China Cottage — Restaurant in Trotwood

I really wish you could break ratings down farther into quarters. I would most likely rate this establishment a 4.5. So there are several China Cottage restaurants in the Dayton metro area: Centerville, Kettering, Trotwood, and rumor has it they may be opening on in Huber Heights. This review features the Trotwood location.

As I get older, and my palette becomes more discriminating the China Cottage locations are still at the top of my list, and preferred "go to" when I'm in the mood for Asian cuisine. This visit was for supper on a Saturday evening. My husband always orders the same item, no matter which Asian restaurant: Moo Goo Gai Pan. I order the fried eggplant and we shared a Pao Pao Platter.

I will focus on the items I indulged in. I first had the fried eggplant at the Kettering location and totally enjoyed it. So since I like the dish at one of their locations, I decided I should try it at another to see if the dish was consistent at differing locations. I was not disappointed. The fried eggplant was mixed with water chestnuts, thinly sliced garlic, green onions, thinly sliced carrots in a brown sauce. I am not a person who can handle spicy foods and the first time I tried the dish it was at the "2 pepper" heat level which was too much for me. This time I requested it non-spicy. Removing the heat from the dish did not take away any of the flavor. As with the majority of meals you also have your choice of rice to complement it. Portion sizes were more than ample. I took half of home to enjoy at a later time. Of course, part of that could be due to partaking in the Pao Pao platter.

The appetizer could easily be shared with 3, maybe 4 people. The Pao Pao is fun due to how it is presented. Includes a mini heat source for further grilling the meat scures. The crab ragoon is one of my favorites as they add finely chopped onion and imitation crab meat making for a flavorful filling. The seaweed chicken rolls were wonton wrapped chicken with a small band of seaweed around the middle of the roll on the outside. This was good dipped in sweet-n'-sour sauce. The shrimp rolls were okay, but not my favorite. Maybe that was by they time I tried one they had started to cool off. I might have to try them again for a second take. The meat kabobs were tender, and I loved that I could reheat them on the mini grill to my taste.

My husband feels China Cottage has the best Moo Goo Gai Pan of any Asian restaurant he was eaten at.

They do not have a soda fountain, but offer Coke products in 20 oz. bottles. They also have hot and iced tea and a range of alcoholic beverages. Service was great. They were attentive without being over intrusive.

The decor is dark and starting to look a little worn. Bringing my rating score down from a 5. The tropical fish tank is clean and looks well cared for adding a nice calming touch to the atmosphere. I still feel the China Cottages in the area are consistent in their service and cuisine. I will definitely continue to revisit these locations when craving ...

We've been coming here for over 15 years, if that tells you anything! We normally get takeout, but dining-in is pleasant too. It's a great atmosphere for a date or a relaxing adult meal, very little chance of encountering free range kids. There is plenty of parking, and despite being near a couple of sketchy areas and a bus station, I've never once had a problem or been bothered by anyone.

The food varies just a little by location. Here you can get brown rice, which is unusual in this area. You have to REALLY emphasize "5 peppers spicy" if you like some heat, though if you are eating in they provide a condiment tray with hot chili oil and spicy mustard. You can get a lunch portion, which comes with steamed rice and soup, for almost any entree. Or you can get the larger dinner portion with no free soup any time of day. Takeout is usually ready in 10 minutes or less even when they are slammed, and is in plastic trays, not styrofoam. Unfortunately they don't deliver, but it's worth the drive.

My personal favorite is Cottage Chicken, similar to General Tso's cooked with orange peels, so you have the orange flavor without it being overpowering. Another good American-type dish is Pineapple Chicken, again a similar idea as General Tso's but the sauce is much sweeter, and instead of broccoli it's made with white onions, pineapple, and cherries. Mala chicken and Walnut chicken are both amazing, more traditional options, and there's a huge menu of authentic Chinese dishes. The fried rice has no onions, the crab rangoon is always fresh with a filling that's the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and the eggrolls are just as fresh and generously sized.

All the China Cottage locations have the same menu, and we've eaten at all of them many times, but this is by far our favorite thanks to the flexibility when ordering, the 100% accuracy, and the remarkable...

Used to be the best carry out chinese food....however the last two times have been disappointing. Ordered tge general tsos kung pao beef and tried some rock salt prawns...the chicken in the general tsos definitely wasnt freshly cooked..ive had leftover general tso better than this.....the kung pao beef was so saturated in oil unlike any other ive had before and never thought id say it but the beef was almost too tender..to the point it was like jello...the flavor was not appealing either...other items purchased were spring rolls which were ok and rock salt prawns which i decided to try for the first time( dont know if they are popular and is why they seemed to be made fresh)....they were the only edible items we purchased noticed a stacks of what appeared to be boxes of general tso already made up sitting to the right of the entrance and now question how long it had been sitting ...dont think we will be returning anymore... very...