Flew in from SF to visit NASA on Artemis launch day. Best meal in Houston! Service was great! Environment was simple but authentic, since you had a lot of fellow countrymen dining around you. read more

Jiu Fu Cafe 明记 - 蚝仔煎，星洲米粉 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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We usually walk by this place seeing the restaurant super crowded, but luckily we got a table on a Tuesday 6pm with multiple large party gatherings next to us. The service is pretty fast - they serve the dishes pretty quickly compared to most other dine in places I've been to. I would say the egg tofu and the water cabbage dishes are pretty good. They're very flavorful. Unfortunately, I can tell they served us old rice which they reheated. The Gan Chao Niu He tastes fine but last a lot of flavor. And, the fried ribs were overcooked. read more

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Got lunch at Jiu Fu Cafe right next to the HMart in Houston Chinatown. This place felt more like one of the iykyk spots, everyone here was Chinese and speaking in Chinese. We ordered the sizzling egg tofu, porkbelly, dried fried green beans with minced pork, and deep fried shrimp roll. The egg tofu was easily the best dish. The sauce complements it well. The fried shrimp rolls were my next favorite. The crisp was really nice and was full of shrimp filling. The pork belly was a bit tough, and the green beans were not fried enough. I wouldn't get these 2 again read more

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Five stars for Jiu fu cafe! The food was fantastic and absolutely worth the crowd. We ordered the assorted marinated plate with pork leg, pork tongue, tofu, intestines, and egg -- everything was flavorful, tender, and incredibly satisfying. The noodles and pork ribs were delicious, but the standout was definitely the oyster omelet, which was amazing. For appetizers, we tried the crispy shrimp roll. It was very good, though a bit chestnut-heavy for my personal taste but still enjoyable overall. We went around 3 p.m. and the place was surprisingly packed, which says a lot about how good this spot is. Great food, lively atmosphere, and definitely a place I'd return to. read more

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Delish! Went with some Chinese friends with broken mandarin and the workers were very accommodating lol. Felt super authentic and food was great. Loved the half duck read more

Jiu Fu Cafe 明记 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Great chow area cooking. More like Chinese home cooking and they give you a lot of food if you like that sort of thing. Their stand outs are the oyster pancake but not the Taiwanese one ok, sweet potato pancakes, their congee and braised items. Service is quick. They are pretty busy for lunch and dinner weekends read more

Tried this place out with my gf for dinner. Its a small but cozy spot with a few big tables, so its actually a nice place to come with a group if youre planning a family dinner (maybe with extended family) We ordered a few things, but our favorites were the fried fish and the sweet potato mochi pancakes. The fish was crispy, flaky, and well-seasoned. And the mochi pancakes were chewy, a little sweet, and very addicting (especially because we love sweet potatoes) read more

We came for dinner around 6:30 p.m. on a Thursday, and the place was packed. Luckily, we were able to snag the last table available. The interior is small, but they made good use of the space, so there's more seating than you'd expect. The staff were straightforward and helpful-- they let us know when we'd ordered more than enough. We got the Seafood Congee, the Marinated Delights Combination, and the Teochew-style Braised White Eel. The congee was great--it had clams, shrimp, crab, scallop, and was loaded with seafood umami. It came in a giant clay pot, and the staff scooped out the first round of bowls for us. It was so tasty that I ended up eating half of it myself. The marinated meats dish was also good. It came with a bit of everything--duck, pig intestines, egg, pig ear, and pig feet--dipped in a very flavorful marinade that was a little on the salty side. The braised white eel was just amazing. The meat was firm and springy, in a good way, and the whole dish had a really satisfying depth of flavor. read more

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Review update for June 2025. Yeah, it's still the best congee on Bellaire, and the sweet potato cakes are still a must get. On another Yelper's recommendation, we also tried the oyster Pancake. 5/5 - has a "wetter" texture than other standard banchan pancakes, but it's packed with oysters and is really, really good. The beef scallion was a very standard dish that was done well here and goes great with rice too. read more

