Ocean Empire — Restaurant in Town of Haverstraw

This place is a LOOK. If you told me with a straight face that the interior has been upgraded at any point since the Nixon administration, I flat out wouldn't believe you. And I'm willing to admit a huge chunk of my rating is based on the sheer kitsch value - I've never seen this many aquariums in one establishment that wasn't a pet store. Truly wild. Also? You will not have any type of cell phone service while dining here, which seems fitting given that you chose to eat in a literal time warp. I wouldn't expect technology to work in that situation either.

I stopped here for a sit-down lunch yesterday afternoon, having gotten take-out a few times in the last 10 months or so. There are a TON of Chinese options in this area but this is definitely the best in terms of overall quality. Admittedly, most if not all of their competition is generic take-out establishments, but the price point is right on par with them and you're getting better flavors with food that looks and tastes like it's actually being made to order, more or less. I don't know what the target audience is for Ocean Empire, but based on the baffled gapes of the barflies at the bar by the entrance (yes, this place has a bar that you'll be stunned to learn has an aquarium next to it) and the senior citizens dotting the restaurant interior, it's not me. That said, I was shown to a table promptly and had solid service throughout.

I ordered my tried and true, the Sweet and Sour Chicken entree ($13), though I had the option of the lunch special which was a few dollars less. I figured since I made the trek and was hanging out with a giant fish less than a foot from my head (see attached picture), I might as well go all the way with the experience. And I loved that the waiter DID redirect me to the lunch menu, just to make sure I wanted the more expensive option. A lot of places would quietly note the order and not offer a cheaper alternative. Good for them. The chicken was very good. I don't know that it's particularly hard to master this dish behind the scenes, but bare minimum I think you want to ensure that it's not overly deep fried where you're eating literal bites of fried skin. This was perfectly done and a generous portion (when is Chinese food not a generous portion?). The only quibble I had was with the sauce. It's more orange than red, which is interesting and I'm not sure what the significance is if any, but I thought it was on the watery side and difficult to apply to my accompanying rice, which was a LITTLE too al dente for me. But just a little.

The menu (hilariously they just gave me the paper takeout menu to look at; totally fine and somehow seemed on brand) looks pretty legit beyond the standard takeout options so this is a very rare instance where I would actually come back and order something else. And like most Chinese food, it didn't take long for the food to arrive, so this is a very reasonable lunch hour-type destination if that's your jam. And a fun perk if you're in the market? There's a random party room in the back you can apparently reserve. Because of...

Amazing food and super authentic! Ate here on Chinese New Year Eve because we were looking for a Chinese restaurant and we got in pretty late around 9 PM and they were still very happy to serve us. We ordered the “Happy Family” dish on the specials list consisting of chicken, roasted pork, shrimp and scallops served with a bowl of rice on the side and the sauce on the meat was so good! It included quite a bit of vegetables too which was really nice. We also ordered the meat dumplings and I HIGHLY recommend those because they taste so authentic like the dumplings my family makes! Even my boyfriend (who usually does not like Asian food lol) loved these dumplings so much and said he could eat probably 2 plates of them if he were hungrier. There are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu too, such as the stir fry tofu and vegetables, fried rice, noodles, vegetable dumplings and more. We only waited about 10 mins total for the food so it came super quick and we were very satisfied with the service. Will definitely be back here if in...

Guaranteed to set any of your future expectations of Chinese cuisine to new standards.

The atmosphere and dinnerware were positively gorgeous. The dining area, accented by aquariums of some of the most beautiful Koi fish I have ever seen, is dimly lit to create a relaxing ambience for the customer.

We began our meals by ordering our soft drinks and appetizer, a Pu Pu Platter. However, what we received was a complimentary bowl of fried noodles acompanied by two ramekins; one of Chinese hot mustard and the other of Duck Sauce. The waiter also introduced us to a beautiful kettle of fine Jasmine tea and a set of darling ceramic tea mugs.

The Pu Pu Platter was huge. My wife's duck soup was huge. My Singapore rice noodles was huge. The portions were astounding. The dishes were delectable and the service was unparalleled. I could go on and on about how disappointed I am that this isn't the standard in Chinese cuisine at other establishments but I will simply consider it to be a treat; a Mount Olympus...