China Town Gourmet
2266 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117, USA
Metairie 2: Orleans Line To Houma Blvd
Backstory
The original occupant of this restaurant, in the 1970s, was Andy Tsai's Dragon's Garden, a groundbreaker for Chinese food in New Orleans. It introduced local eaters to hot and sour soup, Peking duck, spicy Szechuan and Mandarin cooking, and a gourmet style. Until that time most Chinese restaurants here were Americanized Cantonese. This was the best Chinese restaurant in town until Andy sold it, after which it declined for decades. The current restaurant took over in 2001, performed a much-needed renovation, and brought the food up--although not to what it was in the glory years.
Dining Room
The dining room on the right as you enter is the handsomest and most comfortable. The decor is classic Chinese, with dark wood, large paintings, and beautiful, unclothed tables. It's just past a sushi bar that has never been in operation when I was dining there. The busy time is at lunch, with a lot of trade from the nearby office buildings. It's pretty quiet at night.
Why It's Essential
It's a basic Chinese restaurant in the current New Orleans style--which is to say the style of 1990 in New York or San Francisco. The catalog-like menu lists every standard dish you've heard of, but nothing really ambitious. It ends with some attractively-priced complete dinner specials.
Why It's Good
Although they're not swinging for the bleachers here, the cooking is cleanly done and the ingredients are of good quality. It's good enough that one could become accustomed to dining here regularly without finding any real flaws. An okay Chinese restaurant. Maybe even a little better than that.
Most Interesting Dishes
<em><strong>Starters</strong></em><br /> Beef skewer<br /> »Dumplings fried or steamed<br /> »Spring roll <br /> Vegetable roll <br /> Barbecue pork<br /> Barbecue ribs<br /> Fried onion rings <br /> Fried chicken nuggets <br /> Fried chicken wing<br /> Egg drop soup<br /> »Hot and sour soup<br /> Wonton soup<br /> Vegetable soup<br /> »Seafood soup for two<br /> House special soup<br /> <em><strong>Entrees</strong></em><br /> Egg foo young with vegetable, pork, chicken, shrimp or combination<br /> Shrimp with Chinese vegetable <br /> Sweet and sour shrimp<br /> »Kung po shrimp<br /> Shrimp with lobster sauce<br /> Shrimp in hot garlic sauce<br /> Shrimp with broccoli<br /> »Shrimp with cashews<br /> Shrimp Szechuan style<br /> Shrimp with snow peas.<br /> Chicken with broccoli<br /> »Chicken in garlic sauce<br /> Curry chicken <br /> »Chicken Szechuan style <br /> Chicken snow peas<br /> General Tso's chicken<br /> Chicken with orange peel<br /> Mandarin duck <br /> »Crispy duck with Chinese vegetables <br /> »Beef in hot garlic sauce<br /> »Hunan beef<br /> Beef with broccoli<br /> Pepper steak<br /> »Mongolian beef<br /> Beef Szechuan style <br /> »Beef with orange peel<br /> Sweet and sour pork<br /> Pork Szechuan style <br /> »Double cooked pork<br /> Vegetable delight <br /> Steamed mixed vegetable<br /> »Broccoli in hot garlic sauce<br /> »Eggplant Szechuan style<br /> »Tofu Szechuan style<br /> »Mu shu pork, chicken, beef, shrimp or vegetables<br /> Sesame chicken or shrimp<br /> »Lomi-lomi (bacon-wrapped shrimp, pineapple, water chestnuts, vegetables<br /> Seafood in birds nest<br /> Chicken Thai style.<br /> Lo mein (vegetable, chicken, pork, shrimp, beef or combination)<br /> Singapore chow fun<br /> Hong kong pan fried noodle<br /> Fried rice (vegetable, chicken, pork, shrimp, crawfish, beef or combination)<br />
Deficiencies
The food could come out a little hotter.
For Best Results
As in all Chinese restaurants, the best way to dine is with a number of people, with a lot of contract among the dishes ordered. Four entrees will serve five or maybe six.
Bonus Ratings
1
Environment
1
Value