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One of the few places in Chinatown that serve Chaozhou (Teochew) food. There is more emphasis on seafood. My mom chose Jiu Fu for our family dinner for her birthday. She really was craving the seafood congee (D01), which is a comfort food for her. Comes piping hot and super satisfying! I would say a medium is good for 4-5 people to each have a bowl. The sizzling egg tofu (J03) was good, but VERY salty. Even my dad, who likes his food pretty seasoned, commented on it. Definitely have to pair this with rice. I ordered the beef chow fun (E02), which was good, but didn't quite hit the spot like the ones at Golden Bowl do. Service is good. The place is actaully pretty busy given it's tucked in the back but people know what's up. Jiu Fu definitely is a solid choice for Chinese brunch. For slightly larger parties, they have large tables with a lazy susan and also have a private dining room. read more

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Stumbled upon this place out of a random craving for pig trotters and brief Google search. Turns out I've been missing out on something very very special in Houston. The fact that it barely has any reviews on Google, yet completed packed with Chinese customers on a random Wednesday, tells me everything I needed to know. Menu was expansive, from basic American Chinese items, to more specialized like congee and clay pot, to very very specialized like hot pot and stew that needs to be pre-ordered A DAY in advance. Options include herbs, intestine, and even eel. I think I need a bowl of one of those stews to heal me from whatever's in the air these days. Onto the food. The combination platter with pig trotter, ears, intestines, and eggs, is everything that I've been craving and dreaming for. Flavor was on point, not too sweet, not too salty. Perfect with a bowl of rice. My only complain is that the trotter was a bit tough and requires some hand and mouth work - not ideal in a public space. Oyster omelette - I'm not sure if there's any egg in here, it tastes more like an oyster pancake. Amazing chewy texture and charred flavor, with large pieces of oysters in the middle. Dry scallop congee - Good flavor and thick texture. Some might think it's bland but it could be a difference in culture. Small pieces of dry scallop, pickled vegetables, and large chunks of pork bones. Again, a little bit of hand work required. Water spinach - Can't go wrong with basic water spinach stir fried with garlic, although I thought it was a bit too soggy / oily and could use more wok hei. Aside from these items, they also sell Zhong Zi / sticky rice dumplings wrapped in leaves. We bought some to go and very excited to try. read more

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The food is very good! It's from the Teochew region of China, so we enjoyed some slightly different dishes. I can taste the sea in the crowd favorite oyster omelette! The scallion beef was quite tender. The house favorite seafood congee was good (crab, oysters, scallops, shrimp, etc.) though the congee itself could have been seasoned more. The employees were nice and responsive. We were here last month with 30 of our friends and everyone seemed happy with the many dishes that were ordered. read more

Jiu Fu Cafe 明记 - Seafood congee - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Another hidden gem in Chinatown tucked away next to HMart. Small but cozy place, they got a few big tables that good for gatherings. They have stir fry dishes, but seem like they specialize in big hot pots and chicken/seafood soups. I've tried a good amount of their menu already, I can say their foods are decent, some may be on the pricier side because the portion is not a lot. I would recommend these though: 1. Sweet potato cake is my favorite! MUST TRY! It's mochi texture and when eat it right after serving, it's lightly crispy. Not too too sweet. 2. Salt pepper fish is big and crunchy. The onions go so well with the rice. 3. Chow fun is really yummy too. Not so oily compare to some other places. Beef are thicker slices, can be little chewier but the way they cook overall is great. Wouldn't recommend the sizzling plates though because was too salty for me, and very little protein. Service is always fast and friendly. Will be back to try their pots and soup later. read more

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We went with relatives for lunch since they heard this restaurant serves authentic food. We ordered the popular dishes that are also pictured on their wall. My favorites are the crispy sweet potato pancakes, Chinese flower veggie with squid, and the sweet and sour pork. The seafood congee was good. The meat platter I didn't like so much. The intestines were chewy. It's a bit crowded, but the service was great. The food came out quickly. read more

