Located on the border of Anaheim and Fullerton, Ma’s House Chinese Halal (also known as Ma’s Islamic Chinese Restaurant) was a place worth the little extra drive from the college area.

The menu was filled with a variety of choices and this is in addition to the lunch specials that are offered every day.

Listed as an appetizer, the egg rolls were a good choice to start. While it may appear as just the standard egg roll that is commonly served, this one stood out from the others. The outside shell was the standard crispy, but the inside filling is what made the difference. The vegetable filling was full-flavored and well-seasoned as one bite after another made it better. An order of 4 rolls is $5.95 and worth adding on to the order.

Up next was the Pan-Fried Beef Dumplings that were listed on the limited Dim Sum portion of the menu. The dumplings have a slightly crispy but mostly chew exterior dough that was surpassed by the filling, which was not skimped on. The beef was well cooked and not overly seasoned which balance out with the exterior. This dish is listed as one of Chef Ma’s Specialties and it is worth the price of $9.95 for an order of 10 dumplings.

Off the seafood menu, the dish that satiated the seafood craving was the Shrimp and Asparagus. The shrimp was well done, tasted fresh and paired well with a flavorful sauce. In addition, the shrimp was mixed with sliced asparagus and carrots that were well cooked, but still maintained a satisfying crunch which added a nice texture balance to the soft shrimp. The order is enough to feed four people and costs $16.95.

The dish that stood out a little above the others was the Chef Ma’s Specialty Chicken Dough Sliced Chow Mein. The noodles had the flavor of being homemade and were tasty just on their own. Mixed in were tender chopped chicken, bean sprouts and shredded cabbage. With everything mixed together, it created a savory dish that was worth the price at $13.95.

While one may balk at some of the prices on the menu, the portion size and flavor of the dishes make them worth the couple extra dollars spent to satisfy that Chinese food craving.

Ma’s is located at 601 E Orangethorpe Ave Anaheim, CA 9280 and offers online ordering for pick-up or delivery. They are open every day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch specials and 4:30 – 8:45 p.m. for the dinner menu.