In my humble opinion we don’t have an abundance of very good Chinese restaurants in the Central Florida/Orlando area. When I have PF Changs as one of my top 5 Chinese places on my list that says something.  Honestly I do like PF Changs and really respect their Asian food and usually the service is consistent. But where are the very good local Chinese places?  One which I like is Eastern Pearl located in Altamonte Springs.

Eastern Pearl is a place to find good Chinese food. This restaurant is located across the street from the Altamonte Mall. EP has been around for many years. This tells me they are doing something right.

The interior is elegant in design and most of the furniture was imported from China. The Lazy Susan tables make the food enjoyable and easy to share.  The culture of the restaurant makes you really feel like you are in China especially with the Waterfall back drops and waterfall sounds. Nice Chinese ambience and setting to eat your Chinese meal.  The menu has your typical Chinese favorites.

I started with Hot & Sour Soup $3.75. The soup was good and it had the right amount of heat and spice on this day.  The Hot & Sour soup was a good starter. I also tried the shrimp roll (2) $3.25. Just your basic egg rolls. Nothing fancy but decent.

On this visit I tried the Pork Lo Mein (lunch special) with white rice on the side. The Pork Lo Mein consisted of julienne pork strips, fresh sliced vegetables, all stir fried in a good seasoned soy based sauce. Just a good dish of lo mein!   They also give you plenty, enough to share.  

The next visit I tried the Chicken with Black Bean Sauce. This dish did not disappoint. The spiced julienne chicken was very tender, with many fresh vegetables like onions, peppers, mushrooms, and salted black beans which make the dish.  This dish was well-balanced and had the right Chinese seasonings fully involved.  Good dish!

IN ADDITION: On all occasions I found the wait staff to be polite and super efficient.  Plenty of parking is available. Easy place to get in and out of for lunch or it’s a place you can take your time and not feel rushed.

If you have any other good suggestions on great Chinese food in our area please drop me a line. BTW looking forward to trying Hawkers Asian Street Fare soon!

Eastern Pearl

 478 E. Altamonte Dr

 Altamonte Springs, Fl 32701

Ph # 407-339-8877 website www.easternpearlrestaurant.com