My family and I decided to go to Hunan Chinese Restaurant at Cedar and Herndon on New Year’s Day. I have not been to Hunan in quite some time, since I do not find myself at Cedar and Herndon often, and had forgotten how good Hunan is. The name comes from the province in China where the cuisine originated.
Hunan serves their food a la carte family style. We decided to order three of the dishes from the chef’s recommendations section of the menu. Actually I picked, because my parents trust my taste. No fried rice or chow mien, just the good stuff.
I ordered the BBQ Mongolian Beef, the Sweet and Sour Fish and the Hunan Chicken, which is their specialty. The Mongolian BBQ Beef was superb, the seasoning was perfect, and the vegetables were stir fried just right. The Sweet and Sour Fish was possibly one of the most amazing dishes I have ever had. The fish was very fresh and fried with a crunchy batter. The sauce was just the perfect combination of sweet and sour. Even my mother loved it. She does not usually like fish and was originally skeptical about the dish. The Hunan Chicken came last. It was good and the sauce was very tasty, however the meat was slightly dry. It was also a little hard to eat since Hunan, like most Chinese restaurants, does not provide a knife.
The restaurant is tastefully decorated in the typical style of an upscale Chinese restaurant. The large tables in the middle had the usual sliding glass tray so large groups can easily access every dish. The staff was friendly and attentive. All in all, Hunan was an enjoyable experience. It is a gem in a city with a lot of lousy Chinese food. For more in go to their website. http://www.thehunanrestaurant.com/
