Dragon Plaza in Plaza Rio shopping mall, Average chinese food but at very affordable price. Appetizer and entree should run you about $10, big portion but quality lacks a bit. Thumbs down.

My expoerience with Chinese food all over the US and TJ is that if you are near a real asian cultural center (Koreatown, and Chinatown in LA) you can get excellent food for $5-10. Or yuppie-villes - Chicago, Denver, San Diego, Reno (believe it or not - they cater to Canadian asians and they do like to gamble).

In rural America - forget it! You are going to be disappointed. Niland, SLO, Pismo Beach, Mammoth, Bishop, they just arent happening for asian food. Mexico? Who goes to Mexico for chinese food? Are they going to make it big selling mexicanized chinese food to mexicans?

I think this has to do with chinese culture (including Koreatown restaurants run by ethnic chinese from Korea). They have a strong and independent cutural identity. They do not crossbreed and blend in. Armenians are they same way.

You want good chinese with Korean touches try Shin Peking on Olympic. Cantonese seafood - China Gate also on Olympic.

In TJ, the best Chinese I have had was this cute little gal at.... oh wait, we are talking FOOD!

In TJ the best Chinese FOOD I have had is at Chan's Cuisine, Blvd. Sánchez Taboada 10880, Zona Rio.

Good food, nice place, well presented, and some good (and different) combinations.

Chinese food outside of the US is usually different than what we typically get. More often than not I find larger portions of fresh vegetables, different sauces, and often far more varied kinds of seafood and meats.

So far I have chop sticked in the DR, Costa Rica, Equador, and Mexico and every place had some great, and cheap, Chinese food. It sometimes the only real alternative to the local food which isn't always the best. When in doubt order the Chao Fan which is usually some kind of fried rice with everything but the kitchen sink. Included a fried egg over the top in Ecuador.

Every seen a Chinese/Spanish dictionary?

El Cabrio,
I beg to disagree slightly with you on the subject of chinese food which is probably my most favorite food. In my opinion there really are not that many good chinese restaurants in the Los Angeles area - believe me I have found a few, but most times I am very disappointed. Some of the chinese food I have had in New York (outside of chinatown) was to die for. Also I have found good chinese food restaurants in Philadelphia and Boston.

Places like Tijuana, Ensenada, and especially Mexicali have a lot of chinese living in the area - especially Mexicali. I have found some very good chinese food in Tijuana, Rosarito, and especially Mexicali. Parts of Mexicali are like a little chinatown as they have a lot of restaurants and a lot of chinese living there.

Yep, for those who love to eat with palillos chinos, Mexicali is the Chinese food capital of Baja. Cantonese laborers came to the area in the first part of the century to work the farmland. At the time Chinese greatly out numbered native Mexicans in Mexicali. Many stayed in the area but because they were not citizens they could not buy land to farm (or any land for that matter). As an alternative many went into the restaurant business. Although nowadays people of Chinese descent represent a small percentage of the population of Mexicali there are TONS of Chinese restaurants. (Porker, no Chinese food dinner date jokes please.)

On a different note, if for whatever reason your craving California chain restaurant food in TJ, me and Hippie ate at TGI Fridays the other day and it is pretty much exactly the same as it is in the U.S.

OV

C'mon Otra Vida...I know your profession..."me and Hippie"!?!?

I was wondering what the pricing is at TGIF? Is is the same menu and pricing as it is in the states? And do they except all major credit cards? Sometimes I run out of money in TJ and need to charge secondary to low cash. Hehe

El Cochino, what Chinese restaurant do you recommend in TJ? BTW, the best Chinese food I've ever had was in San Francisco, and certainly the best Dim Sum. Me and a date, er, a date and I went to a place in SD recently called the Jade Palace (correct name?) on Convoy that was so so. hehehe

I ate at a pretty decent Chinese restaurant on my last trip...but I apologize that I can't remember the name. It was very large and brightly lit and I think it was sort of on the way to La Mesa. Mi chica y yo were making out madly in the back of the cab but I do remember a hill and passing a billiard bar. All of the food was tasty but no Hot & Sour soup which is my favorite.

Celtics,
I have been to a couple on the way to La Mesa that I do not remember the name. There is one on 7th street on south side of 7th about two blocks west of Revolution that my amiga and her familia go to that is okay.

I like one on 5th about 3/4 of a block west of Revolutionon the north side. El Dragon ____???.
The owner is a chinese lady and I enjoy the wanton soup and carnitas con chicharo. When she is there I usually have just big bowl of her war won ton soup that is very good.

A lot of the chicas aren't that familiar with chinese food or have never had. They all seem to enjoy this place.

Everything else I have had in the restaurant is okay, and better that the fast food chinese restaturants in LA.

At one time in Mexicali's history, there was something like 200 Mexicans and 5,000 Chinese living there (post USA railroad laborers era) which acounts for the Chinese food there.

The Chinese buffet $4.50 on 4th st is not bad...the best thing there is the homemade soup!

My favorita (from Mexicali - home of good chinese food - showed me what she thinks is good chinese. (I haven't been there yet) The name I forget, but it's on the south side of second between Madero & Negrete. Looks like hell, but she said "Que Rico!" and that it was cheap, besides.