One of the most difficult things about moving to San Antonio, Texas from Syracuse, N.Y. a little over two years ago, was having to discover all of the best cuisines that my new city has to offer. In New York, I always knew where to get great food, regardless of cuisine. When I moved to San Antonio, I was lost, frustrated, and angry that I had so much difficulty finding dining options that stacked-up to what I was used to in New York. The cuisine that gave us the most trouble was Chinese-style-cuisine. Below you will find my comprehensive analysis of the three best Chinese restaurants in San Antonio, Texas.
1.) Best Upscale Chinese Restaurant
After over one year of searching for any Chinese food that came close to the flavors and style I experienced in New York, I came across a little place called Oolong Chinese Bistro located at 12411 Bandera Road just outside the San Antonio city limits in Helotes, Texas. They are open daily from 11am-9pm, take most forms of payment–including credit card, and their website is http://oolongbistro.com/. When I discovered Oolong, my wife and I had tried nearly two dozen other Chinese restaurants with absolutely no success, so admittedly, my hopes were not all that high.
When I entered, the first thing I noticed was the intimate, classy, yet practical decor of the establishment. The atmosphere was so comfortable, warm, and welcoming that it immediately started to melt away any concerns I had about the ambiance or atmosphere inside the restaurant. Next, I was greeted by an extremely friendly hostess who asked for our input in regards to where I would like to be seated. This was a much appreciated pleasantry, and I readily chose the booth in the corner of the restaurant. Upon being seated, she handed us the fancy, clean menus and let us know that our server would be right with us.
Almost immediately our server came over and asked us what I would like to drink. She quickly took that order, and just as quickly brought back our beverage selections. She then asked if I had any questions about the menu. I love this question, especially in an ethnic restaurant where you may not be as familiar with all of the food options. I thanked her and politely asked for a few minutes to review the menu.
The menu has all of the traditional, delectable offerings of any Chinese-style restaurant. It had Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sesame Chicken/Beef/Pork, General [Tso] Chicken, Szechuan Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and the list goes on. Amidst all of the delicious entree dishes is also a traditional Appetizer and Soup menu that offers favorites including: Egg Rolls, Fried Dumplings (Pot Stickers), Hot & Sour Soup, Wonton Soup, Crab Rangoons, among a few other options.
Simply put, the food is amazing. Every single thing I have ever eaten here is simply fantastic! For those of you who have never been able to describe Chinese food as fresh before, this is your chance. The ingredients are incredibly fresh-tasting. Further adding to the overall appearance of the meals are the presentation. Freshness and presentation are not among the things I usually associate with Chinese cuisine, but Oolong gets the fact that people eat with their eyes long before the food touches our lips. The food is served on clean, aesthetically-pleasing dishes, and our cups and silverware are always clean.
Most of all though, let’s talk about the flavor. Oh my goodness, the flavor. When I go to a Chinese restaurant I judge it based upon several important factors. First and foremost I order all of the same things that I would order at other Chinese restaurants so that I can develop a standard. It is against that standard that I judge flavor. I have eaten at hundreds of Chinese establishments from New York, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, Florida, and now Texas. One thing I can honestly say is that Oolong provides a flavor profile that is among the best I have ever come across.
I have ordered the Pot Stickers, the Crab Rangoons, the Pork Fried Rice, the General Tso Chicken, the Sesame Chicken, The Wonton Soup, and many other of their dishes. In every case our tongues were greeted with taste-bud-popping flavors that dazzled all of our senses. The General Chicken is one of the very best at this restaurant. It is incredibly moist, flavorful, and has a nice crispy exterior. It is sweet, savory, and sour–hitting all of the key notes. The Pork Fried Rice is among the best I have ever had. It has so much flavor it is incredible. Also, I have to give a notable mention to their Fried Dumplings (also known as Pot Stickers). They are absolutely amazing and a must-order when you go.
Overall, this restaurant provides a great experience from start to finish–something that very few restaurants can achieve. From the moment I walked inside, to eating the delicious food, to the incredible service, I cannot think of a better restaurant to recommend. This is our go-to Chinese Restaurant for upscale Chinese Cuisine in San Antonio. The quality of the food, the chic and tasteful decor, as well as the fantastic service are all reasons why you need to go here!
2.) The Best Chinese Buffet in San Antonio
This is another recent addition to our Favorites-List in San Antonio, Texas because it offers consistent quality food each time I have gone. East Buffet located at 5830 Bandera Road in San Antonio is possibly one of the best Chinese Buffets I have ever frequented. As far as Chinese Buffets go, some of the food offerings are as good as it gets, for a Chinese Buffet of course.
As I stated above, I always judge an establishment’s food based upon the same standards. So I always order–or in this case try–the same dishes, so that I can use them as a mental comparison to other establishments. Because of this, one of the first things I put on my plate was the General Tso Chicken. I was pleasantly surprised that East Buffet has a good one. Also, they may serve the very best egg rolls in San Antonio. One of my favorite things to do is to dip my egg roll in sweet and sour sauce. The sweet and sour sauce at East Buffet is very tasty and has the perfect combination of sweet and sour. I am not saying that it is a homemade sauce, but regardless it is still exactly what a sweet and sour sauce should be, regardless of its origin.
