Beyond is an Asian cuisine restaurant located in downtown Harrisonburg. Sunday evening, my friend Lindsey and I went out for dinner.

The bar takes up the entire center of the main dining room. The walls are each painted different shades, from yellows to greys. Hand painted abstracts contrast the brightly colored walls all the way around the room. Three different seating options dance into one’s line of vision upon entrance: stools for the bar, cushy, yellow chairs and taller dark blue seats for the dining guests.

Sushi, noodles, rice, and egg rolls are available. The menu offers a variety of anything and everything one could ask for from typical Asian cuisine. Our young, sweet waitress poured us each a tall glass of ice water while we made our selections.

We soon realized that we had many options. From spicy to savory and everything in between, Lindsey and I needed extra time to make such a difficult choice.

I chose the Drunken Noodles with chicken for $11.25, while Lindsey continued to struggle to find something. At first, she considered seafood, but finally settled on the Orange Chicken for about $13.

The food presentation was top-notch, although our food was arranged differently. Both of our dishes arrived on plain, crisp white plates. Lindsey’s was square shaped, while mine was oval. None of Lindsey’s food touched, while all of mine did.

The vegetables—a combination of broccoli, carrots, onions, cucumbers, green beans, and snap peas —were crisp. Mine had the perfect amount of sauce to make the vegetables flavorful but not overdone.

The Orange Chicken was delicious. Lindsey complained that the sauce was citrussy and heavy. The flavors were the perfect amount, she said. While crispy on the outside, the chicken was sometimes dry on the inside. The textures seemed off, while flavors stole the show.

The soupiness of my noodles was also slightly off- putting. While the flavor of my meal was savory and spicy, the consistency was soft and squishy. The vegetables offered some crunch, but the rest of my dish was too slimy for my liking.

We were each given plenty of food; we both had to take a box of leftovers home. The flavors were great, but the textures were off. Overall, great food, but the prices were kind of high.

Beyond is located at 50 W. Water St.