Oklahoma City Restaurants

Fortune Chinese Restaurant is located at 12315 North Rockwell in Oklahoma City (map). They are open Monday through Thursday from 11am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10:30pm and Sunday from 11:30am to 9:30pm. Call them at 405.722.3032.

Every single time I go into Fortune Chinese Restaurant, the place is practically deserted. I think the last two visits, there was one other occupied table. And it just makes no sense.

I have been to far too many Chinese restaurants that are buffets first and restaurants second. The food they make is destined to sit on a hot line, picked over by dozens with just a sneeze-guard to protect it.

But not at Fortune. When I order there, I know that my food is being prepared for me. It is hot. It is fresh. Best of all, it is tasty.

We’ll start with a few staples of the genre — the egg roll and the egg drop soup. At $1.15, the egg rolls are excellent. There is still a little crisp to the vegetables inside and, again, they’re made fresh everyday. The soup is wonderful as well. For just $1, I don’t think it can get any better. Large streams of hot egg float and swirl in this little bowl. It reignites my passion and wonder for Chinese food.

I also tried the fried dumplings ($4.25) which I might ask for steamed next time. They were good, but not spectacular. I’d prefer a crispier, less oily skin. Also nice was the Cho Cho Beef — a skewer of fried, seasoned beef for $1.15. A nice little appetizer.

Honestly, you don’t need to fill up beforehand, because the portions at Fortune are enough for you to eat your fill and still take a little home for the next day.

I like the Slippery Chicken ($4.99 for small, $6.85 for large), though it’s not as spicy as the little chili pepper next to the name would seem to imply. Instead, it is a straightforward chicken, vegetable and brown-sauce dish. It sounds boring, I know, but it was great. Big mushrooms were included and I ate every last bit of it.

My wife tried the Champagne Chicken ($7.95), which we both found too light on flavor. Everything was cooked well enough, but the delicate champagne was too subtle to make an impact.

Better was the Cleopatra Chicken ($7.95), which is reminiscent of a General Tso’s chicken, but this was tender and the sauce, while spicy, still had great freshness. You could clearly see the diced tomatoes and onions that went into the sauce — a real departure from what you get at so many buffet-style places.

Vegetarians and dieters take note — you are represented here. For those who would eschew meat, there is the Buddhist Delight, Ma Poo Tu Fu and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce. For those watching their waistlines, steamed veggies with chicken, beef and shrimp are available.

My worry with Fortune is that business seems slow. I guess their take-out and delivery must be strong, because I don’t know how they’d stay afloat with the few diners that come in at night. Regardless, I love the place and I appreciate our reader, Dan, asking for a review. Otherwise, I might not have found a new favorite Chinese restaurant.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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This article was posted by Greg Elwell on Sunday, October 19th, 2008. It is filed in Chinese, Northwest OKC. Please leave your comments below (we'd love to hear from you), or trackback from your own site.

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