Dragon China is average at best and is one of those restaurants you should reserve for take out and/or delivery. Their food is not the greatest, but its A-OK. I've tried the Lo Mein, Chicken with Broccoli, Jalepeno Chicken, and Curry Chicken (odd choices I know) and I've felt satisfied after every meal, but that's about it. There are better Chinese restaurants in Orlando, and even though Orlando is severely lacking in the quality Chinese food segment, I would put this and another Chinese restaurant in the area as a toss-up when it comes to Chinese delivery. If you feel like rolling the dice and are craving Chinese delivery, I recommend it. Just be ready for when it takes the delivery man 80 minutes to come, and be prepared for a man to call you, tell you that there is "traffic" and then have a completely different man show up at your house. This is a solid 2.5 star restaurant, no more. It could definitely be better, and because of this, think about the other quality Chinese restaurants in the area before you head over here.
(2)
Ryan K.
Recently got $100 in restaurant.com gift certificates and decided to use a portion to take my mother out to dinner. It turned into an impromptu Easter dinner at a Chinese restaurant, her favorite type of cuisine. My mom chose this place and obviously I did a quick search on Yelp to see what the word was. Short and sweet, this is the best Chinese I've had in Florida, layers of flavor, and the young gentleman who served us was extremely attentive and accommodating. We had to spend $45 in order to utilize the $25 off gift certificate (a stipulation of restaurants.com ) so we each ordered a soup, appetizer, and a entree. To our surprise we were still $8 short of our $45 minimum so we ordered an additional entree that I ended up bringing home after a brief sample. I had the wonton soup which was pretty average and my mom got the seafood noodle soup which was a gigantic bowl of noodles in broth with plenty of imitation crab, scallops, and shrimp. The appetizers came next, my fried pork dumplings which were better than average and my mom's spare ribs which she said were better than at her favorite Chinese restaurant in NYC. The entrees came last, I ordered the Honey walnut chicken which was as delicious as it was plentiful. My mom could not stop raving about her pork lo mein so I tried some and it was so flavorful unlike so many of the bland versions I have had in the past. The topper was the third entree which we ordered just because everything else was so cheap and we had to spend at least $45. Are you ready for it...... General Tso's Chicken. Yes I know, probably one of the most common dish's found at any Chinese restaurant in the US. I could not tell you how many different "General Tso's Chicken" I have tasted over the years but I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that this one surpassed them all. There were layers of flavor and the taste seemed to improve well after I was done with each bite. Bottom line, this place is well worth a visit.
(5)
Elle H.
Oh how I miss 168. Our favorite Chinese restaurant has closed and we are on the search for decent delivery in Dr. Phillips. We've ordered from Dragon China delivery about 4 times now. The first couple of times we ordered were pretty good. I had the Shanghai Noodles (dry but flavorful - dryness was remedied with wonton soup!) and my companion had the Kung Pao chicken. Steamed dumplings, wonton soup, and veggie spring rolls completed our order. I wanted to try something else so I ordered chicken with broccoli in brown sauce. This order was met with decided judgment on the part of the order taker. You would have though I asked for roasted baby when I wanted carrots added as well. OK, doesn't really matter I suppose... The food was delivered quickly, as always but ended the slow decline in completely bland offerings. I was glad I ordered 2 spring rolls this time as the rest went into the garbage. The search for decent Chinese food delivery in the area remains active.
(2)
Steve A.
Orlando doesn't really have a great Chinese restaurant, but this one is below par even for here. Lots of overcooked, under-seasoned food, and fried items tend to be greasy. The TV doesn't add to the dining room ambiance, either.
(2)
Steve S.
While in town on business, I wanted to try a local non-American restaurant. After having a few beers at World of Beer, I ran across the Dragon China. The place was empty which threw up a red flag for me, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. It's decorated much like many other Chinese restaurants and the dining area was clean. The waitress was very nice and brought me my drink along with some type of fried tortilla strips with a sweet and sour dip. I've never seen this at any other Asian diner. I decided to order the Orange Chicken. The food came out very quickly and was presented nicely. The serving size was huge. It came with a bowl of white rice, orange peels, and spicy peppers. The orange glaze was delicious and the chicken was fried to perfection. I was very impressed with the overall quality and taste of the food.
(4)
David C.
