The ramen frutti di mare, or seafood ramen, at Han Dynasty Chinese Food Express in Polcenigo, Italy, July 7, 2023. The restaurant offers five different ramen dishes on their menu. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
My affinity for Asian street food was the driving force behind a restaurant search that culminated in a family meal at Han Dynasty Chinese Express Food and Lo Sprizzetto in Polcenigo, Italy, about 15 minutes from Aviano Air Base by car.
Seeing some social media recommendations for the place cemented it as the dinner destination for me, my wife and our two children.
Upon arrival, I was struck by the scarcity of seating. The restaurant is not designed for larger parties, but we nevertheless were shown quickly to our table.
Be forewarned, the menu is in Italian. American patrons who haven’t picked up much of the language might want to have a translator app handy.
The wanton formaggio e surimi, or crab rangoon, at Han Dynasty Chinese Food Express in Polcenigo, Italy, July 7, 2023. The rangoon is one of 15 starters the restaurant offers. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)
To kick things off, my wife and I ordered a plate of crab rangoon, which was described in Italian as a fried wonton filled with cheese and imitation crab meat. Although I liked the flavor, the wrapper wasn’t as thin or crispy as a wonton wrapper typically would be.
With that behind me, I moved on to a side of dumplings. The dish included steamed xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, which are a favorite in Shanghai and have differing styles across China.
But even with soy sauce for dipping, they lacked flavor, giving us a letdown before the main courses.
Our entrees were served pretty quickly. I ordered seafood ramen, which came with a few pieces of shrimp and imitation crab meat, while my daughter decided on beef ramen. It wasn’t clear from the menu what broth was being used.
I didn’t try my wife’s pineapple and seafood fried rice, but she said the rice lacked flavor and could have used a jolt of hot sauce. Adding more soy sauce didn’t help.
The assessment that my daughter and I had of our ramen dishes was less harsh. We agreed they could have used a little more flavor diversity. However, the portion sizes for all of the food was more than adequate.
Before leaving, we had to order bubble tea, as this was the main reason we chose this Asian restaurant. Lo Sprizzetto is what this part of the establishment is called.
I ordered the coffee-and-milk bubble tea, and my wife ordered the taro flavor. They were both quite mild.
Our verdict on Han Dynasty was that it’s just not the restaurant for us. Maybe others will find it to their liking, given the number of Facebook reviews that are in marked contrast to mine.
We, however, will end up being one-time customers, and my quest to find good Chinese food in my new Italian home continues.
Han Dynasty/Lo Sprizzetto
Address: Via Due Muri 5, Polcenigo, Italy
Hours: Daily, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Prices: Appetizers range from 2-4 euros. Main dishes range from 6.50-12 euros. Drinks range from 3-15 euros.
Information: Phone: +39 327 987 8143
