We were in Novi for the motor city Comic-Con and wanted to try out a new restaurant. I actually asked chatGBT for top 10 restaurants for dinner and this was on the list! It's very close to the former suburban showplace and located in a strip mall. There was availability in the shared parking lot. When we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the decor and layout of the restaurant. It was busy but only had to wait for a few minutes for them to get a table ready. There were seats at the bar which seemed like a good atmosphere if you chose to sit there. We sat by the window in a 4 top for just the 2 of us. My seat was comfy on a bench. There were many items on the menu that we wanted to try but asked our server for recommendations. My husband ordered wonton soup for appetizer and then Mongolian beef. I ordered the Thai basil chicken. We ate it all! Everything was flavorful and hot in temperature and served just at the right amount of pace. I also ordered the white flower cocktail, it was good and can't quite determine what part of it had a little kick to it! We ordered hot tea for our dessert, they certainly know how to make jasmine tea just right! Restrooms were clean and it's a cozy yet a little upscale vibe but not dressy. I was worried as I had my Star Wars t-shirt on but I layered with a sweater! We will definitely return as I'd like to splurge and try the Hong Kong short ribs! read more

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Excellent food, very tasty and authentic. We had great service and the restaurant is very nicely decorated. They have a nice looking patio and an attached Jia Lounge which looked very cool. read more

Great service! Excellent food! Decades of serving up delicious food in Novi! The ambience is lively but still relaxing. The menu has many diverse dishes from more old school favorites to a bit more of an Asian fusion style. There is something for everyone and they are very accommodating with modifications. China cafe gets busy, reservations are a good idea. Through the years, I have been here countless times and I always leave happy! read more

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Pretty nice dining for Chinese. Came here one day because I was looking for some Asian style chicken wings and this popped up on Yelp! They have a nice menu of so many things that I couldn't decide what to try. They have a nice drink menu too if you drink alcohol. The chicken wings were delicious. I would have preferred them to be a bit more salty, but they were good. The chow fat noodles were great also. The only confusion was we thought it was the flat wide noodles, but they were super wide. Overall, there wasn't an issue with the flavor at all. The wonton soup was amazing. Some of the best broth I have had in a soup. Wontons were filling and tasted great. The walnut shrimp was my least favorite. The shrimp still had the tails on it and I didn't like that at all. I also didn't like the batter as it seemed too thick for the style I have at other places. Service was nice and everyone was friendly. The restaurant was very clean as well. I would definitely recommend this place for a nice dinner. I will for sure come back and try more food. read more

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I order a carry out, I forget to take picture. I order sesame chicken, egg roll and crab Rangoon. I stopped by a week prior, but it was very business carry out had a 25 min wait. I found food was good, portion size for price, could have been a little more. Over all customer service was good. read more

Authentic atmosphere with amazing service and delicious food. The portions are perfect for sharing family style as you'll want to try more than one. Highly recommend!! read more

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Great food! I would highly recommend China Cafe! Service is outstanding and ambiance is welcoming. Every dish we had was served hot and tasty. We had the dumplings served properly with sweet vinegar, Mongolian beef (my fav), fried noodles (my wife's fav) and mixed vegetables. We will be back again!! read more

This will amount to perhaps my 4th review of the China Cafe in Novi. The staff and ambience of this room are top drawer. Tables are roomy, clean, well placed and easily arrangeable for larger family or business gathering. We enjoy their cuisine and menu choices so much that we patronized the business twice this last week. Their Hot Sour soup is smooth, but I got to taste the Chicken Noodle yesterday. This will make for a tough choice next visit. I tend to order the Fire Cracker Shrimp, while Linda opts for their Bangkok Sole is simply to die for. I speculate that they wok fry it with a rice flour verse wheat. I'm telling you it's all about gone for market value every time. Just wish they would consider adding a Shrimp Spring Roll to the entree lead up. Now the brother's restaurant is opening this week in Farmington Hill after a disastrous kitchen fire 18 months ago & I wish them well, but will always be asking for table #1 at China Cafe. read more

