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    Jinlan Chinese Restaurant

    3.3 (28 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Drink menu.
    Sara C.

    Holy time warp! My first thoughts upon sitting down for lunch were that we were in a scene from The Godfather, or The Sopranos, or Inglorious Basterds. Like, we should definitely have a cigarette lit and maybe have a gun cocked between our legs. (There was actually a sign by our table that read "no smoking".) I am a fan of the dingy-ness, and the old menus, the non-ironicness of it all, and honestly, I'm also a fan of the fact that this place has been open for so long and only has 13 reviews on yelp. Also, apparently Keanu Reeves filmed some movie here? The drink menu really scored big with me. Most of the featured drinks were "in style" about 30 years ago, and I doubt seriously that the staff knows how to make them. But maybe they do. Either way, it makes me a little excited. The wine list was incomprehensible, but when I asked for a chardonnay, that was not listed, they said "okay". Nice! The food was actually pretty good, if a bit typical American-Chinese fare. I asked to add crispy tofu to my Veggie Lo Mein, and they were willing to do so.... and it was delicious! Although, I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more veggie offerings considering Chinese food is very veggie-versatile. A few of my lunch buddies thought that their meals were a bit greasy, but I did not have the same experience. Jinlan was a totally unexpected gem. On my own accord, I would never choose a restaurant like this for lunch, but I am very glad this was where we went.

    poo poo platter
    Brandon A.

    My gf brought me here for the first time and I loved it from the beginning. The decorations are old school Chinese which I love. The staff was very friendly and quick with our order. We split the poo poo platter which was a show in itself! Trying different varieties of food with it such as dumplings, eggrolls, fried shrimp, etc. and to top it off (literally) put the seasoned beef skewer on top of the flaming cole, soooooo good. Then we split the half Peking Duck which came with the plum sauce that is out of this world, along with splitting Dragon and Pheonix platter that came with real rooster tail, chicken and broccoli!!! Amazing!!!! best yet the process were cheap! I heart this place with a passion now!

    Yellowed ceiling.
    Ron W.

    The last time we ate here was 32 years ago when we lived near by. I can remember how long ago it was because my son was an infant at the time and we brought him with us. It was like stepping back in time. Things haven't changed a bit. I really mean that things haven't changed at all. This place has never been updated. Same very dark walls, same mishmash of chairs and tables and same decor. I think that they may still be using the same menus. Knowing this is a problem. Currently most establishments are using disposable menus or on-line menus to help prevent the spread of Covid. We were surprised to have been handed the ancient menus that appear to have been used for decades. I started with wonton soup and an egg roll. The soup broth was good but wontons were a bit lacking in filling. The egg roll was ok. Again I was a bit surprised by the lack of Covid safety when I was brought hot mustard from another table. For our main course we had General Tso's chicken, shrimp lo mein and shrimp fried rice. The General Tso's chicken and lo mein were very good. The portions were very plentiful and the prices were reasonable. I think this place could be better if the decor was freshened and brightened up a bit. The only Covid precautions we seen were masks on the servers. I think more attention, such as disposable menus and disposable condiments would be a good idea. With some attention they could be a decent sit down Chinese restaurant. The one thing that has changed in the 32 years is how busy they appear. Back then I remember it being crowded. Currently they didn't seem to be doing much business. Besides my wife and myself there was only one other table of three.

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    2 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was great ! Very clean and beautifully decorated restaurant. Decor is retro and reminded us of 1950's Chinese Restaurant

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Not good, pretty dirty environment and smells smoky. I love good Chinese but won't recommend to anyone.

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    9 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Jinlan Chinese Restaurant

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    No buffet here. Try Amherst buffet on Niagara Falls Blvd.

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    Golden Hill Asian Cuisine - C49. Orange Chicken on the provided white rice, with an egg roll and crab rangoon on our plate at home.  Delicious

    Golden Hill Asian Cuisine

    4.3(78 reviews)
    4.5 mi

    Finally had the chance to dine in. Walked in at 1:45pm on a Monday and there was soft music playing…read morein the dining room. I was seated and immediately served complimentary tea, and fried wontons with sweet and sour sauce. I ordered the Kung Pao lunch special which comes with a choice of egg roll or soup, and white or vegetable friend rice. I chose the wonton soup and fried rice, and I ordered an egg roll as well. The egg roll came out quickly, and the lunch special was served right when I finished that. The food was good and the dish was spicy (Kung Pao is supposed to be spicy but it never is-- not for me) and the service was polite. When the check came it was accompanied by a plate with two slices of orange and a fortune cookie. The only thing I didn't like about the visit was that there was an advertisement for a big commercial law firm on the back of the fortune slip and the "lucky number" was the phone number. I thought that was tacky. I walked out at 1:15pm. Great, quick lunch.

