Have you ever reviewed a restaurant? I was nervous as I strolled into Brookline Village’s Oriental Pearl and realized my answer was no. However, as I gave the issue more thought, I realized I review food every day. We all do. Most people make comments like, “This is really good,” “that is gross,” or “Jennie’s lo mein is my favorite cafeteria food” regularly.

At Oriental Pearl, no one in our party of six said, “That’s gross.” It was not. From the moment you walk in the door, the restaurant looks like a relaxed, typical Chinese takeout joint. The heart of the business seems to lie in takeout, as there is only seating for a handful of people. Some of the restaurant space is taken up by storage of soda cans that do not quite fit in the fridge.

Adequate is the word to describe the dining experience. The service is perfectly satisfactory. They do not hover and continually refill your glass of water until your bladder wants to explode, but chatty is also not typical from the wait-staff.

The best orders were scallion pancakes and lo mein. The pho was alright, but the shrimp were more wrinkly than most of us ever hope to be. Fresh and tasty do not necessarily need to go hand in hand. A general rule of thumb we noticed: the greasier and fattier, the better.

For a bunch of teenagers going out to eat on the cheap, the place is great. Noisiness, messiness and bedraggled appearances (like the “I just walked out of practice” look) are perfectly acceptable. It is not the best food around, so no one walking in should expect any more than adequate. You get what it looks, smells and tastes like. You get what you pay for.

With good company, eating a meal here is a nice way to spend some time talking and laughing. There is certainly no one rushing to take your table. If you are feeling ambitious, try takeout. It may be the only food found in Brookline with an eclectic mix of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai influences, but it is not a place to go for a date, unless you are hoping it will be the last.

Jake Wolf-Sorokin can be contacted at [email protected]