Mr Chen's Auth Cooking — Restaurant in Tuscaloosa

Visited Mr. Chen's for a Friday evening out. It was a so-so experience.

First, I'd really like to recommend the market next door. It's got all sorts of cool goodies and I look forward to cooking with some of them. Really delicious curry spices you can't get at regular supermarkets.

On to the actual dining experience...

The restaurant interior is very nice. It's pleasantly decorated and has plenty of seating but still feels intimate enough. You can smell all the yummy kitchen smells, too.

Additionally, our waitress was very pleasant. She checked in on us often and was always very smiley and courteous.

Unfortunately, we did feel a little rushed when it came to placing our orders - we were asked maybe three minutes after sitting down. I definitely could have said I wasn't ready yet, but I felt anxious and didn't want to be an inconvenience, so I placed an order for orange chicken and my boyfriend got General Tso's, with pan fried dumplings to start.

We both wanted something a little less Americanized, but didn't have enough time to read through the expansive menu and so went for a safe option.

The dumplings tasted very much like the kind you can find frozen at Target or Wal-mart. That's not to say that they were bad; they tasted fine and we liked the dipping sauce. However, we could easily replicate them at home for a much lower price.

The Tso's and orange chicken were virtually indistinguishable from each other, in appearance and flavor. Mine had a slightly more direct orangey taste, but otherwise they were very similar.

Neither dish was particularly crispy. Both were very one-note in flavor. There was too much sauce, and it was very thick and overpowering. I really wanted and needed a side dish other than the rice, as eating piece after piece of chicken uniform in taste and texture got old fast. On the other hand, the rice was cooked perfectly and was the right level of stickiness. And, ultimately, neither dish was bad - they just didn't blow us away.

Overall, I'd probably try Mr. Chen's again and get something different. However, I've had better orange chicken for less at...

So I read so many great reviews before checking this place out... Everything I read was a plus about Mr. Chen's....yes we all have our own taste, but when I spend $60 on food and less than half of it is consumed it makes me one unhappy lady especially when I drove a good distance to visit this place. The hot and sour soup was the worst I have ever had, the sweet and sour chicken was soggy and tasted like it was soaked in garlic and onions, the noodles were ok, now the rice oh the rice was the worst it was bland and over cooked....needless to say the only time I am planning on visiting this place again is if they agree to refund me my money for the wasted time and gross food....btw I will gladly bring back the uneaten food to show how horrible it was. Btw u got one star bc I had to at least put a star but if I could have gotten away with not giving stars on so would have. This restaurant is not a Hidden Gem restaurant it is a huge waste of money...go to a buffet and you will get...

This is by far my FAVORITE Chinese restaurant in the T-town/Northport area. If you want true, authentic Chinese dishes with tons of flavor, you found it here. My husband and I have tried a few different dishes here: Duck noodle soup, dumplings, steamed buns(sort of like soup dumplings. VERY juicy), mei fun, Mongolian chicken, etc. But the one thing we get EVERY time is salted crispy chicken w/ steamed rice and a side of dumpling sauce for dipping. It's so crispy, savory, and flavorful! Everything we have tried here has been a treat, though! The wait-staff are all friendly and attentive. I like the family-style dishes and the cozy, intimate atmosphere all nestled inside of an Asian food market. We usually dine in the restaurant and shop in the market afterward. I can't wait to bring my family here when they come to...