China Orchid
704 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Uptown 4: Riverbend, Carrollton & Broadmoor
Backstory
When the China Orchid opened in 1987, it was a better-than-average restaurant serving up-to-date dishes. For a time it was operated by Jung Lu Tan, the owner of the good Golden Dragon. She sold it in the early 2000s, and since that time the restaurant has been coasting along on the college crowd, take-outs, and delivery business.
Dining Room
The original design of the restaurant was well-done, and converted a stark strip-mall space into a pleasant place to dine. It's looking worn these days, with visible patches here and there.
Why It's Essential
The China Orchid is a long-running cafe in a great location: Carrollton Avenue near St. Charles. It also boasts its own parking lot, a rarity in that neighborhood. Why is it that convenience and excellence are rarely in the same package? The appeal of the China Orchid is that it serves, even by the standards of Chinese restaurants, very large portions ate very low prices. That alone will capture the loyalty of the younger members of the Uptown community, of which there are many in that area.
Why It's Good
The ingredients are reasonably decent, but the cooking lacks excitement. The menu is limited to the standards. And, like a growing number of Chinese restaurants, this one seems to be favoring deep-frying over stir-frying a little more every year.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> Egg drop soup<br /> Shrimp wonton soup<br /> »Hot and sour soup<br /> Spring roll<br /> Egg rolls<br /> Steamed dumplings<br /> Pot stickers<br /> Crab Rngoon<br /> Chicken wings<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Chicken chow mein<br /> Boneless fried chicken and Chinese vegetables<br /> »Kung bo beef, chicken, or shrimp (spicy, with peanuts) <br /> »Lemon chicken<br /> Sweet and sour pork, chicken or shrimp<br /> Shrimp and lobster sauce<br /> Orchid special (chicken, pork, and shrimp with vegetables, with barbecue ribs and fried shrimp)<br /> Chicken or beef with broccoli<br /> Shrimp and chicken with Chinese vegetables<br /> Crawfish with Chinese vegetables<br /> Beef and shrimp with Chinese vegetables<br /> »Sesame chicken <br /> »Eggplant szechuan <br /> »Moo goo shrimp<br /> Pepper steak<br /> »Hunan beef<br /> »Orange peel beef<br /> »Shrimp with broccoli<br /> »Shrimp with black bean<br /> Crispy shrimp<br /> Pecan shrimp<br /> »General Tso's chicken<br /> »Moo goo gai pan<br /> Mandarin chicken<br /> »Pork Szechuan<br /> Moo shu pork<br /> Peking pork<br /> Fried rice with shrimp, chicken, beef, shrimp, vegetables or combination<br /> Lo mein (soft noodles) with shrimp, chicken, beef, shrimp, vegetables or combination<br />
Deficiencies
The premises and the menu are long overdue for renovation and refreshment.
Bonus Ratings
1
Attitude
1
Service
1
Value