Favorite Oriental Food Restaurants (San Antonio, Austin: home, horse, car)

[blizzrd]

Ding How and Sun Sun - Chinese
Thai Chili, Thai Bistro and Asia Kitchen - Thai

[jondrethegiant]

Originally Posted by janejanejanejanejane

Just so we are PC here, the term is "asian food".

Not that I ever try to be PC... But I haven't heard the term Oriental food since like '91! Thats awesome! LOL

[Herbrocks]

Somebody here owes me $10.28! I just stopped in CHINA HARBOR on Walzem for the first time since they opened, I didn't like them them. Some of the positive posts on this thread inspired me to try it again, I was actually a little excited, a good large buffet is hard to find, esp close to home, but it was a terrible experience. The food was either tasteless or tasted bad, much of it was stone cold. I don't expect much from "super buffets" but I can usually find a few dishes I like, not tonight. Even the rice and noodles were awful! I even tried many things I usually pass on, still nothing was really edible. The only thing that I liked a little were the shelled mussels, which were cooked in a salty onion broth, they were ok but you can't make a whole meal of them. Even my water tasted bad, with a strong metal oder. To top it off, my server never came to give me refills, even when I looked right at him and raised my hand! I actually went to the station and filled my own, and he still wouldn't check on me. I did two things tonight I havent done in a restaurant as long as I can remember, spit food into my napkin (3 times!) rather than have it in my mouth a moment longer, and leave a penny tip on the table (tail side up). To top it all, when I paid the cashier asked if everything was good and I politely said "No, my food wasn't very good", to which she said "Hokay, thank you"! I was flabbergasted and then said "the service was terrible too" which was met with another "Hokay thank you"! I quickly left as I could feel a rage coming on. I actively hate that place now, and will prob rant about it forever to anyone that will listen. I would advise anybody that likes to go there to try the nearby ASIA BUFFET on Austin Highway instead, it's not very good either, but it's worlds better than CH.

[jondrethegiant]

Originally Posted by Herbrocks

Somebody here owes me $10.28! I just stopped in CHINA HARBOR on Walzem for the first time since they opened, I didn't like them them. Some of the positive posts on this thread inspired me to try it again, I was actually a little excited, a good large buffet is hard to find, esp close to home, but it was a terrible experience. The food was either tasteless or tasted bad, much of it was stone cold. I don't expect much from "super buffets" but I can usually find a few dishes I like, not tonight. Even the rice and noodles were awful! I even tried many things I usually pass on, still nothing was really edible. The only thing that I liked a little were the shelled mussels, which were cooked in a salty onion broth, they were ok but you can't make a whole meal of them. Even my water tasted bad, with a strong metal oder. To top it off, my server never came to give me refills, even when I looked right at him and raised my hand! I actually went to the station and filled my own, and he still wouldn't check on me. I did two things tonight I havent done in a restaurant as long as I can remember, spit food into my napkin (3 times!) rather than have it in my mouth a moment longer, and leave a penny tip on the table (tail side up). To top it all, when I paid the cashier asked if everything was good and I politely said "No, my food wasn't very good", to which she said "Hokay, thank you"! I was flabbergasted and then said "the service was terrible too" which was met with another "Hokay thank you"! I quickly left as I could feel a rage coming on. I actively hate that place now, and will prob rant about it forever to anyone that will listen. I would advise anybody that likes to go there to try the nearby ASIA BUFFET on Austin Highway instead, it's not very good either, but it's worlds better than CH.

Well, unfortunately, oriental food is not SA's specialty. There are a lot of places I have been to and never returned. But I have also found some gems. here are my suggestions for the oriental or asain experience.

Chinese - Golden Wok
Thai - Thai Corner
Vietnamese - Pho Thien An
Korean - Koreana Restaurant
Sushi - Wasabi
Mongolian - Hu Hot
Indian - India Palace
Fast food - PeiWei

There are no good Japanese places here. Avoid Benihana!

Avoid everything that isnt on the list above.... regardless of what others tell you...

