Royal Bavaria

3401 S. Sooner Rd.
Moore, OK
(405) 799-7666

Royal Bavaria

Oklahoma has traditionally had a hard time bringing in authentic and truly good ethnic restaurants such as Asian and Mexican, but with a large number of German immigrants it seems to excel in this particular genre of food.

Royal Bavaria is one of the premier German restaurants in the state, and as good as the food is, it is an even more memorable experience for many because of the home brewed beer that is served. I have eaten German food from Washington, DC to Washington State, and the offering here is near the top in quality of the food and the atmosphere.

I should point out that I have been to Royal Bavaria when it had its original owner, and there were quite a few changes I noticed in 2009 with the new management. In my opinion these changes were for the good, but the restaurant did not go from bad to good– it went from good to better.

One feature I really appreciated was that the restaurant is now totally non-smoking. This may be due to a state law rather than customer demand, but I found the previous non-smoking section to be inadequate. There is an outdoor patio that I think now serves as the smoking area for those who prefer it.

The new owner was a long time employee at Royal Bavaria before taking over, and I would say the food is really the same as it has always been. It was explained to me, though, that he felt it to be important to have an extended stay in Germany where he lived with a German family and learned many aspects of home made (as well as restaurant style) German food. Perhaps some would not fully appreciate the commitment made to preparing the food here, but I got the feeling that this was about as authentic as one would find in a German restaurant in the U.S.

I do not need help in determining what food I enjoy, but a dining companion confirmed that the “new” restaurant was authentic and served high quality German food (from having a German background). Being authentic is not a substitute for serving good food, but in the case of Royal Bavaria I think customers get both.

Salad

Salad

I think the Salad selection here is not as extensive as at Ingrid’s, and certainly would not match Castle Falls, but the quality here seems to be as good as anyone’s. The salad shown in the photo is the house salad that comes with some dinners (and I think you can substitute a dinner side dish such as sauerkraut for the salad if you wish).

Hähnchenbrust

Hähnchenbrust with a “beer sampler”

One entrée I sampled at both the “old” and “new” restaurant was Hähnchenbrust in Cognacsause (chicken breast in cognac gravy with mushrooms). This was outstanding both times, and I think may be the best item served. One thing I enjoyed about this dish was that it was good without the breading that comes on many of my other favorite German dishes. I cannot attest as to how healthy this dish is, but it certainly seems to be.

Cordon Bleu

Cordon bleu

Cordon Bleu is a breaded dish stuffed with cheese and ham for a delicious, traditional dish. Different types of meat are available, and the veal I sampled was very good. In terms of flavor this was probably as good or better than the chicken dish I rated as my favorite, but chicken is something I prefer to order when I can. My dining companion thought the cordon bleu was prepared well and was an excellent example of German food.

Schnitzel

Jägerschnitzel

The Jägerschnitzel here was excellent, and although the mushroom sauce was something I liked very much, probably the meat itself along with the breading made it better than at many other restaurants (this was a pork loin). Fried potatoes were served on the side, and they are partially covered with the gravy, so this photo might make the schnitzel look larger than it actually it (but it was ample enough).

This is one case where I think the photo makes the dish look as good as it actually is, and I think it will sell itself (I can only say that for me it did not disappoint).

Other Meat Dishes
The Sauerbraten on my first visit was good but not outstanding. However, I have not tried it recently. I would also give it a favorable rating compared to others I have tried.

Special Dishes

Frankfurters from the sausage sampler

My dining companion on one visit discovered a feature of the restaurant I had not known before–you can make special requests. In this case he saw the Sausage Sampler on the menu, but only wanted the frankfurters from it. They accommodated this request, and it also came at a cheaper price than what customers would pay for the full sausage sampler.

With the German mustard they provided I thought the Frankfurter was quite good (that is, the small portion that I sampled).

Side Dishes
Side dishes were good, but the most notable was the Bavarian Potato Salad I tried on my first visit.

One feature I would probably rate as a minus with Royal Bavaria is that customers have to pay extra for a basket of bread. I tried the bread on my first visit, and thought it was good. On a later visit, though, I skipped the bread, and found the meal to be quite filling enough without the bread.

Desserts

Black forest cake

Black Forest Cake is one of the dessert items available, and I thought this was a good treat after an equally delicious dinner. My dining companion thought this was the only item we had that was not really similar to ones served in Germany, but we enjoyed it anyway.

Additional Information
I do need to mention that Royal Bavaria serves home brewed beer, and sample glasses are available (as shown in the photo of the Hähnchenbrust). I am not a good judge of such things, but a lot of people seem to think the beer is one of the best features of Royal Bavaria. I can say that I enjoyed it, but I will have to let the reader decide how the beer would rate compared to other restaurants.

