Any good Chinese restaurant's near Edison NJ

[latefordinner]

I would actually travel to a good one.I don't think anything near Edison area is that great.There used to be one where Pantagis diner is now.I remember when you got won ton soup it actually had a green spinach or whatever it was leaf in it,now only chopped up scallions!That's was how I started my food rating in one,The soup!

[wench31]

Not sure if this was mentioned, but you should try Noodle House:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/855634

[marfoodie]

Wonder Seafood is good but you should also try China Bowl and Sichan Spring - 2 other restaurants on the Route 27 corridor in Highland Park/South Edison.

[chowhounder411]

I went to Wonder and the manager steered me away from the authentic menu with each item I tried to order from it. He said, "I want you to get something you like so you return!" White guy problem? :(

[LEOFONT]

CHOWHOUNDER 411....He did the same with me....steered me away from the menu, I'm pretty sure the dishes he is recomending are better "profit" meals,....I don't think he is acting in the best interest of the customer, but in the restaurant's best interest......I took his advice once and did not like the dish...

[albinoni]

Not our experience at all. Maybe we're talking about a different person, but Tommy has consistently recommended some of the best dishes we've had at Wonder Seafood--dishes that have become part of our mainstay menu there.

[chowhounder411]

Yes, it was Tommy. Nice guy though. Additionally, we didn't receive the evening dim sum menu with the regular dinner menus but the other customers (all Asian by the way) did. I would have asked but didn't notice this until after we ordered. Further notes: Excellent scallion pancakes, like none other I've had before. They reminded me of a potato pancake because of the moist inside but crispy outside. Scallion pancakes I normally receive from other establishments are thin, dry and overcooked. Also, the lobsters from inside the tank tasted like they were raised in them! They are in that freshwater for way too long because when I was done eating my hands smelled like I was handling bass from a pond all day. I've never once had this occur while eating any saltwater shellfish ever before. I'm getting grossed out even now talking about. Not very fresh. I was trying to order the spiced and salted lobster from the authentic menu and it was insisted upon that I try the lobster with ginger and scallion if I wanted lobster.

[chowhounder411]

Though I'm fairly certain you had your dinner already, if you're still willing to travel the best Chinese I've been to in New Jersey Chengdu 23 in Wayne. Szechuan. It's probably BETTER than any szechuan in NY, my opinion and that of others as well. I recently heard about Chef Jon's in Whippany and it sounds very interesting.

[joonjoon]

I'd like to ask a similar question re-phrased...which is the *best* Chinese in Edison? I'm meeting up with a friend tonight and we're both in the mood for Chinese. Wonder Seafood? Grand Shanghai?

[MGZ]

What about Dragon Palace? I think that might be my favorite. I'm sure you've probably already read the posts by now, but there's some discussion of the virtues of each.

[joonjoon]

Yeah I've been to Dragon Palace and enjoyed it very much, but I'm looking to try something different. Specifically a good Cantonese or Shanghainese joint.

[yCf]

Wonder Seafood is probably the best Cantonese joint is Edison.
I am not too crazy about Grand Shanghai. I rather go to Shanghai Bun (Edison) next to Keum Ho Jung or Noodlelicious (tiny Strip Mall next to Hmart).

[latefordinner]

sorry,I've tried most places that have been mentioned and I don't think any of them are that great.I guess it's off to NY for Chinese food.and let me rephrase,Yes I was talking about the bok choy floating in the soup not the won ton.

[Duppie]

OK. lets try it from the other end and perhaps we can recommend some other choices. What restaurants in NY are your favorites and what type of Chinese food do they offer?

[latefordinner]

well I actually like Chinese the best but i like Cantonese too.In NY we go to Mott st, Big Wong is good and so is peaking duck house.we also like Grand Sichuan on Canal.Sorry I don't want to be a mean girl but these are only good and in Edison nothing compares.

[joonjoon]

Thanks for your helpful comment. I guess we just won't eat anything when we meet up.

Sorry to be snarky but seriously, there are extremely few places in NJ that aren't surpassed by something in NYC. That doesn't mean NJ doesn't have acceptable food, and I think all the Chinese people dining at places like Wonder Seafood should be evidence that it's more than adequate. How is it helping anything to come and say "there's nothing in Edison that's as good as NYC"?

[Duppie]

While I too have issues with the quality of restaurants available in NJ,I must agree with you,Wonder Seafood actually surpasses Big Wong,which is a well documented tourist trap specializing in roast meats, not seafood and real big with the cheap lunch crowd.Peaking duck house is more of the same and deteriorated dramatically since the big renovation and Grand Sichuan is a large Restaurant chain which basically franchises in the Asian community.
I don't believe the OP has eaten at Shanghi Bun or had Wonder Seafood's excellent Dim Sum which surpasses the likes of Joe Shanghi, Golden Unicorn or Red Egg in the city. The OP likes what she likes and I wish her good eats.....whether it be Chinese or Cantonese ?.

