In the past few years, the role of Chinese food in my life has evolved. When I was little, it was takeout when my parents didn’t want to cook. When I was in school, it was drunk food at bar time. Now it’s a genre I consider when looking for a place to sit down and dine in. I guess evolved is the wrong word, because I still enjoy it as takeout and as drunk food, but I think it gets overlooked when it comes to actual dining.
For that reason, I decided to devote this article to Chinese restaurants. Madison might not be San Francisco or New York, where great Chinese food can be found all over the city. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t home to a few great spots. The ones on this list, with the exception of one (I’ll let you figure out which one), are all great places to sit down and enjoy some really tasty Chinese food.
Ichiban Restaurant (610 S Park St.): I had the opportunity to visit Ichiban last week for the first time and was blown away. Located on Park Street a few blocks south of Regent Street, Ichiban has been serving food from the Sichuan (Szechuan) province of China for a couple years. While they serve some of the more typical American-Chinese classics, like potstickers or sesame chicken, their menu (containing more than 200 items) also features some more exotic Chinese items that are often hard to find. These include offerings like baby squid, cow tongue or pork intestine. We tried the Baby Squid Hibachi ($15.95) and the Spicy and Crispy Chicken ($12.95). Both dishes were great. The baby squid were a little chewy, like you might expect, but the Hibachi sauce was wonderful and it was served with sautéed vegetables. The Spicy and Crispy Chicken melted in your mouth, and was seriously spicy (when they add a chili pepper to a menu item, they mean it!). Both entrees were big enough to share. Ichiban Restaurant is a great option if you’re looking for somewhere new to check out that’s not too far from campus.
Imperial Garden (2039 Allen Blvd.): My family has been ordering Chinese takeout from Imperial Garden since I was little. It has been voted Best in Madison for 28 years running, and I would consider them a little more Americanized than Ichiban. They are located several miles west of campus on the corner of Allen Boulevard and University Avenue. I have had many different items on Imperial Garden’s menu (which features more than 90 items) throughout the years, and I have narrowed the options down to a few favorites. I usually get the Cashew Chicken ($10.95), the Moo-Shu Pork ($9.95) or the Black Pepper Beef ($12.95). I have rarely been disappointed with anything I have ordered at Imperial Garden, and if you have not ventured that far west of campus, it is definitely worth a visit.
Hong Kong Café (2 S Mills St.): Hong Kong Café is another great option for Chinese food, and it is located much closer to campus on the corner of Regent Street and Mills Street. I have only been here twice, but it was great both times. I’ve tried the Teriyaki Chicken ($10.50) and the Chicken with Snow Peas ($10.50). The Teriyaki Chicken is served with green peppers, white onion, bamboo shoots, carrots and a special sauce, while the Chicken with Snow Peas is served with snow peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrots and a white sauce. I liked the Teriyaki Chicken a little better, because the white sauce on the Chicken with Snow Peas was a little bland. If you’re in the area, though, Hong Kong Café is definitely worth a stop.
Asian Kitchen (449 State St.): It’s not exactly fair to say Asian Kitchen isn’t a great place to sit down and enjoy Chinese food. I just never have. It has always been a place that I stop at after bar time to satisfy my drunk food cravings, but it is wonderful at doing that. Asian Kitchen is located on the 400 block of State Street in the same building as Dobra Tea. I usually order the General Tso’s Chicken ($9.40) or the Shrimp Lo Mein ($7.49). Both dishes are usually exactly what I’m looking for at about 2 a.m. (and at that time, the MSG can actually be a plus to help you pass out).
I’ll leave you with a fact I found out while writing this article: General Tso’s chicken is actually an American dish that was invented in the mid 1900s and did not originate in China.
That concludes my rundown of Chinese restaurants in the Madison area that are worth a visit. Did I leave a good spot out? Let me know in the comments section.