Royal Bavaria also owns Das Boot Camp in Norman, which is a more casual restaurant that does not serve some of the high-end dishes such as Hähnchenbrust. It is also open for lunch (Royal Bavaria is not), and the Norman restaurant serves as a late night hangout for students and others who like to hang out late at night.

Royal Bavaria is open late enough, though, that customers will be able to enjoy the food and the beer. As of now Royal Bavaria is still in a rural setting, although I see urban development getting closer every time I go out there.

RATING: 25

Cuisine: German
Cost: $$$
Hours: Dinner Only (Open Daily)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Beer, Wine

Most Recent Visit: Jan. 7, 2019
Number of Visits: 3
Best Items: Hähnchenbrust, Jägerschnitzel, Bavarian Potato Salad

Special Ratings

	Hähnchenbrust
	Jägerschnitzel
	Cordon Bleu
	Sauerbraten
	Sausage Sampler Plate
	Bavarian Potato Salad
	Fried Potatoes
	Red Cabbage

Fortune Chinese Restaurant

Fortune is a small family run restaurant in far northwest Oklahoma City that from the outside looks like most of its competitors. All the standard dishes are served, and the menu is pretty typical for Chinese restaurants. A good portion of the restaurant’s business is take-out, and if you dine in it will be easy on the budget. While Fortune may be everything that is expected in a suburban Chinese restaurant, close examination reveals quite a few features that are not normally found.

Upon entering the building one may notice the ample space that makes it possible to hold large family gatherings, and there are even large round Chinese style banquet tables. The new chairs, green plants, and clean environment invite a leisurely meal, or food can be served quickly enough for those who have a time constraint.

Fortune’s interior is comfortable and inviting

There is not a special Chinese menu such as would be found in the Asian District (Fung’s Kitchen, Grand House, etc.) although the chefs here certainly know how to prepare authentic Cantonese dishes. It is a matter of the customer base in the suburbs versus the central city, and the fact that the Americanized Chinese food and the traditional food take different ingredients, a different kitchen setup, and of course the expectation that if they prepared the authentic food there would be a certain number of customers who would order it.

I am sure that Fortune will not change the menu they have had since the restaurant opened in 1987 (under previous owners) and there is really no reason for it to do so. When I started going to Fortune around 2006 I got to know the manager Suni and her brother Wei Min who is one of the chefs and who was largely responsible for preparing the “Seasonal Specials”  they had listed on a special menu board at the time. These were the same type of traditional dishes I had found in Seattle, and the ones at Fortune had a similar flavor. The Seasonal Specials lasted several years, but never caught on with customers enough that the restaurant wanted to continue it.

A few of the special dishes made their way to the menu and others can still be prepared by special request. The trick of looking at the menu is that you have to look at both menus (for some reason some of these dishes are on the take home menu but not the regular one). For any special requests you can always ask whether they are available or not.

I have included items in this review that I believe the restaurant can likely prepare for people, and for those who are interested it is worth exploring “beyond the menu.”

Soup
Several soups are listed on the menu, and lunch specials come with either a bowl of egg drop or hot and sour soup (the one I prefer is egg drop).

Egg drop soup

I like the fact that the Egg Drop Soup has a lot of flavor, and it seems to be better than at a lot of other restaurants.

Corn soup

Corn Soup is one of the ones you can order from the menu, and I think the one here is excellent.

Chicken soup with dumplings by special order

They can also make special soups that would serve as a complete meal, such as the Chicken Soup with Rice Noodles, Shrimp, Dumplings, and Bok Choy shown in the photo. I think the bok choy is seasonal so this soup may vary in its ingredients. I was informed that this is one of the dishes customers can request as a special order because of the fact that it does not take a long time to prepare.

Dinners Ordered from the Menu

Lettuce wrap

Although the Lettuce Wrap Chicken is listed as an appetizer, it is really a full meal. I think this is one of the better ones in OKC (I have tried some in other restaurants that did not live up to the ones here).

Crispy tofu Guangzhou style

Crispy Tofu was originally served as a Seasonal Special and then was added to the menu under the “House Specialties” section (I think it is only on the take-out menu, though). This is a delicious dish in which the sauce is really the key that makes it so flavorful. I am not sure if the sauce is vegetarian, though (it has been some time since I have tried it).

I have asked the restaurant which menu items they consider to be authentic and they have given me this list:

• Crispy Tofu
• House Special Noodle Soup (in the “Noodle Special” section of the menu)
• Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce
• Tofu Clay Pot (this is vegetarian)
• Lettuce Wrap Chicken

One menu item I have tried several times has been General Tso’s Chicken (mostly it has been from sampling it rather than getting a full order). I think this has a very good flavor and is not overly sweet, but fried and battered chicken in a sweet sauce is not traditional Chinese food.

Another item I have particularly enjoyed has been the Tomato Beef.

