One of the true litmus tests of an authentic restaurant is the crowd -- and this place is packed with locals and elderly Asian diners, which tells you everything you need to know. No trendy decor, no modern gimmicks, just a classic old-school Chinese restaurant focused on what matters most: the food. Every dish feels honest, flavorful, and deeply authentic. Explore the menu freely because you honestly can't go wrong here. The prices are fair for the quality, portions, and traditional cooking. If you want to experience Chinese food in its truest form, this is the place. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

TLDR: A Houston Chinatown classic with consistently delicious food and generous portions. Come for the quality cooking, not the service. Confucius is a true Houston Chinatown staple. The food quality and flavors never disappoint, and the lobster is a must order. Portions are large and everything is best shared family style. The renovated interior looks much nicer, though the service is still pretty average. That is fine though because I come here for the food, not the hospitality haha. I was disappointed they only had the most expensive fish left at $128 when I ate, which felt unreasonable compared to the rest of our order, so we passed. I also wish the pork chop dish used the longer rib cut 排骨 instead. Another suggestion I would give is a better dipping sauce for the intestine. I preferred dipping it into the eggplant sauce than the sweet and sour sauce provided. Still, I will definitely keep coming back for the quality cooking and comforting taste of home. read more

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Confucius has been around for a very long time. I celebrated my college graduation with a dinner here back in May of 2006, for some perspective. It has never been the fanciest or nicest of Chinese restaurants, but it is definitely familiar and consistent. I would say this place is ideal for larger family gatherings, as they specialize in family-style Cantonese cuisine, which large round tables and Lazy Susans. I have probably only been back a handful of times since then, but I finally returned, with 3 kids of my own. We had just gone to church and arrived with another family of 8, and we were just able to fit into one large table. The servers were very accomodating (speaking Chinese is a bonus) with all the kids at our table. Personally, I recommend ordering a la carte, as their combination options, while convenient, are definitely more expensive than ordering things you actually want to eat, while still saving/getting more for your buck. My personal favorite is the 鐵板豆豉雞球 Sliced Chicken w/ Black Bean Sauce on Sizzling Plate. 西湖牛肉羹 Westlake Beef w/ Egg White & Cilantro Soup is a great opener to your meal. Our non-Asian friends ate those up. One thing I did notice was their menu had multiple instances where all the prices were increased, even more than once, which to me is overboard. Again, like most Chinese restaurants go, it's pretty commonplace, but their presentation is not their driver, and I'm sure their service is hit or miss, but if you want authentic family-style Cantonese food, this is one of the best spots in town, even with all the competition around Houston. Hopefully it doesn't take another 3 kids to come back the next visit! read more

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This is my go-to Cantonese restaurant whenever I visit Houston. It's got all the qualities of a legit Chinese restaurant...fish tank in the front, efficient servers who speak Cantonese better than English (leading some to misunderstand them as rude), and killer seafood. It's hard to imagine a better deal for lobster. I mean, I've been charged more for a single lobster roll, but I digress. In any case, the quality of the food is outstanding and consistent. I don't understand the bad reviews. Could the restrooms and decor be spruced up a little? Probably. Do I go there to use the bathroom? There ya go. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - After - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This is our go to Chinese resto whenever I crave and miss our favorite spots in the 3 boroughs of NYC. Confucius was introduced by my former (Chinese) boss when we went here for dinner and was also told that cooks here are all excellent chefs that serves anything from Mandarin style to Cantonese type of dishes. Known this restaurant for almost 12 years and the taste of each favorite dish never wavered. Went here for a quick weekend dinner and ordered one of my usual favorites which is the Peking style porkchops, fried smelt and coconut shrimp. Must try is their Peking duck, lobster (deep fried salt & pepper) and pan fried noodles. The weekdays have lunch specials were some of their main menu selections are lesser than the regular price, so do come early and expect a lil wait time cause it gets crowded at noon. Service is fast, the wait staffs are always friendly and attentive though some doesn't speak English but understands. read more

