Really great chinese food!

We ordered take out from Hunan Wok (think thats the name...its located in the Shop Rite plaza) and wow.......what a great meal! Everything was very fresh, light-tasting, not greasy like some local places in town and the meat was very tender! I highly reco! We ordered beef n broccoli, chicken n vegetables, and beef lo mein. Yum!

curly curly
Feb '12

Been going there for years and their food IS great.


I love Hunan Wok! The food is always fresh and the place is clean! It was recommended to me by a friend and it is one of my favorite places to eat

goodeater123 goodeater123
Feb '12

do they delivery to hackettstown

marlene marlene
Feb '12

They dont deliver.


They do deliver. I've gotten it before.

goodeater123 goodeater123
Feb '12

Sorry, I was thinking of the other place in town.


where is the best chinese buffets?

i don't care for the one in Mansfield at the kohl's center

are there any others near by that anyone likes?

BrotherDog BrotherDog
Feb '12

The one in the ITC is not bad, for local

Coralie Coralie
Feb '12

I don't think the ITC one is as good as the one in Mansfield. Most are somewhat bland and don't focus on quality very much. The one in Mansfield I think at least has OK food.

The only Chinese buffet that's actually good is Szechuan Royale. They put the same time and effort into food in the buffet that they do to individually ordered meals. It's not got as many items in the buffet that those other two do, but it's much better.


need to try. Thanks.

sack
Feb '12

Even though it's getting a bit run down we still like Hong Kong Palace.


"Chinese buffet that's actually good is Szechuan Royale"

where are they located ?

many tes i want ot eat in quantiy and the buffets let me do that, of course in that type of cafe environment i dont expect world class cusine, but that's ok

thanks for the reviews

BrotherDog BrotherDog
Feb '12

sorry! forgot to proof read/spell check that last entry -

many tes i want ot eat in quantiy

many times i want to eat in quantity

BrotherDog BrotherDog
Feb '12

Szechuan Royale is the BEST Chinese Buffet......

Christine Christine
Feb '12

I like Hong Kong Palace also. Happy to be able to agree with hjc on something. :-)

jerseydutchman2 jerseydutchman2
Feb '12

Szechuan Royale is in Hastings, next to Zaytun which is next to Roman Pizza.


We like the Chinese Buffet near Sam's Club in Mt. Olive. I like shrimp and they have a lot of shrimp and fish dishes there that are really good. "Sorry, GC!" "I know how you "love" seafood.

Joyful Joyful
Feb '12

If you're ever near Roselle, go to Wei's Buffet. It's amazing!

Has anyone been to the Chinese Buffet that keeps advertising in the local papers? It's in PA -- can't remember if it's Bethlehem / Easton ......

happy girl
Feb '12

JD2...back at ya! :-)


That's where I get my Chinese food. My family's favorite place to get Japanese is Little Tokyo. To be fair Fujiyama is great and the owner (and service) is wonderful but Little Tokyo is just better. The owner of Little Tokyo treats us like family every time. The food is always fresh and tasty. The price is better than Fujiyama. If you have not been there please try them out.

Prof
Feb '12

Happy girl:

I have never been to that one but my friends go all the time. They say it is nothing short of amazing. I will have to make the trip with them one of these days.

bemo12
Feb '12

When I went to Szechuan Royale they only had 6-8 choices at the buffet. They were all very tasty, but the selection wasn't great. I like a greater variety and while the one near Frank's isn't great, the food has never been poor or bad there in my memory and they have a good variety.

The best Chinese buffet I've been to fairly recently was one in the Walmart plaza in Pottstown, PA. They seemed to have two more full hot tables of goodies than the one by Frank's even and the food was really tasty! So if you're ever down that way - LOL.

