China Sea Restaurant

My favorite place for General Tso! Really nice staff and great food! I love the $ 5 dollar lunch special, it is well worth it.

We are so lucky in our little village to have very decent Chinese food. The place has gone through more than a few owners over the last 25 years or so. The current owners provide delicious standard Chinese fare. Occasionally my husband and I grab lunch there as it is close to his employment. I do agree that it needs some redecorating or just plan decorating! The walls are pretty bland and it’s basically one big open space with tables and one or two murals on a small part of the wall. Adding some interesting lighting, booths, background music, art work (tapestries, art by local artists that could be for sale so the restaurant wouldn’t have to pay for it, asking the public school or students from Hamilton College (in the Chinese program, art program, etc.) about having students do some «Chinese Art» as it perhaps relates to their studies (Its the year of the ram or sheep), color blending, pen and ink, etc. Great for community relations and involvement.
An industrial carpet made to withstand the influx of high school students on weekdays would be a nice addition also. I am sure the wet shoes and boots from the recent weather in upstate NY does not add to the ambiance one bit. And it must be a huge task to keep that floor looking so clean.
The first time I came to China Sea was about 25 years ago and it was such a classic small town restaurant with nice big wooden booths. I don’t remember the décor but it was really neat! Modernization led it to becoming a carbon copy of so many other Chinese restaurants. I never wanted to offend the owners by suggesting any changes but perhaps they will read this and consider making some changes.

Used to get take out once or twice a month but over the years the Sesame Chicken stopped containing chicken and became fried dough for $ 9.95. Tried it intermittently afterwards with the same chicken less outcome.

The Good: Decent, not gross Chinese food in the Village of Clinton, which is otherwise devoid of non-​American/​Italian options at present. Reasonably priced. Does a pretty good job with bean curd for vegetarians.
The Not-​So-​Good: Ultimately, the place is mediocre. The space is uninviting if you actually want to eat out.
A completely average Chinese takeout spot. The menu is a standard American Chinese menu. Nothing particularly interesting, but expansive enough. The food seems good but not great. I enjoyed the General Tso’s bean curd and the sesame bean curd, which had good flavor without being too greasy (though I’m pretty sure they use the exact same sauce). The kung pao dish had no chilis in it, which made it taste not at all like a kung pao and more like a bland stir fry in nondescript brown sauce. I tried it again, extra spicy to no effect. Given the general lack of spicy food in town, though, perhaps they’re catering to a presumed blander palate. The restaurant’s interior is pretty depressing, so I’ve just done take out. This is disappointing, since its location on Park Row is prime and the space could truly be great with a bit of effort. The idea of going here for a romantic date has become an inside joke of sorts between me and my partner (she issues an emphatic veto every time).
I’m glad there is at least some Asian food in Clinton, but would happily trade this spot for Thai, Vietnamese, or (dare I fantasize) Burmese. Or even a better Chinese restaurant. While I’m clearly uninspired on the whole, China Sea really isn’t bad. It’s a great option for local take-​out in a pinch, but I’d rather cook at home or go out for Cambodian or Thai in Utica if I have the time.

Honestly, I order from China Sea every single week. Sometimes multiple times a week. I was born and raised in China. True, it’s not the most authentic Chinese food you can get, but it sure tastes DAMN GOOD and dimly reminds me of home.
I always get Mooshu Pork and fried dumplings. Killer combination. Taste so good all the fricken’ time.
I’m not gonna lie, but eating China Sea on a Friday night while watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory or Modern Family is usually the highlight of my weekend. Sad but true and I’m happy so who cares.
I don’t understand where the rumors about food poisoning come from, and I wish the «victims» could stand out and explain. I suspect that one of the possible reasons, though, is that some American stomachs might not be able to handle sauces with such strong flavors or relatively richer grease. Maybe it’s just a wrong match. I wonder about their definition of food poisoning.
But not to other Americans, like my thesis mates who LOVE their fried dumplings and a Hamilton police officer, who asked me to translate for him to the delivery guy to express his appreciation for their food. By the way, the manager delivers every single time.
More often than not, delivery takes around 30 minutes like they always promise on the phone. Occasionally it takes longer than expected on weekend nights but that’s understandable.
Now the restaurant has expanded considerably and I guess it should be a good place to eat in as well, even though I haven’t tried that myself, because of geographical limitations.
To hell with rumors and try it yourself. And always be cautious about the danger of overgeneralization.

This is not a bad place for a cheap meal. People claimed that they got food poisoning here but nothing happened when my friends and I ordered food from here.
So yeah…
Pros:
–Cheap
–Coming from the city, this is not a bad Chinese fast food place
–Down in the little town
Cons:
–Delivery takes a gazillion years — My theory is that they wait for at least a set number of orders before delivering them in bulk. Well they save gas money…
–Inside can be better looking — so take out is preferred by me

Had lunch there. Food was edible, but not even good enough to match the area average. Took 20 minutes in an empty restaurant to get my food. Ordered General Tso’s. It was brown and runny. Looked more like mucous than the traditional sauce I’ve had elsewhere. Chicken was hard and crunchy. Pork lo-​mein was almost tasteless. Sadly, I won’t be eating there again.