I've been away for a long time and I've come home and went to my usual go to China Villa turned the Villa.The food is so much worse, only the Japanese options on the menu are decent. The type of service where if you order a water with a splash of cran at the bar they will charge you $3 for a soda.Go to Tung's taste instead night and day experience.There are some good people still working there for over 15-20 years, but they can't be happy with how it's turned out, they deserve better.There is no nostalgia, China Villa is no more.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
J M.
First time, very disappointed. Teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef and boneless spare ribs all were tough, over-cooked and tasted like they had been re-heated a couple of times. Definitely didn't taste fresh.
bill Y
Trash! Absolute Trash. Look at Google Says open to 11pm. Get there at 9 and get No! We close bar. The guy that bought it trying to compete with Tung’s Taste. Not happening. This place is bottom of the barrel. Avoid. Times open not correct on Google. They. Close at 8pm. Just avoid this trash.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Corinna Valenti
What a nice lil Gem. Great food & prices reasonable, 5.00 more after 3pm on lunch though ?. It seems like everyone knows each other & the staff. Highly recommend to try.Parking: Main Road, plenty of parking In lotWheelchair accessibility: No stairs
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Rangoon
Laureen
Me and my friends go every year to celebrate out birthdays, the food is always fresh, cooked perfect and left overs are the best! Highly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spare Ribs, Chicken Wings, Pork Fried Rice, House Lo Mein, Chicken Fingers, Crab Rangoon, Beef Teriyaki
Frank Gayton
For years, this was a favorite restaurant in town. Never fancy, but the food was always good and plentiful.Since being taken over and revamped by new owners, I have to admit that it is a disappointment.No atmosphere at all, white tablecloths that shift constantly and show every dribble. The food looked delicious but was completely flavorless. What's more, it doesn't even smell like a Chinese restaurant!The waitstaff was very attentive. Then again, I was the only customer there at 1 pm, the lunch hour, so they had no reason not to be attentive.A shame, really.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Laura F.
Food is delicious but the Mai Tai is all sour mix. I had to ask for a dark rum floater.
Dana D.
This has been our go-to for dining in for a few years now. The waitress Elena is the sweetest, and our kids look forward to seeing her. The soup dumplings are delicious, and so are the ribs. The bok choy and egg rolls are a must. Laid back, family friendly, and they have keno.
Phil D.
After our 6th visit over 12 months, we finally felt ready to write this review. Every restaurant can and does have an off night or an off period, so we wanted to give them a fair chance. Each item mentioned was tried multiple times and this review reflects that. When you bite into a chicken finger, you find that the chicken piece inside is really small with a lot of air around it. Because it is so small, it is overcooked and tough. They used to be outstanding, with big pieces of chicken that were moist and attached to the batter. We don't list all the dished we've tried here but these are the most disappointing. Egg rolls: The wrapper is overly thick so that the inside piece is hard and floury. The filling is mostly cabbage with a tendency towards sourness but no real flavor. When it was called China Villa, the egg roll dough was crispy throughout and flavorful, packed with a filling that contained small amounts of pork and other vegetables. We'd buy several orders and serve them as appetizers at parties. Guests were crazy for them. So many friends told us they drove there just to get their egg rolls but became loyal customers. Their food used to be that good! Boneless spareribs were too fatty and hard, a little like eating Jerky. Peking ravioli have an odd filling. Chicken wings are too small and dry. The lobster sauce had a bitter taste to it and the meat was chewy with some very hard pieces. Beef w/broccoli..way too heavy on the fish sauce, instead of providing a nice background note it dominated and the beef pieces are smaller than they used to be with overcooked broccoli. The pork fried rice was better in that it came with good size pieces of onion, pork and it now comes with bean sprouts. You used to pay extra for the sprouts. But it too could have had more flavor. It was bland tasting, so we ended up dousing it with soy sauce to amp it up. China Villa's food had a strong Cantonese influence and the then chef knew how to prepare it. The Villa's menu is a mix of Cantonese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean, Thai, etc. I don't know what Chef Chang's specialty/expertise is, but the food has lost it's distinction. Now it's just like every other Asian food restaurant, trying too hard to satisfy the masses while losing it's soul. What a shame and a loss.
Dan True
I haven't been there in 10 years it's under new ownership . I was very pleased with the way they cleaned it up and the food was
The past two times, the veggie lo mein has been 5% veggies. Not sure why…
John Malin
I order Chinese food every friday night, I saw this place driving by and had to try it out. First the good, the BBQ sprare ribs are excllent, very tender and full of flavor. The House Lo Mein is also very good.The hot and sour soup is just ok, needs a litte more flavor and a bit more heat. The chicken wings are not good at all. They are very small and over cooked and dry. The Peking ravioli are more like Shui Mai than Peking. They are filled with some diffent vegetables, not much meat. The Spring rolls were a little disappointing.I will try it once more before I take it off my list of Chinese food take out.
Food: 3
David W.
