The Red Lantern

Finding good Chinese food in McKinney has been a struggle ever since I moved here seven years ago.  While I have found some halfway decent Chinese restaurants, I have not dined at any that I absolutely loved.  Recently, a fellow foodie posted a picture of their lunch at The Red Lantern.  It looked delicious and they gave it such high praise, so I decided that I must try this relatively new restaurant that specializes in Northwest Chinese cuisine.

Dining area with red lanterns above

Their menu is quite extensive and I actually had a hard time choosing what I wanted to order on my first visit.  I finally decided to start with the Chicken Pot Stickers and then have the Soup Noodle Combo for my main course.  The pot stickers were filled with shredded chicken and were perfectly cooked.  While I couldn't pinpoint the ingredients in the dipping sauce, it was very good as well.

Chicken Pot Stickers

For my Soup Noodle Combo, I ordered the Spicy Braised Beef Noodle Soup with a Spicy Chicken Stuffed Bun.    While the soup didn't have as much kick as I hoped, it was very flavorful and I can honestly say that it was the best Chinese noodle soup I have ever had.  The noodles were great, the soup stock was very flavorful, and the braised beef was of much better quality than one would expect from most Chinese restaurants.  The stuffed bun was exceptional as well and was much spicier than the soup.

Spicy Braised Beef Noodle Soup and Spicy Chicken Stuffed Bun

I enjoyed my first visit so much, that I actually returned two days later and ordered the Chicken Spring Rolls and the Urumqi Beef Fried Rice.  Although I am usually not a huge fan of spring rolls, the ones at The Red Lantern totally changed my outlook on what spring rolls should taste like.  They were the best I have ever had and I will certainly order these again on my next visit.

Chicken Spring Rolls

The Urumqi Beef Fried Rice lived up to the expectation set forth by the other items I have tried here.  The portion was very large and the beef was the same quality as the noodle soup I and tried on my previous visit.  Brown stir fried rice was served with eggs, onions, and braised beef.  This dish was basic, yet excellent, and had what tasted like a hint of ginger to it.  If I had one complaint, it would be that I would have preferred more of the beef mixed into the fried rice.

Urumqi Beef Fried Rice

The Red Lantern is certainly a welcome addition to the West-side McKinney restaurant scene.  This casual restaurant serves up the best Chinese food I have ever tried in McKinney and it is only a couple of minutes from my house.  I also found out that they make their own hand pulled noodles, which can be ordered with any noodle dish after 5 p.m.  Since everything I have tried so far has been top notch, I cannot wait to try some new dishes on my next visit. 

The Red Lantern
http://www.theredlanternexpress.com/index.html
Livin the Good Life Rating=4