OK, I MUST get on my blowhorn here about this great dim sum gem…read more I seriously do not know how this restaurant is not crowded on weekends, but it absolutely DESERVES TO BE. When you look up "underrated" and "under the radar" in the dictionary, a picture of China Chef should be plastered front and center because this is a hidden gem of a dim sum restaurant. Finding good dim sum in Northern NJ is as difficult as finding a needle in a stack of needles. It's almost impossible. There are a few dim sum restaurants in the area, but I can count each and every one of them on my hand. In Central NJ, there are a few more options, but that's the length of the list. It's quite a sad state of dim sum restaurants or lack thereof in NJ. When I found China Chef on Yelp, I was as skeptical as many of the other reviewers. It was the same recurring theme - outdated, not busy, mom and pop ownership. When most people see "not busy", they move on. However, when I read a bit more, I saw that some customers said the food taste better than the place looks and it was actually very good. ENOUGH SAID, we were definitely going to give them a shot. We dropped in a quiet, drizzly, unassuming Saturday morning at 11am sharp, when they opened for business. As some past reviews said, the restaurant was indeed a bit drab and outdated. From the decor, this was not going to be mistaken for a Michelin star dim sum establishment. However, I was undeterred from the shabby internal dwellings and marched forward. We were quickly seated in the modest dining area and we were off to the races... We had our dim sum marker card on the table, but where were the carts? About 5 minutes after we situated ourselves - VIOLA - the ONE and ONLY cart made its long-awaited appearance. The cart actually circled around the restaurant to our table and we were served first! The woman manning the cart actually told some customers that we were first, hence why we got first dibs - sweeeeeeet. I had never seen a single cart system before used in a dim sum restaurant, but it ABSOLUTELY worked here. The single cart had a hodgepodge of dim sum favorites and, if they didn't have it on hand at that moment, they could easily make to order for you in the back. They...had...absolutely...everything! You would have never expected that this mom and pop operation had most, if not all, of the common dim sum dishes, but they did: Beef rice noodle rolls, shrimp rice noodle rolls, cruller stuffed rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), pork dumplings (siu mai), chive/leek dumplings, black bean sauce chicken feet, sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed beef meatballs, deep fried shrimp balls, shrimp stuffed eggplant, egg tarts and, even, coconut pudding/jell-o! There was actually even more that we didn't order. In addition, they had kitchen items that you could order as well, like, pan fried noodles, chow funs, rice dishes. OK, so it's great that they had such great variety, but how was the flavor of the food? EXCELLENT. In all honesty, everything was authentically delicious. I couldn't have been more satisfied with how good everything tasted. I wouldn't say my expectations were low, but the variety and taste of everything surprised me. I thought it was going to be OK, but it blew me away. Sadly, at the height of our meal, there were only about 6-7 tables occupied and many, many more that were not. The restaurant seemed to be clearly run by an elderly couple - both of whom took turns pushing the cart and cleaning the tables. There was literally no one else working the dining area. I love when I find quiet, hidden gems because I can always go back to it without it being crowded like a Friday night at the club, but this establishment deserves more business - the woman manning the cart was so friendly to us and asked us where we were from. She also kept thanking us back for the business when we thanked her (in Cantonese) for the dishes. And, of course, the dim sum - amazingly authentic and as good as it gets anywhere. If you're looking for dim sum in Northern NJ and haven't been, GO, GO, GO! Support the heck out of this local, mom and pop business because they deserve it!

I rounded up but I think this place deserves more kudos than it gets…read more We came here for dim sum first thing when they opened on a weekend. Surprised it was completely empty....why?? Since we were here first thing, everything was got was so fresh. Even though we were the only people in the restaurant, they still came out with the cart which was fun. We got all our usual dishes - char sui buns, shu mai, har gow, pheonix feet, pork pastry pie, turnip cake, ribs, etc. Everything was ON POINT and delicious. I was not disappointed at any of the items. Everything was so fresh!!! Again, we were the only ones so there was no wait whenever we ordered something. The Pork Pastry Pie was To Die For. Like, we actually ordered 4 orders of them - we just kept eating them. Sooooo buttery and flaky and full of flavor. Man, they did not skimp on flavor here. My family and I were thrilled we found this place. Definitely will come back again! Pricing was so reasonable too! Large parking lot. No idea why this place was empty when we got here. But it's fine, I'll take all the food for myself! (Yes it's a little run down on the inside but hey, the food speaks for itself here.)

