I don't often go to Apsara Palace because it is so hard to get a table. I'm impatient and rarely find the need to wait when there are other food options nearby, often I go to Gourmet House next door which offers similar (nearly identical) menu options. But, it's all in the details. The flavors are richer and deeper, the produce tastes fresher and the food preparation more thoughtful. For instance, beef loc lac here is wok sautéed. ..similar restaurants take a shortcut and deep fry it. Why? Please stop that! I have a pet peeve when someone tries to serve me shrimp that hasn't been deveined. It happens next door, it doesn't happen here. The service can be spotty, the crowd a little elitist and snippy, and the wait is unbearable. All else is fantastic. read more

Massive portions and BYOB, what's not to love. Their lemon chicken, green curry and garlic noodles are my top 3 items on their menu. It's an excellent spot to go with groups as they have booth and family table style seating. The prices are extremely cheap, coupled with the aforementioned fact it's BYOB- you got yourself a bargain night out (grab yourself a bottle of wine from the package store across the road). The fact the portions are so big means you have a meal for the next day as well. It's a no-frills joint so don't expect fancy ambiance, just down-to-earth quality food. Parking can be a concern, they do have a parking lot but 8/10 it's completely full. read more

Came here for lunch and the place was packed! Luckily, we came a little earlier, and didn't have to wait in line. The atmosphere resembles that of a diner, and the tables were clean and the service fairly prompt (you have to wave a few times to get the waiter's attention though). I ordered the Combination Bee Bhong, and our table shared scallion pancakes for appetizers and also half a Roast Duck. The food was just simply incredible for the low price that they were charging. The Bee Bhong was a really unique blend of coconut and sweet sauce, drenched over rice noodles and the portion was very big. The scallion pancakes were crispy and the sauce was not just your typical soy-sauce, but a special house blend. But what surprised me the most was the roast duck, which was very succulent and tastes fresh from the oven. Overall, I would rate this place highly for its value and the authenticity of the dining experience. A rare gem hidden within a rather unflattering strip mall, be sure to check it out! read more

I just had the worst experience of my life at this establishment. I dined in with my 10 year old son and we ordered shrimp nim chow (delicious), scallion pancakes (delicious), sticky chicken wings (just ok) and chicken pad thai (inedible). I told the staff that the pad thai smelled terrible and I couldn't eat it. He told me that it was what I ordered and I should have "done my research". What research? Yes, I understand what pad thai is and I have had it other places. He got upset with me because he said it was what I ordered so it is what it is and he caused a big scene in the restaurant. He told me that he didn't care if I ever returned there. He also proceeded to tell me that no one wants to wait tables anymore anyway and he doesn't care at all. This interaction was uncalled for. I simply told him that I was disappointed that it was inedible but that it was ok and I would pay for it. There was no need for a volatile situation. I'm deeply disturbed that I could be treated so horribly for no reason at all. I didn't deserve the treatment I received from this place. I will never go back here again. It's just so horrible that people can treat each other this way. Please don't support this place because they don't care about you. read more

The food deserves 2 stars, but I'll give it 3 because it's a nice place to eat, friendly staff.. and BYOB I usually got take out because it's pretty much the cheapest around, and once I recook the crab rangoon, they're really good. Once the food got to me, it was always cold or soggy or wilted, etc. I always assumed it was because it took 10 or 20 mins for me to get the food, bring it back to my apt, get situated and eat. Though the one time I decided to stick around and eat there, the food was of the same quality. Is it worth the price? Yea maybe. Especially bc you save so much money on booze? Yea, probably. Is there better food near by? Of course read more

Oh wow I love this place. My boyfriend used to live on the East side so we checked this place out. It's so good that we now drive across Providence to go here. You may be turned off by the completely sterile atmosphere of this place--it's just a big room with a bunch of booths shoved in-- but don't be fooled! The food is SO tasty. I usually get veggie mooshu which is beyond tasty. My boyfriend gets some spicy chicken dish but I can't think of the name. We have also tried the vegetarian appetizer tray. The price is fantastic for the quality of food you get. There can be a wait, though, so don't go if you need a quick bite unless it's during off peak times. The service is quick with few frills but the servers are perfectly friendly and helpful. Don't miss this tasty spot! read more

