Empire Szechuan

A reason to stop by the take-out eateries may be their convenient location close to your home or office, or maybe they have speedy service and deliver orders quickly, or their food just plain tastes good. For the fans of Empire Szechuan, they count themselves lucky to have found a restaurant which possesses all these qualities at an affordable price.

Situated in suburban Orlando, it is easily accessible to passers-by. Empire Szechuan joined the neighborhood in 2001, before competition reached current levels.     Known for its mainly Chinese American take-out, Jimmy Poon, the owner prides himself on healthy dining over everything else.

Patrons may find this mom and pop eatery abuzz with the sounds of phones ringing off the hook and the staff running around, busily preparing and packing orders. You might hear the yelling of orders from the kitchen, especially during peak dining hours. To buffer the massive influx of orders during lunchtime, Mr. Poon came up with an idea: launch a buffet during lunchtime. On the buffet bar, there are a host of choices: flavorful entrées with chicken, beef and pork compositions, hearty soup, and also mouthwatering appetizers. Try their lunch specials and choose from a selection of three items served with Pork Fried Rice priced at only $ 7. 

It is a wise measure to take. Due to the busy lifestyle of Empire’s customers, they are too busy to wait and have lunch for one hour or more, and therefore are looking for a quick way to get their lunch without sacrificing too much on taste. The Orlando Sentinel mentioned in an article how Empire’s lunch buffet was an innovative measure, which helped extend the word of mouth. 

At Empire Szechuan, customers dig into some of the trademark dishes: General Tso’s Chicken, Lo Mein, Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Sesame Chicken. Of course one must also account for the skilled chefs and how they are able to whip up sauces that immaculately combine with the food to transform ordinary into extraordinary. As is known that Chinese cuisine requires a perfect combination of color, aroma, taste and presentation, owner and chef Mr. Poon brings out New York style Chinese food with a twist. Orlando residents seem to have a preference for light food because of the sweltering summers.

Among a wealth of popular dishes, Broccoli Beef, Singapore Mei Fun, and Chicken with Cashew Nuts outshine the rest. These dishes are delicately prepared, and verified healthy by Health Dining, a professional nutrition analysis agency. Healthy Dining has joined hands with Chinese restaurants to promote adding healthier fare to their menus. Empire Szechuan is one of those Chinese restaurants that have joined the cause, in the interest of trying to bring more healthy alternatives to the community.

One such alternative is using “healthy methods” to prepare Broccoli Beef. The secret is to cook the broccoli until it is crisp yet tender. Add in juicy beef, then blanch the broccoli, before stir frying the beef. The chef uses top notch beef, and seasons it with his secret homemade sauce.

“Our Broccoli Beef is so delicious that most customers consider it a perfect fit for their palates,” says Mr. Poon.

Aside from traditional offerings, you can find a few adaptations of classic versions of authentic Chinese as well. Singapore Mei Fun goes down without a hitch. The secret to the enduring recipe is the rice noodles. Only an expert chef is able to keep the noodles from getting too soft or glutinous. Mr. Poon goes beyond that, offering diners at Empire his own special take on this dish. This dish layers an elegant flavor-forward blend of thin rice noodles, shrimp, roast pork, and whisked egg, and then is garnished with sliced celeries, onions and slivers of red and green peppers. The intoxicating curry delivers a pungent hint to the dish which flirts with the taste buds, making every bite a sensual encounter. Some customers even drive up to two hours to sample the Singapore Mei Fun at Empire Szechuan.

Chicken with Cashew Nuts is another dish that well embodies the essence of Chinese cuisine, yet is prepared American style. The cashew nuts are well chosen and stir fried with chicken slices, water chestnuts, baby corn, mushroom, and carrots. The later garnish of broccoli complements the color, flavor and the nutrients values as well.

“To eat healthy means to have a balanced meal, our restaurant tries to offer such meals,” says Mr. Poon.

As a take-out restaurant, the impeccable food is obviously essential to the restaurant’s success. But the restaurant also needs efficient service to keep competitive in today’s challenging market. Food is served within ten minutes of an order being placed. The staff members at Empire Szechuan are well trained to offer amiable and efficient service and provide unparalleled customer service.

 

Location: 341 N Orange Ave. Orlando, FL 32801-1600
Phone: 407-839-1236
Offers: Takeouts
Cuisine: Americanized Chinese cuisine
Year of establishment: 2001