As a Chinese foodie studying in America, I like to explore different Chinese restaurants around the place I live in. Starting from the beginning of the fall semester, I have visited a number of Chinese restaurants near Emory University. The following are my personal reviews of some Chinese restaurants that I considered worth discussing about.
CHOW MEI MEI $
Chow Mei Mei is a fast-food style restaurant at Emory Point which serves Asian cuisine. It is the most convenient Asian restaurant near Emory campus, being just about a 15 minutes’ walk from residential halls or a 5 minutes’ bus ride from Woodruff circle. The restaurant is relatively small and decorated in modern style. It offers common Asian foods such as sesame chicken, fried rice, soba, and Pad Thai. The prices are reasonable, ranging from $7 to $10 each dish. I ordered shrimp lo mein and California roll. The waiting time for the food was very long during my visit, when there were only a few customers. The taste of the food was below average, the lo mein was too greasy and the California roll was too hard. However, considering its low price, this restaurant is acceptable.
Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Not recommended.
HK HARBOUR $$
Hong Kong Harbour is a big Chinese restaurant near Emory, serving Cantonese food. A first glance of the restaurant gives me a feeling of history. The restaurant is decorated in old Chinese style with many traditional furniture and sculptures. Its menu contains a wide range of options for consumers and it also provides dim sum for lunch time. The price is reasonable with each dish for approximately $10. Despite its traditional Chinese atmosphere, its food does not taste very authentic, compared to other Cantonese restaurants in New York which I have visited before. Instead of embracing innovation and creativity, HK Harbour tends to match a set of ingredients with a set of sauces. Therefore, many dishes have the same taste. To sum up, HK Harbour is an average Cantonese restaurant. Nevertheless, there is something worth pointing out – they offer delivery to Emory campus!
Delivery: (404) 325-7630
Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Recommended for delivery only.
BOBO GARDEN $$
Located at Buford Highway, 20 minutes’ drive from Emory, Bo Bo Garden offers tasty and authentic Chinese cuisine with very reasonable price. It is not easy to find this restaurant as it is situated at a corner of a plaza. However, after passing through its small entrance into the restaurant, you will find that it is a very big restaurant full with both Asian and non-Asian eaters. This restaurant serves an extremely broad range of food representing different regional cuisines in China. The options on the menu are diverse but may appear difficult for non-Chinese speaking customers to understand. The serving speed is quick, and the food tastes very good. Many of the dishes in Bo Bo Garden are rarely seen in other Chinese restaurants in Atlanta. The high quality of the food and diverse options earn it an above average rating.
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ Strongly recommended.
BEIJING KABOBS $$
Beijing Kabobs is located at Buford Highway and owned by a couple originally from Beijing, China. This restaurant serves typical northeastern Chinese food such as kabob and “Mala Tang”, a spicy hot-pot dish originated from Sichuan, China. The price is pretty flexible and totally depends on how much food you would like to order. The foods served are very authentic but may not fit westerners’ taste. In addition, this restaurant is very small and kind of old.
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ Neutral.
ROYAL CHINA SEAFOOD RESTAURANT $$$
Located at Chamblee and 20 minutes’ drive from Emory, Royal China Seafood Restaurant is a great dining option for seafood lovers. It offers a wide range of Chinese food with a majority of the dishes cooked in a Cantonese style. It is famous for serving fresh and delicious seafood. When you enter the restaurant you will see huge fish tanks with different lively sea creatures, like an aquarium. The waiters/waitresses are polite and quick, and the dishes are priced reasonably. The quality of the food is excellent. The seafood is fresh and well-seasoned. Overall, it is a great place to dine at if you prefer seafood.
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ Strongly recommended.
History of Chinese Food in America 