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I typically will not write a negative review but this restaurant needs some redirection. Bellingham has many good to excellent restaurants for meals. This is definitely not one of them. The service is nonexistent and the food is subpar. I ordered a BBQ combo plate. It came in a Styrofoam box with a plastic fork. There were chop sticks available but not even a plastic knife. The meat was not BBQed but the chicken was good – more like a stir fry with teriyaki on a griddle. The pork short rib was inedible as it was tough and full of gristle. The ‘BBQ’ beef was tasty but very tough. I found that the reason that there were no knives was that they would have immediately been broken if you tried to cut the pork or beef.I ordered chow mein as my side dish and it was so greasy that I could not eat very much of it. I’ve never eaten chow mein before that had almost no vegetables – simply all carbs. The other side dish that added to my carb loading was macaronni that was smuthered in mayonaise. Needless to say, I’ll not be a repeat customer. There are better restaurants in Bellingham for cheaper prices.

• Vietnamese Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 1098 Bank St, Ottawa
• Little India (Bombay Street Food) Menu with Prices 2236 Highland Ave, Birmingham
• Chinese & Indian Fusion – Menu with Prices – 100 N Almaden Ave, San Jose
• California Teriyaki Grill – Menu with Prices – 6041 Bolsa Ave, Huntington Beach
• Chow To Go Chinese Restaurant – Menu with Prices – 3255 W Hammer Ln # 19, Stockton
• New Latin American Food & Bakery – Menu with Prices – 3705 W 20th Ave, Hialeah
• Flame and Skewers – Menu with Prices – 25870 McBean Pkwy, Santa Clarita
• Nepali Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 3047 W Henrietta Rd, Rochester
• Hong Thai Express – Menu with Prices – 4155 Rickey St SE #134, Salem
• Yumi Asian (on APB) – Menu with Prices – 425 Avalon Park S Blvd #200, Orlando
• LA Express Chinese Food – Menu with Prices – 2229 S Mountain Ave, Ontario
• Yaso Noodle Bar – Menu with Prices – 289 Mercer St, New York

Vietnamese Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 1098 Bank St, Ottawa

I’ve been here a couple times previous to the visit that prompted this review. Once in mid-January, with my girlfriend and I both sick, and the temperature hovering around -20, I picked up a couple “phos to go” late on a Wednesday evening. I remember it feeling like a reasonable, and somewhat more convenient option to our regular Pho Bo Go La (you know, one of those 5 on Somerset). The other time was a few weeks later when I took my girlfriend there for lunch. I had the pho again, and she had the vegetarian chow mein. My pho was okay, once again, but her chow mein was off. The noodles were overcooked, the veggies undercooked, and everything slathered in a nice thick coat of grease. Still, she persevered, and we both put it down to a bad afternoon. Recently, we were going to school, felt ravenous, and were in the mood for Vietnamese food. We stopped in again at the kitchen, and somehow, ordered exactly the same things, but with a side of sweet and sour soup. Now, let me be clear, the sweet and sour soup was very good. We enjoyed that part. Next, came the mains. My girlfriend’s chow mein was a hardened, greasy disc of over-fried noodles with an odd collection of random vegetable chunks tossed around the plate. It was disgusting. My pho came, looked okay, until upon further inspection I saw green streaks on some of the meat pieces. I called the server over, and pointed out the problems with both meals. She immediately offered to replace the chow mein, but insisted that I could eat the bowl of soup. I said that green beef wasn’t something I wanted to take a risk on, and she countered that it was dye from the butcher. I don’t think this happens. Does it? I don’t know. Anyway, I refused to budge, we got our money back, and won’t ever go back again.

