Kon Asian Bistro in East Greenwich belongs more in the other Asian Offerings tab. However, they do offer some American Chinese Favorites. It is a beautiful restaurant with great ambience. A place where you could hold a function, and those invited would be impressed.

Kon is the spot for those who indulge in Sushi. Their Sushi menu is vast. Today we did a Vietnamese & Thai Offering. Ordered was the Vietnamese Summer Roll, and an order of the Thai Curry Chicken.

The Vietnamese Summer Roll AKA “Nime Chow” is hard to mess up. It’s a simple and refreshing appetizer filled with veggies and shrimp wrapped in rice paper, served with Ground Peanut Oil Sauce, Chili Oil and or Chili Paste. Feed back is two thumbs up.

The Thai Curry Chicken served with steamed rice was presented beautifully. Presentation at Kon is always top notch. The dish was good. Served with a red curry sauce that has hints of coconut, fresh white meat chicken, and very fresh veggies such as red onions, bell peppers, and string beans. The dish had nice flavors, it lacked heat. So much so that a request for Chili Oil had to be made. Thai Curry Chicken is one of those dishes that can be so hard to get balanced. Kon does a nice job with it, but the lack of heat in what otherwise is billed as a spicy dish, took it down a few notches. We understand playing to the pallet of those that are more sensitive to spicy food is common, so this is purely subjective. The dish itself will be well worth ordering. If you aren’t a spicy food person, don’t let those comments discourage you from ordering the dish.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

Pokeworks – Have been here a couple times. It without a doubt qualifies for “Other Asian Offerings” Always impresses by their consistency, always the freshest seafood (I opt for the raw, sashimi grade salmon or tuna typically). Today they had the new lava Bowl, so of course I had to test their spice level and see if it lived up to the “Lava” nomenclature. I was more than impressed, after I added Thai chili’s to the bowl it was a legitimate level of heat – numb mouth, sweat, red face, the whole 9. But the flavor was so good I had to keep eating.

The other two bowls sampled were a spicy ginger sauce on the same salmon/ahi tuna combo which receive high marks. The “umami” bowl also was sampled, and showcased that taste marker very well; mouth watering. Overall, impressed by our visit. As a healthy option, you’d be hard pressed to do better!

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

China Town On Thayer is a lunch counter concept that has a large menu both off their hot bar, and made to order items such as Chow Foon, which was ordered today.

If you crave customer service, China Town On Thayer goes above and beyond from hello to goodbye. For a concept like this to work, everything has to be firing on all cylinders. Calm cool collected cooks and staff, all on the same page. Being near Brown University, China Town On Thayer can become overwhelming busy, but their efficiency and detail to customer service prevails.

A place this busy guarantees that the food is going to be fresh. A not so happening spot you’d be rolling the dice.

Ordered today was a pick three combination plate. You have your choice of a starch (White Rice, Veggie Fried Rice, Lo Mein) you also get 3 entrees to choose from. The order was as follows: Veggie Fried Rice, General Tso Chicken, Boneless Spareribs, and Fried Dumplings. In addition to that an order of Chicken Chow Foon.

Portions are massive. Served in carry-out containers whether you sit or stay. The fried rice is delicious, dark in color, plenty of veggies, a nice mixture of scrambled egg, with a great balance of dark and light soy sauce. The General Tso was highly respectable, fried off nicely, lots of sauce that leans more on the sweeter side than the spicy side. The boneless spareribs had a great charcoal taste to them, not fatty at all- also great flavor. To round out the combo plate three very large pan fried dumplings served with house soy dipping sauce, also all high praise on that front.

Lastly the Chow Foon & a tip to go along with ordering any made to order dish. I was kindly informed if your plan is to order something made to order, not on their lunch counter, head right to the cashier. This way it is ready to go when your done selecting your combinations. The Chow Foon was really good, Wok to container. Piping hot, tender chicken, nice flat rice noodles, with a balanced amount of sauce and veggies. We would certainly recommend.

China Town On Thayer is a place that Chinese Food In RI recommends without hesitation. A great concept, a very solid meal, beyond friendly staff, a clean restaurant, and endless options to chose from.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

Lemon Grass is billed as an Asian Bistro, they are located on Post Rd in Warwick. They offer all kinds of Asian dishes including Chinese, Cantonese, Thai, Vietnamese and have a Sushi bar for those who appreciate Sushi.

