Really good! A business opened by the former chef from the much-loved ALA Sh-nghai in the area. It seems to be family-run by a Shanghainese family (ALA is Cantonese-owned). Although slightly pricier than comparable restaurants (very few serving similar items lol) in the area, the freshness & quality of the dishes make sense. Have had: Pork & Crab Soup Dumplings ("Sha lang bao") & Spicy Wontons are great. Honey Walnut Shrimp, Chicken Chestnut in a Pot (staff encouraged this items around the holidays instead of Chicken & Cashews - really good!), Beef with String Beans, Rice Cake with Pork & Capsella (tasty! Think chewy gnocchi tossed with a chopped leafy green. Slightly cilantro-like?), Shanghai curried vermicelli rice noodles, Lo Mein... Everything is great! Sleeper Hit is the appetizer Beef Shank in Soy Sauce ($11) - think finely shaved fall-apart roast beef with soy dipping sauce (a bit of grisle but collagen is healthy!) & House Aster Veggie Salad (not sure what this veg/herb is but it's light & fresh with bits of firm tofu). Not a huge fan of the Pan Fried Pork Bun or House Rice Shao Mai (sticky rice in a dumpling) - more carbs and little else. Dong Po Pork is a good traditional appetizer dish, but not a huge fan of eating around the pork belly fat. Note: the dumplings & wontons are best for dine-in & eaten right away. Don't let the wrappers get cold & tear! Decor is simple, clean and the restaurant staff is quick & family friendly. read more

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Stopped in as our regular spot (ala) was closed - overall the food was decent, but only one of the many dishes we ordered stood out. Also two of the staff confirmed a dish order that takes longer to make, and it never ended up coming out so we left without it. Strong start with the chilled sesame noodles. Great spring and texture on the noodle, delicious sauce. We finished this so quickly and were excited for the rest of the meal. Crispy wontons needed a huge dunk in sauce to get any flavor. Crispy pork pastry looks nothing like the picture - it was a dry pastry and the filling lacked flavor. Spicy minced pork noodle also did not look like the picture, was not spicy, flavor profile was that of lo mein but it was worse. Pea shoots were ok. Walnut shrimp was overly mayo heavy, with most of the sweetness coming from candied pecans. Dry spiced fried chicken was not crispy, but flavor was decent although it was light on sichuan peppercorn. Shanghainese dough was served warm and also lacked flavor, unlike any version of this dish I've had in the past. The dish they forgot were XLB. Unfortunately not a great experience at this price point, so would skip in the future. read more

First, let me say that 5 Stars is not adequate for the outstanding food and service we enjoyed today. This is not your average "Chinese" restaurant. The varied offerings are upscale and prepared with the necessary culinary skills in the kitchen. My daughter and I were seated at 11:45 on a Wed. Immediately, a complimentary pot of hot tea was brought to the table. We ordered: Cup Hot and Soup Soup - flavorful broth with a Unami essence Spicy Wonton Soup -- 10 delicious wontons served in a PB flavored broth and topped with sesame seeds. A small bowl of their soy sauce accompanied this. Four Seasons Dumplings -- colorful and fantastic dumplings, each with a different filling that represent the seasons. Known for their Dumplings (xiaolongbao) are highly recommended at Hu's for their tender skin and rich, savory soup. Chicken with garlic sauce with Brown Rice-- tender moist thin strips of chicken with thin strips of mushrooms and green peppers. Great flavor. Excellent! Hu's House is my grandson's favorite restaurant! He likes the Eel dish, the Sea Cucumber, and the Bullfrog. He has sophisticated tastes for a 17 yr old, but he has travelled to Thailand and Vietnam. The menu is outstanding with its colorful pics of each dish. Looking forward to returning to try the Sea Bass, a scallops dish, other seafood dishes, plus more. read more

