Really good dim sum! I've been coming here for 5 years now. Every time I come I feel so bad that the restaurant is so empty and it seems even worse after COVID. I'm hoping it's because people don't know this place has really good and cheap dim sum. I really do think they need to advertise it better since the outside of the restaurant does not look welcoming and you definitely would not think this place serves dim sum (with carts too!). I've been to the other ones in NJ - Aquarius, Dim Sum Station, Qin Dynasty, and China Chef wins. Please people visit China Chef and show them some love! I need this place open forever. Get the fried shrimp balls, siu mai, lava egg custard bun, bbq pork pastry, and thank me later.
Bob o'brien
I have been going there since they opened. Always Happy to see me and Delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Egg Drop Soup
mary joie mendoza
Great place for dimsum
Carmina P
Our go-to dim sum place in north Jersey, the food options are authentic and freshly made. The service on peak hours is hit or miss. I know it’s super hard to serve customers at the same time during lunch time on a Sunday but maybe it’s time to consider hiring more staff during these hours on weekends. Overall, the food is superb!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Dim Sum
Mandy Chow
Really good dim sum! I've been coming here for 5 years now. Every time I come I feel so bad that the restaurant is so empty and it seems even worse after COVID. I'm hoping it's because people don't know this place has really good and cheap dim sum. I really do think they need to advertise it better cause the outside of the restaurant does not look welcoming and you definitely would not think this place serves dim sum (with carts too!). I've been to the other ones in NJ - Aquarius, Dim Sum Station, Qin Dynasty, and China Chef wins. Please people visit China Chef and show them some love! I need this place open forever.Get the fried shrimp balls, siu mai, lava egg custard bun, bbq pork pastry, and thank me later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dim Sum
Michelle Ponce
Ordered seafood delight and had imitation and rubbery crab meat. There was no lobster and only 4 pieces of shrimp. Very disappointed and disgusted with the food. Never again!
Food: 1
Service: 3
Service S.
Don't fools around with decor or social media. This place it's worth for real foodies. I stopped by because my Chinese friends recommended it's tasty and Yes finally I tried there dishes. All I ordered was taste amazing and felt like dim sum made by order. Usually I always ask for more vinegar or sauce for dipping but nope. All dumplings yummy and Peking Pork Plum it's was fantastic. Taste very natural and last thing here are The pork chop not stinky. Service very kind and attentive. So great !!
Scott K.
Very sad that a restaurant doesn't care. The food tastes like it was made in a school cafeteria. The chicken with Broccoli had zero flavor and the sauce was watery. When I called to complain they don't even offer to fix it. I have been ordering food for years and the food has gone completely downhill. It used to be real Hong Kong style food, now it tastes like typical low quality takeout. I know why the parking lot is always empty. I wish they would sell the restaurant to people who actually have pride in their cooking. Secaucus needs a top quality Chinese restaurant.
Chris E.
OK, I MUST get on my blowhorn here about this great dim sum gem. I seriously do not know how this restaurant is not crowded on weekends, but it absolutely DESERVES TO BE. When you look up "underrated" and "under the radar" in the dictionary, a picture of China Chef should be plastered front and center because this is a hidden gem of a dim sum restaurant. Finding good dim sum in Northern NJ is as difficult as finding a needle in a stack of needles. It's almost impossible. There are a few dim sum restaurants in the area, but I can count each and every one of them on my hand. In Central NJ, there are a few more options, but that's the length of the list. It's quite a sad state of dim sum restaurants or lack thereof in NJ. When I found China Chef on Yelp, I was as skeptical as many of the other reviewers. It was the same recurring theme - outdated, not busy, mom and pop ownership. When most people see "not busy", they move on. However, when I read a bit more, I saw that some customers said the food taste better than the place looks and it was actually very good. ENOUGH SAID, we were definitely going to give them a shot. We dropped in a quiet, drizzly, unassuming Saturday morning at 11am sharp, when they opened for business. As some past reviews said, the restaurant was indeed a bit drab and outdated. From the decor, this was not going to be mistaken for a Michelin star dim sum establishment. However, I was undeterred from the shabby internal dwellings and marched forward. We were quickly seated in the modest dining area and we were off to the races... We had our dim sum marker card on the table, but where were the carts? About 5 minutes after we situated ourselves - VIOLA - the ONE and ONLY cart made its long-awaited appearance. The cart actually circled around the restaurant to our table and we were served first! The woman manning the cart actually told some customers that we were first, hence why we got first dibs - sweeeeeeet. I had never seen a single cart system before used in a dim sum restaurant, but it ABSOLUTELY worked here. The single cart had a hodgepodge of dim sum favorites and, if they didn't have it on