I'm not even sure how many times we have been here but every time it's been stupendous. There were…read morefour in our group. We got general chicken, Mongolian beef and sesame chicken. All served with fried rice and chow mien. We also added pot stickers. Everything was absolutely delicious. And a special shout out to the pot stickers. They were beyond amazing. And the staff here is always very friendly. Already trying to talk my wife into coming back next week.

Opened in 2008, this is family owned and the young wife of the husband wife duo who has been…read moreworking at the order counter on our couple of trips in is always so sweet and cheerful with all customers, greeting what seems to be regulars for take out as if old friends. She also speaks Chinese to whomever is doing the cooking in the kitchen behind her that diners can't see into through the high open widow space into it but one can hear the sounds of cooking and Chinese being spoken. In that exchange it is also friendly and maybe even familial. In my book it is the delightful attitude that adds the extra star to rating. And as much as local people are boo-hooing about the closure in this calendar year (2025) of a number of long time Chinese food restaurants in the greater Treasure Valley, from Middleton to Nampa to Garden City and Boise, it seems they want to be super critical of the true little mom-n-pop places like this. Just saying. THE FOOD: This Cantonese - Mandarin menu is structured to appeal to American palates for diners who think Orange Chicken or General Tsao's are real things. That isn't my husband and me given we have been able to enjoy some extraordinary Chinese cuisine via Chinatowns in NYC and SF when we lived there and in Portland (OR) too when there was briefly a restaurant with Xinjiang dishes. But even for us there are things here to appreciate (although, as with all Chinese food places where we do not know the owners personally, we focus on vegetarian options) and if one is looking for Chinese food to take away, one can do a lot worse than this. Dishes (rice included) are generously sized and are in the $12 - 14 range. Noodle dishes maybe around $12. THE SPACE & SEATING: If you are planning to go for the first time, you need to know the space is very small, a handful of booths split between both sides of the room, and a round table in the middle. Also, because it is small, they are going to occasionally have things like bags of rice and other supplies stacked on the floor outside the kitchen. For that reason I am unable to report if the loo is unisex or not because I couldn't get to it on the only eat-in visit because of the supplies that had just been delivered and stacked in the way. And on that note, in the vein of everything being connected to everything else, the owner and delivery driver had a delightful conversation as if they were old friends through this connection of supplier and owner. Our preference here is take-out and we note there seems to be a brisk business for them in that. PARKING: This is a sort of old time Western town themed strip mall in Star (which at one time may have been thought of as that kind of town but which has been gentrified of late by out of state - read California homebuyers) and it has a parking lot. ACCESSIBILITY: ADA parking in the lot. The round table seating might work for a wheelchair user but I didn't look at it closely. Other than that, booth seating. WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?: Right next door you will find Sea Salt Creamery + Bakeshop where the owner crafts outrageously good small batch ice cream and also does baking of delicious things from cookies to handpies to cakes to... See reviews for this biz too and do not miss it to pick up dessert to take home with your to-go Chinese food dinner.

