Authentic Chinese Food in Riverside/5 Points?

[MissMinda]

I love the options for Japanese food and pizza in the area, but am wondering if there are any Chinese restaurants that are actually making and cooking the food? Everywhere I've gone it seems like they are defrosting and heating up packaged food. I'd love to sit down or call in and pick up a meal where there was some actual prep and cooking going on.

Are there any out there in the area?

[5ptscurmudgeon]

Hey Miss Minda, Welcome to the hood. Simple answer No. Not here anyway.

Hmmm. Big City flavor with a neighborhood owner.

Silver Star on Blanding has been pretty good for years and now has Dim Sum available most times if you ask for the menu. Tumptin Thai on Roosevelt. Chung King, 2771 Monument Rd. (Arlington) and Cali Vietnamese R est. @ Hotelnotel University/ I95  5624 Cagle Rd.  are the few I can think of.

We are the Orlando of Chinese organized hot takee outee wok n roll whatever money laundering ....  I think all the buffets are also connected.

Please Jacksonvilians, show me a place I've missed!

[fieldafm]

Not a big of Pho Cali, and rejoiced when Bowl of Pho opened up.

Unfortunately, Hung Thinh closed recently.

Pattaya Thai is good, as an alternative if you like Tumptin.

World Food Mart on Beach Blvd also has a good lunch counter.

Mr Chans is decent... reminds me of all those sit-down places you find in Frisco.

Unfortunately, this is more of a Jax-centric list and nothing to do with Riverside/Avondale.

[KenFSU]

It's not Chinese, and it's not in Riverside, but I second Pattaya Thai.

Really fantastic place, and the owners are incredibly nice as well.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Unfortunately, Hung Thinh closed recently.

Buck-up Field, they didn't close, just relocated.  They opened up behind the Arby's across the street into their own building on their own land. 

New Store, New Merchandise, Same Smell. 

[L.P. Hovercraft]

+1 for Silver Star, and though not strictly Chinese, Indochine downtown is really great.

Any opinions on the Pagoda on Baymeadows?  I've driven past it many times, but have never eaten there.

How about Chopstick Charley's on Phillips?  I think they're still open but I've always been way too terrifed of being dragged next door to the Joe Motel to be horrifically tortured and/or murdered to ever try it, regardless of how much I enjoy Chinese food/roadside Americana.

[ben says]

Riverside sucks for ethnic fare...long story short. No Vietnamese, no Thai, no (real) Japanese (but I guess I'm being unrealistic wanting L.A./NYC style Japanese), no Middle Eastern (sorry, Casbah is decent, but not nearly what people make it out to be), no Indian. The lack of ethnic fare on our side of town is, in my opinion, it's biggest downside.

Best Vietnamese in town: Bowl of Pho (probably best I've had outside of NYC or the West Coast).

Best Thai: Indochine (downtown), Tumptin (Roosevelt), Pattaya Thai.

Best Indian: India's Restaurant (Baymeadows--Lunch buffet is 10/10 quality, but selection is kind of slim), Flavors of India (also Baymeadows--quality isn't as high as India's Restaurant, but quantity alone makes up for it's downsides--they have about 35 dishes to India's 10).

Best Middle Eastern: Nora's Cafe (University Blvd & San Jose--best for meat pies, raw kibbeh Thursdays, hummus, tabbouleh), Karam's (University Blvd, near Beach--best for gyro's, grape leaves, okra, fried kibbeh).

Best Japanese & Chinese: the day I can utter the words "Jacksonville has good Japanese and Chinese food" is the day I've officially died and gone to heaven. If you want heavily Americanized Japanese, well, there's probably a dozen in Riverside alone. Chinese...well...kinda out of luck. I've heard good things about Silver Star on Blanding, but I've also heard it's greasy-as-hell.

Can't find good Korean, either.

I hear there's some good Filipino places, haven't tried any of them.

[ben says]

How about Chopstick Charley's on Phillips?  I think they're still open but I've always been way too terrifed of being dragged next door to the Joe Motel to be horrifically tortured and/or murdered to ever try it, regardless of how much I enjoy Chinese food/roadside Americana.

Chopstick Charley's serves food!?!?!?! Figured it was an ex-crime-scene meets the Bates Motel. ONLY ENTER if you want to be raped and tortured, as the above post explains.

[cline]

Any opinions on the Pagoda on Baymeadows?  I've driven past it many times, but have never eaten there.

I've been to Pagoda and wouldn't recommend it.  Was not all that clean the food was average.

[Rynjny]

PF Changs??

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

PF Changs??

You're banned.   

[Rynjny]

Truth of matter is  that most americans can't handle authentic chinese food..you know like roasted ducks and pigs or fish served with the bone. The restaurant probably get sued if someone choked on the bone. Most doesn't even know what's a Bok Choy, which is like the most popular veggie in china..Well my point is there's SOME weird menu item in a authentic chinese restaurant that some americans find it unpleasant..

[ben says]

PF Changs??

You're banned.   

+1

[Rynjny]

PF Changs??

You're banned.   

+1

Hahaha...it's the best jacksonville got to offer correct?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Truth of matter is  that most americans can't handle authentic chinese food..you know like roasted ducks and pigs or fish served with the bone.

I'm just being argumentative, but most southern, american food has bones in it.  I've never had grandmas 'boneless' fried chicken.  Uncle Mike never told me to gnaw away at the catfish becuase it was boneless.  Hell, one of the best parts of a bone-in ribeye is getting the marrow out.

If you mean leaving the heads on, well, that's another story.  Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but it definitely turns some people off.  I'm the guy that eats the eye, not the one that covers it with a piece of lettuce.