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    New China Restaurant

    3.6 (26 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    New China Restaurant Photos

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    NEW CHINA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Chicken wings (order of 16)
    Aja L.

    Okay, I was extremely leery of trying out a non chain Boone restaurant but this place came highly commended by Chinese associates of mine. The first time I walked in I saw white servers which set off alarms, though I did see Chinese cooks. I took menus and left. There's a traditional menu listing authentic dishes that would scare those with basic and infantile palates, and Americanized Chinese dishes for those who like it sugar sweet and plain. Today I went in and ordered the most basic Szechuan dish which done properly is heavenly and done poorly is a slap in the face. I ordered spicy deep fried chicken wings which I avoid eating publicly unless I'm in Black or Chinese spaces. I was the only person in there who wasn't white until an Asian couple finally came in. The wings were 16 for $15 with a side of rice. The presentation was fair to nice, the seasoning was uneven - some wings were saltier and spicier than others, and the food was NOT spicy. Seasoned, but not spicy. I specifically asked for spicy repeatedly. The server asked how the food was and I told then it could be spicier. He brought out chili oil which helped, but I prefer and expect from ethnic restaurants to not need any added. The wings came with vegetables which was nice. Compared to most Iowa Chinese restaurants it is definitely in the top. It'll do the trick when I don't want to drive in to Ames for Chinese. Bonus points for the high level of cleanliness, but I feel they were holding back on the food because I'm not Chinese.

    the front of the restaurant
    Daniel L.

    Several people have described this place as having one of the best Chinese food in Central Iowa so my friend and I decided to visit and see what they are all about. The dim lit, carpeted interior was antiquated with red lanterns that hung from the ceilings. From front to back, the layout included three rows of tables vertically arranged, and the atmosphere was subdued as we were one of the few visitors on this quiet evening. The servers were not Chinese, and they quickly handed us the "oriental" menu out of the two dining options that were available without first consulting with us. This is the first time either of us have seen clay pots in an Iowa restaurant so we ordered the Pork Hock in Pot ($10.95). Price was high but serving was humongous with plenty to take home. The clay pot was filled to the brim with tender chunky pieces of savory pork hocks loaded with flavor. Each piece was easy to bite into and there were depth in the flavor between the lean and fatty pieces. It was delicious. We also shared an order of Beef and Vegetable with Rice Noodles ($8.95). This is also the first time that we have seen a dish that resembled chow fun with thick slippery noodles stir fried with thick slices of beef and a few bean sprouts here and there. The thickness of the noodles was still slightly thinner than what is traditionally considered as chow fun and we both wished it could be stir fried a bit longer since it was on the soggy side. My friend noticed the bean sprouts were already wilted that prevented the crispy to slipper contrast in the textures that usually set the veggies apart from the noodles. We were happy with the thick cuts of beef that were semi-red in the middle, but the cuts were more chewy than necessary. Our least favorite dish was the Tripe Pieces with Spicy Bean Sauce ($10.95). The tripe was overcooked so there was little texture remaining, and the level of spiciness was flat as deep flavors from the bean sauce was missing. We were hoping for this dish to be served with Chinese black bean sauce but it turned out to be one hot mess. Prices are high as each of us ended up paying $20 per person for this meal. Fortunately, we had plenty of leftovers but we didn't like the tripe enough to bring it back. Our drinks were refilled from time to time but we also find our forks and knives sticky and unclean when we first entered the restaurant. It was a decent meal underscored by a fantastic clay pot which we hope to have plenty of in the future. My friend has a Yelp account but never writes reviews but we both agreed on a positive 3 stars experience. As an interesting side note, once we came out of the restaurant there was a chubby kid on a bike that proceeded to bow to us like the movie, the karate kid, something I haven't seen in a long time. Overall, I'm definitely interested in returning but will put more emphasis on the clay pots for the next meal.

    Shrimp Lo Mein
    Lissa G.

    This was the first time we've eaten at the one in Boone. I have to say I'm very disappointed. I had the Shrimp Lo Mein and it wasn't very good. The shrimp tasted off and there wasn't any sauce on the noodles. The crab ragoons were just nasty. I ended up only eating the white rice. My husband had the General Tso's. He thought there was a mix up and, got orange chicken. He did like the combination rice so I'll give them the 1 star.

    Tasteful decorations.
    Jeff T.

    My girlfriend used to work here growing up, and was always raving about it whenever we went to any other Chinese joint. So, when we visited her hometown, we had to try it. I was pleasantly surprised. Good, solid Chinese in small town America. The really cool part is that they do authentic Chinese menu items, but you have to know how to order them. I've been here a bunch now and we often see Chinese students from ISU here, despite the fact that there are a ton of Chinese places in Ames. New China must be doing something right to get them to come over here.

    This is how I picked it up...

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Absolutely the best!!!! Always consistent in the taste and portions of all food. The best lunch deal, cheaper than McDonalds and way better.

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    3 years ago

    Always love getting carry out with my girlfriend from here! You get a nice portion of food, for a good price, and the employees are amazing!

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    3 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Food is good but bad customer service after forgetting chow mein noodles for the order

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    4 years ago

    Yummy Chinese food and very reasonably priced. Do wish they had fine-in service back.....

