1 Star -- The Worst Chinese Food in Amherst (and That's Saying Something!) I ordered the "All Day Combo" General Tso's Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice for lunch -- and wow, I wish I hadn't. The portion was pathetic: maybe five tablespoons of pre-cooked fried rice and five tiny, shriveled pieces of chicken (smaller than nuggets!) that were clearly reheated leftovers. The chicken was tough, dry, and chewy -- like biting into old rubber. And the price? $12.70 for what? A sad excuse for a meal. Absolutely no value, no freshness, and no effort whatsoever. This was hands-down the worst Chinese food I've ever had in Amherst -- and possibly anywhere. Located on College Street, this place needs to do some serious soul-searching about what they're serving people. If you value your money (and your taste buds), stay far, far away. This wasn't lunch -- it was a culinary insult in a takeout box. Save yourself the disappointment. Just don't. read more

Super solid place to go for Chinese food. My boyfriend and I ordered 3 dishes to go and they were prepared really quickly. The mapo tofu and sweet and sour pork were lunch specials, under 12 dollars each! The calamari was much pricier in comparison, over 20 dollars by itself. My favorite was the mapo tofu, it was so flavorful and paired wonderfully with the rice. The food was packed into each of the containers as well, which allowed us to eat until we were stuffed while still having so much food leftover. read more

Chef Lau - Mapo tofu, calamari, sweet and sour pork - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

I returned and got another chicken dish and took home a beef brisket noodle soup. The chicken dish was good, but nearly as good as the sesame chicken. The soup broth and brisket was quite good, but the noodles were frankly awful. They tasted packaged and stale. Skip this. read more

The best Chinese cuisine in town. Cozy place, friendly staff (mandarin and cantonese speakers), and very delicious foods. I went there repeatedly and love this place so much!! read more

See all

Great dumplings! Fast online ordering for pickup. Parking lot. Four tables inside. Need to post a menu online instead of photos.

Tasty and fresh cooked. Very friendly . Great service. Big choice of food. General Tso's was perfect. Tofu Mapo was excellent read more

Surprisingly good! It looks like a typical strip mall American Chinese restaurant, replete of soy sauce and oil, fried rangoons and wonton soup, but although you can get those if you want, their other menu items ("Hong Kong Style" section) and house specials make it stand out from the typical stereotyped fare. We enjoyed a really good salt and pepper squid (with bits of fried garlic dusted over it which added a new dimension to the dish); a savory and different char siu roast pork fried rice; and a solid beef with cashews. It's decor is nothing to write home about, but the proprietress is kind and cheerful, and the food is good. We noted the restaurant has a strong take-out business; table seating and wait-service is available but somewhat limited. read more

See all

Chef Lau is a bit pricey but they earn it - everything is expertly prepared, perfectly seasoned, and fresh. I've eaten General Tso (Gao?) chicken hundreds of times at hundreds of different restaurants and Chef Lau distinctively stands head and shoulders above all - I'd swear it was freshly prepared with never-frozen dark meat. Ordering online was easy, as was parking and picking up. Regretfully, I have to dock Chef Lau one star because our carry-out dinner came packaged in 4 single-use plastic containers with single-use plastic lids. The plastic packaging is a deal-breaker for me. Alas, eat-in options are limited at Chef Lau's place. So, despite being the most talented kitchen in Amherst, I'm going to need to back-shelf Chef Lau until they revisit their take-out packaging. I am particularly saddened to see this level of environmental abuse in Amherst - their primary customer base is Gen-Z college students who should know (and demand) better. Grow up, you little morons, and use Daddy's $$$ to demand a tiny bit of environmental responsibility. As minor side nitpick, I like ordering online, which is less stressful than telephone, avoids errors, and saves both of us time and money. It's a win-win-win; so why must I pay a fee for it? It was only a $1 fee, which is less than others, but why? read more

We ordered beef fried Hor fun, chicken with egg porridge, fried string beans and shrimp fried rice. And we added an extra spicy General Tsp chicken to go. The fried rice is the best dish. read more

Chef Lau - Big table for groups - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Best tasting rice and chicken in Amherst in my opinion. Consistent quality always too.

stopped by for lunch during a college visit tour. The food tasted very good and the dishes were served fast and big too. i am typically picky on chinese food as i prefer cooking Chinese food myself. The lady was also friendly. read more

Amazing people and service! Been coming here for years and the food quality has always been consistent, amazing! Authentic and delicious! Definitely recommend read more