[L210]

Originally Posted by Herbrocks

Somebody here owes me $10.28! I just stopped in CHINA HARBOR on Walzem for the first time since they opened, I didn't like them them. Some of the positive posts on this thread inspired me to try it again, I was actually a little excited, a good large buffet is hard to find, esp close to home, but it was a terrible experience. The food was either tasteless or tasted bad, much of it was stone cold. I don't expect much from "super buffets" but I can usually find a few dishes I like, not tonight. Even the rice and noodles were awful! I even tried many things I usually pass on, still nothing was really edible. The only thing that I liked a little were the shelled mussels, which were cooked in a salty onion broth, they were ok but you can't make a whole meal of them. Even my water tasted bad, with a strong metal oder. To top it off, my server never came to give me refills, even when I looked right at him and raised my hand! I actually went to the station and filled my own, and he still wouldn't check on me. I did two things tonight I havent done in a restaurant as long as I can remember, spit food into my napkin (3 times!) rather than have it in my mouth a moment longer, and leave a penny tip on the table (tail side up). To top it all, when I paid the cashier asked if everything was good and I politely said "No, my food wasn't very good", to which she said "Hokay, thank you"! I was flabbergasted and then said "the service was terrible too" which was met with another "Hokay thank you"! I quickly left as I could feel a rage coming on. I actively hate that place now, and will prob rant about it forever to anyone that will listen. I would advise anybody that likes to go there to try the nearby ASIA BUFFET on Austin Highway instead, it's not very good either, but it's worlds better than CH.

I haven't been to China Harbor in a year or two, but when I did go there, there was always someone coming by asking me if I wanted more to drink. I don't understand the obsession with China Sea. I have eaten at the one on Thousand Oaks several times because I drove a bus and I had a 30 min. layover period at Naco Pass. Everything tastes the same; there are hardly any options either. Most Chinese restaurants tend to go downhill as the years pass, but China Sea has always been nasty IMO. I haven't tried Asia Buffet. I have a fear of trying new buffets and Mexican restaurants due to their penchant for health code violations.

[Soviet]

I really like Ilsong Garden for Korean food. It's pretty authentic, too! Delicious!

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by jondrethegiant

Well, unfortunately, oriental food is not SA's specialty. There are a lot of places I have been to and never returned. But I have also found some gems. here are my suggestions for the oriental or asain experience.

Chinese - Golden Wok
Thai - Thai Corner
Vietnamese - Pho Thien An
Korean - Koreana Restaurant
Sushi - Wasabi
Mongolian - Hu Hot
Indian - India Palace
Fast food - PeiWei

There are no good Japanese places here. Avoid Benihana!

Avoid everything that isnt on the list above.... regardless of what others tell you...

I just want y'all to know: Hu Hot is as Mongolian as San Antonio is a Northeastern City. There is NO legitimate Mongolian food in Texas, I'm sure, there's just not that many Mongolians out here. As for what Mongolians actually eat, they eat a lot of horse and lamb. To an extent, the food is slightly influenced by Russian cuisine, as well.

Just letting y'all know so you don't think Hu Hot is Mongolian food. LOL.

edit: And thanks for the info on Koreana Restaurant! I'm gonna have to check it out and compare it to Ilsong Garden!

[kittykat13]

Favorite Hung Fong: Hung Fong Chinese Restaurant :: VisitSanAntonio.com

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by jondrethegiant

Well, unfortunately, oriental food is not SA's specialty. There are a lot of places I have been to and never returned. But I have also found some gems. here are my suggestions for the oriental or asain experience.

Chinese - Golden Wok
Thai - Thai Corner
Vietnamese - Pho Thien An
Korean - Koreana Restaurant
Sushi - Wasabi
Mongolian - Hu Hot
Indian - India Palace
Fast food - PeiWei

There are no good Japanese places here. Avoid Benihana!

Avoid everything that isnt on the list above.... regardless of what others tell you...

Thai corner? Bleh. Overpriced and terrible Thai food.

As for Japanese, many of the Japanese folks I work with consider Nikki's Tokyo Inn the best in SA with Sushi Zushi being second.

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by MattTx

Thai corner? Bleh. Overpriced and terrible Thai food.

As for Japanese, many of the Japanese folks I work with consider Nikki's Tokyo Inn the best in SA with Sushi Zushi being second.

What about Godai Sushi on West Avenue?