one of our go-to restaurants for our family gatherings. we love this mom-and-pop establish that serves high-quality cantonese food! chef previously worked at sands in macau, which is why the food is top-notch. service provided by the mum and daughter are amazing. really sweet family with outstanding hospitality. aesthetics aren't there at all, but we're coming for the food and not so much the vibes. it's located in a super unassuming strip in the randomest city, but that's literally the definition of hidden gem, right?! must trys are all their pre-order dishes! their glutinous rice stuffed chicken wings (pricey, for sure), stuffed duck, fish that's wrapped in little bundles, sweet and sour squirrel fish, stir-fried taro. we always get the pumpkin soup with the egg white bundle as a starter, but it doesn't quite hit for me like the other dishes do. the quality of the dishes are impressive and super eye-catching. haven't seen dishes made to this caliber in socal. can't speak to the "regular" food, but i'm sure it'll hit just as much as the fancy dishes. read more

I recommend Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale). The food is fresh, fragrant, and filling. The flavor never overpowered its ingredients; rather, each dish was carefully cooked, highlighting the clean flavor of its fresh ingredients. My family and I left full and happy. (Important Note: Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations are preferred since it's a small location. There's also a "regular menu" and a "reservation menu." If customers want the more exciting menu options, customers must call 2 to 3 days ahead and reserve those dishes also. Concerning payment, this business only accepts Visa, Master Card, Cash, Zelle, and ApplePay.) My family and I arrived on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day (around 1PM). I'd made a reservation the day prior since I'd been searching for businesses that stayed open during Thanksgiving. Parking is very easy. The private lot is spacious with many spots. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Staff mostly spoke Mandarin; however, there was one staff member that could fluently speak English. Staff is very helpful and professional, and staff answered all our questions. We ordered seven dishes; all the dishes arrived within 38 minutes and 16 seconds. Good pace. The Salt & Pepper Fish Filet ($14) arrived in nine minutes. Then, six minutes later, the Beef Chow Fun ($13) and String Bean with Minced Chicken ($14) arrived. Then, 10 minutes later, the Combination Fried Rice ($17) and Salt & Pepper Shrimp ($17) arrived. Lastly, around 14 more minutes later, the Scallion Oil Chicken (Half - $17) and Almond Tea ($7) came. We happily devoured these delicious dishes. The Salt & Pepper Fish Filet had a thin, crisp crust with hot fish. It's gently seasoned. The Beef Chow Fun had springy, bouncy noodles. Its beef came very tender but a little lukewarm. The String Bean with Minced Chicken tasted clean and fresh; its chicken came tender and juicy. The Combination Fried Rice had plump shrimp, tender beef, and moist chicken. I especially loved how the rice felt hot & fluffy. It was well-seasoned. The Salt & Pepper Shrimp tasted crisp, plump, and well-salted; these shrimp were fried perfectly. The Scallion Oil Chicken tasted very tender and juicy. And the Almond Tea felt hot, velvety with the fresh aftertaste of almonds. Every meal felt clean and fresh. All in all, we appreciated how every dish lacked that overpowering/masking flavor. "TASTY!" Concerning ambiance, Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale) is clean, sleek, and minimalistic. The tables and floors are very shiny. There's about seven tables inside. There's also a customer restroom in the back. The location is also well-ventilated as soft music plays in the background. Overall, my family and I had a lovely experience at Sands Chinese Restaurant (Irwindale). The food is fresh, filling, affordable, and delicious. If curious, I definitely recommend. 5 out of 5 read more

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Sadly to see the closure of this restaurant. There is hardly seen Canto restaurants making classic dishes like Steamed Chicken Skin Stuffed with Shrimp Paste and many others. I hope they will come back strongly! read more

3.5 stars. I tried this place for the first time. I fouind out about it while passing by and got takeout. I orderd 4 of my usual dishes I like to order from Chinese places. This was pretty good. I would get their food again if I'm in the area, which isn't often. read more

Sand's Chinese Restaurant is a wonderful, family-owned gem that we absolutely love. It's a small, cozy place where you can truly feel the care and heart behind the food and service. The food is always great and very tasty, and the prices are reasonable too. Bobo, the wife, and her kids who help out -- Angel and Nathan, they are all so nice, pleasant, and welcoming. They always have such a friendly attitude toward their guests, which makes every visit enjoyable. This is our go-to place whenever we're craving Chinese food, and it never disappoints. Highly recommend giving it a try--you won't regret it! read more

