This restaurant has gone through different owners several times, and the menu has stayed largely the same, while the decor and the staff have been changed. I like the new lighting, it makes the restaurant much brighter and inviting, an improvement from old, dark, gloomy atmosphere the old restaurant had.
This restaurant, regardless of who the owner is, is most famous for their Yellow Eel Rice. I used to eat this for dinner every week, and while I'm no longer a fan due to an increasing dislike of the eel taste, it's pretty obvious why this is their signature dish. If you don't order anything else, you should at least try this once to see why it's their claim to fame. Even under the new owner, it is still delicious, with the perfect balance of moisture, eel to rice, and the crispy rice at the bottom is the best part. You can also get a soup with eel that comes with the dish.
I also enjoy their Tofu & Eggplant Casserole Clay Pot with Fish Fillet. This is the best dish for me, personally. I'd rather eat this that the Yellow Eel Rice. The fish fillet is seasoned perfectly, and the eggplants and tofu are so soft and sumptuous. Hands down, a go-to favorite.
The General Tso's chicken is awful and tastes almost like Sweet & Sour Pork. It shouldn't even be called General Tso's chicken because it doesn't even taste like chicken.
Their lamb chops are seasoned well and not too gamey, but the portion is rather small. It's worth getting in a dinner with family, it doesn't disappoint.
The standard vegetables, fish, seafood dishes are all rather average, like you'd get at standard Chinese restaurants. They're not top-tier, but not so awful that you couldn't finish them. However, there are definitely restaurants out there in 8th Avenue or 18th Avenue which are far superior to this one.
The pricing is expensive for what you get, because 13th Avenue has high rent prices and poor business/inflow of customers. There are more stores closed than open along the street, so the fact that this restaurant has remained open despite the challenges is something to applaud, even if it's no longer under the hands of the original owners.
I would suggest that this place is better for takeout than for dining in, because if your party is large, you'd best better go to the popular Chinese restaurants that are "name brand" to get better bang for your buck. There is a VIP area that has a karaoke station on the second floor, but I'm sure that's going to be a pricey option. read more