Bright, clean and a bargain. I ventured into Szechwan 7 at San Rafael's Montecito Shopping Center for lunch the other day. I had not been in this space since it's predecessor had the Chinese lunch buffet going. The former business had let it rather run down, and the lingering memory of it kept me from trying the new. That was a mistake. The current owners have completely renovated this place, and it is bright and and shiny clean. And it also offers a nice mix and match lunch menu.

I had a choice of three soups, and I chose the egg flower, rather than the hot and sour or won ton soups. It was piping hot and a generous portion, not to mention it had a fresh taste.

For the main plate, I chose the two pot stickers, fried rice (you can also have brown for $1 extra), and the special entree of the day. The special entree was a black bean white chicken and asparagus dish, which also included sweet onions and artfully sliced carrots. This was hot and generously portioned. The freshness of the ingredients sang through the black bean sauce as well. This is a great place for a casual lunch.