Taste of China — Restaurant in Hollymead

This is not your usual Chinese restaurant. If you’re expecting hot and sour soup, Kung pau, fried rice, etc you’ll… well some of that is on the extensive menu but it will not be what you expect. 75% of the customers are Asian, families and groups of young people. I try to watch or ask what they eat and try it myself!

The same family has operated it for at least 20 years; I’ve watched the daughter grow up from folding napkins to college and now on her own. And about 20 years ago, Beijing-based chef Peter Chang came to Charlottesville and collaborated with them to make a new kind of Chinese restaurant in America, and it was fantastic! It earned a restaurant review by Calvin Trillin in the New Yorker about that time, and it was packed. The ephemeral Mr Chang left after a couple of years (and even later returned to Charlottesville to open his own, very good restaurant at Barracks Road).

Following Chang’s mysterious departure the Taste of China tried to find its way; the innovation declined, but many of the best dishes, the freshness, and appeal to native diners continues. The service is good but not impeccable, some dishes, especially those that mimic the usual Chinese-American restaurants are just ok, but overall the majority of selections are delicious, satisfying, and for the new patron, eye-opening. It helps if you can handle spice. Ask for dishes that feature Szechwan peppercorns, or fresh basil, or whole fish. And go ahead and enjoy the puffed pancakes which are very impressive if not unique. Or go for the vegetarian Dry Fried Eggplant or fried string beans. Now I’m hungry.

Overall, don’t go by stars, this deserves a 4 not a 5 but it still is an experience you’ll remember more than the 4.7 star place...

I read the other reviews and felt the need to give my honest review as a Chinese American. This is by far the most authentic Chinese/Szechuan/Hunan (known for their spicy flavors) in town. In fact, I've chatted with the owners numerous times and have found out that they are from Changsha, Hunan. The food portions are generous and prices reflect that, because again, this is a traditional authentic Chinese restaurant, the dishes are meant to be family style and shared and not one person eating a $26 whole fish dish by themselves with rice as you seen the memes when you take that one friend out who never been to a authentic Chinese restaurant before. The other reviews complaining about service and phone call attitudes can be disregarded. Every single Chinese takeout restaurant has the same chop chop let's go phone etiquette, they run a business and it should be a well oiled machine churning out orders, which means more $/hr. If you call them during their busy hours while their phone lines are ringing off the hook, you had better know what you want. Every second you spend going "hmmm, er, what should I get? Do you have recommendations?" Is a second they are losing another order/customer who knows what they want. Secondly, they are not your significant other trying to figure out what you are in the mood for so they can give you suggestions. Be an adult and make decisions for yourself, look up yelp, look up photos, use that black rectangular thing that connects you to the knowledge of the entire known universe called the internets that fit in the palm...

This is my favorite stop for lunch when in town. Granted, there are only about 3 meals I ever order and I NEVER order the American part of the menu. General Tso's, etc. is NOT Chinese food, and I've heard people comment that their American menu, that stuff you see on the lunch specials for the most part here, is just OK. These folks know how to make actual Chinese food, so it stands to reason their offerings that you can get at any takeout joint for Americans will not match up to the 99% of "Chinese" restaurants catering to the American palette.

My wife still loves this place, even though her favorite meal, a ginger based fish dish, is often served with next to zero ginger! They may not understand her when she asks for "LOTS OF GINGER"...they may think she is asking for no ginger...or something...Like I said, they seem to be actually Chinese! Some restaurants have been made paranoid by customers' seasoning sensitivities. I'm looking for hot and powerful in my Chinese food, some folks are looking for bland and sweet...and I'm so sorry for them!

I remember being told that Peter Chang was a chef here and taught much before he moved on. When THAT restaurant opened in town, it became our favorite immediately, but has gone downhill (he's probably long gone) and we haven't been back in a couple years. Taste of China is the only place I go for Chinese food on the 29 corridor north of...