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Overall, a solid 3... perhaps could be a 3.5, had we ordered what we originally wanted to eat. Oh well... maybe next time. Hu's House is tucked away, easy to miss their sign on the road... the restaurant looks like a 1 level home converted to a restaurant... the inside is quite small with 1 large table, and 6-8 tables for combination of 2-4. The decor is very much a blah Asian eatery with green tablecloth. You will be served hot tea, unless you ask for ice water. They have Tsing Tao - which was nice. We like that beer. Smoother than other ones. Since they are listed as Shanghainese restaurant, we had to order XLB... we ordered the crab meat one, but somehow our server gave us the regular pork version. It was ok, skin was too thick and not the best version we've had. Also a must - the "san jin bao" - these were good! Perfectly seared bottom, soft doughy and moist center. Then comes the entrees - got the beef w/ string beans (pass - drown in sauce, string beans lost the crispy crunchiness); Chicken with chili pepper - NOT what I expected. In authentic Shanghainese spots - this dish should I be a dry sautéed dish with shredded green chili pepper... this was like a sesame chicken with black pepper. It was a giant YAWN. Redeeming dishes - salt & pepper pork chop (lightly battered, good flavor) and the Young Chau Chow Fun (very standard Asian fried rice). If we ever return, would swap for the eggplant in garlic sauce, the bok choy, salted egg yolk shrimp and maybe try the rice cake. Let my disappointment be your inspiration! read more

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This restaurant is truly a hole in the wall and it was so good! We had an extended delayed flight which led us to have some extra time in Albany. After a quick search on yelp, we found this place and decided to give it a try. It is pretty small inside but we had no trouble being seated right away. All of the food was really good and sold at a great price! We ordered so much food and left nothing behind. Overall, we enjoyed our time here and would come back again. read more

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Me and fiance wanted some Chinese soup so tried this place out. Food was delicious. Fiance finished his spicy minced pork within 5 minutes. Service was good. They kept our waters and teas refilled. It is a little hole in the wall. Nothing fancy, but that's what we love. Prices also aren't crazy. Could see ourselves returning. read more

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place is great the food is phenomenal the staff are so kind and super sweet, Overall my favorite spot, amazing overall

The last time I was in Albany visiting my boyfriend (over a year ago), I told myself that we would go to Hu's House to try some Chinese food in the area. Now that I'm here in Albany again (at the time of writing this review), we were finally able to visit Hu's House last night for an earlier dinner. I tried to keep my expectations low for this place, but couldn't help myself, given all the pictures that other Yelpers have posted from Hu's House. It doesn't help, either, that back in the Bay Area, I'm surrounded by lots of delicious Chinese food options. My take from our dinner: -Crab pork soup dumpling: each order comes with 6 VERY LARGE, VERY DOUGHY soup dumplings. I was impressed by the fact that the chefs used real crab. This actually met my expectations, though I personally prefer my soup dumplings to be smaller/more bite-sized. -Aunt Song's fish soup: a variation of hot and sour soup, minus the hot. Soup was good, but I wish they added more cornstarch to thicken up the broth and used more vinegar to make it more sour. We ended up adding black vinegar that our server offered for our soup dumplings to make this taste more to our liking. -Ginger scallion clams: just OK. My boyfriend got unlucky and had a few sandy clams. This dish definitely needed more sauce, more ginger, and more scallion. -Spicy wonton: just OK. Also VERY LARGE and VERY DOUGHY. We didn't expect the chefs to add peanut to the chili oil. Not that it was bad, but we prefer just the chili oil if we order spicy wontons. Not bad for a Chinese restaurant located in Albany. It definitely does not compare to any of the Chinese restaurants back home, but if I were living in Albany, I could imagine myself coming back to Hu's House in the event i"m craving some Chinese food. read more

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Was staying at a hotel for some concerts, and had a hankering for some Chinese. Ordered through door dash for pick up. The food was cooked fresh when we got there, and the staff was friendly and took care of us right away. Let me just say, this was some of the best take out Chinese I've ever had, and I've had a lot. The pics don't do it justice cause everything is half eaten, but trust me on this - the ingredients were fresh and high end. Now, the prices reflect that, but damn. When it comes to good Chinese food, a little extra goes a long way. And this place delivers! read more

