After last week’s review in Colonie, I wanted to try something closer to home. One of the places nearby that I’ve always been interested in is the Green Shell Chinese restaurant, only a few blocks away from campus. It is fairly new and I’d been told that it’s one of the better places for quick Chinese food in Troy. Also, I’d been told that they get enough business from us that they offer a special RPI discount.
Green Shell offers just about every kind of Chinese food imaginable. A quick glance at the menu shows a staggering amount of options to choose from, along with combination platters that come with fried rice and an egg roll. The lunch menu offers platters with pork fried rice, egg drop or wonton soup, and a drink. The best part, though, is that almost every item on the lunch menu is below $5. The regular menu is equally cheap, with only three out of over 200 items priced over $10.
The restaurant primarily caters to take-out and delivery orders, but also has a few tables inside for those who wish to eat in. My roommate and I settled on take-out to review the food back home on cozy couches. Our order took only 10 minutes or so and was still hot by the time we sat down to eat 10 minutes after that. It also came with a plethora of sauce packets, utensils, fortune cookies, and a cup of sweet and sour sauce for the fried wontons.
We ordered two combination plates, an appetizer, and a soup for both of us, and with the RPI discount, our total was about $18. I tried the pork with garlic sauce and it was delicious. Green Shell also included a large amount of fried rice to soak up the tasty sauce, which I appreciated. I also tried the hot and sour soup, which was still piping hot and pretty tasty.
My roommate tried the orange chicken, which he says was good but nothing special. He noted that it definitely hit the spot for something so cheap. Both of our orders came with egg rolls which were surprisingly fresh and crispy. Our appetizer of fried wonton was decent, but a little greasier than expected.
For once, the hype surrounding a restaurant was dead on; I liked Green Shell. It wasn’t jaw-dropping, amazing Chinese food, but it was pretty good for an inexpensive, speedy, and local Chinese food choice. The discount I had heard about also worked. I flashed them my RPI ID card and got an instant 10 percent off of everything I had ordered.
Green Shell is within walking distance for anyone living north of campus and is open until 11 pm on weekdays. It is located in the Troy Plaza on Hoosick Street, just next to Big Lots. The restaurant can be reached at 272-1300 for delivery and take-out, and remember to use your RPI ID to get the discount on the already inexpensive and tasty food.
