Chow's Chinese Restaurant is definitely one of Oklahoma City's best sources for authentic Chinese food, with a wide variety of dishes at reasonable prices and many items not found at any other restaurant in OKC. Situated in a somewhat unlikely location away from OKC's "Asian District" in a nondescript building across the street from the high school I attended so many years ago, there is little on the outside to distinguish it from the typical suburban Chinese restaurant.

The menu reads like many found in large city "Chinatown" Chinese restaurants, with a large selection of fish, duck, meat, noodles, soup, and even casserole (hot pot) dishes. Most dishes are Hong Kong style, with a few spicy items available. The "familiar" dishes, such as orange chicken, can be ordered, and are better than most. The great opportunity in going to Chow's, though, especially if you have to travel a good distance to get here, is to be adventurous. The menu gives English explanations of all items, and even a Vietnamese translation of everything listed. Specials are also listed on a board that changes daily, and you can also ask if there is anything special that is available.

It is always a benefit to me when I can observe what the staff chooses to eat, since this gives an indication of special food that might be available, or something on the menu that I have not yet tried. On my initial visit I viewed the remains of a fish on the "staff table," and was informed that it was a flounder that came from the Gulf of Mexico and was being served as a special. While this may not be a traditional Chinese fish, it promised to be fresh, and was prepared Chinese style as Flounder with Ginger and Scallion Sauce. The fish is prepared either steamed or fried, but the waitress suggested that I try it fried. The whole flounder was covered with a delicious seasoned crust, and the brown sauce with ginger and scallions was served on the side. The flounder itself was probably as good as fish I have eaten on Padre Island, and the sauce was equally excellent. I found that parts of the fish were better plain (including the fins, which the waitress suggested I eat as a "good source of calcium"), while the white meat was good with the sauce. Overall it was a top-notch Chinese dish, with every bite being delicious (and eating the fins is optional).

Several varieties of fish are available, and anything that passes the chef's freshness and taste test makes it onto the menu as a regular dish, one of the specials, or a "verbal special" that the wait staff will be glad to explain. A Vietnamese farm-grown Hammerhead has been added as a regular item. This was a mild tasting fish that was indistiguishable to me from the "Vietnamese catfish" I have been served in other restaurants. The chef prepares it either stir-fried or steamed. The stir-fried version I tried had such a delicious sauce it did not matter that the fish was somewhat lacking in flavor (the fish was also lacking the normal "fishy flavor" found in many Oklahoma restaurants).

Steamed sea bass with ginger and scallion

Steamed Sea Bass with Ginger and Scallion (pictured above) was the most satisfying of the fish dinners I have tried in terms of preparation, but was the least satisfying in terms of the flavor of the fish. This fish tasted like it had been frozen, as is the case with most fish I try in Oklahoma. The sauce, though, made me think that nothing better could be found in any Hong Kong seafood restaurant.

Fish maw soup with crab meat

Fish Maw Soup is one of the healthier seafood dishes, with a flavor and texture that will be apprieciated by those who enjoy some of the more exotic Chinese food. I probably would not care much for fish maw served plain, but it is delicious in the soup (this is one of the better versions of fish maw soup I have tried).

Fresh oysters

Fresh Oysters were a "verbal special," and are available when the ones at the market are of a sufficiently good quality to be served. Personally I did not care for them quite as much as the fish maw soup, but I suspect the opposite would be the case with most people (these oysters were quite good!). The sauce makes them even better.

Vegetable bean curd hot pot

One of my tests for a Chinese restaurant is the Fried Tofu with Vegetable Hot Pot. The fact that Chow's even offered it was a major plus for the restaurant, but the one here was probably as enjoyable as most I have eaten on the west coast. The sauce was delicious, and was probably the best part of the dish. The tofu was excellent--a critical element for me. Whole garlic cloves were included, probably one of the factors making this an outstanding dish. I think the one at Dot Wo in Edmond is probably better, but this one was quite good.

Pan fried noodles

Chicken Pan Fried Noodles served as one of my ventures into authentic Hong Kong style noodle dishes. Chow's served it on top of crispy egg noodles (rice noodles may also be ordered) that became soft when exposed to the white sauce poured over the top. The chicken white meat was excellent, and the vegetables tasted as if they had been lightly stir-fried. This dish excited the taste buds as well as the other senses, with the crispy noodles providing a pleasing texture in both the crunchy and soft state, and the entire dish offering interesting flavor contrasts. I found the white sauce to be one of the best I have ever experienced, and worthy of ordering just to see what white sauce can become when prepared by competent chefs.

Spare ribs with black bean sauce

For a substantial meat dish Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce is a good choice, with the pork ribs being slow cooked for extra tenderness.

Hot and sour soup

Large bowls of soup at Chows make a good meal, but the soups traditionally served as appetizers are good as well. A case in point is the Hot and Sour Soup that had all the complexity I associate with good versions of the soup.

Thanks very much to Boogie Y, who wrote and suggested that I visit Chow's and review it as a public service to Chinese food aficionados (from the outside I probably would not have been very encouraged to try it). Boogie suggests trying the Crab Meat with Fish Maw Soup, Shrimp with Snow Pea, Beef with Green Onion, and Steamed Chicken with Ginger Scallion. I do not think a person can go very far wrong, though, with anything that is served.