golden phoenix

i took my family today. we all ordered different things and they were all fantastic! i can't wait to gobackand try something new!

this is one of the nicer chinese restaurants in the okc metro.  the menu is numbered, just like what you would find at a strip mall chinese take-out place, but the menu is much more extensive than that take-out place.  you can admire the live fish and lobster in tanks, waiting to be ordered by a future customer, or you can take a walk up to the meat case to gaze into the hollow eyes of a roasted pig's head.  this is all on top of some very nice looking furniture and attractive wall decorations. 

i went here with a friend of mine for lunch on the tuesday after christmas.  i am glad that i told him to meet me there at 11:45 am because it was full by the time we finished up around 12:45 pm.  i ordered kung pao chicken, while he ordered noodles with stir fried chicken and vegetables.  my kung pao chicken was just about right.  the dried red peppers were spicy, the peanuts helped to cool down the spiciness, the chicken was diced into bite sized pieces, and there was a fair amount of sauteed bell peppers and onions mixed in.  my only problem with the dish is that the onion was not cooked enough to take out the bite that raw white onion presents. 

my friend liked his chicken and noodles.  i was impressed that he ate the entire entree.  we both agreed that the portion sizes were generous.  i decided to take home half of the chicken that was served to me.  i splurged on christmas day.  today it wasbackto more realistic sized portions.

with a menu this large and so many other dishes to try, i will definitely have to return.

----- 19 jun, 2015 -----

authentic chinese food - but a vast variety of options for your entire family and friends! fast service, clean dining area, and hot, quick food.

it has been several months since our last visit here, but this time, my friends and i decided to have a quick bite to eat here. the atmosphere was very lively; golden phoenix was pretty busy with the vast amount of people going in and out for take-outs, and for those patrons eating in the dining area. the menu has a variety of chinese, vietnamese, and chinese-american influenced dishes, and has tons of options for the individual take-out pick up to a family of 10 sitting down and sharing hot pot together.

as for us? we ordered the young chow fried rice, shrimp and green onions with garlic butter sauce, and chicken with bamboo chutes. the food was hot and prepared within minutes. my only complaint with the meals was that for the price, they could have been bigger portions, but my company were pleased with the experience. in the past, the servers used to "not give us the time or day" but the servers were 'tag-teaming' all the tables, meaning, service was very attentive; our waters never ran dry, dirty and empty dishes were removed from the table, and they gave us our check when they knew we were satisfied with our meals. while i did mention that the portions could have been bigger, the price were relatively the same ($$) compared to many of the sit-down restaurants nearby.

overall, it was another fantastic experience. the food definitely leans more towards chinese-american influences, but still grasps its roots of authentic chinese (mandarin and cantonese) food in the end. golden phoenix is sure to satisfy many!

tip: if you are wanting to have a good meal in asian district, but are hesitant about diving straight into chinese food, there are many options for you to try. if you are adventurous like me, keep in mind a 'protein' and 'vegetable' that you like (ex. shrimp and garlic). scan the menu and find one of that combination (or close to it). if you are unsure about that, scan that protein section and choose one. take the plunge!

tip: if you are indecisive like me at times, look around you. do this especially if it is a busy lunch or evening. you will see some dishes on people's table (you can be a ninja about it - trust me, people will be entrapped by their food) and choose one like that. this is how my husband and i try new dishes sometimes - and it's great!

tip: if your meal comes with complimentary white rice, always bring it home. even if you don't eat your leftovers until 2 days later, that rice will be good up to 2-3 days and can be re-heated easily with your meal. just saying!

thanks for reading!

----- sept, 2014 -----

golden phoenix - great! just like before.. golden phoenix has really come a long way since the fire that burnt most of the building. when they re-opened, it was something that we were greatly anticipating, but were disappointed when we camebackand the food was bland. well, we went a week ago and it's like before! it's delicious, and has everything for anyone - authentic chinese or not. definitely give it a try - i know we'll be coming back!