    Nice people, good food, pleasant atmosphere: because I can never decide which is more important,…read morethey are equally important factors when rating a restaurant. Golden Hill has all three. And a lunch menu. Wow! I just gave my receipt another look and the people are nicer than I thought. I thought they were pleasant, friendly, happy we were there, concerned that we would enjoy our visit. The lunch menu offerings were each $10.95 and included eggroll OR soup, and white or vegetable fried rice. Daughter ordered the Eggplant in Garlic Sauce with eggroll and white rice, plus an appetizer order of steamed dumplings. I ordered Eggplant with Pork in Garlic sauce with eggroll and white rice, plus a small bowl of Hot and Sour Soup. The soup on the appetizer menu was $3.95. My receipt shows the server put the soup as my lunch choice and charged $2.95 for the eggroll. She never said a word, didn't point out that I could save a dollar by switching the sides around. So the people are all I thought plus kind and conscientious. Marvelous. I was delighted with everything I ate. The entree was enough for two, so supper came home with me. The eggroll was fresh and crisp and non-greasy, seemed homemade. Excellent. The eggplant was perfectly prepared and cooked, as was the pork. Delicious. The hot and sour soup was easily one of the best I've had, and I'm always looking for a great hot and sour soup. Coming from downtown Buffalo, we'd been in Williamsville because I had an appointment on Essjay Rd. Afterward, we looked for a place to have lunch before shopping. Finding Golden Hill at 4001 Sheridan Dr. in Amherst was pure serendipity. You can bet, though, that I will visit again after next appointment.

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    Golden Hill Asian Cuisine - For pick up

    For pick up

    Golden Hill Asian Cuisine
    Golden Hill Asian Cuisine - Exterior, in a modest little mall, plenty of free parking

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    Exterior, in a modest little mall, plenty of free parking

    Golden Dragon - Elmwood - Pork egg roll.

    Golden Dragon - Elmwood

    4.1(32 reviews)
    4.0 miElmwood Village

    We've been back to Golden Dragon twice very recently and were quite happy with most items. The menu…read moreis huge, so we expect we'll find a lot more to like. Their lo mein is totally different than when they first opened and I love it now. I got beef the first time, but it comes with very little, so I opted for vegetable the second time. Not a lot of vegetables throughout (mostly on top, as you can see in the photo), but it was really delicious! Both times the lo mein noodles were the perfect firmness and had great flavor. I want it again and again! Matt didn't enjoy his sesame beef. The batter is too thick, and the beef gets completely lost. I like that they will do sauce on the side. We like to toss it ourselves last minute so that it doesn't get soggy. Better for leftovers, too. They do charge an extra $1.50, but they give you a lot of the sauce. The wonton soup is amazing! A small is only $3.95 and it comes with five big pork wontons. Makes me happy because I get wonton soup cravings. I'll definitely be getting this again. The General Tso's Chicken is spot on. The pork egg rolls are good, your typical egg roll. The crab rangoons are also quite good. Their prices are great and the service has always been friendly. I'm so glad we tried again, they're really close by, makes it very convenient. We're definitely going to be frequently returning regular customers. Thanks Golden Dragon!!

    Literally a hole in the wall in downtown Buffalo but it was convenient and inexpensive. I ordered…read morethe Sesame Chicken with Fried Rice from the lunch menu. It wasnt the best I've ever had but it was good. There is a small parking lot next to their building that was almost full of cars for the Pot Shop on the corner of the building, next door to the restaurant.

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    Golden Dragon - Elmwood
    Golden Dragon - Elmwood - I do wish they folded these like a traditional pot sticker (instead of taking a shortcut), but they were still ok taste-wise.

    I do wish they folded these like a traditional pot sticker (instead of taking a shortcut), but they were still ok taste-wise.

    Golden Dragon - Elmwood - Vegetable lo mein...delicious!

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    Vegetable lo mein...delicious!

    Crystal Asian Cuisine - Pork belly skewer.

    Crystal Asian Cuisine

    4.1(124 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    I'm so freaking happy! I had never heard of Crystal Asian Cuisine before last night. We stumbled…read moreacross them because it was pretty late for dinner and our regular Chinese food place was closed. Crystal stays open until 1 am! They open at 4 pm, just an fyi. We got a bunch of stuff and everything was delicious. Literally the best beef lo mein I've had since I moved here six years ago. I've been just settling with it at other places so this was an exciting discovery! We also ordered sesame shrimp. It wasn't like other sesame dishes we've gotten. It was a pink sauce that was similar to sweet and sour, but it was very good and the shrimp were large and plump and cooked perfectly. We tried their fried dough just on a whim and it's like nothing I've had before... it's a nice little add on for $3.50. They have American Chinese and also authentic dishes, which is fun. Prices are in line with other Chinese food restaurants and portions are pretty generous. We'll definitely be back...like, hopefully very soon!

    When you pull up to the restaurant, it doesn't look like much. You might even think it's closed (I…read moredid). But go inside and enjoy some delicious Chinese food and extremely reasonable prices. The service is friendly and super fast, and the portions are huge. I only had their American style Chinese food, but they also had a large menu of authentic Chinese cuisine on the weekend. The interior is simple but very clean, with lots of booths. I highly recommend Crystal Asian for great Chinese food!

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    Crystal Asian Cuisine - Entrance

    Entrance

    Crystal Asian Cuisine - Sesame chicken

    Sesame chicken

    Crystal Asian Cuisine - Beef lo mein. So good, my favorite in Buffalo so far!!

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    Beef lo mein. So good, my favorite in Buffalo so far!!

    Jinlan Chinese Restaurant - chinese - Updated May 2026

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