Can't find decent Chinese Food.. (Austin, Spur: appointed, how much, home)

[NightZeroTX]

Originally Posted by mojo101

It is not easy to find a good Chinese restaurant these days,some have replaced Chinese with Mexican cook,they are not used to intense heat quick stir fry.
Even in Houston Chinatown,the quality has gone downhill,the dishwasher is now the day time cook.

Thank you. I have had some Asian Fusion in Houston. Good Vietnamese food.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by mojo101

I think he wants dine in authentic Chinese food,not Panda Express

I personally took it as sarcasm. I think he is inferring we don’t really have any good Chinese restaurants.

[ashbeeigh]

Ask in the Eat Drink to Go (or Eat Drink Dine In) facebook group on facebook. It's a solid facebook group full of foodies. They have yet to steer me in the wrong direction. (I'm allergic to soy so I skip Chinese)

[dicipher]

Full disclosure: These restaurants were recommended to me but I have not had the opportunity to eat at any of them (the recommendation was given to me a couple of months before the pandemic started)

Jade Restaurant Austin - Jade Restaurant Austin

https://www.chinacafelakeline.com/

https://wuchowaustin.com/

https://oldthousandatx.com/

P.S. I have experienced the same problem since moving here. If you happen to get to one of these before I do, please report back in this thread. I will return the favor.

[NightZeroTX]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Ask in the Eat Drink to Go (or Eat Drink Dine In) facebook group on facebook. It's a solid facebook group full of foodies. They have yet to steer me in the wrong direction. (I'm allergic to soy so I skip Chinese)

I deleted my Facebook account about a month ago. Had no reason to be on it. Thank you though.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by NightZeroTX

Hi ya'all. I am fairly new to Texas, moved here about ten months ago. I have yet to find any decent Chinese Restaurants. I live in Cedar Park not too far from the Austin border. Oh, and the Italian food here is not what I expected, maybe I am spoiled coming from the East Coast. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

yeah austin doesnt have a lot. Most of the chinese retaurants are owned by vietnamese which is why the food isnt quite right.

1) new fortune closed but I believe is reopening in round rock.
2) din ho has been decent for years, some people say first chinese bbq is good, but we dont like it. I think they are related somehow but Ive forgotten the story (something about people from dallas stealing recipes).
3) asia cafe has been good in the past
4) chinatown had good dim sum at one point, but new fortune stole their chefs. Not sure if they have recovered or not.
5) china family is supposed to be good but I havent been there.
6) we like coco's cafe for taiwanese food and boba

I havent been to wuchow, but i believe it is expensive hipster chinese food. Lin is also all white people eating there and decent. My family loves it, but I think it is just ok. I think they just like the hipsterness of it.

The ones I listed are the only ones that are known for the chinese food. Most are basically texmex of chinese food (e.g. the one that camaro mentioned)


For italian it depends on what you are looking for but austin is bad for italian. Andiamo is probably the only italian that is similar to basic long island italian family restaurants. Saccones is also decent. When my friends have opened restaurants I have asked them to open a good italian restaurant, but they keep opening sushi restaurants and the like.

Other good italian:
red ashe
vespaio (I dont like it, but a lot of people do)
North
Some people like sienna, but I thought it was just ok.

Almost no one uses fresh pasta.

[austin-steve]

Reading all this makes me grateful for my undiscerning palate. I've never had bad Chinese food. It all tastes good to me. Even at the food court at Barton Creek Mall. Even out of the fridge cold next morning.

Kung Pao Chicken is my go to. But I also love a big bowl of chicken fried rice. Or a plate of General Tso's Chicken.

On a side note, the whole MSG thing was a hoax. Anyone who says "no MSG" when ordering is also saying "I'm an idiot who believes anything I hear".

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Reading all this makes me grateful for my undiscerning palate. I've never had bad Chinese food. It all tastes good to me. Even at the food court at Barton Creek Mall. Even out of the fridge cold next morning.

Kung Pao Chicken is my go to. But I also love a big bowl of chicken fried rice. Or a plate of General Tso's Chicken.

On a side note, the whole MSG thing was a hoax. Anyone who says "no MSG" when ordering is also saying "I'm an idiot who believes anything I hear".

unfortunately kung pao chicken and general tso's chicken are not actual chinese food..

Same with sweet and sour pork, sesame chicken, etc.

They were created in america for white people's palates (sickly sweet) and are essentially american food. Not that I dont like them. Chinese people dont eat sweet food like that, even the desserts traditionally are barely sweet.

Im not sure what you mean by MSG is a hoax. Restaurants definitely use MSG and for people like me, I can tell the difference as the MSG acts like a knockout pill

[mojo101]

Do they still use MSG in Chinese food?
One giveaway is after you eat,you feel thirsty,if too much MSG,some get a headache

[10scoachrick]

I usually agree with steve; but not on the MSG thing. My sister could eat one bite of something with MSG and have a nasty reaction within 30 minutes.