Golden Dragon is a small neighborhood restaurant that is probably best known for its very cheap lunch specials and lunch buffet. Although strip mall Chinese restaurants are normally not very noteworthy, Golden Dragon has become one of my favorite places because of the hospitality of the owners and their willingness to go beyond the menu to cook authentic Chinese food.

Golden Dragon does not fit my normal format for reviewing a restaurant since I have moved away from ordering food from the menu, and most of the menu items I have tried have been with previous owners (of which Golden Dragon has had several over the past few years). The menu has stayed pretty much the same from the time the restaurant opened, but I believe the cooking styles have varied somewhat. Any preferences I had for certain dishes may no longer apply to the current restaurant.

Some spicy Szechuan dishes are on the menu from the original owner of the restaurant who originally worked at Lotus Mandarin, a restaurant that specializes in spicy Chinese food. I have not ordered these dishes in a while, but customers should be aware that they are available (and I know they used to be good).

One of my favorite dishes at Golden Dragon has been the Noodle Soup. This soup has changed with the various chefs that have prepared it, and all have been by special request since it is not listed on the menu. This can be a light meal or a full one, depending on the size of the soup that is ordered. Noodle soup has been a good choice when I want traditional style Chinese food but I have not had time to call in advance for some of the restaurant's Shanghai style dishes.

MSG has been used during the time I have been going to Golden Dragon, and as far as I know is still used. I have eaten the Hot and Sour Soup with no ill effects (and it was very good). I think almost all the entrees, though, can be prepared without MSG if requested, and this is the main reason I have not had any problems eating here.

SPECIAL DISHES

Note:  Special dishes usually need to be ordered in advance. Check with the restaurant for availability.

The distinctive feature about Golden Dragon at present is the special food that is not on the menu, but which has been some of the best Chinese food I have tasted in Oklahoma, or anywhere. The owners are from Shanghai, and the non-menu food at Golden Dragon may be the only authentic Shanghai style food available in Oklahoma (I have had some in Seattle and other cities for comparison, so I believe the food here to be quite authentic). The problem is that this food has to be special ordered (I think at least a day in advance), and sometimes it will not be available (so check with the restaurant to find out if you are interested in it).

I believe some of the items are more available than others, so I will list some of the items that I think are easiest to order (and for which the ingredients are available). I would encourage people to order this food, and if the restaurant cannot keep up with the demand I expect that they will let me know and I will pass along the information here. For now, though, I do not think it is a problem to order this food as long as the restaurant agrees.

In any case, the following photos will serve as a brief introduction to Shanghai style food, as well as my experience about the items that are the easiest to order at Golden Dragon.

My rating for a restaurant is usually based on food from the menu, so it is probably not appropriate to try to give one to Golden Dragon based solely on the special food I have tried. Everything pictured in the photos, though, would get my five-star rating.