This place is outstanding. We moved to Cape Ann recently and are overjoyed (and, frankly, shocked) to find a Chinese restaurant of this caliber. The chef knows how to cook and his complex savory dishes, whether based on chicken, tofu, beef or shrimp, are as good or better than any place we've ever been in Boston, New York or San Francisco Chinatowns. Eat his tofu with eggplant in basil sauce and then get the same dish at any other Asian place, as i just did while on business in Chicago last week, and the difference is stunning. This is world class Chinese cooking and we are darned lucky to have it in our backyards. And if you like spicier foods, as we do, then ask them to prepare the dishes "for real" and not watered down for US palates. Or just ask the chef to make something of his choosing off menu, as he did for us recently (he made a spectacular "steamed" spicy chicken in an amazing, complex, broth) and enjoy. This place is a keeper.
John M.
Tried this place for the first time, Friday night. I am not too impressed. The Peking ravioli were more like Shu Mai than Peking, the filling had some unidentifiable ingredients. The Chicken wings are more like Pidgeon wings than chicken, they are very small and over cooked and dry. The Hot and Sour soup is ok, the BBQ spare ribs are very good. I order chinese food every Friday night, I will try this place one more time and check some other items out. More on this review after my next visit.
David D.
I bit the bullet and tried it, got a pupu to feel it out. 7/10 eggrolls. Minced filling with added chopped noodles. Subdued seasoning, good wrapper. 6/10 duck sauce, it wasn't terrible but too sweet and no texture to speak of. Teriyaki chicken and beef both 7/10, good taste, lots of ginger and soy sauce flavor. Chicken was nicely cooked with little bit of char. Beef was thin sliced sirloin. Not grilled to cinders. Chicken wings 6.5/10, too small, overfried and a little bit dry. Tasted like they had potential to be great wings with 2 min less in the grease. Fried Shrimp was 9/10, panko breaded 16/20s simple salt and garlic seasoning. Fried nice, crispy as heck nice juicy fresh skrimps. Boneless ribs 8/10 good mix of fat and lean, charred barely grilled. Nice sticky glaze obviously made by a person with experience in Char Sui style pork. Pork Lo Mien 10/10, this was some of the best pan fried noodles I've had in years. The only thing that even comes close is in Flushing Queens Chinatown. Noodles are real Lo Mien, stretchy and bouncy, perfectly cooked, charred sliced onion, pork slivers, a few thin slices of celery, green onions and the sauce had a fair amount of oil in it to coat the dish, and a good hit of Chinese wine that gave a slight flavor at the end. Cooked in a very hot wok with a smoky flavor. Just delicious noodles. I'll probably just have noodles next time through. Their chili oil is insane by the way, SUPER HOT and I like hot. Be careful with it. I'll definitely be back here, it was pleasant and fairly priced for the portion and quality.
I've been away for a long time and I've come home and went to my usual go to China Villa turned the Villa.The food is so much worse, only the Japanese options on the menu are decent. The type of service where if you order a water with a splash of cran at the bar they will charge you $3 for a soda.Go to Tung's taste instead night and day experience.There are some good people still working there for over 15-20 years, but they can't be happy with how it's turned out, they deserve better.There is no nostalgia, China Villa is no more.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
First time, very disappointed. Teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef and boneless spare ribs all were tough, over-cooked and tasted like they had been re-heated a couple of times. Definitely didn't taste fresh.
Trash! Absolute Trash. Look at Google Says open to 11pm. Get there at 9 and get No! We close bar. The guy that bought it trying to compete with Tung’s Taste. Not happening. This place is bottom of the barrel. Avoid. Times open not correct on Google. They. Close at 8pm. Just avoid this trash.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
What a nice lil Gem. Great food & prices reasonable, 5.00 more after 3pm on lunch though ?. It seems like everyone knows each other & the staff. Highly recommend to try.Parking: Main Road, plenty of parking In lotWheelchair accessibility: No stairs
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crab Rangoon
Me and my friends go every year to celebrate out birthdays, the food is always fresh, cooked perfect and left overs are the best! Highly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Spare Ribs, Chicken Wings, Pork Fried Rice, House Lo Mein, Chicken Fingers, Crab Rangoon, Beef Teriyaki
For years, this was a favorite restaurant in town. Never fancy, but the food was always good and plentiful.Since being taken over and revamped by new owners, I have to admit that it is a disappointment.No atmosphere at all, white tablecloths that shift constantly and show every dribble. The food looked delicious but was completely flavorless. What's more, it doesn't even smell like a Chinese restaurant!The waitstaff was very attentive. Then again, I was the only customer there at 1 pm, the lunch hour, so they had no reason not to be attentive.A shame, really.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 4
Food is delicious but the Mai Tai is all sour mix. I had to ask for a dark rum floater.
This has been our go-to for dining in for a few years now. The waitress Elena is the sweetest, and our kids look forward to seeing her. The soup dumplings are delicious, and so are the ribs. The bok choy and egg rolls are a must. Laid back, family friendly, and they have keno.
