Sampan Chinese Restaurant

Just wanted to pass on that this is my ‘go-​to’ Chinese takeout restaurant in the area. The folks are friendly and delivery is _​fast_​! I’ve never ordered anything complex but try have some of the biggest shrimp I’ve seen at a Chinese restaurant!

The special wonton soup and crunchys are yummy

Sampan is closed now and this makes me very sad. It is now under new management and called Canton’s, which is totally different. I grew up in Katy and went to Sampan for many years so I can testify this is not the same place. I’ll also spare teasing you with a description on why Sampan was so great since it’s gone and that’s just useless info to you. Sigh… but trust me it was great.
Like many inner-​loopers, I took refuge in my parents’ suburban home during the Hurricane Ike aftermath. Katy was a totally different city than the third-​world experience of Montrose without power. Everything there (for the most part) was up and running so I decided to take the opportunity to share some of my favorite childhood eateries with my boyfriend, another refugee. I figured only the name changed, so no harm… we walked in and were quickly seated. The décor was different — a bit stripped down from before, cheaper (i.e. uncomfortable) seating, and just less pleasant ambiance from what I remembered. According to the waitress, they went under new management but still offered the Sampan menu as well as Canton’s. I thought that was a bit strange, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the familiar logo and font on the Sampan menu and ordered my favorite dish. What I had expected was their famous General Tso chicken — juicy white chunks of chicken breast lightly breaded in a brown sauce with the perfect spicy to sweet ratio with scallions and water chestnuts. What I got instead was crispy overfried chicken with thick red spicy sauce with undercooked rice. It was barely edible. I have never refused payment on a meal, but my date insisted we stop eating immediately and leave. I agreed and the staff understood. I think I left them $ 3 out of pity. We reluctantly ate at Panda Express down the road which, while subpar, it might be the best Chinese food offered in Katy these days… which is sad.

Sampan has delighted and disappointed me in the years I have lived within its delivery zone.
First, the food is really great. My husband says their General’s Chicken is among the best. I enjoy the Orange Chicken — not too sweet or sticky. Perfect amount of sauce. The fried rice is never dry and has veggies in it rather than meat. Everything tastes fresh and made to order.
On the downside, Sampan is not open on Sundays. More than once we’ve put it on our dining out list on a Sunday only to remember that their doors are all locked up on that day.
Another plus — right next door to Aroma Liquor. I’ll admit, I’ve never been to Aroma Liquor but the name gets me laughing every time. (Yes, I am easily amused.)
Anyway, back to Sampan — some of the best Chinese food we’ve had in Houston and so convenient to our home. Yay!