Northeast Chinese Restaurant II is one of my favorite local Chinese restaurants. All of my favs are…read morenorthern Chinese. That means they can serve up some deliciously spicy dishes. But if you're looking for something milder, they're great at that, too. I think the large menu has been updated since my last visit. The first few pages include dishes that I would describe as "soul food." There's frog, beef tripe and pork intestine-- you get the picture. I never really got into that. On this visit, my friend and I picked Stir Fried Spicy Squid, Crispy Chicken with Crunchy Red Pepper and Bok Choy with Garlic. We were hungry. The veggies came out of the kitchen almost immediately. Crazy fast. We were grateful. The other two dishes took a bit more time. When you see all of the ingredients in those dishes and how finely sliced they are, it's no wonder. I loved the chicken dish. The chicken was a little crunchy but the red peppers were super crunchy. It was a bit spicy but deliciously so. I liked the peanuts and what looked like slivers of jalapeño peppers, too. The squid was also great. Here, I think they used more jalapeño peppers and spices. There was more heat to this dish but it was deceptive. The more I ate, the more I could gradually feel the burn. By the time we were full, I could feel my face starting to sweat a little. That was fun. The restaurant is clean and attractive with a remarkable amount of seating. The back portion is reserved for hot pots which I have yet to try there. The staff is friendly, helpful and bilingual. They will make suggestions if you'd like. This restaurant generally gets a bit noisy because it's where large Chinese families gather when they want to go on the town. That's a good thing. There's also a large screen tv that plays cooking shows. With so much going on, the customers seemed pretty happy.

Been here a bunch of times now and they never disappoint…read more The review is really that simple. It's going to be really good every time. Order something spicy and get excited. Also get the ribs!!!

I love getting the beef noodle soup. So good. Have eaten in the restaurant once and the restaurant…read moreis clean and the service is great.

I am never disappointed whenever I'm here to satisfy my Chinese comfort food cravings. This is a…read moresimple and small eatery serving up tasty dishes that you'll come back for time and again. The overall ambiance is basic and clean. However, they are serving up big and bold flavors. Service here is always friendly and fast. I especially like that they offer complimentary hot tea, and it's really appreciated on chilly days! Actually, tea is my go to whenever I'm having Asian food. I am a creature of habit and mostly order my usual. On this visit I had spicy wontons, General Tso's chicken, stewed beef chuck noodle soup and eggplant with garlic sauce. All delish and certainly enough leftovers for another meal. You've got to try it! Side note, they have an attached private parking lot next to them and that's a plus!

OUTSTANDING! My daughter told me there was an authentic Chinese restaurant in a mall…read more Impossible I said. I was wrong. The menu which comes on a tablet is formatted in a way that is a bit foreign but if you are able to stick with it you will find the Chinese specialties Americans are used to under American Style and Staples. My daughter and grandkids ordered from those 2 sections I ordered from Sichuan and Liaoning and made converts of the rest of the table. Dishes we ordered and devoured: Steamed as well as as fried Pork and cabbage dumplings: Plump, not doughy, delectable. The youngest got some pineapple chicken ting that she devoured. Daughter ordered Beef & Broccoli and a rice noodle dish with chicken. The broccoli was tasting, the noodles were not over cooked, the plate was cleaned by 3 at the table. Grandson ordered General Tsaos chicken. Looked good, he ate 90% of it. Thy other Grandmom and myself ordered the Eggplant with minced pork, stir fried cabbage and Mapo Tofu. INCREDIBLE. Daughter and Grandson reluctantly tried the 3 dishes and tucked into them like they'd never see food again. Lastly, I ordered the tea. A small pot with a loose mixture of high quality leaves that you can keep refilling from the carafe of hot water. We pried the mix they use out of one of the waiters because we need to have this again and again!

I just love this place and the staff. My family was delayed with meeting up with me for an hour!…read moreThe staff took the best care of me, and then of my family. The food is delicious. The ambiance tonight was like a house party because there was a work party going on - so it was unusually loud. It is normally pretty quiet there. The pics tell a better story about the food than I can right now, but I will describe one: The poached fillet is a treasure chest of good stuff. It has sea bass, enoki mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, lotus root, bok choy, etc. I did not realize this until I dipped the spoon under the fish. It is worth every penny. The flavor deepens with every bite.

Very good bowl of ramen. Tasty broth, lots of noodles. I had with grilled shrimp that were nice…read more Came at a quiet time and service was fast. Pleasant, professional young man working the tables. I like it and will return when I'm on the area.