Love, Love, Loved this place. Combo A dinner for four was fantastic! Flavors were spot on in every dish, from the egg rolls to the orange chicken, sweet and sour fish, egg plant, green beans and chow mein. I loved they had a steeped tea for the table. Very unique! Portions were perfect for the 4 of us with plenty to take home. I can't wait to come back! read more

Sands Chinese Restaurant - Combo A menu. - Chinese Near Me - Irwindale, California

Unique Chinese/HK style cooking. Make sure you make reservations and try out their various dishes. Might need to reserve for seasonal stuff. I have heard of them "forgetting" reserved dishes though from multiple people which is not cool. Otherwise, it's a good adventurous eating. You can tell the chef is sincere in cooking savory, unique dishes read more

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A family run restaurant. Though I'm familiar with Cantonese food, they had many different dishes available that I had never heard of previously. I had wanted to get the stuffed wings with glutenous rice, but they were out of it for the evening, but I was able to get the tofu special which was delicious . We also enjoyed the hot and sour soup as well as the salt and pepper chicken wings, which we substituted for the stuffed wings. We wish that we had come with more people so we could've tried more of the dishes. The family wait staff is very helpful and friendly. read more

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Food was delicious, came here for thanks giving dinner with family. Small and clean restaurant. Service was nice and attentive. read more

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What a find. A quaint little Chinese restaurant, but with a lot of selections and the food is so delicious. The family runned restaurant has great service and lots of recommendations. We came for lunch, but we will definitely come back for dinner. There are many great dishes you can pre-order from the menu. Can't wait to try. There's parking in the parking lot. read more

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Again excellent. My spouse was craving Sands excellent food. Drove over 60 miles to come eat read more

Sands Chinese Restaurant - Salt and Pepper Pork Chop - Chinese Near Me - Irwindale, California

Their attempts to elevate Cantonese cuisine to a different level is obvious. However their choice of fish, shrimp etc. needs a major upgrade to justify their high prices. we ordered a variety of items, but quite disappointed at some, such as the stuffed duck, it was way too greasy and mushy; the deep fried fish was seriously overpriced especially for a cheap choice of Tilapia fish; the fish stuffed tofu was average and the tiny shrimp in the lotus rice were not fresh. the location is remote and hard to find, food quality does not commensurate the high prices. the only two things that stood out was : service and presentation. Service was great! and you can tell much effort was put into the presentation. Unfortunately I would not be returning for the above reasons. read more

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Went back today in rainy rainy LA. They had added some specialty drinks to the menu. I also tried a couple of different dishes. The clear daikon reddish and beef soup just warmed my soul and on a day like today drinking that lemon rock sugar tea was like coming in from the cold and reading a boom by the fire. I was very surprised by how well the lunch special, Ma Po Tofu was made. Open M-Sat, closed Sundays. read more

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Excellent dishes! Authentic Chinese cooking in the heart of Irwindale, who would guess! Great service and Bo Bo is very attentive and courteous! We went back 3 times this month to try other dishes on the menu. read more

A hidden gem amongst hundreds of Hong Kong style Cantonese restaurants in San Gabriel Valley! Sands is located in a small generic strip mall with nondescript facade. But, boy, do they have good food! I was intrigued but skeptical about the 4.5-star rating on Yelp. Wife and I checked it out in December 2025 and were pleased. We had eggplant with minced chicken (in clay pot), Singapore style chow fun, golden & silver egg spinach all looked and tasted good. My wife ordered a half of crispy fried chicken. $23 seemed a bit stiff for 1/2 chicken but it's the best Cantonese style fried chicken (crisped skin without batter) I had in 40+ years. We're even more impressed with chef's special dishes than the ones on their regular menu. With 3-day advanced notice, I pre-ordered steamed (whole) cod, deep fried oysters, stuffed cabbage rolls, lotus leaf rice and candied sweet potatoes. A day later, the lady called and said the suuplier couldn't get fresh/live black cod and asked if it's okay to substitute with "red coat" (a type of red grouper) and I agreed. Everything was exceptional and our son polished off more than half of the approx. 2-lb fish, down to the sauce. Chef Dino truly knows how to cook/present his special dishes and showcase his talent in culinary arts. Excellent food and warm/friendly service of this family owned/operated restaurant is a rarity in highly competitive SCG. read more