Phil D. Phil D.
Feb '12

The one I saw the ad for is in Bethlehem. It's called Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet.
Has anyone been there?

happy girl
Feb '12

Yes. I tried it yesterday at lunch time and it was good. Huge selection of main dishes, such as Lo Mein, Sesame Chicken, Steamed Clams, Crawfish. Had at least 10 hot buffet Tables filled with appetizers, Main dishes, and then A huge desert and salad table. Well worth the 6.99 charge(plus tax). They also have a Hibachi where you could pick your meat and veggies. They cook it and that is no extra charge. Sushi rolls galore!!!! The address is Sears Plaza, 3811 Linden St, Bethlehem, PA 18020. They are off Rt191 Nazereth Pike. Take the exit for RT191 Nazereth Pike off of Rt 22 West and turn left. You will see a Mcdonalds on your right. Go past that about 100 yards and the Sears Plaza with a Dollar Tree will be on your right. Make a Right into the complex and the Hibachi Grill is to the left. Very Big Place!!! Lunch is 11am to 330pm and Dinner Mon-Wed price is $8.99(3:30pm-10pm. Thurs-Sat Dinner is $9.99 and Sundays have All Day Dinner at $9.99. Soda is an extra $1.69.

I had also seen the advertisement in the Easton Express and was curious. Enjoy if you go to the Hibachi Grill.

The Buffet by the Kohls in Mansfield is good, BUT, they always have the same items all the time. I get bored going there because of that fact.

I love Little Tokyo also. Great food, service, and a family atmosphere.

But my favorite place is still Minados on Rt 10 west in Morris Plains NJ. They have a website www.minados.com and they are so fresh. Lunch is my favorite meal there. The dinner is more expensive, since they put out alot of seafood.

Enjoy!!!!!

mansfield mama mansfield mama
Feb '12

The phone # for the Hibachi Grill is 610-419-8388. I am glad I took a brochure with me. Hope this helps.

mansfield mama mansfield mama
Feb '12

Thanks for the info on that one mansfield mama! I go out that way once in a while and it sounds somewhat like the one in Pottstown. The next time I'm going out to Nazareth I'll have to stop in!

Phil D. Phil D.
Feb '12

I LOVE chinese food (I could eat it everyday) I think the 2 best buffets are the one in Hastings square (only open for lunch, not open Sun and Mon) or over in Wharton, by the Rite Aid. As for a quick pick up I def go with Hunan Wok, the girl at the desk is so nice and they get the food out in 10 min, no matter what you order! I wish I could prepare food like that!

doglady
Feb '12

I made a slight error. It is the K-Mart Plaza that the Hibachi Grill is located at. I know that Sears and K-Mart are partners, but You see the Big sign for the K-Mart Plaza. Hope you all enjoy.

mansfield mama mansfield mama
Feb '12

Szechuan Royale is literally hands down the best chinese food in Hackettstown! I do not like the one near I hop. But I never tried the one near Shop Rite. However, Royale the costumer service is great. The food is excellent and fresh. Every time I have chinese food else where I cry because Royale has spoiled me for years by giving me the best chinese food!

ALSO THEY DELIVER! :) Makes a mother that works HAPPY!

worriedmom22
Feb '12

Just got back from ITC Grand Buffet. It was fine with m e. Also fairly crowded.

Longhorn Longhorn
Feb '12

Longhorn...we are going to hit that one again soon too...Hubby loves the crab claws (not me)...fresh shrimp and coconut shrimp...Yum!

Joyful Joyful
Feb '12

Szechuan Royale - do you know if they deliver to Panther Valley?

Jackie Jackie
Feb '12

Szechuan Royale - is it a buffet style? how much for lunch, how much for dinner?

BrotherDog BrotherDog
Feb '12

Thanks curly! I went the the Hunan Wok and it was very good. There are 2 things I hate about Chinese joints. Too much sauce and too much salt. The Hunan Wok didn't have either of these. There was just enough sauce that I could taste it but my food wasn't swimming it in. Again, thanks.

sack
Feb '12

BD - Buffet is only for lunch, off the menu is always available for both lunch and dinner. It's been a few since I've been to the buffet but last I knew it was about $7.


Went to the ITC buffet tonight and it did not disappoint. Saved my Weight Watcher points today so I could enjoy that coconut shrimp without feeling too guilty.

Joyful Joyful
Feb '12

I do not know if they will deliver to panther valley is that in the hackettstown area?

worriedmom22
Mar '12

Hibaci grill very fresh food. clean and plenty fo food. Buffet style. Only 10.00 for supper drinks separate.

riverat riverat
Mar '12

Glad you enjoyed your meal riverat. Hope to try dinner sometime. Lunch is awesome and I am sure dinner would be also.

mansfield mama mansfield mama
Mar '12

Happened to be in the area today with the family and decided to make the quick trek over to the Hibachi Grill in Bethlehem PA to see what all the hubbub was about. Not only on this forum but we were at Milham Toyota in Easton PA last week and our salesman was raving about this place..LOL. Mansfield Mama (thanks!) pretty much nailed it with her info a few posts above.

I'm always up for a good buffet. We got there at 1:30PM on a Saturday! Grrrr....it was a mob scene! However it seems the staff is used to the crowds and managed things very well. Plenty of staff replenishing the food stations and most importantly keeping things clean.

http://www.hibachigrillbuffetpa.com/

Minado looks very interesting as Mansfield Mama mentioned. It's on our radar for the next time we happen to be in the Morris Plains or Little Ferry area:

http://www.minado.com/


minado is by far the best buffet around if you like Sushi and have a fair amount of money in your pocket. Its like $15 for lunch and $30 for dinner, but if you're like me you and can eat his weight in sushi then minado is the place to go.

sack
Mar '12

Has anyone been to Hibachi Grill & Buffet in Bethlehem recently. Will be in Bethlehem this weekend ......... is there a decent amount of vegetarian food on the buffet?

happier girl
Apr '14

My bf and I order from TOPS CHINA in Washington. They have really good food! I'm eating leftovers right now.

Wild Angel Wild Angel
Apr '14

What's the place by Sonny's pizza near the quick chek gas station? That Chinese food is fantastic.

PenningsLandscaping PenningsLandscaping
Apr '14

Bamboo something???

5catmom 5catmom
Apr '14

PenningsLandscaping, Bamboo Ktchen. It's the only place local my hubby and I will order from. They have become our favorite. We weren't happy with any of the local chinese places, (Szechuan Royal isn't too bad) but we really like Bamboo Kitchen.

jrsemom jrsemom
Apr '14

jrsemom, that's it! I spent the last few months in hopatcong with my girlfriend while looking for a new place in hackettstown, such good chinese. It reminds me of this place back in upstate new york where I grew up.

PenningsLandscaping PenningsLandscaping
Apr '14

I grew up in Morristown and while the Chinese restaurants weren't as good as you would get in NY they were close enough. So when I moved here and was told Hong Kong Palace was the place to go, I realized real quick not to trust anyone but myself on where to eat. Everyone has different tastes and one persons "awesome food" is another's "yuk" so I hope I didn't insult anyone.

jrsemom jrsemom
Apr '14

Concerning Hibachi Grill & Buffet in Bethlehem happier girl, 99% of the selection is not vegetarian. However it sounds like you might like the hibachi grill area in the back where you can pick noodles and veggies minus the meat and have the staff grill them up in front of you.

Just note that the K-Mart it's next to has since closed up. Kinda hard to stay in business I guess with a Walmart directly across the street. Also dinner prices have gone up slightly since the posts above from 2012: http://www.hibachigrillbuffetpa.com/buffetprice.htm

And lastly...don't forget your coupon!! :-)
http://www.hibachigrillbuffetpa.com/coupons.htm


Not only is the food at Bamboo Kitchen great, but they deliver and the family that owns it are super nice and friendly. :)

littlelu littlelu
Apr '14

Bamboo kitchen is the best around imo. They are so nice and the food is always fresh and hot. It's not all greasy and gooey like some other places in town. They give you more shrimp and seafood than the other places do if you order a seafood or shrimp dish.

Hiedi Hiedi
Apr '14

Re: Really great chinese food!

Sorry, I gave up on Chinese food a long time ago. If you really like a Chinese restaurant take a look at the back of the building the place is located in. You might be surprised by what you see. I work near a Chinese restaurant and the place is filthy dirty. The rear of the restaurant premises are consistently filthy with overflowing grease barrels.Vultures feed on leftover bones. The garbage overflows into the parking lot. No Chinese for me!

HtownForum HtownForum
Apr '14

Was passing by earlier today and decided to try Bamboo Kitchen based on word of mouth here. All four in our party loved it! Everything was so fresh and crispy... not soggy in oils. A great lunch!!


It's not buffet, but Fu's in Sparta is the best Chinese I've had in this area... They ave hood sushi and other Japanese dishes as well!!! Reasonably priced and clean!!!!

NoUseForAname NoUseForAname
May '14

Definitely best I've found in the area is Bamboo. After moving here from the Parsippany area and growing up in Bergen County, I tried four different Chinese restaurants and found them severely lacking; overdone tasteless sauces and poor quality ingredients seemed to be the norm for all the places I tried. Then a friend recommended Bamboo and it is far and away the best in the area. By the way, I drive 20+ minutes up from Port Murray to get food there.

JerryG JerryG
May '14

ever since i read this forum I have been going to hunan wok, their lomein is awesome!

Darrin Darrin
May '14

Most Chinese restaurants are greasy messes. Szechuan Royale, HK Palace, Golden Bowl, and the nearby buffets are just grease. Bamboo Kitchen isn't as greasy but it's still bad. I'll admit, we do get Szechuan Royale when my wife and kids feel like having some chicken and broccoli. It's like eating KFC though. You quickly regret it afterwards. Personally, I'd just rather go to Pandan Room than suffer eating local Chinese food.

Now, if you're OK with a short drive, check out Fei Asian Cuisine by the Rockaway Mall (in the strip mall by Olive Garden.) The ingredients are fresh and the dishes aren't greasy at all. They don't have the full Chinese menu selections but they also offer sushi and some other Asian fusion dishes (I highly recommend the Thai basil chicken.) This is what fresh, Asian cooking should be.

http://www.feiasiancuisine.com/

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

"Most Chinese restaurants are greasy messes. Szechuan Royale, HK Palace, Golden Bowl, and the nearby buffets are just grease. Bamboo Kitchen isn't as greasy but it's still bad. I'll admit, we do get Szechuan Royale when my wife and kids feel like having some chicken and broccoli. It's like eating KFC though. You quickly regret it afterwards. Personally, I'd just rather go to Pandan Room than suffer eating local Chinese food."

Is this an opinion or a fact.

Ignatz Ignatz
May '14

It's a fact. Having grown up in an Asian family with friends of different Asian backgrounds, I can say how those dishes are cooked at home is far different from what you see in the majority of these places. Heck, go grab a recipe and make it at home and tell me if your food is swimming in oil like you get for takeout.

Chinese restaurants aren't so different from many other ethnic restaurants. The majority are like fast food while a smaller minority are high quality. You could compare it to Italian restaurants - most places are pizzerias using cheap ingredients like canned spaghetti sauce while you have some higher quality places like La Strada. Same goes for some of the other exotic cuisines (Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, etc.) The only difference is there are so few of them around, it's tough to determine what is authentic or quality because there isn't much to compare to.

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

@emaxxman

Have to agree with you, La Strada is higher quality Italian food you know your food!

Mr Negative Mr Negative
May '14

I beg to differ with you but all you have is an opinion. Being of Asian descent does not make you a authority on Asian cooking any more than being of Italian descent makes you an authority on Italian food or being from Texas makes you an authority of good chili. It is all about ones personal taste. Having lived in Asian countries I have experienced good and bad cooking. It all boils down to weather it is palatable to you or not. It is a matter of personal choice

Ignatz Ignatz
May '14

Obviously it was an opinion. All comments in this thread are opinions. Any comment on whether a restaurant is any good or not is an opinion. Your question was a silly question and was posed with no other intent than to rebut my post. What kind of response did you really think you were going to get?

"Being of Asian descent does not make you a authority on Asian cooking any more than being of Italian descent makes you an authority on Italian food"

True...but being exposed to authentic Asian cooking does make me an expert in spotting a pool of oil in the bottom of my sesame beef takeout container.

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

"Obviously it was an opinion."
Then why did you state it as being fact?
There was no intention of rebuking your post I stated a fact. Can't deal with it?

Ignatz Ignatz
May '14

It was a sarcastic response to your ridiculous question. When someone says, "XYZ place is the best", is that an opinion or a fact? Do you pose the same ridiculous question to those posts?

