Roseville's China Jen is an old-school adventure

CHINA JEN
2193 Snelling Ave., Roseville
651.633.3113

Which turn out to be soup dumplings. And good ones at that. Each steamed, pot-sticker-like dumpling wrapper packs a mild, tender little pork meatball, swimming in a scant tablespoon of broth inside. If you want to avoid soup dumpage, tip the dumpling to a 45-degree angle, nibble off the edge, and slurp down the broth before biting into the delicate interior. It's Flushing, Queens, in a hot little package.

If you're willing to make the drive for dumplings, be informed: The place has as many rough edges as it does items in its phone-book-like menu. While you dine, you may be treated to a full-volume screening of Whacked Out Videos featuring an old woman shooting a semi-automatic weapon, men who get turned on by inflated balloons, and a kid breaking a light bulb over his head. Coca-Cola from the fountain was heavy on the fizz, light on the syrup. An order of scallion pancakes ($2.90) was desert-dry and sadly lacking a bold flavor counterpoint (such as hoisin sauce or pork) to perk up its doughy, dour character.

Here's the flip side: For $5.90, you can get a kung pao chicken combination, including an ordinary-looking but well-executed egg roll and non-greasy fried rice. If you're an average eater with a flexible conscience, you can split this between two people and eat dinner for $3. Moreover, it's a dinner you'll enjoy. The kung pao's balance between sweet and spicy is spot-on; it's neither too syrupy nor too bland. It has a burst of warm, deeply spiced flavor that makes this a skillful execution of a mom-and-pop Chinese food classic.

Chicken satay ($7.90) isn't executed at a ready-for-Bangkok level, but it's mild and pleasing, and it boasts that sure sign that this isn't phoned-in Chinese cuisine: Its vegetables are crisp and snappy, prepared with pride and talent.

Humble and rough-hewn though it may be, there's something reassuring about going out for good old-school Chinese food and having it executed with style. And if soup dumplings are in the mix? Well, that's an adventure.