I'm still in the hunt for some good Chinese food. So I have been making my way through the valley…read moreto find it! This joint is real close to my Brother in law's job and had commented that they push out some pretty darn good fried rice. Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising so I'm taking his word and trying it out today. I'm going off of his fried rice recommendation so I'm hoping it's going to be good. I work downtown so it's a close drive to get to this joint. I have passed this place for many years and never tried it out. I know there's a cute panda sign up front but I honestly didn't know what to expect. The building is older which is fine. Hella good food is pushed out of janky spots all the time. Walking in, this venue is tiny. It holds a good amount of tables. It could use some upkeeping and a little updating. It looks very run down, dirty. Janky is fine but it's a turn off when it's dirty looking. Unfortunately I came too late for their lunch menu. I always find it the best way to be able to try a little of everything with lunch combo plates. After checking out the menu, I was excited to see that I could get a small bowl of hot and sour soup. I don't have to commit to a large bowl. I also wanted mu shu tofu. I asked about the tofu and my server seemed confused about it. So, I went with the chicken to prevent any communication issues. I feel like tofu is a standard item in Chinese restaurants so it threw me off that she was confused that I wanted it as an option. While I was waiting for my food, I worked on my hot tea. The pot could use a wipe down. It wasn't the cleanest looking tea pot. My soup came out pretty quick. I had a feeling the soup was pre made since they offer it by the bowl. To be honest, I can tell I was going to be disappointed by the soup cause of the color. It was light, no chili flakes, no bamboo shoots. After taking a couple bites, I figured it was egg flower soup with extra soy for color. They added tofu which is normally in hot and sour. Man, what a disappointing bowl of soup. It was decent for what it was, egg flower but there was no heat and no acidity. They should not be calling that soup hot and sour. The mu shu was dropped off and it looked promising. It was rich in color. There were nice pieces of chicken throughout the dish. The pancakes didn't look like the normal pancakes that normally come with mu shu. They were thick, powdery and looked uncooked. But I was willing to give it a chance. I rolled up a fat roll with the pancake and mu shu. Added a nice amount of plum sauce and dove right in! Ya.... that pancake was not it. It tasted thick, raw and doughy. I removed everything in the middle and decided to eat the mu shu like a stir fry. I asked for a side of fried rice and ate a much as I could. The chicken in the dish was tender. There was a good amount of veggies. The flavor was good. I would have liked more cabbage to the dish. The cabbage adds a nice crunchy element to the dish. Eating it with the rice was good but it would have been nice to have the full experience with the right pancakes. I don't see myself coming back. Service was not even basic, food was dropped off and never was checked up on. The soup was disappointing and misleading. The pancakes were criminal. And you're charged 3.25 for half pot of tea. Mind blowing that you're charged that much for tea and a half pot at that. Most Chinese joints use generic green tea, 50 bags to a box. I know, I served it for years. I can't imagine how much you're charged for soda. The mu shu was decent which gives this visit a 2 star but overall, this visit was not worth the 20 bucks I spent.

I've been to panda garden before and I haven't had any bad experiences. This place is very yummy…read moreand the people are nice. I got the spring rolls they were crispy but soft on the inside, very good. The orange chicken was a little spicy but soooo delicious the chicken was very tender and flavorful. The chicken lo mein was also very tasty and the chicken again was very soft in the best way. Over all 10/10 would eat here again. P.s. the pink chopsticks also sold from here, very cute, I love them.

It's a ghost kitchen but the food was fantastic. Highly recommend the cashew chicken. Add one…read morestar to your usual spice level, they have a light hand.

Mai Thai has gone through a lot. There was the kitchen fire in November 2023 that closed down the…read morepopular downtown Boise eatery. Days later, the city condemned the entire building, saying that a seemingly never-ending project by the building's owner to replace a basement floor had rendered the building unsafe. What had been expected to be a two-month closure has lingered for nearly two years as the building owner and the city have fought in court to get the building made safe again. As a result, Mai Thai, which had operated in the Union Block for 20 years has been largely homeless for nearly two years. They reopened at the kitchen of the defunct Crave delivery service in Meridian, a ghost kitchen concept, offering takeout and delivery far from the restaurant's Boise base. In early August, Mai Thai opened at a Boise ghost kitchen, only it's owner Billy Pothikamjorn and his staff running the place, not contacted workers with no ties to the actual restaurant. Mai Thai was located close to our home in Boise's West End and its new location is even closer. It's located in the West End Food Co. on Main Street. We ordered Hat Yai fried chicken, street food from Thailand topped with crispy shallots and served with yellow curry, roti and ginger rice. I had drunken noodles and Kristy and I shared an order of paratha a type of roti bread) with Japanese pumpkin green curry. Everything was excellent. Pothikamjorn took my order and prepared the food, so I knew it was going to have the same quality as when they were in their downtown location. Service is mostly restricted to takeout and free delivery if you live within a six-mile radius. There's a few tables outside, but it's on the sunny side of the street and during the hot summer likely isn't too inviting. I'm glad to see Billy and his crew back in Boise. They were among the restaurants that sustained us during Covid with their home delivery so we're happy they've persevered despite the troubles at their former location.

