![]() ![]() While Irvine is the epicenter of O.C.’s diverse Chinese food universe, there are good options all around. You won’t find much of either in the homelands, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious when prepared with heart and soul. Orange-peel chicken is to Chinese food in America what spaghetti and meatballs is to Italian. We could argue about the authenticity of much of the latter, but that’s beside the point. And there’s a purveyor of American-style kung pao chicken and sweet-and-sour pork in just about every neighborhood - some of them very, very good. The blinds are drawn half-shut, as if I’ve entered into a secret club.Ĭhinese food in Orange County comes in many guises, from the Beijing-inspired cooking at Peking in Westminster to the tongue-numbing, chili- and peppercorn-laced dishes of Sichuan Impression in Tustin or Meizhou Dongpo in Irvine. The sign out front is brightly illuminated, proudly announcing “Chinese food” beneath a script of characters. The Westminster shopping center in which it’s located has certainly seen better days. Peking Restaurant looks like it’s been around forever. She grabs some chopsticks and napkins and follows us. “Over there,” she says, pointing to a table near the kitchen. Diners slowly return their attention to their food, and the indecipherable chatter resumes. “Chopsticks,” I say, my voice cracking, betraying my confidence. ![]() All the guests turn to see who has entered. She’s unloading an armful of food onto a lazy Susan at a large table, her eyes fixed on me the whole time, wanting to make sure I know she sees me. ![]() I’ve barely stepped through the front door of Peking Restaurant in Westminster, and one of the owners, Lili Shen, is shouting at me from the opposite corner. “Chopstick or fork?” she asks from across the room. One restaurant on that original list suddenly closed while two or three of the others spiraled into a disturbing pattern of health department violations so horrendous that I could no longer in good conscience recommend them. UPDATE, APRIL 2018: Shortly after this story was originally published in December 2016, a spate of new Chinese restaurants opened, some of which immediately proved worthy of inclusion on a list of the 20 best Chinese restaurants in Orange County. ![]()
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