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This was my first time here and my family as well. Was a special night of us getting together. Food was delicious not salty, just right on flavor. I'm still thinking about hot and sour soup Portions were good it was 6 of us no leftovers. Which was fine Service was also excellent we called and made reservations since we were a big party and wanted to be comfortable. Overall we will definitely be back and I've already recommended to friends read more

I was looking for coffee in Irwindale when I came across Sands. The signage and images outside the small shop were of very high quality, so I decided to come back a week later to try the food. The signage and images did not lie. They faithfully represented the high quality food and excellent service at that restaurant. The restaurant space is quite small, but well furnished and exceptionally clean, always. I have eaten many times at this restaurant, even though it is in a far away location. Consistent good food, like the West Lake Beef Soup, various dishes with tofu, and an excellent spinach dish that can be viewed as a vegetable dish or a soup. The very generous portion of spinach is served in a big bowl with plenty of light broth. I talked to the service folks and learned that Sands is truly a family run operation: the father, a highly qualified chef who previously worked at a big hotel in Macau, is the lone chef in the kitchen. His wife is the main server in the room; and does an amazing job of fast, courteous and dignified service. She gets help from their children when the children are available. The result of this setup is quality food with very clean taste and wonderful character. You cannot go wrong with any item on the regular menu. It is Hong Kong food at its best, even if it is not traditional or authentic in some cases. The innovative chef also has a large number of banquet items displayed in good photos on the walls. But I have not been able to participate in a banquet there because of the restaurant location. If you can get there, you will not regret trying this gem of a Hong Kong shop. read more

Family-owned unassuming storefront Sands Chinese Restaurant brings exquisite modern Cantonese cuisine to a new level in the small rock quarry mining town of Irwindale, CA, in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley. The expert culinary skilled Sands owner/chef creates and serves delicious and well presented specialty Cantonese dishes that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere in Southern California. Sands is a perfect venue for any casual family gathering or special occasion celebration. It is a smaller restaurant so reservations are highly recommended especially for large parties. We opted to pre-order many of their specialty items that needs 2-3 days to prepare and created our own banquet menu for a party of 9. We were not disappointed!! 1. Cucumber and Black Fungus Salad (4/5) - A nice refreshing unique starter with a bit of heat 2. Sweet and Sour Fried Wonton (5/5) - Perfectly fried tasty Wontons served with a seafood sweet and sour sauce 3. Whole Steamed Spicy Chicken (5/5) - Tender cold chicken dish with a pleasantly mild spicy sauce 4. Braised Stuffed Duck (5/5) - A specialty of Sands that is executed well and full of varying "eight treasure" flavors that blend together nicely to excite the palate 5. Braised Pork Belly (5/5) - Extremely tender and flavorful that could be one of the best served by any restaurant 6. Dry Sauteed Green Beans (3/5) - Nothing special but still good 7. Steamed Mushroom with Shrimp (4/5) - Nice blend of shitake mushroom and shrimp in white sauce that represents typical Cantonese cuisine 8. Stuffed Cabbage Roll (2/5) - Vegetarian dish that lacked flavor despite the pumpkin sauce and was the least favorite 9. Fried Tofu Box (4/5) - Unique way to serve tofu that was tasty 10.Lotus Leaf Rice (5/5) - Nicely infused lotus leaf flavor steamed into the rice with seafood and dried shrimp 11.Beef Chow Fun (4/5) - Good chow fun with extremely tender slices of beef Service was very good. Dishes came out at a good and not at too fast of a pace. Dishes were changed out often. Prices are reasonable for a small business serving unique specialty items in good size portions. For exceptional and contemporary Cantonese cuisine, Sands is a dining destination you should definitely not miss out on. read more

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Came here for lunch and it was a decent experience. The mashed garlic mixed vegetables was amazing -- couldn't have asked for a more flavorful dish. The beef did fall short a bit, unfortunately, as it was a little tough to eat. The sauce was also spicy and sweet instead of savory, which was a little confusing. Though, I would say it has one of the nicest presentations I've seen for this item. The lady who ran the store was professional and responsive but not too overly welcoming/friendly. The place was clean, and there was a wall of posters featuring their dishes (many of which require reservation). Overall, not a bad choice. read more