Food was okay. Mango sticky rice was awful. Food is well…read morepresented for take out but those fancy containers are non recyclable.

They send you to a place that is not labeled to pick up your food. It's an empty building. Lost out…read moreon $24 because the address isn't correct

Really good Chinese food. Love the atmosphere when u step in the door. The staff is very friendly…read moreand willing to help. I would give this place 100%

Mediocre at best.. Everything was bland and a bit weird with a hint of cleaning product? Treated…read morewater flavor? Not sure. Sweet and sour sauce was almost tasteless. It was globby thick with a hint of cinnamon?, egg rolls soft and greasy, chicken chow mein was bland with microscopic pieces of chicken, general tso chicken was just ho hum as well. Broccoli shrimp was pretty "fishy" smelling and the hot and sour soup tasted like it had some kind of bbq sauce in it. Wth?? They nailed the white rice though and the fortune cookies were alright. Portions were good, but the food was a hard NOPE! We didn't even put the leftovers in the fridge. They went right in the garbage. A solid 2 out of 10.. This was the second and last time. Sorry, China Palace.

Love this chain. Will not return to this location. Chicken and eggrolls were low key burnt…read more Up-charge for every sauce that's just been handed to me at other locations. The ice tea I purchased was coming out as a different sweet beverage but the response was "well it's full." Love the Eagle, Meridian and new Garden City locations.

A very good lunch spot I visit frequently. The food is hot, fresh and delicious. The portions are…read moregood size. I have had the beef, chicken, and orange chicken bowl and plate. If you are really hungry go with the plate. The service is polite and fast. I have had teriyaki sauce at many other places, but this one is one of the best. The only downside is parking is tough with limited spots. There are only 7 tables, but I've never had trouble getting a seat. I don't like bubble tea, but those who I've brought that do, really like it here.

Food was excellent! However, the young male employees in the back were cussing and being extremely…read moreloud and obnoxious. I didn't appreciate my kid hearing that. Shoutout to the girl working the counter, who told them off as she couldn't hear the customer actively ordering. Will come back, but will order takeout instead of dining in.

I have visited this location several times and have used their app ordering for to-go and dine-in,…read moreas well as ordering at the counter. I haven't once ever experienced an incorrect order or slow service regardless of the ordering method. This location is very convenient, as it's close in proximity to everything and great for to-go on your way to other places. I like the cool vibe of this place, though it's not bright inside. The music is good. I placed an app order to dine in (which isn't an option in the app, so everything is packaged to go) for my family and me. I ordered the regular bowl with brown rice, veggies and teriyaki chicken. Hubby had a white rice with teriyaki chicken and my daughter had the orange chicken with veggies and fried rice. My husband's bowl and my bowl were made to perfection...chicken was abundant, fresh, hot and tender. The chunks were a tad large which required a knife, but cut easily. The rice in both bowls were cooked to the right texture, my veggies were crisp tender and seasoned well. We also had the pot stickers and egg roll, the we all shared. The pot stickers sauce is too watery to stick to the pot sticker (no pun intended), but coats them with a pleasant gyoza "essence". Though the sauce wasn't my favorite, the pot stickers had crispy seams and edges, with soft middles. They were delicious. The egg roll tasted a little off, like there were dirty or old veggies inside. I wouldn't order again. My daughter loved the orange chicken. It was coated in a nice orange sauce, but the best part was that the chicken was soft and tender. Unlike another popular orange chicken place, their orange chicken is not heavily coated or candied. You can actually taste the chicken! The fried rice, however, was a huge miss. Maybe it was because the orange chicken was sweet, but the rice had an odd tang to it...not to mention, wasn't really fried. It was more like white rice with a heavy dose of soy sauce. Definitely not worth the upgrade....no peas, carrots or eggs to be found. Quite a disappointing experience with that alone. The bathroom needed a little TLC....broken/empty soap dispenser and the toilet looked pretty unclean. I must note that the only, cashier/expo/front of house was hustling and doing an exceptional job. I'm sure there wasn't enough time between doing all her jobs to QA the bathroom.

