Chinese Restaurants in Orlando, Florida

New to the Orlando, Florida area, or just visiting? If you're a fan of Chinese and Asian cuisine, here are eight superb choices in the Orlando area - four dine-in, four take-out, to meet your dining needs. I work and live primarily in Seminole County, so most of these options will come from the Altamonte Springs, Winter Springs, Winter Park, and East Colonial areas of Orlando, Florida.

Dine in/Sit Down locations
(Some also offer takeout)

Crazy Buffet:
Location: 945 W. State Road 436, Altamonte Springs, Florida

Menu: Crazy Buffet is a buffet-style restaurant and offers a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and American food, including an extensive sushi bar that's sure to please the palate of any sushi lover. They are open for lunch and dinner on weekdays, and also offer a weekend brunch, which includes a few extra selections not found on their lunch and dinner buffets.

Locale Convenience: Located right on the corner of SR 436 and SR 434, a major intersection of two major roads in Seminole County, Crazy Buffet has a prime location for many residents and visitors to the Orlando area.

Price: Depending on the time of day you go, the price of the buffet varies. Weekday lunch buffets are $9.99, dinner buffet prices on Monday-Thursday are $17.99, Friday-Sunday are $19.99, and the weekend brunch is $15.99.

Atmosphere: Crazy Buffet has a very unique atmosphere. The restaurant is quite large, the design is fairly upscale, and the restaurant includes live piano music and a full bar.

Service: Service has always been quick and friendly. Servers are dressed professionally and have a pleasant demeanor, and are always quick to get anything you need.

Quality: Given the price of the buffet, the quality of the food is exceptional. The sushi is made fresh, can be made-to-order, and the remainder of the buffet is much higher quality than you'd find at your normal take-out location.
Website: http://www.gocrazybuffet.com

Yum Yum Asia Café:
Location: 851 S. SR 434, Suite 1120, Altamonte Springs, Florida

Menu: Yum Yum Asia Café offers the expected variety of Chinese and Asian cuisine, including some Fusion Pan Asian cuisine.

Locale Convenience: Located on SR 434 in Altamonte Springs, Florida, in a Publix shopping center, the restaurant is easy to find, convenient to get to, and there is always ample parking.

Price: Slightly overpriced for the portion sizes you receive, dishes range from $9-$15.

Atmosphere: The café's design is a lot more upscale than your traditional Chinese takeout restaurant. It doesn't look at all like a Chinese restaurant; rather, it looks like a typical American restaurant, with modern décor.

Service: At Yum Yum Asia Café, you walk up to the counter and order, and they call your number when your food is ready. Although your interaction with the service staff is brief, the staff is always friendly and happy to help with whatever you need. They also offer takeout for those who don't have time to dine in.

Quality: The food is good, but overrated. It is what you'd expect Americanized Asian cuisine to be.

Website: http://www.yumyumasiacafe.com

Yen Yen Chinese Cuisine:
Location: 855 E SR434, Winter Springs, Florida

Menu: The main attraction at Yen Yen is their incredible sushi bar, but they also offer a wide variety of popular Americanized Chinese dishes, including orange chicken, general tso's chicken, lo mein and fried rice. Also, though not included on their menu, you can order a spring roll, which is very generously sized for its price ($2.95).

Locale Convenience: This section of SR 434 is in a rapidly growing area of Winter Springs, so while it is currently off the beaten path, as the area continues to grow it will be very conveniently located.

Price: Entrees range from $8.50-$17.95.

Atmosphere: It's always a pleasure to dine in at Yen Yen. The décor is very modern, but also warm and friendly. Tables are conveniently set up with a lazy Susan in the middle to make sharing dishes and appetizers easy.

Service: The staff at Yen Yen is always quick and friendly. They seem to enjoy being there and always go out of their way to make your dining experience enjoyable.

Quality: Yen Yen sushi is one of the finest that can be found in the Orlando metropolitan area. The entrees on the menu are not exactly authentic Chinese/Asian food, but the quality is superb and affordably priced.

Pei Wei Asian Diner:
Location: 3011 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando, Florida

Menu: Brought to you by the same company who created the more upscale P.F. Chang's, fans of Chinese and Asian Fusion cuisine will enjoy Pei Wei.

Locale Convenience: Located on East Colonial Drive, Pei Wei is in a very busy, central business and commercial area of Orlando, so residents from both East and West Orlando will have no problem getting there.

Price: Around $9.50 per entrée.

Atmosphere: Decorated with warm colors and modern themes, the restaurant feels warm and inviting.

