Lam's Kitchen
General Tso’s Chicken
The Fall of a Legend: Why I Finally Stopped Going to Lam’s Kitchen
For three years, Lam’s Kitchen in Matthews was my absolute holy grail for Chinese food in the Charlotte area. I went probably 40 times over 3 year, brought my family, and routinely tolerated notoriously lackluster service just to get my hands on their food.
They balanced authentic, traditional Cantonese dishes with flawlessly executed Americanized classics. Everything had that elusive wok hei—the breath of the wok—that infuses a smoky, complex depth into every dish (which most Asian Restaurants around Charlotte can’t seem to master). Textures were spot on, the ingredients were incredibly fresh, and most importantly, it was consistent.
Until it wasn't.
The general manager left. Then the owner put the restaurant up for sale, after seemingly losing his passion for the business. That shift in leadership trickled down to the kitchen. The quality hit a wall. Ingredients stopped tasting fresh, the execution grew sloppy, and a good meal was no longer a guarantee. The restaurant’s consistency plummeted to 70%, then 60%, then 50%. Once my odds of getting a decent dinner dipped below a coin flip, I had to walk away.
Here is a look back at what made Lam's Kitchen an absolute legend, and where it stands today.
The Nostalgia: When Lam’s Was In a League of Its Own
In its prime, Lam’s Kitchen was the real deal. If you didn’t arrive right when the doors opened at 4:30 PM, you were guaranteed a massive wait. By 5:00 PM on a Saturday or 5:30 PM on a weekday, the dining room was already slammed.
People lined up because the kitchen refused to use frozen shortcuts. They used to pull lobsters and crab straight from live tanks in the restaurant right before serving them. It was some of the freshest seafood you could find in the Queen City area - and the photos reflect that.
The Elite Tier Dishes
Hong Kong Style Lobster: This dish used to be an absolute masterpiece. It was everything lobster should be—tender, lightly greasy, incredibly garlicky, and fiercely satisfying. It was messy and ayou had to use your hands to eat it, but it was worth every bit of effort.
Beef Chow Fun: Eating this was like being instantly transported to Hong Kong. The noodles had the perfect chew, the beef was remarkably tender with perfect wok hei, and the seasoning was light and precise.
Szechuan Wontons: The aroma alone was phenomenal—comforting, savory, and beautifully laced with a subtle hint of star anise. They were the Chinese equivalent of a perfect meatball, packing a serious, fiery punch.
Curry Beef Brisket: A total knockout. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, falling apart just like a great brisket should, swimming in a creamy, slightly spicy curry that begged to be poured over rice.
The Dim Sum & Appetizers: The scallion pancakes were flaky, layered, and perfectly chewy. The fried dumplings were savory, juicy, and paired with a flawless sweet-and-tart vinegar dipping sauce. Even the classic spring rolls were fried to a perfect golden, crispy crunch.
The Average to Skip Tier
Even at its peak, Lam's wasn't completely perfect—albeit it was close. The Shrimp Fried Rice was always the weakest link on the menu—consistently under-seasoned, bland, and desperately in need of extra soy sauce. The Crab Rangoon was wonderfully creamy and balanced, though never particularly "crabby," and the Pork Char Siu was solid but wouldn't necessarily change your life.
The Verdict: A Heartbreaking Decline
What used to make Lam's Kitchen so special was how clean the food felt. Even after a massive feast, the food sat light in your stomach; you left feeling completely satisfied rather than slumping into an immediate, greasy food coma. It was the only Chinese restaurant in Charlotte I regularly recommended, to the point where my father—who actively despises classic Americanized takeout—would specifically request to go there.
Today, without the original GM and a motivated owner at the helm, that magic is gone. Lam's Kitchen went from being a flawless, mouthwatering staple to an unpredictable gamble. It breaks my heart to say it, but until a new owner comes in and resurrects the standard of quality this place was built on, I've officially taken it out of my rotation.
