Corner 21 Chinese Cuisine — Restaurant in Springfield

A Disappointing Farewell to Corner 21 – Regulars No More As loyal patrons of Corner 21, we are incredibly disappointed to say that we will not be returning. What was once a reliable choice for upscale Chinese dining has unfortunately deteriorated into an experience we can no longer tolerate.

The most glaring issue on our recent visit was the abysmal service and frankly, the shocking lack of professionalism from the staff. For an establishment that aims for an "upscale" ambiance, seeing servers in crop tops instead of company uniforms immediately set an unprofessional tone. It felt less like a restaurant and more like a casual hangout.

Beyond appearances, the service itself was inexcusable. Despite being seated well before two other tables, they were attended to, and ordered before anyone even acknowledged our presence. This neglect continued throughout the meal.

Then came the rice. Oh, the rice. For three people who ordered three substantial dishes, we received less than half a small bowl of rice – barely enough for our first dish, let alone a proper serving for everyone. When we politely requested more, we were told it would accompany our pineapple chicken. Lo and behold, the chicken arrived, but the promised rice did not.

Upon inquiry, a server brought out what could only be described as a tiny cup of rice. When we pointed out that tables around us, with fewer people, had received huge, overflowing bowls, she tried to argue that portions were based on the number of dishes. This made no sense, as the table of two next to us clearly had the same number of dishes and an abundance of rice. In a truly bizarre and rude display, she then snatched the small bowl away, disappeared briefly, and returned with what was undeniably the same rice, likely just dumped into a slightly larger, deceptive bowl that was still less than half full. The design of these bowls, small at the bottom and wide at the top, just highlighted how little actual volume we were getting. It was insultingly small, again, not even equaling one proper serving.

It's a genuine shame, as we truly appreciated the good selection of gluten-free options for our son, who has celiac disease. However, the consistent decline in service, the unprofessionalism, and the absolutely ridiculous handling of a basic request like rice means we simply cannot justify returning. Corner 21, you've lost some...

I’m very conflicted on this place and I need to come back but here are my thoughts for now. The food and flavors were great and got out in a very timely manner, it was unique and unlike any food I have ever had before. Here are my complaints the servers are very bad at explaining things to you, they bring out one entree at a time for the table to share along with rice. They do not tell you that the rice they give you in the beginning is the only rice you get for all of the entrees you order. We ordered 3 entrees and got our first entree with the rice and ate all of our rice with that entree thinking that we could get more, to our surprise when our next entree came out we asked for more rice just for them to tell us that the rice they gave us originally was all we got for all of our entrees. To me I do not understand why they wouldn’t tell you that in the beginning and why bring out all the rice you get with just one of your entrees, that is extremely confusing. Also in my opinion for a place like this there should be no up charge for extra rice, rice is dirt cheap it feels stingy to charge for a little bit of extra rice especially when a family of 5 is ordering 3 entrees and they barely get enough rice for just one of the entrees. Along with that the staff was fairly rude about it and would walk away quite often in the middle of questions we would have. If you are to go to this restaurant make sure you know exactly how it works before you come because they are very bad at explaining it. Also it is very packed in here, you sit very close to other tables and it is very loud. I want to come back with a smaller party and now that I know how it works, but the way they handled certain things I did not expect from a very well respected restaurant in...

The food is amazing. I've been looking for good Chinese food since moving to Springfield and honestly I'd given up hope. None of the food here tastes like the Chinese food from home. So I'd come to accept that Chinese food is not my jam here - blech. Then someone took me to Corner 21 on Republic. Fingers crossed, I went for lunch with a group from work. I sat with 6 people all of whom graciously offered me a taste of their food as well as my own meal - 5 entrees. The portions are generous enough to share and still take home. All of it was delicious. I will say the menu is not what I'm accustomed to. I didn't see, on my first visit, a lot of what I've come to know as "traditional" Chinese dishes. Egg rolls, egg drop, ribs. Etc. (Whether they're actual traditional Chinese dishes is not my point) But there were a few of the regulars I'd noticed and I'm happy to further investigate the menu. I'm going back for my second visit in a week with a friend. The restaurant atmosphere is functional - a cafeteria style set up - it's not about ambiance. It's clean. It was full when I came for lunch. The service is not bad...but a little chaotic? Our food came out a little on the slow side and not all together. There was a few minutes wait between when some got their food than from when others did. My coworkers seemed used to it and they were explaining it to me so that tells me it's normal here. So if you're accustomed to waiting for everybody to get their did food to begin eating, it could take 5 or 7 minutes. But the whole time, the waitstaff is moving. It was busy - not a deal breaker at all. Still much to explore in their buns and their Boba and I look...