Dragonwell Bistro

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735 SW 1st Ave LBY (at SW First Avenue)
Portland, OR 97204

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(503) 224-0800
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Dragonwell Bistro - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 8 )
( 13 )
( 0 )
( 5 )
( 6 )

Best

I feel fortunate enough to have a few friends who have raved about Sungari's DragonWell well before the redesign and menu expansion. For years a handful of my ""foodie"" friends c...

Worst

If you want Chinese food don't bother paying their prices, go somewhere else. The food was not that good for the price or service. The building is very nice, and reminded me of Bo...

Editorial review from Citysearch 4/4/2014

Horrible service! Lunch took over an hour. The only thing that was hot on our table was the pot of tea. The bowl of rice was cold and the main dishes were lukewarm. Received a $10 comp for our next visit. Left that behind as the only gratuity. more

Buyer Beware! Won't honor Living Social 3/2/2012

Buyer Beware! Won't honor Living Social Vouchers! Last night my spouse and I went to use our Living Social coupon that expries on April 3, 2012. We were hungry and looking forward to dinner. Upon arrival we showed our paid voucher. The waiter left and next the General Manager, Irene, came to our table and said, ""I am sorry but we will no longer honor your paid voucher for $40.00 because we switched owners and no longer are Sungari Dragonwell. What? That's interesting because their large outdoor sign (SEE ATTACHED) says they are! She offered a 15% discount on our dinner? WHAT? I already paid for dinner! I told her I work nearby and will share this story with colleagues and others and highly encourage people NOT to support this establishment. She told me I could take it up with Amazon/Living Social to get reimbursed, but they refuse to honor their voucher, END OF STORY! She said too many other people will want to use their paid vouchers and they can't affort to honor it since they are now owned by a new owner, Jack, and will lose money by honoring them. We were starving, walked to another reputable establishment down the street. We told them our story and they were appalled and said they couldn't believe how they handled it. We had a nice dinner and now I want othetrs to avoid this place and avoid losing your money through Living Social, Groupon, etc! Their food is pretty decent, but how they treat customers is pathetic! They would rather lose their honor than build their business. I highly suggest Irene and Jack take some business acumen and customer service training if they truly want this place to last!. I used to eat here regularly for lunch but will no longer step foot in their doors. Avoid them if you don't like being ripped off! more

Horrible service 7/16/2011

3 words: horrible customer service. Its cute inside, but the price for regular food and the rude service isn't worth it. 3 friends gave me bad reviews but I figured with the groupon I got, I would give it a try. My sister and I went there on a Friday night, the place was dead. We walked in at 11:25 and the server told us they had last call already at 11:30... I don't think he noticed the clock. But I didn't bring that up. I had called earlier that day they confirmed what I saw online saying they served up with full menu until midnight. When I mentioned that the server looked like he could care less, and he asked if I wanted to speak with the manager. Instead of clearly appreciating customers coming in wanting to try the place and taking the input to improve that manager just made the situation worse. He was rude, arrogant, and obviously didn't care about how he came across. Appreciation and empathy was not something either of those workers knew about. Waving me off and giving he huffs and puffs and snide comments. If your door, online website, and when someone on the phone says your open until midnight and serving until then - I would assume it only means one thing - they serve up until midnight. However the manager Francis seems the think other... more

Diamond in the Rough 6/22/2010

I feel fortunate enough to have a few friends who have raved about Sungari's DragonWell well before the redesign and menu expansion. For years a handful of my ""foodie"" friends could not get enough of this place. The Fried Eggplant, General Tso's Chicken and numerous noodle dishes were the perfect ""long day"" remedy. A few months ago the owners of this restaurant put Sungari through a complete redesign and now the interior is much more on par with the food. The modern accents, and warm colors, not to mention the ambient music (as opposed to typical Chinese buffet tunes) make this place a total gem in Downtown. Definitely appealing to a younger crowd, the restaurant now features a beautiful bar that is serving signatures cocktails-the watermelon one is really refreshing! The bar also features local and foreign wines and some nice imported beers. All of these additions go nicely with an expanded menu that features more fusion cuisine including delicious sushi rolls. Do yourself a favor and give this place a try. It is great value, and the service is always first class. Pros: Food, Ambiance, Service more

