The China Kitchen in Paitilla

Paitilla’s China Kitchen

An appreciation of the hot stuff

by Eric Jackson

This incurable culinary sinophile has no superlatives to spin this time. However, I do have something nice to say, because when I don't I just won't review the establishment in question.

What used to be the Expreso Jade --- the carryout and delivery-oriented Chinese place behind Popeye’s in the Galeria Punta Paitilla --- has just changed its name and I believe its management. It's now the China Kitchen. Nevertheless, it still uses the old menu with a few items highlighted in red and I recently lunched on one of these, the Szechuan-style chicken, along with the vegetarian egg rolls.

What impressed me was that this place, unlike the norm in Panama’s capital, produces some picante stuff that’s not entirely toned down for the bland capitalino mainstream palate. No, you can’t numb your mouth with this meal sufficiently to feel no pain in oral surgery, but yes, this is a pleasingly hot and spicy way to do Chinese carryout. The egg rolls were nice and crispy, neither soggy nor too greasy, and tasty as well.

They call it “American-style Chinese Food,” to distinguish it from the well-established Panamanian variety of the Middle Kingdom’s cuisine. It sort of lives up to that billing, though there was no hot mustard to go with the sweet and sour eggroll dipping sauce. But anyway, isn’t the hot mustard something Hong Kong/British rather than American in origin?

Another plus for this place is that they package and deliver your order such that it’s hot but not overheated into mush. The textures don’t match those in Panama’s fanciest sit-down Chinese restaurants, but they are better than most carryout and delivery alternatives.

Anyway, if you find yourself in Paitilla and want to order some spicy Chinese food to be delivered --- General Tso’s chicken; Kung Pao shrimp or chicken; curried shrimp, chicken or beef; buffalo wings; wantons with ajonjoli sauce; or Szechuan-style tofu, chicken or beef --- then dial 215-2323 and let the China Kitchen cook and bring this meal to you.

(And understand that the things highlighted in red are only a minority of the items on the menu, so you can order most of the other Chinese-American standards instead. Moreover, it's not entirely carry-out and delivery, so you can sit down and eat there as well.)

dining