My review is based on my experience with Chinese food as I am Asian myself and I was brought up in NYC Chinatown and have had all different types of Chinese cuisines . I was on vacation and was in the mood for Chinese food so I went on Yelp to look at reviews so I went ahead to try . I hesitated but again I was in the mood. Here is what I ordered Pan fried noodles with chicken and mix veg Chicken and broccoli Udon noodle soup Pro Close to my hotel Price was reasonable Staff was friendly Con Staff in front desk did not know the ingredients to certain dishes such as what's in them. I asked them about the Udon noodle in the soup and his response was "I am not sure what kind of noodles are in there" It is like me asking someone in an Italian restaurant what kind of pasta is used in a seafood Fra diovolo dish. Chicken and broccoli was salty like the chef had no other ingredient other than soy sauce or oyster sauce Pan fried noodle was too salty, not enough sauce Udon noodle soup lack of real seafood, just fake crab meat , chicken stripes and veg No utensils such as chop sticks, spoons, fork or even napkins Next time I will be venturing another place.
(2)
Tom B.
I drove aimlessly today in search of lunch, just knowing I wanted something non-American. It was a surprise to run across Dragon China in the Venezia Plaza on Sand Lake in Dr. Phillips. I had never noticed it there before. I guess few others have either, since I was the only diner, save for one takeaway order. Dragon's menu is vast, maybe vaster than vast. They also have sushi, but I usually leave that up to the Japanese. A lunch menu is available seven days a week, and the prices are a steal. I didn't order from that menu, but my bill was still delightfully low. The combination wonton and egg drop soup was just a great starter, which I ordered along with a vegetarian spring roll, also tasty and just right. For an entree, I homed in on Bean Curds (silken tofu) with Mushrooms. The mushrooms were big and earthy-tasting, and the tofu was textured and flavored nicely. Chinese has been available for all my life, and has therefore become eclipsed by the explosion in other Asian and world cuisines now available. So my Chinese experience today was a throwback, comforting and savory.
(3)
Ting L.
Very very bad Chinese food! The fish was real hard, and the fried rice was just tasteless! I have to through them away before I finish. Really waste my money!
(1)
David M.
I had not been in a Chinese restaurant in more than a few years when my son suggested we visit Dragon China. The restaurant was quite empty but it was doing a thriving takeout business, a pattern we have seen repeated each of the four times we have visited in the past month. On each visit, we have ordered vegetable fried rice and vegetable egg roles (for me) and orange chicken with beef fried rice for my son. None of the items have ever been heavy or greasy and both my son and I have very much enjoyed each meal. The meat based menu items that we have sampled have been generously portioned with meat, and all items have been well prepared and tasty. I find myself at an unusual loss for words in describing our meals at Dragon China but I have no hesitation in recommending Dragon China. Indeed, I may head out now to order my dinner there!
(4)
Mark L.
I was hungry and in the neighborhood. The stripmall and storefront are clean and very well-occupied. Four younger almost middleage Chinese gals walked in so I figured it's authentic. "Chicken in brown sauce" says "it;s so good you'll wonder why you don't eat it all the time", $10 with fried rice from a nice yong man. Take out. Very prompt. EXCELLENT, enough for lunch the next day. Decor? Contemprary nothing. So what. I was hungry. With a good fortune cookie. I'll be back.
(4)
Tommy C.
I'll tend to drive out of my way just to come here. It's located next to the Publix in Dr. Phillips along a scenic strip mall. The food is best served when eating in, as others have said; take out can be spotty in quality at times. They use high quality ingredients in virtually all of their dishes on the menu. I've been there several times, and have ordered at least a dozen different menu items, and have yet to be served something that is unappetizing or less than top-notch. The Bo Bo Platter is one of the most intriguing things on their menu. It's a sampler appetizer with a fire lantern in the middle of the towering dish! Do yourself a favor and order it when you go. You'll be delighted you did. Prices are essentially what they are at any take out restaurant, with the stark difference that it is much cleaner, larger, and the portions of the dishes are about 30% bigger than at any other chinese restaurant in Central Florida. The main seating area could comfortably hold 70 people if full, but it rarely ever is, even on the weekends when I tend to go.
(5)
Jon C.
This was the first time we have visited, but it came highly recommended by a coworker. I am a huge lover of Sesame Chicken and though it wasn't on the lunch special menu, our host was more than willing to appease my request. My boyfriend is a lover of Sweet and Sour chicken and it was comparable to other restaurants. We visited around 3 in huge afternoon, and was not busy, which was expected. But our food came out fresh and was very delicious. We will definitely be returning!
