Fred B.
Yelp
I've eaten here a number of times times recently, and probably better than 25 times since they opened more than 10 years ago, so I figured I'd update my previous reviews.
This is 1 of my 2 favorite Chinese restaurants in the Triad that offers a variety of traditional Sichuan dishes, as well as many of the usual Chinese American choices. In fact, to my knowledge, these are the only restaurants in the Triad that offer any dishes that approach any aspect of authentic Chinese cuisines, and both are Sichuan based!
That other restaurant is New Sichuan in Winston Salem. I don't know if there is any family or business connection between the two, but they are strikingly similar in a number of ways - from the front of their menus, to their web page layouts, to the names and descriptions of many of the dishes they offer. Or it may just be that they use the same advertising firm! Another common element is both are family operations which contributes strongly to the consistent quality of food and service!
Dishes that I've had here recently:
Dan Dan Noodles* (amazing)
Pork Soup Dumplings*
Spicy Doubled Cooked Pork*
Tri-Pepper Chicken*
Sichuan Wontons* ( amazing)
Cucumber with Garlic Sauce* (you just need to try it)
Fish In Sichuan Style Sauce
Kung Pao Chicken & Shrimp
Sichuan Cold Noodles
Crispy Pork Ribs
Sour Potatoes
Cumin Lamb
Mongolian Beef* (not an authentic dish, but excellent)
Bok Choy
The dishes with * are my very favorites, though there is not an item on this list that I would hesitate to recommend! In fact, I've only had two items here that I did't care for - Steamed Pork Dumplings (mushy texture, like paste) and the Hot Pot with Chicken (like they just cleaned out the frig).
These dishes, except for the Crispy Ribs, Sour Potato, Crispy Pork Ribs, and Cumin Lamb, are also on the menu at New Sichuan, and I have had them there as well. Since comparison is inevitable with so many similarities, I would give a slight edge to New Sichuan - on portion size in general, and their versions of Dan Dan Noodles (big portion loaded with excellently prepared Baby Bok Choy), Sichuan Wontons (portion size is equal, but New Sichuan Red Chili Oil is the very best), and their Garlic Sauce is outstanding, especially on the Cucumber dish.
Gourmet China does have a double handful of lunch specials Mon - Fri for under $10, but there are few traditional Sichuan dishes on the lunch menu. New Sichuan does not offer lunch specials currently. And while the above list of dishes is lengthy, there are still a good double handful here that I want to try, and if possible, I will.
Ambiance - 4
Food - 5
Service - 4.5
Value - 5