Just adding to the chorus that this place truly offers the best array of Thai/Cambodian/Chinese cuisine in all of Rhode Island. I have never had a bad dish there in about the 20 or so times I went. The wait is definitely an issue on weekend nights, and even on most days the place is pretty full... this is not the place you want to go for an intimate night out. But for awesome food? Heck yes. read more

The goods: food, flavor, portion size, price The bads: run-down feel, take out line runs over guests sitting and eating, no windows makes it stinky (in winters), service was a bit poor - took the server forever to bring drinks, check in and check - ended up engaging other servers, who were very nice. read more

Pros: price (takeout $31-32 for three entrees and 1 appetizer), parking Okay: appearance (good for friends but maybe not ideal for dates), location, huge menu (good for some people but not me) Cons: walking through a sea of customers before getting your take out Recommend: scallion pancake (crispy as duck) drenched in sauce Do not recommend: getting both the stir fried cantonese noodles and drunken noodles Bottom line: food 3/5, price 5/5, will come back the next time I am craving some asian food read more

We had a wonderful meal here between our son's baseball games. We wanted to be quick & ordered two dishes, Broccoli & Garlic Sauce, which we loved. The broccoli was perfectly cooked and the sauce was not heavy. Plus we had Crispy Szechuan Tofu which came w/a large order of perfectly steamed broccoli. (We actually didn't realize this one had broccoli too, or we would've ordered one dish w/beans.) I wish it was nearby because I'd love to try more of their dishes. And I am sad that I didn't realize they had fresh spring rolls w/peanut sauce. And the price was so affordable, even though the servings were quite large! read more

3rd time trying to give this specific locations take out a chance and for the 3rd time I was disappointed. I'm all set. I'd rather drive to their South Side location to get food. read more

Apsara Palace - Do not take out soup. Portion is half of what it is when you dine in! - Chinese Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Apsara Palace is really good, but I love the original restaurant more. I've been going to the old/first restaurant off of Elmwood for over a decade - and I love it so much. Nime Chow is a must on your first visit. These are a great fresh Vietnamese spring rolls with an amazing rice vinegar dipping sauce. You can order with or without shrimp - but if you aren't allergic to shellfish - order with the shrimp in... DELICIOUS! Lemongrass sauce chicken wings - also are a favorite in my house. We sometimes ask them to make this lemongrass sauce for their regular chicken dish, in lieu of the lemongrass sauce they normally have. So wonderful.... coconut deliciousness. Speaking of coconut. Their Tom Yum soup is tasty and satisfying. Order this if you're hankering for a coconut, lemongrass, kafir lime sublime dish.... For the entrees - this is a tough call - their satay noodles are wonderful, with whichever protien you desire. Their Beef Loc Lac is great in the restaurant... be careful if you order takeout - the vegetables (the tomoato and lettuce, in particular) suffer from the extra residual cooking time. But in restaurant - this is wonderful. I will say, if you are going to self-cater a party - their platters can't be beat... order a full tray of nime chow, pad thai and one of their tofu or chicken dishes - and you can't go wrong. They must have multiple chefs, however - because I would give Apsara five stars, but sometimes they aren't consistent... when their lemongrass sauce is on - there is nothing better. Enjoy! read more

We came here on Saturday night. We ordered black pepper chicken wings, natang, nime chow, and pad Thai. The nime chow is the best I've ever had. So fragrant and flavorful! The Natang is to die for. The Pad Thai was also wonderful. The wings, however, not so much. The main issue was that every single wing still had feathers on them. They were also greasy and undercooked. I told the waitress, but she wasn't too concerned, and didn't offer a solution. They were on the bill. Oh well. Maybe stay away from the feathery wings? Unless you're into that sort of thing. read more

I tried this restaurant for the first time tonight. My boss recommended it to me, so I decided to give it a try since I have been trying to find my new favorite go-to Asian restaurant since moving to Providence. My boyfriend and I ordered takeout. The small restaurant was super busy; all the tables were full, and there was a line at the cash register. We were told we would have to wait 45 minutes for our takeout, which was far longer than we had ever waited for takeout before, but we decided to stick it out since the menu looked good. The whole time we were waiting for our food, crammed into a tiny corner by the bathroom so we wouldn't get run over by the bustling waitstaff, one of the waiters kept checking in on us and giving us updates on our order. He was so friendly! And everyone kept apologizing for the wait. Everyone was so nice, we didn't mind the wait! The waitstaff was on the ball! They were slammed, but they were still efficient and courteous. When we finally got our food and brought it home, we were thrilled! I got Cantonese noodles; he got beef udon. Both were delicious. We also got crispy chicken wings and spring rolls. They were the best we've ever had! Best of all, we had enough for leftovers (which I expect with Asian takeout) and our bill was only about $30! Even with the wait and the crowd, we will DEFINITELY be back :) read more

