March 2004 Dirt Cheap Eats

Look past the shabby dining area. It's the food that counts at this "order and sit" Chinese and Japanese mainstay, where entrées above $10 are rare. Hunan chicken--like all of the chicken dishes--is lean, sliced white meat, smothered in a spicy brown sauce. Noodles float happily alongside everything from shredded pork and Szechuan cabbage to shrimp and black mushrooms. A sushi bar--some see it as the main attraction--sits opposite the Chinese counter. California and tuna rolls are $3.95 for six pieces during lunch.