Their food is the only saving grace, so I had to at least give them one star. The food is good and they offer items not on many other Asian restaurants' menus. I used to order from here very often and sat down for a meal there twice. However the second time we dined in, at the end of our meal, a cockroach crawled out from behind the teapot and crawled over the table. Absolutely disgusting and unacceptable! It scurried away before I could point it out to the waiter, not wanting to make a big scene we quickly paid the check and made way for the door. We threw away the food we had purchased to take with us also. Prior to the cockroach crawling out my sister and I were actually commenting on how good the food was and it sort of made up for the lack of service. The server only acknowledged us enough to seat us and take our order. After that we were on our own as far as having a refill of our tea and ordering more items off the dim sum menu. We had to pretty much flag the server over to ask for more tea, otherwise they were busy watching something on tv. It's really a shame that their food is so yummy but the pest control and service were lacking greatly. Needless to say I will never eat there again. read more

I first walled in and immediately noticed the dead fish in the tanks. Gross! Then walked to the back because no one greeted me. Saw the waiter who said nothing. I asked for a table, which he then cleared. I was handed 2 huge menus that would take days to look through. Thank god for the pictures! But any chef will tell you that if you see pictures in the menu, get up and leave! Anyway, I took about 15 minutes to find some grub I could eat. Flagged the waiter who was watching a movie...Acted like i was bothering him...The food came out in less than 5 minutes. So fast!!! Food was good. The other waiter came over and asked if I needed a box, so he boxed the left overs up and cashed me out. Service was horrible. Guess it was just the one waiter who may of been having a bad day, but who cares. read more

Delicious chicken with black bean sauce. I love the noodle soups too. They have a special menu for a traditional hot pot type meal. It would be fun with a large group. I see many people get that and all seem really happy. I guess its like Asian Fondue. This place is low on the atmosphere scale but high on the quality and my family asks to go time after time. read more

One of my favorite Chinese restaurants ever, speaking as someone who's lived in all corners of the US and lived in China. The flavor of the food is phenomenal and it always tastes super fresh. The price is also ridiculously good! read more

I was excited to see that this place had an extensive menu which included dim sum. However, it was subpar. We ordered the stuffed bean curd, stuffed eggplant, and shrimp dumplings. We expected the stuffed bean curd to be the thin bean curd that wrapped around meat and vegetables like at a usual dim sum restaurant, but it was a regular piece of tofu which they made a slit to put a seafood mixture in. It was awful. The stuffed eggplant was really good though. They gave 3 large pieces. We also tried the lobster (2 for $17) and the yee mein noodles. They were "ok" but nothing special. The lobster was bland and the noodles were sparse and undercooked. I wouldn't go back for the dim sum or the noodles. Although, they did have a hot pot on the menu that we didn't try, which might lure me back to this place. People in the booth next to us had a cart full of items to go along with the large pot of broth for their hot pot. It looked good, but I don't know how good it will taste! read more

Three of us ordered from Shining Rainbow, and while not blown away, we agreed that the quality certainly merits a second order. The food was delivered promptly, and all of it arrived hot and ready to go. The portion sizes are reasonable for the price, and the meals come with an ample portion of white rice. My roommate and I both ordered the General Tso's Chicken, and his female friend ordered the Sesame Chicken. All three of us also ordered one egg roll a piece. My roommate and I both agreed that it is perfectly acceptable General Tso's, but not the most packed with flavor, and certainly not the spiciest. His friend said that her Sesame Chicken was fairly lackluster. All of us agreed that the egg rolls weren't very good at all. If you're searching for a Chinese food delivery/takeout in Albany, give them a shot. You can order online at Mealeo, which is how we ordered. read more

I love this place. It's 2 blocks from my house and has become my favorite place for Asian food. It has, bar none, the best fried rice that I have *ever* had, and the rest of their menu is pretty extensive and high-quality. When you first approach the restaurant, it looks like a dingy hole-in-the-wall, but once you get inside, you see that it's a well-kept, clean and friendly atmosphere. The staff is attentive and friendly, but without being in the way and too attentive. This is an excellent place for some quality Chinese food at a reasonable price. read more

