Chinese Food Gourmet House of Hong Kong Review REAL Chinese Food in Phoenix Arizona

The best restaurants often do not look the part. This is the case with Gourmet House of Hong Kong. This restaurant is found in the downtown central heart of Phoenix in a seriously not fashionable (but solid) neighborhood.

The food is extraordinary. The price points range from extremely reasonable to inexpensive!

It sits across the street from Banner Good Samaritan Hospital. This is very important for their business because during the weekday lunch rush you are likely to find the doctors, nurses, and staff having a great authentic lunch at wonderful prices at Gourmet House of Hong Kong. The clientele on the weekends is a different crowd. The Lazy Susan style tables are often filled with Chinese speaking Americans. Many other tables are filled with people from all over the Valley, We moved out of Central Phoenix some twenty miles and drive that distance (in great anticipation) for the great food at Gourmet House of Hong Kong. The patrons are a delightful cross-section of knowing Chinese food lovers.

DISCLAIMER TIME: We got engaged at Gourmet House of Hong Kong, underneath the sign in the parking lot. So, we have many years of dining experiences there.

My husband helped shepherd around a group from the People’s Republic of China. These dignitaries insisted on returning to the Gourmet House of Hong Kong at least 4 times because it was the best and most authentic Chinese food they had since beginning their tour of the USA.

They were here to examine how the USA manages their public lands. It seems we confused them all over the place with Federal Rights and States Rights about various public lands but the food at Gourmet House of Hong Kong was comforting.

While the delegation members and the cooks at the Gourmet House of Hong Kong all spoke the same Chinese Mandarin language, they did not share the same politics. The staff at Gourmet House of Hong Kong was not all that happy about Hong Kong being absorbed by the PRC into China the country. Politics aside, they all loved the same food.

Sad to say, the PRC Chinese delegations were extremely disdainful of our beloved Southwest Arizona/New Mexico style foods. They let us know that only pigs or starving people eat corn in China. The Chinese do not have a taste for cheese either. So, as you can imagine the chips, corn taco shells, and queso dishes were not very popular with them. Only one trial run at the USA hosts’ favorite Mexican restaurant was done, for the obvious reasons!

Everyone has their go-to favorite foods. That is usually where I start at any restaurant and I gauge how good the restaurant is beginning with my favorite food. My go-to food is a Kung Pao chicken and hot and sour soup. That is what I ordered at Gourmet House of Hong Kong even though I am a long time patron.

For a minimal additional cost you can add on an egg roll and a crab puff. We did so. We both shared a pot of Oolong hot tea.

The starters of the crab puff and egg roll were sizzling hot. The crab puff is usually a delicate little triangle of wonton filled with cream cheese. The egg rolls are heartier and are filled with pork, cabbage, carrots, onions and ground spices wrapped & deep-fried. However, both were a bit over fried that night. This is not usually the case but it did happen that night. The two sauces were perfect, though. The hot mustard will bring tears to your eyes, clean your sinuses, and is just perfect. The sweet sauce is not too sweet and a perfect accompaniment to the fried starters.

Next, came a lovely little soup bowl of hot and sour soup. Hot and sour soup should be a rich beefy broth with diced chicken, shrimp, and tofu cooked with eggs and just the perfect balance of spice heat. It should cause a bit of a bead of sweat on your brow and no sour face taste at all. It is the perfect balance of tastes in one little bowl of happiness. This met all the requirements and was lovely tasting, as always!

I had the chicken Kung Pao. The Kung Pao Chicken was fresh and lovely. The Gourmet House of Hong Kong only uses quality white chicken meat in their dishes. You may have beef or scallops Kung Pao. All of the Kung Pao dishes include green peppers, onions, carrots, and celery cooked with a hot Szechwan sauce. The hot peppers are chopped up in the Szechwan sauce and not whole. Although, the menu warns the diner that this dish is hot, I find it to be just exactly what Kung Pao Chicken is supposed to taste like. I do not find it particularly hot at Gourmet House of Hong Kong. I do find it perfectly flavored to my taste. Each element of the vegetables and the white chicken meat are complemented in this rich Szechuan Sauce. The flavors are delicately layered and no one flavor dominates to the detriment of the whole symphony of tongue pleasing tastes.

My husband’s go-to food is green curry chicken and egg drop soup. His soup was a delightfully flavored broth based soup infused with egg, white chicken meat, snow peas, green onions, mushrooms, celery, and carrots. I had a taste and found it to be a great starter. Hot soup is recommended in many cultures to begin a meal. It is considered a great way to have excellent digestion. Do try egg drop soup as a great way to regain your health. It works as well as our Western chicken noodle soups.

The green curry chicken was a gentle friendly green curry. It was neither hot nor bland. It brought the green curry flavor in a wonderful sauce. The sauce is made of green curry in coconut milk and kaffir leaves. Also in the dish are bamboo shoots, bell peppers, green beans, and basil leaves. He declared it to be up to the usual high standards at the Gourmet House of Hong Kong. Of course, I tried some and agreed.

Do notice the rice at any Chinese restaurant. It should be fluffy, flavorful, completely cooked and yet a bit resistant to the tooth. I am also a stickler to keeping the lid on the rice as I like hot rice rather than table ‘almost warm’ rice!

While we enjoyed some lovely Oolong tea this time, we can recommend one of the fine Chinese Plum wines. My husband is particularly fond of Tsing Tao beer. The Gourmet House of Hong Kong has a nice selection of drinks.

Here is the full dinner menu website: http://www.gourmethouseofhongkong.com/pdf/dinnermenu.pdf

Don’t let the low prices fool you into thinking any low quality items are used. Here are some of their accolades and awards.

The Gourmet House of Hong Kong wins awards and accolades often for their superb cuisine. They won the best Chinese Restaurant in the Greater Phoenix Area in 2000, 2002, and 2004. AOL awarded them the Best Chinese Restaurant in 2004; Best Take-Out in 2004; and the Best Cheap Eats in 2004.

The Gourmet House of Hong Kong does not use any MSG. They also cook with 100% canola oil, use chicken white meat, beef loin 95% lean, and pork cushion 95% lean.

Phoenix has a very boisterous restaurant industry. There is the basic large population, the huge tourism and winter visitor population that both spend a great deal of money eating out. Also, many restaurateurs from all over the country open a second restaurant in this area. They will have their first restaurant in Chicago (or other colder city) and then open one in Phoenix for their retirement. Phoenix has many fine places to eat.

The Gourmet House of Hong Kong has been in operation since 1984. That is a long time for Phoenix. Do remember that before the invention of air conditioning Phoenix Arizona was not a very big city! We came into our own after WWII and air conditioning. There are about 4 million people in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area.

Know before you go is always a word to the wise. Here is the address and the website. The hours and full menu may be found at the website.

The Gourmet House of Hong Kong

1438 East McDowell Road

Phoenix, AZ85006

602-253-4859

http://www.gourmethouseofhongkong.com/

Enjoy!!