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Anger and annoyance begin to get the best of you as you deal with bumper-to-bumper traffic, trying to decipher the confusing road work signs.

You pledge to never take Grant again. That is, until you park at Grant Plaza.

As you step out of your car, the heavenly smell of popcorn chicken fills the parking lot, and all the feelings of anger and contempt start to wash away. You look up to see the words “Go Dim Sum� printed on the building, a beautiful sight.

You order the works: bao buns, egg tarts, dumplings, wontons and the popcorn chicken. You pop a piece of their crispy, juicy, bite-sized chicken in your mouth, and it’s been determined: You’d brave the Grant Road construction for this any day.

But Go Dim Sum isn’t the only Chinese restaurant that has people taking on the windy, bumpy road. Right next to Go Dim Sum is Noodleholics, where the gigantic bowls of flavorful, warm noodles have people coming back to experience the mouth-numbing broth.

A little further down the road is where you can find Jun Dynasty, where many race to for lunch, dreaming of a pile of chicken lo-mein to get them through the second half of their work day.

We can thank Jojo Chan for these Chinese spots that not only fill our stomachs, but bring us flavorful comfort food that feels like a big hug.

Years after graduating from the University of Arizona, Chan and a business partner decided to take a chance and open a Chinese restaurant. Thus, Jun Dynasty was born in 2013.

Jun Dynasty, at 2933 E. Grant Road, specializes in Szechuan cuisine, which is known for bold and spicy flavors. On its menu, it has it all: appetizers like egg rolls and pork dumplings, cold dishes like sliced pork belly in garlic sauce, classics like orange chicken and Mongolian beef, and spicy meals like their firecracker shrimp and General Tso’s chicken.

If you were to take a step into its kitchen, you’d see the chefs tossing around ingredients in a wok as bright orange flames erupt around it. Once the fiery spectacle is over, you’re served a plate of food that makes your mouth water just by looking at it.

Craving something a little spicy, I started my meal off with their dumplings doused in red chili oil. The delicate, soft dough with a pork filling inside melted in my mouth as I devoured each one. The spice from the chili oil added an extra layer of flavor to the dumplings, setting my mouth ablaze.

For my lunch entrée, I chose a classic: chicken lo-mein and white rice. A giant heap of steaming noodles sat in front of me, with hints of vegetables and chicken peeking through.

I took a big bite of lo-mein and instantly felt like I was in a movie scene. In a rom-com, you’ll often see the main characters sitting on the couch enjoying Chinese takeout, slurping up noodles and laughing, making you wish you were there with them so you could also enjoy the tasty food.

The savory flavors mixed with the perfectly cooked pieces of chicken made me feel like I was having my own movie takeout scene, sure to make anyone watching jealous of my meal.

A few years after opening Jun Dynasty, Chan and another business partner, Claire Wang, decided to open up Noodleholics in 2018, where the menu includes wheat noodle and rice noodle soups from Guilin, China.

This noodle shop has gained a dedicated following. Its gigantic bowls of soup instantly warm your soul, leading you to throw away all your instant ramen packages at home.

While I’ve never had a bad meal here, the real star has to be its Sichuan spicy beef soup. Fresh wheat noodles are encompassed in a beef broth with pieces of bok choy, beef shank and green onion scattered around. But the key ingredient here is peppercorn oil.

This particular oil makes your mouth numb, which is why you’re given a warning by the cashier when you order. Don’t let the warning scare you, you’ll want to experience the mouth-numbing broth.

As you take a big bite, you’ll get tastes of delicious noodles and tender pieces of beef; then it hits you. Your mouth begins to tingle, kind of like a milder mouthful of Pop Rocks. It’s a cool sensation that doesn’t get in the way of all the different flavors of the soup. (To help with the tingles and heat, you can always just pop over to Go Dim Sum and get some popcorn chicken. It acts as a great chaser!)

This soup has captured the hearts of Tucsonans. So much so that Noodleholics now has three locations: 3502 E. Grant Road, 7850 N. Oracle Road and 6310 E. Tanque Verde Road.

Right next door to the Grant location of Noodleholics is Go Dim Sum, Chan’s solo venture. Noticing that it was difficult to find good dim sum here in town, she decided to open up a spot that makes it easy for everyone to enjoy their favorite dim sum dishes.

You order at the takeout counter (which streamlines the service by eliminating the traditional steaming carts), trying your best to show some restraint and not order one of everything.

You name it, Go Dim Sum has it: pork and shrimp siu mai, crispy pork wontons, egg tarts, red bean sesame balls and so much more. It has fried rice or bento boxes, too, if you’re extra hungry that day.

My absolute favorite has to be their barbecue pork bao buns. I dream of these bao buns. The exterior is subtly sweet and fluffy, like biting into a cloud. Then you’re hit with the inside filling, comprised of ground pork tossed in a tangy barbeque sauce. I think I could eat 100 of these buns, they are addicting.

Whether you want to share some dim sum with friends, indulge in the biggest bowl of noodles you’ve ever seen, or recreate your own rom-com moment with chicken lo-mein, we have Chan to thank for the grade-A Chinese food found along Grant Road.