New Shanghai Bistro Tates Creek Center — Restaurant in Lexington

New Shanghai Bistro Tates Creek Centre is a hidden gem. It's located right next door to Kroger and several other businesses in that Strip Mall. It has a very quaint look and feel to it. It's my go-to whenever we are shopping or visiting friends/family, in the area. The lady who takes your order is really friendly. She wants to know everything about how you want your food(i.e. spice tolerance, dislikes etc). So, if you're a picky eater, this is a spot for you. What surprised us was the fact that there are pictures of, I'm Assuming, every single dish they serve, on their wall. I have never seen that before. That was pretty cool to see and look at. At least you knew what that dish looks like or supposed to look like.

Now, on to the food. Y'all it's HOT, so make sure to blow on it. DO NOT do what I did and just popped it into my mouth, immediately. For the record, I was HUNGRY! Everything we ordered was good, fresh and the stuffed to the rim. Some people reviewing this place, complaining about the prices; but you're getting double the portion..duh. Each plate can easily feed 2 people. You'll have leftovers for sure. There was a review from Ty-Ah May claiming the lady was racist against People of Color, claiming she wrote the 'N-word' on their receipt. Well, she is NOT! Heck, I'm a Person of Color; as well as, the rest of my family and she was nice to us. So please, disregard ALL of those negative reviews and try this place for yourself.

They are open every day except on Monday. So plan accordingly. So, if you're in the Tates Creek area and have a hunger for Chinese food, head over to New Shanghai Bistro in Tates...

Well I don't usually go out to Chinese restaurants. But last week I made an exception and decided to try out a new place that I'd never been to. It was kind of small yet adequate, with a few tables on one side and a high counter with bar stools on the other side. There was no buffet option, but I didn't come in to stuff myself silly. I was actually quite surprised at their wall of menu options (they had full-sized pictures of each dish so you know exactly what you're getting). I picked out the black pepper chicken (which was awesome!), spicy orange chicken (definitely going back for more!), and kung pow shrimp (which had a lot of vegetables......if you're into that sort of thing). The food is definitely the best Chinese I've tasted in a long time. It left me feeling full without feeling stuffed.

But the best thing about this tiny restaurant is the people who work there. They actually take the time to look you in the eye, greet you, and have a small conversation. I learned that the restaurant was under new management about 2 years ago and since then it has been voted as the best Chinese restaurant in the area. And now I can see why. They go the extra mile to cultivate customer relations while serving up freshly-made...

For takeout Chinese, it's a good 5. For Chinese overall, 3.5-ish. I placed a family size order to go, and it was ready in under 15 minutes. The prices match the portion sizes, so if you're not buying for a family or group, I recommend sticking to the dishes that offer pint vs quart sizes and get the quart. Or expect leftovers. As for our order, the Mei Fun was excellent, and it's a hard dish to find. Fresh and flavorful, very light on oils for Chinese takeout. Flavor doesn't punch you in the mouth, but builds as you eat and is quite pleasant. Pork lo mein was good. Damp with sauce but not so wet you have to worry about slinging drops all over. Flavors were strong and rich. For both dishes, you could taste the various ingredients, instead of everything being dominated by saltiness or msg. Wonton soup broth was a little bland, but the wonton was very good. Flavorful and a good chew without being rubbery. Spring rolls were crispy, but I ate them first and burned myself on them so I can't speak very well to their flavor. Definite return for me. Solid quality at a good price, as long as you are okay with sharing entrees, else things get expensive and the...