The best Chinese restaurant in Quito or Ecuador may or may not be Li Yuan on Rumipamba, but the camarones a la plancha -- grilled shrimp with onions, bubbling in sauce on a hot plate -- was certainly the best Chinese dish I have enjoyed in this city.
I haven't posted about Chinese food before because the "chifas" in Ecuador are typically of much lower quality than the Chinese places I grew up with in Manhattan and the New York metropolitan area.
I also ordered Li Yuan's chaulafan (Chinese fried rice) with shrimp and pork, which was excellent as well.
The restaurant is at Rumipamba and Avenida America just around the corner from the San Gabriel stop of the Av. America bus line and a short walk from the South American Explorers clubhouse.
Not to be confused with Chifa 83, which is even closer to the clubhouse on Av. American though it closes earlier (and hopefully offers cuisine more exciting than its pedestrian name).
Li Yuan was open till 10 p.m. on the weeknight I visited. Price of my "sabroso" entree was $9.95.
Keep an eye out for the indoor fish pond.
You are welcome to share your EC Chinese faves on this thread.
cccmedia in Quito
The Best Chinese Food in Ecuador
I hope this post isn't non sequitur, but over the years having looked for Chinese eatery's in various Latin America countries, I know it can be difficult, especially for one whose Asian pallet was trained in Vancouver. Whilst in San Jose, CR, the 2nd best Asian restaurant was owned and operated by white Americans, and even it was a tourist type menu, with some local flavor.
I'm replying because recently, (say past 5 yrs), i've been making my own Asian dishes using the Internet, and its worked out marvelously. I now whack up a fresh chicken breast into bite size pieces and do Gen Tso Chicken (cooking with Kai on youtube) in about 30 min, and its unbelievably good; as are about 20 other dishes I've mastered, thanks to youtube, including duck.
I know going out for dinner is 50% of the fun, but if you love eating Asian cuisine, learning to create it can be a VERY rewarding hobby. Bonus, no MSG. Out of this world shrimp egg fu yung takes about 15 min. And those steamed spare ribs in garlic black bean sauce! Wow.
Its not all perfect. After 2 yrs of working on my beef brisket noodle soup with shrimp/pork won ton, I'm still short of perfection. 
Cheers!
James
Great post, James.
If anyone learns where to get Chinese ingredients and fixin's in Ecuador for from-scratch cooking, please post what you know.
cccmedia in Quito
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