This is the only dim sum restaurant that offers dim sum and a full menu in fort lee…read more Hourly Parking is available on the street so it's recommended you park in a lot for dining here. Waiters were quick to seat us and offer hot tea. We arrived at noon for dim sum on a Friday and they had the push carts circling the dining room. But it was very slow to arrive at our table that we had no choice but to order food off the menu even though we requested the dim sum cart after receiving the tea. Food was hot and tasted good. Kids wanted rice rolls which were not on the cart so we had to order from the kitchen which mean it came out after a bit more waiting. If you're looking to satisfy your dim sum craving this place is great. They also have large tables for big groups. And they take reservations.

We went here for take out and to my surprise, we are very happy, Very polite staff, clean,…read moreefficient and clean. They also will not except tips and this is their policy, so refreshing and positive. Keep this place around. The Dim Sum is great, we had leftovers and the soup dumpliings are as good as they were last night. The sesame balls are crispy and very soft. 10 out of 10 for us, i have no choice, but to put this the weekly rotation.

I always enjoy dining here. The food is excellent, the atmosphere is cozy, welcoming and pleasant…read moreand the servers were very attentive, kind and provided excellent recommendations. The food is always well-prepared and tastes very good. The Honey Grilled Pork Ribs were very juicy and tender. Old Shanghai Soup Dumpling is my list of places that I plan on frequent to visiting because it's that good. :)

We visited on October 28th to celebrate my husband's birthday. We absolutely love this place --…read moreit's about an hour away, so we don't get to go often, but every visit feels like a special treat. Staff is friendly and the food is delicious

My first time trying this place and I visited on my birthday! The people I went with definitely…read morehelped the experience feel 5 star but the restaurant itself was just okay. The food wasn't bad, actually quite tasty but I guess my taste buds are used to the more unhealthy, "fake" American Chinese food. Moreover, the server was nice but it was evident her English was a bit lacking so when I asked for a lychee martini, she kept pointing to martini but didn't know what I meant by lychee (so I went for a cosmo instead no biggie). The food came out pretty fast once ordered but any questions we had about the dishes were answered rather ambiguously and when we wanted some chili oil/more napkins we had to kind of hunt the server down. And it was weird because the restaurant really wasn't that busy on a Sunday afternoon. So, overall I still enjoyed my birthday (would've been nice to kinda get called on it especially since the server "checked" my ID but again maybe she didn't really look at it), and I don't think I'd rush to try this restaurant again. However, it's still worth at least a first try! The soup was my favorite dish, very herbal flavors. Heavy on lemongrass so if you're expecting something a bit less fragrant like pho or ramen you probably wouldn't like the soup here.

The experience pretty much matched its current rating. I saw the 3.6 beforehand and was hoping it…read morewould be better, but it delivered exactly what you'd expect from that score. The food was mediocre. Service was okay--polite but flat and not very attentive. Overall, it's not somewhere I'd go back to

We're often on Main St grabbing dinner at Azuma, but this is the first time we got dim sum at…read moreAquarius. They open at 11, and if you get there right when they open, you won't have to wait. If you get at 11:15, it's likely an 1hr + wait. We were seated at a large shared table. The carts came out quickly, all serving fresh, hot dim sum. Almost everything was delicious. We got hargow, shumai, leek dumplings, shrimp with bacon, rice rolls with fried dough (you have to order these, they don't come around), the char sui soh were excellent, this is a must order. Get here at opening so you don't have to wait! A great place to enjoy fresh dim sum.

Schlepped out here for a part road trip, part food adventure experience. Wish I could say the…read moremileage was worth it, but it kinda wasn't. Then again, I'm from Toronto, where our dim sum is good enough to make the gods cry. We got all the usual suspects, and the best of the batch was probably the Tripe, Chicken Feet, Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce and Rice Rolls / Cheong Fan. The rest were bland and forgettable. And don't expect fun, unusual or creative dishes--they colored firmly within the lines here. +1 for giant bowls of tofu dessert soup--one bowl is enough to feed at least three people.

Food is very good. My waiter Andy was awesome, great service…read more The dumplings are awesome must try

Soup Dumplings Plus has some of the best soup dumplings in Jersey. They are packed with flavor,…read moreperfectly juicy, and honestly hard to stop eating. I have easily finished two trays myself in one sitting. The fried rice dishes are a nice surprise too. They are not greasy and not overly salty, which I really appreciate. The hot and sour soup is on point and rounds out the meal perfectly. Service is quick, with most dishes coming out within 5 to 10 minutes, making it a great spot when you want something fast and satisfying. Just be warned, it is very easy to overdo it here.

we had the lobster noodles which was spot on Cantonese style…read more The waiter was so nice and showed us the fresh lobster we were about to eat. My son was so excited and it tasted so good. Yay every last noodle and made a mess of his hands. "here's his review: I have never tasted such good lobster noodles! The people were so nice and even showed us the lobster that we were going to eat along with a picture of us holding it! At first the room looked a bit small but the second I looked around I found I was wrong, the room was huge, homey, and clean!"

