Best Chinese in Providence RI

[Tir_na_nOg]

Any suggestions for the best Chinese in Providence? Enquiring taste buds want to know...

[Rhody Rogue]

Very worthy of a vist. Will be returning soon.

[no0b]

Can anyone recommend a place specifically for general TSO? I like it extremely hot/spicy and still have some flavor and taste.

Thanks.

[Garris]

Ok, you've posted this several times in different places and haven't gotten a reply so, in the hope of maybe finally ending the posts, I will give you my answer...

First, the possible reason people may not have answered is, to be a bit blunt and honest, most foodies hate General Tso chicken. It's an American culinary "invention" and a fairly recent one at that. You won't find it overseas, and certainly not China. It represents all of what people who love authentic Asian cuisine hate about the Americanized version. Chicken, smothered by thick batter and grease, cooked to within an inch of it's life, drenched in sickenIngly sweet sauce. Many people of Chinese descent I know despise and curse the dish and the quickest way to lose their respect for your taste in food is to declare your affinity for that dish or, say, Crab Rangoon. So for many people your question is like asking, "Where's the best deep fried twinkles in RI?" I know that sounds snobby, but it's kind of the truth, and this IS Chowhound...

That said, supposedly the closest authentic dish to General Tso in Hunanese cooking is either lightly breaded or with a mildly crispy skin and a subtle spicy taste. You won't find that here. I haven't ordered General Tso for many of the above reasons, but I think Red Ginger in Johnston, Little Chopsticks in Providence, China Inn in Pawtucket, and Golden Chopsticks in Westerly do the best "Americanized" Chinese in the state (and the first and last of them do some of the best "authentic" cuisine in the state as well). Every one of the above mentioned restaurants in the thread is worth trying as well (especially Gold Stone for takeout and Lucky Garden for dining in and Dim Sum). Try them out and let us know what YOU think is the, uh, best General Tso.

Just remember, though, that even the best Chinese in RI is mediocre by most area's standards, unfortunately, for lots of reasons I've been given. My family just dined this past weekend at a restaurant on the Cape that blows away everything here and many establishments in the Boston metro (starting as far South as Qwon's Kitchen in Attleboro) are much better than anything here in RI, sadly :(

[kiki47]

could you please let me know the Cape restaurant? I live here and there's no chinese that blows me away. That would be a pleasant surprise. Thanks.

[Garris]

Sorry for the delay. I believe it was:

Hunan Gourmet III‎
225 Rt 6A # 3
Orleans, MA 02653
[phone]

Again, not earth shattering Americanized Chinese. I don't even know if it's considered in the top tier of the Cape. Certainly, Bostonians need not pass Chinatown just to go to the Cape for it, but it's solidly better, sadly, than anything we have in Providence.

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Hunan Gourmet III
225 Rt 6A Ste 3, Orleans, MA 02653

[Dinsdale45]

Try Gold Stone on Allens Ave. If you want something beyond the usual, ask for the Chinese menu.

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Gold Stone
840 Allens Ave, Providence, RI 02905

[Garris]

I agree that for take out, Gold Stone is the current best of PVD area Chinese.

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Gold Stone
840 Allens Ave, Providence, RI 02905

[Rhody Rogue]

Had to try it, and was very pleased. A must vist.

[bawc]

Has anyone tried the new chinese restaurant on Hope, Lucky Kitchen?

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Lucky Kitchen
42 Berkshire Ave, Springfield, MA 01109

[Garris]

The one near Rochambeau? I believe it's just a rename of the previous restaurant there before... They've done nothing with decor, and I think they just slapped a new name tag onto the old sign. Nothing to see there...

Has anyone been to the redone Gourmet House on Hope? I thought the previous iteration was very, very average...

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Gourmet House Restaurant
787 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906

[arcchowhound]

The new Gourmet House is owned by the people who run the Hope St Apsara (next door) and has an almost-identical menu, with slightly higher prices. The upside is it's quiet and you can have a meal w/o someone waiting for takeout standing at your shoulder.

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Apsara Restaurant
716 Public St, Providence, RI 02907

Gourmet House Restaurant
787 Hope St, Providence, RI 02906

[Garris]

I was wondering what the difference is between the two... So you're saying it's basically the same as Apsara but is quieter and easier to dine-in? Kind of like an extended Apsara's dining room?

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Apsara Restaurant
716 Public St, Providence, RI 02907

[arcchowhound]

Yes--exactly.

[Garris]

We just recently tried it as we like what Apsara does, but it's never an enjoyable place to sit down... We had a very good meal indeed, and it is nice and quiet in there :).

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Apsara Restaurant
716 Public St, Providence, RI 02907

[i hamin]

absolutely AWFUL

[trachstar]

Does anyone know what ever happened to the owners of Peking that used to be in East Providence? I really miss that place, and wonder if they relocated somewhere in the last fifteen years.

[PickyEater2000]

Yes, it is definitely--Gold Stone Chinese Restaurant, at 840 Allens Ave in Providence. I heard that the chef there is the one who used to cook for The Iron Wok when they were located in Seekonk.

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Gold Stone
840 Allens Ave, Providence, RI 02905

[Garris]

I know I'm a bit late on this, but how is Iron Wok now on the East Side? I thought they had gone a bit downhill in Seekonk before the move and I haven't been there since the relocation.

[PickyEater2000]

I have only been there once since they moved. That was when they first opened. It wasn't even close to being as good as it was in Seekonk. Maybe they have gotten better since then--I haven't been back.

[Tir_na_nOg]

Gold Stone
840 Allens Avenue
Providence, RI 02905

Need to visit again to be sure, but I wanted to put down a placeholder for this new "discovery".

Tiny hole-in-the-wall Szechuan place. Name apparently comes from the owner's name translated into English. Yuxiang rou si (fish-fragent pork strips, a Sichuan touchstone) is way better and more authentic than at Boston's famous Sichuan Gourmet. Spicy, although judicious use of peppercorns, amazing. Xiang la ji (spicy chicken) was seriously spicy, with a great flavor.

Run, don't walk...

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Sichuan Gourmet
502 Boston Rd, Billerica, MA 01821

Gold Stone
840 Allens Ave, Providence, RI 02905

[Gin n Tonic]

As long as the limits of "Providence" are being stretched a bit, here's a vote for Red Ginger on Killingly St. in Johnston (maybe 5 min from the Providence line). Chinese families eat there.

[bawc]

Another vote for Lucky Garden. We are going there for Chinese New Year. IMO the food at Mumu was mediocre

[OOliver]

Asian Palace on North Main Street (next door to Rite Aid). The place is very clean, the portions are generous, the food always tastes fresh (not reheated as is the case in some other restaurants).

[Frobisher]

For American Chinese - Little Chopsticks on Smith St.

For more authentic and/or dim sum Lucky Garden in North Providence on Rt. 44 (about 15 minutes from downtown Providence).

[im hungry]

Mumu on atwells