I had been craving Chinese food for SO long, and this definitely hit the spot. We ordered szechuan lotus root, cucumber, and fish. All were seasoned really well, and the fish was incredibly tender and flavorful. We also ordered eggplant with garlic sauce, which was not so garlic-y, but still a very good sauce. I also ordered a lavender bubble tea with boba. It was pretty good, but not as lavender-y as I would've liked. Overall, I thought it was pretty good - one of the best Chinese restaurants I've tried in the area. :) read more

yes..yes..YES! I am excited about this restaurant. I will be more excited when they have delicious Sake. This is not a Japanese style restaurant, by trade. Their specialties, and dishes that shine are the Chinese portions (although their sushi is good quality, and fairly priced.) The Chicken with Garlic Sauce was superb. All the veggies were extremely fresh, the chicken (and you know when you have low or high quality chicken) was wonderful, and not fatty at all. The sauce was of a good consistancy and not too salty or spicy, but had just enough zing to make you want more. The appetizer menu could use some variety, and something as an alternative to the greasy-spoon style foods that are found as commonplace to western Chinese food establisments. The only light alternative was a seaweed salad with sesame, which is on my to do list. We tried a honey glazed pork appetizer, which was a sweet and fried crispy beef, with slices of flank fried in oil and braised with a honey and barbeque glaze. It was very rich, and almost too rich. ( But also delicious, if you want something that heavy for an appetizer. ) Sashimi and Sushi were fresh, and they offer some of the cool gourmet rolls that Mr. Wasabi offers in Schenectady. (this makes me think they are the same owner as the gourmet rolls are something I have not seen elsewhere - Tic Tac Toe Roll, Pink Panther Roll (rolled in pink rice paper) and several more. I wish these gourmet rolls were smaller and more reasonably priced, as it is hard to spend 12-15 dollars on something you have never had and may or may not like. I would rather be able to order one of these rolls, with an entre. But that is just me. I sat and dined after reading a review on the Times Union, and was pleasantly surprised. Addendum: I almost forgot the highlight of our entire evening was our waiter. He was funny and told jokes, and I can't recall the last time I had a waiter anywhere that I was truely delighted with. I have to give an extra 1/2 star for this **** & 1/2. Well done. read more

This is, by all measures, the most authentic and excellent quality Chinese I've ever had. They take special care for every dish, and the service is top rate. Prices are good, too. One note: this isn't an Americanized Asian buffet or resturaunt. They don't do buffet, serve crab ragoons, fortune cookies, or similar American treats. If you love authentic, this is authentic, and it is fabulous. I can't say enough amazing things about these folks. Try the jellyfish! They have a 300 item Szechuan menu, too. This is the best hot and sour soup you'll find. read more

Very nice people works here, this is def my go to place when I'm craving Chinese food!!! The owner is very polite and nice to talk to. ALL YOU CAN RAT HOT POT IS read more

i was iffy when i heard the name of the place, but i was enticed by the projected logo shining like a beacon upon the sidewalk that was covered in snow. walking in, i was worried about making a dent in my already skimpy bank account but we were already being greeted. let me cut to the chase; the food was mediocre at best and simply not good enough for the price in my opinion. the bubble tea was rancid. first sip, my friend and i looked at each other in alarm. "this tastes like raisin water with a generous splash of soy milk!" i recall whispering. the boba was a disconcerting texture and provoked a visceral reaction of disgust. the food was okay, the bubble tea was atrocious, and the hot tea was actually delightful. their fried dumplings were decent. long story short, i would definitely not return again, if not for the food, for fear of them spitting in my food because of this scathing review. read more

They're a bit more expensive than most take out locations but the food tastes really good. They only deliver to the downtown area.