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We were impressed that the dishes were very beautiful and experimental. We ordered the crispy chicken, thousand layer tofu and beef Chow fun noodles. We also ordered a vegetable dish that was the disappointment of the meal as it was overcooked and the sauce overwhelming. read more

An unexpected hidden gem in this far flung forlorned corner of the sgv. It is, in fact, not that far from San Gabriel. All but a few miles. The dishes offered are refreshing and not what you would typically find in a Cantonese restaurant. Of note is the braised stuffed duck. The lotus leaf rice is a little muted compared to the fried halibut or braised duck, so this dish should be served first. There are several dishes that are less heavily seasoned, so those should be served earlier, too. Perhaps this family owned establishment would be kind enough to serve in the ascending order of flavorfulness if you request them to do so. Lol. There are quite a few unique dishes that are worthy of further exploration. read more

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Heard about this place from a friend. Was very interested in their unique special order items. So when it was my Finance's birthday, I had an excuse and suggested this place. For the special items you have to call in 3 days in advance to pre-order. For this meal, we pre-ordered the following items: 1. Stuff chicken wings (stuffed with sticky rice) 5/5 - Delicious, crunchy and unique. Took a lot of skills to make this dish. 2. Rice wine egg white Dungeness Crab 5/5 - Had a very lite rice wine flavor but the egg whites took in all the Dungeness crab flavor. Mixed it with rice and was delicious. Crab was fresh and yummy. 3. Shrimp paste wrapped in napa cabbage 3/5 - Not special. Flavor was good 4. 8 treasured stuff duck 3/5 - really enjoyed the sticky rice inside. Lots of flavor but the duck itself was very mushy. It was overcooked. 5. Rolled Steamed Tilapia 5/5 - The fish was fresh and flavorful. They filet the fish and wrapped each individual with veggies (either asparagus, shitake mushrooms or carrots) then steamed it. Took a lot of skills to make this dish. 6. Winter Melon Soup 4/5 - Entire soup was cooked in the winter melon. Flavor was the soup was bland though. Had lots of ingredients such as mushrooms, winter melon, and meat. 7. Thousand Layered Tofu 5/5 - Absolutely amazing. The tofu was sliced so thinly and neatly. Not a tear anywhere. The tofu some how soaked in all the flavor from the sauce. Definitely recommend. 8. Lotus Rice 3/5 - the lotus rice has a bunch of dried seafood ingredients mixed in but the flavor was lacking. 9. Fried Melon flavored Milk 5/5 - It was fried to perfection with a lite taste of honeydew melon. Yummy We also 2 additional items from their regular menu. 1. Soy sauce Chow Mein 4/5 - Had a lot of wok hey - Needed a little more salt 2. Garlic Ong Choy 3/5 - Lacked flavor It's a very small mom and pop restaurant. Only 2 large tables and 4 small tables. When we went on a Friday night at 7:15pm we were the only ones there. Only 2 other customers came in after for to go orders. They also close at 8pm. Located in a plaza so plenty of parking. The location is in a remote location, industrial area. Service was ok. She served the soap to us and packed our leftovers. We had to ask for water refills. Prices were expensive as you can see a lot of the items require a unique skillset to make and a lot of time to prepare. But definitely worth it. I will definitely want to come back for the rice wine egg crab, rolled steamed tilapia, thousand layered tofu and the fried melon flavored milk!! There were a lot of other items in the pre-order menu that we didn't get to try. read more

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We came several times already. Everytime when we have visitors, we will try to have dinner and order their special dishes. Tofu box, stuffed duck, fried chicken, melon soup and others are so good. Pity They do not serve alcohol. read more

