Fortune Cookie *almost* crept up to four stars from me. ALMOST. But not quite. En route home from a very long weekend, my friend and I were in desperate need of sustenance, and were discussing what to eat in the taxi. Our driver mentioned how good the salt and pepper chicken wings and chips were from Fortune Cookie, so that instantly sealed the deal. Fortune Cookie it was! Firstly, he was spot on. The chicken wings were crispy, perfectly cooked, and smothered in delicious bits of chilli, pepper and came with grilled peppers and onions intertwined with their excellent chips. Parfait! It was a fantastic start to the meal. For mains I had the special curry and special friend rice, and my friend had the crispy chilli beef. He enjoyed his immensely, so I’m wondering whether to go that route next time. My curry was certainly tasty, but only really had onions and a shaving or two of carrot to bump it up, where I prefer at least the addition of mushrooms! Even so, portions of both rice and curry were generous and flavoursome –just missing that certain something to make it properly ‘special’. Delivery was very timely, since it all arrived before the specified time, and considering we ordered three ‘main’ meals and a starter of the chicken wings(more than enough to share, and probably way too hefty for one) alongside the freebies that come when you order came to about £20, I think it’s excellent value. Not healthy, but you expect that of a take away. But fully satisfying and fast to meet your stomachly desires. I’ll order again.
Petele
Rating des Ortes: 1 Leeds, United Kingdom
Had one of those nights where I wanted a quick, cheap takeaway. I ordered Chicken Curry and Chips from Fortune Cookie and some Prawn Crackers. The order was delivered pretty quickly but the delivery guy had been told to collect the £5.70 when it was already paid online. He phoned the shop from my doorstep and they told him it was already paid In terms of the food. The curry had a nice spice to it and portion sizes are MASSIVE. The onion was a bit too roughly cut and there were some big chunks in the curry which I didn’t like. Chips were a bit soggy but overall for just over a fiver with delivery I wasn’t bothered. I would order from Fortune Cookie again because it is really cheap. 7 Dec Ordered from Fortune Cookie tonight. Ordered Chicken and Mushroom with chips. Flat cold when it arrived. There were tiny scraps of chicken, chips, again sweated to an inch of their life. Completely tasteless, I took 3 mouth fulls and got a bowl of Weetabix. Think this is the end of the road for me and Fortune Cookie. Like I said really cheap but the food this time was just bad.
Fiona C.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Leeds, United Kingdom
Giving one star may be a bit generous as I can’t see really that Fortune Cookie deserves one after Saturday’s delivery! There I was having a great Saturday night in with my best friend I hadn’t seen in months. She was too full of cold to venture out into the mad streets of Leeds on a Saturday evening. So we arranged a Fortune Cookie delivery, having had food from there before i was expecting hot tasty delicious grub. Fortune Cookie you let yourself down, me down and embarrassed me in front of my hungry friend. I don’t expect to find a ¼ of duck already nearly cold and already shredded off the bones for us! The prawns in the Sweet and Sour mix tasted odd and they tasted nasty and metallic in my ill friend’s special fried rice! So odd that we both had to leave our dishes after 2 mouthfuls realising they just didn’t taste right. The worst thing of all is that Fortune Cookie, you served my strictly vegetarian for 27 years fiancé with vegetables in Szechuan sauce… with a PRAWN in it! This is not good for someone who asks for a vegetarian dish! So this was not an enjoyable eating experience and I was frankly embarrassed to be serving my friend and fiancé with such food! I didn’t open my fortune cookie that evening… in fear it would tell me I was about to have a tummy bug. Ps The one star was for the chips.
Antonia H.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Leeds, United Kingdom
As a typical student, takeaways are a common treat. I’m not fussy, I’ll eat almost anything without complaining however Fortune Cookie just doesn’t quite do it for me. My favourite dish — Kung Po King Prawn isn’t great here, however my boyfriend does rave about the Sweet and Sour Chicken! The main issue I have with Fortune Cookie is their inability to send me my order without forgetting something. I must say that I order through Just-Eat and so don’t know if that has something to do with it. However, the first time they forgot my egg fried rice and they brought some complimentary prawn crackers with them as a consolation, however the following occasion they forgot my main meal and when they brought it round there was no apology at all. If you plan to visit the Fortune Cookie then all I’d say is that the food is satisfactory and the speed of delivery is above average, just is usually incomplete.