Not on the Menu but Available to Order

Eggs with tomato are simple yet delicious, and can be served any time

Tomato beef is one of the “House Specialties,” but they can make what I think is an even better dish and which is totally traditional in China, the Tomato and Egg (scrambled egg). Both the traditional version and the menu version have the same delicious sauce, which I think is probably the key to either of these dishes.

Hong Kong tofu

If the Hong Kong Tofu is on the menu I cannot find it, and I do not know if this is its correct name (but I think this was the name used on the Seasonal Specials menu). It is called stuffed tofu in many restaurants, and the one pictured is stuffed with shrimp (Suni told me it is traditionally stuffed with pork, so possibly you could order it that way). This one came with oyster sauce (you can also order it with white sauce, or just leave it up to the chef to decide). The tofu is steamed for ten minutes, so this dish ends up taking a little bit longer to prepare than most of the menu items. This is one of my favorite dishes that I have tried here.

Chicken and potatoes with curry

Curry Chicken with Potatoes is a dish that is not on the menu, but I got it when I asked Wei Min to make a take-out dish that was traditional Chinese that he thought would be good. Since then it has been one of my top choices for take-out orders (this curry is less spicy than Thai or Indian curry, or it can be ordered with brown sauce which is not spicy).

Chicken and tofu

Chicken and Tofu is another non-menu take-out dinner I had when I asked for something that was authentic. This has soft tofu and a white sauce. This version did not have any vegetables other than green onions because it was meant to be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days so I could wait out one of Oklahoma’s famous ice storms.

Chicken and tofu with vegetables

The Chicken and Tofu with Vegetables is the same dish with vegetables added. The peas and carrots also keep pretty well in this version, and I thought the flavor of this dish was quite good.

I have collected this list of other items customers can special order with no advanced notice, and there are probably others. Of course customers would have to check with the restaurant about any of these:

• Chicken and Potatoes (like the chicken and curry but with brown sauce instead)
• Napa Beef (No. 211 on the menu) with bok choy instead of napa (when the bok choy is in season)
• Combination Tofu with Beef, Shrimp, and Chicken
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings (see the heading for “soups” in this article)
• Ginger Beef (although the ginger they can get here is not the “young ginger” that is available in China)
• Mi Fun, or Hong Kong style rice noodles. These are soft noodles lightly soaked in sauce so that they are more like the “dry” style served at Grand House and other restaurants. The typical version includes shrimp and chicken, although the meat can be prepared to order.
• Bean Curd and Vegetable Hot Pot is a dish I requested. This was much like the seafood hot pot on the menu but with the ingredients modified (and I found it to be very good).
• Citrus Chicken was offered as a Seasonal Special during summer 2006. This dish had a sauce made with orange juice and lemon, and while flavorful, was breaded and heavy on the meat with virtually no vegetables included. This was not quite what I would classify as traditional Chinese cooking, but it neverthess reflected Fortune’s effort to introduce the public to more “gourmet” Chinese cooking. It was also one of the dishes that convinced me to return to the restaurant to try other dishes (they have not specifically said that they can still prepare this dish but I thought I would put it on the list just in case).

Some Additional Details
I did not want to give this restaurant a rating because I normally do not order the regular menu items, and the ones I order are usually modified somewhat to suit my taste. One focus of my blog is on authentic Asian food, and I have been able to find it here.

For those who do order the regular menu items, though, they will find that the food is fresh and prepared when they are ordered. It is made with vegetable oil (which is not only healthy, but a lot of people find that it tastes better than the oils that many Chinese restaurants use).

This restaurant opened in 1987, and the current owners wanted to keep the menu items the restaurant had been serving since the beginning. Customers are happy about this, and there are a large number of people who have continued to come over the years. I am not a fan of American style Chinese food, but I at least know that the food available on the menu at Fortune is fresh and healthier than might be assumed. I do think some of the dishes contain MSG, though, unless you ask them to omit it (the special request items I have tried have also been made with no added MSG).

Fortune offers free delivery with an order of $12 or more for customers within a five mile radius. The restaurant is open every day of the year except Christmas, New Year, and July 4th. They serve beer, and the hot jasmine tea is very good. The service is very friendly, and I think they go out of their way (more than at most restaurants) to serve your meal the way you want it.

Prices change very infrequently, and when they do it has always stayed in the least expensive price category I have (which has been adjusted for inflation a couple of times since I did my first reviews in about 2005).

RATING: N/R

Asian Food Details

Tea:	Jasmine (bags)
MSG:	Yes
Buffet:	No

 

Special Ratings

	Crispy Tofu
	Chicken Soup with Dumplings
	Tomato Beef
	Ma Po Tofu
	Lettuce Wrap
	Tomato and Egg
	Egg Drop Soup
	Hot and Sour Soup

 

Menu (Nov. 2017):