The Chinese-American offerings here are easily the best in the Pioneer Valley! That's what my partner and I tried for our first visit but they also have plenty of Hong Kong dishes. I was very tempted by the salted egg chicken wings and braised beef shank on the specials menu, but decided to go with the General Tso's chicken that I'd planned to order. The General Tso's came out piping hot served with broccoli and white rice. The chicken itself was good-sized chunks of dark meat with a moderately thick breading that still had a decent crunch to it. The sauce was indulgently sweet but not overly greasy. When I ate my leftovers the next day I definitely noticed the fragrance of fresh ginger in the sauce. I'm not usually one to rave about vegetables but the broccoli was perfect! They are clearly using quality ingredients here and you can taste the delicious leafy greenness of the broccoli. I had a similar experience biting into one of the spring rolls. The cabbage inside tasted like cabbage! I don't think I've ever had a spring roll or egg roll that I could say that of. Like the chicken, the spring roll was fried at the right temperature and there was very little grease that dripped off at the table. In my opinion, the quality of the food justifies the prices. I am glad to pay a bit more to enjoy food made from fresh ingredients that is enjoyable to eat. We will definitely be back to try more! read more

First time getting takeout at Chef Lau and I'm so glad I did! The food is delicious and fresh. Their milk tea is my new favorite. I was hooked after the first sip. The service was fast, friendly, and helpful. This is definitely one of my new favorite spots. Highly recommend! read more

Chef Lau - Shrimp fried rice and milk tea - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

They have new menu and pre order menu! Their Zhudu soup is pretty good! Stir-fried Niuhe, I think it's best in Amherst! read more

Chef Lau - Pre-order Menu - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

Best spring rolls in town! This place is right down the street from us. It's a shame we didn't try it sooner! I really enjoyed the mapo tofu, and the servings are big enough for there to be leftovers for lunch tomorrow. The prices are very reasonable - we will definitely return. read more

We ate here twice. Odd flavors. Today, we took a few bites of two separate dishes. Threw them both out. read more

Chef Lau - Two dishes in trash. Uneaten. - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

We really enjoyed our take out. We had a beef dish. The beef was tender! We will definitely get take out again!

This place is really sweet. It has a family business vibe. The menu is simple and straightforward. We got the salt and pepper tofu which was freshly fried, crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside. It came covered in toasted garlic, which was nutty and delicious. We also got the General Tso's chicken which perfectly fried dark meat coated in a tangy, rich sauce. The food came out fast and the people working there were friendly and kind. Don't sleep on Chef Lau! read more

We visited Chef Lau recently and we thought the food was very delicious! We ordered the General Tso's Chicken (mild spicy), veggie fried rice, and crab rangoon on the house!! Each dish was made to order and ingredients were fresh. I enjoyed the fact that the crab rangoons were not too oily and had a nice crunch to them. We received generous amounts of the General Tso's chicken and a large heaping of the veggie fried rice. Menu seems pretty diverse, and they have street food options unique to Hong Kong!! Eat and support local businesses!! read more

See all

Tasty dishes. They delivered my order promptly. I recommend them as a great neighborhood restaurant.

We ordered the Chef Lau's Fried Rice for take out. Portion was generous and delicious. Would definitely come back!

Really good authentic Chinese food!! Highly recommended their special fried rice and HK style chicken pot.

Every dish we had was good - ordered the beef chow fun, sesame chicken, kung pao chicken, spring rolls and crab rangoon. We will definitely be back! read more

From the outside you're not sure what kind of Chinese it is, Americanize/sugary Chinese or from China Authentic Chinese. It happened to be the ladder of the two, and I am so pleased. I have been to Asia and enjoyed the more authentic versions so much and I was excited to see this treat in the middle of Western MA. I got the black bean sauce beef dinner and the meat was SO tender and moist, not over cooked to the point of being jerky like. It might be a steak cut, but was not low quality or hard/chewy at all, phenomenal. The sauce had a strong (but not overpowering) garlic base, and was plentiful to be coating, but not too thick or thin, really just right to coat the onions and meat as well as for the rice. I also ordered the congee with chicken and the "petrified egg". The server warned me it was very colorful lol and she wasn't wrong. It looked more like a dark mushroom, but wow what an interesting texture combo that added, highly suggested. I looked it up and it's a way of preserving/pickling eggs and by a centuries old process, but it transformed the egg white into a gelatinous clear type texture, and the yoke in the a phenomenal smooth creamy whipped like texture. Unbelievable, must try. The soup itself was a simple profile, the egg part added a slight salt flavor, but I enjoyed this as I am recovering from a cold and wanted a more mild profile. This fit the bill big time. I tried the honk Kong tea and jeez this kicked the pants off the Thai tea that's mostly sweetened condensed milk. It was similar, a milk based chai flavor but thankfully was not sugar loaded, but very mildly sweetened, if noticeable at all. Enough to not be sharp/tart. read more