Dishes are not only Chinese. There are Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodian. The owners are Cambodian. Seafood tom yum is good so is the Mongolian beef. Given the thick crowd that comes I would believe this is already one of the best restaurants in providence. read more

2 3/4. Went last night. I guess I was expecting something special from the Yelp reviews and I ignored those just dieing over NIME CHOW. Be real. You don't die for lettuce and mint wrapped in rice paper. This should have been a hint. This is a friendly neighborhood place who's big attraction is BYOB. The food is ok overall but not 5 yelp stars by any means. The service was friendly but our dishes including Tom Yum soup were not hot. The shrimp in our dishes could have been canned. Tiny and no taste. The imitation seafood is just that, imitation. I somewhat agree with Ricardo M. but not in such an angry way. I do feel somewhat sorry for the restaurant who tried desperately to hold a reservation for 14 during their busiest time just to have the party cancel. What? A reservation on Saturday night for 14 cancel just when they were supposed to be seated. What's up with that? Taking reservaitions in this place is a mistake. It's too small. They shouldn't do it. Anyway, to boil it all down, 2 3/4 stars, BYOB, huge menu, ok dishes, very loud, good prices and a safe place to eat. Funny, I had a slight headache after dinner and kinda thirsty. MSG????? Maybe not. read more

I pick up carry-out from here about once per week. We always get fried rice with tofu & veggies, and an order of Pad Thai with tofu and veggies. They claim that the Pad Thai has no fish sauce, so I continue to trust them. The place is nuts on Friday and dinnertime. Don't believe them when they tell you 20 minutes- go in 40 to be safe. These two dishes cost a total of $13, and we have never been able to eat it all. Awesome food. I like hot sauce but the red sauce they give you will hurt. I also like this one a lot better than the one downtown. read more

There. Are. No. Words. This is the hands-down best Asian restaurant I have ever been to in my 31 years. Living down the street, we go *at least* once a week. It is often as cheap as cooking at home (cheaper if you get soup). We keep a menu at home and mark off the dishes we've eaten with the goal of working through the entire menu. Yes, I need to accept it, I am addicted to Apsara Palace. Highlights: DRUNKEN NOODLES with tofu & veg (on the specials board), scallion pancakes, any and all chicken wings (especially lemongrass. 50% the price of the wings place down the street), green curry soup (OMG), cambodian rice noodle soup (light & fresh. perfect for when you're sick), stir fried udon noodle. BYOB! read more

I admit it - I'm one of those people who see Pad Thai on a menu at a Thai/pan-Asian restaurant and keep ordering it regardless of all the other tasty sounding things on there. I don't think that's a mistake though... if I didn't believe it were good, I wouldn't keep ordering it from here. I can't say it's the best (since I've never personally done a legitimate "best of" taste test of places), but it cures my craving for it. I did try the Bangkok Crispy Noodles once, and was pleasantly surprised with it. As for appetizers, I am obsessed with the lort, and can find nothing wrong with any of their nime chows. Sometimes I do wish that they would have more seating, but in the end I don't really mind about that... everyone there is there for the same reason - because they know that Aspara Palace is the bomb. read more

This place is always busy and I always take that as a good sign. Shanghai Crispy Noodle: Excellent Appetizers (scallion pancake,wanton): Excellent Pineapple Fried Rice: Good They don't do Thai food very well but Vietnamese food such as pho is their speciality. read more

I used to like it, I probably still does. But the last take out experience is not that great. I have tried various things in there, my fav is the satay udon noodles, spicy sweet. After the first time when I found out it is too spciy for me, I asked them to make it less spicy all the time. However, it never happens. I also asked them to not put in the fake crab meat when I have the seafood undo, it didn't happen either. I still love it, I just hope that what they say okay to will actually happen. Also, have their noodles or duck. read more

Good Food. Fantastic, Large portions, Tiny prices, and fast service. There Pad Thai and Nime Chow are some of the best I have had in the state. I go here at least once a week since i discovered it. Do not miss out. However, if you go at the wrong times it will be very packed and you may have to wait a little. But it will be worth it. If you are hungry and your wallet is feeling a bit light this is the perfect spot to go to have a good filling meal. read more