Located in the plaza with convenient parking. We came here for my birthday this year because I really wanted some Chinese food. I was excited to have the eggplant and tofu, and also the seafood pry noodles. Both were very good much better than the last time since I've been here before the service was decent there were a few times I needed to find the server I wanted more water, the ambience is fine. It's on the darker side, but we also got the chicken that was like a sweet-and-sour chicken. He thought it was battered or told us it was battered, but then it came out not battered. We were actually glad it was not battered, but surprised anyways for what we got. Overall, it's gotten a lot better since I've been here last. It is open on the price your side, but the dishes I ordered I really enjoyed. read more

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Outstanding Chinese food. Lovely ambiance. China Cafe becomes busy from opening to closing, so we often arrive close to the 4 p.m. opening time, or order from home and pick up our dinner. The staff is very organized and professional. Highly recommend! read more

We have lived in Novi for four years and this is the first time we've been here. The won ton soup was very good but different than most places we have been too - it did not have oily tasting dumplings in them and the broth was light. I ordered a combo meat kung pao that was pretty good. On another visit, we had hot and sour sour - oh Lordy it was great. We also got General Tso's and we liked how it was not deep fried. I would definitely order that again. read more

China Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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I went with a large party of 10 friends, so we decided to order a bunch of dishes and share family style. We ordered the kung pao trio (twice because it was so good!), holy basil chicken, firecracker shrimp, imperial fried rice, and pan friend noodles. Everything was incredible, the portions were great for a large party and the service was very fast and attentive. I would definitely recommend for those looking for upscale Chinese food and will be looking forward to my next visit! read more

China Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Novi, Michigan

We found this place on the Royal Oak Eats group on Facebook. Definitely worth the drive to find our new date-night spot! The service from Suzanne and Zin was great! Very personable, great recommendations, and engaged each patron warmly. I had an Asian Pear martini which was a fantastic balance of flavor and alcohol. My wife enjoyed the fried riced, with extra egg. Me...wow, the Mongolian Beef! The beef was incredibly tender, the sauce was flavorful with a balance of spice. We will be back soon!!! read more

China Cafe - Fried rice with extra egg - Chinese Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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Hands down the best Asian fusion restaurant around. Quality food, attentive service and large portions. Not the typical carry out spot! Great for lunch or dinner, date night or something special! read more

We used to love the China Cafe about 10years ago. After just visiting it 3 weeks ago we were terribly disappointed. The food used to be special and tasty. Now it seems not much belter than opening canned Chinese food from Kroger's and warming it up to serve to guests. The food is bland but the portions are huge. I know a lot of people prefer huge portions over top notch food so that must be their customer base which I'm sure theire are a lot of. So sad to see these place fall so low. read more

The quality of food at China Cafe is second to none. We continue to return because we NEVER had a bad meal or service experience here. Every one is very polite even when they are busy ( which seems to be all the time that has to tell you something about the place) never seen anyone loose their cool. For a great experience try it read more

The best Chinese food around town and the ambience is perfect. Service is great and I go there as often as I can.

Love this place! Great quality food and atmosphere. Price a little high for a midweek dinner but if something on a Friday night or Saturday night. Then it's decent. read more

China Cafe - Old fashion kind of night. - Chinese Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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Good flavor and good taste good servings !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

This was a surprise visit and so glad we stayed! We arrived early and had a drink at the bar waiting for another restaurant to open but after reading the menu decided to stay. Super friendly service! So many choices on the menu and all the things we ordered were excellent! The best dish - which I'm going to make my primary dish next time - is the Singapore Dan Dan noodles! So chewy, so full of flavor. The other cool appetizer was the Beijing wings. There's so sauce but ginger and garlic and chilies and crunchy. You don't miss any sauce after one bite. The crunchy noodles is just that - a fried noodle. It wouldn't be my choice for next time but my husband really loved it. The beef was so good though! The shrimp drunken noodles, trio and broccoli fried rice were all hits too. So many more choices on the menu but I want those Dan Dan noodles again right now! Also a cool thing - they have Kirin on tap! Hip ambience, great for large groups or can be intimate or as casual as you want to make it. read more

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I hadn't eaten here in years, since I became gluten free. A friend wanted to go, so we did. Server was Kin. I shared my food allergies and he made a few suggestions, then checked w the chef. I picked chicken and green beans minus the sauce which was oyster based. I really enjoyed it. I could not get either gluten free soup because of mushrooms. My friend wasn't pleased w her food which was pad Thai. She said it was swimming in a sauce that tasted of ketchup. It was exchanged for Mongolian beef, which she liked much better. I would go back. read more

China Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Novi, Michigan

I can't believe it took me 15+ years to review this spot... but I think it goes without saying I'm a loyal customer and absolutely love this spot. I have never been disappointed! Service is great and the owners are present almost every day to build relationships with their customers! The bar is my go to spot, even if it's just for a drink while I wait for carryout! I have never had a missed item in a carryout, food is consistent, food is great, the ambiance is very nice! Classy American Chinese food! What are our go tos? Beijing wings Shrimp appetizer Short rib Chicken crispy noodles Fried rice Everything is great! read more

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The best place hands down, 10 out of 10. Food was perfect and fast and easy to pick from and to be a soft opening couldn't even tell but will be honest, get there on time or wait list will be long but worth the wait. read more

Love the food, service and ambiance at China Cafe! Have never been disappointed with our experience

Probably the best Chinese restaurant in metro Detroit area. Service is fast like panda express but doesn't skimp on the taste or quality. They are always busy every time I've been here and they don't take reservations of party of less than 6 so be prepared to wait or get there early. Ambiance I would say is a chic 90s Chinese restaurant. But if you are here for the food then you won't leave disappointed. read more

It's quite nicely done inside. Ordered crab Rangoon, two Maui salads, since they are single serving, a lobster pad Thai, medium spicy and the five pepper chicken. The Maui said looks okay, although the fruit looks like it's out of a can. The salad wasn't bad, the fruit wasn't so good though. The crab Rangoon is not special. Odd with the honey mustard, the sweet chili or duck sauce was okay. The cream cheese blend was a bit odd to me. The 5 spice chicken is okay, a bit strange with the corn and peas to me. Added some sambal sauce or chili sauce, it helps some. The chicken is lightly breaded. The lobster pad Thai is so-so. The noodles are soggy and overcooked. The flavor is meh. Service was good. The bussers were diligent and the host and managers checked up on us often. read more

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Always 5 Stars, we have gone to China Cafe since it opened. We lived in GA for a while and every time we came home for a visit, China Cafe was our first stop after leaving Detroit Metro. We have never had a bad experience, it is always top notch! The owners are the absolute best....Excellent food and great ambiance, always. read more

This wasn't my favorite Chinese meal but it wasn't bad either. I ordered the General Tao Chicken and excepted the chicken to be crispier, but I do appreciate that it wasn't fatty at all. I placed my order as takeout and they were right on time. It was a bit pricey, however the portion is huge, probably enough for 2-3 servings with the rice (not pictured) that came with it. Surprisingly this restaurant was very upscale inside, so if I ever dine in, I would dress up. read more

China Cafe - General Tao's Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Novi, Michigan

Honestly the best Chinese food I have ever had. They make all food from scratch instead of the frozen breaded chicken every other Chinese place uses. read more

Cliff notes: Good service, average Chinese food in big portions, get your mf'in wallet ready prices. I liked this place, I really did... not your normal dingy place to eat Chinese, a very nice looking restaurant in an unassuming strip mall... our server was awesome, knowledgeable of items and gave recommendations, service was quick, food came quickly.... But I'm here to eat good food man!!! Was the food bad? Not at all. It was average Chinese food, at large shareable portions... the problem was the big prices!! We got two apps, the walnut shrimp which was delicious, and the Beijing street wings which we were told were super popular, but ended up being some wings with garlic pieces and jalapeños sprinkled on them. We got two entrees... lobster pad Thai, which was just okay, and the combo fried rice, which they cook in chicken broth and not soy sauce... sounds interesting, but again, average. I did have an EXCELLENT "lychee cooler" to drink followed by an "up to the gentleman".... more averageness. We ended with a lava cake with ice cream you can have at any restaurant. The damage: about $150 with the 20% tip included. Holy Nobu Batman, y'all trying to break me. You can try it, just know what you're gonna spend! read more

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Wow! Our first time here. Everything was outstanding: service, ambience, drinks and food. The stir fry chicken and beef in both my and my husband's entrees were so tender and flavorful. The sauces on our dishes were light and delicious. The vegetables were fresh and cooked perfectly. We can't wait to return! read more

