Hot Wok Express

Love visiting the food is delicious!!! I can't believe it took me so long to get it since living…read morehere. Will be back again and again!

Ordered carry out online for dinner on a Wednesday night…read more Pan fried dumplings rating 5 Egg roll rating 4 Sesame chicken with steamed rice. Rating 3.5. The chicken is white meat lightly breaded.. The chicken was just very dry. The sauce has a good flavor. A few broccoli pieces are served with the dish. Steamed rice was good. Orange chicken with fried rice. Rating 3. Spicy. The restaurant offered to remake the dish because I asked for less spicy but I was in a hurry. Breaded Chicken was white meat and dry. A few broccoli pieces came with this dish. Fried rice is bland and lacks flavor. The breaded chicken dishes could easily be a solid 4 if cooked properly. The sauces for the dishes here are good. We will be back for pan fried dumplings.

Dining area

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C12. Sichuan Style Braised Sliced Beef Brown Sauce Belt Fish

First Wok

3.6(71 reviews)

2.3 mi

I've eaten here for many years, and it's always been a consistent value for good Chinese comfort…read morefood. There are other places in town that I go for the unusual or gourmet Chinese meal, but I always return here. You can eat in, but most people go with pickup or delivery, both of which are lightning-fast. Website ordering is easy (though I wish they had black pepper beef available online order --I've only gotten it in person). Don't skip the appetizers. One of my favorites is their chicken wings -- huge, crispy, and juicy -- nothing fancy in terms of spice or seasoning, but very satisfying. Egg rolls are small and tasty. The house special fried rice is quite good. And as far as the entrees? They have all the standards, and they're all good. First Wok has also saved me when I was sick -- their chicken noodle and chicken rice soups are huge, delicious, and comforting. And you can have it delivered!

I've been searching for a decent Chinese restaurant in the BloNo area and finally found one!…read moreRestaurant was clean and workers were friendly. Crab rangoon and egg rolls were delicious. Fried rice, lo mein, and the egg drop soup were flavorful and tasty. Food was nice and hot upon pickup. First Wok is definitely my new go-to Chinese takeout spot!

House Lo Mein

L3. General Tso's Chicken

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Crab Rangoon

China Star

3.7(58 reviews)

0.7 mi

Great place! Great service great food! got the egg and shrimp fried rices and we loved them!!!!!…read moreSuch a nice experience and will definitely order from here again. yummmyyy!

I stopped in and ordered my usual steamed vegetables and tofu, which can be hard to find on the…read moreroad, so I was really glad they offer something simple and healthy. The vegetables were fresh, the tofu had great flavor, and the food came out fast. The owner, Tony, is very kind and clearly cares a lot about his restaurant. He made sure everything was right and was welcoming from the moment I walked in. The ambience is straightforward but clean, which I appreciate. It feels like a reliable spot where you can get a good meal without any stress. I would definitely come back the next time I am in the area.

A green pepper that still has the label on it

C2. Orange Chicken

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Steamed vegetables with tofu

Chi Restaurant & Bar

3.6(37 reviews)

2.8 mi

Chi in Lincoln has been a long time fav. We forget about Chi in Bloomington. It was a great treat…read moretonight!! Delicious food. Great service - even though they were busy. There was live music - it was a little loud but enjoyed the music.

I retract my previous rating. I ate in and it was much better. And you can't beat the lunch box for…read more$10. I got beef and broccoli with white rice and a spring roll. Can't really beat that.

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Grand Cafe

3.0(190 reviews)

0.8 mi

Every time we eat here it's to die for!! Ate here 2 weeks ago in end of May. Great egg rolls best…read moreanywhere! Orange chicken best sauce crab Rangoon perfect! Chicken lo mein delicious great waitresses every time we go. Wait time for food quicker then quick!! The amount of food is excellent also always have another meal from it at home. One of our favorite Chinese restaurants ! We love this place!! Lynne

Came here with my brother who loves Filipino food. My first time trying the cuisine. I got the…read morechicken adobo which came with fried rice and it was a good sized portion. The chicken was really tender and the broth was very flavorful. The entrance was a little tricky as there are two separate spaces. The front door is actually the take out area but the dine in restaurant entrance was on the side. Don't let the simple exterior and the fact that it's in a strip mall fool you, the dining space was actually really nice inside.

At the bar!

Happy Family

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Signage

Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant

4.0(35 reviews)

2.2 mi

Basic but affordable place in Bloomington for Chinese. Golden Dragon also happens to be one of the…read morefew okay Chinese places around here. It has some pretty good lunch specials. Hours can be kind of weird so maybe call ahead to make sure it's open before going. They have the basics including some options for vegetarians. At lunch we came here. It was mostly empty except for a few customers getting pickup. That wasn't a good sign. It turned out better than expected. We got the Tofu Vegetable. It's about $7 at lunch. This is as it says: tofu and vegetables. Basic even with its name. This actually had decent flavor, and it was big enough to share. Had typical vegetables in it like broccoli. The tofu was too soft for my liking but okay. Got to be one of the best options in town for Chinese. It also has delivery or there's plenty of room for dine in. They close Sundays.

