When it comes to late night cravings, Chinese food is on the top of Pulp’s list for delivery options. But, we never actually compared Chinese restaurant takeout dishes side-by-side — until now. Check out which restaurant had the best orange chicken, and which one made our stomachs turn orange instead.

— Compiled by The Daily Orange feature staff

 

HK Take Out Foods: Winner!

1640 Erie Blvd E
(315) 428-0395

Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sat-Sun: 10 a.m. – 12 a.m.

Evaluation:
Estimated delivery: 44 minutes
Actual delivery: 20 minutes
Price: $9.95
Appearance: Appetizing but predictable

With a quick delivery time and satisfying taste, HK Take Out Foods offers the most impressive overall experience for students searching for Chinese food delivery.

The food arrived within 20 minutes of placing the order — a major plus for anyone looking for a quick, yet quality meal on a weekend night. HK’s orange flavor chicken dish is served as a full portion with a few slices of broccoli, which are more of a garnish than an actual component of the dish. The chicken is also delivered with a side of white rice.

At $9.95 for the portion of chicken and the side of plain rice, HK’s plate was the most expensive and came with less. Also, a $10 delivery minimum requires you to add on more items to your order, be that 50 cents for fried noodles or $1.15 for an eggroll.

But although HK’s orange chicken was the most expensive of the three chicken dishes, the extra cost for the plate is worth it. Out of all three dishes, HK’s was the most enjoyable, covered with a tangy, flavorful orange sauce that is not too overpowering and is layered with a slight hint of spice. Further, the chicken itself was the most tender and the pieces of chicken were just small enough to be bite-sized.

 

 

No. 1 Kitchen: 2nd place
317 Nottingham Rd
(315) 445-2066

Hours:
Mon-Sat: 11 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.
Sun: 12 p.m. – 11:45 p.m.

Evaluation:
Estimated delivery: 47 minutes
Actual delivery: 75 minutes
Price: $9.20
Appearance: suspiciously vibrant red

Although it seems to be the go-to spot for Chinese food among a lot of students, No. 1 Kitchen was not no. 1 in service.

The relatively small order took more than an hour to be delivered, despite Grub Hub’s estimated time of arrival within 40 minutes. But while the wait was annoying, the food was moderately-priced — orange chicken with a side of lo mein, wonton soup and an eggroll came in at just over $12 — and pretty tasty as well. The ingredients looked fresh, and there were visible pieces of orange peel in the brightly colored orange chicken sauce. The chicken was also crispy, and a far cry from the mushiness of Mr. Stir Fry.  As far as side dishes go, Number 1 did the best of all three orders, with a solid rendition of vegetable lo mein.

Overall, the food was enjoyable, abundant and well-priced. But fast foodies beware: if you’re hungry and looking for a quick bite, this is not the place for you. In this case, slow and steady doesn’t win the race. No. 1 Kitchen gets a solid second place, for good food but very slow service.

 

 

Mr. Stir Fry: 3rd place
214 Tecumseh Rd.
(315) 446-3968

Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Sun: 12 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Evaluation:
Estimated delivery: 51 minutes
Actual delivery: 34 minutes
Price: $8.65
Appearance: Mushy brown

Full disclosure: This dish is not recommended.

The meal that sat inside this plastic container was unpleasant to say the least. Despite its name on the menu — orange chicken — the chicken had no hint of orange flavoring whatsoever, and it sat festering in what was supposed to be a fried encasing. Instead of the expected crispy texture, it was soggy and didn’t break apart when chewed. Rather it congealed into a mushy mass with each successive bite. The only redeeming quality was the pork-fried rice that accompanied the dish, which was tolerable, but really stood out compared to the chicken.

Compared to the other two restaurants, the chicken dish alone was the cheapest at $8.65, and that was after upgrading the fried rice to include pork for an extra 50 cents. But with a $10 minimum for delivery, you’ll need to tack on a few extra items, for example a pork egg roll that costs $1.45.

The food took about 34 minutes to be delivered — an admittedly average delivery time — but instead of door-to-door service, we had to run across the street to pick it up.

If you’re a die-hard Mr. Stir Fry fan and refuse to give it up, at least order something other than the orange chicken.

Published on September 9, 2013 at 1:54 am