Occasionally I have misgivings about a restaurant before walking through the door. It usually has to do with a remote, poorly lit location. In the case of China Cottage in Fountain, the fact that there were no other diners was what made it disconcerting.
I needn’t have worried. There were plenty of to-go orders ready for delivery, and a few customers picking food up. Still, it was odd to be the only ones there for table service. This, apparently, is not the norm.
Soon after we were seated, plates and silverware (none of which were plastic) were set on the table. The colorful array of photos of several food items above the counter suggested this was where orders were placed. Not so; someone came to us.
China Cottage Restaurant (Located at: 7040 S US Highway 85-87) Sunday January 21, 2024. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
We selected a cup each of wonton soup and hot and sour soup (each $2.75), egg rolls (two for $3.50), moo shoo pork ($12.75), chicken with orange sauce ($13.25) and scallops and beef ($15.75). The server asked multiple times if we were sure this was what we wanted. After a few emphatic positive responses and nods on our part, I asked why.
“Because it’s a lot of food,” was the answer. And it was, but I never scoff at leftovers.
We thought the egg rolls would show up first, but they didn’t appear until the end of the meal. Three cartons of fried rice showed up first, followed by the soups in lidded, plastic containers, as if ready for carryout.
China Cottage Restaurant (Located at: 7040 S US Highway 85-87) “Scallops and Beef Combo” Sunday January 21, 2024. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Both soups were steaming hot. There were a lot of soft, plump, tender wontons with strips of pork, carrots and green onions in chicken broth. The hot and sour was filled with tofu cubes, strips of wood ear mushrooms and shredded meat. The ingredients from which the soup gets its name are Chinese rice vinegar, soy sauce and chile oil. It’s a jump-start for the taste buds.
Fortunately, the piled-high entrees were on platters. We wondered if they, too, would be in to-go containers. We understood the server’s concern given the generous servings.
China Cottage Restaurant (Located at: 7040 S US Highway 85-87) “Scallops and Beef Combo” Sunday January 21, 2024. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
The beef and scallops were a colorful mix of carrots, broccoli, snow peas, cabbage, zucchini and more with panko-coated scallops and thinly sliced marinated meat. Everything was coated with shiny brown soy sauce-based gravy. Yet, seafood was the odd ingredient. It didn’t mesh as well with everything else as the beef did. This dish and the chicken with orange sauce were identified on the menu as “House Specialties.”
China Cottage Restaurant (Located at: 7040 S US Highway 85-87) “Chicken with Orange Sauce” Sunday January 21, 2024. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
The large bite-size pieces of chicken were coated in a glistening, sticky, bronze (not quite orange) sauce that was addictively sweet. Flecks of dried chile provided surprise taste contrasts. Fried rice kept the dish from being too saccharine.
Moo shoo pork was neither as pretty nor as successful as the previous two. The pancakes were dry and the meat was tough.
Eggs rolls at China Cottage in Fountain.
The egg rolls, albeit late, were crammed with veggies encased in crispy wrappers.
We took a lot of food home, and the only thing that wasn’t eaten were those dry, paper-thin pancakes for the moo shoo.
Having the place to ourselves wasn’t such a bad experience.
China Cottage
Chinese cuisine for dining in or carryout.
Location: 7040 S. U.S. 85-87
Contact: 1-719-390-0377; chinacottage7040.com
Prices: $10.55-$15.75 dinner; $8.99-$9.55 lunch
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.
Details: Credit cards accepted. Wi-Fi.
Favorite dishes: Chicken with orange sauce. Hot and sour soup.
Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.