Chan's Dragon Inn: A Traditional Chinese Restaurant in Ridgefield, New Jersey

When someone says, "Let's have some Chinese food," what's the first thing that pops into your head? Odds are it's either a takeout place or some all-you-can-eat buffet.

What happened to the traditional Chinese restaurants of yesteryear? The dark lighting, paper lanterns and fancy drinks with paper umbrellas were all part of the unique experience at traditional Chinese restaurants in America. I don't know what other parts of the country are like, but here in New Jersey, it's not easy finding these iconic, sit-down Chinese restaurants anymore. That's why I was thrilled when my boyfriend recently took me to dinner at Chan's Dragon Inn on Broad Street in Ridgefield.

Chan's Dragon Inn first opened in the mid 1960's. During the 1970's my family would head there on New Year's Eve to ring in the new year Polynesian style with pu-pu platters, zombie drinks, and crispy noodles with duck sauce. That was the last time I was in Chan's...over 25 years ago.

And walking into Chan's a few weeks ago was like stepping back in time. The blowfish lights still hang over the booth tables. There is still a semi-secluded table in the corner for larger parties. And yes, the paper lanterns still adorn the ceiling. High marks for the retro-atmosphere!

My boyfriend and I made sure we got a booth for the blowfish effect. The menu, aside from price changes, looks almost the same. The 'one from column A & one from column B' is right in the front of the menu. The next page had the fruity but potent drink concoctions like Zombie and Mai Tai. In keeping with tradition, we ordered a pu-pu platter for two appetizer. It came with all the typical foods: egg rolls, shrimp toast, spare ribs, battered dipped shrimp. I was quite impressed with the shrimp toast.

For dinner, I ordered a Szechetuan seafood dish with lobster, shrimp, and scallops in a light garlic sauce with traditional Chinese vegetables for $23. My boyfriend ordered pepper steak. Our meals were fresh and filling, so we took home some leftovers. My meal was rather large and probably could have been shared. I would have preferred more shrimp and scallops to lobster pieces, but that's the only complaint. For dessert, we stuck to our complimentary fortune cookies. No earth shattering fortunes told, but the cookies hit the spot.

If you are in the New York City or north Jersey area, Chan's Dragon Inn is a charming traditional Chinese restaurant worth the price for the experience alone.

Sources:

Personal experience