I may be biased because I worked here for years as a teenager, but hands down the best Chinese food in Novi. The food is delicious, well seasoned, and consistent. Some of my favorites: - Crab ragoons (the best I've ever had and I've tried a lot) - Beijing street side wings - Palace beef - Hunan fried rice - Chicken and green beans. Not to mention the cocktails are amazing, try the Asian Pear or White Lotus! Service is amazing and the staff truly treats you like family; that's why so many people are regulars. Also check out Jia, the next door lounge! Completely different vibe, drinks, and food -- so good. read more

We actually found this place due to a tragic situation.  I took my feline to the vet across the street during the COVID-19 shutdown. We were famished and did a random search and found this gem. We have been going back ever since. Everyone who works here is immensely friendly. This is one the most delightful Chinese Restaurant that I've found in the area. I really love their Spicy Hawaiian Sweet & Sour Shrimp.  Try it, you won't be disappointed (it's not really that spicy and you can ask for extra spice on the side). Their scrumptious servings are enough for 2, I always split my food with my dining partner and I've always left with a to-go-bag. The take home boxes are so cute. The salad that comes with the Hong Kong Short Ribs is mouth watering. I am not a fan of salads but this was the one! Note: You are not able to make a reservation and sometimes, there can be a wait time of 25 minutes or more. I highly recommend. read more

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Great food! I had a reservation for 2 at the Jai Lounge which is connected. We ordered food from the china cafe menu. I had a wonderful evening with by BF who was visiting the day after Thanksgiving 2024. read more

I have been here before and found the food decent before, but this visit was terrible. I ordered Palace Beef. It is a dish that is supposed to be spicy. When ordering, I asked them to make sure it was extra spicy. To invoke Ali Wong, it was spicy like some people consider ketchup spicy. Honestly, it has no spice at all. The texture of the beef was off putting to me, but maybe that is how it was supposed to be. The portion size was large, but I ended up throwing most of it away. My gf got the pan fried noodles with the combination which included beef, chicken, and shrimp. The noodles were a bit overcooked and the rest of it lacked any flavor. Both meals were extremely disappointing, especially considering they were pretty expensive for Chinese food in this area. Everyone working there was very pleasant and it seemed busy with a nice atmosphere. read more

Amazing fresh fast and the best in town I who go if you haven't it get very busy very fast read more

The ambience of this place was wonderful. The drinks were awesome and the Chinese food was really good. I had the five pepper chicken and my friend had the three wonders meal and we shared both and it was awesome. It's a bit of a drive for me, but I will definitely have to try it out again. read more

I like trying new restaurants and only return to a few treasured places when I'm craving something specific. During stay-at-home orders, China Café sounded good, especially since I had not been there since they had eliminated their lunch service. I checked their menu online and goodness - there was such a large selection available. I've had their Walnut Shrimp, crunchy shrimp in a honey mayo sauce with candied walnuts; their crispy wok-fried Brussels sprouts with thinly-sliced pork belly; their tender short ribs, and my favorite, their Grand Marnier beef. I'm getting hungry thinking about all these wonderful meals. On this visit, I started with the Ahi tuna with avocado and mango salsa and crispy wonton chips. The meal was so well-packed that the toppings stayed intact during the ride home. I also decided to go with something I've never had before: crispy noodles topped with a combination of beef, chicken, shrimp, and mixed vegetables in a brown sauce. When I unpacked the order, I was a bit surprised by the dry, hay-like noodles, and questioned whether they would be any good. I should have trusted that the chef would know his/her craft because when the toppings were added, the noodles softened considerably - still crunchy but tender, as well. So good! I also had the egg roll and a few bites of the Ma Po Tofu. The latter was okay. I'm glad that I had a chance to try it - I've seen it on so many menus but had never ordered it. The tofu was smooth and silky while the minced pork was spiced just right - a notch above mild. China Café offers curbside pickup and delivery. During the ordering process, you indicate the color of your vehicle and the make/model and the restaurant takes care of everything else. I was impressed by how well the meal was packed given all the sauces involved. The only thing missing - the fried wonton chips which the restaurant had stopped serving a few years back - I still live in hope that they will bring them back. read more

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Always great! It's a bit of a hike, but worth it to enjoy a diverse menu with great service and pleasant surroundings. We shared an order of Mama Chang's Dumplings and the Palace Beef entree. Worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Like PF Chang, a place with a unique twist on East Asian cuisine, perfect for those seeking an Americanized flavor adventure. Ideal for diverse tastes, not just the traditional East Asian palate. Service is fast. Ambience is nice, very dark and lighted well. read more