The Statler Hotel’s New Showcase Restaurant Makes it Fun to Share: Your First Peek Review of Fine China

Since its grand reopening earlier this year, The Statler hotel has drawn travelers and locals alike to its modern diner Overeasy, its bowling alley/bar/restaurant/hangout Scout and its rooftop bar Waterproof. But, until a few weeks ago, the Dallas hotel seemed to be missing something from its culinary repertoire.

Enter Fine China, the hotel’s newest restaurant, a romantic American Chinese concept with chef Angela Hernandez (Top Knot) at the helm. Here, Hernandez has created a fun communal dining experience that’s as enjoyable for date night as it is a group celebration.

The dining room is divided into cozy sections, decked out in a mix of Statler-esque mid-century furnishings and whimsical decor. Tea cups float on one wall, a golden duck is painted across another. You’ll see more golden ducks – roasted and ready for your plate – hanging in the kitchen window in the back of the restaurant.

The menu at Fine China is composed of shareable plates, divided into cold dishes, dim sum, rice and noodles, and large dishes. Even if you’re just a party of two, you’ll want to order a bunch to try.

My favorite bites? As far as dim sum, I liked the grilled shishito peppers with red miso and bonito, the sticky grilled pork ribs with fish caramel, and the xiao long bao (a type of soup dumpling). The smacked cucumbers were the must-try of the cold dishes I had, and the kohlrabi citrus salad was nice too.

I’m generally not a fan of duck, and this duck didn’t change my mind about that, but the presentation was impressive. The wok fried crab omelette stole the show in my opinion.

It’d be a mistake not to order dessert, preferably both the vanilla soft serve with burnt miso caramel and the golden mantou with dulce de leche sauce. The waiter tipped me off that the duo can be combined to create a caramel-drenched donut ice cream sandwich. I’d return for the sole purpose of eating it again.

On the beverage front, I tried the restaurant’s boba cocktail and it was good! No surprise considering The Statler’s fixation with craft cocktails. There’s also sake, wine, beer and bubbly.

If you’re not trying to get turnt, though, I’d suggest exploring Fine China’s tea program. The restaurant offers several varieties of loose leaf hot tea, as well as infused cold brew teas, like green tea with cucumber and mint and chamomile with honey and vanilla.