{"id":110497,"date":"2026-01-08T15:37:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/110497\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:37:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:37:30","slug":"best-chinese-takeout-food-in-south-florida-we-have-a-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/110497\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Chinese takeout food in South Florida? We have a winner!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you partake in Chinese takeout over the holidays? Was passing containers of lo mein, honey garlic chicken and beef and broccoli around the table part of your annual tradition?<\/p>\n

If so, you\u2019re in good company. It\u2019s a popular choice for many amid the hustle and bustle of the season \u2014 whether you just don\u2019t feel like cooking or you\u2019re looking for a meal on Christmas Day when many restaurants close.\u00a0Plus, it\u2019s a convenient and tasty option for any other day of the year!<\/p>\n

For our Best of South Florida Dining series, we asked you, our readers, to share your top picks for the best Chinese takeout spots in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The nomination round<\/a> yielded these top five finalists (in alphabetical order):<\/p>\n

We collected your votes<\/a> during the week before Christmas while visions of egg rolls, fried rice and wonton soup danced in our heads. And now, we have our winner \u2026 Bamboo Wok!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never been, this family run place is a must-try, according to its many fans, who voted it No. 1 for satisfying their Chinese takeout food cravings.<\/p>\n

\"LouisLouis Liu works the wok at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nTHE RESPONSE<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s honestly a huge honor, and we are so happy about it,\u201d said Steve Zheng, who manages the Boynton Beach location. \u201cIt really put some weight behind all the effort that we\u2019ve put forth over these past 20 to 25 years to ensure that we were able to serve our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, he saw firsthand \u201chow incredible and rewarding it is to be able to serve so many people and so many families throughout the holidays,\u201d he said, which is \u201chistorically the busiest time of the year for the restaurants.\u201d<\/p>\n

His cousins came from California and Illinois to jump in and help, Zheng said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI truly think that a good part of our success is due to the fact that we have such good backing from the family,\u201d he said. \u201cThey all come back and take time to help out during the busy season so that we can properly serve everybody.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause at the end of the day, this is a very special time for us, and it\u2019s also a very special time for everyone else. We want to be able to provide food for everybody without reducing the quality of food, without having to cut corners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Steven,Bamboo Wok is owned by the Liu family, who came down to South Florida from New York in 2001. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nTHE HISTORY<\/p>\n

After working at Zheng\u2019s uncles\u2019 Long Island restaurant for several years in the 1990s, the Liu siblings \u2014 Lin, Cynthia, Louis and Tina (Zheng\u2019s mother) \u2014 moved to South Florida in 2001. That\u2019s when Lin Liu opened Bamboo Wok in Boca Raton, serving a menu of dishes influenced by New York-style Chinese takeout.<\/p>\n

Louis Liu started the Coconut Creek location a couple of years later, followed by Cynthia and Tina with the Boynton Beach spot several years after that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did take a little bit of time to scout out locations, but we also didn\u2019t want to compete with each other,\u201d Zheng said. \u201cWe wanted to be within proximity but not also overlap. And that\u2019s why you see the restaurants built from Coconut Creek to Boca to Boynton.\u201d<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no talk right now about opening other restaurants, he said there\u2019s potential for that in the future.<\/p>\n

\"SomeSome of Bamboo Wok’s most popular dishes include sesame chicken, chicken and broccoli, lo mein and crab rangoon, among others. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nTHE FOOD<\/p>\n

The Lius started with the same menu at each location, adjusting items over the years to accommodate their customers\u2019 preferences, Zheng said.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find all the familiar favorites, such as General Tso\u2019s chicken, chow mein, egg foo young, sweet and sour pork, as well as BBQ spare ribs, egg rolls, dumplings (steamed or pan-fried), wonton and egg drop soups and fried rice, available as lunch and dinner specials.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a selection of house specialties and a diet menu with steamed meats and vegetables (New Year\u2019s resolution, anyone?).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take a lot of effort to ensure consistency within our food and also to just maintain the core concepts that we brought down,\u201d Zheng said. \u201cWe came down with an understanding that if we do things properly, the way that they were taught to my uncles to do whenever they were training, and we use quality ingredients, provide good customer service, that\u2019s really all there is to it, right? To create good cuisine.\u201d<\/p>\n

They stick to the basics, he said, but have refined their recipes through the years to ensure keeping up with the times and customers\u2019 changing taste preferences.<\/p>\n

\"LouisLouis Liu works the wok at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