The food was cold. The employees did not inform me the menu was different during the week. I was…read morevery disappointed and won't go back to eat there.

Ma Po Tofu, get it spicy! Pork, tofu, mushrooms in a spicy sauce, delicious.

Fried Cantonese noodles with everything!

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Dining room

China Star

3.3(72 reviews)

4.2 mi

Pleasantly surprised! We usually go to another Chinese restaurant, but happened upon China Star…read moresince they are open on Mondays. Had beef and broccoli, hunan beef and General Tso's chicken. All were excellent! The crab rangoon and eggrolls were also very good. We will be back.

The food use to be good. I order egg food Yung. The gravy was like corn with oil paddies were…read moreburned . Dumplings was cooked thru. No ill pass

Teriyaki Chicken (large)

Front

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General Tso's Chicken lunch special from China Star in Normal, IL.

Ching's

3.6(56 reviews)

3.7 mi

Ching's is always my go-to when I want classic takeout Chinese in Normal - try ordering it for…read morelunch, their lunch deal is an insane bargain! All the standards are here - beef chop suey, general's chicken, crab rangoon. The kung pao chicken stands out as great, with the right amount of spice and nuts in it. You can see can see back into the kitchen, and I saw two chefs working on disk-sled sized woks. Man! That's got to be the hardest job on earth. Kudos to the chefs at Ching's for doing a great job :D

Bought something from this Chinese restaurant in Normal as carryout. Ching's is pretty much a basic…read moreplace to get Americanized Chinese food. It has a counter to order at and a few tables. From the looks of things, most people don't want to stick around. They get it to go, and get out. About the most basic looking Chinese restaurant there is to be honest. It's sparsely decorated and has a generally boring atmosphere inside. This is located in a boring strip mall next to a gaming lounge. Go inside and order at the counter. It's about $12 for an entree. We got Szechuan Fried Tofu With Vegetable. A generous portion came in the container. The tofu was kind of chewy and overcooked. Had a pretty good spice to it. This came with cabbage, mushrooms, and pea pods. For sure if not minding the atmosphere it's a pretty okay place for cheap food. It's located on Main Street in a crappy looking plaza. There's a few things made with tofu okay for vegetarians.

The chicken was white and slimy.

Sesame chicken egg roll & crab Rangoon

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Sign out front

Great Wall

2.7(70 reviews)

1.9 mi

I ordered the moo pan and Jeff had the chicken and shrimp. Both of us had the shrimp fried rice. It…read morewas delicious delicious! Definitely hitting the spot again! I struggle with some places and how overcooked the rice could be but this spot did it perfect!

I ordered Szechuan chicken (which is supposed to be spicy) and it was so sweet I couldn't eat it…read more Absolutely would not recommend.

Chicken Chow Fun! I love big fat white gluten free noodle, they made it to a perfection.

Won Ton Soup

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General Tso Chicken

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9 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Jack C.

13 years ago

One day I went to cubs foods and bought groceries. When I was driving off I noticed this Chinese fast food place. So of course I decided I would try it. The lady in there was very nice and was in a very joyful mood. I don't really ever have Chinese food so I just went with something I knew was good. I got 2 large general tsos chicken with pork fried rice no vegatables. I was surprised how cheap it was for THAT much food. I swear it could last me for 2 days. To top that off the lady asked if I like crab Rangoon. I said I never tried it. So she said shed give me an order for free. I was really suprised they give me an order of crab Rangoon (6 pieces-$5.98) for free. When I got home everything was delicious. The crab Rangoon was the best part. They were big and had tons of filling in it!( the fillings my favorite part). She also told me that they only use honey in the crab rangoons. Now every time I'm done grocery shopping I come to this place. They even memorized what I order! They say they have been in business for 22 years. I can't believe I haven't noticed this place earlier. This place deserves a 5 star! read more

Kelly S.

13 years ago

One day I was feeling really lazy so I decided to flip through the phone book to Order food instead of cook. I flipped to the food part of the phone book and it flipped right to hot wok (probably because it was made of poster board or something). The menu was huge and there were so many options. I decided to try out Mongolian beef because I've heard it was super good. So I ordered 3 large orders of Mongolian beef ( I have a big family). The person on the phone than asked if I would rather have a free 2 liter or a order of crab Rangoon. I went with the crab rangoon because I've never tried them but also heard they were great. The delivery was fast the fact that I am really far away and the food was amazing! The Mongolian beef had just the right amount of onions it was fantastic. The crab Rangoon were great too! This place is awesome I am sure to order from here again! read more

Melissa S.

13 years ago

I don't know why there are so many negative reviews. I've literally been going there for years and they know exactly what I want to order as I walk through the door. I'm not sure if they changed cooks though. A couple of times I've been there the food was a little different. Either way, from the point I park, to the point I'm walking out the door, it takes about approximately 10 minutes. Definitely a quick fix. read more

marissa s.