Little India (Bombay Street Food) Menu with Prices 2236 Highland Ave, Birmingham

On the recommendation of the Owner/Chef, we tried the Chili Chicken with Fried Rice. The dish came out steaming hot in a reusable to-go container. The chicken was battered and fried before being covered in “gravy”, a mildly sweet and spicy sauce. The gravy dishes are by default served with generous helpings of gravy, although they can also be ordered “dry” or “without gravy”. This dish was delicious and far superior to any Chinese takeout near the area, especially for a menial $7. We also ordered the Chicken Hakka Noodles, a dish similar to Chow Mein, although more complex. Hakka noodles are a type of boiled noodles that are tossed and mixed with vegetables, chicken and sauces. Both Hakka Noodles and chow mein are made using noodles and similar kinds of vegetables are added to it. However, there is a slight difference between the two. While Hakka noodles have their roots in Hakka Han or Han Chinese, chow mein comes from Taishan. Hakka noodles have dominant Bengali flavours but chow mein has flavours that can be closely associated with Chinese flavours. Whatever the differences in chow mein and Hakka noodles, they were certainly tasty!  This dish was served tossed with chicken and green onions and a savory sauce with a latent heat. Another win, and again, for only $7.  Perhaps inaptly titled, “Little India,” offers more Chinese-Indian fusion than they do Indian food. New names for the establishment are being tossed around. Most of the menu items sounded like Chinese dishes, however, many dishes of modern Indian Chinese cuisine bear little resemblance to traditional Chinese cuisine. Staple base options for an Indian Chinese meal include chicken, shrimp or vegetable variants of “Hakka” or “Schezwan” noodles popularly referred to as chow mein; and regular or”Schezwan” fried rice. Though the names sound similar to familiar dishes, this food stands alone.

Chinese & Indian Fusion – Menu with Prices – 100 N Almaden Ave, San Jose

Urban Momo is definitely a delight. Whenever I go to San Pedro’s Square, I balk about having to pick somewhere to eat. Last time, I tried Urban Momo and it’s going to be hard not to get a dish of Momo and Mango Lassi every time I go there. I got the veggie Momo and they were delicious. The dough or “skin” of a Momo is a bit thicker than your Chinese dumplings, so it’s got some decent chew. Unsurprisingly, the spices used in the Momo and in the sauce were reminiscent of Indian spices. My party also got the chicken chow mein. Since the servings are quite large, we shared everything. I thought I could pick off the chicken but it’s a bit difficult to do that, so just keep that in mind if you’re sharing (and you probably should share). The chow mein noodles are thin and not at all greasy. There’s a really healthy amount of cilantro on them, however, so if you’re not a fan, it’s difficult to get around it. The mango lassi was delishhhhh. I basically downed mine in the first few minutes. The food here did take a while to come out, but it’s worth it.

California Teriyaki Grill – Menu with Prices – 6041 Bolsa Ave, Huntington Beach

Okay, so this place used to be very good. They have just been bought and the new owners are cutting corners in ways that made me leave a 1 star review. First they changed the quality of their chicken, but like, whatever, a a whole bunch of bones and a shit ton of fatty pieces of chicken here and there is no big deal. They used to serve chow mein and it was delicious. I would go here 2 times a week and if I didn’t get there before 1pm, they would sell out of it. This would happen ALL the time. I go there today and ask for chow mein and the cashier tells me they are no longer making it at all. That it “wasn’t selling.” I asked how it wasn’t selling if they sold out everyday and she said she didn’t know, but the new owners said they were throwing a lot of it out. So a combination of poor quality chicken, with bones and fatty pieces, and the lack of chow mein effectively killed California Teriyaki for me.

Chow To Go Chinese Restaurant – Menu with Prices – 3255 W Hammer Ln # 19, Stockton

I was in the neighborhood, driving around this random parking lot, when I stumbled upon this Chinese to go restaurant. Let me begin by saying, I’m really glad I stumbled around and saw this place. Most Chinese restaurants are just known for it being cheap, serving massive portions of sloppy, greasy food, but in my opinion, this place was different. The prices were reasonable, but to top it off (based off my first experience), the food’s quality was phenomenal. I ordered A4: 3 prawns, sweet & sour pork, bbq pork fried rice & chow mein. It wasn’t as greasy as many other Chinese places and the serving size was perfect. Kudos to the chef in the kitchen who did an amazing job, the food was definitely worth the small wait. The only thing that needs improvement is probably the place itself. It could really use a good cleaning and perhaps a renovation (maybe use the closed off dine in area for more business purposes, like, for example, milk tea. Call it Chinese Chow & Milk Tea To Go). The in store menu’s prices definitely needs to be updated. Maybe even add more decorations. Make the place come back to life please! I was a bit sad to see the dine-in area being closed off, old tables and chairs being used for stacks of empty cardbard boxes, what a waste of space! The place looked a bit run down.. didn’t really look as clean either. While I was waiting for my food, I noticed there were bits of crumbs on the counter. It actually made me kinda worried that my food would come out with a dead fly or something… (but I’m very glad I found nothing wrong with the food.) I enjoyed the food and would probably come back, not to admire the place, but just for the food :3

