Taste of Chengdu — Restaurant in Orlando

Since I moved to Orlando, the Taste of Chengdu always came up in conversation about good Chinese food. So it's been on my list for a long time. So when it hit the Michelin Guide, the urgency of my visit grew exponentially. So, in between shows at the Florida Fringe Festival, I took my chance and struck.

Ambiance is perfect. It's tucked away off of the Baldwin Park main street, meaning you basically have to be specifically seeking it out to find it. Inside, it's classically, mildly Chinese, and it has those awesome circle tables that have the giant Lazy Susan in the middle. I'm sure those have a real name I'm not aware of.

Service was very nice. The lady asked us what we like, what spice levels we're comfortable with, and gave us recommendations. It was hard to choose, since there were so many different options. It was hard to find a proper, current menu online, so we were basically seeing the menu for the first time.

We started off with the Dan Dan Noodle (Minced pork, veg). This was a warm up, only two Sichuan peppers for spice level. And it was lovely. Tons of noodles, completely slathered in the oily sauce that is customary with Sichuan cooking. Lot's of well-seasoned minced pork, and some steamed bok choy. A great little app.

We moved on to Dumplings Sichuan Style (Pork). And these were also good! A lot of the same flavors from the pork, but the dumplings were expertly crafted, holding their shape. And that's saying something, because with how slippery they were, we were dropping them left and right with our chopsticks. Just very yummy.

Onto the main entrees.

I personally ate the Pork in Garlic Sauce (Sauteed w. celery, bell pepper and wood ear mushroom). Very good! The pork was super succulent, and the veggies were all cooked through, just a touch of al dente. The zingy garlic sauce was paired well with the earthy mushrooms. Just a nice dish.

I also got to try the Beef in Hoisin Sauce (Beef Flank Steak with sweet hoisin sauce). These veggies had a little more of a bite to them, FYI, but slathered in all that hoisin, they were excellent. The texture the dish needed, because that beef was just tender tender. Very delicious and only slightly spicy meal.

Overall, this place did not disappoint. Given the reputation of Sichuan cooking, I was looking forward to being at least moderately uncomfortable with the heat levels of the meal, but it seems like they spotted us gringos from a mile away and took it easy on us. I'm gonna be more explicit next time with my desire for heat. And yes, next time, because I will...

Baldwin Park location. My husband and I had reservations at the Baldwin Park location about 3ish weeks ago. We had never been and we decided to sample several of the dishes that looked good, figuring we would take the leftovers home for dinner the next night. We probably spent about $200+ tip. The food was really good. My husband loved the Dan Dan Noodles and dumplings. I loved the hot and sour soup (actually the best I've ever had), the Dumplings and the crispy beef. We live about 40 minutes from there and it was definitely worth the drive.

So earlier tonight, we decided to get a to go order and get the items referenced above only. We started the drive and decided to just eat there if the had availability; if not, we would just order to go there and wait for it. We got there about 745P. The restaurant was busy, but certainly not completely filled and there were only 2 people at the bar. Tons of open seating there.

We were greeted at the door by a young man and we asked for a table for 2; he asked if we had reservations. I said we didn't, as initially we were getting a togo order. He walked over to a woman with medium/short hair and spoke to her, for what felt like forever about seating us. He came and said he wasn't going to seat us. I said, well can we sit at the bar. He spoke broken English and essential said something along the lines of closing. I said, Ok, then we'll just sit here and get a to go order. He went over to the woman again, and said it would be an hour for our to go order. My husband was livid and we left.

We walked outside and decided to try the West Colonial location. So I called and spoke to the sweetest girl. They were open until 930; we didn't need reservations and we could just walk in. We drove to the restaurant and it turns out to be super cute, renovated and the vibe was completely different. Great and attentive staff, food was excellent. The bill was about $65 and my husband left Annie a 25% tip, which she earned for her sweet persona and the great service she provided.

In all fairness I think the young man was embarrassed that he essentially turned us away. The woman at the bar, never looked over at us. We won't go back to the Baldwin Park location again; we will however, go back to the West Colonial location soon. I don't do rude well...

We went to Taste of Chengdu for the first time last night, and WOW! From someone who has visited China, and whose best friend is from China, I can safely say this is one of the best and most authentic Chinese restaurants in all of Orlando! Much of the food comes from the Chengdu area of China (hence the name), which is in the Sichuan region - I’ve been to this region of China and this was just as good as any of the food I got there!

We ordered Hot and Sour Soup, Diced Chicken Bao, Crispy Beef and Shredded Pork Beijing. Everything was SO flavorful - the Hot and Sour Soup was exactly the right taste of what Hot and Sour Soup should be, the Diced Chicken Bao had such a wonderful aroma of spices (and we loved being able to make the bao ourselves!), the Shredded Pork Beijing had amazing texture and flavor, and the Crispy Beef was BY FAR the best thing. I’d go as far to say that particular dish is one of my favorite dishes at any restaurant I have EVER been to. The waitress told us we could travel all around the US and try Crispy Beef, but nowhere makes it like they do - and after having it, I can see why! I would order 6 portions of this every day if I could!!

Next time we come back we are going to try many new things. Cumin Beef, the Peking Duck, and many other dishes look incredible. I love how they have a picture of every item in their menu so you know exactly what you’re getting. This is a hidden gem in Baldwin Park and you are missing out if you don’t try it!!

Do note, it is on a reservation basis only as they just recently opened up after doing renovations, so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. I can’t wait to go back! Taste of...