In a world filled with a sea of dining options, little compares with going out to eat with family and friends.  According to Leslie Goldman of Women’s Health, Goldman states that 43 percent of people eat out.

When going out to dinner, Chinese food is almost always a top contender. With classics such as sweet and sour chicken and egg drop soup, it can be hard to decide what to order and where to go.  After all, Spoon University Author Tyra Wu states that The Chinese American Restaurant Association says there are more than 40,000 chinese restaurants in the United States.

With the amount and appeal of chinese restaurants, I decided to put them to the test.

 I decided to try out the two different chinese restaurants in Neenah that are not buffet style restaurants, but more of a dine-in or carry-out style.  I took a look at the overall feel of the restaurant, cost, taste, service and the variety of menu items.

I ordered the same menu items in the same sizes at both restaurants with both restaurants located on South Commercial Street in Neenah. 

The first restaurant I decided to try was New Dynasty. This is a dine-in or carry-out type of restaurant, that claims to have: “A wide array of authentic chinese food.”

Walking in the door, I began to notice that it was dark and dingy, with limited seating in the restaurant. The service was quick, as I walked in the door, the food was ready. 

After walking into the restaurant, I realized that I did not want to eat inside because of the dark room and non-inviting atmosphere, so I got it to go instead.

Once I got home, my taste tester and I began to dig in. I ordered shrimp with vegetables, sweet and sour chicken,  egg drop soup, and two egg rolls.

The total came to $22. 

Starting with the the chicken, it was chewy, and it had way too much breading on it. Although, the chicken delivered a sweet, sticky red sauce, which tasted great.

The egg drop soup was smooth and hot, and it had good flavor, with lots of pieces of egg inside of the soup.

The shrimp with vegetables on the other hand, was a different story.  Unfortunately, the shrimp and vegetables were coated in a thick teriyaki sauce, which was overpowering; thus it was hard to taste the shrimp and vegetables though all of the sauce.

A good addition to the meal was the egg rolls. They were crisp, had good flavors and were loaded with different vegetables. 

Bao Ju, claiming to have ”Authentic Chinese and Mandarin cuisine” was quite accurate after visiting that restaurant.

Walking through the door, my taste tester and I were immediately greeted with a smile, and brought to the table.

The tables were elegantly dressed with clean, white tablecloths, as well as shiny glass stem-wear. 

We were brought out menus, which had plenty of choices to satisfy anybody. 

Egg drop soup was brought out quickly, which made for fast, efficient service. The soup was included with the meal at Bao Ju, versus and add on item at New Dynasty.

Enjoying the soup, we ordered the same menu items as new dynasty.

The sweet and sour chicken had just the right amount of coating on it, and it was cooked well. The dish included fresh vegetables, and pineapple, which complemented the chicken well. The chicken was also smothered in a sticky red sauce, which tasted quite good.

After we tried the chicken, we tried the shrimp with vegetables. 

The shrimp was cooked perfectly — long enough so it was not tough and chewy. The vegetables were tender, but not so tender that they fell apart. The shrimp and vegetables were coated in a clear, white sauce. The sauce did not have as much flavor as the sauce at New Dynasty, but it was tasty nonetheless.

The total at Bao Ju came to $25.75 with tax.

After eating at both of the restaurants, I have reached a few conclusions. 

To start, I noticed that both of these restaurants are dine-in, or carryout, which gives a nice option for people.

Both restaurants had a wide array of menu options.

When looking at the atmosphere inside the restaurant, I have reached the conclusion that Bao Ju has a clean, inviting and classy atmosphere with great service.

Even though New Dynasty was cheaper, Bao Ju was only $3.75 more than New Dynasty. I felt that the food, as well as service was better, so I am fine with paying a little more for a better experience. 

The award for best chinese restaurant goes to Bao Ju, as the atmosphere and the food were much better for the price.