[latefordinner]

sorry to upset you but I am actually looking for a good one,I didn't want to knock Edison's Chinese restaurant's.I haven't eaten in all of them but the ones I have weren't that great.

[yCf]

So true. I cannot agree with people that thinks NYC Chinatown has "far" superior Chinese food than anything in NJ. Are the stuff in NYC better in general? Yes. But if you live in central NJ, it is just not worth the time and money to go over to Chinatown when there are plenty of good options in NJ (esp. in Edison).

Flushing actually has better offerings than Manhattan Chinatown if you are going to travel.

If you really want great Chinese food in North America, go to Scarborough or Markham, Ontario, Canada.

[Duppie]

I partially disagree... the best Cantonese food in North America is actually in Vancouver, Canada. When Mainland China took back HK,the families with means,restauranteurs and their chefs moved to Vancouver, so much so that it is still referred to as"Hongcouver" and boasts the most traditional HK styled banquet and dim sum restaurants in Canada. The range of raw goods,seasonings and greens in the Asian markets rival HK partially because of the abbreviated flight/shipping time and demand between the upper North West coast and Asia.Markham and Scarborough registers a larger population from Mainland China and their cuisine.

[latefordinner]

OK I said Good not great about the 2 resturants in NY and I only put them on here after being asked to.All I'm asking is,where in or near Edison is just as good as either of the tourist traps.So what are the good options in Edison?Also Yes Canada has great food but I'm not going that far.I have never been to wonder seafood,where is it?

[Duppie]

At the risk of appearing indelicate, I believe that most contributors to this particular tread would question your condemnation of all Chinese restaurants in Edison without first dining in one of the truly Authentic Cantonese seafood restaurants in the area.Not showing an understanding that Chinese food is regional with restaurants that specialize in the cuisine of their particular part of a large and diverse country and culture,and further gauging the quality of Edison's offerings by comparing it to some very marginal tourist meccas in the city.
I for one don't believe you have a clear understanding of the type of so called Chinese food you like or consider a"good one". Again I don't want to appear that I'm "dissing" you but perhaps you should investigate further,keep an open mind,read some of the many treads devoted to this very subject and not judge all Chinese restaurants in Edison by what basically amounts to warmed over stock with frozen wontons and "green spinach or what ever leaf was in it".
Start by braving the crowds on weekend mornings and have Dim Sum at Wonder Seafood and mention to them It's your first time and what's good that morning,look over at your neighbor's table and see what they're ordering.Then visit Shanghai Bun and have a tray of their excellent soup dumplings or braised beef sandwich... I believe you'll be pleasantly surprised and finally realize that "Chinese Food" is a far sight more than greasy fried rice,tough roast pork with a bowl of fried wonton skins with florescent duck sauce and bottled hot mustard as an appetizer. Good luck.

-----
Wonder Seafood Restuarant
1984 State Route 27, Edison, NJ 08817

[joonjoon]

Hi Latefordinner, let me apologize in advance if this got a little...unfriendly. It's just that Edison actually has a large number of great restaurants of all ethnicities including Chinese. As a matter of fact some of the best Chinese food in the entire state of NJ can be found there. The reason I was asking for recommendations is because there are so many good Chinese joints in Edison that it's hard to pick one!

To summarize and add to what Duppie said, I would suggest the following if you haven't tried them:

Cantonese/Dim Sum @ Wonder Seafood
Shanghainese @ Shanghai Noodles
Sichuan @ Dragon Palace
Korean Chinese @ China Star or Edison Noodle House

Are they the best ever? No, but these places are putting out solid representations of the regional Chinese flavors and are definitely worth a visit for any 'hound.

What I was asking in this thread wasn't "are there any decent Chinese joints in Edison" - but rather - who is the *best*? There are enough solid Chinese joints of all types in Edison to warrant a Chow tour - as a matter of fact Edison is one of the most chow-worthy cities in all of New Jersey!

It is a little puzzling to me though that you've tried most of the places mentioned and were underwhelmed. But hey, it's a free country and you're allowed to have your own taste buds! :)

BTW, Wonder Seafood is right across 27 from Sam Ash, at the intersection of 27 and Plainfield Ave.

[latefordinner]

well we are going to try Wonder seafood this week and thanks for the other suggestions,there was 2 we never went to on there so we will give them a try also.I will definatly let you know what we think.Believe me its not like I dont want to not like the food here with the gas prices I would be happy to find one I like and keep on going back.Sorry but if I tryed one and liked it this tread wouldnt of started to begin with.

[joonjoon]

>Flushing actually has better offerings than Manhattan Chinatown if you are going to travel.