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I came in with my family for lunch and this hit the spot for Shanghainese cuisine. The restaurant is unsuspecting from the outside and the decor is a little here and there but the restaurant has been running for 9 years. They have a varied menu with different dian xing and many baos which are a favorite of mine. The soup dumplings had a thicker dough than I was used to but still delicious. I loved the peanut sauce with the wontons and they weren't that spicy either. The fried ribs were also super tasty. We also got a soup and beef with onions which were also pretty good. The service was pretty fast, it wasn't very busy but everything came out very timely. Overall I think this is a good restaurant to stop by if you're craving Chinese cuisine and don't want anything that spicy! read more

Hu's House - Spicy Wonton - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

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Finally got to try Hu's House after hearing so much about it! Upon walking in, I was a little let down with the overall ambiance - there's are no frills here. Just a basic dining room and a few decorations, so if ambiance is what you're looking for, you may be let down. You definitely won't be let down when it comes to the food though! We started with pork buns and pork soup dumplings, both were outstanding. Such great flavor! For our entrees, we split the Chicken with Chili Pepper and an order of the Scallion Noodles. The chicken was fried, which wasn't my favorite as I prefer non-breaded chicken and there definitely could have been more spice to the dish. The noodles were simple yet fantastic. I highly recommend those if you're looking for a simple noodle dish. We were served complementary tea throughout the meal, which was really good. The staff were attentive and friendly. Overall, a great experience! read more

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Came here to get soup dumplings because we had been trying to find good ones locally. Food was great. read more

Hu's House - Steamed pork juicy buns - soup dumplings - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

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I've been wanting to try this spot for a long time and finally got some take out! Had an order of the vegetarian general tso "chicken" (which is tofu), veggie steamed buns, and veggie dumplings. I thought the tofu was by far the best general tso tofu I've had since moving to the capital district 4 years ago, and I've tried a lot. the tofu was prepared well (crisp, flavorful, prepared with a coating so the texture was chewy) and the sauce was so flavorful!!! Rich and sticky. The dumplings and steamed buns were good too. The dumplings looked like they were definitely made in house. I loved the filling of the steamed buns which was very bright green and fresh. Would definitely get all of these items again and try new ones. The only thing making it 4 stars was it didn't come with rice as I thought it would, and the prices felt a bit high for the amount of food received. read more

The food is spectacular, some of the best food I've ever tasted no exaggeration. The service was great, people were very kind and the food came very fast. read more

All the dishes are uniformly amazing. I have dined there twice now and are now taking friends there who are also loving it. The owners lovely little daughter is always there for a quick hello and maybe even a little performance. read more

Authentic Shanghainese cuisine! Our meal was excellent! We started off with hot and sour soup, family style. It was a great balance of flavors and ingredients! Spicy wontons came with 10 pieces, drenched in spicy chilli sauce!!! They were soooo good! Pork soup dumplings were delicious. The wrappers were thin and chewy! None of them broke as we picked them up from the steamer! First bite into it, the soup was bursting out and temperature hot! Vegetarian duck - tofu skin wrapped with mushrooms and carrots and maybe bamboo shoots! They were served cold! Delicious appetizer!! Fish fillet with sweet and sour sauce, crispy exterior layers and nice flaky fish texture! We loved it! sautéed pea shoots with garlic was really fresh and delicious! Chicken and chestnut stews- portion was small but the sauce was yummy! Overall this dish was just ok! Salted egg yolk shrimps were excellent! Totally recommended! Stir fry Rice cake with mustard greens was sooo good! I Didn't even get to take a pic! But we cleaned the plate!!! The texture of the rice cake was perfect! Chewy like mochi and it soaked up all the flavor from the sauce! Overall, the servers were friendly and helpful! The restaurant was a little run down but the round table seatings were somewhat comfortable! read more

