China 1 Cafe

We tried this tonight because we received their menu in the mail. I liked the fact that they offer kids meals. My daughter’s chicken lo mein was delicious and a large portion for a kids size. I ordered the orange chicken dinner combo with fried rice. Blah. My chicken was dried out and the rice has like no flavor. The crab rangoon had green onion and was tasty. The combo portion is about half the size for around the same price as the other Chinese restaurants we’ve tried out. I’d go back for the chicken lo mein, but the rice is a deal breaker for me. Oh, and they’re also the only Chinese restaurant we’ve tried that would not sub hot and sour soup for the crab rangoon and egg roll.

After hearing from relatives about this place and reading some early reviews, I was curious about the handwritten «chinese» menu that you have to ask for and how well it compares to other authentic places. In my opinion, the dishes here are pretty good and this menu deserves some more exploring as there is definitely a different angle of chinese food here.
We visited this place on a not very busy Sunday afternoon, so we had a little more attention and very good service. From our window booth table, the décor of the place was simple with one big flat screen showing the CCTV channel. You can also see that other authentic chinese across the street. We were curious and hungry so we ordered a few dishes: the Abalone Slice, Deep Fried Pork Ribs With Spicy Salt, and Chinese Broccoli (water spinach was out of season). We also ordered later Coconut Shrimp and Mongolian Beef to go.
The Abalone Slice dish was simply exquisite with tender thin slices of a big abalone over chinese brocoli and a succulent sauce. It is an slightly indulgent dish that is set at market price. The pork ribs we thought was a fairly generous portion, but note that battered and deep fried ribs doesn’t mean boneless ribs. The broccoli had a different and darker sauce than I am used to seeing, which gave it a heavier, richer flavor. One criticism would be that it could have been cut up a little more so that us carpal tunnel chop stick holders can pick it up easier. The coconut shrimp that we took home has this white mayo-​like sauce, which makes it suprisingly good. The mongolian beef also had good quality tender beef and a lot of onions.
Bottomline, try this place out, but ask to see the chinese menu. Definitely some dishes you won’t find any where else.

It seems there is a rush of new Chinese restaurants in the OP area lately. This is another one that really doesn’t do anything to differentiate itself from the others.
The positives: The food came out quickly and had good flavor (also see negatives). Nothing spectacular but nothing bad. We had lunch combos and all of us were plenty full. The crab rangoon appetizers were good. Not the best but about what you’d expect. The chicken on a stick appetizer was awesome! Very hot, very fresh, great flavor. Better than any at a buffet.
The negatives: The hot and sour soup was some of the spiciest I’ve ever had… but it only burned my lips, not my throat which is kinda odd. The fried wonton skins that come with it were actually cold so they were obviously leftovers. Why not fry up a fresh batch?
Our biggest gripe, and reason for 3 stars instead of 4, is the order that the food was brought out. We got our soups which were followed shortly by our entrees. Then 3 – 4 minutes later we got the crab rangoon. Then 3 – 4 minutes after that we got the chicken skewers.
We’ll probably go back because it’s good food and it’s close. Plus I really want to try their Dragon & Phoenix (jumbo shrimp and general tso chicken together)

If you are looking for authentic Chinese cuisines, China 1 Café is the place to go. Through WOM, we discovered this newly opened restaurant; appears simple but clean, owners are Hong Kong natives which is why their interior decorations bring along some foreign land vibes. The wall menu (off the American menu) consists popular Chinese dishes you can find throughout major Chinese attraction regions from sweet and savory to spicy.
We will for sure become regulars from now on — cannot wait to try out the Peking duck next and lobster (you must reserve a day ahead to ensure freshness, yes they are big on quality)!!

GREAT food, AWESOME service. A hidden treasure in Overland Park!!! Best Rangoon’s ever and the sauces are the best we have ever had. You can dine in my r carry out. The owners are extremely kind.

I’m hovering between 3 and 4 stars for China 1. The interior of the restaurant is simple and clean. There is a counter for carryout and tables with table service. During our first visit, we ordered off the regular menu (not knowing there was an authentic menu) and the food was fairly forgettable. I was also not happy that they don’t offer regular ice tea. It just seems odd that any restaurant in the Midwest would serve sweet tea only. How hard is it to brew up a pitcher of plain old tea?
At our second visit, we asked for the authentic menu. It is handwritten and photocopied in Chinese with English translations. There are no descriptions, just the name of the dish. The hubby and I ordered the abalone and the wine-​preserved ribs. The abalone was fabulous! If you’ve never had it before, you should really give it a try. It has a nice light flavor and a smooth texture. The ribs were too bony (some of the tiny bits of bone had not meat on them at all) and a bit on the dry side, although the overall flavor was nice.
Service is pleasant, but a bit disjointed. At our last visit, we had 3 different people at our table. We will definitely return for more abalone and perhaps to sample some other items from the authentic menu. China 1 definitely has potential. I’m really hopeful that they’ll live up to it.

i just spent 40 dollars and waited for over an hour for the worst Chinese food I’ve ever had. its a small place. The fried rice was so hard and crunchy It almost seemed raw. wont be back again!!!

tiny place, went there once and not gonna back again. Foods were not as good as I expected. I am a fan of both egg drop and hot & sour soup, but me and my friend didn’t like both of it, taste pretty thick and the egg drop I had was lack of flavor. Gen. Tso’s chicken’s sauce was too light also the cheese inside of the crab Rangoon was kinda sour, don’t know why! I will just keep searching for other Chinese places!

I’ve been waiting for this place to finally open up. It’s a small place, but clean and comfortable.
I did a lunch combo: Triple Delight (choice of rice; egg roll or crab Rangoon; egg drop or hot & sour soup) I added an order of crab rangoon.
It’s a small portion, but bad for the price. I wasn’t a fan of the eggroll. It seemed to only contain cabbage. The veggies in the entrée were a little chunky for my taste, especially the celery.