I never saw such a screwed up place. Went there mid-week for lunch with two other people. It wasn't that busy, but had to wait a while for the server to get off his cell phone to take our orders. After a few minutes he returned and said he forgot what I ordered. When the food came it was all mixed up, the fried rice which was supposed to be on the plate with the chicken with peanuts was on the plate with the beef and string beans. The person that ordered the chicken and broccoli got beef and broccoli. The person that ordered an egg roll never received it. The chicken with peanuts contained no peanuts. We also did not receive any complimentary fortune cookies. I've been there before and it was never like this. Don't know if it's under new management, but am seriously thinking about crossing this place off my "to go" list. read more

One of the worst dining experiences I've had in years. Went for the hot pot, while my wife ordered some dim sum. She's vegetarian, and ordered the vegetarian dumplings, which were on the menu. When we received them, they looked great, but she took a bite, and chomped into a giant wad of pork filling. When we told them, they just said it was a translation issue on the menu, and replaced it with some pickled vegetable buns. The hot pot price on the menu was 24.95 per person for AYCE. It was so-so. I've had a good deal of experience at these kinds of places, and out of maybe 30-40 I've visited in my lifetime, this was definitely the bottom third. While they gave decent portion size, the quality of the ingredients wasn't comparable even to other non-Chinatown shabu shabu places I've frequented. To top it all off, they tried to charge us for two orders, when we specifically stated only I would be partaking in the hot pot. Then after they return with the revised bill, they charged $12 for the broth. THE BROTH. When I brought this up to them, they said they always do this, and it was for when people share, and they had separate broths. I told them it was just me, and he simply said that's how they always charge it, and only the other ingredients were all-you-can-eat. Absolutely ridiculous. So essentially, I paid $33 for inferior quality ingredients. Other places charge this amount in Queens and Manhattan, but their ingredients are WAY more expansive and much, much, fresher (the clams we received were extremely sandy, and obviously not cleaned before being served). I've never gone to any hot pot place that did this, and never even heard of the practice. The sauce "station" was laughable, as they brought over 3 trays, one being peanut butter. Not peanut sauce... literally, peanut butter. As other reviewers have stated, they also tacked on mandatory tip too, which was likely the reason none of the waiters ever came to check on us for anything unless we sought them out. Needless to say, we'll never be back, and will stick with MUCH better asian restaurants in the area. For hot pot, I'm going to stick with Superbowl all the way in Kingston, which is MUCH better, and worth the trip over this place. Avoid at all cost! read more

Took my mother to Shining Rainbow for mothers day. She loves clams in black bean sauce. Of course we ordered that among other dishes. If you have ever ordered clams in black bean sauce, you know they come out on a plate piled high with clams. As we are eating them we begin to notice that not all of the clams had opened. By the time we finished, I had realized about a third of the clams had not opened. This started to concern me, because that means one of two things as far as I know. Either the clams are bad, or they are under cooked. Luckily for us, neither one of us got sick, so I believe they were just under cooked. When I told the waiter that the clams did not all open, he said that was normal. I told him that it is not normal for a third of them to not open. He said "ok". There was no concern for our health and no offer to credit us. This is a dish I have had many times in my life, here, NYC Chinatown, Toronto Chinatown, San Fransisco Chinatown as well as other places. I am familiar with the dish, I a familiar with how clams cook. This was definitely not normal to have a third of the clams be under cooked. read more

Great food and dim sum. The menu is huge. Sometimes the staff requires a little extra communication to get things right. 4 stars- but don't order the Ham Fried Rice. The "Ham" is a cut up hot dog. I'm serious. read more

Used to live a few blocks from here and loved to come here on the weekends for a dim sum brunch. We were in Albany for a wedding andy birthday and I knew I needed a dim sum fix. What we sampled: Smoked meat roll My fiance liked this more than I did but it was wrapped in bacon so really what could be wrong with this. Juicy Bun in Shanghai style These were delicious and the broth was great, but the skins were a bit chewy. Fried sweet sticky rice Delicious! And I don't even like this stuff Spare ribs in black bean sauce Maybe it was two early, but these weren't as tender as I was used to. Fried Bun with sweetened condensed milk The best! A must try Overall I really miss having this right around the corner but glad I was able to get here again. read more

Awesome authentic Chinese. This place is super cheap and is great for large parties. Hot pot specials, an extensive menu and fresh sushi should keep you coming back One of my favorite local places read more

This place is truly great. The staff is very attentive and accommodating, and the dim sum I had here was high quality. I've had my fair share of dim sum in NYC, and Shining Rainbow surpassed all of it. I had the stuffed peppers (stuffed with some sort of shrimp type meat), sesame balls (stuffed with lotus paste, nice and hot out of the kitchen with a good crunch. Not collapsing like a lot of the ones you see in Chinatown bakeries), fried taro puffs (didn't love this, but just a matter of personal preference), and a fried oyster (this was just incredible. A huge FAT oyster fried and served steaming hot in its shell). I am picky about food quality and especially about my fried oysters and my sesame buns, but these were both excellent. I will absolutely be back. read more