hand at that moment, they could easily make to order for you in the back. They...had...absolutely...everything! You would have never expected that this mom and pop operation had most, if not all, of the common dim sum dishes, but they did: Beef rice noodle rolls, shrimp rice noodle rolls, cruller stuffed rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), pork dumplings (siu mai), chive/leek dumplings, black bean sauce chicken feet, sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed beef meatballs, deep fried shrimp balls, shrimp stuffed eggplant, egg tarts and, even, coconut pudding/jell-o! There was actually even more that we didn't order. In addition, they had kitchen items that you could order as well, like, pan fried noodles, chow funs, rice dishes. OK, so it's great that they had such great variety, but how was the flavor of the food? EXCELLENT. In all honesty, everything was authentically delicious. I couldn't have been more satisfied with how good everything tasted. I wouldn't say my expectations were low, but the variety and taste of everything surprised me. I thought it was going to be OK, but it blew me away. Sadly, at the height of our meal, there were only about 6-7 tables occupied and many, many more that were not. The restaurant seemed to be clearly run by an elderly couple - both of whom took turns pushing the cart and cleaning the tables. There was literally no one else working the dining area. I love when I find quiet, hidden gems because I can always go back to it without it being crowded like a Friday night at the club, but this establishment deserves more business - the woman manning the cart was so friendly to us and asked us where we were from. She also kept thanking us back for the business when we thanked her (in Cantonese) for the dishes. And, of course, the dim sum - amazingly authentic and as good as it gets anywhere. If you're loo
Lori Perez
I'm from Florida, I wish we had Chinese food like this!!!! Huge eggrolls, everything was delicious, I will be getting everyday until I leave!
This food beats any fast food Chinese take out pork fried rice is real good boneless rib also very good wanton soup as well very good this place is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shalini Lata
I never usually write reviews but I felt this was needed for me to write. I'm visiting New York from Seattle. I needed to get out of the busy city for a day. Me and my family drove to New Jersey came across with this Chinese restaurant. The owners were so warm, welcoming I ordered shrimp dumplings, Kung po shrimp, chow main noodles, fried rice, general Tao, and beef hunan. All the dishes were so well seasoned and flavorful. If I lived in New York or New Jersey area this be my go to restaurant. If in future I visit again I would of course eat here again. It was my pleasure ? meeting the kind owners and enjoy the delicious meals at this restaurant.Kid-friendliness: Kids are welcome, family friendlyParking: Plenty of parking available
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Deep Fried Shrimp Ball
Yuchen Zhang
I rounded up but I think this place deserves more kudos than it gets.We came here for dim sum first thing when they opened on a weekend. Surprised it was completely empty....why??Since we were here first thing, everything was got was so fresh. Even though we were the only people in the restaurant, they still came out with the cart which was fun. We got all our usual dishes - char sui buns, shu mai, har gow, pheonix feet, pork pastry pie, turnip cake, ribs, etc. Everything was ON POINT and delicious. I was not disappointed at any of the items. Everything was so fresh!!! Again, we were the only ones so there was no wait whenever we ordered something. The Pork Pastry Pie was To Die For. Like, we actually ordered 4 orders of them - we just kept eating them. Sooooo buttery and flaky and full of flavor. Man, they did not skimp on flavor here.My family and I were thrilled we found this place. Definitely will come back again! Pricing was so reasonable too! Large parking lot. No idea why this place was empty when we got here. But it's fine, I'll take all the food for myself! (Yes it's a little run down on the inside but hey, the food speaks for itself here.)
I rounded up but I think this place deserves more kudos than it gets. We came here for dim sum first thing when they opened on a weekend. Surprised it was completely empty....why?? Since we were here first thing, everything was got was so fresh. Even though we were the only people in the restaurant, they still came out with the cart which was fun. We got all our usual dishes - char sui buns, shu mai, har gow, pheonix feet, pork pastry pie, turnip cake, ribs, etc. Everything was ON POINT and delicious. I was not disappointed at any of the items. Everything was so fresh!!! Again, we were the only ones so there was no wait whenever we ordered something. The Pork Pastry Pie was To Die For. Like, we actually ordered 4 orders of them - we just kept eating them. Sooooo buttery and flaky and full of flavor. Man, they did not skimp on flavor here. My family and I were thrilled we found this place. Definitely will come back again! Pricing was so reasonable too! Large parking lot. No idea why this place was empty when we got here. But it's fine, I'll take all the food for myself! (Yes it's a little run down on the inside but hey, the food speaks for itself here.)
Cindy Donat
Always love coming here! Food is always excellent!Parking: Never have an issue parking in the lot. Always parking available.