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Great food, you know a place is good when the customer speaks Chinese to the waitress and they take care of you very well! I haven't had any complaints about any of the food, they can be pushy in terms of how long you stay because there is a normal wait time for people. Overall this place has been our once a month place to come to! Big tip: come when they open at 11am, less busy and they don't rush you as much! read more

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came to Confucius on a Sunday nite and it was so so packed food was very good, very well-seasoned, i have to rank it among my top 5 for Chinese food in Houston lobster, walnut shrimp, crab fried rice and all type of seafood are must-orders here! 100/10 service was extremely quick given we already booked the tables and pre-ordered menus perfect place for family gatherings, birthday, or any big group occasions! read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Came here as we were craving Peking Duck. Atmosphere/Ambiance - 5/5 - Large restaurant that is great for groups. Staff - 5/5 - Not super friendly, but kept coming by often (surprising for an Asian restaurant). Food/Drink - Ordered the following: - Shrimp Balls - 4.5/5 - Wrapped in bacon. Sooo good. - Flat Rice Noodles - 3/5 - It was good, but very greasy/oily. - Lobster - 4/5 - It had a great sauce on it, but I don't it was worth the price (based on the amount of lobster) - Peking Duck - 3.5/5 - Slightly disappointed as some pieces were a little dry. I had to use a little more hoisen to mask it, but overall, it wasn't horrible. I just have had better. Overall, this was a pretty good spot for Chinese food. Would I be back? I might as they do have a large menu. However, there are soo many places in Houston that I still need to try. read more

If you're here for the food amd you don't care much for service, this is the place! Fair warning, service is very lackluster given the nature of the type of restaurant. Aunties are quick to take your order and bring out your food. This is an Asian family style near the heart of chinatown. We ordered the Lobster special with butter and black pepper style (required you to order 2 other entrées). Every time we've been, the lobsters are done very well and is our special family go to spot for our get togethers. The squid was done well and very crispy upon serving. It is not overly seasoned at all. The short ribs for moist and flavorful! These are all eaten well with bottomless white rice that comes with your meal. Feel free to ask for Rice refills as necessary without any additional surcharges. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Short ribs (left) Fried squid (top right) Lobster (bottom) - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

My wife and I have been here many times. The mainstay is lobster. Every table orders this dish. It actually was the first thing that came out. It didn't disappointed us. Stir-fried noodles and deep fried squid are solid. All and all, the check came to about 60 something.. The service was also great and we didn't fell rushed at all although it was during busy weekend lunch. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Stir-Fried Lobster - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Confucius reigns supreme as one of the long standing best places for family style dining for larger groups. Though the interior is a bit smaller than some local competitors, it's not impossible to secure a table here. One can score a reservation if your party is willing to spend a minimum of $300 on food. Otherwise, come at six, even on a weekend, and you'll likely not have a problem. What I really enjoy about this place is the low prices and big portions! Judging by the worn out menus, it looks like they haven't updated the prices in quite some time. We ordered several dishes, and with the help of the lazy susan, enjoyed a family style dinner. Most of the dishes were hits. The chow fun with beef was very tasty with plenty of beef and smoky wok hei flavor. The house special lobsters were succulent and cooked well. I can see why almost every table ordered this. The pork chops were strangely on the sweet side and barely had any salt or pepper flavors. Lastly the jade tofu with king mushroom was absolutely divine! What a great vegetarian dish with an alluring texture and flavor! The green beans were also very tasty with a hint of spice. Service was okay, the usual apathetic kind when you know there's going to be automatic gratuity tacked onto the bill anyway. We were rushed a bit when we first sat down and we're told we had an hour to eat because of a reservation they had for that table, but they later retracted that... Definitely a step above the rest for family style dining when it comes to the food. The staff is meh. read more

