1. Hot and sour soup
Golden Bowl (right): The weird, reddish soup tastes like someone accidentally dropped a jar of pickled bamboo shoots in the pot. It overpowers just about everything in there. (B120)
Fortune Cookie: More like a soupy version of mapo tofu (Spicy Sichuan-style tofu.) Despite a heavy acidity and sourness, some tasters called this mild and comforting. (B128.40) (BK PICK!)
Verdict: Skip the soup
2. Deep-fried rolls
Golden Bowl (left): These look and taste pretty similar to Thai-style spring rolls, filled with glass noodles and bits of pork and vegetables, only the layers of pastry are considerably thicker. (B95) (BK PICK!)
Fortune Cookie: This chunky, oversized roll is greasy and comes with a weird taste from both the egg-covered, tortilla-like shell and stir-fried veggie filling. One bite and we had to put it down. (B74.90)
Verdict: No contest
3. Beef chow mein
Golden Bowl (right): The thin noodles come overcooked to the point they’re mushy in your mouth. Despite the visible presence of lots and lots of beef, the taste here is simply salty with only the subtlest hint of beansprout. (B170)
(NO VERDICT!)
Fortune Cookie: We’d love to tell you about the beef chow mein, but something went wrong with our order. Despite the winning noodles—thicker, perfectly cooked—our box came with no beef whatsoever. Checking the receipt, turns out we got the veggie chow mein. D’oh! (B267.50 beef / B214 vegetarian)
Verdict: Use your noodle; add some meat
4. Fried rice
Golden Bowl (right): Good ol’ comforting fried rice with nothing but egg and a few peas. A little boring, yes, but it tastes just as it does in the UK, our resident Brit assures us. It does come at a very friendly price, too. (B60) (BK PICK!)
Fortune Cookie: This fried rice features traces of Chinese-style roast pork, onion and those three “mixed vegetables” musketeers: corn, carrot and green peas. The flavors are satisfying, but not enough to see it win this round. (B187.25)
Verdict: We’ve got no beef with this meat-free option
5. Kung Pao chicken
Golden Bowl (right): This colorful stir-fry comes spiked with chili, making for one sweat-inducing dish. However, the dry, cubed chicken breast won’t appeal to fans of fattier, more tender meat. (B180) (BK PICK!)
Fortune Cookie: This one features more assorted veggies and nuts. Comparatively mellow, nothing really stands out flavor-wise except for the chicken, which is more tender than its competitor—just a shame about that sauce. (B214)
Verdict: We like our chicken spicy
6. Sweet and sour chicken
Golden Bowl (right): Though the dry chicken breast comes hidden inside a doughy batter, this gooey, red-tinted dish is packed with spices and good stir-fry notes. We only wish it weren’t so teeth-shatteringly sweet. (B170) (BK PICK!)
Fortune Cookie: In contrast, this is some very, very tender chicken thigh here. But the whole dish is, well, bland, with neither the sweetness nor the sourness we were promised. (B214)
Verdict: Life is sweeter in the UK
Overall Verdict: Looking for authentic Chinese? Steer clear of Golden Bowl and Fortune Cookie. Both have their charm, starting with Fortune Cookie’s classic Chinese takeout boxes (the stuff of American sitcom legend). Whether American or British, there’s enough diversity here to have both delivery services on your speed dial for those nights in when you’re craving all things greasy, sweet and spicy.
Essentials
