Chinese restaurant in Central Jersey

[kush22]

Hello all,

I know there are already a ton of recommendations for Chinese restarant on this forum. But all of those are quite far from us. We live in central Jersey. Any recommendations in this area? We love "Indian-Chinese" too, which is Indianized chinese dishes and there a lot of them in Edison (Ming, Nan-King etc). But never found good authentic Chinese place to go to..

Thanks

Kush

[Rosie]

We used to go to Black Orchid on Gill Lane in Iselin when we lived in the area.

[Cornus]

We used to go to Black Orchid on Gill Lane in Iselin when we lived in the area.

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Not *Black*...it's just called Orchid's, is a BYO, and is quite good. It's located on Gill Lane in a little strip mall just around the corner from the Metro Park station.

I go there quite often and have never been disappointed.

[Randi]

I like Treasure Garden on Inman Avenue in Colonia. I *love* their shrimp and sizzling rice soup. yum! And their specials are usually quite fresh and delicious.

Also, someone was raving about Dragon Palace (I think that's the name) in the Oakwood Shopping Plaza at Oak Tree Rd and Wood Avenue (Edison).

[BrianYarvin]

Randi:

That would be me; I'm a big fan of the food at the Dragon Palace. Their (Chinese langauge only) Sichuan menu is one of the best in the state. I'm an even bigger fan of King's Village on Route 27 (they've just done the very big job of translating more of their Chinese menu into English) at the other end of Edison for noodles and Dumplings.

1-9 Seafood on Route 1-9 in Avenel has very good dim sum too.

I could think of three or four others too; there's lots of great Chinese food around here.

[kush22]

Thanks all.

Brian Yarvin, could you please let me know those other "Three or four places" too :)

I am curious :)

Thanks and I will definitely post once I try some of them..

Kush

[BrianYarvin]

Kush:

Three or four more? Okay....

Edison

Great Shanghai on Route 1, especially for casseroles and stewed dishes.

China Bowl on 27 in the same strip mall as National Wholesale Liquidators for Hong Kong style noodle soups and congee - very, very popular on weekend afternoons.

Wonder Seafood Restaurant on 27 south of the post office and north of Plainfield Ave. for Cantonese style banquet dishes and dim sum service.

South Plainfield

Food court inside the Hong Kong Supermarket at the corner of Oak Tree Road and Park Avenue (about 2 miles down Oak Tree from the Indian Strip in Woodbridge). Visit the Taiwan-style noodle stall (look for the map of Taiwan) and the bread and dumpling place right next to it. The noodle stall closest to the front door has something called "hand cut noodles" - worth it if you can take the time to watch the guy cut them.

Highland Park

Shanghai Park on 27 in town. Go on a weekend evening when you can watch the chef make soup dumplings in front of you. Kids seem to especially like this.

I think this is more than four and I'm just warming up.

[WestOrangeFrank]

Have you tried Penang yet? They are a small local chain and considered Malaysian fusion in Edison right off 9.

505 Old Post Rd, Edison, 08817 - (732) 287-3038

[laurenmilan]

I always have a great time at the Dynasty on route 22 in Green Brook, terrific full Dim Sum 7 days a week.

I recommend the clams in black bean sauce and the crab claws.

[David McDuff]

Check out a place called Crown Palace, located just off Route 18 in Marlboro, NJ. It's a bit of a hike from the Edison/Woodbridge area but I always found it worth the drive when I lived in Highland Park. They have an extensive menu, full of the standard fare of course but with some serious, traditional dishes as well. Their dim sum weekend brunch is arguably the best in the area.

[CiriloE]

I always have a great time at the Dynasty on route 22 in Green Brook, terrific full Dim Sum 7 days a week.

I recommend the clams in black bean sauce and the crab claws.

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Probably the best Dim Sum in the mentioned list but it has gotten very pricy in the last 5 years.

Cirilo

[BrianYarvin]

Cirilo:

Besides Dynasty, which are your other favorites? Are there any dim sum places you like that aren't on the list?

[markk]

After reading this thread about a week ago, I tried Dynasty on Rt. 22, and Wonder Seafood in Edison, both for the first time.

Dynasty seemed like faded glory to me. The place was dingy and seedy, and the offerings were sparse. The few dim sum I had were just okay, and I cut it short.

Wonder Seafood, on the other hand, was great, and packed with people. The dim sum was just exquisite, and we pigged out on it. Everything was a standout. I can't wait to go back. And the people were as nice and as helpful as can be. A giant Thank You to whoever it was above that mentioned this place !!!