New Latin American Food & Bakery – Menu with Prices – 3705 W 20th Ave, Hialeah

When I give a Hialeah business a bad review, I think of it as tough love, as an intervention. New Latin American needs an intervention! I went a few Saturdays back when I found they were actually open. Yes, that’s a complaint because with their early closing time it seems to be only a cafeteria for Westland Promenade employees. I think it closes exactly at 5pm. No biggie though, because other than the pleasant server, the place can stay closed. A lot of their dishes appear to be precooked, and they have different daily specials. I ordered the grilled chicken (“pollo a la plancha” ) with moros y maduros. Simple enough, right? Well you get plastic utensils to eat. No biggie, unless the chicken is tough to cut and served on the cold side. The moros were also called and a touch on the greasy side. The saving grace was the sweet plantains although they too could have stood more heat. With the cold chicken dish, the only reason I didn’t get sick is a decent immune system and “mima” lighting candles ? Can Gordon Ramsey come to Hialeah?

Flame and Skewers – Menu with Prices – 25870 McBean Pkwy, Santa Clarita

My spouse and I don’t consider ourselves foodies but we are big fans of mediterranean cuisine (Greek, Armenian, etc.). To date, we have never been able to “go wrong” at a mediterranean restaurant. However, this experience missed the mark. The beef kabob didn’t taste or smell very beef-like. The lamb, which I normally prefer at mediterranean eateries, had a distinctly off taste. The chicken shawarma was okay. The chicken kabob was by far the best of the bunch. I should have trusted my nose, which in hindsight gave away the fact that the food was going to underwhelm our rarely if ever disappointed expectations for mediterranean food. After walking in, ordering and waiting almost 30 minutes for our dine-in order, it struck me that the restaurant had an off odor, consistent with what may have been some kind of cleaning product intermingling with cooking odors. Normally when you go into a restaurant, you expect to be hit up with mouth-watering smells of food cooking — but that wasn’t the case, and I picked up on that right away (but didn’t know what to attribute it to). On the plus side, the service was polite. The double protein plates my spouse and I ordered were unexpectedly generous, too. Since it was our first visit, we didn’t expect that the plates would be served restaurant style (big portions). That would explain why two such plates, drinks and a side were over $40 — way too much for a strip-mall joint vs. a full-service sit-down restaurant — but, on the positive side, it also left us with enough for a second meal. The best aspect of the entire meal experience was the hummus, which was creamy and flavorful. Unfortunately, however, the meat was not on par with the quality of the sides. The seasoning seemed to mask more than complement the flavor of the meat. Growing up, I took in quite a bit of mediterranean style food while attending annual Greek Orthodox Church festivals — but nothing about how this was seasoned struck me as particularly familiar. The dinner plates we received were served on heavy restaurant style plates but were paired to small plastic forks and knives, which were very frustrating to use with a restaurant-style meal. If I were management, I would scale down the portions — and the dinner plate prices — and offer the patrons who eat in actual silverware. It was tough to use plastic forks and knives on the meat — so tough that we ended up boxing up most of our meal and taking it home.

Nepali Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 3047 W Henrietta Rd, Rochester