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One of those old school family style type of establishment in Chinatown specializing in Seafood.. a traditional Chinese dinner served on a lazy Susan, definitely very nostalgic. Prices depend on which package you go with and how many people you have. Every time I've been here, we end up overordering (which honestly feels right for family style). The preset menus play out like an Asian wedding banquet (the real ones know what I mean), about 10 courses starting with soup and ending with lobster or crab fried rice. It's not cheap (around $58 per person for 8 people), but everything's prepared well. I'm not a big fan of seafood here but dat Peking duck, the tofu w/ bok choy, the Hainanese chicken and the walnut shrimp are some of my favorites here. The service is very authentic Chinese, in that the waitstaff couldn't be more apathetic and curt. You won't find a fake smile or any small talk here.. They'd give you a frown if you ask for extra napkins, which is really part of this experience, they don't give a F lol.. love it There's also a small discount for cash (Classic Chinatown move as well). Overall, a true Chinatown staple... Been here probably six or seven times over the years, and it always delivers that nostalgic banquet vibe read more

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Alright ima stop gate keeping one of my favorite family style Hong Kong/Viet restaurants! Confucious is a joke in the wall Chinese restaurant that gets super busy around dinner time. They always accommodate large parties who celebrate special occasions with a good family style seafood dinner or just a cheap but delicious meal! The portion size and price is AMAZING and yet the food still tastes so good? This is why I have Confucius at the top of my list of all time. I LOVE their Honey walnut shrimp - if you're tired of a $17 plate for just 8 shrimp, don't worry this is so much better. Their beef chowfun with gai lan has that perfect Smokey taste of the wok without the noodles being all mushy. Those are two dishes I NEVER forget to order read more

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Haven't been here in FOREVER but soooo glad they're still consistent in their food!! Everything ordered was soo good and food came out soo fast! The staffs were soo nice and attentive! read more

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We have been coming here for years but I am only now getting around to reviewing it. The food here is amazing. Some of the best Chinese and Vietnamese food in the city. The lunch specials are unbeatable: I remember them being ~$8 a plate a few years ago, not sure how much they are now. Note that they do have a discount if you pay in cash. When you walk in, it is no frills. Your stereotypical Asian restaurant in Chinatown with plastic tablecloths, a live lobster tank, and servers running around like crazy. Our go-to's are: salt and pepper fried pork chop, black pepper sizzling beef, flat rice noodles with beef and Chinese broccoli, salt and pepper fried Japanese-style tofu, and eggplant and bamboo shoots in the clay pot. The flat rice noodles have wok hei like no other. The fried pork chop is so crispy and moist on the inside. The sizzling beef also has a nice smoky flavor to it. The tofu is crispy on the outside, mushy on the inside. And the eggplant is cooked so well that the eggplant is soft to the touch. All of that to say, the portions are HUGE and we always have plenty of leftovers to take home for lunch, and probably dinner, the next day. The only thing I really dislike here is the service. This is one of those Asian places that fit the stereotype of "you come for the food, not the service." Most of the waitresses have an attitude. They've all been here for a while, so they know this is their territory. Don't you dare ask them for a refill. On our last visit, we came at 8:00pm on a Thursday, closing time is at 9:00pm (despite the door sign that still says 10:00pm). When our food came out around 8:20pm, I asked when closing time was and she snapped back "NOW!" Now we really feel the pressure to eat and GTFO! Right after that, she brought the check and told us that we needed to pay now because the "cashier was closing." I think the cashier (owner?) was just ready to call it quits for the night and eat his dinner. But this essentially takes away from the aspect of tipping - it was on us to refill our own waters after we paid when we started eating. Despite the moody service with an attitude, the food is what keeps us coming back. We've even said a couple times that we won't be coming back because of the terrible service, but the amazing food doesn't seem to keep us away for long. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Salt & pepper pork chop, sizzling beef, flat rice noodle w beef & Chinese broccoli, salt & pepper tofu, eggplant & bamboo shoots in clay pot - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Food Seasoned enough. No salty food which is fine for me since I'm trying to avoid hypertension haha. Nothing stood out but nothing was awful. So i recommend this place if you are trying to feed a big family since portions are crazy HUGE. Fried rice 3/5 So much food. Had shrimp and chicken and somewhat seasoned. Salt and pepper shrimp 2/5 Where was the salt and pepper lol. It tasted fresh i guess. Shrimps were adequate size. 2.5/5 Stir fried flat noodles with beef Unfortunately i didn't taste the wok flavor when I usually order this. It tasted bland and not much beef. 4/5 Chicken and broccoli Crunchy brocoli! I liked the texture as it wasn't mushy however again no flavor. Chicken was crunchy and good size chicken pieces covered in sweet soy sauce. Service Food came out within 5 minutes despite a busy time with many customers. After we finished eating though no one came to check on us for about 15 minutes of sitting and waiting on check. Final thoughts I would come here if I was on a tight budget and trying to feed a family. read more