After our 6th visit over 12 months, we finally felt ready to write this review. Every restaurant can and does have an off night or an off period, so we wanted to give them a fair chance. Each item mentioned was tried multiple times and this review reflects that. When you bite into a chicken finger, you find that the chicken piece inside is really small with a lot of air around it. Because it is so small, it is overcooked and tough. They used to be outstanding, with big pieces of chicken that were moist and attached to the batter. We don't list all the dished we've tried here but these are the most disappointing. Egg rolls: The wrapper is overly thick so that the inside piece is hard and floury. The filling is mostly cabbage with a tendency towards sourness but no real flavor. When it was called China Villa, the egg roll dough was crispy throughout and flavorful, packed with a filling that contained small amounts of pork and other vegetables. We'd buy several orders and serve them as appetizers at parties. Guests were crazy for them. So many friends told us they drove there just to get their egg rolls but became loyal customers. Their food used to be that good! Boneless spareribs were too fatty and hard, a little like eating Jerky. Peking ravioli have an odd filling. Chicken wings are too small and dry. The lobster sauce had a bitter taste to it and the meat was chewy with some very hard pieces. Beef w/broccoli..way too heavy on the fish sauce, instead of providing a nice background note it dominated and the beef pieces are smaller than they used to be with overcooked broccoli. The pork fried rice was better in that it came with good size pieces of onion, pork and it now comes with bean sprouts. You used to pay extra for the sprouts. But it too could have had more flavor. It was bland tasting, so we ended up dousing it with soy sauce to amp it up. China Villa's food had a strong Cantonese influence and the then chef knew how to prepare it. The Villa's menu is a mix of Cantonese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Korean, Thai, etc. I don't know what Chef Chang's specialty/expertise is, but the food has lost it's distinction. Now it's just like every other Asian food restaurant, trying too hard to satisfy the masses while losing it's soul. What a shame and a loss.
I haven't been there in 10 years it's under new ownership . I was very pleased with the way they cleaned it up and the food was
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The past two times, the veggie lo mein has been 5% veggies. Not sure why…
I order Chinese food every friday night, I saw this place driving by and had to try it out. First the good, the BBQ sprare ribs are excllent, very tender and full of flavor. The House Lo Mein is also very good.The hot and sour soup is just ok, needs a litte more flavor and a bit more heat. The chicken wings are not good at all. They are very small and over cooked and dry. The Peking ravioli are more like Shui Mai than Peking. They are filled with some diffent vegetables, not much meat. The Spring rolls were a little disappointing.I will try it once more before I take it off my list of Chinese food take out.
Food: 3
This place is outstanding. We moved to Cape Ann recently and are overjoyed (and, frankly, shocked) to find a Chinese restaurant of this caliber. The chef knows how to cook and his complex savory dishes, whether based on chicken, tofu, beef or shrimp, are as good or better than any place we've ever been in Boston, New York or San Francisco Chinatowns. Eat his tofu with eggplant in basil sauce and then get the same dish at any other Asian place, as i just did while on business in Chicago last week, and the difference is stunning. This is world class Chinese cooking and we are darned lucky to have it in our backyards. And if you like spicier foods, as we do, then ask them to prepare the dishes "for real" and not watered down for US palates. Or just ask the chef to make something of his choosing off menu, as he did for us recently (he made a spectacular "steamed" spicy chicken in an amazing, complex, broth) and enjoy. This place is a keeper.
Tried this place for the first time, Friday night. I am not too impressed. The Peking ravioli were more like Shu Mai than Peking, the filling had some unidentifiable ingredients. The Chicken wings are more like Pidgeon wings than chicken, they are very small and over cooked and dry. The Hot and Sour soup is ok, the BBQ spare ribs are very good. I order chinese food every Friday night, I will try this place one more time and check some other items out. More on this review after my next visit.
I bit the bullet and tried it, got a pupu to feel it out. 7/10 eggrolls. Minced filling with added chopped noodles. Subdued seasoning, good wrapper. 6/10 duck sauce, it wasn't terrible but too sweet and no texture to speak of. Teriyaki chicken and beef both 7/10, good taste, lots of ginger and soy sauce flavor. Chicken was nicely cooked with little bit of char. Beef was thin sliced sirloin. Not grilled to cinders. Chicken wings 6.5/10, too small, overfried and a little bit dry. Tasted like they had potential to be great wings with 2 min less in the grease. Fried Shrimp was 9/10, panko breaded 16/20s simple salt and garlic seasoning. Fried nice, crispy as heck nice juicy fresh skrimps. Boneless ribs 8/10 good mix of fat and lean, charred barely grilled. Nice sticky glaze obviously made by a person with experience in Char Sui style pork. Pork Lo Mien 10/10, this was some of the best pan fried noodles I've had in years. The only thing that even comes close is in Flushing Queens Chinatown. Noodles are real Lo Mien, stretchy and bouncy, perfectly cooked, charred sliced onion, pork slivers, a few thin slices of celery, green onions and the sauce had a fair amount of oil in it to coat the dish, and a good hit of Chinese wine that gave a slight flavor at the end. Cooked in a very hot wok with a smoky flavor. Just delicious noodles. I'll probably just have noodles next time through. Their chili oil is insane by the way, SUPER HOT and I like hot. Be careful with it. I'll definitely be back here, it was pleasant and fairly priced for the portion and quality.