Most of the dim sum dumpling and other items contain pre-prepared sauces, so I have had to ask which items contain MSG. The best bet is to ask for things that can be prepared from scratch in the kitchen, such as Chinese Broccoli. This was a delicious vegetable with a Chinese sauce that was substantial enough to take care of a large part of my appetite.

Congee and sticky buns are some of my favorite dim sum dishes

Sticky Buns are steamed, and thus contain no MSG. These, as well as the desserts, can be eaten safely with no ill effects other than on the waistline if you eat too many.

Some items that contain MSG are hard to resist, though, even though I personally am only able to eat them in small quantities. The Congee (rice porridge) had enough ginger and other flavors to taste much better than it looked, and has been one of my favorite choices. Grand House servings are much smaller than I found in Seattle, but the quality is probably just as good. I think the amount of MSG used in the congee is minute enough to be eaten safely by sensitive diners.

An order of Steamed Shrimp and Scallop Dumplings from the dim sum cart was excellent, as well as other types of dumplings I have had.

The Leek Dumplings with shrimp was excellent in the "fried dumpling" category. Although it is usually served on the carts, the ones I have ordered from the kitchen have been even better. This dish has a sweet and sour sauce that is very well done--not the syrupy glop served at most restaurants.

Shrimp and Leek Dumplings are also served steamed, and are one of my favorites. They fall into the "eat with caution" category because of the MSG, though, as do most of the steamed and fried dumplings.

A Sticky Rice Ball cooked in a large leaf looked very interesting but the flavor did not match the west coast versions I have tried.

Ordering from the menu is not such a simple proposition, as there are three menus--dinner, lunch, and the Chinese menu. Patrons are automatically offered a lunch or dinner menu, depending on the time of day, but some of the more unique and interesting selections are found on the Chinese menu (the menu has English descriptions for non-Chinese speakers).

One of the best items I have sampled from the Chinese menu was Tofu with XO sauce. The sauce had a scallop flavor and seemed to be one of the better examples of complex Chinese cooking.

On another visit I asked if they had clay pot dishes, and found that these are also on the Chinese menu, listed as Casserole Dishes. The one I tried with tofu and vegetables had one of the best sauces I have tasted in OKC, although the vegetables were not as exciting as at Dot Wo.

Noodle Soups are offered on both the lunch and dinner menus--the staff suggested that I try the one with wontons and it turned out to be very good.

Cantonese Style Pan Fried Noodles are offered on both the lunch menu and the "Chinese" menu, and are offered either "wet" or "dry" (the "dry" ones come with a delicious light brown sauce). Although I have enjoyed the flavor of this dish, it came with very few vegetables and was overloaded with onions. One order gave me a MSG reaction, even though I had asked for it to be prepared without MSG.

The Kung Pao Chicken was quite good--the sauce was thick with a rich flavor as opposed to the thin, runny sauce found at many restaurants.

The Hot and Sour Soup was excellent, although probably not my favorite in OKC.

Some Vietnamese dishes are available on the dinner menu such as Vermicelli Noodles with Chicken--I tried this and it was quite good.

Grand House has a large selection of cakes that are sold from a display case in the front of the restaurant--in short, everything is available to make a banquet or just a snack.

Both the strength and weakness of Grand House lie in the fact that they do everything on a grand scale. The menu is huge and can be intimidating, but it also offers more choices than most other restaurants. Some of my best meals have been when business was slow and I was able to ask the manager or the servers what dishes would be recommended. If you know what you want from the menu then any time would be good, but with a busy kitchen there may be times when it would be difficult to make special orders.

Dim sum is what usually brings me to Grand House, and of course it is easy to choose things that are brought around on carts or trays. I do not think the dim sum equals west coast standards, but some of it, such as the congee, desserts, and Chinese broccoli, is very good. When I have eaten the dumplings, almost all of which contain MSG, it has given me more of a reaction than I have gotten from most other restaurants, so I do not recommend anything at Grand House that has MSG. This puts a severe limit on the choices available, and is the main reason I go infrequently for the dim sum. Out of the dumplings I have tried only a few have been comparable in flavor to others I have eaten, with the shrimp and leek probably being the best. The dim sum can be enjoyable, though, if you are selective.

Some of Grand House's servings, such as the noodle soup, are really better in other restaurants, so I do not rate Grand House as the top Chinese restaurant in Oklahoma. However, it delivers the "true Chinese" taste, and is one of the Asian District's most popular restaurants for good reason. I appreciate the fact that the manager is almost always available, and if there are problems the restaurant does its best to fix them.

Grand House combines good food and an upscale atmosphere for one of the most pleasant dining experiences in the city. It is usually open late, and as far as I know is open every day of the year.

Grand House has a large and attractive dining room