Shrimp Broccoli Stir-Fry at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget
One of my favorite Chinese-food-as-medicine dishes is shrimp broccoli stir-fry. I recently tried the Golden Star version of this dish in Salinas, California and feel that I have a Vitamin C booster for the 2026 New Year.
One of the reasons I find Chinese stir fry to be healthy is that the Chinese start out a stir fry with hot oil that they season with fresh ginger and garlic and sometimes onions and red pepper before adding in vegetables and protein like broccoli and shrimp in the dish I tried.
What makes this stir fry delicious is they savory sauce made generally of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and corn starch (for the sheen appearance), which can be a sauce for rice as well as the main ingredients.
Broccoli is a low-calorie food packed with fiber; vitamins C, K, and A: potassium, and antioxidants. I like the flavor of this super food.
Shrimp is also good for you if eaten in moderation. It contains vitamins B12 and D; the minerals selenium, phosphorous, and zinc; and antioxidants. It is hard to believe that something this delicious is good for you in moderation. (It has high salt and cholesterol content.)
The flavor and quantity of the shrimp broccoli was very good. If you like shrimp, you would probably like this dish. Golden star offers versions of this dish with beef and chicken as well.
Golden Star is located on Main Street in downtown Salinas, California with a large parking lot in back next to Compass Church. You have to go down a short passage from the parking lot to the front of the restaurant on Main Street to pick up your food.
What I really like about Golden Star is that it is about 5 minutes from my home in Salinas, California, making picking up take-out Chinese food easy. I also like it that their extensive menu is available all day.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
