China Town — Restaurant in El Paso

I heard about this new spot from my friends and co-worker, my husband and I were eager to try. We finally made time and drove 25 minutes from our place to dine in at 2:17pm on sunday Nov, 3rd, 2024. At first, I was really impressed on how the restaurant was decorated and layout that gave me a cozy and chilled but also very asian vibes, I told my husband that we made a good choice. As soon as we sat down we got serve right away, the menu was very well represented, but I learned a hard true that our favorite dish-peking ducks need to be PRE-ORDERED because the prepping time was about AN HOUR. After being informed, we asked our server-Isabelle if we can order now since we dont mind waiting for it, and we would like that for togo. She replied yes and went ahead order 3 more dishes for dining while waiting.

Everything was going fine, we got one appetizer and 2 main entrée ( one entrée came out before appetizer but thats was ok because it was quick) the rice was served before our last entree (mongolian beef) come out like 5-10 minutes which I find a little unprofessional. After finished our meals, we asked for the bills and paid, server kept checking on us and said repeatedly “let me check to see how long for your to go order” and came back “about 10-15 minutes more” I was worried if we take up a seat so I asked if they need the booth since we already finished, paid and waiting for our Peking Duck, but Isabelle said it was ok for us to stay and wait for our to go food.

About more than an hour of waiting, another lady came out and said “I am so sorry, the kitchen forgot to put in your order, I tried to remind him but he did not care, do you guy want to wait?! It will take another 15-20 minutes?!” I felt shocked and fed up with anger. “What do you mean?!” “Yeah, I am sorry about that, do you want to wait or refund?” “Can I get a refund please, because we are short on time.” By then my server rushed out and got informed at the same time. The peking duck was $70 before tax, I paid $75.77 and got $70 back with a quick apology 🙃”sorry, this shouldn’t be happening.” I got up and left, after getting to my car, I felt sth wrong so I calculated and found out that she only gave me the money but kept the tax of the amount, so I went back and asked for the rest of she owned me which she did right away. Came in at around 2:10pm, ordered at 2:17, ate meals, waited, and left very disappointed at 3:30pm. Not sure if I want to be back or recommend to anyone🥲

Overall, the food was 4/5, atmosphere 5/5 (love the decorations), service was 2/5. Ok but Low attentive (this is more like an high-end restaurant so I expected a little more), felt like their team don’t communicate well with one another, server went out complained about the chef didnt listen to her with the customers was a huge 🚩 my experience went from ok to bad in one second. And lastly, pre-order your Peking Duck before coming to avoid all this. This is a high-class style so come...

Okay, so this one was not planned — we were actually out looking for an authentic tea house and accidentally stumbled upon Chinatown, and wow… what a find. I thought “Chinatown” was just the name of the plaza at first, but nope — it’s an actual restaurant, and a stunning one at that.

This place sits in a gorgeous new plaza that’s honestly a whole vibe on its own — fitness studios, cute shops, great energy all around. Then you walk into Chinatown and it’s like stepping into another world. Every room inside has its own experience. They’ve got an ambient, moody space that’s perfect for date night, a lively family-style room with a big round table (you know, the kind that spins so everyone can share the dishes), and even a sleek bar area with a bold Bruce Lee mural that totally gives city-night energy.

The decor is next level — elegant but fun, elevated without feeling stuffy. You can tell they put thought into every detail, from lighting to layout. The staff? Impeccable. Everyone is polished, professional, and genuinely welcoming. You feel taken care of the second you walk in.

We started with traditional tea served in a beautiful, heavy teapot — exactly what we’d been searching for. It was rich, aromatic, and came out piping hot (the way I like it 🔥). Their menu is full of vegan and vegetarian options that are clearly labeled — love that — and the food was so well done.

The soup came out hot and perfectly seasoned, not overly salty or oily, and the bok choy was hands down some of the best I’ve ever had — tender but still crisp. The cucumber salad? Absolute perfection. Cool, crunchy, and bursting with flavor. Every bite was balanced, thoughtful, and fresh.

It’s Chinese food with a refined, slightly Sichuan-inspired edge — familiar comfort with a more upscale twist. No greasy spoons here — this is a true sit-down dining experience.

There didn’t seem to be outdoor seating, but honestly, with how gorgeous the interior is, I didn’t miss it one bit. It’s the kind of place you could bring anyone — date night, family dinner, friend group outing — and everyone would leave happy.

Can’t believe we found this spot by accident, but I’m so glad we did. Chinatown is officially one of the hidden...

dumplings, don't be

My mom wanted some Chinese food, and we had the opportunity to try this place that had opened recently, not a block from our house.

We showed up for dinner, around 6:30pm. For a Wednesday, this place was pretty packed. We were told we might have a wait of about 20-25 min, but so was everybody else who came in behind us. :). It didn't take that long, maybe 15min.

Our server, Maria was great, but she has to manage a few tables. She brought us some water, and took our drink orders. Maria was a friendly server. She was up front, about the dumpling times. So, we just put in an order for everything all at once

Not too long afterwards, the lo mein came out. It was pretty good, but a little heavy on the spot sauce maybe. But it was fresh. The noodles were still steaming, and the vegetables were crispy, and the meats (it was a combo lo mein) were still tender. I particularly enjoyed that they shelled the shrimp.

Next was the honey glazed orange chicken. This was surprisingly good. What I liked about it was it went light on the breading and the glaze syrup. So it wasn't too filling. That dish came with a small side of white rice.

Then came the shrimp fried rice. It was also good, and generous on the prawn sized crustaceans. Eggs and scallions were in there. It wasn't Uncle Roger fried rice, but pretty good.

Last came the fried dumplings, 8-count. They were crispy and freshly fried.

Now the bad... I also ordered some pork buns and some soup dumplings. They never got to our table. I did see orders go to tables that sat down before and after us. No biggie, Maria took it off our table, but dang...I really wanted to try those out.

Maybe next time. This place will be busy like this through the holidays. I would come back to see what I missed out on and try some other things like the crispy cucumber skins and other...