Chef Lau is a delicious and fresh option with really nice staff! Their General Tsos was amazing! read more

Chef Lau - General Tsos - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

The BEST Chinese food around, by far!!! The food is always fresh and delicious, worth trying everything on the menu! The crab Rangoons are the best I've ever had. Friendly staff and quick service, doesn't get much better than this! read more

I just ordered from Chef Lau for the first time and I'm so happy with my meal! I ordered beef with broccoli and the service was super quick! The staff was so friendly too! I will definitely be going here regularly :) read more

Chef Lau - Beef with broccoli - Cantonese Near Me - Amherst, Massachusetts

See all

I have been going to try this place since they opened, finally got the chance for dinner (take out) last night. I ordered the General Ts0's chicken and my sister who was visiting from R.I. got the Lo Mein ( mixed vegetables) First off when I picked it up I was pleasantly greeted and my food was waiting for me, secondly I couldn't believe how heavy the bag was. When I got home we unpacked it and WOW enough food for 2 meals out of each order, but the best part was that it was excellent. Perfectly cooked, very fresh and tasty and I repeat enough for two meals in each order. It is great that Chef Lau has opened only about 2.5 miles from my house. Will be making it a regular stop !!! read more

The food was delicious and the delivery was prompt, and still too hot to eat when it arrived! Quality ingredients, really good chicken. This will be our regular place from now on. read more

So good. All of the dishes I've had so far have been prepared with care and were bursting with flavor. Super nice at the counter too.

This is a great little Chinese restaurant. There aren't many seats - what it's good for is take-out or delivery. All the veggies are fresh and the spices are terrific. AND it's reasonably priced. We go here regularly. I highly recommend it. read more

While I was getting an oil change across the street I tried this place out and I was glad I did. This little hole in the wall is easy to pass by without batting an eye but I would highly recommend giving them a try. I sat inside and the owners were very kind and friendly. I ordered the lo mein and it was delicious and fresh, and tasted far more authentic than many of Chinese places in the Amherst area. I will definitely return if I'm craving some good noodles. read more

Their food is prepared with care , tasty, and at a fair price. When ordering 'to go', rarely has it taken any longer than 20 minutes. They have a smaller menu than most places too, which I think shows they are not trying to be everything to everybody. Better to do things that you know well. A newer and welcome addition to The Happy Valley! read more

Our new local go-to. Friendly service and speedy delivery! The ingredients seem to be high-quality. Both their chicken and beef dishes have used good cuts of meat & been pleasing to the palate-not rubbery or off-tasting like some other restaurants. Highly recommended! read more

Live close by so I come here often. Food is delicious, pricing is fair, and the service is wonderful. The people that work here are really nice and sweet. Love it! read more

For our first time ordering, we tried Wed BBQ night and had the duck, cabbage, rice, special side sauces, poached chicken. The side sauces are made from scratch and absolutely fantastic. The duck was crispy and perfectly prepared. Prices reasonable. The owners are super nice. The food was SO DELICIOUS like home cooking, and we not only had a luxurious dinner but I enjoyed the abundant leftovers for lunch in the office. The home-made chili garlic oil is the best I've ever had. Run, do not walk to this place and try them out! read more

By far the BEST Chinese food in Amherst. Small but very clean restaurant - maybe 4 tables /4 seats each.I ordered an appetizer, vegetable dish and two entrees prepared Hong Kong style. The braised beef shank (appetizer) while smallish in portion was unexpectedly delicate and delicious; The entrees were Char Siu ( Roasted Pork) and Spare ribs in black bean sauce. The pork was amazing , melt in your mouth in savory sauce and a few veggies. The spare ribs were tender and covered in a delicious but low-key hot/spicy sauce. I also ordered broccoli and garlic sauce but received mixed vegetables with garlic sauce which I ended up preferring since there was still plenty of broccoli in the mix and the carrots and snow peas were cooked to perfection. My take -out order was ready in 15-20 minutes, enough time to watch with confidence as my meal was prepared, bagged and handed to me. If you love Chinese food you must must eat here. A gem. Prices are average . read more

I've lived in Amherst for 4 years and have driven by Chef Lau multiple times and finally decided to try it. They were sanitary inside and super friendly and the food did not disappoint. I got the general tso's chicken with noodles and it was perfect. I will definitely be going back! read more