Hunan Pearl Restaurants

08/20/08

Authentic by Betty R. at InsiderPages

Contributor at Insider Pages

I have been going to Hunan Pearl for a number of years and have never been disappointed in the service or the food. This Chinese restaurant is appropriate for business meals as well as nicer lunches and dinners. The food is authentic and when our Malaysian visitors come to the US, they always request at least one meal at Hunan Pearl

08/07/09

Not to be trusted

by robin19777 at Citysearch

I was invited to a party at this restaurant, and I was surprised by how rude and unprofessional the waiters were. At one point, the male waiter even yelled at me. I would have left and never turned back, but I was a guest to this party and I did not want to insult the host. Although the food was okay, the waiters were agitated by the guests. It was a sit down affair, and one food would make its way to our table while others would not. Upon talking to the host after the party, it turns out that they were betrayed too. What they had communicated with the owner and how waiters handled their request was totally different. Obviously, this restaurant is incapable of handling larger crowds. A friend of mine was considering having a corporate party there, but she also witnessed how the business was conducted and decided against it. If you are planning on having a party at Hunan Pearl for a massive crowd, do not trust anyone, have the owner sign what he commits to and keep a copy. I am amazed how this restaurant is still surviving in this economy!

• Pros: Good Mediocre Chinese Food
• Cons: Rude and Unprofessional Waiters, Not for large parties

02/07/09

Just a thought...

by 221040 at Citysearch

A thought on the post by dg100...

You can tell between the first couple sentences that you have no idea what authentic Chinese food is.

Judging Chinese food by fried rice? These are all opinions and your own personal judgements- NOT what true authentic Chinese food is. Everyone has their own way to modify to their own tastes, it just happens to be you like your rice white (and completely unflavored..). When critiquing a restaurant, it most definitely a joke if you?re only talking about fried rice. With heaps and varieties of dishes, there is much more to the Chinese culture and food than plain fried rice and pot-stickers. In addition to the pot-stickers..Who doesn?t like them crunchy? Or if you want it steamed, why don?t you ask for it? I?ve never heard of a person so picky to the extent that they don?t like their pot-stickers crunchy, very very odd.

Seems like you are a very picky person to satisfy. Good luck finding a more authentic restaurant in the area, you won?t.

01/23/09

Mediocre Food...

by dg100 at Citysearch

I'm so disappointed to read that so many people think this is the best Chinese food in the Portland area. If that's true, then I guess I'll have to wait for trips to Vancouver and SF to get my Chinese food fix. Personally, I judge Chinese food primarily by the fried rice, which is often overlooked and prepared as an afterthought. I know it's not the most authentic Chinese dish, but if it's really good, everything else is usually spectacular. The fried rice here is mediocre. It's not the worst I've had, but definitely not the best. It's not as bad as, say, Safeway's or PF Chang's. A truly good fried rice should be white (not brown and horribly over-seasoned with soy sauce), NOT so greasy that it's shiny, and should have bits of egg and FRESH chopped up vegetables (like green onions, water chestnuts, mushrooms, etc.), NOT frozen peas and carrots- YUCK.

But maybe Americans are so used to that greasy, brown, overly-salty, vegetable-less junk they serve as fried rice in mall food courts that now Chinese restaurants think they have to serve it this way?

As for their pot-stickers, also just OK. Acceptable, but a little too crunchy on the outside. I think pot-stickers should have a a pan-fried (or steamed) pasta/dumpling-like exterior, not a crunchy deep-fried consistency.

They're hot and sour soup is pretty good, though. I can't remember what else I've had there- nothing stands out as particularly good or bad.

If it's close and you're not too picky (or not a fried rice consumer), the food is OK. But I would NOT go out of my way to come here if you're searching for really good, authentic, high-quality Chinese food in the Portland area. I guess it just depends on your standard and what type of Chinese food you're used to. If you've never had really great Chinese food, then this might seem good to you.

• Pros: Good hot and sour soup
• Cons: Fried rice is greasy and lacked fresh vegetables.

01/04/09

Miles Shu

by RAJ8 at Citysearch

A dear man and friend to many has passed at the young age of 47.

Miles Shu was co-owner and manager of Hunan Pearl. Miles was a true gentleman and fair to all that knew him. Miles was a writer and musician in his younger days in Taiwan.