Food was ok/good but the timing of all the dishes was just awful. I ate faster than the dishes were rolling out. If you know me, you know I eat at a snail's pace. -Fried Chicken: The chicken was delicious and perfectly crisp. They use a good quality chicken for this dish. -Stuffed Duck: The duck was gamier than most ducks I've had. Everything was very squishy and soft but pretty tasty. I do wish there was a different texture in there. Everything was just mush. -Stuffed Lotus Leaf: Taste was good but everything was mush, except for the shrimp...which were hard rocks because they were overcooked. My cousin said there's no leaf flavor in the rice. -Crispy Bone Fish: The snap peas were delicious but the fish was slimier than I thought it'd be. I thought it would be fried crisp and topped with a sauce but it was mostly just a slimy goo. -Sauteed String Beans: A bit on the salty side and extremely soft. I was surprised, I'm used to this dish being snappy. -Garlic Shell-on Shrimp: The shrimp was not fresh. It was mushy and missing the snap of fresh shrimp. -Melon Milk Rolls: I think this could be a bit crisper. Not really a fan of the melon flavor and the milk is a bit more firm than I'd like. I've had a more delicate roll. -Almond Milk: Not really sure why this is a reservation required dish. Good almond flavor but also kind of gritty with pulp. The only thing I'd order again from here is the chicken but with the wait, I wouldn't come back unless someone else plans it...but I might try to convince them to go elsewhere. read more

Probably had the most awkward low tier dining experience in a long time - for a 3-4 year old restaurant you figure Sands had enough time to fine tune their service and timing. Ive heard a lot of good things about this place so I booked a 8 treasure duck and a couple items 4 days in advance expecting greatness. When I got there with my family on time, there were 2 other booked families eating there which for most restaurants isn't that booked up. There were two other walk in small families and couples. We were told by the waitress they are packed. We waited 20-30 mins for the first dish to come out which was a soup, then another 10 mins for the duck. Then 20-30mins later the appetizers and the other main item came out and lastly when we were getting close to 2 hrs , we decided to cancel some dishes to keep the chef sane. Ridicules timing considering we preordered the main items. Later we learn the reason why the service was so slow - the restaurant has one person doing service and one person doing cooking. Maybe one more person doing prep and it's like this normally - it's on a. skeleton crew - mom and pop all the time. They could've limit the amount of reservation, not allow walk-in for fully booked nights or have extra help on busy days, but instead they decide to take all business and give subpar service and for everyone. All the customers were all hangry that night from waiting for their food. So if you want to try this restaurant you better reserve a slow day, slow time or else you will get a really bad experience. . probably best to prebook everything even the little dishes (they told us no scallion chicken we try to tack on) How's the food? Looks and taste good but when you wait for a long time and hungry at the same time, everything will taste good even if subpar so I can't really comment on the their food objectively. It at least looks good It's a shame i really want to like this place - was craving for some top tier canto food. I might try again in the future will see but I'm hangry just thinking about it right now. read more

Sands Chinese Restaurant - Duck - Chinese Near Me - Irwindale, California

This place is a hidden gem. The food was amazingly delicious. We ordered the orange chicken, kung pao tofu, and the sweet and sour fish. They served generous portions for the orange chicken and kung pao tofu dishes; enough to share. However, no rice or noodles were included with these dishes. So we ordered rice bowls as well. The sweet and sour fish was a lunch special which included a lemonade and egg rice. The kung pao tofu was crispy on the outside and soft inside; so good . The sweet and sour fish melted in my mouth and the flavor was on point. The service was great and our server was extremely nice. The restaurant is small but very clean and cozy enough. The food was a bit pricey but worth it as my family enjoyed every dish we ordered. We will certainly be eating here again. read more

Sands Chinese Restaurant - Kung Pao Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Irwindale, California

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I went here with my parents for thanksgiving lunch and it was lovely. It's a small business, family-run. The fish filet was delicious!! Good pescatarian options. My parents like the food here too, and they tend to be a bit picky when it comes to food. Service was good. Will be coming back, and it's right next to the Santa Fe Dam so we took a nice walk after lunch. read more

It was a pleasant experience having dinner in Sands Chinese restaurant; food was delicious and the presentation was awesome! Most dishes required a lot of skills and craftsmanship which are deeply appreciated! Service is attentive! The only complaint would be the almond soup ( dessert) which was too sweet to my taste bud! read more