(4)
Omar B.
This Chinese restaurant is a hidden gem in a strip mall surrounded by some great eating places, but it is probably the best Chinese in the Sandlake area. I used one of my Restaurant.com coupons. Started with the Poo Poo platter. The ribs were good tasting and not tough. The crab rangoon and egg rolls were perfect. The shrimp was very large and had just enough breading. For the main course I got the House Special fried rice which was very well cooked and seasoned. Had a pretty good amount of shrimp, pork and chicken. I ordered the Happy Family, which had some great big pieces of shrimp and the sauce was just perfect. The staff was good and the pricing was a lot cheaper than I expected for that part of town. Only negative is that the decor is not the greatest and it could use a little touch up. Over all, a great sit down Chinese restaurant that no one should pass up on.
(4)
Eric V.
Visited today during lunch based on reviews and proximity to my location. Ordered General Tso's chicken, fried rice, and an egg roll, all very standard Chinese restaurant fare that should be easy to get right. The portions were plentiful for the price, but that is where the goodness stopped. The chicken tasted like it had been sitting for quite a while, possibly fried yesterday and reheated. The sauce was gummy, sour, and rather unpleasant. The rice had little flavor, and contained large chunks of nearly raw onion. The egg roll was slightly crispy but cold and flavorless. Considering how positive others reviews are, it's entirely possible that I visited this restaurant on an off day, but this was one of the poorest meals I've had in a long time. Overall, a very disappointing meal that I would not endure again.
(1)
Liz F.
Absolutely disgusting we found a black hair in the rice so nasty.... Threw $60 worth of food away so nasty. never never again beware gross
(1)
Tsz-Cheong C.
The food here is not the best. I was hoping to discover some real good Chinese food during my family vacation in Orlando. This place just doesn't really cut it. I might be jaded coming from NYC with the tastiest Chinese food East of San Francisco. The service was slow, but the staff was friendly when they finally got to you. I noticed the meat was treated with meat tenderizer in the beef and broccoli. The seafood noodle soup and house special soup was bland. The wonderful chicken was a bit on the sweet side. The place was also poorly lighted.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Such K.
Dragon China is average at best and is one of those restaurants you should reserve for take out and/or delivery. Their food is not the greatest, but its A-OK. I've tried the Lo Mein, Chicken with Broccoli, Jalepeno Chicken, and Curry Chicken (odd choices I know) and I've felt satisfied after every meal, but that's about it. There are better Chinese restaurants in Orlando, and even though Orlando is severely lacking in the quality Chinese food segment, I would put this and another Chinese restaurant in the area as a toss-up when it comes to Chinese delivery. If you feel like rolling the dice and are craving Chinese delivery, I recommend it. Just be ready for when it takes the delivery man 80 minutes to come, and be prepared for a man to call you, tell you that there is "traffic" and then have a completely different man show up at your house. This is a solid 2.5 star restaurant, no more. It could definitely be better, and because of this, think about the other quality Chinese restaurants in the area before you head over here.
(2)Ryan K.
Recently got $100 in restaurant.com gift certificates and decided to use a portion to take my mother out to dinner. It turned into an impromptu Easter dinner at a Chinese restaurant, her favorite type of cuisine. My mom chose this place and obviously I did a quick search on Yelp to see what the word was. Short and sweet, this is the best Chinese I've had in Florida, layers of flavor, and the young gentleman who served us was extremely attentive and accommodating. We had to spend $45 in order to utilize the $25 off gift certificate (a stipulation of restaurants.com ) so we each ordered a soup, appetizer, and a entree. To our surprise we were still $8 short of our $45 minimum so we ordered an additional entree that I ended up bringing home after a brief sample. I had the wonton soup which was pretty average and my mom got the seafood noodle soup which was a gigantic bowl of noodles in broth with plenty of imitation crab, scallops, and shrimp. The appetizers came next, my fried pork dumplings which were better than average and my mom's spare ribs which she said were better than at her favorite Chinese restaurant in NYC. The entrees came last, I ordered the Honey walnut chicken which was as delicious as it was plentiful. My mom could not stop raving about her pork lo mein so I tried some and it was so flavorful unlike so many of the bland versions I have had in the past. The topper was the third entree which we ordered just because everything else was so cheap and we had to spend at least $45. Are you ready for it...... General Tso's Chicken. Yes I know, probably one of the most common dish's found at any Chinese restaurant in the US. I could not tell you how many different "General Tso's Chicken" I have tasted over the years but I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that this one surpassed them all. There were layers of flavor and the taste seemed to improve well after I was done with each bite. Bottom line, this place is well worth a visit.
