So I was thrilled to discover Red 8, a delightful Chinese bistro, offering moderate prices on food that, in my opinion, is better than the higher priced places down the hall.

It’s a small place, tucked in a back corner of the casino, and although the walls are open to the din of the slot machine floor if you get a table near the back the noise is unobtrusive. The room is done in dramatic shades of chocolate and red with intricate tile and woodwork plus the requisite Asian design motifs you would expect. While the chairs at the tables weren’t exactly what I’d call comfortable for a long meal, it is generally a pleasant place to dine.

The menu, printed on black vinyl for an interesting touch, is as Chinese restaurant extensive as you would expect. More than a dozen appetizers, a similar number of noodles in broth dishes, a bunch of wok-fried noodle dishes, a handful of wok-fried rice entrees, regular rice specialties, rice porridge dishes, barbecue and roasted meat selections, veggie offerings, and classic Chinese favorites and specials. All told there are nearly 100 different items to choose from so come hungry and come with your decision-making skills intact or you could be sitting there awhile trying to make up your mind.

My dining companions and I started with several things from the appetizer list. I’ve never really understood the concept of vegetable tempura. I mean, I get the concept of battering and deep frying things, but vegetables? Twinkies, sure. But vegetables? Having said that the big pile of greenery done up in flaky, almost buttery crusts was enjoyable. I simply told myself it was deep-fried bacon and that did the trick.

More successful, at least to my palate, were the Cantonese potstickers, delicate dumplings filled with shredded vegetables and pork with a couple of different dipping sauces competing for attention. They were pan-seared to perfection and mouth-wateringly tasty, especially when combined with the traditional soy sauce accompaniment.

But the true winner in this category was the vegetable spring roll appetizer. I know, I know, more vegetables, but in this presentation it was remarkable and I demand you try them. The filling was popping with bold flavors, providing a fascinating contrast with the subtle yet delicious crust. I wasn’t quite able to define the flavor in those flakes but I swear it was something like vanilla and it created an overall package that was better than any spring roll I’ve ever tasted.

For entrees we went to the “Favorites” category, figuring there is a reason they were favorites in the first place. The sweet and sour pork was more sweet than sour, not always my favorite way of presenting the dish, but it worked in this case. The meat was tender and the sauce had enough of a tang to it that the sweetness didn’t get overwhelming although I will say it was walking quite a fine line.

The beef with ginger and scallions was on the opposite side of the spectrum, definitely in the spicy category but still underplayed enough that all but those with the most sensitive of taste buds should be able to handle it. The teriyaki/soy concoction seasoned the meat and its partners perfectly and couldn’t have been done any better.

Or so I thought until I got to the Mongolian beef. Now this is what they were thinking of when the Chinese started cooking. Juicy morsels of beef with crunchy green peppers and onions all mixed with a zesty teriyaki type sauce over perfectly prepared white rice – it just doesn’t get any better than this.

The only disappointment on the menu comes where it usually does in Chinese restaurants – desserts. I know green tea ice cream and coconut pudding are traditional but after a terrific meal like that I wanted chocolate or maybe a cheesecake… or a chocolate cheesecake. Whatever. Don’t judge me.

The service was stellar throughout the meal. I couldn’t have found any way to improve it if I had tried.

As mentioned above, prices are very moderate. Of those roughly 100 dishes only 10 are over $20 with most in the $12-18 range. We did three people with wine, appetizers, entrees, and tip for well under $100 total. It may not be the cheapest Chinese restaurant in town but it is also not the most expensive and is certainly one of the best.