I have been to Shining Rainbow many times prior to my visit last night, and never once had a bad experience. In fact I used to rave to friends about the quality of the food (which is quite good) However, the experience I had last night will never send me to their establishment again. Last night was my fiance's birthday (and Chinese New Year) and we called ahead for a reservation. When all the guests arrived we were told we would have to wait 45 minutes and that we would be placed on a smaller table then I found acceptable. My fiance, a Chinese (who spoke with the waiters all night in their native language) was told we would receive a discount and a desert as a gift for the long wait. Once seated the food came quickly and we were very satisfied. However, the waiters did bring out an extra dish that we didn't order and tried making us pay for the dish, we refused. Once we had the check we went to pay and gave the waiter the $10 coupon we brought in to use. The wait staff denied our coupon because they had already provided us a discount on the meal. I would have been okay with the situation if it had stopped there. However, one waiter came over and insulted my fiance and her friends (all of whom speak Chinese) and told them that we were DISRESPECTFUL for asking to use an advertised coupon after they gave us a discount for their poor service. I was insulted and ashamed that I couldn't speak back to this waiter in Chinese as he didn't speak any English. I will never go back again, ever. We paid our bill leaving an appropriate tip for the service we received and the same waiter had the nerve to exit the restaurant and follow us yelling at us (again in Chinese) that "This is America and we should leave at least a 15% tip on any bill". We proceeded to explain that his insult was extremely disrespectful and a customer should never be spoken to like that. He apologized in English and left us on the street. I am disappointed that I had this experience as this is one of the few restaurants that has Hotpot in the area, but I guess I will just have to make it as home instead. read more

Went there on 1/21/2015 and ordered $43 worth of food and was charged $543 then they went and charged my card for the correct of $43. They weren't apologetic and even told my wife and "its OK it will be back on your card in 24hrs." When we asked for management they said he lives in China and refused to give anyone of there names. When we asked again for management they said owner was in hospital. Very rude ppl...will never eat there again. read more

We moved here for 4 years now. I have to say the food quality is dropping from Chinese customer point of view. It was pretty good the first two years, and waiter is ok too. But since earlier last year, they mandate 15% tips no matter what their service is and how many people in your party. The waiter will "announce" and let everyone in the room know that "you have to give at least 15% tips, and you have not". Come on, he even did not add water to my table once! And I have to make him satisfied at the end of my meal? This is not only happen to me, I heard my friends complains as well. Then later, for take-outs I found bunch of rotten snow peas in my box, so now I am not eat in or take out from there anymore. I do not want to get stomach virus from their uncleaned veggies. read more

My cousin went to school at Uni Albany and had suggested we go try out this Chinese restaurant. I have never seen anyone so excited to recommend Chinese food out of New York City's Chinatown areas. The restaurant is located in this run down party of Albany and was not expecting much. Expectations were extremely low. When we went inside I thought I had transported into a 1980's Chinese gangster film. It brought back memories of when I was kid growing up in Chinatown and my grandfather would take me to these type of diner style Chinese eateries. Suffice it to say that I loved the look - dark and mysterious or dim and romantic depending on your mood of the day. We ordered lunch specials that came with a soup and choice of egg or pork fried rice. You have to try the wonton soup and egg rice if it's your first time here. I ordered shrimp with lobster sauce and it was good. Not overly salty like the city spots. My cousin ordered the Shrimp in Mayo sauce and walnuts on egg rice. This stuff will give you diabetes, but it is so damn tasty. Wash it down with the fresh pot of tea and you're all set for the day. read more

It took me a while to get over the fact Shining Rainbow was on Central and try it out. And let me tell you, now that I've been here I feel ashamed for having eaten Chinese food anywhere else. The reason? First off, the food is simply better than what you'll find at the generic Chinese takeout spot. We got a lot of the classics: wonton soup, hot and sour soup, and scallion pancakes, which were all familiar dishes but of higher quality. The wonton soup had fresh scallions in it that were still crunchy, the hot and sour soup's flavor was more vibrant and nuanced, and the scallion pancakes were more flaky and crispy. The sheer length of the menu is a little daunting for anyone not familiar with the cuisine, but after giving the waiter a category to suggest foods (dim sum) we were set back on course. I can't remember everything we had, but I can remember that they were all delicious. Juicy shanghai, pork and mushroom, pork meat bun, etc. Each dish came out in individual waves, giving you time to nibble on the dish, savor and digest, and then try the next one. Any wait time was spent sipping the complimentary tea and chatting. We finished off with a dessert of crunchy sesame seed balls with bean paste, which was interesting and very tasty. And best of all? This veritable cornucopia of food came at an extremely reasonable price. You can get a full meal with a (very large) single bowl of soup and 1 serving of dim sum, which would run you about $7. Which is cheaper than nearly anything off the dinner menu at a generic chinese place, by the way!!! read more