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Within this squat building in a nondescript neighborhood is some of the best Shanghainese food in the region. Alas, I arrived as a solo diner to discover that the lunch special had been discontinued. I made the best of things by ordering aster and dried tofu salad (took half of it home) and Singapore noodles (should have taken half home but ate it all) then ordered a cold tendon and tripe dish to have with my leftover aster salad for dinner. All were superb, quality ingredients cooked and seasoned just right. They've gone upscale with a glossy many-paged menu including many attractive dim sum offerings. Definitely the way to eat her is with a group so you can share things. By the way, with no more appealing to the lunch crowd the service is rather leisurely. Plan to spend a while here, and enjoy it. read more

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We love it here. Authentic Chinese food. Love the spicy fish soup, dry fried spicy chicken, dumplings, wonton soup, greens and garlic, etc. read more

Hu's House - Inside of restaurant - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

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So I would definitely consider this place a hole in the wall. The property and the building are poorly maintained. The inside is not cozy, well designed or welcoming. But that being said, the food was good! The service was decent. And very importantly our bill did not break the bank! All great things! I would go back! read more

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Hu's house is a solid choice for xiaolongbao (xlb) and it's such a pleasant surprise to find good Shanghainese food in Albany! The dumpling skin is tender but durable enough to hold the soup and you get six pretty decent sized dumplings for $10. The meat is about the size of a jumbo jawbreaker from a vending machine and the soup is savory and rich if a little fatty. Make sure to ask for jinjiang vinegar and ginger if they don't bring it out right away- adding a little vinegar to the broth and thin ginger matchsticks really makes the dish. I would definitely come back for this dish. However, I didn't like the spicy wonton- the peanut butter is a little pronounced and seems to drown out the chili oil flavors. I was hoping for a more chili oil and cilantro / green onion forward dish, and I don't think it's worth it for $12. Spend that on more xiaolongbao instead! read more

Hu's House - Spicy Wonton - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

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The food at Hu's House is just yummy and the tea has a natural sweetness. We ordered the chicken in chili sauce, fried fish (flounder), scallion pancakes, veggie dumplings, and Hu's House Rice which is green from being infused with scallions and spinach. The chicken was not as spicy as we thought it was going to be, but it was delicious. The flounder was very tasty.We thought that this would be spicy as well, but it was not. Everything was quite yummy. We hope to come next time with the rest of the family. There was only one other table being served, so it was very quiet. We cannot comment on what it might be like when it is crowded. I have been to Hu's House before 2020, when it was almost full, and one could still have a private conversation. I will let the photos tell the rest of the story. read more

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We were visiting Albany for our cousin's baseball Senior Day at Russell Sage. We celebrated with a huge feast at Hu's House after the rainy day festivities. The staff at Hu's House is always extremely patient and friendly. The food was excellent, as it always is each time we go. Hu is always in the kitchen cooking when we go and we appreciate that he makes time to come to the front to get a picture with us each time. Whether you are local or just passing through, you have to stop at Hu's House! read more

Hu's House - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

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I told one of my coworkers that [insert restaurant name] has good Chinese food--he told me I had bad taste buds and said I should go to Hu's House for some bomb Shanghainese food. We came here kind of around the Christmas season, so there was some nice festive lighting and decorations (but also y'all...why was it friggin' toasty in there, my nose clogged up from all the heat). Scallion pancake was on the crispier, lighter side, and I could see the layers that they had formed with the water/oil dough base. Noice. The crab and egg tofu was kind of salty, definitely had to eat more rice to balance out the flavors than usual. The pea shoots in garlic were perfectly seasoned, it made me recall a similar recipe my mom makes at home that I usually scarf down in unhealthy (or technically healthy?) amounts. The sauce is not unnecessarily thickened with corn starch, it's just bright green veggies infused with garlic, yummm~ Fish Filet in brown sauce: how did they get the fish filets so crispy? But it was just mildly too salty for me Milk buns: SDJHFLKSDHF these were delicious! I'm glad there was room in my stomach for dessert. It wasn't quite a "milk" bun like I expected; I want to say there was a bit of salted egg yolk in there and the filling flowed like lava when you bit into it. The bun itself was also amazing light and soft. I'd say overall a pretty good experience! I think the next time I come back I want to try their dumplings, seems like a lot of reviewers liked them but I just didn't have the stomach space this time around. read more

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Still decent, but the last couple of times we came everything was kind of overcooked and soggy--especially the snow pea vine which we usually love and was always impeccable. Maybe there is a different cook who is not as good? It was always our favorite restaurant in Albany. Maybe we'll try it again in a few months. read more

The real deal! They even have a secret menu. You can't go wrong here regardless of choice.

