Delivery, Bo Fung Chinese

6810 Gravois Ave
St Louis, MO 63116

So much can go wrong so fast in the category of Chinese “fast food” (I consider most Chinese delivery to be fast food). To come to a new area and choose Chinese delivery on a whim can be a nightmare. It was for me.

But this isn’t that nightmare. The nightmare was China King, and it came in the form of gelatinous nasty. It made my fiancée sick for days. Eat at your own risk. I won’t review the place.

We were much more careful with our second delivery purchase: Bo Fung came recommended by several online sites (UrbanSpoon being one of them), and it had some strong reviews.

I liked it because I get a free order of crab rangoon when I spend 16 bucks, and the rangoon is ogod good. Yes. I made a new word by mistyping good. Ogod. And that’s exactly what I said when I ate it. Sweet-crispy, never stale, the rangoon is worth the extra purchases. And, alternatively, the purchases are worth making.

While these two make strange bedfellows, hoisin and soy sauce is interchangeable, which makes them equals in my book.

One small caveat to the previous statement: the first time buying food from here I ordered something called a St. Paul sandwich, which is apparently native to St. Louis (much like the Horseshoe is native to Springfield, IL). It’s a white bread sandwich with a layer of mayo, lettuce (romaine), and chop suey, along with whatever addition you’d like, protein or otherwise: chicken, beef, pork, tofu, mixed vegetables, etc. Jury’s still out on this one. It’s complex and a little strange, but at the same time, it’s 2.50 for a sandwich, so I can’t complain about the price.

Maybe I just don’t like chop suey.

Onward. My brother has a process he uses when buying food for the first time, and although his palate is much more tame than mine (his favorite dish is Chicken Newburg), he has a solid way of comparing Chinese: he orders General Tso’s chicken. Then, he orders it a second time in the future. If they are both consistently good, to his liking, and similar in taste both times, he branches out.

I found myself doing the same. The first time I ordered, I went with orange chicken and General Tso’s chicken (yes, the name is capitalized, even though it’s a mistranslation of “ancestral meeting hall chicken”). While this food can’t compare to some top-notch Chinese I’ve eaten in the past, it’s certainly in the top delivery. The chicken was moist, not dry, with a strong orange flavor (for orange chicken, of course).

General Tso’s is a little more complex. I can’t say I understand the flavor, but I believe it’s a kind of duck sauce. It was steaming hot, mixed with some steamed broccoli. I unfortunately ate it all before I could take a picture. Apologies. My two times ordering General Tso’s were perfectly flavored and missing all that crunchy gristle that China King made so unpopular in my mouth. I’d order it again and, dare I say, recommend it to my brother.

I also ordered some pot stickers, which came with a hoisin sauce that popped its flavor cherry all over my mouth. Delicious.

Finally, as a curious person by nature, I ordered an incredible bowl of fried wonton soup: strong broth with a guaranteed four wontons in every bowl, I was thrilled by the consideration given to its prep and presentation. I recommend everyone try this soup.

I recommend anyone order from here.

Oh, and the lo mein noodle dish is to die for. In fact, I’m going to order some right now.