Sampled today was two Luncheon combinations. The L3 (Hunan Chicken) and the L7 (Curry Chicken Thai Style) both came with your choice of Fried or white rice, and Chicken Wings (Drum & Wing) Lastly we figured a Cambodian Lot was a nice way to start the meal.

The Cambodian lot is wrapped in an egg roll shell, that similar to a spring roll, it is filled with ground pork. What is seen as a Cambodian delicacy, is a light, and tasty appetizer to kick things off with. Would recommend.

The Hunan Chicken, clearly fresh- had that classic Hunan taste that you would be expecting, plenty of mushrooms and broccoli to go with it. Hunan Chicken is always marked Spicy on the menu, but this Hunan Chicken didn’t pack much heat. Regardless of that fact, it was very good. The white rice an wings both receive nice marks as well.

The Curry Chicken Thai Style was super flavorful, slightly spicy, with plenty of sauce. Chalk full of veggies and mushrooms, it was good and would certainly be recommend. Mixed with the steamed white rice, the pair go together so well.

Lemon Grass is certainly a place worth visiting if you are in the Kent County Area.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

The Islander, a West Shore Rd classic that’s been serving the community for what seems like a hundred years.

Today’s lunch was highly respectable. No negatives to speak of. Ordered was the appetizer lunch combo, chicken Lo Mein lunch combo, yakta soup, a beef fried rice, and a cup of the notorious Islander Wing Oyster Sauce (for good measure)

Take-out portions were plentiful, packed with rice and your main. The beef teriyaki and boneless spareribs that come with the appetizer combo received high marks.

The chicken Lo Mein Combo was very nice. Both the pork fried rice, and the beef fried rice receive above standard marks. We used the Islander sauce on everything, which proved to put everything over the top rope. Why wouldn’t you put Islander sauce on everything anyway? Lastly regarding the combo plates, The Islander Egg Roll simply rocks. One of the best. Paired with the House Oyster Sauce, it’s hard to beat.

The Yatka Mein Soup has the same Noodle as Lo Mein, with a broth flavor similar to the likes of Wonton Soup. It was hearty, and very fulfilling, the addition of pork strips were a nice touch.

Taking into consideration not only this take-out visit, but also multiple dine-in visits, the Islander is certainly a very respectable, and damn good American Chinese Restaurant.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

Chong Qing House on Wickenden St is an Authentic Szechuan Chinese Restaurant that provides a refined experience.

Today we visited for a sit down meal. Today we proclaim that Chong Qing House is the most authentic Szechuan Cuisine in Rhode Island.

The Restaurant is unassuming on the outside, and nicely decorated with beautiful chairs, and light fixtures on the inside. Once seated, tea is offered.

Selected from their vast menu of authentic Chinese Food was Dan Dan Noodles, Steamed Dumplings In Chili Oil, Chongqing Szechuan Chicken, and Steamed Rice. They also offer a lunch menu.

Served first, and appropriately was the Dan Dan Noodles and Steamed Dumplings In Chili Oil. The Chili Oil is literally sensational, it makes your lips and mouth numb. There is no metaphors when we say that, it literally provides that sensation. It is delicious, it is very spicy. The dumplings themselves are beautiful, delicate, and delicious. Would love to try them without the Chili Oil as well.

The Dan Dan Noodles are beyond fresh, beyond flavorful. A flavor profile similar to Dry Curry Mee, but with only the expertise, Chinese styling, and ingredients that Chong Qing can pull off. Spicy is the word of the day. Mixing some Chili Oil from the dumplings put it over the top. All dishes today were presented beautifully as you can see in the gallery below.

Onto the main dish: The Chongqing Chicken with Sichuan Peppercorns. A legendary dish plain and simple. Served with crispy tender bits and pieces of fried chicken, ginger, garlic, along with amounts Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chili’s to the likes of which you may have never seen in your life. This dish has so much happening every bite is different. Mixed with a side order of steamed white rice, it may be one of the best dishes across all cuisine. It’s hot and spicy in such a satisfying way. With the copious amounts of peppercorns and dried chili’s, you may fear the ratio of chicken isn’t there, but at Chong Ching House it is.

