China Ocean Restaurant — Restaurant in Elk Grove

So I was tired and didn't want to drive all the way to Wonderful on laguna. This place here is very close to my house.

FYI--- I am a chinese food snob, that's the only reason I am writing this, if you haven't had really good chinese food, you will probably like this place. It could also be I didn't order the fan favorites I don't know, but I won't be back.

I called in my order and picked up promptly in 15 minutes home in 2. My order was on a thursday night (for chef sake)

Here's what I got---

Combination plate--

*Orange chicken-- (IT'S OKAY) tempura style was good and a little crispy on some edges, but flavor wasn't very good. They did put some broccoli in the bottom which tasted better than the whole $7.50+ plate.

*Pork fried rice--(LOWER THAN SUB PAR) over cooked--too dark bland in flavor, greasy, pork was over cooked and mostly peas is what you see aside from a big helping of rice----white rice that you can tell they just converted quickly to fried.

*Egg roll--- (WHAT A JOKE) Not sure why they put this in there... it was 2 inches long by 1 inch in diameter and tastes the consistency of double wrapped deep fried egg roll papers with like the tiniest amount of cabbage and carrot you've seen---like a teaspoon of filling, that's all. Also tough to chew and bite, I'm young and I have all my teeth.

I also ordered---

6 prawns (YUCK AND SAUCE IS SOUR ) So no these are not butterfly shrimp or even regular sized shrimp. They are de-tailed small quarter sized shrimp dipped in tasteless batter of tempura, so while the price looks favorable under $6.00 it's a complete waste.

6 pot stickers (THE ONLY THING I LIKED--- BUT SAUCE IS TERRIBLE) The pot stickers are pretty good. Nice size, good flavor and texture was good and not burnt. The sauce however, is thicker than needed and doesn't pair well. It reminded me of when gravy sits too long cooling on the stove top...ya it looks and moves like that and it's not good in flavor.

Look I am no food critic, but I have had really good chinese food and finding a really good place where everything is good is hard to do. I will stick to wonderful as I always learn my lesson the hard way. I could have spent the same $20 bucks and had a great meal.

This was so bad, I am not even keeping...

I am not inclined to wasteful overuse of superlatives so let it suffice to say that we are dine-in customers fairly regularly and always find the service to be quite accommodating; and the food to be both pleasantly satisfying as well as satiating at an affordable price. We recommend it well for Chinese style dining. In contrast, the aquarium koi (fish) are quite standoffish and unfriendly...perhaps as a result of getting older and too many neighbor fish close by: not that unlike people in thelr own tanks of life, so to speak. We hope that maybe one day it will come to pass that China Ocean will be able to accommodate...

This is absolutely the best food (my main point) at the best Chinese Restaurant in Sacramento. The service (by the waitress Fiona) is excellent and she gets your order straight, is very patient, and I just cannot speak too highly of her. But, as I said, no matter what dish you order, and there are many, (my favorite is walnut shrimp) they are all mouth watering and tasty. I cannot recommend this rather out-of-the-way restaurant too highly. Sincerely, Edmond W. (Bugs) and Eiko T. Jones,...