Due to some American cultural phenomenon, the status of Chinese cuisine has been reduced to fast food among most college campuses. To many students, Chinese food is simply synonymous with white cardboard takeout boxes or all-you-can-eat "super buffets."

Thankfully, State College offers a step up from those establishments with a restaurant that provides quality Asian food without sacrificing reasonable prices.

Golden Wok, 332 W. College Ave., takes the common appeal of Chinese cuisine and kicks it up a notch with great service, an extensive menu and a fine dining atmosphere.

In addition to giving a feeling of authenticity with its Asian inspired décor, Golden Wok boasts a broad-windowed storefront that offers diners a view of the downtown life in State College.

While watching passers-by battle the onset of winter weather, customers can sip on the complimentary hot green tea as they pour over a considerable menu that features various preparations of soups, appetizers, entrées, vegetarian alternatives and, of course, the chef's specialties.

Besides offering all of the classic Chinese food staples, the best thing about Golden Wok's sizeable menu is its more creative alternatives to the common classics. The soup menu alone features nine different preparations, including spicy pork and preserved turnip soup for two, or seafood hot and sour soup for one.

I couldn't resist the lure of the hot and savory egg drop soup, while my dining companion opted for an egg roll appetizer. Though both orders were simple and hardly reflective of the menu's diversity, they came out hot and freshly prepared, a theme that pretty much continued throughout the rest of the meal.

After the appetizers, it was time to dive into the daunting task of selecting an entrée out of the countless options. The beef, pork, poultry and seafood dishes all came in dozens of tantalizing preparations, so the first job was narrowing down my choice to a specific meat, though the vegetable options were equally tempting.

Once my dining companion and I decided that we were in the mood for poultry, the decision making became much easier. He opted for a spicier version of the diced chicken with peanuts, whereas I stuck with the moderately spicy chicken with garlic sauce.

Both dishes arrived hot in serving dishes along with complimentary bowls of white rice, perfect for sharing. My dish offered tender chunks of chicken along with water chestnuts, onions and mushrooms, all in a sweet and savory garlic sauce.

In an adventurous move, I alternated my dish mid-meal with some of my companion's diced chicken and peanuts. The cuisine certainly lived up to its hot and spicy claim. Though the diced chicken was much like my own, the spicy brown sauce had me sweating bullets, making the entrée a must for all spicy food lovers alike.

I expected a heavy tab for such delicious fare (and even tastier leftovers), but the bill only came to about $23 for two drinks, two appetizers and two entrées. Not bad for a sit-down dinner, especially one that offered fresh food and generous portions.

So next time you're having a Chinese food craving, put down the takeout menu and put on your coat, because a venture to Golden Wok will leave you with both a full stomach and wallet.