My mother likes to visit ethnic restaurants and picked this place to visit. I don’t mind small mom and pop places, even ones serving unfamiliar food, but this was just an odd experience. Located in a strip mall that time seemed to forget, it was hard to locate as there wasn’t a street sign in the mall display and there were other pseudo-Asian decorations on the windows of some places. We found it in the back and there were two identical doors but no “welcome” or “Entrance” sign so we utilized the old “pull one door and discover its locked so try the other” method. Works every time. An employee walked in with us but never said helo. In total, I counted five employees but for much of the time we were the only customers. There were many clean tables (with coffee shop chairs) and after staring at the back wall menu television screens we asked what to do and there was where the experience started. One guy said something to another in a language I didn’t recognize, then the second guy indicated to a teenager to seat us. An older guy came out to bus a 8-top table which struck me as odd as why would they leave the dirty table for a special time to clean? They brought us menus, which had exactly what was on the screens and nothing more. They didn’t provide us with plates until we asked four (!) times for them, and I had to ask for silverware. A generic yellow mustard bottle was on the table which we later were told was lemon juice. I am glad we didn’t assume it was mustard. The restaurant received a favorable newspaper review and indicated it was a blend of Chinese, Indian, and Nepal food. We ordered five dishes between us. I picked Chinese chow mein with pork. It arrived and despite the menu notation was neither fried nor used chow mein noodles. It had spaghetti pasta and pork that was dark brown (I forgot what I ordered and thought it was beef) and a weird flavor like tomato sauce. There were lots of vegetables. To quote the Gordon Ramsey meme, “If the meat were any more Chewy it would be piloting the Falcon.” It was like eating pork jerky. We also got some Dayglo orange fritters, some dumplings with a red sauce, and some samosas. Nothing was very good, and all of it was prepared in advance. The orange fritters were kept warm in a heating box in the eating area and I watched the kid count out a certain amount per order. They were there at least 30 minutes or more as the next group in also ate from that batch. The steamed dumplings were plain tasting on their own and the tops were dried out on top, indicating that they had been cooked in advance and held. The sauce with them was red and tasted at first like something “musty” (my mom’s words, though apropos) but finished into something very tasty… perhaps red pepper based. The samosas were huge, like baseballs, but very dry and again not very good. We were also served a bowl of yogurt sauce that was watery and had no tang whatsoever. In total, I think nothing was homemade (meaning, not out of a freezer bag or jar) except perhaps my chow mein- which wasn’t actually chow mein. My mother expressed that she hated to see small restaurants fail. I agree with that sentiment, but this offered nothing of redemption. Out of the five employees we saw, none made us feel welcome. None said hello, or waived (in case they didn’t speak English) or looked in on us to see how we were doing. The teenager who served us was disinterested in talking with us and left our table at every chance he could. The food wasn’t homemade or particularly tasty. We tried a broad swathe of the menu, so I can’t see going back to try something else. In the corner they had a fridge with pistachio and almond and other flavors of popsicles, so I guess they had that going for them.

Hong Thai Express – Menu with Prices – 4155 Rickey St SE #134, Salem

I’ve been looking for a decent massaman curry in Oregon for years. This place makes a great one, by far the best in Salem. The second I had the food placed in front of me I knew it would be a winner, just based on the rich orange/brown color and aroma. I had mine with tofu (I don’t bother ordering meat until a restaurant has shown they can cook) and the tofu was excellent as well – so good I’ll probably order it with tofu again. I went medium heat awas perfectly spicy for a medium. I will try the Panang curry next but I’m probably going to order the massaman curry 3-4 more times just to make sure they know there is demand for it. Honestly, I’m almost in shock to see excellent Thai curry in Salem after trying so many mediocre places. Now we just need an Indian restaurant that is this good. Update: I’ve been back three or four times. Extremely tasty every time. We’ve ordered the Pad See Ew, the Orange Chicken, and the Chow Mein. All of these dishes were excellent. My kids in particular loved the orange chicken and the Chow Mein. My one nit pick is the heat level on the Massaman curry is a little inconsistent. I’ve gotten medium every time but it has been less than medium to quite spicy. I have a wide tolerance for heat so it’s fine but it’s something they could work on. Update 2: orange chicken wasn’t good the second time we ordered it. Everything else was still yum Update 3: A few months have gone by and I’m sitting here eating my massaman curry with tofu (plus asparagus added) and maybe I’m just in the mood for it but I can honestly say this is the best meal I’ve had in years. The flavor and texture of everything in this dish is spot on. I would give the dish I’m eating right now six stars if I could.