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    9 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Best sweet and sour chicken and mu shu chicken I've ever had in iowa! Even my 3 year loves the food and shes super picky.

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    Ask the Community - New China Restaurant

    Review Highlights - New China Restaurant

    New China is one of the best Chinese food in central Iowa.

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    House of Chen

    House of Chen

    3.7
    (45 reviews)
    14.5 mi
    $

    When I was in college, I waited tables at this restaurant. Well, at a previous incarnation of this…read morerestaurant. The eponymous Mr. Chen was my boss back then...and did most of the cooking. This would have been the first half of the 1980s. Since then, the restaurant is under new management. It also was moved from the original North Grand mall location to the light warehouse district on Lincoln Way east of Duff Ave. My father, my son and I had dinner at the Lincoln Way location at the end of April 2026. We were the only customers dining in. Two of the dishes we ordered (shrimp in black bean sauce and General Tso's chicken) tasted very familiar...i recognized them as Mr. Chen's recipes. While we were there, there was was a nearly constant stream of people coming in to collect takeout orders. So...the current management are obviously pursuing a different business model, which is fine. But I felt a little bummed by the shabby physical space and industrial location. I missed the vigorous energy that Mr. and Mrs. Chen imparted when they were running the place.

    The food was just ok nothing to write home about. They need more then one cook in the kitchen the…read morewait time was ridiculous I waited over 30 minutes and people who placed a phone order and was told it was their food will be ready in 25 minutes and when they got there had to wait an additional 30 minutes. That was very bad

    Photos
    Wiping off the soy sauce bottle.
    Wiping off the soy sauce bottle.
    Sweet and sour chicken
    Sweet and sour chicken
    Egg rolls

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    Egg rolls
    Asian Cuisine

    Asian Cuisine

    4.3
    (67 reviews)
    26.5 mi
    $

    The option to dine in has returned here at Asian Cuisine! It's actually been back a while now…read more.. I was just very happy to see it when it happened! The plexiglass wall that closed off the open kitchen during Covid has been removed. I've been here a couple of times since dine in reopened, but had still done take out anyway as my girlfriend lived not far away there in Grimes. She recently moved... We missed the food...and seeing Lily and Ken! So we decided to drive over and grab a table. When we walked in we were greeted right away. It had been a minute since we'd last been in. I was happy to see Lily working at the counter and Ken busy in the kitchen along with the rest of their staff! Seating is all low top tables and chairs. Mostly tables for four and two. Now instead of table service (like it was pre-Covid) it's more order and pay at the counter. Take a seat. The food is brought to you on disposable plates with plastic silverware. Drinks are cans or bottles. There are no napkins or condiments at the tables. Condiments like soy sauce and spicy mustard are served in packets. Sweet and sour still comes in a cup. Bus your own table into the trash receptacle when you are done. The food was as good as it ever was! We ordered an order of the crab rangoon. These seemed a little lighter on the filling than I remember them being in the past... They were served hot and fresh out of the fryer! I got the Yu Shang shrimp. Probably my favorite entree here and my go to. It was fantastic as always! I struggled eating it a little with my plastic fork... The tines kept bending on the firmer components of the dish. Heather ordered chicken fried rice and added shrimp (extra spicy). Another awesome dish! And I benefited from some leftovers she brought home... Lol I'll say that overall the food here is still top notch... Lily and Ken are two of my favorite owners in the metro! Couldn't ask for two better hosts... Take out business is still booming! While we dined in the stream of people picking up their orders, or coming in to place take out orders, was constant. But... The overall dine in experience has changed... We adapt to survive and we lost a lot of businesses during Covid... Some businesses that had been open for decades... Asian Cuisine adapted to a take out only model and made it through. Can I blame them for continuing to evolve while bringing the dine in option back? No I can't. In fact I want them to do WHATEVER it takes to keep their doors open...! I can even bring my own silverware... Lol I'm really not that picky and can grab something to eat anywhere. I see closure notices come through my feed almost weekly. Some are kind of a bummer, but they really don't impact me much even when it's a place I go to often. No real personal connection... It's different for me here. I'd probably cry like a little kid who just had one of their childhood beliefs shattered... I'm also not going to lie and say I don't miss things the way they were... I think as a rule a lot of us could say the same about many things today.

    Service was excellent. Wife and I decided to try it out today. We usually hit hi vee for their…read moreasian grille... not today though,today felt different. Wife ordered the general tso entrée amd I had the sesame chicken entrée. Portion sizes were great. Presentation was inviting and on point we couldn't wait to dig in. Flavor was amazing both.. entrée s...Crispy where it needs to be and tender on. The inside. Every bite was an experience.. as far as ambiance.. its a simple set up. Black tables black chairs.. reo speed wagon "taking it on the run" on the house stereo. Very welcoming..we had the place to ourselves. Great experience.

    Photos
    Open kitchen.  Dine in seating.  Post Covid.
    Open kitchen. Dine in seating. Post Covid.
    Mongolian beef
    Mongolian beef
    Exterior signage.

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    Exterior signage.

    New China Restaurant - chinese - Updated July 2026

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