The Orlando, Florida Area's Finest Chinese Restaurant: Eastern Pearl

I have to say that one of the things I missed most about moving out of the New York City area many years ago was the excellent Chinese food. When I moved to Richmond Virginia in 1977 the offerings of good Chinese Food were slim. It hasn't really changed over the years.

We moved to Orlando around 1996 and it wasn't until Eastern Pearl opened a few years later that I was able to experience the wonderful cuisine that I had missed over the years. When one walks into Eastern Pearl the decor suggests a fancy, dressy enviornment, but jeans or short are pefectly acceptable. I have been there on occasions during the week when there was a 15-20 minute wait for a table and other times when I got seated right away. Luckily, there is no smoking allowed in Florida restaurants so the air is filled only with the aromas of the fresh cooked vegetables and meats.

The food is outstanding, though a bit on the pricey side, but well worth it. The portions are not huge, but you definitely do not walk out of the restaurant feeling hungry! There are some dishes you just don't find at the run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant. To name a few: On the soup menu you can order Crab Meat and Asparagus soup (currently $4.25 a bowl) or Thai Seafood soup at $5.25 a bowl. On the appetizer side, there's Mussels in Black Bean sauce ($7.50) and Fried Tofu with salt and pepper and sesame.

On the main dish side there is a dish which I was SO excited to find. It's Crispy Beef($13.95).It turned out to be the same dish I have found only in Chinatown in New York City and San Francisco. Some restaurants have also called this "dry fried beef" because the way it should be cooked is that the beef is stir fried until it's very dried...not quite like beef jerky, but still kind of crispy and kind of chewy. This is served in a dark brown and VERY VERY spicy sauce with shredded carrots and celery. What I like about this dish, or for all their dishes for that matter, is that they are not drowning in sauce. The crispy beef has a glaze of the sauce. It's by far my favorite dish and while I have liked everything I've tasted, this is still my all time favorite at Eastern Pearl. When I first saw it on the menu I asked the waiter about it and he said it was their most popular dish.

For soups, my favorite is their Hot and Sour soup. The soup is a hearty deep broth, very spicy-hot with a perfect vinegar touch and the right amount (a quick splash) of sesame oil. I occasionally cook hot and sour soup at home and my friends have always said mine is better than any they've had at a restaurant. I would tend to agree with the exception of what I have eaten at Eastern Pearl! It's as good as mine, maybe even a bit better!

I have also ordered their Orange Beef ($14.95). One of my biggest complaints about most Chinese restaurants I've been to is that the beef is usually tough and most of the chunks are breading. Eastern Pearl is an exception. The beef is tender, moist, and not too much breading. Also, while most Chinese establishments call their Orange Beef a hot dish, they usually are not very spicy-hot. This is! Again, there's little sauce to the dish which is the way the item should be served!

There are some other unusual dishes on the menu -- unusual for the majority of Orlando Chinese restaurants. For instance, Grouper Filet with Black Bean Sauce ($14.95) and Green Tea Fried Rice ($8.95), are not menu offerings you would find in most Chinese restaurants in the area.

More information on the site can be found at http://www.epearlrestaurant.com/.

This is a fantastic restaurant in the Orlando area and should not be overlooked when looking for some good Chinese.