, PA 19611

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