Post #779892 by Michelle66 on Thu, Sep 21, 2017 3:25 AM

Been home this week on vacation, and after two abortive attempts to eat at Kowloon (due to menu issues), finally decided to give Bali Hai a try.

Bali Hai is a place I remember from the 1970s, seeing it every time the folks drove up 128 on the way to the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers.

The restaurant's yellow sign was one of the few lighted landmarks I used to look out for on the way back home (along with a nearby Sunoco sign and neon Elks Club sign that are also both still visible from the highway).

The sound wall that now lines 128 blocks view of the Bali Hai sign, but if you can find your way to Moulton Drive, it's still there in all its 1970s glory.

Anyway, after never eating at this restaurant for more than 40 years, FINALLY gave it a try.

Glad I did.

It's definitely an older place. But, the carpet was clean and the vinyl seats in the booth we sat in looked somewhat new.

Got a Scorpion bowl for two and it was POTENT! God, was it potent!

We ordered the Bali Hai platter (a plate of appetizers, piled HIGH for under $20), plus an order of Peking Raviolis for $5.

Boston-style Chinese food...strong drinks...old-school decor...all for CHEAP money. (Our waitress was attentive, humorous, and earned her 25-percent tip.)

So, including the tip, the entire meal was only $60, and that price includes an order of shrimp lo mein I got to go (along with the leftover appetizers).

Also bought two vintage Bali Hai mugs for $7.50 each as we were leaving.

Has the Bali Hai seen better days? Obviously.

But, the fact this place has managed to survive in these days of the gentrification of Rt. 1 and the entire North Shore area, is nothing short of miraculous. You should definitely check it out before it inevitably succumbs to the times.