Miles was loved and will be remembered fondly by many.

Our prayers and well wishes go out to all of his family and friends.

Bob and YuHong

"Beef, Spicy Beef!"

08/22/08

Best Chinese Food in Portland

by ingow at Citysearch

I have eaten here for the last 10 years at least 40 times. I've introduced dozens of people who now call it their favorite. Without a doubt, this is the best Chinese food I've found in the greater Portland area. I highly recommend the Sesame Shrimp - sometimes a special but never on the menu. If you like it spicy, tell them so. They have many great dishes and I've yet to get one that I thought outright sucked. If you're into Mu Shu, they have a top notch version. The service for the most part has always been good. The tropical drinks are standard Chinese Restaurant fare - A Mai Tai tastes prety much like a Scorpion tastes pretty much like a Zombie. I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates good Chinese. I've eaten at some great places in LA and in the greater New York area and Hunan Pearl is as close as I've gotten to Chinese food Nirvana in PDX.

• Pros: Great food and specialties
• Cons: Girl drinks all taste alike.

05/10/08

Will never go back.

by dfoster2 at Citysearch

I normally won't take the time to write a bad review, but my recent experience at Hunan Pearl was quite different from anything restaurant I have been to. I have been to Hunan Pearl, on several occasions before, but this last visit will be my last.

I took my family there recenlty for a lunch and we ordered several items from the menu. As we waited for our food, however, we noticed that some of the plates were greasy. We told the waiter and asked if we could get some clean(er) dishes. He responded by saying, much to our surprise, that all the dished were like that. I then said, "Maybe we should just leave." And, his response was, "If I was you, I wouldn't eat here, either." Wow! We promptly got up and went down the road to Wu's.

I know the waiter was not very good in his response, but the owner/manager never came over to us to find out why we were leaving. Poor, poor customer service - and, in today's world with food prices rising, that means as much as how good the food is, too.

05/09/08

Best Chinese in town

by niebry at Citysearch

Felt compelled to write a review because everytime we go for takeout the place is empty and I can't figure out why. Wife and I love this place, we're planning to get takeout tonight. Big fans of the Sesame Beef and Kung Pao Shrimp. We had friends over a month ago and they called it the best Chinese they have ever had. We agree!

07/30/07

Excellent Chinese food

by robert8 at Citysearch

My wife and I have been customers of Hunan Pearl for more than seven years. We travel to China often and know what great Chinese food tastes like. Hunan Pearl serves excellent food.

The menu is extensive. We love the large variety of flavors, whether it is spicy, hot, or both. They will, without hesitation, make many of the dishes to suit your taste. Whether you order beef, chicken, pork, or seafood, the meat is tender. Vegetables such as peas, beans, and asparagus retain the crispness one should expect. Many Chinese restaurants overcook everything. Hunan Pearl prepares and serves your meal fast and fresh. We have tried many of Hunan Pearl's offerings and have never received less than great tasting food.

The staff of Hunan Pearl are professional, friendly, and aim to please the customer. Whether you dress up or come in casual attire, you never feel out of place.

The prices are very reasonable. Whether it is lunch or dinner service, the meal portions are generous in size.

Of special note is that Hunan Pearl is kept extra neat and clean. An added bonus is the smoke-free environment.

One of the best Chinese restaurants in the Portland area, and probably the best on the west side.

05/28/07

Take Out

by julialoos at Citysearch

We have been a fan of this restaurant for many years ; but recently we ordered take out and the food fell far below expectation.

The prawns were dry and tough, and the General Tso's was not up to expectation.

04/10/07

Above average Chinese

by nudnik at Citysearch

I judge Chinese restaurants by their potstickers, hot/sour soup and General Tso's. Hunan Pearl gets good marks. In a strip mall in LO, the place was empty on a Friday night, so we approached with some trepidation. Potstickers were OK, maybe average. hot/sour soup was good, but not exceptional. But the General Tso's was excellent! At $10, there was not very much chicken, but the taste was great. Fried rice was adquate, but a crispy noodle dish was not vrey good. Soggy noodles, not many additions. And the service, while adequate also, was not anything great. Yes, I would go back, but not alot!