Hunan Gourmet: Gourmand Paradise or Gastronome's Delight?

Name: Hunan Gourmet

Cuisines: Chinese

Payment: Cash, Visa, MC, American Express, Discover

Alcohol: No

Price: $

Address: 8273 Shoppers Square, Manassas Park

Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. -11 p.m.; Sun 12 p.m.-10 p.m.

Carry out and delivery only!

Salt's Take:

Walking into Hunan Gourmet, I didn't really know what to expect. The first words that came to my mind once I walked through the door was “greasy spoon.” Everything in the restaurant was clean enough (except for the lights) but it definitely had a dim and dingy vibe about it. Having worked in restaurants in the past, one look at the kitchen and it put my mind at ease. It was one of the cleanest I've ever seen.

For starters I ordered the steamed dumplings and an egg roll. The dumplings were pretty typical, but the egg roll was exceptional. It was perfectly fried, and the vegetables inside weren't greasy, but slightly crispy, a little sweet, and well seasoned— it was good!

The restaurant is known for many dishes, including Peking-style sweet and sour pork, shredded duck with hot-garlic sauce, Hunan-style beef and shrimp and General Tso's chicken. I tried the latter. It was one of the best General Tso's I've had in recent memory. The sauce was spicy, sweet, and had underlying tones of broccoli and sesame oil. I also had the fried rice which was simple, but very delicious.

The staff was very friendly and it didn't take long to get my order. While there are a couple of tables in the place, it's definitely a take-out, delivery restaurant. This could be my new favorite Chinese place, it's that good. The only problem I had with the restaurant, which might be a big problem to some, was that the walls were a little grimy and the lighting fixtures desperately needed to be cleaned out. That being said, I would highly recommend Hunan Gourmet to everyone, but if you decide to go the take-out route, just do yourself a favor and don't look up!

Pepper Take:

Although I was starving, I was hesitant to walk into the Hunan Gourmet because, I had reason to believe I would be disappointed. But then again, there are some great little hole-in-the-wall restaurants that have better food than most of the over-priced upscale restaurants. So why not give this a shot.

The staff member at the counter asked me what I wanted as soon as I walked in before I could even grab a menu. I looked over the menu hurriedly and ordered hot and sour soup, sha cha chicken and egg rolls.

The soup did not have a bad flavor, but tasted very watered down. The same with the chicken, not to mention it lacked most of the vegetables and any spice that is typically associated with the dish. The egg rolls were nice and crispy, but were filled with nothing but cabbage. Overall, the food lived up to the expectation I had walking in.

The place had one table, which apparently was not meant for actual dining in, as I was handed my bag and told, "bye-bye." The staff was rude, the place did not appear clean, was poorly decorated and the food was mediocre at best. The place has been open for 18 years, so maybe they have some very good dishes, obviously not anything that I ordered.

To sum it all up, I will not be returning to Hunan Gourmet, as mediocre Chinese food is a dime a dozen. There are several very good Chinese restaurants in Manassas, so I find no need to waste my time at Hunan Gourmet.

Cleanliness: 1/5

Atmosphere: 1/5