I asked for Chinese food recommendations and you delivered. Here are 7 Chinese spots you love.
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On Tuesday, I wrote a story titled, “Is it just me, or are you also struggling to find a go-to Chinese restaurant in Charlotte?” The story shared a deep, dark personal secret — my two favorite Chinese restaurants in Charlotte are P.F. Chang’s and Panda Express.
I then asked for you recommendations (outside of the well known establishments like Baoding, Dim Sum and Ho Ho Cherry House) — my inbox heated up with hundreds of responses.
Out of all the responses, here are the 7 Chinese restaurants that are clearly flying under the radar and that I clearly need to eat.
I also included some Agenda reader tips to help you order.
Tai Pei Express
“Classic and unassuming,Tai Pei Express is the hero you need but don’t deserve. I grew up in Charlotte picking up from here with my dad since I was little. The Spicy Chicken and Broccoli or Chicken Lo Mein are our go-tos.” – A
“The best general’s chicken in town.” – J
“Get their crispy scallion chicken, add mixed asian stir-fry style veggies to the chicken for $.50, and ask for their hot sauce (it’s chili garlic sauce)… if you can handle the heat.” – S
Shun Lee Palace
“Hands down best Chinese EVER EVER EVER goes to Shun Lee Palace. Without a doubt. I always get the Sesame Chicken, deeeeelicious. Tell me I’m wrong, I dare you!” – L
“Shun Lees Palace does Moo Shu Chicken the way it should be (traditional pancakes and all) and hands down has the best Crab Rangoon.” – A
Wan Fu
“Wan Fu on Pineville Matthews, behind the Outback — by far the best Chinese in the city. The staff is amazing, and there are TONS of options. We go there about every 2-3 weeks, very reasonably priced, and the portions are huge. (we generally get an entree and the house fried rice and split it between 2-3 people). The House Fried Rice is AMAZING, and the Tangerine chicken is a personal favorite.” – N
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“Wan Fu off 51 is AMAZING. More authentic Chinese and it’s delicious. I’ve loved everything I’ve ever tried there, but the Crispy Lo Mein Trio and Vegetable Dumplings are life changing. The vegetable dumplings are made fresh to order and require a wait, but worth it. And you have to start with a bowl of hot and sour soup, warms the soul.” – M
“Since I travel to China on business, there are a few things I really like that Wan Fu will make for us, like Gai-lan in garlic sauce. Also, if you go, Chinese hand made pork pan fried dumplings are dreamy. Ask to eat them the Hong Kong way, served w/white vinegar and chopped or sliced garlic in a small bowl to dip the dumplings in and then dip in hot chile paste/oil. YUM. They also do great noodle dishes, Chow Fun & Singapore rice noodles are some of my go to’s. Remind me of China… If you like spice, ask for American mild, med or hot. Like Thai, you don’t want to go the Asian route unless you like your mouth on fire:).” – S
“The Tangerine Beef at Wan Fu’s is my favorite. My husband likes the Chicken with Cashew Nuts. The service is very good and the atmosphere is nice. There is a party room upstairs where we have had larger events.”
Lee Cafe
“13 years and felt the same about the lack of a good Chinese restaurant, especially since we moved from CA (and I’m originally from Hong Kong). Well, if you haven’t tried Lee’s Cafe in Fort Mill, you are missing out! They have your usual Chinese fare, sushi, but they also have an authentic Chinese menu you can order from. All the local Chinese go there. They don’t have the ambience like a PF Chang, but their food is absolutely the best in this area. And, the service is great. Their signature is this dish with fish in chili peppers. It is amazing and really is not spicy. We get that, salt water duck or white cut chicken and sautéed pea shoots. But lots of time, we just pick up beef chow fun to go. If you don’t mind fat, their pork belly is great. Let me know how you like it!” – S
“Lee’s Cafe in Fort Mill is the only Chinese restaurant I’ll go to. It’s fantastic. The (whole) ginger scallion fish is sublime. I spent 13 years in Los Angeles and never even had anything as good there. The chili fish dish is sexier, but a little tricky to eat. The green beans are also fab.” – T
Fortune Cookie
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“Fortune Cookie Chinese is the best I have found and their Lo Mein is on point. General Tso’ s chicken isn’t bad either!” – C
“Great sit-down, order at the counter. Serves up your classic dishes but also offers tons of wing dishes which I haven’t tried and don’t plan to. I do the Chinese mixed veggie with ‘fried rice’ which appears to be white rice cooked in soy sauce, with a spring roll. Total comes to about $8 and I easily have enough for two meals.” – S
Taipe South
“I was born and raised in Charlotte and would say Taipe South is a STAPLE of Chinese food to the people of South Charlotte. It is the to go before/after high school football games, after baseball practice, or even when I was home from ECU for the weekend with my parents. My personal dish is the Sa-Cha chicken fried rice and chicken wings. I have stuck with that dish for the past 15 years and very rarely stray from (it’s just that good). Everything in the menu is delicious, reasonably priced, and won’t leave you hungry after. I would also recommend the egg drop soup for a starter ($1.50). Service is fantastic, wait time for food is usually 5-10 min, and the people are friendlier than ever. This is the place I take all of my friends/family/co workers to when they are craving Chinese. It’s got a neighborhood feel to it knowing you’re bound to see someone/families you know as soon as you walk through the door. Hope this helps! Let me know what you think if/after you give it.” – A
“I’m a Charlotte native and have been eating at Taipei South all of my life and it is definitely my favorite Chinese restaurant (maybe favorite restaurant period)! They are located off of Park Road in South Charlotte right next to the Lowe’s and Food Lion. I would highly recommend the chicken with eggplant in garlic sauce, extra spicy, with fired rice and chicken wings (I don’t think I’ve ordered a different meal there in my 24 years of life), and definitely have to get a crab rangoon appetizer. Their food is cheap, yet they do not lack in flavor, and they do not let you leave hungry. Prices are around $6-$8 for a full plate of food. Every plate comes with an option of white or fried rice, and an eggroll, spring roll or chicken wings (2).” – H
Great Wall of China
“Great Wall’s atmosphere is super depressing but the food is legit. In addition to the Americanized food we are used to, they even have a separate menu in Chinese (Mandarin?) with authentic dishes. For some reason that I don’t understand, the chow fun is on the authentic Chinese menu and it’s amazing. Their “special trio” is great and I have tested, unofficially, Lo Mein all over town and theirs is still tops to me. The best dish is a black pepper steak which if I recall correctly is a filet that comes out of the kitchen on a sizzling plate.” – L
