Red Dragon Express

We read all the reviews before going to this place and we were leery of trying it.

Being a native New Yorker I'm VERY picky about my Chinese food. I've lived in Arizona for almost 22 years and haven't found any really good Chinese yet.

That said, we tried Red Dragon Express tonight and were pleasantly surprised. I think the key here is to NOT order off the buffet but to order items that are cooked fresh.

The restaurant is a little "hole in the wall take out joint" similar to Panda Express at first glance. There are items on a buffet line that you can order, but honestly, most of them looked like they'd been sitting there for ages and it was a turn off.

I stuck with a few items that I read were good in the reviews...terriyaki chicken wings, won ton soup, hot & sour soup, house chow mein and a one item combo of orange chicken.

The one item combo had a LOT of food in it. They heap on the rice and noodles and it had a lot of orange chicken, so much so that my fiancee couldn't finish it and he'll be having it for dinner tomorrow night. He enjoyed both items. The orange chicken had just come out hot and fresh.

The hot and sour soup was very spicy but good and tasty. The won ton soup was actually some of the best I've ever had in Arizona. They actually made it fresh and it had very large won tons and fresh carrots and broccoli in it. It was a little on the salty side, so if you're on a low sodium diet like I am, this might not be the best choice for you, but it really is delicious.

The house special "chow mein" is really "lo mein" by New York standards....the soft noodles with onions in them, plus added shrimp, beef and chicken. They give you a LOT and it's freshly made and very tasty. I have enough left over for another three meals.

The terriyaki chicken wings were good, but a little rubbery and overcooked. Better over cooked then under cooked though. The terriyaki sauce is very sweet and sticky and it's a very thin sauce, not thick and goopy, but I enjoyed it, although it was a little sweet for my tastes.

So over all we really did like the food and will go back, but definitely order the food fresh and cooked to order. It's definitely worth a visit!