Food was off the chart amazing. Service was great. Great suggestions by our server. Will definitely go back next time. read more

The food is authentic and insane. I say that as someone who grew up in China. For the great food I give them 5 star. However, service and ambiance are average. I would give 3.5 out of 5. read more

We ordered delivery and were very disappointed. The half of duck was just shredded meat and was barely half a duck breast. The crispy beef wasn't at all crispy and was actually inedible. The orange chicken was mushy and came with two small pieces of mushy broccoli. We chose this restaurant due to the reviews, but the food did not match our expectations. We also did not realize that rice was extra. We will not order from here again. read more

Shanghainese - 1st time at Hu's House for a take out order. When placing my order on the phone I ordered salt & pepper shrimp. The person on the other end of the line gently informed me this dish left the shell on the shrimp. I've never had shell-on fried shrimp before but I was game to try it so this dish, along with salt & pepper squid, steamed pork juicy bun, pan fried pork bun, and brown rice completed the order. Overall, the meal was very good. The things which stood out to me were the textures and temperatures of the dishes. The pan fried pork buns were wonderful. The dough was soft on top, crispy on the bottom and encased a savory pork filling. The steamed pork juicy bun (pork soup dumplings)...this is where I learned something. When I got home, this was the first dish we ate. It was too late, the dumplings were tepid. This dish, like sushi, doesn't travel well. I think it should be ordered and eaten in the restaurant. That way it is served piping hot from the steamer. Place a dumpling into your soup spoon, add a little black vinegar to the top. Bite a hole in the dumpling, suck out the soup being careful not to scald yourself, devour the rest of the dumpling...heaven. I also should have listened to the person on the phone with their "warning" of the salt & pepper shrimp. The texture of the shell-on shrimp was almost too crunchy; if I didn't chew on the shells enough, I felt at risk of choking on them. Another thing learned. I'm not used to eating shell-on shrimp. The salt & pepper squid was flavorful and was more inviting (for me) to eat. I'll definitely be back to try more items on the menu. read more

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Truly good Shanghai food. The XLB are especially good as are the veg dumplings. The scallion pancake is delicious as well.

Yummy for your tummy.. Singapore Rice Noodles is so delicious Made fresh and it was hot. My new place for Asian food read more

Hu's House - Singapore Rice Noodles meal. - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

Was driving pass Albany to go to VT and needed lunch. I saw Hu's had soup dumplings and wanted to try. Giving this place a 5 star for the garlic fried ribs. It came out piping hot and fresh. Super flavorful and had a nice crispy outside. The jelly fish was seasoned well and it was a huge portion. The soup dumplings had a lot of juice and was flavorful, but the skin of the dumpling is too thick. Would give it a 3/5. Service was a bit slow. So hopefully you have time to sit and stay awhile. read more

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great dim sum and Shanghai style Chinese food. lots of great vegetarian and vegan options read more

