The Great Wall of China was constructed to keep roving packs of ancient pandas from absconding with the local cuisine. Succeed where the bears failed with today's Groupon: for $12, you get $25 worth of Chinese fare at Chef Jon’s Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Whippany.

Praised by the New York Times, Chef Jon’s Authentic Chinese Cuisine dishes up delights from the old country and the new. The pinnacle of Chef Jon’s kitchen and the lighthouse ushering in adventurous diners is its diverse array of authentic Huaiyang and Shanghai menu items, such as Grandma’s Red-Cooked Pork served with bok choy and marinated eggs ($14.95). Eel in hot-oil sauce ($16.95), sautéed sponge gourd with dough sticks ($9.95), and fish gluten with salty egg yolk ($14.95) allow diners to sample exotic flavors without licking a curry-covered Ferrari. Additionally, notable fan favorites, such as kung-pao chicken, serve to unwind any belly tornado ($8.95).

Chef Jon’s clean, elegant confines tuck romantic couples away in comfy booths but also bring families together with large tables anchored by rotating lazy susans to offer optimum sharing. The restaurant has also built a reputation around the globe, as Chef Zhang won the gold medal in the 2009 NTD-TV International Chinese Culinary Competition for Huaiyang cuisine, as well as the silver medal for the best eggs-benedict impersonation.