The Dragon Chinese Restaurant

With Molly at her grandparents for the night, Sharon and I decided that we should take Maddi out for dinner as it had been a while since Maddi had come out with us. As such we decided that this months restaurant pick is the Dragon Chinese Restaurant. The Dragon, quite frankly, is a piece of Coffs Harbour dining history. The Dragon originally opened back in 1975, the year after I was born. That's 37 years that the Dragon has been operating, how many resaurants can proudly boast that. That being said, the original owners sold the Dragon last year and it's doors were closed for 6 months for renovation. That being said, the new owners, Kim and Tony, didn't change the basic style of the restaurant. The dining and bar area remain the same, right down to the colour. The fact that Kim and Tony chose to keep the Dragon as much to it's original design was a great decision. It retains all of it's warm, family oriented atmosphere, which I had missed in the 20 odd years since I last dined at the Dragon. I kid you not, it has been that long. The Dragon is located on the corner the Pacific Highway and Coff St, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450. 

We started the evening off with an entree. Sharon had the mixed entree with sweet and sour sauce, while Maddi and I had a short soup each. The soup was nice, the wantons were house made, and not the store bought frozen kind. Sharon enjoyed the mixed entree, although she gave Maddi and I a curry puff each as she isn't a fan of curry puffs. 

For our main meal we ordered Beef with Cashew Nuts, Braised Chicken with Black Pepper, Boneless Lemon Chicken and a large Special Fried Rice. What can I say about these dishes, they were all amazing.

The Lemon Chicken was tender and the lemon sauce was delicious. The lemon flavour was tangy but not overpowering with just a little sweetness to take the edge of the lemons bitterness. 

The Beef and Cashew Nuts was very full of flavour. The beef was tender and practically melted in your mouth. The vegetables were firm and the sauce had the slightest of creamy texture. All of this was counterpointed by the crunch of the cashew nuts. 

And lastly, but certainly not least was the Braised Chicken and Black Pepper. This was my favourite. Tender and juicy pieces of braised chicken stirfried with asian vegetables with a delicious creamy cracked pepper sauce. There was a definite spicyness to this dish, you could certainly taste the pepper, in fact you could see it too. The pepper wasn't overpowering though, as you could still taste the flavours of the chicken and the vegetables. It had certainly become my new favourite dish. 

On the whole we were very pleased with the night. So much so that we have booked our wedding rehearsal dinner there for the 2nd of November, just under 3 weeks away. The dining area is of a fair size and on the southern side is a raised dining area that gives those dining up there a little intimacy. The Dragon is also fully licenced and there is also a little bar area near the front of the restaurant with tables and seating for a quiet drink. High chairs are available for those with infants and toddlers. I have known Kim and Tony personally for several years from there other restaurant, The Manor in Bellingen, and they offer not only great food but great service as well. Their staff are warm and friendly and do what they can to make sure that you have the best and most enjoyable dining experience. If you ever get the chance to go to the Dragon, tell Kim and Tony that I sent you. 

Our rating: 5 out of 5 stars - honestly we really couldn't fault this one.