Service: At Pei Wei, you will always be greeted with a smile and served promptly.

Quality: Pei Wei is definitely a step above the typical Chinese take-out, but far from authentic. Connoisseurs of Chinese and Asian cuisine are likely to be disappointed, but for those who are looking for something a little finer than their favorite Chinese take-out, Pei Wei is sure to please. Also, Pei Wei features a gluten-free menu for those with sensitivities to wheat gluten.

Website: http://www.peiwei.com

Chinese Restaurants in Orlando Florida: Takeout Options

China King:
Location: 535 S. Semoran Blvd, Winter Park, Florida

Menu: At China King, you'll find all of your Chinese takeout favorites, from general tso's chicken to lo mein noodles to fried rice.

Locale Convenience: Located in the University Park shopping center on the corner of Semoran Blvd (SR 436) and University Blvd, this is an excellent location, convenient to both residents and local college students (from University of Central Florida, Rollins College, Valencia Community College, and Full Sail University).

Price: Lunch specials for $4.59, most other entrees are under $9

Atmosphere: Not much different from your typical Chinese takeout location.

Service: The staff is always courteous and friendly, and your food is prepared quickly.

Quality: Fans of Sesame Chicken will want to check out China King's Sesame Chicken entrée, which is the best I've found in the area. Their Crab Rangoon is also stellar. For dessert, you can try the Apple Sticks, which are also delightful. Also, when ordering one of their lunch specials, I've never been able to finish the whole thing for lunch - there is always some left over for the next day.

China Fun:
Location: 5683 Red Bug Lake Road, Winter Springs, Florida

Menu: At China Fun, you'll find the typical Chinese takeout menu.

Locale Convenience: Located in the Publix shopping center on the corner of Tuskawilla Road and Red Bug Lake Road, residents of Winter Springs, Oviedo, and Casselberry, Florida are sure to pass through here. The shopping center does tend to get quite busy, though, and sometimes it is a challenge to find a parking space.

Price: Most entrees are $9 and under.

Atmosphere: Though the atmosphere doesn't exactly live up to the "fun" name, it is a fairly decent sized restaurant for being takeout, with plenty of tables to sit at should you choose to dine in.

Service: Like many takeout restaurants, the staff is friendly and quick to prepare your order.

Quality: In the Tuskawilla/Red Bug area of Winter Springs, this is the place to go for Chinese takeout. No matter what dish you order, your food will consistently be fresh and delicious.

China Bay:
Location: 1172 Tree Swallow Drive, Winter Springs, Florida

Menu: Like China King and China Fun, you'll find the typical Chinese takeout menu here.

Locale Convenience: Like Yen Yen, China Bay is located in the rapidly growing area of Winter Springs, and is located in the Winter Springs Town Center on the corner of Tuskawilla Road and SR 434. For Chinese takeout in this area of Winter Springs, China Bay is by far the most convenient.

Price: Entrees are under $9.

Atmosphere: Again, this is typical Chinese takeout location, but there are a couple of tables to sit at and eat if you can't wait to get home.

Service: I've only ever seen the same three people working at China Bay, but they are always friendly and happy to see you when you come in.

Quality: While not the greatest Chinese takeout in the area, if you live or work in Winter Springs near the Town Center, the convenience makes up for what is lacking in the food quality. Portion sizes are always more than generous, leaving plenty for a second meal.

Website: http://www.yumyumasiacafe.com

China Wok (Formerly China Ace):
Location:1491 E. SR 434, Winter Springs, Florida

Menu: China Ace's menu is also your typical Chinese takeout menu.

Locale Convenience: Located about five miles from China Bay, China Ace is also in the heart of Winter Springs, so both residents and people who work in the Winter Springs area near the Town Center will find China Ace convenient. It is also located right off of the 417 toll road, making it a quick stop for people who are just passing through the area.

Price: Most entrees are under $9.

Atmosphere: Very casual atmosphere, like other Chinese takeout locations, but also includes a television in the dining room area to enjoy if you choose to stay and eat.

Service: China Ace's employees are enthusiastic and happy to see you whenever you come by.

Quality: The quality of the food at China Ace is the best in this area of Winter Springs. If you're too far away from China Fun, and want to try something that's a little bit better quality than China Bay, China Ace is the place to go!

There you have it - eight of the best Chinese restaurants in Orlando! For more information on these, and other Chinese restaurants in Orlando, Florida, check out metromix.orlando.com.

Sources:
metromix.orlando.com
peiwei.com
Yen Yen's Chinese food is authentically delicious. Scott Joseph, Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 12 April 2008.