Very authentic and delicious food. The soup dumplings were delicious and the broth was so…read moreflavorful! They were generously filled with filling as well. I also really enjoyed the chicken fried rice. Very flavorful and had a lot of chicken and rice in it. The Mongolian beef was spicy but still good if you can handle heat. The shrimp dumplings were phenomenal!!! The service was terrible. No friendly employees! 4 stars for the food. 2 for the service. Located on Restaurant Row which is a fun street!

TLDR: It's a Chinese restaurant that you can trust. The english menu won't tell you everything they…read moremake, and you will be rewarded by knowing certain foods in Chinese. Tofu and Fish hotpot: Fried white fish, fried tofu, string beans, bell peppers in a sauce that is probably reduced chicken stock. I'm biased since it's one of my favorite chinese dishes. I don't know when this specific dish is amazing, but I can tell you when it's bad. Green Lake's version is anything but bad. Shrimp Stuffed Tofu: We were given a sample since they were trying something new. The sauce is similar to the tofu hotpot but has a porkier feel because of the ground pork within the dish. The tofu is the same, but the way they fried it is different, so it took a step up. The shrimp was fine, and I think they should have this on their menu. Whole Fried Chicken: It's fine. Didn't love it. There's no batter to speak of at all, and you're reliant on the spicy sauce and ginger sauce provided. Stir Fried French Beans w/ Salted Fish: Crunchy French Beans, and very salty salted fish. Not my favorite, but it keeps things different. Hot prawn salad with broccoli: The broccoli was just boiled. Nothing to talk about. The pawn was fried and bathed in mayonnaise. What's not to like? Pork Chop: This is another Chinese restaurant staple. 85% of the chinese porkchops that you eat will taste the same. This one is no different. Hokkien Fried Rice: My chinese restaurant guilty pleasure. How else can you get a shrimp fried rice bathed in an umami sauce? The restaurant did a really good job with this and I'm glad that I asked if they had it (in chinese). Service: It was a slow night, so we had all the attention that our table needed. Ambiance: The location is big and can support small families to larger gatherings. They have a private area that fits 30+ people, so they look like the go-to spot for parties.

Went for Dim Sum on Christmas Day. Luckily we had a reservation since the restaurant was packed and…read morethere were lots of big families waiting. This is authentic Dim Sum. They roll the carts through the restaurant offering lots of dumplings, soups, noodle dishes and more. We loved everything except the Turnip Cake was way too salty. Someone dumped salt or too much soy sauce onto this dish. Also we were offered vegetarian dumplings that had some greens in it, but was mostly pork. Be sure to ask about the ingredients if you don't want pork or meat in a dish. We've been here before and all other dishes were great...Chinese broccoli sautéed, dumplings with shrimp, eggplant with shrimp, sautéed wide noodles with some veggies, soup dumplings, etc. finally tried the mango dessert. It was yummy.

I thought this restaurant had permanently closed down and I was so sad because we loved ordering…read morefrom them. It appears that they recently re-opened, possibly under new management. I'm happy to report that the food is still as good as ever. I did a happy dance when I found them on GrubHub. We ordered the salt and pepper chicken. I'd previously tried it before but only the chil version which is INCREDIBLY hot (but delicious). I called them today and they confirmed they were able to prepare it not spicy. Total game changer! I was able to eat the chicken without a problem. It was as delightful as I remember minus the heat. Notes of cinnamon in it with perfect blend of self and pepper. And so crispy! I will be ordering from here again soon. So glad they're back!

My yet additional review of Shanghai I felt was needed to ensure all fans are aware of one…read morething....SHANGHAI (and its proprietor Simon) IS BACK!!! The original menu is fully in tact, as good as ever, but with the welcome addition of hot-pot dinning. Choices of ingredients are beautifully curated in the most appealing DIY fashion, for each diner to select and determine the amount of greens, protein and such that is desired as well as what type broth is of interest. This dining style allows one to 'check many boxes' of individual preferences or avoidances. To my knowledge, no other Asian restaurant in the area is offering hot-pot dining in this way. Anyway, hope this post helps to straighten out any confusion of Shanghai's status.

Some of the most delicious food I've eaten out in a resturant. In my opinion the best soy garlic…read morechicken and sesame chicken ever tasted. The meal started off with pan fried dumplings and vegetable spring rolls which were fantastic. Note to mention the was on point. Service was prompt, friendly and polite. Some good 80/90s tunes playing in the background made the lunch date feel like we were living back in the prime days of going out and about. Definitely on my return to soon list.

Everything was great. I love thier on line menu. It makes it so easy to order. The place was so…read moreclean, I did not think they were even open. I highly recommend.