K M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Gt Lon, United Kingdom
Well, in our quest to discover nut allergy friendly Chinese takeaways in Leeds, this was the next stop. Unfortunately, my boyfriend was allergic to something in this one too… So beware allergy sufferers! As a Chinese this was an alright one. Nothing special but nowt wrong with it really either. It arrived really quickly(about 10 – 15 minutes after we ordered), and the food was nice and hot. The price was not bad(10.40 with free delivery and of course fortune cookies). The portions were pretty generous, and there’s free tub of rice when you order a main(40p extra for egg fried rice). The Sweet and Sour chicken was pretty nice, battered chicken and a sauce with just the right amount of sweetness. The singapore noodles were nice enough, the meat in them wasn’t as terrible as it can sometimes be and the prawns seemed reasonable fresh. The noodles seem to be what he had the allergic reaction to so be careful if you have a nut allergy. Oh and if you’re a late night takeaway fan this is a good one, open till the wee hours!
Holly L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
In first year, Raglan Road was the mecca of all takeaway areas, I deemed it the Las Vegas of Leeds, with all the neon signs and how it always seems unusually busy. Although the consensus is that its not all that brilliant, I on the other hand think its perfect if your in a Chinese kind of way. Yes it’s not the best Chinese ever, but it’s not the worst and for Leeds standards I’d say it’s not that bad at all. All takeaways claim they are the no.1 in Leeds, don’t be fooled, they’re all as bad as each other, however Fortune Cookie promises a little more in regards to their service. They have always been very attentive, delivery is quick and prices are cheap and cheerful. You get what you pay for so at £4 for a main dish and rice you are not going to expect Michelin star cuisine to your door are you?! It’s perfect for those of you living in uni accommodation as it’s right around the corner, I used to walk to feel less guilty about the calories, however there delivery is very reliable and fast. I recommend the sweet and sour chicken with fried rice for a good ol’ Chinese time.
Aniela M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Leeds, United Kingdom
The bright lights of Raglan Road often lure you in after a night out, down to the sheer mass of options for food, that is illegedly fast. Like moths people descend to these lights, full knowing that despite the impressive strip, there is a definite lack of quality, and you’re probably better off waiting till you get home before you clamp your chops around something that will make you apparently feel less terrible the next morning. As a lover of Chinese food(crispy chilli beef reviews have been sparse of late) Fortune Cookie was the first Chinese takeaway I sampled when I first moved to Leeds. I recently retried it after several years, and after my first experience of being less than impressed, I am sorry to say that not much has changed. It is all edible and service is with a smile, but unfortunately there is little special about Fortune Cookie. It caters for the student population in search of a quick fix rather than as an impressive homage to Chinese cuisine.
Susan M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Leeds, United Kingdom
Being situated in the midst of takeaway-crazy Raglan Road, Fortune Cookie would do good business even if it served inedible slop, given that the majority of its customers are probably too drunk to notice. Not to be lulled into complacency, however, they actually churn out some pretty tasty grub, as several sober takeaways have proved. The food is cheap, around £4.50 for a main with rice included, and typically Chinese — the menu doesn’t mess around with this pan-Asian stuff and instead offers people what they want: a nice greasy chow mein and a packet of prawn crackers, thanks very much.
Alex K.
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
The takeaway-friendly Raglan Road on the edge of Hyde Park has all manner of different takeaway cuisines on offer, and as such it wouldn’t be complete without a Chinese. The aptly titled Fortune Cookie is the resident Chinese takeaway on this street, and it’s not half bad. Being aimed mainly at students and drunkards(these often overlap), the place isn’t particularly refined or different. It offers exactly what it should do for a takeaway in a place like this — a massive menu, tasty but greasy Chinese food(from snacks to full meals) at prices that students can afford. I don’t know if they actually sell fortune cookies. They’d look pretty stupid if they didn’t.