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Our first visit to this tiny, 5 star, Hong Kong style, Chinese restaurant did not start off as smoothly as we hoped. But the final outcome was good enough that we know we will return. Our rough start was because of our unwitted timing. We almost missed their lunch hour, not realizing that they shut down for a few hours between lunch and dinner. Shame on me, it was posted correctly on Yelp as closing between 2 and 4. We arrived at 1:25. Instead of a warm greeting, the hostess/server informed us they closed in 30 minutes and that we should order to go. Looking around, there was nobody else in the dining room, so being slammed at the last minute was hard to swallow. So I informed her we had just driven an hour just to get there and did not want to wait another hour and have cold food. At that, we took a table and said we would eat quickly. And then another customer arrived and stayed to eat too. End of issue. We ordered quickly. And we were out, just beating the clock, and managed to keep our hostess' anxiety level down. Granted, it was tough to decide since we were unfamiliar with their menu. A word of warning...some items require pre-ordering ("reservations" I believe they were labeled). Of course, those were the ones that had caught my eye when I first read about this place on Yelp. One whole interior wall was devoted to beautiful photographs of these dishes. Torturous. Drool worthy. We chose two of our usual favorites, a beef chow fun and a beef with black bean stir fry (btw, the chef was unable to change it to pork; they have limited pork dishes), then, added a to-go order of scrambled egg with shrimp and an order of hot and sour soup. The beef dishes came out quickly and were both delicious, the meat quite tender, with some to bring home. Later that night, at home, we dived into the egg & shrimp scramble and the soup. Those latter two dishes were not as impressive as the two beef dishes. I can cross those off my list. We got a good enough impression, in spite of the few negatives, so that we are still eager to return. And we will be more cautious about out timing next opportunity we are in the vicinity. The regular menu, which is quite extensive, is not that pricey. Our entire lunch (4 dishes at Nov 2022 prices) was around $50. And there was plenty to enjoy on another day. I am unsure how much forewarning they need if we wanted to choose one of those special "reserved" dishes, but I can agree they need special prep time. Those dishes tended to also tended to be on the higher end of their price range, some priced as much as $100. I was a bit surprised at the wide range of pricing however, considering the small size of the overall restaurant. read more

Sands Chinese Restaurant - Beef chow fun. The beef was very tender but wish there was more meat. - Chinese Near Me - Irwindale, California

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Very nice restaurant, clean place, fresh food, worth my first review in yelp! You can feel the food is just cooked but not semi-finished food. read more

Apparently you need reservations to eat here. My family of 6 was denied service even though there was an empty table that would fit us. There's no signs that reservations are required nor was there a reserved sign on the table. So yea no idea if food is good or not but their service sucks! read more

This is probably the most authentic Cantonese restaurant I've eaten in Los Angeles. Their dishes are insanely good. Lotus leaf rice really captured all the lotus leaf flavor. The shrimp stuffed tofu is so good because of the sauce. It tastes just like in hong kong. The deep fried taro dessert is also perfectly fried with the sugar stuck on the side like it is supposed to. I tried this dish everywhere but no one can replicate it like this place. Lots of dishes here needs to be reserved 2 days in advance because it is alot of preparation. So be warned. The owners here are really nice and down to earth. Definitely try this place if you like Cantonese dishes or want to see what real hong kong do cooking is like. read more

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One of the best private Cantonese cuisine dining experience I have ever experienced. Friendly staff and great food. read more

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Introduction: I first heard about this establishment from my best friend who recommended I check this place out because to his understanding, this restaurant does various Chinese/Cantonese dishes that are not commonly seen anymore. After doing some research of my own, I was easily sold and decided to pay this establishment a visit with my best friend and another mutual friend of ours. Our experience for that night was unforgettable. Food: Chicken wings with glutinous rice: The chicken wings at Sands is the best chicken wings I've ever had; the outer skin of the wings has a light, delicate crunch while the interior of the wings is tender and moist. In addition, the wings are stuffed with glutinous rice, bits of shiitake mushroom, and preserved meat. When the tender chicken is eaten with the glutinous rice, mushroom, and preserved meat, the texture, and flavors are unforgettable. West Lake Beef Stew: I've had West Lake Beef Stew at a variety of eateries and they are more or less of similar quality. The West Lake Beef Stew at Sands is a class above in comparison to the conventional West Lake Beef Stew that is served at other restaurants. Here, the West Lake Beef Stew's broth is delicate, light, clean, smooth and inherently sweet with each spoonful. The beef is tender and without any minced joints [hard to find]. Although the stew is light in its texture and consistency, patron will feel a wholesome sense of fulfillment upon finishing the stew. Steamed Thousand Layer Tofu: First of all, I am not a tofu guy; I am okay with tofu but personally I'm not crazy about it. The Steamed Thousand Layer Tofu at Sands changed my understanding and appreciation for tofu by a significant margin. The knife work for this dish is exceptional in its degree of skill; each layer of tofu is sliced delicately thin in a uniform fashion. Upon eating the tofu, one will find the tofu's texture is unbelievably smooth: almost as smooth as that of fine silk. Eating the tofu with the shrimp and meat brings about a layered experience: one gets the seafood umami from the shrimp as well as the savoriness of the meat. Until I came to Sands, I did not know tofu can be this delicious. Lotus Leaf Rice: I've had Lotus Leaf Rice before at other locations and frankly it's one of my favorite dishes in terms of Cantonese cuisine. The Lotus Leaf Rice at Sands is well-made. Every spoonful is bursting with the layered flavors of the ingredients: carrots, scallop, egg, chicken etc. Having been steamed inside the lotus leaf, the rice is imbued with an inherent fragrance and warmth; as the patron's eating the rice, he is filled with a deep sense of satisfaction and satiation. Ambiance: Casual, small Mom and Pop shop, hole in the wall gem Service: The proprietor and staff are cordial, polite, and accommodating. Price: Reasonable Overall: When here I highly recommend getting the Chef's Specialty dishes because the dishes are labor-intensive and very hard to make. If one were to come to Sands and orders only the common every day entrees, then I am of the opinion the said patron(s) has wasted his trip to this restaurant. read more

