Shanghai bistro — Restaurant in The Woodlands

Honestly, I used to like this place a lot. I order from this restaurant probably once a week since I moved out here, and this last order I had was so awful, it completely ruined the experience for me. I got my usual, the general tso's, and the meat was so dry, chewy and stringy that I couldn't swallow it. I sat for a couple minutes chewing each piece, and ended up just spitting it out. This has been happening more and more frequently, but never this bad.

It was obvious that they had just given me some old food that had been sitting around for a few hours, possibly from lunch. This place is generally fine (other than one of the workers being pretty rude if you encounter him for a to-go order, but that never really ruined it for me). I wish them luck, as the rest of the staff seems really friendly and nice, but I most likely will not be ordering from here anymore. When it's good, it's great. When it's bad, it's horrible.

Edit: 4/6/2024

Been going here still off and on since my last review, and generally it's pretty average lately (if not inconsistent), but I'm going to stop coming here. Got some egg drop soup, and the egg ribbons had black mold on them, and there was a gnat at the bottom of the soup. I get that mistakes happen, but black mold on egg ribbons makes it seem like pots aren't being cleaned properly, which, if that's the case, is pretty gross. The people here are nice, so I feel bad, but the gross egg ribbons and bug was really...

I really like this place, and I've been ordering from here on and off for years. I've mostly done takeaway, but have dined in a few times. The only negative thing that comes to mind is the restaurant occasionally smells of cleaning chemicals, but I never found that offensive, especially given alternative smells a restaurant could have. I'd rather it be clean. I most often get mapo tofu with pork, orange chicken, and beef with broccoli. All of which are decent enough to bring me back. Mapo tofu in my limited experience can be pretty hit or miss, but I really like theirs. I don't know that it's going to compete with the best of the best, but this is a favorite, consistent, and reliable restaurant for me, which I'd recommend.

I noticed some negative reviews mentioning the staff rudeness. The worst I've seen is shortness and efficiency. On average, everyone's been very nice and pleasant, and I actually like the shortness on the phone. It makes for a very efficient ping-pong like ordering experience that doesn't waste time. My guess is people are mistaking shortness for rudeness, but I've never gotten the impression anyone was...

While in the vicinity during my work hours, I sought a change in my lunch routine and was drawn to this establishment due to its abundance of positive reviews.

Upon my arrival, I discovered a well-maintained restaurant with a tidy and inviting atmosphere, offering an appealing array of lunch options.

Although I initially enjoyed the sweet and sour chicken, I harbor some reservations about it being the optimal choice. The lunch menu featured three soup options, accompanied by a spring roll, and the rice selection could be substituted with noodles, evidently.

The food was served promptly and piping hot, and the prices were reasonably competitive for the area.

The customer service was nothing short of exceptional, truly impeccable.

I would have awarded this place a perfect 5/5 rating had I chosen something more to my personal liking. I intend to delve further into the menu and amend this review if necessary.

Overall, it presents itself as a promising...