Jun Dynasty: A Dining Review
In Mid-December, Neighbor Roy & I went to lunch at Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant. Their website intriguingly claimed: “Jun Dynasty is the finest restaurant in Tucson Arizona to bring you the culinary art and flavors of traditional Szechuan (Sichuan) Chinese cuisine. With over 100 unique dishes created for you by our Chinese chefs, Jun Dynasty offers a unique dining experience that will forever transform your perception of Chinese cuisine.” Moreover, they were rated #3 on TripAdvisor for Asian Restaurants and of the top 3, they were the closest to us.
We arrived at 12:30 PM and the restaurant was not crowded. The space was large and welcoming. The first thing we noticed was how extensive the menu was. I mean it listed almost everything imaginable in the Chinese diet. Crab Puffs appetizers, Seaweed Salad, Egg Drop Soup, a plethora of entrees: chicken, beef, pork, lamb, seafood, pickled chili, stew in flaming chili oil, spicy dry hot pots, Moo Shu, and tofu.
A pleasant young Chinese woman came to our table and took our drink order. Roy ordered hot tea, as usual. I ordered iced tea. At the same time, we ordered an appetizer: pork dumplings, fried not boiled, please. Her English was excellent, with a distinct Oriental accent.
When our appetizer came, we ordered lunch. Roy ordered Lo Mein ’cause he likes good noodles. I ordered Sweet & Sour Pork with fried rice, my favorite. Our Pork Dumplings were excellent and half-eaten before I got a photograph. (The order had twice as many).
When our orders came we both commented on how generous the portions were. Even if the food was good, it would take a mighty effort to finish our plates.
Half-way through his dish, Roy commented that his Lo Mein was very good, and the noodles were excellent.
My Sweet & Sour Pork was also very good, the pork chunks were tender and the fry was not at all greasy. My fried rice was uninteresting, but I mixed it in with my sweet & sour sauce and it was fine. (Ms. Karen here. Jim always thinks Fried Rice is uninteresting.)
The service was exceptionally good, attentive but not intrusive. Roy, in his comments, mentioned the service.
“This was my first visit to this 5-year-old Chinese restaurant. It is located in a renovated commercial business in what used to be called Decorator Square. There is plenty of parking as most of this block is vacant. Upon entering it appears to be just another family Chinese restaurant. The menu is extensive and had pictures of the main dishes. We started with an appetizer of pork rolls (fried) with a hot sauce – delightful.
For the main course, I had my signature dish – house lo-mein. It was a heaping plate of noodles, combined with plenty of shrimp, chicken, and beef with the right mixture of shredded veggies. While I pride myself on the amount of Chinese food I can consume at one sitting, I was stressed to complete this meal and went home to take a long nap afterward. I have not enjoyed a Chinese meal like this for many years. I give it 4 1/2 saguaros based on food, service, and environment.
I agree with Roy, Jun Dynasty rates 4 1/2 saguaros:
Jun Dynasty
2933 E. Grant Road
Tucson AZ 85716
520.881.0778
Restaurant Hours
Monday to Friday 11:00 am – 9:30 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Sunday 11:30 am – 9:00 pm
Delivery Hours
11:00 AM – 2:30 PM
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM