A Mesa Asian District Gem Worth Seeking Out Asian Cafe Express is a lovely strip mall gem near H-Mart in Mesa's Asian District, and after 21 years in business, it clearly has a loyal following for good reason. We brought in a fresh lobster from H-Mart to try their "bring your own seafood" cooking option and chose the garlic onion stir fry preparation. It's $14.99 for anything under 2 lbs and $7.50/lbs for anything over. It came out excellent, served over crispy egg noodles with classic Asian flavors and plenty of wok-fired goodness. We also enjoyed the Peking pork ribs, which were deboned, tasty, and slightly sweet; the stir-fried green beans, which were fresh and well prepared; and the garlic spicy chicken wings, which were especially flavorful and highly recommended. The red bean drinks were traditional and satisfying, with soft, nicely soaked mung beans and no milk. Service was friendly, efficient, and personal, handled by a couple of ladies who clearly know the restaurant and their customers well. While we were there, plenty of regulars came in for takeout and several tables were happily dining in. Overall, we really enjoyed Asian Cafe Express and were surprised we had not stopped in sooner. Highly recommend, especially for the "bring your own seafood" cooking option and the garlic spicy wings. We will definitely be back. read more

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I live out of state and my daughter takes me when I visit. 6 months after our first visit, they greeted me and remembered conversation we shared the first time! They knew I was "mom" visiting and treated me and my family like royalty! I watched as they greeted everyone with kindness and it was clear they have many regulars! My daughter is now one of those regulars, and honestly, they are so kind to her and I'm grateful they treat her like family. Four years since that first visit, we gave her a choice of any cuisine for her graduation party. She didn't hesitate and requested they cater. The food was outstanding and they surprised us with dumplings as well! The quality and quantity of food was outstanding, we had many compliments and just enough leftovers for lunch the next day! I recommend everyone stop in and give it a try, you won't be disappointed! read more

It been quite an absence since visiting Asian Cafe Express. There's so many other places to try! Surprisingly as I walked in, staff waved and greeted me. They actually remembered me saying it had been a long time. Impressive! Sweet staff. I ordered the chicken with double mushrooms because I remembered how good it was previously. It's still delicious and a very generous amount of food. Shared parking. read more

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Came here with my mom for her last meal here before she goes back to the East Coast and this place did not disappoint! Believe all the reviews you read! We had lunch here and ordered the wonton soup (Cantonese style), beef chow fun, veggie egg rolls and Chinese breadstick. Beef chow fun was excellent and so good in that my mom ordered a second plate to go for dinner. Wontons were excellent and tasty. My mom said the veggie egg roll was good. The only let down was the Chinese breadstick and that was just so-so. I'd pass on this time next time around. Service was very good and friendly. I'd definitely come back again! read more

Asian Cafe Express - Beef chow fun - excellent - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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Hong Kong Style! Rated as top local Chinese restaurant been here 20 Years. Local hidden gem located in HMart parking lot. Nothing fancy but very delicious and well priced, good portions. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

Before Hmart and all the other Asian restaurants and stores opened in Arizona there was Asian Cafe Express. My family is originally from Illinois which is a great area for Chinese food, and we've been coming here for that same taste since we moved here. We've come so often they treat us like family and have taken care of us. My personal favorite dishes are the white fish with black bean sauce and the garlic green beans. I don't eat pork and they always make sure to make the green beans without pork for me. So sweet! My dad has also been sick so we wanted to get their chicken porridge, and hearing that he was sick they made his special with less salt for his health. I also ordered their shrimp fried rice for the first time and it was great! Big prices of shrimp as well. Love this place and will always come back! read more

Asian Cafe Express - Chicken porridge - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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I really like this place. Everytime I've been here, I've been greeted by a very happy woman who says to sit wherever you want. The menu is quite large with a lot of good choices. I like that there are pictures of the different dishes hung on the walls, which really helps in making a choice. We ordered pork egg rolls, Kung Pao chicken, and the Pork Ribs Chow Fun with black bean sauce. Everything was delicious, and reasonably priced This place is definitely not fancy, but the food is good and the prices are right. You can't go wrong here! read more

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I came here for lunch while back, didn't do a review since they have so much on the menu and wanted order more dish. Came here for late dinner few nights ago. I was greated by friendly staff and got overwhelmed with menu so many dishes, it was like Chinese version of The cheese cake factory. Ordered chili sauce chicken dumpling as appetizer, ordered Chinese broccoli/chicken and Hmoy stir fried noodle dish. Chilli sauce was very flavor, not spicy but yummy with dumpling.. Chinese broccoli and chicken had simple sauce but very flavorful and you can taste the wok flavoring. Never had Hmoy dish but man I couldn't stop eating.. Shredded pork and pretty large size shrimp on the dish. Flavor was also yummy. For the price of the dish and amount you get was on point. Also I would have to say best service I have ever gotten at a Chinese restaurant. Servers walked by and made sure our water glasses were always full, asked if we wanted more rice middle of our eating.. Not to mention asked if we wanted more rice to go as she packed up our left overs. I would definitely come back here again and try other dishes, and customer service and price was very good. read more

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Outstanding variety and quality of authentic Cantonese cuisine. One of the few places where I can order tasty bitter melon beef entree. Portion sizes are great. I ordered food for delivery and cannot speak for ambiance or service. Looking forward to try more dishes! read more

Mongolian beef was not tender, with chewy stringy pieces, spicy chicken wasn't spicy at all and the XO chicken spaghetti didn't have much flavor. Waste of $48...dumped about half... read more

The service here is so friendly! I was on the hunt for good crispy chow mein. I stopped in here after a trip to H Mart in the same plaza. The decor is minimal but that's totally ok, but a little background music would be nice. I was a little nervous when all the tables had non-Asians. Typically not a great sign. lol We ordered the pork egg rolls. Two to an order for around $3.50. They are not very big, but they are good! Super crispy, not greasy and came out screaming hot. We asked for spicy mustard and they brought some little packets. It's not very spicy so add in some chili oil if you like it hot. The noodles came out at the same time. It's a big portion with beef, chicken, shrimp, calamari and bok choy. Beef, chicken and shrimp were all great. The calamari was a bit chewy and the bok choy overcooked. The sauce was a little thicker than usual. Maybe a little heavy on the corn starch. It definitely needed the chili oil to add some zip. Overall, the food is good and again the service was fantastic. This is the place to go for your Cantonese Chinese food fix. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Combo chow mein $14.99 - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

Came to order the Braised Tofu with (Gailan) Chinese Brocolli and mushrooms. Vegetarian dish with 3 ingredients and was told Over $18.00. Seriously?? I had to walk out...the price gouging is getting ridiculous!! read more

Asian Cafe Express - Braised Tofu with Gailan (Chinese Brocolli) and mushrooms. - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

It's been a while since I last dined here. Honestly, it really is the best cha chaan teng (tea restaurant) in the valley (and of course without driving to LA). This was my first time trying their fish fillet congee, and I was so surprised with how much fish it came with! It's well seasoned too! The beef chow fun was delicious as always. My mom mentioned the red beans in her drink was perfectly cooked this time (she had a bad experience last time). My yuen yeung (50/50 coffee tea) was a bit too sweet in my opinion, but again, I've lowered my standard knowing that this drink doesn't get offered in other places close to me. I arrived at 12:15pm and it was getting busy but not packed. The food took only 15 minutes to arrive, which was really reasonable for lunch time. The server was very polite and attentive, and even pack my leftovers for me, which was very extra in a Chinese restaurant. read more

Asian Cafe Express - (Left to right) beef chow fun, fried beef stick, fish fillet congee, iced red bean, iced 50/50 coffee tea - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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SENTRY - WATCHING RESTAURANTS Asian Cafe Express 1911 W. Main Street Mesa, 85201 In my quest to find restaurants that I have not tried before, this was on my list (currently 110) of places to try. Companion and I arrived at 6:00 and were seated immediately. This is a relatively small restaurant that is very unpretentious. They have 3 menus including one for typical American Chinese style food, one for Hong Kong style food, and one for family dining. We chose a little from the American Chinese style and some from the Hong Kong style menu. Our first item was Pork Egg Rolls. (2 for $3.29). They were quite good and came with a sweet sauce to dunk in. I asked for hot mustard and was given 3 commercial packets to use. Companion ordered sweet and sour pork. ($10.99). This was the small portion, which was mounded up on the plate. A large portion is also available but this was more than enough food. We also ordered a plate of combo fried rice ($11.99) which again was a large portion and was very tasty. For myself, I ordered pork in minced garlic sauce ($11.99). In Chinese we say it was Mala, which means spicy, and that was not an understatement. It took a bit to get used to the heat, but by the end of the meal I was used to it. I must confess that I ordered a cup of Hong Kong style sweet milk tea ($4.99) which cuts the heat very quickly. They proudly display an "A" rating from the health department which is a bit unusual to see in many small restaurants. 4 stars for cleanliness, good service, and well priced food that tastes good. read more

So good always!! Got the house lo mein and the beef chow fun dry. Both were flavorful and so yummy. Hit the spot. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

The portions are huge, definitely gives off a warm, mom-and-pop, home-cooked vibe. It reminded me of something my mom would make at home. The staff were all incredibly friendly, and the restaurant was clean and spacious. The food came out quickly and everything was absolutely delicious. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

It's been awhile since i have been here due to my diet; however I have been craving fried rice. So I returned to a place that never disappoints. The place has not changed much from a decor perspective. The waitresses are all still the same friendly folks that are professionals. Everything is prepared and seasoned well, as well as good size portions. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Seafood fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

I had a craving for some Singapore noodles today and stopped by to pick some up. I hadn't tried the noodles from here before and I'm glad I did. Their version has more of a curry flavor and it was very filling. I also loved that it had chicken and some shrimp included. I will definitely be back and I love how fast it was done too. read more

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The mostly take-out food here is amazing ! Consistently good Asian food doesn't disappoint ! The best food in our area ! Great menu and always ready when you come to pickup . This place is dea keeper ! read more

Friendly service from start to finish. Ordered a few dishes all tasted really great. Under estimated the portion size and left with a couple togo boxes. It wasn't too busy when visited so the vibe felt homey and laid back. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Orange chicken. Salt & pepper fried squid. - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

Nice hidden gem that is close to my home. I am looking forward to coming here more often. I stopped in at Asian Cafe Express with a group of Yelp friends to celebrate Lunar New Year. The menu here is enormous. There are so many dishes to choose from. I was happy that they have pictures on the wall of their dishes because I was indecisive about what to order. What I enjoy about this place is the bargain prices and the big portions. Not to mention the food is pretty good! Asian Cafe Express serves up Chinese comfort food along with favorites from Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. They have been a staple here in the Valley for some time and are located by H Mart in Mesa. I ordered the Beef Stew Chow Mein and a noodle soup for my entree. But we ended up doing a lot of sharing so we could each try something different. Overall, Asian Cafe Express ended up being a great recommendation and a nice time with friends. Great service too! read more

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The food was mediocre--and could have been better: I ordered chicken teriyaki, hot & sour soup, and two vegetable spring rolls. 1. The chicken teriyaki although tasted good, had bones which I didn't enjoy having to bite and then pick through. Also, that's all it was was chicken & rice [ the waitress in all fairness did say that that was what it all consisted of ]. 2. The spring rolls were so-so, although they had a mushy taste. 3. Hot & sour soup--this really wasn't good--and was the worst! It had no spice [ not even mildly ], it ran very thin, it was somewhat bland, and had large chunks of zucchini that I had to cut into halves. On a more positive note: it was very clean and the service was prompt and thorough. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Vegetable Spring Rolls - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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Oh man, the slow demise of the Cantonese style restaurants are on the rise. New Hong Kong, gone. The only east valley choices that I'm aware of are Phoenix Palace, Mekong Palace, Best Hong Kong and Tao Garden. 2 of these are not known for their Cantonese offerings, and one took 36 minutes for our 3 orders. There were only 2 other tables. Even though the new owners had taken over, the food is amazing. Large portions, reasonably priced, and the orders come out quickly. Five minutes after we made our order the plates start coming out hot. If you're expecting the stereotypical Chinese-hole-in-the-wall bad service, you will be pleasantly surprised. You would think you were at a fine dining American restaurant. They come back enough times, but not too much. I have to laugh at the 1 and 2- star reviews (they ordered VEGETABLE egg rolls, egg drop soup, fried rice, broccoli beef, chicken with American vegetables, sweet and sour chicken...guess what? This was created for the non-Asians and wait for it...teriyaki chicken! Hello, not Chinese OMG) the one reviewer chimed in that her husband is Chinese and they're from the Bay Area which is supposed to qualify her as a Cantonese food expert ‍ Hilarious Then there's the 2-star reviewer complaining about the old furniture and grungy bathroom. If you want fancy shmancy go to PF Changs God gave us white blood cells to combat any germs and viruses haha Grungy bathrooms and hallways doubling as storage space is a hallmark of good Cantonese food! My dad and I are healthy eaters and we usually have leftovers. Since the H Mart and other restaurants have arrived, it has not affected Asia Café Express (affectionately known as ACE) Highly recommend it read more