With fresh, raw meats and vegetables used to prepare everything in-house, Zheng said it\u2019s a scratch kitchen behind the scenes at every Bamboo Wok location. The only frozen item they use is shrimp.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s quite honestly a labor of love,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been working in the kitchen for the past year in the back, and it takes a lot of effort to make these things, to create the dish.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sauces? Well, that\u2019s where Zheng said Bamboo Wok really stands out. Each one takes a couple of hours to prepare and then they marinate over three to four days before being served.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat way it really captures the full assets of the flavor that we want to imbue in the food,\u201d Zheng said. \u201cWe do take a ton of time to make these sauces, to make sure they\u2019re consistent and perfect every single time.\u201d<\/p>\n

They come in an hour before the restaurant opens to start cooking the soups and chopping vegetables, and they make their own egg rolls in-house every few days.<\/p>\n

\"HouseHouse special fried rice is on the menu at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand is it is very time-intensive and labor-intensive, but those are corners that we feel as a family cannot be cut in order to maintain the quality of the food,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sesame chicken is one of their most popular dishes, and fried crab rangoon is tops among appetizers, but Zheng\u2019s go-to order is the shrimp and garlic sauce.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got a nice tinge of sweet tangy to it as well, and we do add a little bit of spice,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a good blend.\u201d<\/p>\n

How about the fried rice, the must-have side for any Chinese takeout order?<\/p>\n

\u201cOur pork fried rice, we\u2019ve been doing it the same pretty much for 25 years now,\u201d Zheng said. \u201cWe take raw pork and we roast it over several hours to turn into that nice roast pork and then we cut it up and we use that for fried rice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FriedFried crab rangoon is a popular appetizer at the Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
\nWHAT FANS SAID<\/p>\n

Bamboo Wok fans singled out several dishes in their nominations, including the orange beef and chicken, sweet and sour chicken, General Tso\u2019s chicken and Hunan beef.<\/p>\n

Among the best appetizers receiving nods were spring rolls and crab rangoon, which Boca Raton resident Rachel Mikulinsky described in her nomination form as \u201cstuffed with filling, so creamy and yummy. And cheap!\u201d<\/p>\n

Delray Beach resident Richard Pachter told us in his nomination form that he orders steamed vegetable dumplings and fried rice for lunch or dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the usual Chinese American favorites are expertly prepared,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThey\u2019ve been consistent for several decades now. Excellent family-run business.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ChickenChicken with broccoli at the Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek is a customer favorite. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Chicken and broccoli is Boca Raton resident Stacy Lamont\u2019s go-to order for lunch or dinner, according to her nomination.<\/p>\n

Her appetizer of choice?<\/p>\n

\u201cBone-in spare ribs, nice and sticky cooked to perfection,\u201d she wrote. \u201cTheir food just has the best flavor; always spot on, never any issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bamboo Wok has three locations: 9181 Glades Road, Boca Raton; 12040 S. Jog Road, Boynton Beach; and 4660 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Coconut Creek. Visit bamboowok.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

And don\u2019t miss previous Best of South Florida Dining series winners!<\/p>\n

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\"Louis<\/p>\n

Louis Liu works the wok at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. Bamboo Wok, which has locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Coconut Creek, is the Best of South Florida Dining series winner for Chinese takeout. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Bamboo<\/p>\n

Bamboo Wok is owned by the Liu family, who came down to South Florida from New York in 2001. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Bamboo<\/p>\n

Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. The restaurant is the Best of South Florida Dining series winner for Chinese takeout. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Louis<\/p>\n

Louis Liu works the wok at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Louis,<\/p>\n

Louis, Lin and Ping Liu work the woks at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. The restaurant is the Best of South Florida Dining series winner for Chinese takeout. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Louis<\/p>\n

Louis Liu works the wok at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Sesame<\/p>\n

Sesame chicken is one of the dishes available at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek, winner of the last installment of our Best of South Florida Dining series for 2025. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"House<\/p>\n

House special fried rice is on the menu at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Fried<\/p>\n

Fried crab rangoon is a popular appetizer at the Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Bamboo<\/p>\n

Bamboo Wok, with locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Coconut Creek, is the Best of South Florida Dining series winner for Chinese takeout, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Chicken<\/p>\n

Chicken with broccoli at the Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek is a customer favorite. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/p>\n

Some of Bamboo Wok’s most popular dishes include sesame chicken, chicken and broccoli, lo mein and crab rangoon, among others. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 12<\/p>\n

Louis Liu works the wok at Bamboo Wok in Coconut Creek, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. Bamboo Wok, which has locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Coconut Creek, is the Best of South Florida Dining series winner for Chinese takeout. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n

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