West Lake Chinese Seafood Restaurant
| Address: | 1016 NJ-34, Matawan, NJ 07747, USA |
| Phone: | +1 732-290-2988 |
| Rating: | 4.1 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 18
A
A Private User
I have been there several times. The first time was when it opened years ago. The business was apparently good & we bought some take-out. However, the container was less than half filled; and we brought them back & complained. The owner was arrogant enough to say "this is the size we serve!" I did not go back for a few years because Crown Palace has been consistently better than West Lake. We finally gave it another try about a year ago, the manager was very friendly & helpful although his voice was a bit too loud. The seafood was not bad for a Chinese SF restaurant. Everything went fine until few months ago, we went there for "Dim Sum" on a weekend. I think they got the Dim Sum from Chinatown, NY... The manager was not there any more, the owner, however, was running around, the food (Dim Sum) was very salty & MSGish! In all fairness, I think the dinner seafood is still quite OK, but definitely not the Dim Sum! The service is quite okay so long as we are not served by the owner... Well still go back for convenience only.
MI
Michael Gada
Just Terrible. After ordering what staples most Americanized-Asian cuisine food places have to offer (Spare Ribs, Steamed Dumpling, and Pan-Fried Noodle with Shrimp), We were sorely disappointed by their quality. The dumplings were hard, and definitely spent more than 4 hours on a steam table. The Spare Ribs were tasteless, although cooked quite well. However, the largest disappointment came from the "Pan Fried" Noodle with Shrimp. Noodles were served pan-dried, and were supposed to have been added to the shrimp "mixture" separately. I say mixture, because it didnt outright resemble soup. More like a quagmire of bok choy, garlic, carrot, shrimp and possibly egg. If you have pan fried noodle in the noodle section of a menu, at least make the buyer be aware that they are ordering the complete oppositesd. This was a terrible experience.
JA
James D
Went here because of the reviews on Google. It did not disappoint. I was going back and forth on 4 or 5 stars. The food is definitely 5 stars. One of the better Chinese meals I have had in a while, and I frequent Chinatown in Philadelphia, NYC, and San Francisco. It is very unassuming and the decor is mid 90s strip mall, but the dishes are authentic, very tasty and cheap. The Peking duck was excellent and the beef curry stew was spicy and numbing and very satisfying. Even the hot and sour soup was leaps and bounds better than average. Can wait to go back. My only issue, and it was a small one, is that there are limited apetitzers and the staff doesnt help you understand a somewhat challenging menu.
LE
Leonard Rapoport
Pricey for the portion you get. Dumplings hard as rocks with little filling. Main room is noisy because it is small with large family tables so everyone is talking loud. Very slow service. I think they do the business because there are no other Chinese restaurants in our area hat offers these dishes After a few visits we gave up. Ther is another nice restaurant in the area that serves Japanese and some Chinese.dishes that is excellent, try Kikis. They offer discunts of 40 percent on there Chinese menu items Monday thru Friday and have low cost lunches. Check them out.and.you be.the.judge.
AL
Alec Smith
4 stars. Not your typical Chinese restaurant. The food is traditional and family style. The staff yells a lot and the place gets crowded (mostly Chinese families). If you are looking for the average brown sauce Chinese restaurant they can make it for you. If you want something authentic be prepared to know how to ask for it as they will not guide you... but note... they have an excellent kitchen. Ambiance is cheesy and noisy. Food is excellent. Prices are fair.
CO
Corianne Egan
About a year ago I was on a train and met a man visiting his family from China. He told me to go to West Lake. Fast forward to now, when I finally made it, and I wish I had gone sooner! The food here is simply made better and fresher than anything else around the Matawan area. We started simple with soup, crispy beef and general tsos, and all were obviously a few steps above the rest. Cant wait to go back!
GE
Gerard N Cudzil
First few times was amazing. It actually varies widely dependent on the cook that day. Picked up last week; egg rolls were cold; sliced boneless spare ribs were dry/overcooked, and the lo mein was tasteless. That said, I will continue to frequent this establishment until I find something comparable, because when they are on there is nothing better! Eating in the restaurant is a much better experience.
JO
Joshua Evans
This is the best Chinese restaurant in New Jersey. This is authentic chinese with fabulous fresh seafood right out of the tank cooked anyway you like. Dim sum on the weekend is the best. Sure you can have american chinese like beef and broccoli but you are missing out on the real delicacies like their amazing Peking Duck. Chinatown authentic in central NJ.
AN
Anuk Fernando
Typical Chinese family style restaurant. The food is excellent you know its good because the majority of the patrons are Chinese folks. They have a good dim sum on the weekends as well. The atmosphere can get loud when the place is full but the food is excellent so just shut your ears and enjoy the grub!
DA
David Tang
Delicious Chinese food. I havent been to many places, but I feel that the West Lake is one of the few Chinese restaurants in NJ that serve delicious AUTHENTIC Chinese cuisine (Dim Sum too), coupled with servers that actual seem to be happy to be there, and and in a clean space. That says a lot.
GO
Private User22
Great lunch specials M-F. My friends and I go there before bowling at Strathmore. Theres an enormous variety of delicious food. We usually pay around $10 per person. Decent service and great food. Weekend dim sum tastes pretty good but some of the dishes were lukewarm
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A Private User
I have been there five times. They serve peanuts before and during meals. Good food and good service. I recommend the stir fried silver fish delight and roast chicken with preserved mustard green. If you want to drink there, bring your own stuff :)
A
A Private User
hurry to Westlake.. Worst experience I have encountered. Three tables in our IMMEDIATE vicinity were served before we were acknowledged.. Might be the best food in NJ, would never go back and have told friends..
ED
Eddie Lo
Visiting the in-laws from HK and had a few dinners here already over the years. Generally pretty good and authentic, good value for money. Dim Sum for lunch was good, seafood for dinner was evening better
TA
Tad Bixby
One of the most authentic Chinese restaurants in New Jersey with regional dishes from Southern China and beyond. Dont let the understated decor fool you, as this is the real thing!
JO
John Kovac
the grassia family welcomed me to the west lake chinese and seafood. vinny cooked my fedlam fish very well. good zing to the taste/ made my b**** crazy. michelle is very nice
A
A Private User
The food was really, really good, but the service was terrible. I think the only reason its successful is because its hard to find good, authentic Chinese in the states.
IV
Ivan Gelb
Potentially good food. We got poorest of service. Incomplete order. Then it took over 30 minutes to get the missing dish. Unlikely we will ever be here again.