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I'm stuck between a 3 and a 4 star for this place, but bumping it up to a 4 star because they have some pretty tasty congee. This place is known for its cauldron of congee, and if you've got a party to share it with, I would suggest paying the price to get the cauldron. We got the seafood congee and it had crab, scallops, shrimp, and clams in the congee. The congee had great flavor and texture as well. However, the $50+ price point can be a sticking point for some people, but trust me when I say you get a lot. We also got a few more dishes, including the oyster omelette, which I really enjoyed because of the flavor and the mapo tofu. Their mapo tofu uses pork strips rather than ground pork and has a bit of a Mala flavor to it, but still good overall. The place can get pretty packed quickly, so if you're going on a weekend at peak lunchtime, there can be a bit of a wait. The servers are typical of Asia town, where they may not speak as much English and can come off as abrasive, but they mean well! If you're craving congee, I would highly recommend this place. read more

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I love the warm hospitality I got from Jiu Fu Cafe. The staff were all smiles, and they made customers feel at home. I had half of a marinated duck, crispy noodle with chicken, and sizzling egg tofu. The duck was delicious. I was surprised to see so much meat for half of a duck! It was worth it! The crispy noodle was very crispy, and the chicken was tender. The sizzling egg tofu was very good too. All the sauces in the dishes were not overly salty. The restaurant is small but good for groups 6 or less. read more

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Yummy!!! Their salt and pepper tofu and veggie noodles are so good! The waitresses are also so sweet and patient. I would definitely recommend their Chinese broccoli as well!! The inside of the restaurant is nice and simple too. read more

The seafood congee was not fresh and lacked any of the savory flavor characteristic of seafood; it seemed to have been prepared in advance and simply reheated. The shrimp fried rice was extremely salty. When settling the bill, an elderly waitress informed me that a minimum gratuity of 18% is mandatory for parties of more than five people. Although I paid the 18%, I was unaware that tipping at U.S. restaurants had become a compulsory charge rather than a discretionary amount determined by the customer based on the quality of food and service. read more

This is a solid Canto spot with good food and decent flavors. As far as the food everything was decent, nothing stood out in terms taste/flavor but everything we ordered was good. Probably my favorite items were the fried sweet potato pancakes (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside), and the crab. Like any traditional Chinese restaurant, you have to break the crab shells yourself so be careful about ordering the crab if you don't like to eat messy (it will get messy!). Service is relatively fast compared to most Chinese places, and we had a slight language barrier but were able to communicate with our Mandarin. I think I'd return here if I was in the area and craving, overall decent experience! read more

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Food was ok. More on the bald side. It was to go, so maybe it would be better dine in. read more