Can't handle the fact that I think those places are greasy messes? Enjoy your oil-drenched fried rice.

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

If you ever noticed~ ask the peeps who cook the Chinese food what they eat for lunch. Definitely nothing from the menu!

Baci's mom Baci's mom
May '14

Baci's mom,

That's because they make themselves a more authentic dish rather than the typical "Americanized" Chinese food ----- which is basically the same menu offered at any Chinese restaurant you go to.

happiest girl
May '14

"It was a sarcastic response to your ridiculous question."

It seems sarcasm abounds in your tiny world.

Ignatz Ignatz
May '14

@ Ignatz

I am the one that is supposed to be NEGATIVE on here!

Mr Negative Mr Negative
May '14

Call it the way I see it.

Ignatz Ignatz
May '14

Baci's mom and happiest girl - Make sure you clarify whether those are opinions or facts. You don't want the low-self-esteemed opinion police clamoring down on you because you offended their culinary senses.

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

My friend was adopted from China and works in a Chinese restaurant. She told me that she has NEVER (in over a year) seen the owners or their cooks eat anything on the menu. They have children that sit in the back after school and they have never eaten a menu item either.

They have a separate fridge/freezer to keep their own "stash." She said they eat a lot of some type of rice (not the same rice they give their customers) with stuff like steamed fish pieces, something that looks like seaweed, purple lacy mushroom type things and fish broths, etc. She told me they make a Chinese cabbage salad with sesame seeds and an egg dish with rice and shrimp (not egg foo-young) and many other meals -- none of witch are offered on the menu.

She also told me that when she visited China 2 yrs ago she never saw stuff like moogoogipan, or general tsaos chicken or any of that stuff in any of the restaurants and she said the food was weird (fish heads sticking out, things with tentacles, etc) and mostly very lightly cooked (not soft and mushy like the Chinese dishes here). NOTHING, like what we call Chinese food here.

This is just what she told me - I have no personal experience with this as I have never been to China and I am not Chinese.

Being American and used to the Chinese food here, I still do like Bamboo Kitchen of all the places around - authentic Chinese or not.

emily1 emily1
May '14

emily 1,

That is correct. Indeed, when my husband was in China, his business associates took him out for dinner, and he said half of the time he had no idea what he was eating!

Going back to the topic at hand, while it is not necessarily "really great" Chinese food, Golden Bowl 2 in Budd Lake has a separate vegetarian menu with things like "General Tso's Duck" , "Steak with black pepper sauce" , "Kung Pao Chicken" etc. The food is generally cooked with some chicken stock during the stir-fry process, (the owner said because many people who are not vegetarian just want to try mock meats) but if you tell him you are a strict vegetarian, or vegan, they will prepare the food without the stocks or non-vegan sauces.
Of course there are vegetable and tofu dishes as well, and he even has vegan soups.
So for a vegetarian or vegan, this is a "really great" menu.

happiest girl
May '14

I tried Bamboo and I did like most of it except the egg rolls; they're probably great for some but not my favs. They really pound their chicken to be uber tender and indeed, it's seem like a lighter, less starchy sauce. Nice "no additive" menu section too. Still like Hunan Wok in Port Murray Mall; they have lots of cabbage in the egg roll. Nice family run too.

A couple of things; when I cooked I never ate from the menu; why would I? I mean for one, where do you think the interesting things on the menu came from? And second, I had already had all the menu.

Second, I too, have traveled a lot in China, Japan, and Singapore and there's fast food, good food, food like that served in the US Chinese and Japanese restaurants and really exotic food that would be very hard to find here even in an Asian household. And I have eaten at some very greasy spoons since I like the off-the-street gamble, some good and some beyond awful.

But I do agree that in the US, many Chinese places take the ez way with extra oil and extra starch for fillers. Not much different that what many US restaurants do independent of menu nationality. Ever dab your pizza with a napkin before eating?

mistergoogle mistergoogle
May '14

What myself, happiest girl and emily1 stated above is a fact!