Shining restaurant,?Shame restaurant! The worst dinning experience ever! Ordered a table at 7pm and when I got there you know what? Have to wait 10 minutes! And things got worse when a mid-age guy got out showing no respect even without an apology! End up with another restaurant. Never go to this place unless you want to eat at somewhere no one give you a shit! read more

Do not get the fried seafood dim sum roll. They use a very thick batter, not like the ones in regular dim sum places. The ha-gow and siumai was average. Pretty much what you can expect in Albany. read more

One of authentic chinese restaurant in the area. Somehow many of my friends are crazy about their hot-pot, but I disagree with them. Their seafood is very smelly and some of them were not eatable... Also they have lack of quality control. The egg drop soup I had for the first visit was great, but it was awful when I tried it for the second time.... read more

Food is ok... However the restaurant is kinda dirty

We had a very unpleasant experience with this restaurant tonight. My friend and I ordered fish in spicy soup to go, however, when we came back and opened the bag, we couldn't believe what we saw. There was no actual fish in the dish but bones. It almost looked like leftovers from a previous order with more added chills and tons of spices and oil, which is disgusting! I tried to call and complain but they were closed. I would not recommend anyone to this establishment read more

Shining Rainbow Restaurant - Dim Sum Near Me - Albany, New York

This used to be my favorite restaurant but they seem to have gone down hill. First of all, the staff is awful. They are completely rude and they act annoyed when I ask even the simplest request (such as asking for the rice I requested after waiting for it for 10 minutes after the rest of the food came out). When ordering all you can eat hot pot with a group of friends, the waitstaff would become annoyed every time we asked for another plate of something. If you aren't willing to serve us all we can eat, don't have all you can eat options on the menu. Despite the awful service I have continued to frequently visit the restaurant. However, this past visit will be my last. I ordered a number of dishes. When I tasted the shrimp with lobster sauce, something I always order from them, I had to spit it out because the shrimp and meat in it were clearly spoiled. Not wanting to disturb other patrons by making a scene, I called the waitress over and quietly explained that the shrimp and meat were bad, and that I wanted to send it back and have it taken off the bill. She was furious and didn't even apologize. As I've mentioned already, I used to love going to Shining Rainbow, but a combination of rude waitstaff and food that is below standard has totally turned me off from ever frequenting the place again. read more

Delicious, great place for take out or dine in. We love the eggplant, singapore noodles and the szechuan style chicken.

my standards for Chinese takeout aren't that high. if its reasonably edible, I'm good with it. I ordered through mealeo and the order arrived in about the expected time. but that was the best part of the process. (next up was the steamed rice :() the dough for the fried dumplings was way too thick. the filling wasn't sufficient to last and balance that last bite of super thick dough. in theory, the general tso's should have been great. it's rare to find a place that makes it with white meat, but it was REALLY dry and at best I'd say the temp achieved "warm". finally, they charge extra for rice! not a fan of that. (update: the next day i called and told them i wanted a replacement meal. they weren't happy about it, but they were so busy, they just let me have what i wanted. the lo mein was pretty good. nothing exceptional, but i can't find fault with it!) read more

A decent place to go for chinese food, went thetr for birthday and chinese new year, often go with friends, but a bit pricey.

