Reviewed by Suzi Bernert
In the Louisville tradition of giving directions, China Dragon is on the corner of Hancock and Broadway, where the KFC, followed by the Fish Stand, used to be. Don’t be fooled by the “just another Chinese fast food” look — the chow is great.
The dining area is functional and very clean, with Asian décor. The pink tri-fold menus offer a variety of typical dishes in seafood, chicken, beef and vegetable options. One big difference from the archetypal Chinese fast food is almost everything is available in lunch or dinner portions, rather than the usual limited lunch special menu. Except for Lo Mein noodle dishes and Egg Foo Youngs, meals come with an egg roll, fried rice and a fortune cookie.
Our first foray took us through the drive-thru for lunch. There was a brief wait, and when the food arrived, the owner came to the window with it to explain that everything was cooked to order. It was well worth the wait. The China Dragon Seafood Combination ($4.85) included shrimp, scallops and crab. I am always leery of dishes with scallops, as the line between tender and rubber is very thin. When I opened the box, I found a large portion of seafood and vegetables in a white sauce. Everything tasted very fresh, and the small scallops were tender and flavorful, as were all the ingredients. The egg roll was crisp and grease-free. My son Edward had Combination Lo Mein ($6.20), which must have been good: He almost inhaled it.
On a second visit, we went inside for dinner, where you order at the counter and get your drinks. The meals are served in the same take-out trays as the drive-thru, but the flavors and freshness more than make up for the limited ambience. I ordered the Seafood Combination ($6.95 for dinner) again, and it was even better than the last time. The food came out steaming hot, in huge portions. The egg rolls were crisp, full of crispy veggies and grease-free. The Sweet and Sour Chicken was a combination of light and dark meat, fried crisp with a moist meaty interior, topped with sliced carrots, onion and pepper strips and pineapple chunks.
Subsequent visits have continued to yield fresh, hot food in ample portions. So far, no bad meals at China Dragon.
China Dragon
600 E. Broadway
681-0966
