Shocking Discovery About Dartmouth’s China Belle Restaurant [VIDEO]

EDITOR'S NOTE: China Belle sadly closed for good in 2018, but we look back at Gazelle's unbridled excitement when he discovered it for the first time.

You pass by it all the time, but have you ever been inside this 65-year-old Chinese restaurant in Dartmouth?

Yes, you read that correctly... despite accusations and rumors from locals, this place has been OPEN for business since 1953!

Dartmouth's China Belle Always Looked Closed, Even When It Was Open

We constantly see the blinking red "OPEN" sign shining brightly for Route 6 travelers to see, but you never see any cars in the parking lot. Well, I'm here to tell you that if people knew what was inside, I guarantee the place would be jamming with new customers.

READ MORE: The SouthCoast's Best Fried Rice Is Gone for Good

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Gazelle Makes His First Trip to Dartmouth's China Belle

I called up an old Westport friend, Sam, who just like me was curiously anxious to visit this ghost-town restaurant for a catch-up meal. What happened next took us both by surprise.

As we suspected, we were the only people there. To the right was a small bar that sat 4-5 people, and to the left was a small room with about eight tables, each with four chairs. The place was dimly lit and held true to its decades-old interior design (see below).

The only other person inside was our server. Her name was Pauline, and she was the nicest lady we have ever met! Now that I think of it, I believe she was the owner.

She sat us down and gave us both a drink and a full dinner menu, complete with specials. Overwhelmed by the abundance of choices, she suggested the Beef and Broccoli Combo for myself, and the General Tso's Chicken for my friend.

Ambitious and clearly hungry after a long day at work, Sam added to his order,

"I'll also have a cup of won-ton soup and some crab rangoons to split," he told our waitress.

READ MORE: Massachusetts' Best Chinese Restaurants

What felt like an eternity went by, and we were starting to question whether we had made a mistake by eating dinner there...we couldn't have been more wrong.

Gazelle Was Shocked by China Belle's Cuisine

As the food began to come out, the aroma of fresh cooked Chinese food, spices, and steamed crunchy veggies filled our nostrils and immediately took over our senses. We already knew we were in for a treat, but what happened next blew our minds.

Hear my words:

"China Belle is by far the BEST Chinese cuisine I have EVER eaten in my life!" -Gazelle

Who knew?!

Our waitress set down the remainder of our food and before we could lift our fork, she told us that the fried rice was going to be the best fried rice we have ever had.

She was right.

The remainder of the dinner didn't stand a chance, and there was not one noodle or spec of rice left on either of our plates. As if we haven't had anything to eat in days, we savagely devoured our meals without a single word spoken... just the usual moans, groans and sounds of satisfaction.

Why Did It Take So Long to Get Food at China Belle?

So here's the kicker:

We learned afterward that the reason our food took so long is that the restaurant will not cook anything ahead of time until someone walks through the front door. This way the food stays fresh and you don't have to worry about it sitting in a wok all day, burning up and drying out before making it to your plate.

Every bite was better than the previous and once I was finished, I waited for that "uncomfortable bloat" to take over and surprisingly, it never came. No upset stomach, no nausea, no bloating, no food sweats, no cramping, just good quality food that my body accepted for once instead of denying.

Don't Judge a Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurant By Its Exterior

Moral of this story: if you've been dying to one day finally stop by and check it out for yourself... DO IT! I promise you, that you will not be disappointed.

After all, 65 years is a long time to perfect a business, and although the traffic flowing into this place isn't as exciting as intended, the business is most certainly doing something right to get me to go back again.

Here's proof that I'm not alone:

#DoItForTheFortuneCookie