We received a bogo coupon and had to try it. It is comparable to Chipotle but asian style with a…read morePanda Express influence. So if you like that, it's good. If you're a foodie, you probably wouldn't love it. Service was great. The whole team worked so hard to accommodate a big line of people with their coupons. Kid's eat free on Mondays! My kids loved the potstickers. Their tofu has corn syrup. I'm sure other items do as well. They use soybean oil. You can find their allergen menu online. The yakisoba noodles were good. The citrus chicken was a good orange chicken. The soup had good flavor simple but good. Great place to go with kids and outside patio is nice. They were able to accommodate our family with gluten, egg and dairy allergies.

Newy opened Eagle location of a Utah HQ'd chain with over 100 stores, this one the second in Idaho…read more (The first in The Village in Meridian opened last Fall.) They were busy with locals, like us, taking advantage of BOGO coupons to bring in customers before the grand opening (8/8/26) to help get things ironed out for the friendly, if still a little reticent, young staff. Based on our visit, they are well on their way. My husband and I are not chain food fans but Zao is one we will use occasionally for take-away given healthy'ish options and easy access. THE MENU and $: Zao has Asian Cafe (or Grill depending on listing) as part of the name but there is also a distinctly Mexican fusion set of ingredients. They offer bowls, wraps, salads, tacos (wheat tortillas), soup that starts with good broth and sides like pot stickers (chicken). The base price for bowls, always our order, is about $11.00 and up if you choose extras. Portion sizes are generous at the price point. THE FOOD: In a service model like MOD pizza or Chipotle, you start by telling the people behind the counter what you want (bowl, etc) and what you choose as base (brown or white rice, yakisoba noodles, rice noodles or cucumber or combine two ) and as you walk down the line you'll choose protein (two portions are added and they can be of different kinds) of chicken (white meat), steak, tofu or braised pork (a smokey flavor) and often also a limited time special protein. Broccoli is offered as option for all, then a sauce of your choice from about six options, then veg toppings like carrots, corn, pickled onions and cilantro. There are options that work for people who are Gluten Free and also for vegetarians. The ingredients are always fresh looking and tasting. My only tip is to note that the rice noodles can often be overcooked. Alas. THE DRILL: Food is served in heavy paper / cardboard bowls to carry to a table. If you're ordering to go, they put a tightly sealed, no leak, lid on top. The ring up and pay is at the end of that line. The station for serve yourself water, napkins and utensils is right there too. (Beverages are all soft. ) If you're dining in, bus your own. VIBE & SEATING: This space is newly built in a complex in Eagle that is all fast food or fast casual chain restaurants. (Chick Fil A, Mo Betta and Panera are here too, as example.) This location has more seating and better options than the Meridian store for kinds of from high fixed stool counters, to standard table height with chairs. It is bright with windows on two sides. There is also a small patio on the side. Sparkling clean all around as staff keeps it tidied up during service hours. PARKING: Private lot but it will fill up fast at peak times given all the fast food places going in here. ACCESSIBILITY: Two accessible parking spots near the door, one van accessible. Accessible route to the order counter, check out is at standard height. Some tables with moveable chairs look like they would work for customers using wheelchairs. PS TIP - HANDEL'S ICE CREAM IS GOING IN NEXT DOOR! The first Idaho location for this outstanding ice cream brand is being finished up (August) and should be open in September'ish. It will be super busy and add to the parking challenge. (There is a scoop of black cherry with my name on it.)