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There are two things that stand out to me right away about Jiu Fu Cafe: 1) They are a pure Teochew (#1) cuisine specialty spot. The H-Town Teochew scene is mainly comprised of faux-Vietnamese and Chinese eateries that eventually blend into the Cantonese realm. None of them are particularly strong in either side. The fact they're regionally specific gives Houston Chinatown a bit of an edge over most Chinese enclaves in the country / world. Essentially, this is a kind of place that should be protected at all costs. 2) The name, JIu Fu Cafe, has nothing to do with 明记 (Ming Ji) / 明記 (Ming Kee). Rarely do Chinese restaurant names match up with their chosen English names, but this is an even more unique scenario where the English name would suggest that it's still another Chinese name entirely. I've been critical of Houston's Chinatown scene for quite some time now but Jiu Fu Cafe represents so much of what I think H-Town has gotten right. This is not fancy cuisine by any stretch, but compared to what's broadly available, it's very exciting. It is an establishment that caters to the Chinese palate and is busy practically each night. The seating situation here is extremely cramped but somehow still works with medium sized groups and small parties alike. It is BYOB, which adds an extra layer of fun to the experience and parking is shared with the rest of the strip mall and H-Mart. They have a private room from their recent renovation but I don't think it fits more than 10 folks at a time. Their oyster pancake is the stuff of dreams. It reminds me of the Taiwanese / Minnan style oyster pancake (蚵仔煎) but almost in pajun like fashion with a pizza slice feel. Their sweet potato cakes are a common dessert dish in China, but they do a great job with the crispy exterior. and slight hint of sweetness. While I don't think the marined duck (卤水鸭) will be everyone's cup of tea, it is authentically prepared and has pretty good flavor overall. Seafood congee (海鮮粥) is going to be a winner with the rich seafood'y flavor despite all the shells they leave in the bowl. The salt and pepper calamari and fish slices (椒鹽魷魚魚片) is also good, despite being very common. Their marinated organ meats with tofu and egg is an excellent starter, as is their tofu skin stuffed medallions, which are filled with pork meat and chestnuts. The raw marinated crab is one of the most authentic dishes in the cuisine and it's available here on a first come first serve basis. For this dish, I'd call and reserve it ahead of time to ensure availability. Lastly, the service here is good, despite the constant chaos of their dinner service. The ladies that work here can usually converse in a number of Chinese dialects (Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, and Toisanese) and a resilient bunch even when the waits are bad. This has become one of my most coveted spots in the neighborhood and I hope all who are curious for this cuisine give them a try and bring lots of friends to feast with them. ___________ (#1) 潮州. Chaozhou for the laymen. Chiu Chow for the ABCantos. Trieu Chau for the Tieng Viet peeps. read more

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Had been meaning to try the best congee in Houston and see if it meets expectations. I arrived just before the lunch rush and was seated right away. Started with the deep fried shrimp roll which was highly recommended from other Yelp reviewers and ordered the congee with pork and century egg. My go to congee dish. They are well known for their seafood congee but only comes in big pot so a bit too much for 1 person. The deep fried shrimp roll was fried properly. Crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. It has a crunch piece which may be sliced chestnuts to provide a different texture. As other had indicated, highly recommended. The congee came in a good size bowl even for a single portion. Plenty of sliced pork and century egg. The congee itself has a great texture. I would have preferred if there was salt or white pepper on the table to mix with. Personal preference. Also ordered a zhongzhi (sticky rice with meat, mushroom, etc). The best one I've had in Houston so far. Service was quick. Chinese is the default language although they do speak English. They have a private room for big groups. Look forward to trying the other dishes. Check them out. read more

Jiu Fu Cafe 明记 - Deep fried shrimp roll - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place has authentic Fujianese food. The sweet potato pancakes were the best - spectacularly crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. My mom was impressed by the marinated combo, although I thought the tofu and eggs themselves could have had more flavor outside of the sauce. The stir fried mixed chive flower was tasty, but the chives were sharp and cut my mouth. The fried soft shell crab was unmemorable. We will be back to try other things. read more

Jiu Fu Cafe 明记 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Yum! Absolutely delicious -- loved our meal here. I think this place specializes in congee but we weren't feeling adventurous and wanted to play it safe. We tried: salt toasted shrimp with pepper, hot and sour soup, fried green beans, and stir fried chive flower with squid, chicken, taro, and carrot (K01). Honestly, everything was stellar. I was already excited that they had different soup sizes (some places don't offer a small portion) but their small serving was actually pretty big. I still finished it because it was delicious. I truly enjoyed every dish. Friendly service. They have high chairs btw! They were very sweet to my 14-month-old and even gave her a chocolate gold coin (Daddy ate it, lol). No issue finding parking -- it's in a really large plaza (shared with a lot of businesses though). read more

Great food and good service. The food came out quick! Located in a big plaza, we had no problem finding a parking spot. Got the Stir Fried Mixed Chine Flower dry squid, chicken taro and carrot 潮州小炒皇, marinated delights combination 卤水拼盘, and deep fried shrimp roll 潮州炸虾枣, the portion were big and the flavor did not disappoint. We devoured everything. The only ding I would give is for the marinated pig feet in the combination plate we got. It was a little bit too salty. read more