Shining Rainbow Restaurant - One fried oyster. Wonderful oyster flavor!! - Dim Sum Near Me - Albany, New York

Tried it for the first time this weekend, with a group of 13 other Yelpers. We all fit around one of the larger round tables in the back, it was tight but cozy. The service was excellent, the food was great, and the price only came out to $14 per person, for what was essentially an all you can eat experience. We tried the tripe, chicken feet, pork bun, scallion pancake, king pork bun, taro fritters, spare ribs, eggplant, shumai, sesame ball, coconut milk bun, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things. There were a few gripes from the group of "I've had better" for this or "could use a bit of salt" for that, but I personally thought that everything tasted great. The shumai was universally loved by everyone at the table, so we had to get another round. The taro fritters also had lots of fans, it was crunchy on the outside, and rich and creamy on the inside. The sesame ball was loved by all as well. I was really impressed with the tripe, it was tender and tasted delicious. We drank six to eight pots of the complimentary black tea, and the staff did a great job keeping the kettles full. Can't wait to come back with a large group. Multiples of 3 work the best, as it allows an easy division of most items. read more

Yesterday we visited "Shining Rainbow" for the third time, and were again very pleased. Last January after reading this review in Times Union http://web.timesunion.com/entertainment/restaurants/onereview.asp?RestaurantID=1692 I invited my family there (3 sons aged 16 to 22, parents in their 70s, husband and me in our 50s) to celebrate my birthday there. Amazingly everyone loved it. Flavors do not disappoint, whether you want hot and spicy, traditional, sushi or a "hot pot". My only concern is that the servers- all uniformly friendly and trying to be helpful - could use some more English language instruction, and time food orders a bit more evenly . I wish the hot pot menu were more readily available. Now you need to request it specifically. It would beg real to actually see photos of hot pot dishes. Yesterday we got to see it being served at a table next ours and decided to try it next time we are there with a group of friends. I really like the large pot of hot tea always available on the table, as well as forks and chopsticks too. But the food is the best part as it is supposed to be! read more

After my experience I have a hard time believing the reviews here are legit. I ordered take out and the entire experience was disappointing. I was told my order would be ready in 30 minutes and though my experience is that Chinese take out usually takes far less time to prepare I waited until the specified time to pick up the food. When I arrived the food was not ready and took more than ten minutes before it was ready. This was at 3p.m. when the restaurant was empty and they did not appear to have any other takeout orders. When I got home and began unpacking the order one of the items was leaking all over the other food, sauces, etc. They had packed it in a styrofoam clam-shell container with no saran wrap or anything else to prevent it from spilling over everything. Next, I realized that they left out an item (wonton) that was supposed to be included and that there was no white rice to go with an order of Orange Chicken. When I called to ask about the rice I was told they are a "family style" restaurant and therefore the rice is not included, but a separate order. I've never ordered Chinese before that doesn't include a pint of white rice for each order of pork/chicken/beef/seafood dish, and I definitely did not order a "family style" sized order. I wish I could say the food made up for all of the above. The coating on the orange chicken was soggy and the beef with scallions had huge chunks of ginger that were overpowering. bottom line for me is lesson learned - don't always trust the reviews. read more

Eat lunch here often as it's close to work. Authentic Chinese-American cuisine and great lunch specials - soup, tea & an entree for about $7. Anything in the lobster sauce is good, as are the staples - Sesame Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, & General Tso. Try the egg rolls. Service is fast, takeout is available. The biggest issue is parking as there is only street parking. read more

I have not had Chinese food in a long time.  I wanted something different then the reg. Chinese food.  I ordered over the phone and had to run in and out to pick up because I was double parked.  Get home no rice with food.  Called and apparently they do not serve rice with dinner meals.  They said they forgot to tell me when I picked food up, they should have told me when I ordered.  Anyway the size of the dish was the size of lunch meals and the cost was higher.  Two meals for $40 no rice... it's crazy... and portion size the same as lunch meals... Yes, the food was tasty and fresh... but I have had other Chinese food in the city that was tasty, fresh, and price appropriately for what I was getting. Also, I have had better Chinese food that was over the top.  Yes, it cost me more but I left happily full and would go back.  This food was not on that caliber.  Food/taste/price/ambiance don't match up.  Sorry read more

