For more than 20 years I have driven through the Devington area on my way to various destinations, sometimes stopping in the grocery store at its busy shopping center.
Amazingly, I always overlooked the nearby Dragon Inn restaurant. Last week I had a rare, non-rushed extra moment to survey the other businesses at the shopping center, and decided to give the restaurant a try.
First time guests will immediately see that Dragon Inn is suited more as a carryout joint than a dine in establishment. Despite plenty of space, only a few basic gray tables and chairs are available. Still, the place is clean and neat with nice, cold air conditioning.
Upon entering, I was greeted by a friendly young lady who welcomed me to the place like an old friend. She happily gave me a menu and offered to answer any questions I had. It’s something about people being enthusiastic about their jobs that makes you feel good about the products they serve.
As you can probably guess by the name, Dragon Inn is a restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine. Those who frequently read this column know that I enjoy comparing the zillion Chinese restaurants we have in Indianapolis and seeing what makes each different. In fact, a friend recently told me that I’m in those places so much that pretty soon I might end up becoming Chinese by default.
Seriously, when it comes to its food, Dragon Inn does not disappoint. Yes, it serves all of the typical favorites such as fried crab Rangoon, hot and sour soup, General Tso’s chicken and chow mein.
However, Dragon Inn specializes in cuisine from the Cantonese, Szechuan and Hunan regions of China, as well as some dishes that originated in nearby Mongolia. Customers will appreciate the specialty combinations that include a main serving of chicken wings, fried rib tips, chicken nuggets or fried scallops served with a choice of flavored fried rice or French fries for under $7.
For under $7.50, patrons can also get various combination platters that have a main dish such as sweet and sour chicken, moo goo gai pan or pepper steak with onion along with an egg roll and chicken fried rice.
During my visit to Dragon Inn, I tried the pork egg foo young with a couple of egg rolls, and was impressed both with the portion size of the food and the unique, rich flavor that combined the touch of various herbs with a slight sweetness I’ve never tasted in similar dishes from other places.
Despite coming at what the young lady told me was their busiest time of day, I still received my order in less than 10 minutes. The young lady and I at the counter began to have a conversation about Chinese politics over the last 20 years, and before we could reach the year 2000 the cook had my food ready.
Dragon Inn’s speed is very impressive for a restaurant that is located in a heavily trafficked shopping center and where the phones seem to ring off the hook.
Dragon Inn is definitely on my list of restaurants to return to very soon. I’m looking forward to taming the hunger dragon there again.