Really good dim sum! I've been coming here for 5 years now. Every time I come I feel so bad that the restaurant is so empty and it seems even worse after COVID. I'm hoping it's because people don't know this place has really good and cheap dim sum. I really do think they need to advertise it better since the outside of the restaurant does not look welcoming and you definitely would not think this place serves dim sum (with carts too!). I've been to the other ones in NJ - Aquarius, Dim Sum Station, Qin Dynasty, and China Chef wins. Please people visit China Chef and show them some love! I need this place open forever. Get the fried shrimp balls, siu mai, lava egg custard bun, bbq pork pastry, and thank me later.
I have been going there since they opened. Always Happy to see me and Delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Egg Drop Soup
Great place for dimsum
Our go-to dim sum place in north Jersey, the food options are authentic and freshly made. The service on peak hours is hit or miss. I know it’s super hard to serve customers at the same time during lunch time on a Sunday but maybe it’s time to consider hiring more staff during these hours on weekends. Overall, the food is superb!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Dim Sum
Really good dim sum! I've been coming here for 5 years now. Every time I come I feel so bad that the restaurant is so empty and it seems even worse after COVID. I'm hoping it's because people don't know this place has really good and cheap dim sum. I really do think they need to advertise it better cause the outside of the restaurant does not look welcoming and you definitely would not think this place serves dim sum (with carts too!). I've been to the other ones in NJ - Aquarius, Dim Sum Station, Qin Dynasty, and China Chef wins. Please people visit China Chef and show them some love! I need this place open forever.Get the fried shrimp balls, siu mai, lava egg custard bun, bbq pork pastry, and thank me later.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dim Sum
Ordered seafood delight and had imitation and rubbery crab meat. There was no lobster and only 4 pieces of shrimp. Very disappointed and disgusted with the food. Never again!
Food: 1
Service: 3
Don't fools around with decor or social media. This place it's worth for real foodies. I stopped by because my Chinese friends recommended it's tasty and Yes finally I tried there dishes. All I ordered was taste amazing and felt like dim sum made by order. Usually I always ask for more vinegar or sauce for dipping but nope. All dumplings yummy and Peking Pork Plum it's was fantastic. Taste very natural and last thing here are The pork chop not stinky. Service very kind and attentive. So great !!
Very sad that a restaurant doesn't care. The food tastes like it was made in a school cafeteria. The chicken with Broccoli had zero flavor and the sauce was watery. When I called to complain they don't even offer to fix it. I have been ordering food for years and the food has gone completely downhill. It used to be real Hong Kong style food, now it tastes like typical low quality takeout. I know why the parking lot is always empty. I wish they would sell the restaurant to people who actually have pride in their cooking. Secaucus needs a top quality Chinese restaurant.
OK, I MUST get on my blowhorn here about this great dim sum gem. I seriously do not know how this restaurant is not crowded on weekends, but it absolutely DESERVES TO BE. When you look up "underrated" and "under the radar" in the dictionary, a picture of China Chef should be plastered front and center because this is a hidden gem of a dim sum restaurant. Finding good dim sum in Northern NJ is as difficult as finding a needle in a stack of needles. It's almost impossible. There are a few dim sum restaurants in the area, but I can count each and every one of them on my hand. In Central NJ, there are a few more options, but that's the length of the list. It's quite a sad state of dim sum restaurants or lack thereof in NJ. When I found China Chef on Yelp, I was as skeptical as many of the other reviewers. It was the same recurring theme - outdated, not busy, mom and pop ownership. When most people see "not busy", they move on. However, when I read a bit more, I saw that some customers said the food taste better than the place looks and it was actually very good. ENOUGH SAID, we were definitely going to give them a shot. We dropped in a quiet, drizzly, unassuming Saturday morning at 11am sharp, when they opened for business. As some past reviews said, the restaurant was indeed a bit drab and outdated. From the decor, this was not going to be mistaken for a Michelin star dim sum establishment. However, I was undeterred from the shabby internal dwellings and marched forward. We were quickly seated in the modest dining area and we were off to the races... We had our dim sum marker card on the table, but where were the carts? About 5 minutes after we situated ourselves - VIOLA - the ONE and ONLY cart made its long-awaited appearance. The cart actually circled around the restaurant to our table and we were served first! The woman manning the cart actually told some customers that we were first, hence why we got first dibs - sweeeeeeet. I had never seen a single cart system before used in a dim sum restaurant, but it ABSOLUTELY worked here. The single cart had a hodgepodge of dim sum favorites and, if they didn't have it on hand at that moment, they could easily make to order for you in the back. They...had...absolutely...everything! You would have never expected