Really legit Chinese place in downtown Albany. Hot pots and stuff that I have no idea what the hell it is, being eaten here. It's quite clean and the staff are friendly. I like the hot pots for a social gathering... just don't over order-- they charge you extra if you waste items! If you want authentic Chinese-- come here. If you don't also come here-- the restaurant caters to Chinese palates and Americanized ones. The only issue is that parking is on-street. read more

The atmosphere is nice, and the ingredients in the food are good, but the flavor was lacking. It does not even begin to compare with CCK (299 Central); we ate here because we always send folks to CCK and felt compelled to try Shining Star so we could be sure we were recommending the best. CCK is still the best if you want the food to taste like you'd get in a good restaurant in Chinatown, NY. Our son tried the sushi and it was okay, but nothing to rave about. read more

Very good restaurant! Authentic Chinese dishes! My friends and I ordered several dishes and they all tasted very good. The environment here is quiet and nice. I don't know why people would say that it is not good from previous reviews...By the way, the owner here is a very kind people,too. Anyway, I would highly recommend this restaurant! Next time, If I go to Albany again, it is a must on my list! Nice price, delicious food, good owner. read more

I'd only use the spicy menu, authentic food ok price. I was only there twice as it's not so convenient for me to travel down there but I still did twice only for their food. read more

The service wasn't so bad, the staff was really quiet but attentive.. only thing was it was pretty hot in there. My boyfriend and I tried the hotpot buffet and it was great. The portions were pretty big so we did not have to order 2nd rounds... it took 1 1/2- 2 hours to finish the food. read more

We were very excited to find a hot pot restaurant here in Albany! The menu options were great - tons of options and all of he broths are pork free! The only drawback was the lack of choice about the cut of beef. Perhaps it is simply that I am used to the Japanese hot pot caled shabu shabu. In my experience, shabu shabu has saveral choices for sliced beef - different fat content and different cuts and of course the compulsory kobe selecton, at least in Boston area Japanese restaurants. Since this places does both Chinese and Japanese it would be awesome to see this part of their menu feature the best of hotspots from both cultures. We only ordered hotspots on this excursion, however we had the good fortune to go when it was really crowded and they offered to sit us with two other groups together at a large table so that we would not have such a long wait. What luck! We got to see the other dishes that our fellow diners ordered and boy will we be back! The greens had the bright green hue that one expects of stir fried greens and the duck appeared to have been given the appropriate amount of sauce. Our other neighbor also had hotspots but chose a different broth which we will have to try next time. Definitely one of albany's gems! read more

I love this place. It's categorically the best of greasy-spoon, Hong-Kong style Chinese food. Their duck is succulent and wonderful. The atmosphere is of the restaurant is pleasant, and the staff are friendly. read more

Not a great experience. Hot pot buffet was not a good meal. I didn't like how my crab and lobster were still moving when it was served on the plate. Once boiled there was no utensils offered to eat the crab. I was unsatisfied with my meal and actually felt sick afterwards. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone read more

My second experience eating Shining Rainbow food was a take out order. Here is what I thought about each dish: Fat Choy Seafood w/ Fish Maw soup $12.95/qt Based on what I read on the internet about fish maw soup, this was a huge disappointment. It was soup, there was fat choy ( black moss ) and there were tiny bits of cheap shrimp and surimi ( fake crab ). Otherwise it was just overpriced bland egg drop soup. Kinda reminds me of the seafood dishes at their competitor En Lai. Not worth it. Roast Pork Bun $2.95/2 buns Not home made. From a freezer. Dry dough and bland filling. I had to add a packet of duck sauce to eat it. Go get the buns at the Asian market down the road in Colonie. Juicy Pork Bun Shanghai Style $5.95/10 pc Like the first time I had them, they were bland. Not horrible for the price if you like bland dumplings. Shrimp and Chive Dumpling $2.95/3 pc OK dim sum. Still wanting for a dipping sauce.... Stuffed Eggplant $2.95 Looks delicious, tastes bland. Not horrible for the price if you like bland eggplant and seafood mousse. Spare Ribs w/ Rice Noodle Roll $2.95/order The stand out dish. Nice chewy and unctuous bits of pork tossed with gnocchi-like rice "noodles". Good flavor, but watch out for little bones which could ruin your meal and smile. I will go back there for the hot pot, something I've never had, but doubt I'll be getting any more dim sum or soup from them. read more

Beautiful decor, generous group seating, impeccable service, an encyclopedia for a menu, and *obscenely* good food. Come with friends and just order everything. read more