Since this is a Chinese buffet, the easiest way to communicate my thoughts on the vast array of food that I consumed is in a list-like format. The sweet and sour chicken was fried to a perfect golden brown and still moist; the sesame chicken had a great sauce and was fresh from the wok; the pot stickers had a delicious filling, a great dipping sauce, and a nice-lightly-browned exterior; the crab rangoons were crispy and filled with a velvety filling; the sushi was fresh and flavorful; the chicken wings were actually pretty good for a Chinese Buffet and had a flavorful, crispy skin with a tasty breading; the soups were all flavorful and hot; and even the traditional American things like the, chicken nuggets, french fries, and mozzarella sticks were all piping-hot on the buffet, and not over-cooked. Like the sweet and sour, theses food items are probably not made in-house; but they are still of great quality.
Of course, with the huge variety at your disposal and the nature of mass-produced food, there are always going to be the not-so-good items. For us, the peanut chicken and the sauce with it; the Thai chicken; and the coconut chicken, are all things that I was not as fond of. Despite that though, this is an impressively short-list for the not-so-good. There are several things that I will not try because I don’t really like them to begin with, like the stir-fry items such as: Beef and broccoli, chow mein, and other similar foods. For me, there is no point in trying something I won’t like and then reporting those findings to you because my criticism would already be compromised and you wouldn’t get a fair review.
One final point I’d like to make about East Buffet is the cleanliness of the restaurant. This is a huge deal for me, and mostly everyone I know. I cannot eat at a place which offers substandard cleanliness, which is why I am thrilled to tell you that East Buffet is one of the cleanliest restaurants I have ever stepped foot in. You can tell they take pride in their workspace, and that they care about the image that they portray to their customers. There is always someone on the floor cleaning the buffet bars, sweeping-up the floors, ‘bus-ing’ tables as they are left by satisfied patrons, and a manager is constantly walking around inspecting the food, checking temperatures, and monitoring the restaurant. This shows a lot of pride in what they are doing, and it shows in both the service, the atmosphere, and the quality of the food. Nice job East Buffet!
3.) The Best Mid-Level Chinese Restaurant
I’d like to start by differentiating the criteria of an ‘upscale Chinese Restaurant’ and a ‘MId-Level’ one. This unrevealed restaurant differs from the Oolong Chinese Bistro in the respect that Oolong offers a dining experience that is quite elevated from the traditional feel of a Chinese-style restaurant. The quality of the food, the intimate experience, and the upscale feel of Oolong demands that I separate the two, into two distinct categories. When I am looking for a mid-level / typical Chinese restaurant that is going to offer me all of the traditional menu favorites for a reasonable price though, I can’t think of a better place than Formosa Garden located at 1011 NE Loop 410 in San Antonio, Texas.
Like I mentioned above, I generally order the same sort of food at each and every place to get a feel for their flavors and style. The food at Formosa Garden conjures-up all of the delicious flavors and tastes that you would expect from a local favorite. Like usual, I ordered the General Tso Chicken with Fried Rice and an Egg Roll. I ordered this over the phone for pick-up because I was working hard that day and needed to get back to the office. When I arrived, the place was packed! Like, the to-go line was going out the door, packed. There was also a long wait for sit-down dining as well. Generally speaking, I have found that this is a good sign that a restaurant is good, especially one that has been around as long as Formosa Garden.
The populace did not mislead, and when I got back to my office and popped the lid of my menu selection the smell of delicious General Tso wafted into my nostrils. The smell of my food did not disappoint as I quickly consumed the excellent-tasting cuisine. The thing about Formosa Garden that I like so much is the consistent flavor I get from them every time I go. Unlike many other restaurants where you are at the mercy of the cook who is scheduled for that day, the flavors at Formosa Garden are always crisp and consistent, so you know you are always getting a quality meal that will meet your expectations.
Concluding Thoughts
Quite frankly, you could easily go to any of the aforementioned locations and get a great meal. Ultimately, it boils-down to what type of experience you are seeking, and how much food you are looking to eat. If you are looking for a family-friendly atmosphere with unlimited selections of your favorite Chinese-style dishes, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better restaurant than East Buffet. On the other-hand, if you want an intimate, upscale Chinese-style dining experience with fantastic food and a wonderful atmosphere, you will not go wrong with Oolong Chinese Bistro. Finally, if it is the middle of the week, and you are just craving a great place to go out and grab a quick bite of Chinese-style food, then Formosa Garden will fit the bill.
Regardless of your selection above, it should be noted that these restaurants don’t just edge-out the competition in San Antonio, they are the only competition in San Antonio. If you try a Chinese-style restaurant that isn’t one of the above, then you will notice a steep decline in quality, service, atmosphere, or all of the above.