Great food. Great service. Great restaurant excellent.Excellent excellent.We'll watch she warms up

I was visiting Mesa and yearning for some Cantonese Chinese food. We discovered Asian Cafe Express through Yelp. Asian Cafe Express offers both dine in and takeout. It is located at the same strip mall with H Mart. This is not a fancy place, almost hole-in-the-wall. However, I was surprise at the variety, the great taste and the value; very similar to the Chinese food I am use to at the San Francisco Bay Area restaurants. The service was friendly and quick. We ate lunch here and was so impress that we order a large variety of takeout for dinner. I recommend all of the following dishes. 1. Beef stew wonton noodles, 2. Dry beef chow fun, 3. Combo & fried tofu hot pot, 4. Chicken with black bean sauce, 5. Preserved salted fish, chicken, eggplant hot pot, 6. Salt & pepper fried fish fillet, 7. Chinese broccoli with shrimp. Regarding the wonton noodle, I was impressed at how tender the beef stew was. Regarding the beef chow fun, I would request the kitchen cook the beef medium (not well done). read more

Asian Cafe Express - Beef Chow Fun (Dry) - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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Fast and friendly service! Been looking for a decent Asian restaurant without luck in Mesa. This one came recommended and the food did not disappoint! So good! read more

Great food! Full authenticity!! Feeling homesicked a little and I searched online, finally found this place in Asian district that carries the egg noodles and wontons which tasted just like home!! Cantonese people are going to love this place. The lady who served me spoke fluent Cantonese and she was very kind to me. Beef Briskets are awesome with the right amount of fat but lots of meat proteins. Soup is done the right way. Wontons are yummy with each containing a whole piece of shrimp. Very welcome-y interior and chill environment. Booths are very comfy as well. Definitely would love to come back again for the same food!! 超级好吃，牛腩云吞面味道很好！蛋面也很有韧性。汤很好喝味道跟家那边茶餐厅的一样。奶茶必点，那种甜中带点微苦的味道真的就是一样的味道，喜欢港式奶茶的一定要试一下。真系有时候挂住屋企就想食云吞面！真系好好味啊！多谢晒！体验好唔错，下次再黎过！（差一dd就系无韭黄，韭黄落埋就系顶瓜瓜！） read more

Asian Cafe Express - HK style milk tea and Beef brisket wonton noodles - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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Wow, another fantastic experience!! This has become my favorite Chinese restaurant! Their salt and pepper shrimp is perfectly savory & crispy! But what's incredible is, they will make it gluten free at your request! That goes for the fried rice too! The hardest part is picking the fried rice dish you want, as they have waaaay too many tasty fried rice dishes to choose from! For this visit, we opted for the seafood fried rice, and we were giddy like two little chickadees in a basket of mealworms! Service was fantastic! Our original server wasn't familiar with gluten free, but another server came by to help out, and we were able to explain our exact gluten free needs, and our dishes were exquisite! We are hooked for life!! read more

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Absolutely the best Hong Kong style Food and Service in America. A family devoted to giving their best quality and service. read more

Food - I have a salty palate so love the flavors at this authentic restaurant. Plenty of flavors. Able to customized spice levels on some dishes. Bring your own seafood and they will cook for you with choices of sauces and cooking styles (see menu). For 4 lobsters that weighed 5 pounds we paid about $30 for cooking with 2 different sauces (ginger scallion & black beans). The lobsters we got at nearby H-mart for $9.99/lb. Service - appreciate the tentative service. Server provided us with water and took out promptly. Aluminum bowls for lobster shells. Food came out relatively quick. Ambience - don't expect romantic ambience here. typical Chinese restaurant. 5 stars for food and service. read more

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Following my last visit, my one star review, I visited again Feb 8th. Spurred by an open invite for Yelpers to the monthly supper club I'm happy to report that I put Asian Cafe back in my collection of places to dine in Mesa. Their creamy chicken corn soup was perfect I thought! The egg, chicken and flavor was balanced just right for me! $At 4.99 for a medium which serves 2-4 people is delicious and a great value. Steamed chicken is what I ordered for my entree. The chicken was not up to par and was dry. It looked like it was cooked the day prior but the ginger scallion paste (sauce) that accompanies it saved this dish! I order steamed chicken/condiment at other restaurants and have it with other meats or just on my rice! I love it so much, that I plan on making this simple sidekick at home. Ginger, scallion, oil and salt. That's it! The servers had a grip on the phone orders, take out pick ups and had to serve all the tables of patrons with kindness. Kudos to all the hard working ladies that night! Chow fun and one of their speciality combos are on my radar to try next! read more

