Great Wall at 921 South Main Street M, Graham, North Carolina.

Well I'm surprised. The locals know Graham as a culinary wasteland, and with the exception of this restaurant, I'd be inclined to agree. Hell, as a general rule I'd be tempted to apply that general statement to the whole state of NC, but chances are I just haven't been to enough good places to eat. When I lived in Ann Arbor, MI, it was a LOT easier to find good food, but that was a college town with LOTS of competition for quality eats.

If you are in the mood for really good Chinese food (the kind you only dreamed of getting back in college), then this is a good place to start. The food tastes great, and doesn't make you sick. Not too greasy, not overcooked, and a good balance of flavor. Their packing was awesome - nothing leaked out of the bag as we brought it home and set it on the table. The fried rice was just right - not too dry and the veggies weren't mushy. They packed the sauce separate from the sweet and sour chicken so that it didn't get nasty on the drive home. The vegetable lo mein was also good - not overly greasy, and cooked just right. They even asked how spicy we wanted the General Tso's chicken. Everything was made fresh as we watched.

Another interesting note: You generally expect holes in the wall to be not terribly clean - not this place. No greasy smell in the air. The chairs in the waiting area were clean. From where we were waiting, we could see into the kitchen and it was as close to immaculate as we've ever seen a Chinese place be. And that's saying something.