Peony Chinese Cuisine — Restaurant in Lake Elsinore

TLDR: Our order: house special beef, orange peel chicken, house fried rice, house chow main, and large won ton soup .... everything was great!

My wife and I were in the mood for Chinese take out, and saw this spot nearby and decided to give it a try. We arrived and noticed the area was a bit quiet, but the restaurant looked clean and inviting so we didn't back down. We saw a smiling couple leaving with their to-go bags, but other than that, the place was empty.

We already had investigated the menu and knew what we wanted, and ordered right away. Peony has a big open kitchen, and the rest of the expansion place seemed nice and clean. After the order went in, several cooks immediately went to work. I sat down to wait, and enjoyed the flashes of 2' tall flames around the wok, along with the smells and overall busyness of the kitchen.

I was surprised how quick the food came out. They gave us extra fried garnish noodles, white rice, etc. We then drove less than two miles back home.

My family began to dish out and try all the entrees, as well as the soup. Everything was delicious! Tender beef, soft shrimp, and yummy chicken. No mystery meat here.

I unfortunately had gotten used to eating low quality Chinese food, so I was so happy to taste a local spot that had actual quality meat. No mystery meat here. Tender beef, tasty chicken, soft shrimp.

The prices are reasonable for good quality and large portions. I will for sure be back in the...

Sadly, this was the worst Chinese food I have had in California. I ordered the Orange chicken dinner, Chicken lo mien, cream cheese wontons, and fried shrimp. First, the orange chicken, I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be breaded and fried or just naked chicken tossed in something soggy but not quite sauce. Flavor was desparately lacking and the best part was the Orange rinds, not the chicken. Second, the lo mien noodles tasted like they were cooked in fetid water(think celery about to go bad and cooked into broth then let it sit for a few days at room temp). The chicken in the lo mien was nearly non exisitant. Third, the cream cheese wontons were HORRIBLY greasy. I could taste the grease as much or more than the cream cheese. Not pleasant. Lastly, the fried shrimp were closer to something you would get in the freezer section at a discount grocery store. Reminded me of high school lunch on a cheap day. Worst $44 I've spent this year. I grew up poor and never threw out food. Today I tossed $44 in the trash and went to McDonald's for...

This is place is nostalgic to me thus perhaps leading me to my biased 5 star review but first let me explain. I used to come here with my family when I was younger yet life takes its toll and gems like this restaurant become forgotten. Something that I will surely correct when I need a fix for Chinese food from now on! For a restaurant to remain constant in it's commitment to quality and consistency after all these years speaks volumes. Tonight, we ordered Wonton Soup, Beef Fried Rice and Szechuan Chicken. Each item was prepared wonderfully. The Wonton Soup was just as I remembered. The vegetables were fresh and crisp and the proteins were flavorful. I would come just for this soup alone! Both the Fried Rice and Szechuan Chicken were flavorful and not greasy at all! They lightly season each item to cater to each customer. This allows you to add soy sauce as needed. I find this to be wonderful because not everyone's palates are the same. Please allow yourself to try this restaurant and enjoy FRESH Chinese food. You won't be...