Chong Ching House is a must visit. If you are looking to try something wildly different than any other Chinese Food you’ve grown to know, go there. Actually go there right now. There is few like them in Rhode Island, we’ve been to them all. Chong Qing House is singular in its presence, quality, refinement, atmosphere, and presentation.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

Luke’s Inn, the East Bay legend. They have been Voted Best by an RI Monthly readers poll. Established in 1985 they have become a local must visit.

Ordered was a General Tso Combination plate, XXX spicy (as their menu offers) A Beef Teriyaki, House Wings Combo, and the Luke’s Inn Chicken Combo.

Feed back for all 3 is high praise. Luke’s only uses white meat, a veteran move. Everything was fresh, the chicken for all three dishes was tender and fried to a nice crisp.

The only complaint is that the Luke’s Inn Chicken was very very sparse on Sauce. It was like it wasn’t really tossed in anything more than a few table spoons. That was a let down. The sauce that was on it was indeed delicious.

The General Tso Chicken was full of flavor, and the XXX spicy option, although not burn your mouth spicy (which we like) was still hot enough to be respectable from the perspective of a scolville scale of heat. Clearly prepared with house chill paste, it would be almost perfect if they used dried chili peppers instead.

The Beef Teriyaki and Wings with House Oyster Sauce are spot on. The Pork Fried Rice served with all three combos was nice. It had a good balance of veggies, and pork, prepared with a lighter dose of soy.

From our admin:

I’ll keep it short and sweet today. Luke’s inn was quite the pleasant surprise today, as I wasn’t planning on today being graced with Chinese Food for lunch. When I saw the XXX General on the menu, I had to see what this place was made of. I like spicy food to be as spicy as you can give me, and I was pleasantly surprised. Not many restaurants that do a good General also do a heavily spicy General, but Luke’s has it. Not the best general but very good marks, an 8/10, while also being significantly spicy. Nothing off the charts, as it was mostly from sriracha. Solid rice and egg roll rounded out a combination plate that made me very happy.

All in all Luke’s Inn was a highly respectable meal, and is a Chinese Food In RI approved experience. Head over to East Bay, and check out Luke’s Inn.

Enjoy,

Dragon Palace Of Coventry is both an American Traditional Chinese Restaurant, and a full Sushi Bar with additional Japanese fare.

The Restaurant itself is very clean, and has a nice decor. The insides of the menu was a little sticky, which no restaurant is immune to that happening.

The waitress Jamie was super nice and attentive, clearly customer service is important to Dragon Palace. She did a nice job today.

Onward to the food. Wonton Crisps and house duck sauce is served. Always a good sign. The duck sauce was good, not great. With some addition of house hot mustard and black pepper, I was able to put it over.

For an appetizer: Steamed Dumplings, and Wonton Soup. The Steamed Dumplings are absolutely fantastic. No Chinese Meal is complete without them, and these are of very high quality, they received some of the highest marks next to Red Rice, and China Inn (Pawtucket) Their soy dipping sauce has a very close flavor profile to that of Red Rice, and that is HUGE. Can’t stress how important that soy is. The Wonton Soup is offered with your choice of chicken or pork for the meat in the broth. Traditionally it is served with Pork, respectfully that’s what was ordered. The wontons and pork strips is what you’d want out of the soup, flavorful broth, could have done without all the cabbage, but that’s splitting hairs.

Transitioning to the entree, both the Pork Chow Fun, and Pork Fried Rice receive high marks. Chow Fun is notoriously greasy, todays was no exception. The play is to really order it with chicken, it helps cut back on the grease that the other proteins such as Pork and Beef produce. Regardless of that fact, it was delicious. Chow Fun is the dark horse on any Chinese Restaurant menu. * Note* If you are looking to try it, not all places offer it. You may see something called “Chow Mei Fun” they are two totally different things, and you will not get what you thought you were ordering.

The Fried Rice is some of the best you can get. Clearly fired in a well seasoned, piping hot wok, it has tremendous flavor. I’d put Dragon Palace’s Pork Fried Rice up against anybody’s. It’s one of the best.