18 years ago

omg! i wat at hot wok all the time and their food is absolutely amazing... sooo.. much betr than places like yen ching and china star where the food is unbelievably nasty... plus how the hell would u guys kno wat their food tasted like if u didnt liv in Bloomington?? NOT EVEN ILLINOIS!! read more

Arturo G.

4 years ago

I have ordered from this establishment since 2007. Food was always good and delivered quickly. Tonight I ordered some food and was told I could not order it as a meal. Went back to see the menu, realized I could have and saved a lot of money. Why? I e I'll NEVER ORDER FROM YOU AGAIN read more

Anthony F.

11 years ago

i ordered from them lastnight 6/8/14 and this morning i woke up puking and shixxxx all day i usually pick this place but now my love for chinese food is zero never ordering from here again and i also want a refund goodluck getting that read more

Greg F.

175

8 years ago

Great food. We love having family dinners here. Definitely try to make it every month.

Carl Y.

13 years ago

Good food, friendly service and have they have some vegetarian dishes

Amanda R.

15 years ago

love the orange flavored chicken!!! yum.

Hot Wok Express - chinese - Updated October 2026

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Great place! Great service great food! got the egg and shrimp fried rices and we loved them!!!!!…read moreSuch a nice experience and will definitely order from here again. yummmyyy!

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3.3

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The food use to be good. I order egg food Yung. The gravy was like corn with oil paddies were…read moreburned . Dumplings was cooked thru. No ill pass

China Dragon

4.0

(35 reviews)

We ordered carry out for dinner on Easter…read more We ordered the sesame chicken combination plate with white rice and the cashew chicken combination plate with pork fried rice. The sesame chicken had a good sauce and a few tender broccoli. The chicken was not edible. The chicken was actually just breading with no chicken. I think the restaurant should choose a different brand or supplier for the breaded chicken in this dish. The cashew chicken was actually pretty good. The sauce had a good flavor. The portion was a good size. The pork fried rice was good. The dish had a lot of veggies and tender pieces of chicken. We would come back for the cashew chicken. Also, the egg rolls that come with each combination plate are a standard good pork egg roll.

Best fast food Chinese I have ever eaten! The service is wonderful and fast. I go there as often…read moreas I can. They are closed on Monday! Eat in or take out! Orange chicken is awesome and beats anywhere in Peoria!

Thai House

4.2

(330 reviews)

I just moved to Bloomington from Chicago and I'll be honest, the food scene has been depressing so…read moreI was SO happy when I found this place because it's amazing. I'm very picky about my Thai, especially tom yum soup, and this place nailed it. You can just tell it's good authentic Thai food. Highly recommend

I love Thai food, so when we drove past this place I decided to look at the menu. I was immediately…read moreintrigued to see the photos of the pineapple rice that were posted. I decided to place an order... such a mistake! Starting with placing the order. I inquired about what came in the rice - carrots, onion, pineapple, bell pepper, and choice of meat. I asked about green onion and I was told it was $3 up-charge-- wow, for slices of green onion vs white onion?!? Price gauging Ok whatever, I proceed with placing my order-- 40 min!! Now, I live in a busier city than this and I've been to major cities, this amount of time is a bit ridiculous. I should have just canceled then, but my sister said their food is good, so I stayed the course. Arrived to pick up my order and stood there for about 2-3 min while the man took phone orders. I get it, but at minimum acknowledge your customer. My total was $17.95 for rice... I asked for chili sauce and he said $1 for a small side, peanut sauce $5, and soy sauce $.50... these are not reasonable up charges at all! A packet of soy sauce is customary. It smells good so, let's get to the food. It's an orange-y color with pieces of pineapple and super chunks of green pepper and onion -- The flavor is ok, not impressive at all! The presentation of the rice is NOTHING like the photos. The pineapples are sweet, but I noticed a couple of bad pineapples (they were brown and soggy!). I wouldn't recommend and I probably won't come to this place again. Poor quality, poor service... I'm guessing the only thing that must be keeping this place in business is the lack of Thai options here. Shame!

Seoul Mama

4.5

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We really enjoyed our visit to Seoul Mama in Bloomington! We ordered the beef bulgogi and beef…read morebibimbap, and both were full of flavor and absolutely delicious. You can tell they put care into preparing their food. The customer service was great, and the atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming. Overall, it was a really nice dining experience. If you haven't tried Seoul Mama yet, I highly recommend giving it a try. You won't be disappointed! I forgot to take pictures

This place never lets you down. The food is always phenomenal. The service is always good, the…read morestaff seems to be very friendly and personable every time I come. Even the takeout is amazing! Sometimes takeout can be a let down in comparison to eating at the restaurant. Seoul Mama makes sure to make your dining experience great whether it's in the restaurant or at home. Pricing, ambiance, food, taste, service. All 5/5 stars on my end.

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