Here's a list that may inspire lots of debate among you. The "Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in the USA: Dining Guide 2009" counts six local restaurants among the best in the country:
- Helen's Gourmet
Award: Top 100 Overall Excellence 2008
7444 N. Fresno St., Fresno
(559) 432-4241 - Tang Dynasty
Award: Top 100 Chinese/Asian Fusion 2008
2066 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno
(559) 432-6118 - Sun Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant
Award: Top 100 Signature Dish 2008
1425 Draper St., Kingsburg
(559) 897-7221 - Hunan Restaurant
Award: Top 100 Regional Chinese Cuisines 2007
6716 N. Cedar Ave., Suite 104, Fresno
(559) 297-0336 - China Garden Restaurant
Award: Top 100 Chinese Buffet 2007
2719 Whitson St., Selma
(559) 896-3633 - Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant
Award: Top 100 Overall Excellence 2007
1952 E. Front St., Selma
(559) 896-0170
As you can see, the book's title is confusing, since it's actually a collection of winners from past years.
You're probably wondering how the judges select winners from more than 46,700 Chinese restaurants in the United States. According to the book, the process goes like this: A mystery diner eats at a restaurant. (This assessment is 60% of a restaurant's score.) A panel of Chinese Restaurant News editors, food journalists and Asian-cuisine experts also evaluates the restaurant, which counts for another 20% of the score. Customer feedback counts for the remaining 20%.
Do you agree with these choices or not? If there's a local restaurant that didn't make the cut but should have, share it in the comments.
And if your fave Chinese place is listed above, then tell us what to order.
Hunan is fantastic.
The best dish I've had at Hunan is something you can't get on the menu: deep-fried, soup-burst shrimp balls.
Picture balls of ground shrimp wrapped around cubes of frozen soup, then covered in bread crumbs and fried. When you bite into them, they're crispy on the outside, with lots of flavorful liquid on the inside. All that soup keeps the shrimp moist.
This dish was part of a Chinese banquet I wrote about in October. If you ask in advance, chef Liu may be able to make it for you.
Honk Kong in Reedley is pretty darn good.
For vegetarians and vegans Lubys and Little Peking.
Oh, and Sunrise Kitchen.
I've always been disappointed in Chinese here ... guess I've been hitting the wrong places according to this list.
Moy's restaurant on Fresno and Ashlan. They have excellent pork fried rice. It's my all-time favorite.
@Juan Correction, Hong Kong in Reedley is o.k. Hong Kong in Orosi, now that's the bomb.
Imperial Garden in the CA Plaza on Blackstone just south of Herndon is one of our favorites, and they have great dim sum cart service on Sat & Sun.
Golden Dynasty (NE First & Shields) is very good, especially fond of their Beef Chow Fun with Chinese Broccoli.
Also like the Chinese Chicken Salad at Jim's Chinese on First north of Clinton.
Tsing Tao on Willow and Shaw has amazing green beans and mongolian beef.
Best Chinese Chicken Salad is Shanghai on Griffith and Blackstone!
I second Luby for vegetarians! That place is heaven. I also think Shanghai has the best chow mein around. (It's not soggy. Why do places keep serving me soggy noodles?)
I....love....Helen's. The food is great and the owners and staff are super-friendly! Love the chicken salad.
@Cristobal Orosi, ha now that is a town I haven't been to in a while.
What about Dai Bai Dang? I know it seems chainy but it is also pretty good.
My personal fave is D'hou (Palm & Bullard). Great food, excellent service (lunch in under 30 min if needed!), special requests are easy.
Shanghai is good all the way around. Chinn's Garden at Cedar/Nees has very good orange beef and the green beans there are outstanding. By far my favorite though is Ming's in Los Banos. Mongolian Beef there has never been matched, and really any beef dish there is top notch. Soups also good and chinese chicken salad outstanding.
Helen's is so good.
I am really stoked to see Golden Dragon in Selma on the list. We call the owner Mama Kim and she knows my family by name as my in-laws eat there once a week. It is a small town restaurant so I hope people go out and eat there and support them so they never close.
I also really, really love Tsing Tao at Shaw and Willow.
Tea Garden, Sanger CA...authentic goodness.
Dai Bai Dang is one of my all time faves too, but I think it is considered "asian fusion" not Chinese, because I know it often wins "best asian" so don't worry- it's not ignored :-)
I second Hong Kong in Reedley! I worked in Reedley for 2 years and I miss eating there! I gas weren't so expensive I'd drive the 40 miles for Hong Kong's sesame chicken.
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Sun Hong Kong in Kingsburg is a personal favorite. When their seasonal menu includes fresh asparagus in all the familiar dishes it's a very difficult menu decision. Their service is prompt, friendly and courteous, and their restaurant is exceptionally clean.
Jesse,
Does the 3 you mentioned cook chicken, shrimp etc. in the same oil and / or same grill area as the vegies? I'l drive from Porterville for a non-contaminated Chinese meal! (I am picky because I am allergic.)
Thanks for the info.
I've been to Helen's and Sun to me the food at those places are just as good as Luby but those places have a nice dining room when Luby is a hole in the wall place.
I finally got to go to Hunan and that has to really be the best in Town if not in all of the Central Valley. the butter cream prawn was amazing.
on another note: Did you know that most Thai restaurants in town are really Tai as in Laotian and not Taiwanese of Taiwan like some white people might think. It's Thailand next to Laos, not the island of Taiwan.
Hong Kong Bistro in Reedley! Best Chinese chicken salad around!