HONGXI — Restaurant in Opfikon

The food, service and atmosphere are all impressive. One of the best Chinese restaurants in Zurich.

Char Siu is my favorite. Although I'm not Cantonese and can't vouch for its authenticity, I know it's DELICIOUS. Today, we initially ordered just one portion, but it was so good that we had to get another one. The pork was very tender and flavorful, with a caramelized top layer that gave off a rich aroma and formed a crispy crust in some places. The greasiness of the pork was perfectly balanced by the sour plum sauce and crisp shredded white radish. Everyone, except for vegetarians, vegans, and Muslims, should try this out. It's soooo good! We also had Anglerfish and Fried Rice. They were not that outstanding but are fair enough as Chinese food in Zurich.

The service and environment is above average as well. The waitress kept refilling your glass whenever it was near empty. The interior design is also great, with modern decor and no loss of Chinese elements. However, it's already June and I don't know why there are still 2024 Chinese New Year decorations on...

Service was incredibly bad and unfriendly. From ordering food up to the final payment, we were treated in a crude manner which started to get offensive towards the end. The waiter had quite the attitude and it seemed like that all he cared about was to wrap up and leave work in time. We were still at our main courses when the waiter unsolicitedly served our deserts (one of them being ice cream which would have started to melt). Waiter refused to put the ice cream back in the freezer since we were already past the opening time by a few minutes. The owner of the restaurant interrupted us during our main courses and wanted to settle the bill without providing any explanation at first. She just placed the bill on the table and started to prepare the card reader while we were still chewing down our food. She also did not care about our other complaints. Although I like the food, I will not step one foot into this...

This is not your usual European/Chinese restaurant. This is Asian fine dining. The restaurant itself is large, airy, and could easily be in New York or London. The service is friendly and attentive. But the food is what knocks your socks off. When have you ever been given an amuse bouche in a Chinese restaurant? For starters I ordered Hot and Sour soup which was such a level above any other I have had. It was served in an individual lidded tureen and was very spicy but from coriander and ginger, and fresh chili. My husband had shrimp cakes wrapped in vermicelli and deep fried. Amazing! For the mains, I had a fantasticly spiced lobster tail served on rice noodles while the husband had a truly delicious curry. If I wasn't so polite, I could have kicked my plate.

There's a beautiful bar, lovely outdoor seating, and even take out options. Hongxi is a fabulous addition...