Golden Harbor Authentic Chinese Cuisine
| Address: | 505 S Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA |
| Phone: | +1 217-398-8988 |
| Site: | goldenharbor.weebly.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11:30AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
PA
Pat L
I like to congratulate the owners of Golden Harbor, they are savvy enough to charge a premium prices for average Chinese food. It also appears the locals are happy to pay it and thinks this place is “…mind blowing.”, because you know they have tasted many amazing Asian food before, like Panda Express ;-) I always thought most Chinese restaurants under value their food and willing to under charge to stay in businesses, Golden Harbor is the reverse. (FWIW, we traveled to many cities for good Asian food; Chicago, NYC, LA, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore etc. therefore we think we understand quality food and how much it should cost from expensive cities to low cost cities). The dishes we ordered at GH are all expensive for what it was (simple, basic Chinese food), more importantly the dishes we had were bland, no wok flavor, no finesse. Some sample of premium pricing: Plain congee GH $5, other places $1 - $2.50. Chinese fried dough GH $2.50, other places $.50 - $1. Stir-fry noodles GH $13.99 and up, other places $6.99 and up. We understand higher costs from fine dinning restaurants in cities like Singapore, NYC, but a college town restaurant with low cost decor, seats, plates, food? To be honest, my rating of GH would be higher if their prices was lower, with higher prices my expectation of the food goes up proportionately, the two scale didn’t match. :-( Since GH seems to have so many happy customers and wonderful reviews, I say, well done Golden Harbor!
RA
Rachel Chartoff
I can always count on Golden Harbor to make me smile - whether its the extensive variety of delicious food, friendly service, or fun Facebook presence. I tell myself Im going to try something new every time - and sometimes, I do - but I cant help going back to my favorites. Of course there is the crispy tofu, their signature dish - delicately fried with a light batter and served with a sweet and slightly sour sauce, green onions, and cilantro. (Get the sauce on the side for take-out so the tofu stays crispy.) Im a fan of anything eggplant - you can order this or a selection of other vegetables with your choice of sauce - its at the back of the Chinese menu. We tried the Taiwanese shrimp roll once, and now its our go-to appetizer. The lamb cumin is some of the best lamb Ive had anywhere - perfectly spiced (ask for it with carrots and snow peas added.) Do not be intimidated by their crazy-big menu. If you are in the mood for something specific, just ask! Ive gone with a vegan group who left stuffed and satisfied. Some other reviewers have mentioned they think theyre high-priced. The portions are FAMILY STYLE. Meant to be shared. They also serve smaller portions (with smaller prices) at lunch.
JI
Jim Gardner
Way over hyped in my opinion. This is Chinese food, not magical food. It was in my opinion one of the weakest Asian meals I have had in Chamburgesa. The crispy tofu is really not great, its fried tofu, I mean yes its ok and not horrible but most things fried are good, its not creative in the slightest. The soup we had was oily and heavy and while we requested spicy, it was not that spicy, I would call it mild to medium. The ambiance is dingy and the service is pretty terrible, bathrooms dirty and disgusting. The reviews that say this is fresh and lively is way way off base, the few veggies that were in the food were sad little fellows. The lady at the cash register is crazy friendly but didnt find her that helpful with the ridiculously huge menu, she just kept asking what we liked and wanted. I wanted to know what their speciality was and she just kept saying what kind of meat I would like. She finally said the crispy tofu, which as previously stated was really ho hum. Frankly, I was looking for something more exotic, which this place is not. I would rather go to my regular peking garden, its not fancy, but its fresh and consistently good.
DE
Deborah Hamel
If you are a native Mandarin speaker, and can read Chinese characters, this is your cup of casual dining tea. For someone who isnt, there are plenty of photos. The food is good and served piping hot very quickly. You take your own menu, pencil and ordering page when you first walk in. Seat yourself. You might be family style sharing with other customers or have your own table. The menu is written on the wall with a few photos, and the menus are very user friendly in English, Chinese and many photos. Once you fill out the ordering page in either English or Chinese, you take it to the front counter. Your order is taken, a serving number given to you and you pay the bill. You serve yourself water or sodas or hot tea and any eating utensils you wish, silver ware or chop sticks. Your wait is never very long and the food is served piping hot as it comes off the stove. It is cozy and friendly and interestingly different in a down home sort of way. I recommend it every time you want good Chinese food.
DI
Disnorm Daughter
I stopped by this place because I was craving for some Peking Duck and fried rice. It was a bit overwhelming because the menus are printed in Chinese. When I went to the counter to attempt to place my order a young lady wearing glasses, barely acknowledged me and was extremely rude. Im not a big fan of steamed rice and I asked if I could have fried rice instead and she flat out told me no. Not accommodating at all. I politely thanked her and walked out. Im so glad I didnt waste my money. Ill gladly patronize the Chinese restaurants in my hometown, Chicago, where the customer service (and most likely the food) is much better. Golden Harbor, you lost a customer on this end!!!!!!
A
A Private User
Arguably the best Chinese food in the CU area. Some might consider their price to be on the pricey because the portion of the food isnt really fair for the price that they charge. Also, I heard they overcharge because the tips is already included in it so you have no choice of not tipping them for their bad service. Also, they got this really weird way of ordering the food.On top of that, you have to make sure that the table that you eat at is completely clean or they are going to come by and ask you to leave extra money because they have to clean up the table. Despite all these flaws, their food is pretty amazing and I would definitely go back.
SA
Sam Mang
The menu is gigantic, and yet each dish is unique and can be made by the chefs. A little secret when ordering is to bring someone who can read and speak Chinese as there is a completely different menu for those that can read Chinese. Some of those dishes may seem strange, but trust me, they are delicious. Do not come here thinking that its like any small Chinese takeout, its not. You have to come with at least 4 people. The dishes are a little pricier, but worth it when coming with a group of people as they do serve good portions. Drinks are self serve. If you want more rice, theyll give you more without charge, which is nice.
KE
Keith Ross
I dont understand how this place can maintain such a vast menu! I went to U of I so Id come here every time my parents came to visit me. I dont think Ive ever been to a better Chinese restaurant in my life. This is easily the best Chinese restaurant ever. The owner and family of the restaurant are super enthusiastic and always have a smile! You can tell they really get joy from seeing people enjoying the food! The greatest thing is that they remember you! Ive ordered too many items to list, but I will just say that anything off the "Asian" menu is amazing.
