John D.
Yelp
I have had the good fortune to eat Chinese food all over the world, so it was a real surprise to find such an excellent place in El Paso. Its a small place that fills up quickly and with good reason, the food is excellent, the service goos and its clean which so many restaurants in El Paso aren't.
I had the Sweet and Sour Pork. I know thats considered pedestrian but I've loved it since I was a kid and so few places do a good job of it. The pork was lightly battered and fried, the peppers, carrots and onions were obviously added at the last moment as they were crispy and delicious. There was just enough sauce to glaze the pork without overpowering it. So many places seem to think that you need to drown the ingredients in the sauce. China House gets it, the sauce is there to add to the dish, not to turn it into a stew. The egg drop soup was a delight. Again, so many place seem to think that egg drop soup is just chicken soup that you drop an egg in. No, its a soup all its own, the egg whites only should be delicately drizzled into the broth, not just dumped in.
At its best Asian cooking is about subtlety. Its the mix of ingredients, assembled at the last moment, complementing and contrasting with one another. China House understands this while so many Asian places, especially in El Paso do not.
China House isn't just good for El Paso, this place could hold its own in any city in the country.