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I check out Hu's House's menu online and when I saw tripe and intestines and jellyfish I was in! When I see all the "parts" on a Chinese food menu I know they're not catering to the non-authentic diners. And I've been wanting to try jellyfish for a while now. Hu's specializes in Shanghainese cuisine. But the menu is, honesty, ENORMOUS. Page after page after page. Something for everyone, IMO. You can eat vegetarian or vegan if you prefer. I do have to mention the atmosphere/physical setting because we restaurant folk DO need to make an effort and I felt a distinct "lack of effort" when I entered. To whit: there are 2 fish tanks in the restaurant. One right at the door as you enter and one beside the bar. Both contain just a few inches of dirty water and dangling fishtanks heaters. They're giving "abandoned." Also just, basically gross in a dining space. I mean fine, have fish tanks or don't. And it you've gone over to "don't" you need to empty those babies out and get rid of them. They do not belong inside a restaurant in their current state. The second thing is the bar itself. They're clearly not using it/sitting it and have the entire surface covered with piles of napkins or paperwork or just "work stuff." Also not a good look. Again, if you won't want to seat your bar, then don't. But clear it off, don't have piles of random stuff all over the place. Put in the effort to tidy your spot up. I was there mid/late afternoon, so it was quiet with one person handling the front. Unfortunately I had completely lost my voice and do nothing but whisper to communicate. But the ginormous menu also has pictures of every dish. So I was able to point! I have to give my waiter snap for refusing to let me order the spicy Szechuan Fish Stew because he said it was too spicy for my already struggling throat situation. I'm pretty sure he was right. He also felt duty bound to tell me he thought I had ordered "more than enough" food. Again, he was right. But I wasn't trying to finish everything. Just try everything. And he was down with that. LOL I started with: Cold Cucumber with Garlic - DELICIOUS, fresh, I feel like garlic is particularly important when you're sick!; Steamed Shrimp Dumplings - served in the stacked, bamboo steaming baskets with delicious dipping sauce, excellent; Steamed Vegetable Buns - REALLY GOOD. I never had anything like this before. Basically a dumpling made with the same dough you'd use for steamed buns. They were filled with spinach and mushrooms. Very good in the dipping sauce; Jellyfish with Soy Sauce - Pro Tip: Jellyfish turns out to be pretty challenging to eat. It's cut into really, really long strips. Like noodles. Only they're not as easy to bite into pieces as noodles. So you wind up hanging over your plate with a mouthful of jellyfish strips trying to chew off the part that is hanging out of your mouth. I mean it was pretty good. But that was kind of too much effort for me!; Vegetarian Duck. Yes, Vegetarian Duck. I was like, "I have no idea what that could be. I must have it!" I have no idea why it's called Duck. But it's really good. It is baked/cooked Tofu skin layered with a mushroom filling. Think something like lasagne only with extremely thin Tofu instead of pasta sheets and a chopped mushroom filling. I was CHALLENGED by the Jellyfish and the Vegetarian Duck. And the challenge was entirely me trying to get the food into my mouth... Then, after my waiter told me I was NOT up to Szechuan Fish Soup I ordered Singapore Noodles and Vegetarian General Tso's Chicken. Sinapore Noodles are very thin vermicelli stir fried with onions, peppers, egg, shrimp, chicken and ham and PLENTY of curry. I requested no chicken or ham and so got Singapore Noodles with only shrimp. They were delicious. Plenty of curry. I think next time I might request it a little spicy... The Vegetarian Chicken was actually big chunks of fried tofu tossed in the General Tso's sauce. DELICIOUS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Perfect comfort food for someone who doesn't eat beef, pork or poultry but loves the General Tso's flavors... read more

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Very good, authentic Chinese food. Much, much better than the Americanized take out joints. Fun with a big group - they have large round tables with lazy Susans. read more

Service 10/10, we ordered way to much but not mad about it- We came for soup dumplings and will be back for all our other choices- dumplings were good but the flavors of our other dishes made us smile and crave this spot again!! Cute dining area as well- read more

