Download: Asian Cuisine in the Oaks
When my family ate out as a child, it was primarily Chinese, Mexican, and Italian. We were, after all, vegetarians, and that did tend to limit our food choices at a time when veganism and vegetarianism were largely unfamiliar words.
Since those three ethnic food types were woven so thoroughly into my childhood, I come to think of them as comfort foods as an adult. Of course, today, I would include Indian, Thai, Ethiopian, and Vietnamese to the list. But when it comes to true comfort foods, there’s nothing like walking into an Asian restaurant, seeing the Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the Buddha happily smiling at all who notice, and above all, booth seats You know, the squishy kind with high backs that families with small children prefer because it somewhat contains the wiggles and giggles. And don’t forget the Chinese New Year paper placemats that, when turned over, are the perfect pass time if one has a pen or pencil on hand for those with fidgety fingers.
Welcome to Happy Garden in Clearlake Oaks, which offers many booth seats, seating for larger groups, a conference room for parties, and a full bar to boot. Happy Garden proudly serves a large selection of authentic Chinese and Thai food in generous portions that are not overly greasy and reasonably priced.
For a lighter meal, try their colorful Green Papaya Salad with a generous portion of thinly sliced green crisp papaya, sliced tomato, shredded cabbage, shrimp, fresh carrots toped with crushed peanuts, pepper flakes and dressed with a lime juice dressing. Every bite fresh, tangy with just the right amount of sweet to sour for a refreshing start to your meal or indulge and make it your entire meal.
For a more traditional take, one can’t go wrong with their Szechuan Chicken, with the perfect balance of small chunks of chicken, a medley of green pepper, carrots, zucchini, celery, noodles, onion, water chestnuts all in a smokey sauce, and every bite the perfect crunch of vegetable to flavorful chicken.
And if egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken are more your thing, yeah, they’ve got you covered. Plus, if you’re looking for a dramatic dish that will make the whole restaurant notice, be sure to order the House Special Plate, a combination of shrimp, chicken, pork, and vegetables served on a sizzling platter. Not only is it exciting to look at, but it also makes a tasty dish.
What makes Happy Garden so special is that it’s a place that families come back to year after year–it’s a Lake County institution, and when you visit, you know you’re going to get good, quality food. My children have grown up with memories of Happy Garden, just like I have my own memories of eating Chinese. To be honest, I won’t order Egg Foo Young again from any Chinese restaurant. I only had a few vegetarian choices as a child and definitely ate that dish far too many times. But with a broader palette, there are far more choices to satisfy whatever is your thing!
For casual, fast, friendly service that aims to please, Happy Garden is not going to disappoint. It’s worth a drive along the lake to the Oaks; that’s part of what makes it a family tradition for Lake County.
13440 CA-20, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423
(707) 998-0398
