Where better to find a comfortable upscale Chinese restaurant than in Garden City’s upscale shopping center.

Located at 140 Hillside Ave. in the heart of Garden City, Asia Grille offers fine dining and take out at reasonable prices. Service is fast and friendly. Asia Grille offers traditional Chinese fare, including combination plates, chow mein, lo mein, pad thai, egg foo young, fried rice, seafood, beef, steak and chicken, plus a wide variety of combination plate.

On our first visit I decided to go for the “Special Entrees”, while Joyce chose from the seafood entrees.

Joyce chose Shrimp Curry, perfectly cooked shrimp surrounded by onions, celery and peppers in a mildly spicy curry sauce ($15.75). The sauce was exquisite and plentiful, with a good portion left in the dish with a few veggies. She asked for a small white rice ($2.00) and a box, mixed the rice, veggies and curry sauce together, and brought it home for lunch the next day.

Asia Grille has a number of items I have not seen on Chinese restaurant menus before, and I chose one of them: Ju-Yim Pepper Shrimp and Calamari.

Crispy shrimp and calamari were prepared in a pepper salt coating, topped with diced red and green peppers, surrounded by broccoli crowns ($16.25)., making for an interesting combination of tastes and textures. The portion was generous. I left nothing for the next day.

Kyle, our attentive and helpful waiter, said that the combination plates were very popular.

With over two dozen to choose from, we found a number we can’t wait to try, including Peking Beef ($13.)Mongolian Beef ($13.50), and Sweet and Sour Shrimp ($13.).

The meal is served with your choice of egg roll or spring roll and pork fried or white rice. I’ve found that  most restaurants don’t give you the choices.

We skipped the appetizers, but plan on trying the Peking dumplings and crab Rangoon next time, as the folks at the table across from us raved about them.

Asia Grille is open 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11:30 to 9:00 Sunday, seven days a week. They have two take-out stations, and business was brisk on Saturday night.

For reservations and take-out call 298-8855.