Central China Restaurant

Central China Restaurant, reminiscent of a Hunan bistro, is a thrilling culinary adventure for spice lovers. The fiery flavors of Chinese cuisine here had my friends and me buzzing with excitement. The standout, undoubtedly, is the stinky tofu, a personal favorite that delivered deliciously pungent satisfaction. The double peppy fish head with noodles - a mouthwatering masterpiece. We devoured it, accompanied by three bowls of white rice, relishing every fiery bite. This memorable experience has us eagerly planning a return visit. If you crave bold and spicy Chinese cuisine, Central China Restaurant is a must-visit haven for your taste buds.

Great atmosphere and helpful service, but the star of the show is the wonderful food. Nice and spicy but balanced- perfection! The great scraps of fat chili king is delicious beyond description. Crispy but tender pork skins with peppers and a light sauce and plenty of fresh peppers. The Mapo tofu had the right amount f chili to make your tongue dance. I look forward to my next visit!

Plenty of parking spaces available. It can be frustrating because only one lady (the waitress) there speaks and understands English. I have tried to order to go food over the phone, and most of the time the lady (cashier/owner) who picks up the phone can't speak English. The owner lady is not friendly or welcoming to non-Chinese people. Therefore, I am unable to place an order. Some of the dishes I have tried are really good. They are a little too salty, too oily and too salty though.

Great food, lots of options and quantities are huge. For vegetarians I recommend the cabbage with noodles, and the wet tofu dish

I was disappointed to find out they don't have mutton soup 羊雑湯 anymore. I used to come here only during wintertime. In fact, John L pointed out in his tips, the owner changed everything after summer of 2016. I really don't like restaurants changed Chinese name but not English name. Before 滋味湖南 took over, they served pretty good northern Chinese cuisine. Not sure how "Central China" come from.I know Hunan cuisine contains lots of hot peppers and it's famous for the bacon 湖南腊肉. I am not seeking out for authentic Hunan dishes. But at Central China Restaurant, they got lots of dishes with pepper symbols on the menu. After studying the menu to decide what jumps out, I found malatang 麻辣烫 - my favorite hot and numbing dish. For first timers, the serving dish and handful of floating peppers could overwhelm you. This pot is loaded with about 84 oz of goodies - lamb 羊肉, chicken 鸡肉, pig intestines 猪大肠, fish 鱼片, bacon 腊肉 and veggies, noodles etc. How did I eat it? I removed all floating peppers first, they don't have any taste and they can be great for photo opps. Then, I dig through a thick layer of hot oil for the goodies. Oh by the way, this oil is the essence of this dish. It's deeply flavored with toasted pepper corn, prickly pepper oil and other seasonings.Ask for a spoon and taste the numbing effect - the medicine to cure your common cold and arthritis. It's best to share it with 2 to 3 people with other hot dishes like sliced beef slices in chili oil 夫妻肺片or something mild like stewed dried bean curd 滷香干 or stinky tofu.

Great authentic Hunan food at decent prices. Recommend going with a local familiar with chinese food, the menu can be confusing for americans but if you miss true authentic Hunan/Chinese food I highly recommend (also bring cash) Definitely get either the hot and sour noodles or marinated beef noodles (make sure to ask both with Hunan style mei fun) Service is your classic chinese restaurant, they won't bother you too much. You know a restaurant is authentic when the staff eats together while chinese news plays in the background. Nothing fancy inside but gets the job done!

I've gone here multiple times and the food is delicious. I've had cumin lamb, cabbage and vermicelli (it's really glass noodles), winter melon and egg soup (it's actually fried egg and not egg drop), seafood tofu, salt and pepper ribs, and steamed fish (it was drowning in its sauce). The staff was friendly and great. I will definitely come back here.

I never had a worse meal than this.... Ribs taste funky with little meat, do not go.I am surprised that this place has such a high rating with only minimal reviews. Not sure if the reviews are from real customers. Be aware,

From the appearance, this place doesn't seem like much; however the food / value are all 5+ stars. The food is considered very authentic, and quite flavorful. Haven't found too many places in the US that serve some of the dishes they serve. Service is nice too. Please keep an open mind as they try their best to communicate in English with you if that's what you speak.

You know a good Chinese restaurant when you see it is renovated enough to the point that nothing is in excess. There are tables, chairs, napkins, utensils (chopsticks unless otherwise requested) and some basic cultural decorations like offerings and incense. The food, however, packs flavor like you wouldn't believe. Many places boast to have spice, numbing flavor, and that Szechuan kick to it, but this place is the real deal. If you like spicy food, be sure to tell the waitress after you order your dishes. If you say nothing and don't look the part, they will likely prepare the dish to be less spicy. However, the food is from a region of China where spicy food is everywhere. Please note that all dishes are meant to be eaten with rice, and not consumed on its own. Dishes to note:Stinky tofu: don't let the name fool you. It's crispy, fragrant, light, but can be custom ordered as spicy as you would like it.Hunan diced chicken or sautéed frog: two separate meats, but both are fragrant stir fry dishes done in a flavor representative of this restaurant. Frog is more tender but it has a lot of bones. Chicken meat is thigh meat, no bones. Cabbage with vermicelli sheet: this one is a sleeper. Stir fried ribbons of cabbage with vermicelli. Amazing dish that holds up on its own but has a mouth-watering flavor of spices.