Great China

We don't seem to get out to eat a lot of Chinese food - Grant has Vietnamese food quite a bit, but otherwise, we're severely lacking. But I really liked the last place we tried - Great China - so I'm already looking forward to a return visit to try more of their tasty food.

Located at 8569 Hickman Road in Urbandale (in the Cobblestone Market), Great China is family owned and operated and has been around since 1988. It features a very nice casual atmostphere and a huge menu - plus, tons of experience in the kitchen means you'll get a great meal every time.

Like I said, the menu is extensive, so you'll want to give yourself some time to page through it - so you should definitely order one of the several fun polynesian cocktails they offer! Grant had a Suffering Bastard and I went with the always delicious Mai Tai.

It was hard to pick just one appetizer from the list of favorites like Satay Beef, Spareribs Cantonese, and Siu Mai, but we decided to order the Pot Stickers. A great choice, as these were cooked perfectly and stuffed full of ground pork and vegetables. They were nice and crispy and the sauce is amazing.

During lunch hours Great China offers a 3 course lunch special that comes with the soup of the day, fried rice and a side of chicken wing and egg roll. And the lunch specials start at only $5.20 - a fabulous deal. I had the egg drop soup - hot and creamy, with crispy won ton on top - very good. The egg rolls are also nice and crispy, and stuffed with lots of filling.

Grant chose the won ton soup to go with his meal. Full of flavor and lots of won tons, the broth they make here is top notch.

For my entree, I had Pork with Scallions. Served with crispy rice noodles on top, the dish has a great sauce, very rich and creamy. The big pieces of pork are tender and flavorful and there are lots of scallions to add that excellent onion flavor. Two big thumbs up on this dish.

While there are all of the usual Chinese favorites featured on Great China's menu, they do have a interesting 'Chef Specialties' section where you'll find some unique dishes. Beef, prawns, scallops - there is a nice variety of new tastes to try.

Grant chose the Two-Flavor Lamb from this menu. It featured two different lamb dishes - one hot and spicy, the other mild and delicate. He really enjoyed both as he finished this whole plate - he loves lamb and said it was very nice to taste lamb in Asian cuisine. Another winner!

Our server was very good, even though the restaurant was very busy and she had lots of tables to take care of - she gave us plenty of time to look at the menu, was very helpful in answering questions on different dishes, and it was just a pleasant experience all around. We were very happy with the service at Great China.

We're definitely planning a return visit to Great China - there were so many things on the menu that we still want to try. Plus, they have this super cool Buddha in the lobby!

If you're looking for some excellent Chinese in the greater DSM area, you won't be disappointed in Great China. Stop in the next time you're in Urbandale - just give yourself plenty of time to enjoy all they offer. We'll be back soon!

Great China

8569 Hickman Road
Urbandale, IA 50322

515.270.1688

Hours

Tuesday - Thursday  11:00am - 9:00pm
Friday - Saturday  11:00am - 10:00pm
Sunday Brunch  11:15am - 2:30pm
Sunday Dinner  2:30pm - 9:00pm
Closed Mondays

For menus and more information, visit Great China's website here.