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Our family always overeats every time we come to Jiu Fu. And we have zero regrets. Our favorite dishes include the stir-fried morning glory, clams with black bean sauce, sweet potato pancake, oyster scrambled eggs, seafood porridge, and so many more. Everything is consistently delicious. Highly recommended! read more

Delicious Chinese Chaozhou cuisine. Highly recommend the braised meat platter.It's extremely popular and you might have to wait in line. It's better to make a reservation in advance or go there earlier. read more

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First time here and the food was amazing! Closest to tasting like real Cantonese food. Only one flaw is it's a bit small and crowded but that's okay. Definitely worth coming and highly recommend! read more

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Yummy food and friend service. Most delicious seafood congee and holiday special goose dish. read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered besides the fried shrimp roll. It was too dry... sauce couldn't save it. But everything else was great! Service is good too. Not great but they are mildly attentive but we also sat near them to call them if we needed easily. Place is not huge. I definitely want to come back and try other items. read more

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The store is getting much bigger than before! The food are very good the seafood is very fresh and well cooked ! Like the private room can have very quiet time with big groups people (16) which is nice compared with others restaurants which they don't have the huge private room ! The service is very nice too ! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place since a friend told me they had Chiu Chow style dishes and so glad i finally got to try! We enjoyed everything we ordered! My favorites were the soy braised tofu and the egg omelet with taro and peanuts, although honestly every dish was very enjoyable. The egg omelet is chewy, I think they mixed glutinous rice flour or tapioca starch in it, and the peanuts inside gave it a nice crunch. The texture reminded me of mochi,but savory and with egg. Also loved that the taro pieces were big enough to be tasted, so that you knew it was a taro dish. Delicious! The soy braised tofu was very flavorful and marinated thoroughly, so that the inside wasn't bland. The texture wasn't too hard, but firm enough that it won't fall apart. My 5 year old also loved this dish as well. My husband's favorite dish was the pan fried rice noodle. They literally put the flat rice noodle in a pan and cooked the bottom until it was crispy, then cut the round rice noodle pancake into 8ths, like a pizza, lol. The sauce with veggies and meat of choice was then poured over this rice noodle "pizza". Yum! My husband kept commenting "this is so good" throughout our entire meal. Some of the dishes did take a little longer to come out (like the pan fried rice noodles), but it's nice they stagger the dishes so that you can eat other dishes while you waited for the more time-consuming one (otherwise you may be consumed by hanger). I can't say how authentic the dishes are, since I've never actually had Chui Chow style food. However, father-in-law is Chui Chow so I will definitely be bringing him here next time he's in town! Also the restaurant is small, so call ahead for a reservation if you have a slightly larger party, say 6 or more. I also saw many people come in for pick up orders, so that's another option if you can't get a reservation. The entire restaurant was full while we dined in on a Friday evening. Jui Fu Cafe is a great addition to the Houston Chinese food scene, especially if you are wanting something some non sichuan or Hunan style Chinese food m. Yum! Will be back! read more

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This restaurant has become one of my fiancé and I's favorite spots in Chinatown. We stumbled upon this place because my friend was craving seafood congee and Yelp led us to this place. We always get seafood congee, fried shrimp rolls, and the water spinach with garlic sauce (got to have some form of greens in our meal lol). This restaurant is small in a busy plaza so coming during peak eating times expect there to be a wait but the wait is usually pretty short (15-20min). Service is fast and food comes hot. The seafood congee comes in a medium or a large and we usually get a medium to split between 3-4 people which is plenty with the other dishes we order. The congee is flavorful and packed with seafood. Can add white pepper or chili oil to add some spice. The fried shrimp roll is something I have not seen at other restaurants and I highly recommend it. Great flavors and fantastic crispy outer layer. They cook the water spinach perfectly every time we order it. I highly recommend this place. read more

Jiu Fu Cafe 明记 - Shrimp roll - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Super delicious food for family and friends gathering. Great value and various options for everyone tastes.