In conclusion, Dragon Palace is a strong contender, a heavy hitter spot that serves real deal American Chinese Food. It could dethrone someone on our Top 5 In RI. The way it gets there is consistency. We will go back a few times throughout the spring and summer, sample a few more dishes, grade it on consistency, and it just might crack the Top 5, and it could do it easily. If you haven’t been, Chinese Food In RI is giving you the certified recommendation to do so.

Enjoy,

China Sea in Warwick is a small Chinese Restaurant that has been around for a while. They offer all the traditional American Chinese dishes that you’d expect to see on the menu.

We tried both the General Tso Chicken with white meat, as well as the Boneless Chicken with Brown Gravy.

It’s not often that we can’t connect with any of the elements that we ordered. Sometimes the rice isn’t what we like, or the chicken, or the egg roll. 9 1/2 times out of 10 we can take something away. This time was a rare occasion, we just couldn’t connect. To be fair we will revisit and try some other dishes. But the two we did try, can’t be recommended.

New Beijing in Cranston.

Ordered was two General Tso Chicken Combination plates, and an order of BBQ Spareribs.

We don’t have much to say about it. The staff is very friendly. We just weren’t feeling it. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great. It sits somewhere in the middle. The feeb back on the General is that it’s just not there. Even with white meat, it didn’t put it over the top.

The pork fried rice was indeed good. The spareribs were average, edible, prepared nicely, just not there on flavor.

So many great things about Cathay Garden. There is weeks we eat here two to three times.

Most of the times it’s takeout. Most of the times it’s L21 (General Tsao’s Chicken with white meat) Extra Spicy  

Easily the best takeout spot. We don’t know how or why but they do takeout better than everyone. They pack it in. House duck sauce, and house hot mustard in the bag every time.  

Cathay uses premium ingredients, always fresh. Consistency yet again puts Cathay Garden in the top 5, it’s a mortal lock every time. 

Notable dishes include their chicken chow mien, boneless spare ribs, boneless chicken in brown gravy, wonton soup, and beef with broccoli. Cathay offers both lunch and dinner combinations (a huge plus) They also offer a dinner buffet, it offers fan favorites, and is of the same quality as the menu dishes. Fried wontons served with house duck sauce when you dine in. Cathay is a heavy hitter. 

Chef Ho’s – A providence favorite, this spot offers a standard American Chinese experience amidst the Italian classics of Federal Hill. We went for the steamed dumplings, shrimp Lo Mein combo and a General Tso Combo. The highlights were the egg rolls served with both combinations, and the Lo Mein. The General was highly serviceable and the rice was just okay. The dumplings were very solid, although we were craving more from the sauce served with them, the same kid of sauce you would get at Red Rice! Definitely a good Providence choice, with delivery and quick pick up.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

Pagoda Inn in North Kingstown has been serving their community for decades. You’ve driven past it plenty of times by now if you’ve visited the area.

Our experience today from a customer service perspective was pleasant. The waitress was very friendly. On the menu was Steamed Dumplings, Wonton Soup, and a General Tso Chicken luncheon Combo.

Pre meal they serve wonton crisps with house duck sauce, always a plus. Their house duck sauce was very good. The steamed dumplings were the dark horse, they were actually very very good. Far above average marks. The only thing that would make them better is if white pepper was available, only black pepper. But maybe that is splitting hairs. Wonton Soup was small, the 2 wontons were good.

The General was ordered with white meat. It just wasn’t what I prefer out of the dish. The sauce is on the lighter side in respect to color, as is the rice. Two things that just never work for me. It is however subjective, and I am sure plenty of the faithful would recommend the dish.

If you make your way to Pagoda Inn, try the dumplings, grab a Lo Mein Combo, or even a PuPu Plater.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

Betty’s Pub & Chinese Restaurant in Cranston is a unique place. Full bar, full pub menu, a good Chinese Restaurant.

They have been around for some time now, and they did a good job today. Started with a Wonton Soup. They prepare theirs with a dark beef broth. Pork strips tasted great, Wontons were good as well, pair it with some white pepper.

I noticed on the menu they had house Oyster Wings. The flavor was delicious, the chicken was nice and crispy. The sauce wasn’t exactly molasses thick, but thicker than what I prefer. Very good none the less.

