Mark Pi's has great Chinese

After four years of living in Bloomington I have searched high and low for the best Chinese food around. I believe I have found it. Mark Pi's China Gate offers a variety of gourmet Chinese food that will satisfy any food lover's appetite.\nLocated at 3020 East Third Street by the College Mall, Mark Pi's offers a casual atmosphere and excellent service. Unlike some restaurants that offer fast food that has been pre-made and sitting in a window waiting for your order, Mark Pi's food is fast, fresh and hot when brought to your table just minutes after you order. \nI started lunch off with the delicious spicy wonton appetizer. This is served with wontons (noodles filled with meat) just like in the soup, with a sweet but spicy sauce that tops it. The hot sauce brought a new change to the flavor of the wontons that I am so used to eating in a mild soup. Other appetizer offered at Mark Pi's include crab rangoon, shrimp toast, pot stickers and the famous Mark Pi's egg roll which range in price from $1.50 to $5.25, the more expensive serving enough for two.\nFor lunch I tried the Mark Pi's chicken and the happy family, both with flavors that are out of this world. One of the chef's specialties, the Mark Pi's chicken is a dish with which you can't go wrong. The chicken is served with a thick and spicy, but sweet, sauce with a touch of orange flavor and topped with green onions. Beware, it is hot, but don't let that scare you away from this tasty dish. The happy family dish is a much milder dish combining shrimp, scallops and chicken into a light sauce. Both are served with your choice of steamed or fried rice.\nFor the Chinese buffet lovers out there, Mark Pi's offers a Sunday buffet from noon until 4 p.m. and offers a variety of dishes from the menu. For those who are out just to enjoy a meal, Mark Pi's offers lunch and dinner. I recommend lunch, which will save you $3 to $5 on your dish and is still enough to fill you up. My lunch dishes were both in the $7 range -- other Mark Pi's dishes range from $5 to $8 depending on the dish and the combination option -- your choice of soup or egg roll. So the next time you're in the mood for Chinese food choose Mark Pi's and, as Mark Pi himself says, "Dine like an emperor"