You have to eat here!!! 5/23/2010

No exaggeration, I am telling everyone about the wonderful meal we had at Sungari's Dragonwell on Friday 5/21/10. We just got to town from California and were exploring and shopping in Portland. Some girls at Nordstrom recommended this place. Great atmosphere (they recently remodeled) great original cocktails. We had a Pomegranate Jasmine Zen hot cocktail for two, yummy! We ordered Sizzling Rice Soup, Moo Shu Pork, Mongolian Beef and Tangy Scallops. All extremely tasty and fairly priced. I guess it has a good Zagat rating and it should! The MAX light rail train (red line from the airport to downtown) stops literally in front of its door, very convenient! And it was serving until midnight which was good for us since we were dining after 10! Pros: Fantastic food, service and drinks more

Good food, nice ambience 5/21/2010

Was pleasantly surprised with the items they had... we werea group of 6 and tried out several items. Good items: scallion pancakes, chicken lettuce wraps, California Sushi, Unagi Sushi, . Items that I liked the most: Chiang Sa Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice (more for it's simple, fresh taste). And the Fire Dragon sushi lived up to it's name and was really good. The vegetarian dish of eggplant (Fried Eggplant in Gon-Bon Sauce) was surprisingly good (I generally don't like veggie dishes). Items which were not so good: Sesame Spicy Chicken (it was contrastingly very sweet), Ginger chicken (quite bland other than tasting gingery with the ginger slices). The service was good. Finding parking streetside on Friday evenign wasn't a problem either. Pros: Nice food more

Best Chinese Restaurant in the Portland Metro Area 2/11/2009

Our family believes that this is by far the best Chinese restaurant in the area. The service and atmosphere are great and the prices are reasonable, but the food is what brings us there. It is fresh, tastes delicious, and is cooked perfectly, whether it's a complex dish of spicy scallops or sesame beef, or simple dishes such as chicken lo mein, their perfect egg flower soup, or potstickers. The atmosphere is quiet, and a bit romantic, but our little boys love it! You can watch the Max train make a close, dramatic turn through the giant restaurant windows. Don't bother to go if you want chicken slathered in sweet sauces or fortune cookies - this is for people simply wanting delicious Chinese food. Pros: FOOD! Atmosphere, prices, comfort, music, service, even take out! more

Excellent choice for lunch 8/28/2008

Wonderful food! Had lunch there for the first time. Friends had recommended it a couple of weeks ago. Restful atmosphere, attentive wait-staff, and really, really good food. We shared Chicken with Snow Peas and Prawns in a sauce. We practically licked the plates clean. My friend and I were still talking about how good it was today. I'll go back for sure. more

Special cocktails 7/17/2008

This is my first-time message in Citysearch.\r I went to Sungari Restaurant last month, they have some signature cocktails which is quite special, I especially like the Jasmine & Pomegranate Zen (Served in Hot), I don't think you can find in other restaurant. \r I like the Cold Noodles, it is great for summer! \r The price may higher than the regular Chinese restaurant, but if you invite friends or for business meeting, I think is a nice price to go.~\r I just stopped by their restaurant yesterday and find out they are now change their name to Original Sungari, here is their new website too~~\r \r originalsungari dot com\r \r You can get more idea of their menu and prices :) ~~ more

Lousy food 12/29/2007

We went to Sungari Restaurant for dinner on Christmas day. This was our first time here. We had reservations for two at 6pm. I was looking forward to my favorite dish, Moo Shu. But when I went to place my order, they told me they were all out of their pancakes and thus were not serving Moo Shu. How do you run out of Moo Shoo pancakes?? We ordered an appetizer of Minced Chicken in Lettuce Wrap. I'm not sure why they call it a wrap because it was basically a small bowl lined with a piece of lettuce and then filled with minced chicken. It was unappetizing to look at and tasteless to eat. Then we ordered the sizzling rice soup, one of our favorites when we go out for Chinese. It, too, was bland and boring. Last we got the Beef with Broccoli. I had two bites of the beef and couldn't eat anymore. The textures was strangely gelatinous. It was totally disgusting. I ate some of the broccoli but the whole dish was just not very good. Again, the flavors were totally boring and one dimensional. We reluctantly paid our check and left. It was such a disappointing experience, especially when the purpose was to treat ourselves to a special dinner out on Christmas night. Needless to say, we won't be going back. Pros: We were seated promptly and always had a full glass of water Cons: The food more