This is just the best thing! Spicy Cucumber Garlic. That's it. That's the caption. Marinated…read morecucumber, peanuts, fresh cilantro, with reeeeally nice sweet, spicy, & garlicky notes that just make you SMACK! It's so damn good with so many textures and FLAVOR! The first time I had it there was some sort of delicious spicy green sauce for the marinade, but they have since changed the recipe! IM NOT MAD AT IIIIITTTTT!! Big bonus note: they're kindest people! I've never dined in, but the atmosphere is very inviting! Get there people!

I ordered takeout so not sure about the inside ambience and facilities. Service was very fast but…read moreagain I ordered takeout out so not sure about wait staff. The food was ok, but not particularly more special than my local place I love. The egg drop soup was yummy and smooth. I thought the shrimp and broccoli would be a little more spicy than what I received, but it still tasted great.

Another fine dinner at Rain Modern Chinese Restaurant. Food,…read moreservice and ambiance was wonderful!

Really good! A business opened by the former chef from the much-loved ALA Sh-nghai in the area. It…read moreseems 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.

During the first Covid lockdown in 2021, we isolated in our Catskills home. The infection counts…read morewere low in Greene county New York and nobody knew what would happen next. TV news broadcast dire predictions during every 24 hour news cycle. So of course, cooking and acquiring food while binging movies and TV shows on cable became the obvious means by which to deflect attention from the rising COVID body counts world-wide and dire predictions. High anxiety was the order of the day, and tippling, cooking, take outs and eating became a reliable means to blunt it. Between TV binging we continued our years long, fanatical search for Xiao Long Bao -- or anything Asian to cook of takeaway and eat TV-side. HU's is a small Chinese joint in Albany, near where we received our Covid vaccines, and a good 90 minute drive from our home. There was nothing that vaguely resembled a good Shanghainese take out joint any closer - so when we didn't care to cook Asian, we made the trip to Albany for takeaway. As it turns out, HU's makes some authentic and delicious soup dumplings, and other dim sum like shrimp har gow, perfectly seasoned sweet/sour soup and some very tasty Scallion pancakes and Peking style duck. It was well worth the 3 hour round trip to take away -- or even eat in. The restaurant enforced social distancing making the eat in experience feel safe and authentic. I dunno. It's been a while since our HU's excursions in 2021, but I think in hindsight the food is truly a solid 4 stars good. I can't get to 5 stars because I could not rate the service due to pandemic restrictions in restaurants. Service was diminished due to social distancing during Covid times - but the restaurant was sparkly clean everywhere we looked. I imagine the same is still true today. So if you find yourself craving Shanghainese when in Albany, NY - HU's is a solid choice. The fact that their food selection and quality was high during the worst pandemic in the last 100 years speaks volumes about HU's food cred. Top tip: Even though the dumpling skins are bit on the thick side, stick with XLB and dim sum. They are NY Chinatown worthy. The usual Cantonese dishes like egg foo young, chow fun and ribs are serviceable too.

Food was very bad, and the portion size is very small compared to many Chinese restaurants in the…read morearea and they only give you a very tiny portion of rice that's bland. The general tso's chicken was very disappointing, even though I was hungry, I didn't like it which tells you how bad the food is . Will never come back .

Great takeout experience! The staff was super friendly when I came in, and my order was ready hot…read moreand fresh. Plus complimentary fried noodles and plenty of sauce packets. Everything was delicious and well prepared.

The staff are friendly, even when they are clearly concerned that you may not understand the…read morecertainty of their closing time. I really like the decor, but I love the food. The sea bass with pickled peppers was delicious. My kid loved the crispy spicy chicken. My hubby ordered the tangerine chicken which he really liked from our previous visit. The sizzling beef could have used more seasoning, but the sauce was good. I enjoyed our tea.

If you're in the Capital Region and appreciate authentic Asian cuisine done right, Ala Shanghai…read morecontinues to set the bar. The fried sea bass with sweet and sour sauce was absolutely superb--perfectly crisp on the outside while still tender and flaky inside, balanced beautifully with that classic tangy sweetness that doesn't overpower the fish. And of course, the soup dumplings are always on point. Each one is delicate yet packed with flavor, with that rich broth that bursts out the moment you take a bite. It's the kind of consistency that keeps you coming back because you already know the quality will be there every time. What also makes this establishment stand out is the ambience. The atmosphere strikes that perfect balance--comfortable, lively, and welcoming without feeling rushed. You can tell the place runs on pride and discipline. The owner and waitstaff are always diligently moving, making sure every table is attended to and every guest is taken care of. That level of attentiveness is something you don't see everywhere anymore. For me, this has become my go-to Asian bistro in the Capital Region. Great food, strong hospitality, and a kitchen that clearly respects the craft. If you know, you know.