China Gourmet — Restaurant in Greenfield

I had the honor of visiting this charming little establishment in early July. From the outside, the building gave off some serious “I’ve seen better days” vibes—kind of like that sweater you refuse to throw out because it holds sentimental value. But hey, I’ve had some of the best Chinese food from places that looked way worse, so I bravely ventured inside.

Big mistake.

Inside was a dingy, dimly lit restaurant that looked like it hadn’t been updated since dial-up internet was a thing. The carpet was... well, let’s just say it had character (and probably some secrets). I was escorted to my seat, which was accompanied by a menu with the same level of cleanliness as the carpet. Classy!

Our thirst was quenched with water—because why not start with the basics? We ordered Kung Pao Chicken, Beef and “chicken sticks” (their words, not mine), crab Rangoon, chicken fingers, and pork fried rice. The food arrived impressively fast, which gave me a pretty good clue it had been chilling somewhere backstage, probably gossiping about our dining experience.

Portion sizes were standard, but flavor? Let’s just say the spices took a day off. The pork fried rice was so pale it looked like it missed a few Halloween parties, with just a handful of pork and an onion playing peekaboo.

Now, here’s where the plot thickens: no drink order was taken. When I tried to order drinks, the waiter (who I suspect might also be the owner) gave me the vibe of someone trying to escape a bad date—pretty unfriendly and quickly disappeared. And the ketchup saga? Requesting ketchup for the kids' chicken fingers turned into a mystery worthy of Sherlock. Apparently, ketchup is a rare delicacy here…or maybe banned for some unexplained reason clearly not because of the food quality.

Look, I’ve been to my fair share of Chinese restaurants, and never once have I been denied ketchup. But this place? It’s a special case.

Here’s the kicker: the food quality was what you’d expect from a mall food court—pretty standard and nothing to write home about. But the prices? Well, those were fine cuisine prices, queen! So you’re paying top dollar for a food court experience.

In summary: Avoid this place unless you’re in for an adventure in the art of patience and mystery condiments. The building looks like it auditioned for a horror movie, the staff channels their inner grump, the food was forgettable at best, and the price tag felt like it belonged in a fancy restaurant.

Maybe I’m spoiled by all the amazing Chinese food in my area, but if I ever find myself in Greenfield again, I’ll be exploring other culinary options.

Wishing them luck in the future—because they’re...

This restaurant took a serious downturn in terms of both quality of the food and quality of service when it changed ownership a few years ago. Even the interior of the restaurant was less cared for than it had been. So I stopped going for a while, but I gave it a try again more recently and was surprised that it had gotten much better. I recommend that you be very specific with your order and tell your waiter how you like your food. For example, they serve a very very doughy scallion pancake and I like mine crispy (which is how Chinese restaurants normally serve them) so I asked for that, and they delivered. They are responsive to dietary requests and questions, and in general the waitstaff are quite friendly. They have a sushi bar but as is the case at most middle-of-the-road American Chinese restaurants, their sushi is very bland and unpleasant; stick to a California or Avocado roll, if you feel the craving, and skip the fish. The restaurant attracts a lot of families and many customers are regulars, so at dinner time it can often have the feeling of a fun local hang-out, which is great if that's what you're in...

My wife got a gift certificate to this place, so we placed a delivery order (hence no rating for the decor). It took quite a long time to get my order across on the phone, as the woman who answered was almost impossible to understand, and seemingly had just as much trouble with the English language as I had comprehending her.

Our order came in a reasonable time frame, with the delivery person calling back on the phone while standing outside my door instead of simply knocking, an all-too-prevalent practice these days that bugs me. I'd asked for a diet Coke, and received a (non-diet) Pepsi. My chicken with cashews was so bland as to be completely tasteless, and my chicken fingers were soggy instead of crispy -- as if they were yesterday's food sitting under a heat lamp for untold hours. My wife did appreciate her beef with broccoli and chicken wings, and the pork fried rice was perfectly edible. The price for all of this was nearly $55, with tip, quite high for the area.

With many other dining options in Greenfield (and indeed other Asian restaurants), I can see no reason ever to give this place...