Not worth it!!! 6/10/2007

If you want Chinese food don't bother paying their prices, go somewhere else. The food was not that good for the price or service. The building is very nice, and reminded me of Bobby Flays restaurant in Vegas. Pros: Nice place, good lighting, layed out nicely. Cons: Bad service, food not worth price more

best chinese food in town 11/22/2006

Sungari Restaurant has without a doubt the best chinese food in town. The quality is impeccable - I've never been disappointed. I'm not generally a fan of chinese, as it's usually way too greasy and salty and the restauraunts are always dark and ugly - not true of Sungari! The Jasmine Pearl tea is an experience in itself. \r (A side note: if you think Sungari Pearl will be just as good, you're wrong - it's just a cheap knockoff with higher prices) Pros: quality, ambience, service more

Good Chinese Lunch Downtown 11/7/2006

There are not many downtown options for a Chinese lunch, but Sungari is the best. Mandarin Cove and August Moon are both similarly priced, but Sungari has slightly higher-quality food. Service is acceptable, and at lunchtime they try to move people through pretty quickly. It is possible to have a nice 1 hour lunch meeting over Chinese there. The Hot & Sour soup is above-average, as-are their spicier dishes. The sweet dishes aren't much different from your average Panda Express, however. more

Great Dining Experience 8/26/2006

The service was very good. The waiter was very attentive. Sungri did not have a hostess working so I had to wait for my server to seat me. I had the salad rolls for an app. They were served with a deep brown peanut sauce that was very tasty. For my main dish I has the lobster with mandarin sauce. The sauce was spicy, sweet and delicious. The lobster was a bit overcooked. It was a great dining experince and I would go back. Pros: Very Good Service Cons: Lobster a bit overcooked more

Good place, good food, sketchy service 6/3/2006

Compared to the other ""Sungari"" restaurant in the Pearl District, this one definitely tops it. The service was better and the execution of the dishes were better, even though they're pretty much the same menu for each. Better service (although the waiter seemed a little irritated at first) and better cooks (working with the same menu). The ambience is nicer, too. We will come again. Pros: Good food, Nice ambience, On the Max Line Cons: Inconsistent Service more

User review by spoky 4/6/2006

THE SERVICE WAS VERY GOOD - I AM A FUSSY PERSON REGARDING FOOD - THEIRS WAS VERY GOOD AND I PLAN TO RETURN - BUT IT IS EXPENSIVE more

Poor service plus overpriced 1/29/2006

I am shocked by the high ratings for this restaurant! We had reservations, but had to wait a long time to be seated from a disappearing hostess. Although our order was taken promptly, it was over an hour before our first course appeared- an oversalted tofu and spinach soup followed by another 45 minute wait for the main course. The other dishes were greasy and not special. I wouldn't recommend it for romance as it was hard to have a conversation because of all the noise carried from the tables crammed near us. Our waiter made himself so scarce that it was hard to get tea or even get the bill. We were very disappointed and will not return. Pros: decor Cons: expensive, tables too close, poor service more

Excellent 1/26/2006

Excellent hot & sour soup. Excellent beef with snow peas. We have it delivered every Saturday by Delivered Dish. We've also been to the restaurant several times. Pros: Everything more

Horrible service!! 12/13/2005

My family and I I went to have dinner and waited a half hour for a table. The service from Francis the Manager was horrible. He was rude and treated my family like crap. That would be the last time my family and I set foot into that restaurant. Cons: Rude, Bad Service, Food was cold more

Great food..no ambience 7/11/2005

We moved to Portland from Boston three years ago. I am forever in search of good chinese food. We had a coupon and decided to give Sungari a try. The atmosphere was dissapointing to say the least. There was an inch between each table. I could hear the people breathing next to me. The bathrooms downstairs reminded me of junior high. However my husband and I thought the food was excellent. The honey shrimp was sooo good although the portion was a small for the $'s. The spring rolls were excellent. Crisp, light not dry. The sesame beef was out of this world. Pros: food, not crowded Cons: atmosphere, spendy more
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Menu for Dragonwell Bistro


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Editorial
  • In Short
    Tinkling music, low lighting, arched windows and a red rose on every table set the stage for dramatic dining. Szechuan classics include scallion pancakes, pot stickers and light...

  • 6/15/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Sun 4pm-9pm, Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm
  • Payments: Visa, American Express, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Neighbors West - Northwest
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