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Dont know why, but the place was dead. Food was really good though. Had eggplant and beef, mapo tofu, soy sauce chow mein, broccoli and garlic. The restaurant is clean and vibe was pretty chill. Im not an expert in chinese food but i like what i like. Will come back again to try out the rest of the menu. read more

Food wasn't that good, price was extremely expensive for portion size is pathetic. Will not go back again

First time trying this restaurant, ordered few things from their regular menu, the cook and taste were great. but portions were a bit small. slice tofu was fantastic. it's a family own and operated place so the service was good, very kind to introduce some of their favorite dishes. the restaurant is not too big, 3 small tables and 2 large round tables are all. quite comfortable sitting. next time i will bring family and preorder some of their specialties for gathering read more

Ambiance: looked clean and tidy, however, it's small and doesn't accommodate a lot of seating. Therefore, we ordered for take out. Service: The server behind the counter who took our order was very friendly and helpful. I only noticed two servers tending the clientele. We were estimated our food to be ready in 30 mins. as they had a few large groups. Total wait time: 50 mins. Food: We ordered one dinner plate which consisted of: orange chicken, 2 mini egg rolls, steamed rice and chow mein. The taste was pretty good. We added a side order of fried rice and an order of 8 pc wings ($35ish). 3 stars because we actually waited 50 mins for one plate! :( Fried rice only had corn! No carrots, peas, green onion, egg or soy sauce. I was disappointed in the so called fried rice. :/ I noticed the dishes being served to the patrons at their tables were plated very nicely. Though the flavor of the orange chicken was pretty good-it wasn't in a batter coating and the chow mein was a thin noodle like I prefer, I found it overpriced and too long of a wait for average Cantonese food. read more

Highly recommend! Came for the first time and would visit again. We ordered 5 things and all 5 were excellent. Great prices and even greater taste, all was delicious. Thank you! read more

Chinese banquet food is what we call kung fu dishes, the term referring to labor and skill, they are increasingly rare due to their complexity and lack of younger talent in the industry but that is the kind of dishes being offered here at Sands. Chicken wings, de-boned and stuffed with a savory glutinous rice mixture and fried until the skin is crispy and the meat juicy; soft tofu, cut thin and evenly without breakage and dressed in a clear seafood sauce; fried rice with seafood, abalone sauce, dried shrimp, salted duck egg yolk, wrapped in a lotus leaf and steamed; a whole chicken de-boned, stuffed with minced shrimp paste, and deep fried until the top layer of chicken skin is crispy and the bottom shrimp paste is bouncy with hints of shaoxing wine, shallots, fish sauce; eight treasure duck, a whole braised duck stuffed with glutinous rice mixed with as the name implies, eight flavorful ingredients. Sands is not just a bastion of Chinese banquet cooking, it is also a local family business, the staff there are all family and provide very good service, they are working FoH, BoH, and even younger members are there both helping out with smaller tasks and doing their schoolwork. I cannot recommend Sands enough for a traditional Chinese banquet and highly recommend it and to invest in this family run business keeping a dwindling art form alive. read more

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