that this mom and pop operation had most, if not all, of the common dim sum dishes, but they did: Beef rice noodle rolls, shrimp rice noodle rolls, cruller stuffed rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings (har gow), pork dumplings (siu mai), chive/leek dumplings, black bean sauce chicken feet, sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed beef meatballs, deep fried shrimp balls, shrimp stuffed eggplant, egg tarts and, even, coconut pudding/jell-o! There was actually even more that we didn't order. In addition, they had kitchen items that you could order as well, like, pan fried noodles, chow funs, rice dishes. OK, so it's great that they had such great variety, but how was the flavor of the food? EXCELLENT. In all honesty, everything was authentically delicious. I couldn't have been more satisfied with how good everything tasted. I wouldn't say my expectations were low, but the variety and taste of everything surprised me. I thought it was going to be OK, but it blew me away. Sadly, at the height of our meal, there were only about 6-7 tables occupied and many, many more that were not. The restaurant seemed to be clearly run by an elderly couple - both of whom took turns pushing the cart and cleaning the tables. There was literally no one else working the dining area. I love when I find quiet, hidden gems because I can always go back to it without it being crowded like a Friday night at the club, but this establishment deserves more business - the woman manning the cart was so friendly to us and asked us where we were from. She also kept thanking us back for the business when we thanked her (in Cantonese) for the dishes. And, of course, the dim sum - amazingly authentic and as good as it gets anywhere. If you're loo
I'm from Florida, I wish we had Chinese food like this!!!! Huge eggrolls, everything was delicious, I will be getting everyday until I leave!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This food beats any fast food Chinese take out pork fried rice is real good boneless rib also very good wanton soup as well very good this place is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I never usually write reviews but I felt this was needed for me to write. I'm visiting New York from Seattle. I needed to get out of the busy city for a day. Me and my family drove to New Jersey came across with this Chinese restaurant. The owners were so warm, welcoming I ordered shrimp dumplings, Kung po shrimp, chow main noodles, fried rice, general Tao, and beef hunan. All the dishes were so well seasoned and flavorful. If I lived in New York or New Jersey area this be my go to restaurant. If in future I visit again I would of course eat here again. It was my pleasure ? meeting the kind owners and enjoy the delicious meals at this restaurant.Kid-friendliness: Kids are welcome, family friendlyParking: Plenty of parking available
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Deep Fried Shrimp Ball
I rounded up but I think this place deserves more kudos than it gets.We came here for dim sum first thing when they opened on a weekend. Surprised it was completely empty....why??Since we were here first thing, everything was got was so fresh. Even though we were the only people in the restaurant, they still came out with the cart which was fun. We got all our usual dishes - char sui buns, shu mai, har gow, pheonix feet, pork pastry pie, turnip cake, ribs, etc. Everything was ON POINT and delicious. I was not disappointed at any of the items. Everything was so fresh!!! Again, we were the only ones so there was no wait whenever we ordered something. The Pork Pastry Pie was To Die For. Like, we actually ordered 4 orders of them - we just kept eating them. Sooooo buttery and flaky and full of flavor. Man, they did not skimp on flavor here.My family and I were thrilled we found this place. Definitely will come back again! Pricing was so reasonable too! Large parking lot. No idea why this place was empty when we got here. But it's fine, I'll take all the food for myself! (Yes it's a little run down on the inside but hey, the food speaks for itself here.)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Seafood Dumpling, Dim Sum, Steamed Shrimp Rice Roll, Dumplings
I rounded up but I think this place deserves more kudos than it gets. We came here for dim sum first thing when they opened on a weekend. Surprised it was completely empty....why?? Since we were here first thing, everything was got was so fresh. Even though we were the only people in the restaurant, they still came out with the cart which was fun. We got all our usual dishes - char sui buns, shu mai, har gow, pheonix feet, pork pastry pie, turnip cake, ribs, etc. Everything was ON POINT and delicious. I was not disappointed at any of the items. Everything was so fresh!!! Again, we were the only ones so there was no wait whenever we ordered something. The Pork Pastry Pie was To Die For. Like, we actually ordered 4 orders of them - we just kept eating them. Sooooo buttery and flaky and full of flavor. Man, they did not skimp on flavor here. My family and I were thrilled we found this place. Definitely will come back again! Pricing was so reasonable too! Large parking lot. No idea why this place was empty when we got here. But it's fine, I'll take all the food for myself! (Yes it's a little run down on the inside but hey, the food speaks for itself here.)
Always love coming here! Food is always excellent!Parking: Never have an issue parking in the lot. Always parking available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Dim Sum