Don't let the dim lights fool you. It's lunchtime, and China Moon buzzes with activity. A huge plate-glass window gives a behind-the-scenes look into the frenzied kitchen. The wait staff hustles out steamy bowls of soup and mounds of entrees. And the expressionless sushi chef holds down his bar in the back, rolling, slicing and dicing.

QUICK CHINESE FIX

Phil Skinner/ajc staff (ENLARGE)
The China Moon Special is a fried teaming of salmon and yellowtail tuna with ponzu sauce.
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Beyond the egg fu young and crispy duck, efficiency seems to be the main course at China Moon. We barely sit down in the intimate and squeaky clean dining room before our order of spring rolls arrives. No, they don't taste like they've been basking under the warmth of a heat lamp. One bite into the crunchy exterior releases a stream of heat, not to mention a glob of veggies, chicken and bulging shrimp.

Lunch specials include a piping hot soup of your choice and a salad. We opt for the hot and sour, which proves authentic on both counts. It brings a tad more spiciness than many of its local contemporaries. The salad comes with a generous dose of ginger dressing, which echoes the Japanese touches found elsewhere on the menu.

SUSHI, TOO?

China Moon gives a nod to Japan with a sushi list and a handful of teriyaki dishes. We graze upon a six-piece spicy salmon roll, which comes to the table at an affordable $3. Although it's more rice than fish, the roll snaps with flavor and even more so with a dollop of wasabi. The sushi chef throws together a wealth of combinations like the Chirashi Lunch, a mixed bag of sashimi over rice. The selection of specialty rolls includes the China Moon Special, a fried teaming of salmon and yellowtail tuna with ponzu sauce.

BIG BITES

The lunch portions prove generous. Our plate of Spicy Triple Crown delivers a jolt of hot with blips of pepper scattered throughout. The brown sauce covers a hodgepodge mixture of beef and chicken slices, sizeable shrimp and mixed veggies.

Next time we'll do dinner when even larger portions of entrees like Szechuan spicy shrimp and roast pork egg fu young roll out of the kitchen. For the Dragon and Phoenix Cantonese, sliced chicken breast, jumbo shrimp and veggies get the stir-fried treatment with a touch of ginger and scallions.

Quick and reliable, China Moon differentiates itself not only with kung-fu fast service, but a tip of the chef hat to Japanese cuisine.