Top Pick: P.F. Chang’s China Bistro
America’s favorite Chinese restaurant, P.F. Chang’s, started right here in Phoenix and with eight valley locations, finding great Chinese is easy in any part of town. Metromix says Chang’s is “Upscale Chinese dining at it’s best…” And a Zagat review notes the restaurant is “…lovely and enjoyable. The service is fast and friendly and the decor of the restaurant is exquisite.” P.F. Chang’s has one of the most extensive and trustworthy gluten free menu offerings available and they have recently added a kid’s menu and a great happy hour with discounts to the mix. Almost every review mentions the crowds which shows the quality and the good news is online reservations can now be made- so skip the line and reserve online. The Lettuce Wraps are a must try.
Links: Facebook Menu Reservations
Review Stats: 4 out of 5 stars on Google, Yahoo, Yelp, TripAdvisor and Urbanspoon reviews.
Click here for to link to all eight Phoenix locations.
The Chinese Restaurants scene in Phoenix:
The influence of Chinese cuisine has grown in recent years due to tough economic conditions for many of Asian descent in Arizona. Many of these restaurant owners decided to maximize profits and open restaurants in the valley where the cost of living was less for them and they would be able to attract customers due to this fact. There are many different types of Chinese cuisine that cater to those off all ages. There is the traditional New York Cantonese style of Chinese food but there is also what is considered the California Chinese influence which adds more flare to the food and offers many different choices that are more appealing to some tastes.
The Super Dragon Restaurant is one of the great Chinese restaurant in all of Arizona. The Super Dragon is located at 1212 E. Northern Ave in Phoenix. They specialize in authentic foods included the pan-fried chow fun noodles with a vaguely smoky fragrance, rich Cantonese roasted duck, and sizzling rice crust soup. However, Super Dragon’s specialty dish, House’s Chicken is worth the trip to this restaurant. It is a platter of crisp, golden fried chicken smothered in Chile and scallion-flecked garlic sauce.
If one is in the mood for a different spin on Chinese food, then they will have to go to Swaddee Authentic Thai Cuisine. Swaddee Authentic Thai Cuisine is located at 5055 W. Ray Rd., #B8 in Chandler. The food is fragrant with flavors like basil, coconut, garlic, lemongrass, and ginger. The most amazing thing on the menu has to be the roasted duck curry, which sits in a rich stew of moist duck meat, pineapple chunks, and tomatoes in a savory red curry. There’s a lot in the way of seafood as well as noodles, half a dozen kinds of soup filled with fresh herbs, sautéed dishes packed with vegetables, and tangy salads like larb, a spicy mix of ground beef, chili, red onions, mint leaves, and lime juice.
Autumn Court Chinese Restaurant feels like a blast to the past and when you walk through the doors of this Chinese restaurant, you will feel like you have been transported to Chinatown 30 years ago. Autumn Court is located at 3752 E. Indian School Rd in Phoenix. Besides the décor that really puts you in the mood for Chinese cuisine, the food is exceptional. It is a plethora of the normal Chinese food favorites, such as pot stickers, crispy aromatic duck, sizzling rice soup for two, moo shu pork, moo goo gai pan, spicy Szechwan chicken, and many others.
Tao Garden has one of the largest menus of Chinese food in the entire valley and it seems as if everything on the menu is delicious. Tao is located at 2050 N. Alma School Rd., #36 in Chandler. Everything on the restaurant’s 210 plus item menu is spectacular. From the appetizers to the main courses, you just cannot go wrong. They have perfect pot stickers, a perfectly fiery Kung pao chicken and black beef chow mein. The restaurant also offers authentic Cantonese or Mandarin specialties like fish maw with crab soup; salted fish, chicken and tofu hot pot; sautéed squid with preserved greens; and prawns with crispy fried milk.
C-Fu Gourmet has become one of the hotspots in the valley for Chinese food. C-Fu located at 2051 W. Warner Rd in Chandler is serious Chinese food. This is the type of Chinese food that you expect in Chinatown in either San Francisco or New York. The specialty of C-Fu is fish, and you can watch several species swimming around the big holding tanks. Shrimp are fished out of the tank, steamed, and bathed in a potent garlic sauce. Clams in black-bean sauce and tilapia in a ginger-scallion sauce also hit all the right buttons. If you don’t find what you’re looking for on the menu, tell them what you want and they’ll make it.