CATHAY INN – SPOKANE’S FIRST & OLDEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

CATHAY INN – SPOKANE’S FIRST & OLDEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

If you’re having a hard time finding a Chinese restaurant that focuses on homemade and authentic cuisine, look no further than the Cathay Inn.

The Cathay Inn has so much history. I mean it was the FIRST Chinese restaurant in Spokane and dates all the way back to the 50’s, also making it the OLDEST Chinese restaurant in Spokane! Cathay Inn has been passed down through four generations and all the recipes have stayed true to the originals for almost 70 years. There’s a reason why they say consistency is key.

Chef Raymond made us his favorite dishes (which also happen to be some of the most popular) from their extensive menu. There are so many pages of different options that it would’ve been hard to pick ourselves.

Chinese Food Spokane Chinese Food Spokane Chinese Food Spokane

We were served their house made Fried Dumplings that had the most melt-in-your-mouth pork we’ve ever tasted. They make their dumplings by hand which is extremely labor intensive, but it’s worth every minute! (Easy for me to say right?)

The Liu Noodles were a big hit because they were complex: spicy with a little bit of sweet. They’re made with beef, egg, cabbage and all stir-fried with pan-fried noodles and sesame oil. These noodles were like a deluxe chow mien and had just the right amount of heat in each bite!

We had to have fried rice, so Chef Raymond made us the Combination Fried Rice which did not disappoint. It featured chicken, shrimp, ham, barbecue pork and green onions – a little bit of everything! If fried rice is your vice, then this is a must. We loved how it worked well with all the ingredients in it. If you can’t decide on one type of meat for your rice, just get them all!

Chinese Food SpokaneAnother one of their signature dishes we tried was the Cathay Pecan Shrimp. It was 16 shrimp lightly deep-fried and mixed with the house special cream sauce and topped with candied pecans.

 

The last dish we sampled was the Hot and Spicy Beef, a true Chinese classic. The beef was served with fresh mushrooms, pea pods, carrots, onions and dried chili peppers all stir-fried in their house special sauce. To our surprise, it was pretty sweet, but it had the perfect crispy covering which went amazing with their sauce. This dish was definitely a favorite of ours!

After all that food we had plenty left over as their portions are generous! The dishes at Cathay Inn are best enjoyed “family style”. That way you can order an assortment and try a little bit of everything.

Chinese Food Spokane Chinese Food Spokane

We can’t conclude without mentioning the size of Cathay Inn. It’s massive and can hold around 300 guests! They even offer the option to book for private parties and can section off parts of the restaurant depending on the size of the party. 

If you’re like us, you’ve driven by hundreds of times but never stopped in. Do yourself a favor and STOP!

Chinese Food SpokaneChinese Food SpokaneChinese Food Spokane

They’re also a great take out destination when you’re on the go and you can order all of their dishes to take home and enjoy. If you’re stopping in for lunch, they run specials every day from 11-3pm!

Overall, we loved this family run restaurant with homemade recipes that had the authentic Chinese flavors and taste. Next time you’re in the mood for Chinese, we highly recommend the Cathay Inn!

Cathay Inn (3714 N Division St, Spokane, WA / 509.326.2226)

This post was created in partnership with Cathay Inn. All opinions remain my own.

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