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Hu's House is a standout in the area, modest in appearance, but crafts quality food -- food so good I only remembered to take 1 photo for my two visits here. This is a great spot for groups and family style dining -- some of the larger tables feature turntables to rotate dishes around the table. A pretty intimate spot, this place seems to only serve a few parties for dine-in at a time, so plenty of seating available. Describing some of the items I've had over my two visits below. Steamed Pork Dumplings: Classically good -- traditional steamed pork dumplings with flavorful and juicy pork, encased in a chewy dough. Solid choice for any occasion and paired well as an appetizer along any entree. Spicy Wontons: Served in peanut sauce and with ginger-infused soy sauce, these little nuggets are only mildly spicy in my opinion -- which means you can scarf many down with minimal pain. Very tasty, these are a staple when going to Chinese restaurants. Steamed Vegetable Dumplings: The steamed veggie dumplings were a little underwhelming, but still pretty good when paired with soy sauce or the sauce from the spicy wontons. These could be enhanced with a number of tasty sauces used in Hu's House dishes -- will leave that to the chefs. Scallion Pancake With Beef: Crispy, light, and overall delicious. A wonderful appetizer, which, like the pork dumplings, pair well with whatever entree you've ordered. Stewed Pork Brown Sauce: Incredible flavor and wildly tender. Inherent to this dish, the pork fat is very prominent, but it melts in your mouth and provides an additional umami/savoriness to enhance the overall flavor. That said, some pieces do have quite a lot relative to the amount of meat. Still, highly recommend. Further, the baby bok choy were good and cut through the sauce nicely. The tofu twists were a fun take on tofu skin and were pretty good as well. A well rounded dish, this was a hit. Crispy Flounder Fillet: Breaded flounder, fried and tossed in a mildly sweet sauce, this dish was very good. Highly recommend! Value: 4/5 Quality: 5/5 Quantity: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 read more

Hu's House - Stewed Pork Brown Sauce - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

Legit, authentic Chinese food. Friendly folks working there. Just moved here after many years in China and it felt so good to have real Chinese food again and speak Chinese outside the house. Atmosphere very much felt like a Chinese restaurant back there. Lots of veggie options, too. read more

Hu's House - Shanghainese Near Me - Albany, New York

I sometimes start my reviews out with a disclaimer about how I'm not really all that familiar with xyz cuisine and have no basis of comparison for what makes a good pierogi or whatever. On this one my disclaimer is going to go in the opposite direction: I lived in Shanghai for three years and came here with my Shanghainese husband, so we arrived with a lot of Opinions about how we expected the food to be paired with a probably unfair prejudice in favor of wanting to like it, for homesickness/nostalgia reasons. Grain of salt! 1: Atmosphere. There really isn't one. The lack of atmosphere kind of produces its own atmosphere: a lot of neighborhood places in Shanghai also decorate with a random pile of empty cardboard boxes. I did like that they had some chill Chinese instrumental music on in the background, though! The free hot tea is nice. 2. Service. I've seen other reviewers complaining about the service here, but we got treated super sweetly (they had some balloons up for Valentine's day, and the woman working gave me one when we left!). There only seemed to be two people working, and every table was full, but things stayed relaxed even while food was coming out slowly. 3. The food. The soup dumplings were my favorite part: very flavorful and definitely far and away the juiciest I've had anywhere near here (I'm constantly having my heart broken by sad, dry soup dumplings). The jie lan was also excellent. Spring rolls were good, and amusingly served with a little dish of vinegar and the comment, "I've brought you some vinegar for these instead of the foreigner sauce." (what is the foreigner sauce???). Liang mian huang (pan fried noodles) with seafood was oversalted, imho. Vegetarian duck was, I thought, overcooked on the outside, though I was impressed that it seemed like it might have been house-made. Duck-duck was great, super juicy, and it was fun watching the waiter carve it tableside. We also went wild and ordered the sauteed shredded eel -- an absolute Shanghai classic -- to have for lunch the next day. I'm a jerk about eating this in restaurants because my mother-in-law makes the best version I've ever had. This version won't dethrone her -- oversalted again -- but I appreciated that they didn't skimp on the pepper! Husband seemed delighted with everything, but he was def unduly influenced by getting the chance to speak/hear Shanghai dialect and eat some comfort food. We also both thought that the prices here were very reasonable. Conclusion: if you're not in a hurry and don't care about the atmosphere, this is a fun place to order a ton of different things from a gigantic menu of Chinese dishes that you won't find many other places upstate. We'll def be back soon -- based on the quality of the soup dumplings and spring rolls, I especially want to dig deeper into their other dim sum options. read more

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It was ok but not great. The scallion pancakes with beef were tasty but very greasy. The Crispy Pork Pastry was very doughy and didn't look like the photo on the website. The pork filling in 3 different items we got was all the same bland mixture. The sautéed string beans were yummy but also very oily. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't very good either. read more