Their was a Chinese restaurant in Edison which had 2 menu. One with the fried rice, General Tso Chicken, etc. and the other with congee, fish, tripe, etc. Even the wonton soup is different!

Baci's mom Baci's mom
May '14

I stay away from Chinese places because I just don't trust them . Emily.s post about them not eating the food they feed the public is something I have heard before. I hope none of you goody 2 shoes get upset with my opinion but this is the USA and we still have that right. Or do we ?

jerseycash5
May '14

What can I say, China is a pretty big place, I really doubt you can even find congee in any part of Szechuan (actually Sichuan) which neighbors Tibet and Hunan which is almost dead center in a pretty big country. Like looking for Maine Lobster as a local fare for Kansas City or Boulder.

Sure, most of ours is Americanized, what would you expect for fast food? Just like Domino's or Pizza Hut in Tokyo that has been Japanzied and you probably couldn't stand it. Maple Syrup, Ketchup for dipping; most pizzas have mayo and even though the pizza's look good, they certainly have a different taste.

Here's the meat lovers: "It is unbearable pizza to meat lovers that "Italian sausage garlic", "juicy meat of aging bacon", "BBQ chicken", "special horse bulgogi" is taste with one piece." Bugogi is usually beef.....:>(

Or how about the Genovese: ""Genovese", "Pizza Hut Mayogurume", "thick Forumajji", "avocado Shrimp" a full-scale, I have confidence harmony of taste of the rich four types of fun." Ummm, more mayo please :>)

And, of course, the Tuna MIki: "Taste of mayonnaise texture tailoring and corn taste of the tuna" Oh that corny tuna cracks me up :>)

Think I will stick to the horse...... But trust me, you would gag on a plain cheese n tomato sauce. And they are not ingredient starved, the stuff comes from all over the world. They can get whatever they want, just like us. This is just what the Hut or Dom's has discovered they like.

I guess we like fat, go figure.

As far as General TSO's, there is a dish in China approaching it, but probably not the origin. More likely, Hunan-born Chef Peng invented in Taiwan or upon coming to New York. None the less, you are right you probably can't find this in China except in major cities like Hong Kong where you can find almost anything.

But again, I have found "stuff" that resembles US Chinese in China, not so much Japan, and easily in Singapore. However, China is vast and you can find predominately fish in one area, pork/chicken in another and even beef in a few places. There are many, many regional differences and many regions. But most of our "Chinese" is Hunan or Sichuan and there ain't much fish up there.

mistergoogle mistergoogle
May '14

mistergoogle,

I never had the egg rolls, but try the Spring Rolls at Bamboo Chinese Kitchen.
They are delish !!!
Wish I had some right now ...... mmmmmm.............

happiest girl
May '14

Is it suddenly news to everyone that what we consider to be Chinese take out is "Americanized Chinese"??

Try going to a real Chinese restaurant sometime, you wil be very surprised to see general tso chicken not on the menu!

Darrin Darrin
May '14

If you like authentic Chinese Dim Sum, go to Noodle Chu in Parsippany (next to Home Depot on Rte 46) on Sundays for the real deal. On Sundays only they do a Dim Sum brunch; lots of servers going around with carts piled high with steamer dishes with dumplings and a myriad of other dishes (some totally foreign to "Americanized" Chinese such as chicken feet, tripe, etc). Each plate has 3 or 4 pieces, and you're charged per plate. Expect to pay about $10 per person, and it's worth every penny. I've never been there any other day, but they do offer two menus, Chinese and Americanized. By the way, at the Sunday Dim Sum brunch, easily 90% of the diners are Chinese.

JerryG JerryG
May '14

Baci's mom - When I was younger, we used to go to place where my parents had become friendly with the staff. My mom would order us dishes from a Chinese-language only menu. The waitstaff would translate it for us. The dishes were nothing like what is on a standard menu...and it was good, light, non-greasy dishes.

Regarding what is authentic or Americanized, that shouldn't really matter. It's the execution of the dish. Fei Asian has General Tso's chicken but it's not bathing in grease. We make fried rice at home and it's not glistening with oil and dark brown from an overabundance of soy sauce and mystery brown sauces.

emaxxman emaxxman
May '14

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