Placing takeout order by phone went well as did pickup…read more Great location on upper Union Street in Schenectady with parking in front. Nice looking front of restaurant. However, upon entering, the first thing I noticed was each of the seat cushions in the booths was torn and in need of serious repairs. There were also tables and chairs. I thought maybe the food will be good. Ordered 2 luncheon specials at $7.95 each which is less expensive than most comparable places. --Sesame Chicken --Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, both with Wonton Soup - -Plus a pint of Hot and Sour Soup The Sesame Chicken had a flavorful sauce, but it was mostly inedible because of the hard, chewy over fried pieces of skin. There was little chicken meat. The fried rice and broccoli were okay. Chicken was put in garbage. 4 Stars Yes! Shrimp lunch was very good. The shrimp were LARGE and tender, not overcooked. The sauce was good. Wonton Soup was typical. But the Hot and Sour Soup was a surprise! I like it and order it often, and I have never had a version so dark and inedible. Not only was it visually unappealing, it was too salty and had no mushrooms or tofu. I could not eat more than a taste. See Photo. First and last time ordering from here. Better Chinese food can be had two blocks up the street.

First time ordering, the Hunan Chicken was good, Szechuan Dumplings with Peanutbutter Sauce were…read more.. eh, either to much peanutbutter or it sat for awhile and got to thick, the food was okay. The order came somewhat on time. For a delivery over $24 I don't know if I'd say for what I paid was so much worth it. Maybe if I got something else it would of been better.

Food is great, ambience is up scale, and prices are dissent. They serve my favorite type of…read moredumplings. A must go

The food is mediocre at best. The service is not great either. The staff are experts at being…read morerude while smiling, typical self absorbed attitudes Don't bother with the soups - bland and overpriced

Northeast Chinese Restaurant II is one of my favorite local Chinese restaurants. All of my favs are…read morenorthern Chinese. That means they can serve up some deliciously spicy dishes. But if you're looking for something milder, they're great at that, too. I think the large menu has been updated since my last visit. The first few pages include dishes that I would describe as "soul food." There's frog, beef tripe and pork intestine-- you get the picture. I never really got into that. On this visit, my friend and I picked Stir Fried Spicy Squid, Crispy Chicken with Crunchy Red Pepper and Bok Choy with Garlic. We were hungry. The veggies came out of the kitchen almost immediately. Crazy fast. We were grateful. The other two dishes took a bit more time. When you see all of the ingredients in those dishes and how finely sliced they are, it's no wonder. I loved the chicken dish. The chicken was a little crunchy but the red peppers were super crunchy. It was a bit spicy but deliciously so. I liked the peanuts and what looked like slivers of jalapeño peppers, too. The squid was also great. Here, I think they used more jalapeño peppers and spices. There was more heat to this dish but it was deceptive. The more I ate, the more I could gradually feel the burn. By the time we were full, I could feel my face starting to sweat a little. That was fun. The restaurant is clean and attractive with a remarkable amount of seating. The back portion is reserved for hot pots which I have yet to try there. The staff is friendly, helpful and bilingual. They will make suggestions if you'd like. This restaurant generally gets a bit noisy because it's where large Chinese families gather when they want to go on the town. That's a good thing. There's also a large screen tv that plays cooking shows. With so much going on, the customers seemed pretty happy.

Been here a bunch of times now and they never disappoint…read more The review is really that simple. It's going to be really good every time. Order something spicy and get excited. Also get the ribs!!!

On a cold, windy day there is nothing like a bowl of piping hot soup. Absolutely nothing. On this…read moreparticular day, the wind gusted nearly 20mph and the temps hovered above 30 degrees. It felt brutal as the wind pierced through my coat. Winter still had us in its icy grip even if the calendar said that Spring was only days away. I was alone and I was happy to take refuge in the warm restaurant with its welcoming decor. There are pretty Chinese lamps at each booth as you enter. In the back, the large round tables were filled with families who appeared to be throwing a party. The server told me I could sit wherever I'd like. I chose the first booth. I was only too happy to come in from the cold and sit. Oh, the bowl of soup that I ordered turned out to be a dream come true! It wasn't just any soup. It was the Wonton Noodle soup lunch special at Shining Rainbow on Central Ave. in Albany. The menu is in both English and Chinese. After looking at the description, I thought I had an option to add some meat to the soup. So I asked for some roast pork. After I placed the order, a young man from the kitchen staff actually came out to ask me what kind of noodles I wanted in my soup: skinny, medium or wide. He spoke to me in Chinese. I must have really confused the staff because a second staffer also followed him out and he asked me exactly the same question in English. I was really surprised. I said to them in (Mandarin) Chinese, " Don't you usually use the thin noodles for this soup? I'll take what's easiest for you to prepare." So I realized later--after they'd gone--that I didn't actually answer their questions. I must have added to their confusion but they were so very nice and polite. About 10 minutes later, a server returns with a huge steaming bowl of soup. I'm still so cold and when I see the steam rising in the distance from the soup bowl, I'm smiling. He places the soup in front of me. It's a thing of beauty. It also had vegetables that I didn't ask for, but that's not a bad thing. I took one look into the bowl and expressed my shock, "Wow. It's huge." The server looked satisfied and walked away. Underneath the roast pork and bright green veggies, there were thin noodles swimming in soup. It smelled divine. But there were no wontons. Should I say something? No. Because this meal looked perfect. Despite the confusion that I might have contributed to-- I wound up with what I really needed--a delicious and healthy hot meal. I almost finished it, too. The servers packed the rest up for me. When the bill came, I wondered what it would be. The lunch specials which are offered Monday- Saturday are just over $10. Almost $11. Sure enough, that's what they charged me. I gave them a large tip. I think $5 or $6. They were just so nice. Perhaps I looked so cold and pitiful. Whatever the reason, it was an awesome meal that didn't break the bank and I hope I can order it again sometime with or without wontons.

