Big Joy II's location near Gwinnett Medical Center, the county courthouse and other large employers draws the noontime crowd. The Lawrenceville Chinese restaurant, owned by Michael Chiang, has been open in the corner of a strip shopping center off Duluth Highway since 1993.
MIDDAY MEAL
More than 50 items, from vegetable egg foo young ($5.75) to a spicy seafood noodle soup ($8.95), appear on the long list of lunch specials. They come with soup, an egg roll, a crab angel and fried or steamed white rice. The wonton and hot and sour soups live up to expectations and are accompanied by a bowl of crispy noodles. The crab angel, Big Joy's version of crab Rangoon, is stuffed with cream cheese and fried. The egg roll is standard fare, with a crispy crust and shredded vegetable filling. The entrees are pleasing and plentiful. The Mongolian beef is thinly sliced and packed with soy sauce flavor. The chicken and broccoli is full of veggies and typical of what you find at most Chinese restaurants. The mound of fried rice that accompanies the lunch specials is void of eggs and vegetables, which causes it to lack some flavor. But our separate order of chicken fried rice had diced carrots, pieces of fried egg and more, which made the dish satisfying.WORLDWIDE APPEAL
In addition to its regular menu, Chiang said the restaurant also has a separate menu that Asian diners tend to order from. That menu includes items such as steamed pork dumplings, which he says melt in the mouth. The restaurant's decor is typical, such as various wall hangings with a Chinese motif. The wait staff is welcoming and quick to help single diners, twosomes and groups of co-workers during our visit. It's quiet enough to savor some time alone, reading a book while away from work. But the restaurant's hushed tone sometimes means that some voices carry — we could hear a group of men sharing inappropriate jokes during our meal.