Lastly, a General Tso Chicken Combination plate ordered the Chinese Food In RI way (White Meat Substitution) was really good. It was more of a Sweet General Tso as opposed to spicy, which there is nothing wrong with that. They did a nice job with the strips of white meat, tossed in plenty of sauce. Their Pork Fried Rice was very serviceable, and the egg roll was edible. I’d like to go back and try their Lo Mein.

The staff here is beyond friendly, and it’s a cool and unique atmosphere. If you are in the Cranston area, and looking to try something new, head over to Betty’s Pub. Grab a combination plate.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

4 Seasons is a Chinese, Cambodian, Thai, & Vietnamese Restaurant located in Providence. They have been there for decades, and today we tell you what we think.

On the menu was an Order of Vegetable Fried Rice, Cantonese Noodles in Oyster Sauce (Udon Substitution) Peking Chicken, Steamed Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes, and a General Tso Chicken Combination. 

The fried rice screams freshness, loaded with all kinds of veggies including corn (trust us it works) Not a heavily ladened in soy fried rice, so it is on the lighter side. This style of fried rice is typically found at Asian Fusion Restaurants just like the one we explored today. 

The Cantonese Noodle dish was ordered with chicken. It was stir-fried with some Bok Choy in Oyster Sauce. The Udon was a nice substitution. The dish had nice flavor. 

The Peking Chicken was delicious and the shining star of the dishes sampled. It had great initial flavor and a note of heat that came on later. Very delicious and highly recommended. 

The General Tso Chicken was serviceable, although it did not come with white meat. Something Chinese Food In RI strongly recommends anytime the General is ordered. 

To round out the meal an order of Steamed Dumplings and Scallion Pancakes were sampled, both in which we would recommend as starters. 

4 Seasons is of high quality, with a solid reputation that precedes it. Serving the community for decades, it continues to stand the toughest test, the test of time. 

Enjoy, 

Chinese Food In RI

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Chengdu Taste has been the most requested review by our nearly 1,800 followers. A few times a week they ask “What do you think of Chengdu Taste?” “When are you going to Chengdu Taste” “Have you ever been to Chengdu Taste”

Today we gave the people what they wanted. A visit to Chengdu Taste was in order. Chengdu is a highly authentic Chinese Restaurant, meaning their menu is more indenious to certain provinces of China than that of typical domesticated American Chinese Food.

On the menu was Hunan Beef, Sliced Pork Belly, General Tso Chicken, Vegetable Fried Rice, and Pork Dumplings in Chili Oil.

Everything was very very VERY good. The Pork Dumpling in Chili oil were special. We have decided that what we ordered today simply was not enough. We are staging a larger scale review of Chengdu Taste. We feel their menu deserves more respect and attention, thus we will be doing a sit down meal and really diving in. We are beyond intrigued by items such as Pork Wontons in sesame oil, Chong Qing Diced Chicken w. Hot Chili Peppercorn, Spicy Rabbit, and an array of griddle dishes, amongst some others.

We plan on completing our review of Chengdu Taste by the end of February. It deserves great respect for such a delicate menu.

Until next time-

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

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The House Of Wu in West Warwick is a legendary Chinese Restaurant. They have been serving the community quality American Chinese Food for decades. They are listed on our “Top 5 In RI” for good reasons.

No arguments can be made that the House Of Wu hasn’t built it’s legacy on a strong foundation of quality and consistency. They offer every American Traditional Chinese Food dish you can think of, and they do it the House Of Wu way. Their flavors and preparation are unique to them. Fried Rice is the corner stone for any Chinese Restaurant. It’s what sets places apart, it’s what can secure a restaurant a Top 5 slot. The House Of Wu serves some of the best Pork Fried Rice period. We may venture to say that it’s our favorite.

The General Tso Chicken sauce is dark and rich in flavor. It’s just fantastic. When requested the Chinese Food In RI way (with white meat) they elect to use thinly pounded strips of chicken, which are then fried to a crispy texture, but remain super tender.

Appetizers like Wonton Soup, Crab Rangoon, Beef Teriyaki, and their infamous Garlic Dumplings, all stand out.

We highly recommend the House Of Wu. Not only for the great food and friendly staff, but to experience the quality of food that has allowed the House Of Wu to stand on its own for all of these years. Order an appetizer and one of their combination plates, there is a vast amount to select from, and we feel confident in saying that whatever you select, you’ll be happy.

Enjoy,

Chinese Food In RI

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