Man Flushing/Queens is like a Chowhound's holy grail isn't it? Manhattan Koreatown totally pales in comparison also.

By the way, how is Noodlicious? I keep driving by it and wanting to check it out but by the time I'm in Edison I already have a destination in mind. I mean how can a place called Noodlicious not be awesome? haha

[Duppie]

You're quite correct,Chinatown as we remember it is rapidly moving to Queens. The rents are becoming astronomical and the owners of the buildings that house the small groceries and hole in the wall restaurants are cashing in on the real estate boom downtown. On another tread I just found out that several longtime favorite Chinatown restaurants will be closing to make way for a luxury hotel.
I drive to Queens regularly for Thai,Malaysian,Vietnamese and Filipino food but have yet to visit the New World food mall in Flushing, which I understand is a cleaner version of the infamous Golden shopping mall of Travel network fame.

[yCf]

I only been to Noodlelicious once but really want to return. It was really good. Definitely worth making it a destination. Mind you, it is a small place that meant for you to grab a bowl of noodle and maybe some appetizer and leave. So if you want to sit down and spend some time with a friend over food, this is not the place. Not that they will kick you out, but you can the idea.

[BrianYarvin]

Joonjoon:

I love Noodlicious! They have a tiny menu of noodle soups and side dishes all of which are great for what they are. Service is warm and quick too.

While I believe that the small menu is one of the reasons this place is great, some people might be surprised that they can't get anything else.

In addition, please add the following to your list:

Tianjin cuisine @ King's Village
Indian Chinese @ Calcutta

BTW...it looks like the China Bowl will be reopening at a new location right by King's Village in the near future.

I don't want to quarrel with Latefordinner, but I think that Edison has the best Chinese restaurants in New Jersey.

Sorry.

[yCf]

Is there any progress with the China Bowl location?
Every time i drive by, it is still boarded up.

[BrianYarvin]

I have no idea what's happening with China Bowl and I'll report back if I see any serious activity. Despite all the great Chinese food in the area (sorry!), I still miss it.

[BigGeorge]

I passed by China Bowl ( the old Season's restaurant) and I was impressed with how much work has been done over the last few months. Nothing much had been done prior to this winter, but it appears now that they are making a serious effort to complete the renovations.

[BrianYarvin]

Okay...this is one more place in an ocean of really great Chinese restaurants but I'm still happy to see return. The place had a great Cantonese/Chinatown menu and made wontons that might not have pleased the original poster, but were fine for me.

[chuck98]

It's been two years, right? I wish they'd finish up soon. At least they now have "coming soon" signs.

King's Village and Wonder Seafood are my favorites around here, although that's partly style and partly quality. Hong Fu has decent food if you're looking for Shanghai. Grand Shanghai needs to beef up the "authentic" menu - I seem to remember the lunch specials were all in the vein of kung pao and garlic sauce.

I thought the beef noodle soup at Noodlelicious was very good.

I'll also mention the Malaysian places like Coco and Penang - the curry noodle soups there are, in my opinion, the best soups in the area and probably the best soups I've ever had, anywhere. Love that malaysian curry. Coco has a new lunch special menu, too. Some good looking things on it.

[Duppie]

On the topic of COCO....Have you had their curry fish head soup or the assam laksa, 2 of my favorite Malay dishes and so hard to prepare correctly. I want to try COCO but find precious little on CH and Yelp reviews has to be taken with a large grain IMHO.

[chuck98]

I've had the asam laksa and I thought it was good, although I'm not particularly fussy. More onions than I would prefer but otherwise similar to the NYC places. My friend calls it "pain soup" because the first few spoonfuls are like getting assaulted, and then you get used to it and it's delicious. I had the regular fish head soup at penang, not the curry, and it was ok. Not my thing.

The NYC viet places would also have pho bo sate, which is like pho with curry in the broth. It's great but I haven't found it anywhere in NJ.

[Duppie]

Thank you, When Penang first opened in Edison so many years ago,it was my go to place for a nice pungent Laksa but over time they morphed into Malaysian Lite and I've not returned. While the curry is very good at Pho Da Nang in Parlin, I have not really seen the Pho you described, but they are such accommodating people,I'm sure they will make it for you.

[chuck98]

Way out of my lunch range, but maybe I'll plan a special trip. I don't normally get vietnamese curry, which cuisine's curry is it similar to?

[Duppie]

Malaysian. The curry chicken served with a warm baguette is an appetizer but is large enough for a main so we order it with rice.

[arpad]

Wasn't that South Pacific ?

You might try Jade Garden on Amboy Ave across from the Stewart's restaurant .

[latefordinner]

Yes that was South Pacific,we miss it.Tried Jade Dynasty,it's OK.