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One of my family's favorite spots to get together for big milestone events or just when everyone is home for the holiday's. Hahaha, like the previous reviews suggested, if the service isn't blunt then you have to call into question authenticity. People were kind but definitely rush you so you know this is an authentic place. We came here to celebrate my baby niece's birthday and got an assortment of delicious foods! I can't name them all cause we got so much, but some favorites from the fam: -Lobster Ginger and green onion style (a must) -Peking Duck -Eggplant with spicy sauce -Green bean with special spicy sauce -Garlic seafood fried rice We got their crab meat soup with fish maw which we felt like was a bit under-seasoned, but white pepper can fix that- I'd recommend getting one with the white asparagus cause it's more flavorful. A family favorite is always getting the salt and pepper calamari/squid, which we felt like... lacked salt and pepper which was a bit disappointing. It was crispy! But lacked flavor. We also got one of the dried noodles with seafood, but also lacked flavor too. Other than that, still a family favorite and always called for a great time and gathering! Great ambiance, especially for a big group. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The food is good, but the service on our last visit no so good. Staff appeared more responsive to Chinese-speaking customers. This created an unwelcoming atmosphere and detracted from the experience. We've been coming here for few years and we like the food but won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - sweeet and sour pork, eggplant with garlic sauce, tofu with King Mushroom, chicken fried rice, salt and pepper squid - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Typical blunt Asian tough customer service but that's how you know the food is legit! They will try to sell you the family meals but look at the menus before you agree! Their Peking duck was food fatty and good meat to skin ratio. The grilled short ribs were so good I've never had them at a non Korean restaurant Their salt and pepper squid was great Walnut shrimp great and the salt and pepper lobster great! Classic Chinese food and great flavor read more

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A childhood staple restaurant in my family's rotation. I've visited twice now over the last 6 months. A great family style Chinese restaurant that's a bit closer on the Bellaire blvd side right after Gessner road located at the end of the Fiesta plaza. The service is attentive and fairly quick both times I've dined. My girlfriends and I order several dishes to share and sometimes the waitress ask if we're sure we want this many dishes. And of course the answer is yes, variety is the spice to life am I right?! Their salt baked squid and salt roasted pork chops are some favorite items. Very light delicate flavors compared to the Vietnamese style salt and pepper wok fried with jalapeños and onions which i love also. They also offer lobster specials in various flavors like salt and pepper, xo style, ginger scallion etc. I love seeing families of every background and ethnicity in here enjoying a meal together. read more

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This was some of the most flavorful food ever! They know how to season and mix spicy and sweet and sour and savory! I'm going here every time I come to Rosenberg read more