Yumi Asian (on APB) – Menu with Prices – 425 Avalon Park S Blvd #200, Orlando

Four stars for great service, really good food made with fresh ingredients with layers of flavor. This new Asian place opened in my community! It is located right next to Chase Bank. There is parking available right in front. The restaurant is decorated with giant Asian murals that are beautiful. There is table service, I believe there are at least 8 tables and a sushi bar with stools. Greeted nicely, patiently answered all my questions, specifically about the difference between lo mein and udon noodles, she explained it’sthe noodles, lo mein noodles are more sticky & udon are bigger. I also asked about a dish I saw on the Yelp page, she said it was Mandarin chicken, I will be back for that. My takeout order: Sesame chicken with plain fried rice Chicken Udon Noodles Beef Lo Mein We were sceptical because we are accustomed to darker noodles, but let me tell you, they are terrific. The Udon Noodles are bigger, rounder then lo mein, they must be making them fresh, because they are light and They noodles had mushrooms, bean sprouts, chicken and eggs! The sauce was layered, flavorful, tasty. The Beef Lo Mein noodles, although, paler than what we are accustomed to, were fresh, had a savory/sweet flavors and the beef was tender and delicious. The sesame chicken, yummy, lightly breaded, light sprinkle of sesame seeds,tasty and fried rice, light and flavorful. I will definitely try this place again, this time eating in the restaurant.

LA Express Chinese Food – Menu with Prices – 2229 S Mountain Ave, Ontario

I don’t understand the high reviews. I went here and the food did not impress at all, even for fast food standards. I ordered a 3 item combo with some veggie egg rolls to try. The price was cheap and portions were huge, but taste and quality lacked. I ordered half chow mien half fried rice, with orange chicken, beef broccoli, and bbq pork. Both the chow mien and fried rice lacked flavor, plus rice seemed undercooked and was hard. The orange chicken was okay. It had a tangy orange flavor, but was not as crispy as it should be. It was probably the best of the 3 entree items. The beef broccoli was just okay, also lacking flavor. The bbq pork was also a disappointment. It was overcooked and not tender. It also lacked flavor. The egg rolls were also a complete disappointment. I ate one and threw away the rest… and I had to force myself to finish one. The veggies inside seemed undercooked and the pieces of veggies were huge! It was like eating a raw carrot, not a tasty juicy egg roll. Maybe their chicken egg roll is better… but I have no desire try any more of their foods. Would I come back here… I think it is safe to say that I have no desire to ever come back here. The meal, which was originally cheap turned out to be more pricey as I ate less than half and ended up throwing away the rest of it because it was terrible. I don’t know what’s in the food of the people giving this place 4 and 5 stars. It is far from tasty and authentic. Panda express is better. If you want a good cheap tasty Chinese food place, go to Tasty Goody in Monrovia.

Yaso Noodle Bar – Menu with Prices – 289 Mercer St, New York

This place is newly opened and yet there was a big crowd inside at lunch time already, which is always a good sign. The menu consists of various types of noodles with meat or vegetarian options. I ordered the stir fry noodle with ribs and spicy dumplings for appetizer (they currently have a special $2 for 3 dumplings deal). The dumplings were great, reminiscent of a soup dumpling in both appearance and taste, although it wasn’t advertised as such. It is filled with juicy beef and the bottom is pan fried for a touch of crispness. It is not super spicy so even people who can’t handle spices can tolerate. While the dumplings were great, the noodles on the other hand can be improved upon. When I first got my bowl, I was admittedly disappointed. Inside was 4 pieces of ribs, a portion of noodles and a few pieces of romaine lettuce. The ribs were well-seasoned and not too tough and were the highlight of the dish. However, the noodles were quite lackluster, tasting similar to what you would get from an instant noodle package (if you want a comparison, it’s quite similar to nissin chow mein teriyaki beef noodles). Needless to say, I wasn’t impressed with what I could have bought at a supermarket. The flavoring could use some garnish such as garlic, scallion, shallot, cilantro, crushed peanuts, etc for more complexity. Additionally, the vegetables didn’t seem to go well with the dish, since it was just raw romaine lettuce and some peas. Bok choi or Napa cabbage stir fry together with the noodles would have been better. Overall, I was happy with the dumplings, but not so happy with the noodles. Since this place is new, they might still improve their dishes over time, so I don’t hold this against the restaurant.