Interior of TK Wu.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

I've walked past TK Wu countless times on Liberty without giving it a passing glance. On the rare occasions when I've peeked inside, it was swarming with students. Viewing it as a college hangout, I never was tempted to enter. But the students are on to something. TK Wu offers some of the most delicious Chinese food in this area, served in abundant portions and priced reasonably.

The restaurant has been around for eight years. Surroundings are warm, yet contemporary, with wood throughout, from the hardwood floors to the counters and tables. Ceramic pots, vases and Chinese antiques line the shelves along the entrance. Though it isn't spacious, there's room enough to navigate, and you don't have trouble hearing your dining companions.

TK Wu offers basic Chinese dishes, like egg rolls and spring rolls, egg drop and wonton soup and standard Chinese beef, shrimp, chicken and vegetarian dishes.

The spring roll I tried was crispy, full of fresh vegetables and not greasy. I also enjoyed the hot and sour soup, which was light but full of flavor due to the seasonings and plentiful fresh bean sprouts.

We deferred to our server's recommendations for all our dishes, and she was spot on in her choices. Ordering just a few entrees gave us a full spectrum of the food, since many contain a wide variety of ingredients.

For example, the thin, crispy noodles made up only a small part of the drunken noodle dish, which featured heaps of fresh vegetables, along with beef, chicken and giant pieces of scallops and shrimp, all served under a creamy, delicious sauce. This was my top pick. The plate was so large that it took up a quarter of our table.

The chicken fried rice was out of the ordinary, containing large pieces of slightly breaded chicken, making this dish hearty enough for a main course. I really enjoyed the jalapeño chicken, which I thought was an unusual offering for a Chinese restaurant. The jalapeño pepper added a refreshing, palate-pleasing twist, and it wasn't too spicy (though you can request it with more fire if you prefer).

I didn't like the fried tofu quite as much, as it was covered in a gooey sauce that was a bit too rich. But there was so much of it that I took it home, and my husband and daughter happily devoured the leftovers, praising the taste.

The tofu wasn't the only large portion. Our server wouldn't allow us to order more than three main courses, warning us that would be enough, and she was right. Four of us could barely make a dent in any of them.

We dined at TK Wu during the lunch rush, and servers were well prepared. All of our dishes arrived very quickly, delivered by an extremely pleasant server.

I'm glad I had the chance to experience what students have already known about: a first-rate Chinese restaurant in a convenient location.

Julie Halpert reviews restaurants for AnnArbor.com.