Golden Dragon Brings Chinese and Japanese Cuisine to State Road

The Golden Dragon has been at its current location for more than seven years, at 1634 State Rd. in Cuyahoga Falls. The Pung brothers still cut up with customers, though perhaps they have mellowed from some of the epic carousing days that Chai, Hong and Meng used to carry on with, especially on weekends at the smaller space down the road a few years back.

Still, a few of the jokes tossed off between servings of sushi and 20-ounce Sapporo beers are not suitable for family-oriented publications. The mostly adult patrons at the sushi bar of course encourage the repartee and frequently join in on the act.

Sushi chef Chai Pung is more or less the ringleader of a family business that includes at least three generations and by all appearances will add another generation or two with no signs of slowing down.

The restaurant is split into the sushi bar area with bar and tall tables, and the more traditional sit-down dining area. In the old place, the much-smaller sushi bar was invariably overflowing with visitors there to take in sushi and “Chaiquilas”  (shots of Cuervo, wasabe and a raw quail egg) as much as to see what sort of mayhem might ensue. On weekends, the Pung brothers rarely disappointed.

A recent midweek visit did not provide the craziness of days of yore, but visitors were there for a little more than a sleepy dining experience. The menu is extensive, and most regulars have favorites. You can order sushi in sets or just one piece, plus many appetizer platters as well as entrees from more traditional Japanese and Chinese menus.

I started with a  Ming the Merciless Roll ($4.95), a spicy sushi roll with crabmeat and scallops and a spicy mayonnaise. The spice doesn’t overwhelm the delicate crab (leave that to the wasabi) in a longish roll that will challenge your chopstick skills – or you can dip it in wasabi and soy sauce by hand if chopsticks prove too difficult. Shaved ginger root is there to add to the flavor fest and cleanse the palate. I couldn’t discern the scallop from the crabmeat, but it could be that the combination was too subtle to separate.  

Crispy Beef, off the Chinese menu ($11.95), is a hearty plateful of beef with bits of onion swimming in a thick, sweet-and-hot sauce, and bowl of rice on the side. The beef is crisp and a touch chewy, kind of like a well-marinated jerky with a nice, spicy kick. A knife would have been helpful managing the large bite sizes. The heat (spicy is optional) doesn’t overwhelm the dish, but leaves a satisfying, lingering afterburn.

There are Peking (Beijing)-Tokyo combinations, Tokyo special combinations and Tokyo full-course dinners, literally dozens of sushi and sashimi seafood combinations (many of the sushi selections are not raw seafood, if that puts you off) on the extensive menu.  

The bar features a selection of sake (a rice-based Japanese alcoholic beverage traditionally, but not always served warm); domestic and imported beers (20-oz Kirin and Sapporo are house favorites); house cocktails including the Suffering Bastard, sake martini and the legendary Chaiquila; traditional wines; and sushi wines.

There are plenty of other familiar Chinese and Japanese dishes as well: chop suey, lo mein and egg rolls on the Chinese menu; tempura, chicken and beef and salmon teriyaki on the Japanese side; soups and salads too.

Prices range from $1.50 for a shrimp egg roll appetizer to a Tokyo seafood combination of tempura shrimp, scallop and whole lobster tail ($30.95).

It’s possible to dine on a modest budget at the Golden Dragon, but I’ve seen tabs for two that have gone well over $100 – especially if you throw in a couple of giant Sapporos and a Chaiquila or two.

You’ve been warned.  

But if you don’t have a good time at the Golden Dragon, it’s probably because you’re trying not to.