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| - I love this place! One of the more unique culinary concepts I have ever encountered - a brash fusion of Chinese and Mexican cuisines. And wow, is it ever tasty!
So we were watching the TripleD show on Food Network and Chino Bandido was featured - the moment we were aware that this place was within driving distance, we hopped in the car and headed there; may have arrived before the show even ended! From what I saw, I just had to try it out; and now we have a new favourite eatery.
First the negative - why I can't give a full 5 stars. The interior of the restaurant blends well with the ghetto neighbourhood - the place is a filthy dive! While I typically enjoy most dives, my only real gripe was that the tables were so unclean that I had to make a place-mat with the paper napkins so that my cutlery would touch a clean surface. The interior definitely activated my OCD. I wouldn't be surprised if some first-timers simply walked out after looking around the dining area - it has the pleasantness of a prison lunchroom. I will say that one aspect I liked was that the condiment/cutlery station included chopsticks and Chinese mustard. A big plus for me.
But...once you taste the food, the concerns of the divey interior are washed away with gastronomical gratification.
The ordering process can seem daunting at first - they have a sheet you fill out and it can get quite complicated. Basically they offer two sizes of "rice bowls" - which is basically a bowl that they fill with: different types of fried rice, two types of Mexican beans, and your choice of entree meat. I believe they have about 15 different entree selections, from chicken to pork to beef and some are Chinese (like Emerald Chicken) and some are Mexican (like Beef Machaca). The larger combination bowl allows you to select 2 different entree items for $8. You can just get everything in a bowl, or you can make it either a burrito or quesadilla (they have their own tortilla recipe!), or combine it within the rice bowl itself. Sounds complicated, but once you try it it will seem simple the next time you go,
My wife got: plain rice in a bowl with black beans, Jen Red Pork, and Chile Relleno. She said that it may just be the best chile relleno she has ever had! We both definitely recommend the black beans over the refried beans.
I got: Pork Fried Rice bowl, with refried beans, a Chinese BBQ Pork burrito, and also the Jen Red Pork. The pork fried rice was great - they do great things with pork there. Again, I would recommend the black beans over the refried beans. The Chinese BBQ Pork tasted good, but it was bit too fatty - but wrapped in a tortilla as a burrito, it was still pretty darn fantastic. And then the Jen Red Pork - wow! so good. Perfectly crispy and bite-sized for chopstick use, with just the right amount of heat behind it. I absolutely loved it, and would order it again and again. Word on the street is that the Jade Red Chicken is the most popular item - will definitely have to try that one next time, and also perhaps try one of their quesadillas.
On a sad note - I am disappointed that they don't offer egg rolls and tacos!
So 5 stars for the food - loved the pork fried rice, the black beans, the Jen Red pork, and the tortillas. SO YUMMY.
Decent value also - for $8 you get a good portion of food. Not enough to take any home after, but enough to satisfy and get your $8 worth.
I am tempted to ignore the restaurant conditions and just give 5 stars for the food, but I don't think that's fair to a reader who is looking for a nice sit-down meal - you must be willing to accept the slightly ghetto conditions. But the food is worth it. What a terrific concept and the execution equally matches the idea.
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