-----15 nov, 2011-----

exquisite authentic chinese food - must go!. my all-time favorite restaurant here in uptown okc. the restaurant is on the corner of a chinese grocery and on classen blvd. you may drive past it, and it may look like a small place, but when you go in, it's pretty large. don't expect too great of a service. but! the food is amazing! so much choices and all of it is really delicious. all-time favorite is the duck and house special fried rice. we've tried the calamari (they were okay, but in an authentic place, i like baby squids). mandarin ribs were good, but again, the duck! the duck is very delicious and everything is family-style (meaning big proportions when ordered and everyone shares this meal together), so bring a group of friends. afterwards, maybe go to cafe oasis for some boba drinks. you won't be disappointed! try it out!

absolute worst service i've received in my life!. i was just there today and my friend went inside to order 4 taro smoothies to go. she went inside at 7:15 pm and ordered immediately. i sat patiently outside for twenty minutes! i went inside to see what was taking so long and they were just taking the money and bringing the first 2 drinks. our ticket reads that we paid at 7:39:18 pm and we still waited after that for a good 5 minutes for the other two drinks! they had 5 tables they were serving (i counted) and 2 waitresses. it should not take nearly half an hour to make 4 drinks even on their busiest day. to top it off when our change was broughtbackwe weren't givenbackthe full amount of our change! our total was $14:63 we paid with a $20 bill and gotback$5. this is absolutely ridiculous.

well for starters their menu is a novel. then when i ended up making an impulse entrée decision of shrimp and broccoli stir fry, jeremy lin camebackwith a bowl of butter. i will definitely not be recommending this place to my teammates.

dirty plates, terrible services. and horrible management. simply just push customer out of door when we got problem with fish scalp in our vegetable. very disappointed and gross food. unhappy expericens and wont gobacksoon, unless they going to have better management! that's not a way to run business!

takeout was messed up. i go to golden phoenix for dinner or togo about 4-5 years now. the food is close enough to chinese taste for a vietnamese owner. i have grown up in china and i am not expecting real chinese food for the price. it is about $8 in average dish here. however, yesterday’s take out order was really messed up. the orange beef was very tough. my husband said it was beef jerky with sauce. the sea food hotpot has no taste (not the same since i always order it). i will think it is hard to miss cook fish congee but they still managed to overcook it. i ordered about 5:30pm on monday night. the restaurant did not fill up yet. it seems to me that the food was not prepared by the same chef or same group of people in the kitchen. by the time we found out no one dish was good, it was too late to drivebackor reorder from other place. but one thing i said to myself, i will not order from there any soon.

massive portions for cheap.. we wentbackbut chose the salad that came with the 7 courses of beef but the salad itself was enough for two...incredible flavor. we also got the shrimp and pork "make your own spring roll" which was excellent and fun. my wife got the pho and it needed more green onions but was still great tho.
again...lineups at the takeout the whole time we were there...this restaraunt has a vast following.


-----06 jun, 2013-----

amazing...super helpful servers.. we tried this thing called "7 courses of beef". i had never made my own spring roll with the rice paper. the server helped us make one and explained it all to us.every course was really good, i'd gobackjust for the salad and do it yourself spring rolls. exceptional way to try new things. the "to go" counter was hopping the whole time we were there. the crispy pork and duck at the counter looked delicious. i wish we had come here sooner.

don't touch my spoon. good food & huge selection. nothing crazy just good chinese. i had beef pho which was really good. for some reason several other tables that got there after me were served first. i guess they forgot my meal in the back. after mentioning it to my server she quickly went to thebackand my food was out quickly.

strange thing happened, this older lady seated across from me walks over and snatches up my spoon. she says, "hold it like this." and then smiles. good thing this was a older lady because i probably would have smacked her upside the head. i just looked at her and said, "ok". people...please don't grab my spoon and tell me how to hold it.

awesome service and great food!. we decided to try this place and were pretty overwhelmed by the menu! since i saw the duckhanging in the front of the restaurant as i walked in, i had to get that. the waitress also suggested a salad. so i got it and it was delicious (rare beef with mint, lime and roasted peanuts). can't wait to gobackand try new dishes.

i am not normally one to step outside my comfort box for food but am i ever glad i did. the beef flat noodles were absolutely amazing (to say the very least) and the filet mignon beef tips in the garlic butter sauce on a bed of fried rice... words cannot describe the exquisiteness of this dish. i am so glad i work so close and cannot wait to gobackand try more dishes, because believe me there are plenty to choose from.

can't wait to go back. i've only been once, but i can't wait to gobackagain. i had heard from reputable sources is was great, so i went with a friend and we shared the lemongrass chicken and a cubed filet dish with a rich brown sauce. both dishes were very well seasoned and the beef was still very tender at about medium-rare to medium. the spice of the lemongrass chicken was perfect and the vegetables in both dishes were superb. we each had a soda and the bill was about $30, a steal for the quality of food we ate. mmmm!