Bek-Hee

It's easy to drive past Bek-Hee without giving the place a second glance. Set amid strip malls and budget apartment complexes on Page Avenue, the restaurant blends into the north county landscape as "just another chop suey joint." That’s not completely inaccurate. Bek Hee's menu contains all of the Chinese greasy-spoon staples: St. Paul sandwiches, hot braised chicken, pork fried rice with gravy. However, hidden among these inauthentic dishes are some traditional gems that, when word gets out, will put Bek Hee on the map. The small restaurant is owned by the Lin family, expats from Sha County in China, that is famous for its culinary tradition -- legend has it, Sha's cooking style descends directly from the Han royal family that fled to Sha in 221 AD. Some Sha-style gems on Bek-Hee's menu include the housemade pork egg rolls and vegetarian spring rolls, both made from scratch (including the wonton wrappers), overstuffed and fried to a crisp golden brown. The homemade dumplings are also a must try -- the pork filled gems are delicious in their own right, but the accompanying "dumpling sauce," a Lin family secret recipe, is divine. Also noteworthy are the house special lo mein and the Singapore chow mei fun, both made with homemade noodles. Bek-Hee proves why Sha cooking is fit for a king.