1570 U.S. 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065

American Chinese cuisine is a highly altered form of authenticity. In the region of Upstate NY especially, Chinese food is mainly found in only one form: takeout. Millions of Americans enjoy this quick and simple method to get tasty, Americanized food at a low price. SparX challenges this stereotype by creating a vision of originality, bringing out the true colors of Chinese Cuisine. This sit down, comfort food dining restaurant is the perfect spot to taste the myriad of this style, which is widely unknown and anonymous by the American public.

Right off the bat, the customer is greeted with a miraculous visual. A grand stone waterfall is the first sight that anyone entering gazes at. The logo of the restaurant is displayed on the falling water, and with the stained glass and yellow-purple cushions, the sensation of comfort food is described without even having entered the seating area or tasted the food. The deer head atop the falls is a weird touch, but nonetheless, the first impressions were staggering. Theme is carried on throughout the restaurant. While not very large, SparX utilizes the most of their space. The lovely white tablecloths contrast smoothly with the navy blue and gold walls. One of the sections is separated by a purple exterior with a fish tank. Overall the theme is not over the top, which is suiting for the style, although the jade dragon above the bar is astonishing.

• 

• 

Since we came rather early, at around 3:20 PM with my two good friends, the restaurant was empty. We were the only ones dining for some of the time that we were there. The peacefulness made the experience a lot nicer — comfortable if you will. The waiter that greeted us by the bakery display was very friendly, and asked us a good amount of questions to make sure we were comfortable with our experience. It appears that he was bartender, but with a lack of customers at that time, it is understandable that he was the one to serve us. He took us to a window seat, and the sunlight helpfully brightened up the room. The blue lanterns were an interesting addition to complement the blue scheme. The menu he handed us was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It had and aged, rubber cover that you turn like a book, and inside are about 6 double-sided pages of meals. The menu is quite large, but a lot of the options are very similar to others, and this is an advantage of a Chinese Cuisine to have a vast amount of items.

The main dish that we were interested in, and ended up ordering, was Dim Sum. We had ordered three different types of Dim Sum, as well as a small plate of General Tso’s Chicken; the most notable of all American-Chinese food. The dish was brought to the US in the mid 70s, and since its arrival and participation in almost all Chinese restaurants since, it is the most well known recipe. I ordered it to see how it stood out to other General Tso’s that I have had in the past. The difference in a fine dining restaurant versus casual takeout is remarkable.

The dish has one of the most gorgeous presentations of its kind that I have ever seen. Served with a side of either white or brown rice, the plate felt complete, even before tasting it. On the first impact with the teeth, the crunch of the fried exterior is enough to get you back for more. The contrast between the crunchy batter and the soft and moist chicken on the inside is perfected here at SparX. It was not too spicy, yet it was not too mild. With every bite, the feeling of consuming another right after the other is overwhelming. The dish is incredibly flavorsome, and scarily addictive, but the undercooked broccoli is a downer.

The main attracting was the Dim Sum, of which we ordered three varieties to share between us. Each order is decently hefty for even one person to eat; the dumplings and bums are not light. When it was served to us, each order of Dim Sum was packaged within the traditional steaming baskets, and they all came out together stacked on top of each other. This type of authenticity was expected from a fine dining cuisine that identifies as comfort food. Our waiter served us three types of sauces that we could use to dip: soy sauce, chili soy, and lemongrass soy. The first bite to enter my mouth was the Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumpling. Stuffed with bamboo, the interior stayed warm and damp when I took a bite, as the bamboo helped moisten the shrimp. Interestingly enough, the shrimp did not have a weird fishy taste to it. Up next was the Steamed Sticky rice Shu Mai. To be completely honest, there is not much to say about this dumpling in comparison to the shrimp one. The sticky rice has a mellow, faint flavor to it, but it relies on the extra soy sauce provided to secrete flavor. Although it was yummy, the balance between the pork and the rice needs to be altered; the rice is overpowering. Last and certainly not least was the Mandarin Duck Vegetable Dumpling. Duck is my favorite food, and this was certainly my favorite dumpling. I love the addition of the egg to the dumpling, and like the shrimp, there was no weird aftertaste to it. But, similar to the Shu Mai, the ratio of vegetable and duck, in this case, should be reshaped. It was still incredibly flavorful.

I am quite impressed with the tremendous ventures that this restaurant has accomplished. The variety of choices, prices, and ingredients attracts a wide variety of clienteles. The wonderful features of the place are prodigious in its attempt at freshness and authenticity. I will certainly be a customer again in the future.

Price: $$ – $$$

Service: 9/10

Decor: 8/10

Food: 9/10