They are great at what they do, cheap Asian food. They cover a large portion of Asian cuisines and they do it pretty well. The scallion pancakes were out of this world. The pad thai was great, but I'm glad I paid under $10 for it. The peanut sauce is pretty good too, but nothing that sets them apart. Also, take note that it is BYOB. But their green tea is delicious enough to satisfy my thirst needs. read more

Let me just say I love this place and I always go. That being said, did they change the menu or ordering process? I got Generals Chicken to go and it did not come with rice, which is usually does, without an extra chare. And I think they raised their prices because this order was over $8 and that was without the rice. Am I wrong here, or did something change? read more

Quite surprised apsara does not have 5 stars! Here you go....you deserve it. Love the pad Thai and the various spring rolls. My friends love the bib bong (sp?) and swear by it. Going back as soon as I have a chance. read more

Pros: Cheap, authentic, delicious Asian food Cons: Confusing menu, outdated decor, location I'm going to be blunt and straight to the point: I love this place. The restaurant is located in what appears to have once been a family home. While the outside of the building could certainly use a little help, there's nothing so offensive that I would think twice about bringing my friends here. As far as the actual location goes, it's dangerous enough that I feel edgy being there, yet safe enough that I don't worry about returning to a broken car window. Inside, the decor is kind of typical of an Asian restaurant, maybe boarding on tacky, but it all adds to the charm and feeling of the place. The table cloths are paper, so you always get a clean table, and the inside generally feels like it could be a living room. As bad as the decor could ever be, the food makes up for it. In fact, the food makes up for everything that could possibly be wrong with this place. For a little fun fact, the restaurant was originally run by two Cambodian immigrants, so a lot of the Cambodian food is pretty authentic. While I know next to nothing about *real* Asian food, you'll hear at least a few different Asian dialects during diner service, so I think that it's pretty accurate. The food itself is cheap and you get a lot of it. The actual Asian dishes are authentic, and the Americanized Chinese food is really, really good. I have never had a bad dish from Apsara Palace, and I eat here a lot. Service is pretty good. The wait staff is friendly, and the kitchen gets food out really quick. The menu is massive, and I personally cannot pronounce half the stuff on it, but the waiters/waitresses have no problem figuring out what you're trying to say. Big as the menu is, though, it can be intimidating if you don't know what you're talking about. Most of the dishes have little to no explanation, so you almost have to come in knowing what you want or it will take you a really long time to order and you'll be really confused. That being said, I always encourage my friends to try something new since everything here is delicious, and it's always fun to move away from General Tao's chicken and fried rice. Personally, I recommend the Pad Thai and the iced tea. read more

The food was really good and came out quickly! However, the service was terrible! We had to ask 2 times and waited 30+ minutes for refills of water. 15 minutes after we finished eating the waitress asked us if we wanted boxes for your leftovers.... 20 minutes later still no boxes, had to ask a second time. The restaurant was also extremely hot. read more

This is my favorite way to eat Americanized Chinese food: sharing 5-6 dishes with beer you brought from home. We've gotten takeout from here, but I recommend eating in. I highly recommend the drunken noodles, or anything with shrimp. I'm not usually a huge shrimp fan but this place does it well. Service is polite but short, so if you're sensitive to wait staff that won't chat with you keep that in mind. read more

Awesome food. Best nime chow ever! Crab rangoons were delicious. Got sesame chicken & general tso also really good. Lemongrass stir fry with shrimp was full of flavor & fresh veggies. Prices are very reasonable. My new go to place for Chinese & more. read more

Alright, I'm revising my review because even though the food is a bit inconsistent, there are definitely enough truly delicious items to make me go back again and again. Hot and sour soup - fantastic and unbelievably cheap. Red curry, drunken noodles, strange flavor anything...all great. The atmosphere is pretty blah, but the staff is friendly and who doesn't love BYOB? If your expectations are for a totally adequate night out, then you'll be happy...if you are expecting much more you'll be disappointed. I think that's where the huge discrepancy in the reviews here comes from. read more

