Oolong Asian Cuisine — Restaurant in Dubuque

It had been a REALLY long time since I was here last, maybe when they first opened?

I had only been visiting then, but have now moved closer in retirement.

At that time I had been impressed with the food.

Today, at lunch, not so much.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, it was only and mostly mediocre.

And the price, nearly $30 for lunch including tip and no drink other than water, was borderline outrageous!

I ordered rangoons as an appetizer and Beef Pho for the meal.

The first thing the wait staff brought out with the glass of water was a small plate with exactly 4 slices of jalapenos, a sprig of basil with about 6 leaves, and a single wedge of lime that was so dry I probably could have propped open a door with it!

The most outstanding part of the meal was the lobster/crab rangoons. Nicely crisp and flavorful, but they had better be at 4 for $8.00!

The Beef Pho was a LOT of mediocre and was nearly bland.

The broth had no richness of beef flavor or color; it might even have been chicken broth it was so blah!

There was only the barest, practically subliminal hint of ginger, with no anise or cardamom that I could discern.

It smelled okay, with what appeared the perfect proportion of cilantro, green onion, and bean sprouts.

Of course, a pile of noodles and broth, because its Pho, but the quantity and quality of meat was VERY LOW!

The brisket looked and tasted like something they got at a sandwich deli counter, two very thin slices, and whatever 4-5 pieces of wiener sausage they cut up and put in WAS NOT beef! It tasted like old pork with freezer burn.

It was obvious that the meat HAD BEEN COOKED IN THE BROTH and very OVERCOOKED, instead of cut fresh with the boiling broth poured over it to cook it!

Absolutely could not be considered AUTHENTIC!

Also, I had a window seat, and I thought the condiments tray of hoisin/soy/sweet-sour (?) sauces sitting in direct sunlight might not really be a good idea to use, especially as they hadn't looked filled recently and were warm?

The interior of the restaurant is really quite nice, love the lights/shades, and overall it was clean, but the entry door glass had a lot of handprints on it, too many to have been created in the hour since they opened for the day, so not wiped down since the day before?

I did like that neither the wait person or cook appeared rushed, and seemed in a good mood, and the meal was delivered to the table in a reasonable amount of time.

However, the restaurant is downtown, its lunch time, and there were only eleven other people in it, for a place that can easily seat 36?

Of course, leftovers of Pho, and I wrestled with whether to take it home, finally deciding I could probably enhance it as a base for something better at home.

I received a to go container...without plasticware, without a napkin, without a bag to carry it?

Overall a very mediocre experience, Oolong Asian Cuisine REALLY needs to re-think their lunchtime approach, by cutting portion sizes and $ amounts in half for lunch they would probably make more money! Yes, they would be busier with twice the dishes to wash, but it would add value to their...

Absolutely LOVE this restaurant. Have eaten there approximately 6x so far. Plan to eat there next Thursday night again as well. Have pretty much had the whole menu ss far. Have NOT HAD ONE BAD THING 2 EAT...NOT ONCE!!! Absolutely in love with their spring rolls. Could definitely live on those every day and still love them!!! I'm NOT a tea person by any means, but I do LOVE the hot peach tea the have. It's beyond delicious!! I have also had all their pot stickers/dumplings. Mouthwatering amazing. All the varieties...just delicious!! It's a gold nugget of a find. Just a wonderful secret. **OK, I need 2 update my review. We ordered take out there last night. 2 meals. Both the teriyaki noodles. The ove all dish is amazing. The flavors R so yummy. HOWEVER, the Absolutely make U add a protein 2 your dish. Literally FORCE U!! U have 5 selections 2 choose from. At an additional $3.50, no less. So my son got beef and I got chicken. My son said he got 4/FOUR pcs of beef. Me, I got 2 chunks/pcs of chicken.. and the rest that was a haircut more than a 'little bit' was all TINY, SHREDDED PIECES OF CHICKEN!! NO other discernible pieces. That is ludicrous. U HAVE 2 chose a protein, and then what they give U in return for your $$$ is virtually invisible 2 the naked eye abd your taste buds unless U lick your Styrofoam container clean with your fingers and/or tongue!! ONLY THEN do U actually find the hidden treasure that is the protein U R forced 2 get!! I find that preposterous and really highway robbery in a sense. The meal b4 the protein is $14.95, add the $3.50 and U got an almost $20 smallish meal!!! There R some of us that don't like and don't eat meat or protein. I'm NOT vegetarian or vegan, I just don't enjoy meat. So, really, in a sense, they're discriminating against me. And as if that's not bad enough, they're strong- arming patrons in to doing, paying and eating something they don't want or like. It wouldn't be half bad if the meat was in solid pieces so that it could B picked out and taken home 4 our dogs, but THAT doesn't even happen. The miniscule amount one gets is teeny tiny pcs of shredded chicken. If U, as a restaurant, have 2 stoop to THIS level of ridiculous pettiness, U probably should close your doors and go out...

Two words: Absolutely fantastic! You get great food, great portions price was very well worth it to me (Super healthy, clean eating) Child friendly (no kids menu but my picky daughter enjoyed sharing our plates) They are working on a dessert tray menu but have coconut pudding and white cheesecake , I forgot to order but will be back.

By far the best restaurant overall in town.(maybe only varied vegan options in town). Today was my birthday and third Thai food experience and the best by far. I was unaware that Main St. area restaurants closed around 2:00, so we arrived at Salsas to find it closed but just down the street Oolong was open until 2:30 so we decided to try it. Best decision!

I’m no Asian food connoisseur as I prefer Creole/Cajun cuisines, but Oolong is definitely my new favorite. We ordered the traditional Bao, chicken Thai stir fry and Pho. The unique flavor blend in the Pho was phenomenal and the manager or maybe owner even took the time to show us how to properly enjoy our meal, eating the Pho noodles first then the stir fry and after our lunch I understood why. The Pho was incredibly fresh, balanced and flavorful, (the noodles absorb quickly so should be eaten first)the Pork belly Bao was very delicious and the service/ambience was wonderful. If you are considering dining here, the food is meant to be savored and hit every taste bud. Service was extremely fast, the Bao appetizer was served 7 mins after ordering. Having tried Pete’s Thai limited more basic food/bad vibes , There’s no comparison to Oolong any day as it’s definitely gourmet and 5 stars. If you are visiting Dubuque, passing through or a resident who appreciates fine dining, try Oolong: you will not Be disappointed. I’ll be back to practice using chopsticks and have the best food in the Midwest. I hope this relatively new restaurant is embraced and enjoyed by locals as the food here really is stellar. I hope this helps you make a...