Also notable is the large menu of Chinese items that I will not even try to list. This restaurant is quite different from the suburban Chinese places that specialize in sweet and sour and General Tsou's chicken. First Chinese B-B-Q had an "American" menu which I mistakenly believed would be prepared in the traditional Chinese style, and Golden Phoenix has a few of these dishes. Golden Phoenix's menu, though, concentrates on the type of food that would be found in many "Chinatown" restaurants in large cities with substantial Asian populations. Most of these authentic restaurants specialize in one particular aspect of Chinese food. In the case of Golden Phoenix, the specialty would have to be Chinese barbecue.

It is somewhat unfortunate that the term "barbecue" is used for several types of meat served here and in other Chinese restaurants. Oklahoma, one of the few states where American barbecue that is worthy of the term is widely available, has its own concept of this cooking technique. Chinese barbecue shares the technique of slow cooking the meat, but the meat can be anything from pork ribs to duck. The smallest portions served at Golden Phoenix are a half duck or chicken, except for some steamed rice dishes that come with individual portions of duck and other meats.

I learned that there are two chefs at the restaurant, one Chinese and one Vietnamese. Vietnamese specials are advertised, but the menu seems to be Chinese except for a section of bun noodle dishes and Vietnamese family dinners with items such as fish in clay pot and salt and pepper squid. The advertised dinners can feed 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 persons.

Clay pot dishes are available, but I believe more types of dinners can be served than the few that are listed on the menu (First Chinese B-B-Q had them listed on a special sign that was displayed). Since these are some of my favorites, I asked for a tofu and mixed vegetable hot pot dish. The first time I tried to order it I ended up getting another dish, Rice Noodle with Vegetable Hot Pot, with tofu added. This dish had very little sauce, and what little was there was absorbed by the noodles. The clear rice noodles provided the bulk of the dish, with the vegetables and tofu mixed in. Even though it was not what I was expecting, the flavor was about as enjoyable as any of the hot pot dishes I have tried.

When I did get the dish I wanted, the Vegetable and Bean Curd Hot Pot, it had very good tofu, vegetables, and sauce, but I thought could have used some ginger. It was more expensive than other ones in the city, and it makes sense that a restaurant specializing in barbecue would not serve my favorite vegetarian dishes. It did contain the more expensive shitake mushrooms, but I would have liked it just as well with something else.

Pan Fried Noodles was recommended as an authentic dish from the Chinese chef's home region of Canton, and consisted of a wreath of crispy noodles around the edge that resembled a bird's nest with the customer's choice of meats and vegetables on top. Mine had a light brown sauce, and was thoroughly enjoyable. This one had a larger portion of noodles than others served in Oklahoma City, but they did not scrimp on the vegetables. It would not be advisable to attend a business meeting after eating this delicacy, however, since a heavy garlic flavoring is a key component to its essence.

Flat noodles with beef and vegetables

Several types of Chinese noodles are served, in addition to the Vietnamese bun. Beef Flat Noodles was a delicious dish with a large assortment of vegetables mixed in with tender sliced beef. There are so many noodle dishes served I think it will take some experimentation to find the best ones.

Lunch specials were served at First Chinese B-B-Q, but I am not sure of their status at Golden Phoenix. Some of the lunch dishes, such as the Shredded Chicken with Garlic Sauce, did not seem to showcase the restaurant's best cooking. The egg roll served at lunch was forgettable. The hot and sour soup was good but not exceptional.

The jasmine tea brewed with loose leaves was excellent, and if I remember correctly was served "on the house."

First Chinese B-B-Q had a large selection of bubble teas, but since my first visit to Golden Phoenix was in the winter I was not looking to see if they are still served.

If you are ready for some of the more authentic and unusual Chinese dishes, this seems to be one of the best places to try them. I have found most of the food to be thoroughly enjoyable (but it may be best to ask for recommendations to make sure you are ordering one of the chef's best dishes). The prices are cheap enough to experiment with different dishes if you can make several visits.