This is that traditional homey-style Chinese seafood experience you're looking for. Overall the dishes here are good and traditional, with decent flavors and reasonable prices. The chicken we ordered came in a large portion, but there was more bone and less meat than I was used to. My favorite dish by far is their lobster with ginger and green onion, definitely a standout on the menu! The lobster tasted fresh and flavorful, and ~$29 for 2 lobsters is a great deal. Overall the service is ok, our food came out really fast, but the servers were so busy since the restaurant was so packed that it was hard to track them down to ask for other things. I'd come back here for another solid family-style Cantonese seafood meal. read more

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Just discovered a spot for seafood with bold flavors, reasonable prices, generous portions, and very fresh ingredients. The black pepper lobster, deep-fried crispy shrimp balls, crispy smelt fishes with spicy salt, and steamed jade tofu with king mushrooms were all delicious. The crab meat soup with asparagus was a bit watery and bland. The restaurant has simple but cozy decor and fast service. read more

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Top 3 Chinese food in Houston to me. I always get the lobsters and walnut shrimps. Exceptional flavor great service too. Nice lighting feels cozy like a home. read more

This place has HUGE portions and the food is bomb! Would love to come back here more often At my aunts recommendation, we came here to celebrate Mother's Day. It was super busy and already had a wait out the door at 1130am. We waited for about 30 min for a party of 5, but smaller parties were seated faster before us. We ordered soo many dishes, and ALL (minus the soup$ of them hit. My favorites were the tofu with king oyster mushroom and beef with onion. The flat rice noodles were also yummy, though a little overcooked. The string beans were also delicious, but I personally thought it was oversalted. The eggplant dish is also solid. Seriously, everything was so good and flavorful, and the portions are huge! The soup however lacked any taste/flavor. I usually like fish maw soup, but no one really wanted to finish their soup. They recommend adding red vinegar to it but that also did nothing for me. For a group of 5, we definitely over-ordered with 7 dishes + 1 soup. Pretty sure they also douse the food in MSG because we were OUT for the rest of the day. Service was super quick and efficient, even on such a busy day! They also brought out paper plates/forms/knife at the end since we brought a cake. The place isn't the fanciest, inside or out, but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Note: I believe they have a 5% discount if you pay in cash! read more

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Family open style dining with tremendous service. Felt right at home. Black Pepper Lobster was phenomenal as well. Would definitely dine here again to further explore their menu! read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Baked Black Pepper & Butter Lobster, Fried Rice, fried Salted Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Best lobster In town. Located in a strip mall with plenty of parking. Just know it's a no frills place. When you enter, you see a large fish tank. We got seated right away in one of the big tables. We order a number of items. Some of the highlights include Peking Duck, lobsters , Jade tofu with king mushrooms, snow pea leaves with garlic and salt & pepper pork chops. There are a number of choices for the lobsters on how you want it cooked... fried, ginger & onion, etc. our go to is the black pepper & butter. Sauce is very tasty... hard to describe... very satisfying. Peeking duck was delicious. Skin was crispy. Wish they used crepe instead of bao. Another favorite is the jade tofu with king mushrooms. It comes with brown gravy sauce that complements it very well. We plan to come back again not too far in the future whenever we are craving for lobsters. read more

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Decent Cantonese food. What else can I say... Service is comparable to most traditional Asian places. no glits & glamour but fairly tasty food read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

Confucius Chinese restaurant is a great place to get your Chinese food fix. We usually get the shrimp fried rice, walnut shrimp, steak with honey sauce and calamari from time to time! Everything always tastes good and they give sizable portions. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - Shrimp fried rice and 49. Beef Ribs with Special Sauce - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