(5)Elle H.
Oh how I miss 168. Our favorite Chinese restaurant has closed and we are on the search for decent delivery in Dr. Phillips. We've ordered from Dragon China delivery about 4 times now. The first couple of times we ordered were pretty good. I had the Shanghai Noodles (dry but flavorful - dryness was remedied with wonton soup!) and my companion had the Kung Pao chicken. Steamed dumplings, wonton soup, and veggie spring rolls completed our order. I wanted to try something else so I ordered chicken with broccoli in brown sauce. This order was met with decided judgment on the part of the order taker. You would have though I asked for roasted baby when I wanted carrots added as well. OK, doesn't really matter I suppose... The food was delivered quickly, as always but ended the slow decline in completely bland offerings. I was glad I ordered 2 spring rolls this time as the rest went into the garbage. The search for decent Chinese food delivery in the area remains active.
(2)Steve A.
Orlando doesn't really have a great Chinese restaurant, but this one is below par even for here. Lots of overcooked, under-seasoned food, and fried items tend to be greasy. The TV doesn't add to the dining room ambiance, either.
(2)Steve S.
While in town on business, I wanted to try a local non-American restaurant. After having a few beers at World of Beer, I ran across the Dragon China. The place was empty which threw up a red flag for me, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. It's decorated much like many other Chinese restaurants and the dining area was clean. The waitress was very nice and brought me my drink along with some type of fried tortilla strips with a sweet and sour dip. I've never seen this at any other Asian diner. I decided to order the Orange Chicken. The food came out very quickly and was presented nicely. The serving size was huge. It came with a bowl of white rice, orange peels, and spicy peppers. The orange glaze was delicious and the chicken was fried to perfection. I was very impressed with the overall quality and taste of the food.
(4)David C.
My review is based on my experience with Chinese food as I am Asian myself and I was brought up in NYC Chinatown and have had all different types of Chinese cuisines . I was on vacation and was in the mood for Chinese food so I went on Yelp to look at reviews so I went ahead to try . I hesitated but again I was in the mood. Here is what I ordered Pan fried noodles with chicken and mix veg Chicken and broccoli Udon noodle soup Pro Close to my hotel Price was reasonable Staff was friendly Con Staff in front desk did not know the ingredients to certain dishes such as what's in them. I asked them about the Udon noodle in the soup and his response was "I am not sure what kind of noodles are in there" It is like me asking someone in an Italian restaurant what kind of pasta is used in a seafood Fra diovolo dish. Chicken and broccoli was salty like the chef had no other ingredient other than soy sauce or oyster sauce Pan fried noodle was too salty, not enough sauce Udon noodle soup lack of real seafood, just fake crab meat , chicken stripes and veg No utensils such as chop sticks, spoons, fork or even napkins Next time I will be venturing another place.
(2)Tom B.
I drove aimlessly today in search of lunch, just knowing I wanted something non-American. It was a surprise to run across Dragon China in the Venezia Plaza on Sand Lake in Dr. Phillips. I had never noticed it there before. I guess few others have either, since I was the only diner, save for one takeaway order. Dragon's menu is vast, maybe vaster than vast. They also have sushi, but I usually leave that up to the Japanese. A lunch menu is available seven days a week, and the prices are a steal. I didn't order from that menu, but my bill was still delightfully low. The combination wonton and egg drop soup was just a great starter, which I ordered along with a vegetarian spring roll, also tasty and just right. For an entree, I homed in on Bean Curds (silken tofu) with Mushrooms. The mushrooms were big and earthy-tasting, and the tofu was textured and flavored nicely. Chinese has been available for all my life, and has therefore become eclipsed by the explosion in other Asian and world cuisines now available. So my Chinese experience today was a throwback, comforting and savory.
(3)Ting L.
Very very bad Chinese food! The fish was real hard, and the fried rice was just tasteless! I have to through them away before I finish. Really waste my money!
(1)David M.
