Forkelo ranking · Updated October 2026
7 kung pao chicken across New York City, ranked on what people say about the dish itself — never the restaurant's overall rating.
Café China · Midtown, Manhattan
20 dish-specific mentions · 75% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Fans call it exceptional, with a dark sauce, numbing peppercorns and real kick. A few found it too salty, too sweet or short on heat.
Han Dynasty · East Village, Manhattan
20 dish-specific mentions · 85% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Many call it the best kung pao chicken they have had, especially with the extra peanuts. A few found it sweet, like sesame or sweet and sour chicken.
Wa Jeal Sichuan Chili House · Upper East Side, Manhattan
8 dish-specific mentions · 100% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Regulars call it the best kung pao they have compared, with tender chicken, peanuts and some spice. No dish-specific complaints surfaced.
Chi Restaurant & Bar · Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
9 dish-specific mentions · 78% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Diners call it tender, fresh and well spiced, with one naming it the best in NYC. One found it very sweet and another hit a bone.
Joe's Shanghai · Chinatown, Manhattan
17 dish-specific mentions · 47% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Some call it sticky, fresh and amazing. Many found it just okay or bland and suggest sticking to the soup dumplings.
Hwa Yuan Szechuan · Chinatown, Manhattan
8 dish-specific mentions · 62% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Fans praise a complex flavor and a generous chicken-to-filler ratio. Others found it just OK, short on kick or a bit fatty.
Han Dynasty Upper West Side · Upper West Side, Manhattan
8 dish-specific mentions · 62% positive · 1 source type · menu verified October 2026
Some call it fantastic or very good. Others found it soupy, ordinary or mediocre on delivery.
Every score is built from evidence about the specific dish: how often locals recommend it, how strongly, how recently, and whether independent sources agree. A restaurant's overall star rating is never converted into a dish score.
Quality and confidence are reported separately. A dish two people loved can score high, but it is marked limited data until more evidence backs it up. The whole calculation — every constant, and three dishes worked through line by line — is written out on the methodology page.
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