The best Chinese restaurant (Lee: school, friendly, inexpensive)

[HIF]

I think it was pinotdoc who turned me on to HKB- been going there since last September. It is my favorite Chinese in Jax.

I think it would be great for a CD meetup- we could sit at one of those huge, round tables!

[agreatlife]

Originally Posted by HIF

I think it was pinotdoc who turned me on to HKB- been going there since last September. It is my favorite Chinese in Jax.

I think it would be great for a CD meetup- we could sit at one of those huge, round tables!

Yum, I'd be down with that!

[travelingfood]

An update on my 2cents with Bamboo Creek since eaten there a few times. Direct comparison with Silver Star.

The place, very nicely done with the modern decors, no red oaks everywhere like in most dim sum restaurants. Lot of gold and black in their linings and furnitures. It screams this place is slick and expensive.

Dim Sum: Selection is standard, the basics are there plus some that are more elegantly done and bigger portions. The taste is half and half for me, while their shaomai, har gaw and king size har gaw are tasty and flavorful, the cha shu bao (pork bun), chicken feet and fried taro dumpling were bland and tasted like packaged stuffs. A+ for food presentation though, use of plastic steam basket is strange but matches other decor with the gold trimming to complete the look.
The basic items that are $2.60 is priced good for its portions and cheaper than Silver Stars ($2.95 on nearly all items). But onces you get to the $4.60 ones, woh it's pretty pricey for just 3 fried shrimp balls or porridge. Shrimp ball was interestingly done tough.
Bottom line on dim sum, great presentation and smells great, but the taste is hit or miss on most of them. The good ones just tastes really good, other are just very bland.

Dinner: Menu is well, you guessed it, in gold again, black lettering on gold paper..wow. But that doesn't hide from the fact that it reads like a standard Chinese takeout menu but priced twice as much and in whole dollar amounts, that means it's fancy! That is until you get to the Traditional menu, it's in a loose laminate sheet so be sure there is one. The traditional menu offers more home cooked dishes, as you would find it in Hong Kong Bistro but not as extensive. Tried to order the items that's also at HKB for comparison, like the seafood tofu casserole, stir fry vegetables, fried shrimps. The casserole (earthen pot really) felt smaller than HKB and it tasted lighter in flavor. And few other dishes I can't remember the names, but remarkably small in portion and equally bland in taste. Chinese food is generally salty from use of soy sauce and MSG, but I don't know about this place, the flavor is just not there, nothing remarkable hit my tastebud. Probably good for the American crowd that would prefer the lighter side.
Saw neighbor table that had salt pepper pork chop, a typical Chinese dish, there were maybe 8 pieces that were pounded paper thin, which it shouldn't be. HKB serves the same thing with thick cuts where you can actually taste the meat. My problem with BC's dinner is, if you want to be cheap and serve high priced small portions, put it on a smaller plate that matches the portion, don't serve Chinese dish French style. Besides that, it doesn't come close to what Hong Kong Bistro can make, and they're a much smaller restaurant. Will not go for their dinner again, mainly not for the price and portions served.

Few notes, they have a fresh seafood showcase, you can smell it if you're close by. They do serve whole fish steamed or braised. There's a full bar. Dim sum is served during dinner but limited selection. Hot tea is $2 per pot, kind of annoying when normally tea is standard 'on the house' during dim sum, like water. SS does that too, it's probably local market thing.


At least on the positive note, Bamboo Creek is giving Silver Star a good competition for dim sum. Can only hope there will be more in JAX.

Hope others can chime in on their experience.

[JagFan27]

Originally Posted by HIF

I think it was pinotdoc who turned me on to HKB- been going there since last September. It is my favorite Chinese in Jax.

I think it would be great for a CD meetup- we could sit at one of those huge, round tables!

Where is it located?

[travelingfood]

Originally Posted by JagFan27

Where is it located?

9825 San Jose Blvd, North of 295. , Outback Steakhouse plaza.
Closed Monday or Tuesday, can't remember.

[agreatlife]

I ate there (HKB) just recently with another C-Der. Wow, it was really good.

[JagFan27]

Originally Posted by travelingfood

9825 San Jose Blvd, North of 295. , Outback Steakhouse plaza.
Closed Monday or Tuesday, can't remember.

Thanks. That's not too far from me. I'll try it out.

[rob3115]

HBK is my favorite for authentic cantonese and IMO outstanding Dim Sum. Chou, the lady that owns the restaurant hired a new chef and changed the menu a little to accommodate some of the caucasian customers but the food is still top notch quality in my book.

[projectmaximus]

Cool thread! I haven't taken the time to read it all, or very much of it at all, and I can't believe this one is so long...people must like Chinese food!

Anyway, I'll offer my two cents: Jacksonville has no really good, really authentic Chinese food. But that may not be what most people want anyway. There are plenty of good enough Chinese restaurants, though, that dont try to be more than what they can be.

My favorite Chinese buffet was always China Super Buffet out on Atlantic, that served great Peking duck. Don't know if it's still there and if their food has changed. (I also like Osaka on San Jose and Wasabi on Philips...but those are heavily Japanese cuisine)

My parents love Hong Kong Bistro on San Jose Blvd and take me there often when I am in town...ditto with Jackie Lee's on Baymeadows close to 9A.

They also enjoy Dim Sum at both Silver Star out on the westside (dont remember exact location) and Bamboo Creek at Tinseltown.

I grew up in Jax, spent my entire life there before college, so there are many many many more places that have come and gone over the years that we, along with the rest of the Chinese community, would often frequent. But the list is too long to give mention to them all, and a number are no longer around anyway. Ultimately, many Chinese families including my own, would travel to Orlando just for the food, when we really wanted something good.

[cat_herder]

For small hole-in-the-wall places I like "Happiness" on Lane Ave. Smaller place but very tasty food.

There are 2 chinese places on Normandy: "Chine Buffet" and another one a few blocks down I don't remember the name of it.

"Panda" Chinese is on King Street in Riverside area.