Food is great! Service is excellent. It is a little bit noisy @ dinner time. Definitely will recommend to other people read more

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"The establishment offers exceptional food at reasonable prices, complemented by outstanding service from the owner and staff. The venue is well-maintained, clean, and tastefully decorated, creating an inviting atmosphere." read more

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This Yelp page is really confusing. 明记 took over Jiu Fu Cafe early 2022. They changed the entire menu to Chao Zhou aka Teo Chew or 潮州 cuisine. Prior to 2021, the restaurant had noodles. But the only noodles you can find is on the standard menu, nothing special. If you want to experience the Chao Zhou food, consider paying a little more. The restaurant's well-known dish is the rice porridge 粥 or congee. They only serve them in volumes. Solo diner has to order chicken congee, oyster clams pork congee or preserved egg with pork congee. Fancier congee is served in a huge pot. Definitely for family to consume. Looking at the photos on the wall. The second popular dish is the oyster pancake 潮式煎蚝饼, which is more savory from the Taiwanese version. It costs $13.98 and portion is big enough for 2-3 people as an appetizer; or 6-8 people to sample it. You'll find fresh oysters, egg and gummy or elastic texture, which is from the potato starch. The third picture shows Chiu Chou Style Sweet Potato Cake 潮州番薯饼 ($7.98). I dined solo and it was skipped during this visit. But it's a recommended dish. Another highlight in Teo Chew Cuisine is the marinaded sauce dishes or 潮州卤水 on the menu. I tried it once during my lunch takeout. Pork belly was too tough for me. Flavor of the sauce was good. I'd rather cook my own at home. I skipped typical drinks and went for a dessert 红糖冰粉 Brown Sugar Ice Jelly on the beverage menu. According to Wikipedia, the clear gelatin is actually made from plant, not collagen from animal bone for Jell-o. So, this is clearly for vegan diet. I hope this review would still give you a good reference for my upcoming UYE. read more

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Tried to dine here last weekend, but the place was crazy packed for lunch, so we decided to visit it last night right after work ended. I was expected to be Wow'd based on the headcounts last weekend and the raved reviews on Yelp, but felt disappointed or Meh by the dishes we sampled. Maybe we had selected the wrong items, so I'm open to trying it again in the far future. Service was alright, typical Chinatown style. - Teochew Shrimp Roll: I'm surprised by how people say this is authentic Teochew restaurant, yet this appetizer they brought out was so burnt compared to the poster picture they had on the wall. Not sure how they could still bring it to the table! The rolls were not packed at all -- I would not get it again. - Crispy Fried Noodle with Beef abd Gai Lan: standard dish, was okay but nothing out of this world. - Braised Intestine: should be more flavorful as "braise" dish, but the intestine pieces were clean, and portion was good. - Salt Toasted Spare Ribs: very strong beer aroma, lacking flavor. The part I liked most of this dish was the pan fried onion and pepper, that should say a lot... Overall, maybe I will come back in the far future to try their congee, seems like it was a popular item of the night. read more

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This place has very good customer service. The waitresses are attentive and always smiling. My family and I ordered the braised duck, the braised pork meats, the seafood porridge, the fired shrimp, the steamed fish and the oyster pancake. I liked their steamed fish the best! It was fresh tender and perfectly seasoned. The ambience was clean and neat, overall, would come here again! read more

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Food was fine and overall atmosphere was fine as well. We made a reservation there on a Sunday evening and they rushed us throughout the entire night and eventually towards the end of our dinner they straight up said "we noticed you guys are just chatting, and we have a line, so we need you to leave". keep in mind they rushed us multiple times throughout the night by asking to wrap our food up to go, or straight up taking our plates and utensils. More importantly, when the bill was getting paid, they demanded a higher tip than what was paid and acted incredibly entitled to a higher tip amount, despite the lack of consideration and poor service. I seriously do not think this type of behavior is acceptable, this encounter decided that I will not be returning to this establishment. read more