Find this Chinese restaurant in Albany the food was delicious , service was excellent very friendly and newly remodeled price are very reasonable highly recommend read more

I go to this place for hot pot only but its way over priced. It cost average 30 per person for hot pot. The food is slow and you can tell it's not fresh. read more

As good as it gets is exactly the phrase! Steamed dumplings, fried won-ton, scallops with black pepper, and (what I thought would be a poor choice by my dining partner) General Tso's chicken. Each dish was amazing. I have a whole new respect for General Tso. I'd have the scallops again, but the menu has so many choices. I don't know that I've had better Chinese food. I will definitely be returning. Service was over the top! And the price was really very good. read more

I love this place I go here very often and I'm never disappointed. Great food Great service My only problem is that the food tends to be a bit too oily at times. read more

Best chinese food in this capital area. They have great variety you can have the real Chinese food. Although it is a little pricey but you will never forget the place. read more

I have eaten here for lunch five times over the last 6 months; good, fresh meal every time. Lunch specials are $6, includes soup, rice, and a lot of food. Lunch is served within 10 minutes. The place is clean and the server does his job with little conversation. I often take friends with me and everyone likes the place. read more

While the food is probably better than most, I cannot say the same for the service. I can't choose zero stars, but due to my most recent experience with their delivery driver and the person that answered the phone, I am forced to give them a star. I have no problem giving or leaving a tip for decent service. But I refuse to allow anyone to demand (or in this particular instance) take their own tip! Then to deal with such down right rudeness and blatant lies is completely unacceptable! Given the fact I ordered from this establishment quite frequently and referred several people here I can assure you word of mouth and negative press can't adversely affect one's business. The owners and their employees should take that in consideration. Spread the word! read more

After waiting over an hour for our food to be delivered, we received over-sauced food made with low-quality ingredients and the textures seemed a bit off. Though the food was cheap and more authentic than many Chinese restaurants, it was not worth the wait and I'd be happy to pay a couple bucks more for better ingredients. read more

I'll give zero star if the system is allowed..Terrible terrible Sizhuan food... Will never come back again...

I brought my wife and son to this place after hearing some good things. For some reason we felt uncomfortable from the time we sat down. The wait staff was very inexperienced and seemed as if they didn't speak or understand the English language very well. Maybe that's what they wanted us to think. To say the least it was hard to communicate with them. It almost appeared as if we were a bother. It took forever to get our drinks and when we did get them, they were cans of soda and even warm. The staff gathered to our right and were laughing among themselves. I honestly believe they were making jokes about us. Whatever it was.....it was rude. The waiter had a hard time answering our questions and seemed to have no knowledge of the menu. We finally ordered and our food came out. It arrived hot and steaming. It tasted ok. It was good. We have had better. As we were eating we noticed that we didn't get any rice. I was under the impression that rice came with each meal like it does in each and every Chinese restaurant I have ever been to. When asked, our server said it was to be ordered separate. By this time we were almost done with our dinners and my wife was out of patience. We agreed that our evening was awkward and vowed never to return. read more

Very bad service. We have a reservation at 7pm. Don't have table in 10mins. Argued with the staff . He won't apologize, so we left.

Delicious food. A lot of it is very Americanized, but certainly not all. We had a good meal for a relatively affordable price with some things to take home. Their scallops were particularly good. read more

Whatever you do don't order from shining. They are the biggest Jerks around! They gave me the wrong order, with something I was allergic too so I couldn't eat it! Would not refund my money! Wouldn't send what I actually ordered and over charged us! Not to mention your food smells horrible anyway! If I could give it no stars I would. read more

I'll keep it short and sweet. It's slightly greasy but it's cheap, delicious Chinese food. I'm Chinese, so I've eaten a lot of Chinese food, and this is pretty good for Albany. If this place was in a big city it'd be three stars but we can't really be picky in our state capital now can we. read more

One of the favorite places of my friend. We went together several times and I'm pretty satisfied too. It is kinds of Southern/Cantonese style Chinese food which is more sweet compare to other styles. There are pretty good authentic dishes but also some ordinary Chinese takeouts. My friend's favorite is their Water-Boiled Beef with Chilies. read more

Good food but little expensive for my budget. I have been going there on and off for few years. I really like their curry chicken fried rice and general tso chicken. read more