Food and service is always great here. Staff gets you seated as soon as you walk in and the platters are huge! Come for lunch special and you won't be disappointed. Have been back here several times and always a favorite. read more

Food quality, prices, and service are the most important to me. I walked in for take out and the waitress did not acknowledge me. I had to go to her and state that I wanted to order from the takeout menu. I wanted to order from their sushi menu but they said they stopped serving menu because of radiation in Japan. To me, it's just a lame excuse to not get new menu's printed. After I had made my order, I stood waiting for my meal to be ready. They did not even offer me a seat. And then after I took a seat, the waitress seated two dine-in patrons where I sat at so I had to move awkwardly to a different empty chair. My food came in about 10 minutes. For $5.67, I got a general tso chicken with fried rice and hot and sour soup. The hot and sour soup was just disgusting. It tasted like tomato soup with lots of soy sauce and a egg dropped in. I didn't have more than spoonful. The chicken wasn't heated properly. The insides were still lukewarm but it was okay. According to the menu, I was supposed to get a soda but I never got one. Needless to say, it's a very cheap place for lunch with below average food. I would go there only if I only had $6 in my pocket and I was starving. read more

In terms of food quality, it has to be undoubtedly one of the best Chinese places in the area. I live just around the block near the park so I frequent here often, so here are some random musings. For those that want the quick summary: Hot pot is fun, food is terrific, quality is a bit worse for take-out, and service is iffy. The hot pot is a great social meal, and a different, fun experience if you've never done it before. A great idea for a first date, as discussing what flavors to mix or foods to add can always be a safety net in case conversation gets dry. The satay broth is a bit spicy for me, but is my favorite. I'd pair it with another milder broth. The lamb goes nicely, as does the golden mushrooms and broccoli as my favorite sides. I'd just put in the broccoli first as it takes a while to cook down, but its amazing once it softens. I'd avoid the rice balls, they are sweet and the texture is pretty jarring. As far as the regular menu goes, I'm boring and typically get the faux Chinese-American staples. But why not when they are so delicious? The chicken they use is just on another quality level than you'd find anywhere else, so all those typical meals like General Tso's or Sesame Chicken will be much different than your average Chinese takeout place. Also, their Shrimp Lo Mein is superb. The Shanghai Soup Dumplings are out of this world, but they take a while to make out so I'd order them as soon as you arrive. One weird thing I've found is that I just never enjoy it as much when doing take-out. Something about the packaging, condensation, whatever just makes the quality take a strange hit here. I'd say it was just a one time thing, but we order here a lot and its definitely a pattern. The service is not the best. One of the waiters is friendly, the others not so much. Also, one of the times I ordered takeout I forgot to order rice (it is not included like it is many other places) so I asked if it could be added when I got there. The server was so busy and flustered that he actually told me they ran out of rice, to which I instinctively laughed. A minute or two later another server brought me out some rice. read more

Food is all right, service is terrible! I was charged double tips (I did not notice they already included 18% tips in the total, and offered additional 20%). We are a party of 4 and my understanding is the tips should not be automatically included in your bill. When we asked the waitress, she said we were afraid you would not pay enough tips. Would not go back again. read more

Beginning to explore dining in the region, living in the countryside outside of Albany now having transplanted from NYC. Craving Chinese friends and I started to look online​ and decided on Shining Rainbow​ . Little did we know the feast we had in store. The neighborhood is mixed low rise storefronts looks very much like Brooklyn: a Hala meat market across from a Spanish restaurant next to a hair salon. Inside​ the restaurant charming decor and booths! We took a table​ in back instead. A huge menu handed to us and after a serious look we ordered. First came Hot and Sour soup-- both hot and sour and wonderfully​ spicy as it should be. ( I could eat this every day​ and live a happy life ) Several dishes followed: Cucumberswith chili sauce​; in Orange chicken was subtle​ in flavor and the sauce not sugary; Bok choy and garlic; Chilean Sea Bass; crispy noodles everything prepared so well and presented as if the three of us at a banquet. Actaully could not decide which dish we preferred because each was so good and the flavors so remarkable. We will return think next time bring a larger group to try more; share more. read more

