Empire East — Restaurant in New York

I'm reading the bad reviews. I'm surprised. This place is wonderful, the food is awesome. But the bad reviews about the behavior of certain staff sounds believable. It is common behavior among the Asian restaurants that I've been 2 throughout the years n in other boroughs 2. Very disturbing, in fact. I just don't go back. Here r some of my experiences, none of them happened at Empire East. Enjoy: There's a baby roach in my glass of ice. I discreetly hand the glass back 2 the lady, pointing 2 the frozen roach. She scoops out the roach with her finger n wipes the inside of the glass where the roach was n gives me the glass of ice back. Or the little boy licking all the salt shakers at the customer tables while Mama is cooking n I'm waiting 4 my order. Or another customer begging 4 2 xtra pks of sweet n sour sauce n not getting it. Or the waiter that insisted that I pay 4 my meal in advance when the lady at the nxt table could not find her wallet after she ate most of her food n got thrown out like a sack of feces. I could go on. What I learned from all this is that anything is possible in these wonderful restaurants but if it happens 2 me once, it won't happen twice. So, Empire East, beware. Because the last time I was there u let a bag lady sleep at one of your tables. She was snoring on ur table, her 3 or 4 huge dirty bags were on ur table n the surrounding benches. N another lady was selling bootleg CDs at the same time. Staff passing through the dining area did nothing about this. I xspect this at the train station, not in ur restaurant. I've had it in the back of my mind 2 check 4 sleeping bag ladies n annoying people selling things from old dirty bags b4 ordering from u again. I love u but it's gonna be "So long, baby." This review was from 9 years ago. UPDATE: Today, 12/01/23, I'll still pick up some of that delicious food if I'm in the area. They make the best pancakes known to man. I'm glad they survived the pandemic. My friend eats there constantly. She lives across the street from there. Never heard a...

I ordered a bunch of dishes yesterday for a small party at home (large fried rice (2), large low mein (2), mei fun, papaya salad and scallion pancake). The damage came out to be about $73. When I asked for an extra dressing, the first lady was about to give it to me, however a second older lady spoke in Mandarin told her I should get charged $.50 cent. I wasn't a happy camper since they had already made a killing profit on me already but I decided to pay. What made me so fumed and disgusted was when they taxed me on the $.50 cent. I asked do they know how to run a business? Another skinny older lady replied "this is the boss instruction".

I ask you boss, please train your staff to treat your customer with politeness. For the amount of my order, was it necessary to charge me the extra $.55 cents for the salad dressing? I understand you are running a business, but is this a business model you think will make you more money in the long term? You will lose my future business for sure and I will spread my wings to inform my family, friends and the people in my community that you should change your business model to treat your customers with more respect. Like another reviewer said, there are a bunch of other good Chinese restaurants in SI. For one, the lady boss at China Buffet is very friendly and she knows how to run her business. The food there in my opinion is overall better and the staff there are very friendly. This will make a good dinning...

I have been eating at Empire East all my life today is the last day I ever order from them, yes inside their restaurant is clean and the service can be nice today I ordered a sesame chicken meal while I was pouring it into my dish there was 2 pieces of long black hair my hair is brown so it could not be mine. I was do disgusted and grossed out I called them up to let them know not that I want any more food from them but that is gross the people who cook the food wear hats, hats are not enough because the side of their hair is still exposed they need NETS this is the last time I eat from their in my life and probably the last time I eat at any Chinese food place on staten island because they were the most cleanest to me not anymore this is a first time thing but I don't care and their the most expensive on the island the most expensive for what so i can have hair in my food no thanks keep your...