5860 N. Mesa St.
El Paso, TX
(915) 577-0888
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
MSG: Yes
Smoking: No Smoking
Buffet: No
Hunan Chicken:
Hunan Tofu:
Tofu Family Style:
Pan Fried Noodles:
Kung Pao Chicken:
Tofu with Garlic Sauce:
Hot and Sour Soup:
Egg Roll:
The Hunan and Kung Pao sauces are the best ones here, but do not have the complexity or flavor I find in high-end Chinese restaurants. The garlic sauce does not have as good a flavor as I can find elsewhere in El Paso.
There are eleven items served as lunch specials (available seven days a week), but none are tofu dishes. The Hot and Sour Soup that comes with the lunch plates is one of the best in El Paso, and lunches are the best deal if you like any of the limited number of items being offered, but are not good for vegetarians.
The Tofu Family Style has very good tofu and vegetables, but the sauce does not have offsetting flavors as it should, and is too sweet.
Pan Fried Noodles make a good meal if you desire a more traditional Chinese dish, and also if you have a pretty big appetite. It comes with a dark sauce that contains a generous amount of soy sauce, and the flavor is not noteworthy when compared to some of the more authentic Chinese restaurants. The ingredients are good, though, including the chicken and shrimp that are normally served with the dish. Probably more important, though, I can eat it without fear of a MSG reaction (I ask for it to be prepared without MSG). Overall it is one of the better versions I have found in El Paso.
The biggest problem with Beijing Lili West is with the hot tea. The menu advertises that you get "herbal tea," but the jasmine (and probably some others) are actually made with bags of ABC tea, the cheapest institutional grade tea that is served in almost all El Paso Chinese restaurants. Not only is this nothing special--they charge $2.50 for a pot with two tea bags, and they charge another $2.50 if you get a refill.
I have also noticed a drop in the food quality since the restaurant opened. While the chicken dishes started out as white meat, they now contain a majority of dark meat. The worst thing, though, is that the food started out to be MSG-free, but now it is being added. Dinners can be prepared without MSG, but it cannot be omitted from the soup and other pre-prepared items.
Beijing Lili West has a pleasant décor that is comfortable rather than making me feel that all my money is going to pay for the building (as at P. F. Chang's). Also there is a piano bar on Friday evening with Steve Jones, an excellent piano player and a friend of mine, performing on a regular basis. The owner of the restaurant also puts on an excellent piano performance. As for the cuisine, though, Beijing Lili West has not provided Chinese food that is on the same level as the ambiance. It is to be applauded, though, for at least bringing the food to a higher level than is found in the majority of El Paso Chinese restaurants.