Asian Cafe Express - Medium size creamy corn soup. Feb 8, 2024 - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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I got a chance to visit this restaurant as part of an UYE right before Chinese New Year 2024!! This place is located in the H-Mart shopping center, it has been around long before H-Mart moved in. We ordered from the Hong Kong part of the menu and we were impressed with every dish that came out. The menu is extensive, and so many good options. I went with a Green Onion, Shrimp & Tofu soup, the medium serves 2-4 people (cup size portions), the fresh green onion on top definitely elevates the flavors. This was delicious, hot, flavorful, plenty of shrimp. For my entree I went with the eggplant & ground pork in garlic sauce, served over rice, the spice level was perfect. Good flavors, big portions. Everything our table ordered looked and smelled delicious. We had great service, restaurant is spacious and has several large round tables for big groups. Parking is shared with a number of businesses and may be tight on a busy Friday night or weekend. I will definitely be back and would recommend this place. read more

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I came here for lunch the first time with my friend after shopping at H Mart. The restaurant reminded me of my good old days living in NYC and going to Chinatown for meals. The menu is very extensive. The service was very good, attentive and friendly. We ordered the Hot and Sour Soup, Pork Egg Rolls and Beef Chow Fun Dry along with a Hot Oolong Tea. The Hot and Sour soup was good, though could of used more hot (spice) and more sour to it. The Pork Egg Rolls were OK. The Chow Fun was excellent, filled with beef and had the smoky wok fry taste to it that you can only get with a hot hot fire under your wok. I will definitely be back but next time to try more of the dishes I grew up with. Atmosphere: typical Chinese mom and hole in the wall. Service: excellent. Food: good. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Pork Egg Rolls - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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My boyfriend and I grabbed 2 lobsters from H Mart and brought them over here for the BYOS deal. We got them both stir fried, one with ginger onion scallions with chow mein underneath and the second in the xo sauce. Both were AMAZING, but if I had to choose I would choose the xo sauce. The menu said it was spicy, but personally I didn't find it spicy at all. I would only be worried about the spice if you have a very very low spice tolerance. Definitely a good deal! I can't wait to come back and try some of their other dishes! The service was amazing despite the restaurant being very busy and only having 2 servers. The inside was clean as well. read more

Asian Cafe Express - Ginger onion scallion lobster stir fry (BYOS) - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

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Amazing food. Better than some places in LA. True Cantonese food. Combination fried rice and salt and pepper shrimp were some of the highlights. read more

The food here is typically good. They fry the food, so it might taste a little oily. It may be wok fried. They have white rice and brown rice. I usually get their Hong Kong style noodles or the eggplant dish. The noodles come out crispy. The menu choices might be a little intimidating. Great service. Quick and easy meal. read more

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I've been going here since college days which has been about 15 years and I can't believe I never left a review. This place is amazing! Great tasting food and affordable prices. They are pretty generous with the portions so you can get a lot for your money. The service here is fantastic. They remember you and they're always so kind and cheerful. Their menu is extensive so it's hard to choose but they also provide pictures which make it a little easier. They have family meal options with great prices. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

The service here is always so excellent!! I totally recommend coming here to try their amazing food!

Very average food. Will not come again. Service was quick and nice to explain things off menu. Place looks like hole in wall.

For February the International Supper Club UYE picked Asian Café Express as the place for us to try! We had a big turnout for this one and the place was able to accommodate us with no issues. Asian Café Express has three styles of menu, AZ style menu, Hong Kong style and the set dinner specials menu. The Hong Kong style menu is what I went with, which is authentic Chinese dishes. After checking out the menu, I went with the Hong Kong style menu and ordered the Kung Poa Beef. It was stirred fried beef with carrots, onions, green peppers in a Szechwan sauce and topped with peanuts. It was served with rice. This dish was so good! It made great leftovers too! Service was great and even for being a big group, the dishes everyone ordered came out quickly. I am glad to have tried Asian Café Express and am in the area often so I know I will be back! read more

Asian Cafe Express - Chinese Near Me - Mesa, Arizona