The dish I had is just perfect! I had a spicy dish named MaoXueWang and it was one of the best I have had! If you like spicy food, the you have to try here! read more

The food is fine for Chinese food...I guess. The reason I am giving Shining Rainbow 1 star is because I SAW ONE OF THE COOKS IN THE KITCHEN SMOKING A CIGARETTE WHILE MAKING THE FOOD!!!! I was thoroughly grossed out. I was at one of the tables towards the back of the restaurant and I was facing the door of the kitchen. I did not make a big deal about it because the group of people I was with seemed to be okay with it. I, however, stopped eating. To me, this is unacceptable and I hope the health department reads this. read more

Been here with several friends on thanksgivings night. Excellent dishes, great service. All food are fresh and well done. Taste like how it should be. Traditional Chinese food. Fair price. I would absolutely recommend to my friends. read more

A friend of mine and I went here for sushi yesterday, and I think we just found our new go-to Chinese/Japanese/sushi joint in the Capital District! The food is fabulous, tasty, and FRESH, the presentation is beautiful, the service is terrific, and the decor is a cool kind of funky-Asian-casual style that rocks! It's really reasonable, too; for two huge plates of sushi that we stuffed ourselves with (in addition to two complimentary salads,) we walked out of there for about $25 for the both of us before tip. The menu is also gigantic and full of tasty-sounding morsels that I have to go back and try sometime soon; I'm up for trying their dim sum any day of the week! read more

Not bad, not bad. Very generous portions are the norm (so order conservatively). There was plenty of variety on the menu (and many of the items seemed fairly authentic for Shanghainese/Sichuan cuisine), so it should be easy to find a dish to satisfy everyone at the table. We started with an eggdrop seafood soup with fake crab and bits of fish and mushroom. I appreciated how the soup wasn't too salty, although the texture of the imitation crab was very doughy (more flour for the filling than protein), lending the soup an odd texture. The garlic eggplant dish was done well (with a soy based sauce and likely some sugar, lots of oil as expected) and their stir-fryed water spinach with slices of garlic was delicious. The water spinach itself wasn't wilty or yellow, but seemed to be at its peak in freshness, and the sodium level of the dish was moderate and not overkill. We had steamed fish that likewise was done well. The fish was topped with thiny sliced green onion, which was enjoyed with some soupy broth spooned and poured over the flesh. It's light yet flavorful. We also had the fried chicken in garlic sauce that was a little more on the dry side, especially the breast meat. My biggest qualm was the pace of the service, which was at a crawling speed. We understood that steamed fish took longer to prepare but it made no sense to have 20 minutes between the soup and water spinach, another 10 minutes until the eggplant was served, 10 more minutes before the chicken was presented, and then another 10 minutes until the fish came out. read more

Let me start off by saying I love their food. But their customer service is deplorable. I had a delivery order yesterday and the General Tso Chicken had a sour taste to it. I called the restaurant and they refused to change the order and the manager hung up on me. Ridiculous. read more

Shining Rainbow wins again. Ordered take-out to eat at the library during finals. Szechuan shrimp for me and general t's for my pal. It's what you could call 'gourmet' take out. All the flavors and style of the regular, good old American Chinese but with real meat and spices and such. Yes ma'am. read more

Worst CHinese food I ever had fried dumplings were doughy tasteless sweet and sour chicken terrible did not taste like sweet and sour chicken for the amount I paid $ 33 if felt like I was racked over the coals overpriced read more

I don't know what to say.. Its totally terrible. First of all, they served wrong food to me and I had to reorder food. And, I had to wait another an hour to get my food that I originally ordered. I won't come back here again. Services were brutal. read more

Very good first visit, good food at a very reasonable price. Large menu, didn't have the opportunity this time around but want to try their "hot-pot" dinner on my next visit. The Menu is Chinese-Japanese with a sushi bar. Live lobsters are in tanks as you come in. Chinese food seemed similar to other Hong-Kong style restaurants I have visited and not the typical "fast food" Chinese you get at your local take-out shop. read more