Honey shrimp walnut and orange chicken is an excellent dish. A hidden gem at the heart of Albany.read more

Ok, it's definitely Peter Chan in the kitchen after my skepticism in previous update. I know this…read morebecause first, a regular customer came in and called out "hey Peter how you doin?" Second, because the hard working chef is once again quietly exerting his authority with small acts of independence. He brought out my lunch special himself but declined to give me a dinner plate (needed because the serving entirely covers the oval plate it was delivering on) and, once again, my pork with pickled cabbage had no pickled cabbage. Touche, Peter. The regular customer ordered items I would never consider, like walnut shrimp and egg foo young. But I'm sure it was still great, as was my no-pickles pork, as is everything Peter cooks. The guy is a gem. And he looks to be in good health after that mystery hiatus so I hope he'll be around awhile.

I remember reading that Ocean Palace was closing for months to renovate. I was happy to see the…read moreresults. The entrance looks a lot better. Instead of picking up takeout at the front door, customers can now make their way to the counter. I'm glad to see them reopen. I had a lunchtime craving for Cantonese style curry chicken. It was a favorite dish growing up and it brings back fond memories. Another favorite is Roast Pork Lomein. I also bought a shrimp stuffed eggplant appetizer. It was pretty good. There are also new lunch options. Instead of a free can of soda, I was offered soup. I chose Hot & Sour Soup. It was good. This is one of the few local Asian restaurants that offers brown rice which is a healthier option. I always make a point of calling ahead so the food order is ready by the time I get there.

-The food is very good if you can get it while it's fresh. If lunch starts at 11 or 1130 and you…read moreget there at 12:30 or one chances so you'll be eating some old food. -I enjoyed the dinners more so than the lunch

The food is exactly as you imagine. If you are choosing to go to a Chinese buffet, you know where…read moreto set that expectation. My only real issue is the ABSURD amount of times they will try and take your plate. Every 60 seconds, at minimum, someone will ask if you're done with that. Nothing says "please hurry up and leave" like asking if you're done 25 times in 15 min.

The Plum Blossom has been a Troy fixture for decades. Same owner and family since it opened…read more Had lunch here on an early Monday afternoon with my mom. We were given hot tea, water, crunchy noodles and dipping sauces to start. The lunch menu had a variety of choices, including vegan. I ordered a starter of Char Sui. For main entree platters, my mom ordered the pan fried tofu dish while I ordered the cod filet with Thai eggplant. I paid for a different side, thin rice noodles, since I didn't want the rice that came with the platter. Finished our meal with a pistachio layer cake and hand dripped coffee. Everything was enjoyable; well balanced and deliciously seasoned. A wonderful variety of Asian flavors in more traditional dishes. It is ornate, and brought me emotionally back in time. The service is more like the 70s and 80s, before food service became a rush for quick turnover. If you are looking for a spot where you can relax and not feel rushed, enjoy unique interior decor, and flavorful distinctive cuisine come here for lunch!

Been driving by Plum Blossom for many years on drive from NH to NJ and then NH to Schenectady…read more Certainly eye catching exterior and I was not disappointed when I saw interior. Stopped for lunch and ordered sesame chicken. Tea, water and some snacking noodle with 2 sauces. The wonton soup was excellent with large pillowy wontons. The sesame chicken was right portion and fried chicken pieces were hot and crisp and sauce dark sweet and tangy. Pieces of chicken were not uniform which I liked. Great service, great food and the vibe was what I had always imagined it would be from driving by.

Opinion: Best Chineses food in Troy!…read more By the looks of the building, I was always skeptical and for years passed it by. One day out of sheer curiosity, I decided to go in and give it a try just for ha ha's. I was not disappointed! I was wowed! The food there is served fresh, hot, and delicious! I was so impressed with the crispiness of their eggrolls, and the perfect vegetable steaming. My noodles are always tasty, delicious, and not over or undercooked. I have been a frequent flyer at this establishment ever since I walked in that door. The staff (family) are very sweet, gentle people, and are very gracious and accommodating. I will be a regular at this establishment for the foreseeable future, so kudos to Yip's Garden! I have not been able to find better Chinese food in this area, and will no longer be looking elsewhere.

Very good food excellent service and delivery some of the best take out in the area happy family…read morewith spicy garlic sauce