Decided to check this place out tonight. I ordered vegetable fried rice, girlfriend got Vietnamese bee boong with tofu, crab rangoon, and an iced tea. My fried rice was ok. Nothing special or fancy about it. I'd rate it 3/5 stars. Not enough vegetables. At least it wasn't very greasy or salty. GF says her bee boong was 4/5 stars and the Thai iced tea 5/5 stars. We both agree the crab rangoon was AWFUL. It was very soggy and wet feeling and loaded with so much cream cheese you couldn't taste the crab. We did takeout on a Friday night (bad idea!). The place was packed inside, every single table. There was a huge line to pickup takeout orders. I literally waited in line for 7 1/2 minutes before I could pay for the food. At least the food is mad cheap here, our dinner came to $19.98 and we have leftovers. Overall I'd try this place one more time. I'd order something different than fried rice to see if the quality is different. If it was average like the rice was I wouldn't go back. One good thing about this place? It seems like the hottest Asian girls from Providence fall on this place in one swoop. The place was packed with the sexiest most done up Asians (my favorite!). If you want to go just to get a glimpse, well, be my guest ;) read more

I went here with my friends and I loved the food. we each tried a little of what everyone got and honestly everything was full of flavor and very filling. The place was very welcoming and there's plenty room in the booths (I was there with 3 other grown men). I was a little worried when I ordered my Fried Garlic Noodles w/ Shrimp since I didn't want to be overwhelmed with the Garlic flavor but this was not the case. It had just the right amount and it was so good I didn't want to leave my seat until I was done. I really liked how they gave us tea alongside our waters it was definitely something that I really liked since I'm so used to getting bread it was a refreshing change to the norm of other restaurants. read more

They have a lengthy menu with lots options, including Chinese, Thai, and Cambodian dishes. The food is ok, but it may vary based on what you order. I have tried the Beebong, but the noodles and sauce aren't quite right. The Pad See Ew is also off. The Thai Pineapple Fried Rice (with tofu) is tasty, though a bit salty for me. It's convenient, the portions are huge, and the food is always ready quickly - perhaps I will need to try a traditional Cambodian dish next time. read more

The food is so great. The service is lackluster. I watched six employees under 30 hang out at the front table talking about their weekend plans and eat ruffles chips...I guess they don't have a break room? And I can't stand millennial talk in the workplace. You are in a professional setting. Speak professionally. But when my waitress was at the table, she was very friendly and personable. I had the nime chow and the eggplant satay sauce. Just...so great. Water and tea come to the table first and there are delicious sauces that stay on the table. I ate alone, but the best situation would be to bring a group of adventurous eaters and get a bunch of stuff to share. It's "family style" and really meant to be shared. Also, they are not shy about the spice. Leave the people who don't like strong flavors and spicy kicks at home. If the employees were more professional, I'd definitely give them 5 stars...but no luck today. read more

The fun/delish to cost ratio is excellent with this restaurant. I love the nime chow, the veggie roll things, the meat on a stick... The only thing that wasn't great was the pork bun. Lots of bun. Not enough pork. I also like the Thai iced tea. It's wicked orange. I don't even want these guys to have delivery. They're doing their best with the astonishing number of patrons they get on fri/sat nights. But I do wish they'd get online ordering. It would make everything easier. Okay. I've got to go get my food. read more

Good. The nime chow was my favorite it's essentially a summer roll with elevated peanut dipping sauce yum. I ordered the bee bong noodles after reading all the good reviews but found them to be bland. It was essentially rice noodles (which were a bit mushy) with your choice of protein and a dollop of coconut cream. The lunch specials were a great price so I ordered one to take home for dinner but they gave me the wrong thing. I asked for tofu in black bean sauce with white rice and ended up with tofu green curry with fried rice grrrrr. It's not the best thai food I've had in my life but it's likely the best in the area. I've heard the other location is better read more

They honestly could charge so much for their food because it's great quality. We're so lucky we found this place, it is the best asian food I have ever had (and I have eaten a LOT). Amazing lo mein, really friendly service and chill vibe. I love it. read more

So good! And affordable, too. We ordered way too much food, and were glad because it was all delicious! I will definitely remember this gem! read more

This byob restaurant is one of the best in providence. Huge portions, tons of selection, and super fast service. Do not be turned away by how crowded it gets on Friday and Saturday nights, they move very quickly. I highly recommend this place. read more

Still great as ever! My family and I came here religiously until they changed owners. With the rumors that the food and service had gone down hill we decided to not go here anymore. Surprisingly this place is a good as it ever was and service was outstanding! Returning soon read more