China Yuan

We drove thru Tampa to meet up with my uncle and his family. They recommended this restaurant for authentic Chinese food, and we absolutely loved it. We let his wife and daughters, who are from Beijing, order everything. We had duck, salt and pepper pork, fried rice, beef chow fun, some sort of egg drop, and corn soup. I could eat that duck for every meal. This would definitely be a go-to spot for some authentic Chinese food id recommended to anyone. They have frog, pork intestines, eel and i even saw shark on the menu somewhere.

Finally found a legit Cantonese restaurant. No, not American Chinese, not Northern Chinese - proper Cantonese food run by Cantonese speaking people. The beef chow fun had the proper “wok hei” i.e. the hot oil aroma in the dish that is often lacking in all other beef chow fun dishes I’ve had in Tampa. The bok choy dish was deliciously garlicky and was cooked to the proper firmness. Dim sum was solid. This will definitely be my go to Canto restaurant from now on.

So we came on a quiet night so it would not be fair to give short points on atmosphere. The people who own this restaurant were so genuine and pleasant - a real Chinese experience. We came specifically for Lobster and Crab and so a little pricey but I haven't found Ginger Lobster or Hong Kong Crab anywhere else since Peking Tokyo closed in Sarasota. The wonton soup was fabulous as was the Chowfun Beef Noodles. I would come back and try the rest of the menu!

An incredible find. Restaurant was very clean and service was stellar. We started off with crispy pork, sautéed eggplant in garlic sauce and for mains steamed flounder in a garlic ginger sauce and house special hot pot which came with seafood (scallop, shrimp, squid), chicken, pork and tofu with vegetables and side of white rice. Everything is reasonably priced especially the entire fish and food came out quick. Will be back for sure!

We have never seen a Chinese restaurant with a wider variety than China Yuan. We decided to order items we can't find elsewhere, like Hong Kong frog and abalone and sea cucumber soup. Everything tasted great. I could try twenty different menu items and still have plenty more to try. They offer dim sum in the afternoon, along with their extensive menu. The service was prompt and friendly as well.