China Gourmet (Boulder) — Restaurant in Boulder

Recently went here on a Saturday evening, only after ordering, the owner told me that it was cash only. I had to run to the supermarket around the corner just to get cash back. I could have missed the “cash only” sign but nothing was noticeable, that wasn’t the biggest deal in the world however I ordered fried shrimp as an appetizer and when they came out, their was what looked to be sweet & sour sauce for dipping, Took a bite and absolutely could not breathe. I knew instantaneously that in the sauce was mostly some kind of habanero sauce mixed in. It was so hot that I couldn’t breathe in or out and didn’t have any water at the table so I took a sip of the hot tea that we had which only made it worse. Once I got up and spoke with the owner, I asked him for plain sweet-and-sour just by itself and told him that it would have been nice knowing that they mixed it with habanero before I took a big bite. Only response I got was “let me get you sweet-and-sour sauce”, to add to the shrimp appetizer, the shrimp themselves did not taste fresh whatsoever and could only eat two out of the six. I got one of the specials which was a fish dish and that was just OK but my fiancé got sesame chicken and it was an unedible. I’ve had better TV dinners then the food here unfortunately. Will not be...

One star. Feeling generous, which is more than I can say for the owner, Joy, at China Gourmet. Been going there on & off for years. The food is adequate when you want a quick Chinese meal fix. However, tonight my party of four had an unpleasant experience at the restaurant. Two folks got their meals within a few minutes, while my friend and I waited, & waited, & waited...25 minutes, or longer. We kept inquiring about the food, but were swept away with "It's coming! It's coming!" When the food finally arrived, we politely expressed disappointment to the owner who offered a rash of excuses about being busy and understaffed. It happens. I get it. I've worked in restaurants and in customer service for years. It was Joy's response to our complaint that was the most irritating part of the experience. Any enlightened business owner would have offered a refund, a gift card, or a plate of egg rolls, at the very least. Nope. Just excuses, and something about not being able to afford a refund. How has this place stayed in business for so long with such dismal customer service? I won't be returning, and will be telling, and re-telling, this story to all my acquaintances. China...

Came here from Texas looking for a good Chinese restaurant and ended up finding the BEST MANGOLIAN TRIPLE DELIGHT dish ever. I always ask for this specific dish everywhere I go, which is typically never in the menu. I asked the owner if it could be made, and with no hesitation, he said, of course. We ended up coming back the next day because of how GOOD this dish was, and my husband ended up getting the same. My daughter got the shrimp and vegetables with brown sauce. It was amazing. Typically, the shrimp at other Chinese restaurants have a rubbery texture, BUT you will NOT find that issue. The shrimps were very well cooked, great quality, and the vegetables were all fresh, nothing frozen. We also tried the wonton soup, which was really different as they added fresh vegetables and more flavor, soo goooood. If you are in Boulder and seeking great Chinese, you must come here. The owner cares about its customers as we saw many regulars come in and noticed their interactions. We will be sure to come back next year when we return!

I failed to take a picture of the dish 😀but hopefully, the owner can add this dish to their menu or post a picture...