[Joon]

I'm surprised no one here knows about China Star, at the PathMark plaza on Rt 1/Plainfield Ave. You mentioned Indian/Chinese, but this place is a Korean/Chinese joint.

Some of my personal favorites:

Jap-chae Bap. (clear noodles and rice)

Tang Soo Yuk (aka Tang soo so gogi - sort of like sweet+sour chicken)

Jam-Bong. (spicy noodle bowl)

Boo choo jap chae. (beef and leek/scallions)

You mean also want to try Ja-Jang myun, which is like the "Spaghetti with meat sauce" of Korean chinese food. Except it's a black bean sauce, but it's the most popular of the chinese korean dishes.

This place is sort of a "Secret" korean joint. For some reason they only hand you the Korean menu if you're korean...I've even gone there a couple times and had so specifically ask for the Korean menu!

It looks like a runofthemill chinese joint but their food is really spectacular.

[titmfatied]

Jap-chae Bap. (clear noodles and rice)

Tang Soo Yuk (aka Tang soo so gogi - sort of like sweet+sour chicken)

Jam-Bong. (spicy noodle bowl)

Boo choo jap chae. (beef and leek/scallions)

You mean also want to try Ja-Jang myun, which is like the "Spaghetti with meat sauce" of Korean chinese food. Except it's a black bean sauce, but it's the most popular of the chinese korean dishes.

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Thank you so much. I can't wait to try this place. Out of curiousity, are these items off the Korean menu not usually given out? If possible, could you post how to ask for the menu in Korean?

[Randi]

Randi:

That would be me; I'm a big fan of the food at the Dragon Palace. Their (Chinese langauge only) Sichuan menu is one of the best in the state. I'm an even bigger fan of King's Village on Route 27 (they've just done the very big job of translating more of their Chinese menu into English) at the other end of Edison for noodles and Dumplings.

1-9 Seafood on Route 1-9 in Avenel has very good dim sum too.

I could think of three or four others too; there's lots of great Chinese food around here.

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Brian - If the menu at Dragon Palace is in Chinese, can you give me some advice about what I could order? (and how? )

Also - I have been eyeing the Chinese seafood place on Rt. 1/9 and wondering how it is - can you give me a little more info? Are they only good for dim sum?

I am adding King's Village on to my "places to try" list as well! Thanks for the tip!

[wfnugent]

At Dragon Palace, you will not be the only English speaker to point and say "I'll have what she's having." The eggplant stew is fantastic. I don't know the names of most of the things I've eaten there, but I have never left hungry or without a smile.

I have chided the owner to fix the menu and he said that he was working on it.

Bill

[CiriloE]

I tried Dynasty on Rt. 22, and Wonder Seafood in Edison, both for the first time.

Dynasty seemed like faded glory to me... the offerings were sparse.  The few dim sum I had were just okay, and I cut it short.

Wonder Seafood, on the other hand, was great, ...  The dim sum was just exquisite,...Everything was a standout. 

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Kush:

Edison

Great Shanghai on Route 1, especially for casseroles and stewed dishes.

China Bowl on 27 in the same strip mall as National Wholesale Liquidators for Hong Kong style noodle soups and congee - very, very popular on weekend afternoons.

Wonder Seafood Restaurant on 27 south of the post office and north of Plainfield Ave. for Cantonese style banquet dishes and dim sum service.

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I liked Dynasty for the longest time and stopped eating anywhere else in NJ for dim sum except for an occassional trip to Rte 1 & 9 Seafood. Finally got around to eat at Wonder Seafood, a lot. I have to admit Wonder Seafood is a great find. Will keep coming back. Thank you Mark and Brian.

Also agree with Daniel's post about China Bowl. I developed a thick skin eating there regularly when my Mom was in the Hartwyck facility nearby. Wonder Seafood wasn't around then. I still go for their roasted duck and lechon.

Cirilo

[BrianYarvin]

China Bowl and Wonder are both Cantonese, but the similarity stops there. Wonder is a "white tablecloth" fine dining restaurant with dim sum service in the mornings and banquet dishes later on and China Bowl is a noodle shop of the sort that Hong Kong office workers might hit during their meal break.

Both are worthwhile for completely different reasons.

BTW...my own recs:

At Wonder - weekend dim sum service

At China Bowl - squid with black bean sauce over rice

[Arpad]

Surprized no one mentioned Mie Thai in Woodbridge - right across from city hall in the strip mall.

[titmfatied]

Update:

Ubfortunately King's Village on Rt. 27 is now closed. Went by the other day and there are newspapers covering the windows and a sign in Chineese on the door. Too bad, too. those dumplings were the best I ever had.