Go China Restaurant — Restaurant in Pasadena

Pretty much got "inspired" to go here because I saw someone eating orange chicken in a YouTube video the night before. Also been somewhat meaning to try out their lunch specials & it seemed like a good choice for the usual work lunch with the gf this week.

ITEM'S ORDERED:

Well I obviously went with the Orange Chicken & the gf decided on the Aromatic Shrimp.

This may be the most lunch special options I've ever seen. So if you're the type who has a hard time choosing....well good luck. Also, one thing I wish was included in the menu was descriptions of some of the lesser known items (like what is house chicken, or dynamite chicken...?)

Lunch specials come with rice (fried or steamed), a veggie egg roll & soup (hot & sour or egg flower).

I went with steamed rice while the gf got fried. We both got the egg flower soup.

TASTE:

They brought the egg flower soup first which had little pieces of corn inside. Haven't had this soup in quite awhile, but don't think I've ever seen corn in it. Soup was nice & hot & I enjoyed it even more than I thought I would. Just had that nice eggy, not too salty flavor with that thicker texture you'll recognize if you've had this before.

The Orange Chicken was fried well but maybe just a little over fried since the meat was just a little dry. Nothing too bad though. Before I even tried it I thought it might be too tart & vinegary because I could smell it so strong when they brought it to the table. I was wrong though as the tart, tangy usual orange chicken flavor was not overbearing. It worked well with the sweetness & very subtle spiciness.

The Aromatic Chicken had a nice fry as well. The gf seemed to think it needed a little more crisp though. It basically tasted like a sweet & sour sauce but with more garlic flavor among other things. It definitely was aromatic & smelled really inviting to eat.

Both entrees come with a fair amount of sauce which worked out well since you can eat it together with your rice.

Because both our entrees had a distinctive sweetness I feel dipping it in hot mustard & Sriracha made them that much better.

The veggie egg rolls were pretty good & maybe just a little bit greasy. Also it seemed like the wrapping was kinda breaking off to much when I ate it.

The steamed rice was just the usual white rice. I'm just glad it was not mushy. The fried rice pretty much tasted like the white rice since it had no real extra flavor & they don't add any additional ingredients to it. It kind of makes sense though since there is no upcharge for it which places often do.

Everything was nice & hot & we could tell was prepared to order & not sitting under a heat lamp.

SERVICE & PARKING:

Service was actually pretty good. Staff was friendly & attentive. They gave my gf the wrong rice (steamed) & immediately brought the correct one (fried).

Parking is very easy here. This place is off Lake which can make it look like there is nowhere to park. But right at the back (off Mentor Ave), there is a nicely sized parking lot you'll be able to find a spot in. If you turn into the Ralph's parking lot off Lake you can go through it, exit to Mentor Ave & you'll find this lot.

For the value, flavor & freshness I'd return back here for another...

First time ordering here.

I got the lemon chicken, my favorite Chinese food plate. They sent out the order with no sauce. The chicken is supposed to be thin cut, but this was almost see thru thin, all breading, nearly no chicken. And it was burnt. So i ended up with breaded, dry, burnt flavor chicken jerky.

The veggie noodles were sad. The noodles were decent, but the veggies were clearly added afterwards. They were cold, cut too large, and uncooked, which ruined the entire plate.

I also got the Mongolian beef. The sauce was amazing. But overshadowed by chewy tough meat. I was going to give this place one star, but the sauce earned the 2nd. The only good thing in the entire order.

I got an ice cream with the order. But they didn't place it in a separate bag. They attempted to separate cold from hot with a cardboard, but it failed and was melted.

Postmates offered a $12 discount with an order over $60, but then added a $7 service fee. So after the service fee, plus delivery fee, and taxes, the discount was gone. Can't fault the restaurant for this really, but something to consider.

Not a happy camper after spending $80 on food (including driver tip.) So with high cost, and 4 out of 4 fails, don't think I'll give them a 2nd chance...

I have only found 4 Chinese restaurants in the United States that I love. This is one of 2 that is relatively nearby in Los Angeles area but I believe the other closed. This place stands above all others and that includes anything in Chinatown. I found this by accident back in 2006 in Pasadena and my ex and i passed it once a week on our way to couples therapy. From the outside it just looks like an average place but my gut said it would be good. So one night we stopped and we were both hooked. Sadly, we didn't make it but we do have joint custody of touting this place as the best Chinese restaurant in the greater L.A. region and for my personal taste, its the best in all the major cities that i have been to. The kung pao chicken is the standard that I judge all by and this place nails it. Every person that I have taken has gone back. Clients & friends all get hooked. Its on Lake Avenue in...