I had not been in a Chinese restaurant in more than a few years when my son suggested we visit Dragon China. The restaurant was quite empty but it was doing a thriving takeout business, a pattern we have seen repeated each of the four times we have visited in the past month. On each visit, we have ordered vegetable fried rice and vegetable egg roles (for me) and orange chicken with beef fried rice for my son. None of the items have ever been heavy or greasy and both my son and I have very much enjoyed each meal. The meat based menu items that we have sampled have been generously portioned with meat, and all items have been well prepared and tasty. I find myself at an unusual loss for words in describing our meals at Dragon China but I have no hesitation in recommending Dragon China. Indeed, I may head out now to order my dinner there!
(4)Mark L.
I was hungry and in the neighborhood. The stripmall and storefront are clean and very well-occupied. Four younger almost middleage Chinese gals walked in so I figured it's authentic. "Chicken in brown sauce" says "it;s so good you'll wonder why you don't eat it all the time", $10 with fried rice from a nice yong man. Take out. Very prompt. EXCELLENT, enough for lunch the next day. Decor? Contemprary nothing. So what. I was hungry. With a good fortune cookie. I'll be back.
(4)Tommy C.
I'll tend to drive out of my way just to come here. It's located next to the Publix in Dr. Phillips along a scenic strip mall. The food is best served when eating in, as others have said; take out can be spotty in quality at times. They use high quality ingredients in virtually all of their dishes on the menu. I've been there several times, and have ordered at least a dozen different menu items, and have yet to be served something that is unappetizing or less than top-notch. The Bo Bo Platter is one of the most intriguing things on their menu. It's a sampler appetizer with a fire lantern in the middle of the towering dish! Do yourself a favor and order it when you go. You'll be delighted you did. Prices are essentially what they are at any take out restaurant, with the stark difference that it is much cleaner, larger, and the portions of the dishes are about 30% bigger than at any other chinese restaurant in Central Florida. The main seating area could comfortably hold 70 people if full, but it rarely ever is, even on the weekends when I tend to go.
(5)Jon C.
This was the first time we have visited, but it came highly recommended by a coworker. I am a huge lover of Sesame Chicken and though it wasn't on the lunch special menu, our host was more than willing to appease my request. My boyfriend is a lover of Sweet and Sour chicken and it was comparable to other restaurants. We visited around 3 in huge afternoon, and was not busy, which was expected. But our food came out fresh and was very delicious. We will definitely be returning!
(4)Omar B.
This Chinese restaurant is a hidden gem in a strip mall surrounded by some great eating places, but it is probably the best Chinese in the Sandlake area. I used one of my Restaurant.com coupons. Started with the Poo Poo platter. The ribs were good tasting and not tough. The crab rangoon and egg rolls were perfect. The shrimp was very large and had just enough breading. For the main course I got the House Special fried rice which was very well cooked and seasoned. Had a pretty good amount of shrimp, pork and chicken. I ordered the Happy Family, which had some great big pieces of shrimp and the sauce was just perfect. The staff was good and the pricing was a lot cheaper than I expected for that part of town. Only negative is that the decor is not the greatest and it could use a little touch up. Over all, a great sit down Chinese restaurant that no one should pass up on.
(4)Eric V.
Visited today during lunch based on reviews and proximity to my location. Ordered General Tso's chicken, fried rice, and an egg roll, all very standard Chinese restaurant fare that should be easy to get right. The portions were plentiful for the price, but that is where the goodness stopped. The chicken tasted like it had been sitting for quite a while, possibly fried yesterday and reheated. The sauce was gummy, sour, and rather unpleasant. The rice had little flavor, and contained large chunks of nearly raw onion. The egg roll was slightly crispy but cold and flavorless. Considering how positive others reviews are, it's entirely possible that I visited this restaurant on an off day, but this was one of the poorest meals I've had in a long time. Overall, a very disappointing meal that I would not endure again.
(1)Liz F.
Absolutely disgusting we found a black hair in the rice so nasty.... Threw $60 worth of food away so nasty. never never again beware gross
(1)Tsz-Cheong C.
The food here is not the best. I was hoping to discover some real good Chinese food during my family vacation in Orlando. This place just doesn't really cut it. I might be jaded coming from NYC with the tastiest Chinese food East of San Francisco. The service was slow, but the staff was friendly when they finally got to you. I noticed the meat was treated with meat tenderizer in the beef and broccoli. The seafood noodle soup and house special soup was bland. The wonderful chicken was a bit on the sweet side. The place was also poorly lighted.
(2)