My family and I came here to celebrate for my dad's birthday. (Total of four people.) We brought a home made cake and just had it to the side and they gave us some paper plates and forks to use when we were done with our meals. Staff was quick and fast the food was prepped within minutes. Except for the crispy pork. That one took a little bit longer. There was a bit of miscommunication due to language barriers so when you order, make sure to point on the menu on which one you want to order. The seafood dishes were great, but the lobster was a little lacking. The eggplant dish was really good. They gave us a lot of eggplant. The crab/fish maw soup was very chunky, but not too thick, which is great. I would pass the crispy pork. It was okay but... didn't need it. The staff was attentive because two of us wanted hot water instead of cold water, it was a weird request but they made that happen. The table and chairs were clean and not wobbly. The place is basically a stereotypical Asian restaurant. There's a fish tank and to pay for your bill. You should go to the checkout counter at the back. Also, the place wasn't too noisy and we were able to hear each other across the table very clearly. Parking is free and out front however there isn't that much lighting once it gets dark. read more

Confucius Seafood Restaurant - 7. Mixed Seafood with Dried Scallop Soup 77. Eggplant with Garlic Sauce Clay Pot 13 lobster with onions and garlic - Seafood Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Food is very good. The problem is service that the service really sucks. The servers there are assholes and want you to hurry your ass up and finish so they can move tables. They're very rude, they demand 30% tip the last time I was there, even though the service was really horrendous. My mom told me that they've been automatically charging 20% tip now on the food because people left very little tips due to their shitty attitudes. read more

Authentic Cantonese food, great portions, solid price, and good service. We came here with some family, total party of 6. After food was ordered, most everything was brought out rather quickly. Pork ribs were great, a bit chewy but I don't mind. My dad said they were on the sweeter side. Spicy cabbage was the best in terms of veggies. Not too spicy but you can definitely tell that there is a kick. Next there were these small crispy salt-and-pepper fishes. This was the best dish overall. There was a nice crunch and the flavor was phenomenal. Highly recommend! Next there was mapo tofu. Wasn't as spicy as I would have liked but still good. Then there was a chicken eggplant claypot dish. I'm not a fan of eggplant so I didn't try that, but the chicken had good flavor. Lastly, there was also dungeoness crab. This was technically the main dish that everyone was looking forward to. However, the salt-and-pepper fishes were so good I actually concentrated on those and didn't have a bite of the crab. Too much of a hassle, so I took advantage and had as much fish as I wanted. Other than the food, the service was nice. Drinks and rice were refilled regularly. Will come back again if in the mood for some Cantonese food. read more

We have been coming here many times, the foods are good and prices are reasonable. The waitresses are good and friendly.

There was no service, but the waitress came after us insisting that we had to pay at least an 18% tip.

Great lunch special pricing, such a good deal especially the seafood dishes. Service was fast and straightforward, nothing too fancy. read more

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Never a bad meal here. This place is my go to whenever I'm craving Singapore noodles. Very delicious! I tried their hot oxtail soup for the first time and was completely blown away. Extremely delicious and the portion lasted me 3 meals. I wish I could Have taken a pic lol but I couldn't be distracted while eating it read more

I always like to get the lobster and the Peking duck is good. The soup is a huge portion.

This might be one my shortest reviews ever: Good food: We really enjoyed their XO lobster. Somewhat rude service: we visited from Dallas and our friends love this place but warned us about the curt service. They were right. We've visited twice now. read more

One of the finer restaurants in Rehoboth, Confucius serves up some deliciously prepared Chinese with a bit of a flair. Nice owners and servers are familiar with their regular customers, making everyone feel welcome. The Peking Duck has a delicious licorice flavor, but don't expect an entire duck carved table side. Super cocktails, brown or white rice available. Favorites include the smoked tofu appetizer, salty and spicy shrimp (also as a combo dinner), chives, Shanghai noodles. They do take reservations over the phone. read more

Food is kind of ok. Peking duck is cut and dry. We ordered half duck and it pretty much all skins and no meat, also it tastes like dry rod. The ribs weren't fresh and very hard to chew. We are a part of 6 and they charged 20% tips. If you charge that much tip I would expect service, the only service is refill water. We ask boxes to pack left overs and they put the boxes on the table and left, without helping pack the food. This is my second try at this restaurant and I would never come back, Sinh Sinh has much better food and service! read more