China Lake Restaurant

Best Chinese food in the Triple Cities. Just view the «service» as entertainment more than helpful.

yummy tea and steamed authentic chinese veg. friendly couple who owns it and knowledgeable. heathy oriental food and steamed fish and jellyfish to die for when available!

Excellent food, there was more than plenty and the atmosphere was calm and homely. The beef scallion roll was delicious and the black bean shrimp is always a classic.

Best chinese food in the upstate NY area. the salt and pepper squid, salt and pepper pork chop, bean curd with shredded pork, fried flounder are definitely what I come for. The consistency is simply uncanny. I use to go to school here and the food is still impeccable as I remember it a decade ago. Must go now and then every other day. I drove up to Binghamton for alumni weekend but in reality for China Lake.

Just went back again tonight. Amazing food. Chinatown and flushing can’t beat this place. Worth the 360mile drive from NYC just to have a piece of heaven (round trip). Pass on the sea bass. Stick w flounder. New dishes this time: salt n peppa pork chop and shrimp in black bean sauce. God damn! They ran out of salt n peppa squid tonight which is usually my fave. Going back tomorrow.
I went back again for lunch this time sticking w the legendary crispy flounder and salt n peppa squid. This is the most tender squid you will ever eat. My mouth was having a party and all my favorite flavors were invited. Jumbo Shrimp in black bean sauce… who brought fire works to the party!
The 2 star reviewer who was ordering hot n sour soup, you should be ashamed of yourself. That’s like going to Peter Lugers, ordering a chicken salad, and giving a 2 rating cuz you wanted more MSG. Please stick w moon star or some other fast food Chinese joint if you gonna order that crap.
As for the comments on the long wait times, it’s true unfortunately but great food takes time. The chef, despite his constant yelling, cooks every dish as though it was for the NY Times. He could easily pump out dishes quicker but I thank him for not doing so. Take your time my man — I’ll take consistency with a side of perfection.

«China Late” — The food is generally good. Sometimes if it is a busy hour, it takes one hour for bringing up your ordered food. China Late:)

The food is really good but you need to wait a long time before eating because there is only a couple running this restaurant.

So good! Right across the street from Moonstar, and honestly, the two are pretty comparable. Authentic, delicious Chinese food.
The more people you come with, the better, because you can order family-​style and share everything (some tables even have lazy Susans). We had the beef tendon in chili oil, baby bok choi, snow pea leaves and three flavored chicken. Rice is included and we barely broke $ 40 for five people. Win!

I would give this place 5 stars for the crispy shrimp in black bean sauce. But the service was so appalling tonight that I will never eat here again. I have been here many times and the food has always been good, but the service had been declining. Despite the recent upgrades to the tables and chairs, eat in service has gotten worse and worse. Take out… Yep. Don’t miss the mu-​shu, the shrimp with black bean, the boneless spare ribs. But do yourself a huge favor… Call in your order and get it to go!!!

Ok, I held off on reviewing this place because I like to give a place a second chance. The first time I went it was after the floods. The food was good however the place didn’t look too good. I chalked it up to the flood, cleanup down the road, etc. I had Szechuan shredded beef which was a bit sweet but for the most part, done properly. I’ve heard things about the nasty owner, kitchen fights and the worst… A dirty place. That was in the past…
Tonight I gave this place another try and will never go back nor will I recommend it and I seriously have to say, you’ve been warned. I hate to say this but the overall condition of the dining room was filthy. Dishes on the table, no wait staff… a chef hollering in the kitchen and an owner obviously frazzled from too much work and no help.
I can’t point to any one dish being outstanding because frankly, none were. The shredded beef was sweet, mushy and lacked sesame oil which is a must have for this dish. Even the Hot and Sour Soup was off.
I’ve never been this hard with a review but what I saw tonight… Frankly I should have just walked out… Which is what I suggest you do.
Broome County needs to do what they do in NYC. Put the grade letter from the Health Dept in the window.

I found the dishes oily, beyond oily honestly. It’s very slow service as well, with just one very pleasant and accommodating woman to tend to too many tables. I heard that it’s the best place around, that it’s where Chinese that know authentic cuisine of there homeland go. I’d rather be across the street at Moon Star. Maybe it’s my ignorance, having never been to China and tasted authenticity. I’m fairly confident in my palate though and do not believe that to be the case.

The food alone gives this place five stars for me! So delicious! We were invited to eat here by some local relatives. They treated us to a big spread of soup dumplings, lobster, pecking duck, beef and broccoli, and shrimp with tomato sauce. I didn’t have room for the beef or shrimp but would definitely have tried it if I had been able. Everyone raved about the shrimp, so it must have been good.
The dumplings were so yummy with the sauce with fresh ginger! Be careful, because the soup inside (yes, inside) the dumplings is hot. The star was the pecking duck. Crispy, flavorful skin and moist delicious meat, all wrapped in a thin, crêpe-​like pancake with plum sauce and scallions. The one waitress (owner and wife to the chef) assembled and served the duck for us. While she did this, she did take up all the room between another person in my party and me, so we both had to kind of lean out of her way, and that was weird. But it was so good I didn’t even really care!
The place is small and nothing fancy at all. Be sure to come when it isn’t busy, because it’s usually just the chef and his wife working the whole place. I’ve heard there is a chance they will retire sometime in the future, so get it while it’s good!

By far, the best Asian food I have ever tasted. It’s a small restaurant with only a few tables inside, but the quality of food is simply amazing. We were treated to the Peking duck (must have three days notice to order), shrimp and tomato sauce, dumplings filled with pork and soup (a favorite), BBQ beef, and lobster. Only two people work at this restaurant, a husband and wife. Ming, the chef and dish washer, and Kim, hostess/​waitress. Some relatives we were with have been to Beijing and said you can’t ever compare the food over there to Ming’s cooking. Too bad we live 2 hrs from there, but I guess that will prevent me from going there at least three times a week. You must experience this food before they decide to retire!

This is the best Chinese food I’ve had ANYWHERE. I’ve lived in Orange County, CA, Northern VA, Rochester, NY, Idaho and Long Island. I’m part Asian and grew up with lots (I mean LOTS) of Chinese food.
Kim is very nice. Sometimes the food can take a while (for take out). But it is always worth the wait! Anything you get will be a delight.
Don’t miss this place!

It’s a toss-​up between here and Moon Star across the road for having the best Chinese food in the area. Don’t be misled by a two-​star rating, the food is great, especially if you order off the authentic Chinese menu (be sure to ask for this; I recommend the clams with black bean sauce). Just don’t actually eat in the restaurant, go for take-​out.
Unfortunately, after years of enjoying this place, the poor service has finally driven me away. While take-​out is your best bet, it’s frequently not ready after the time quoted. I have no problem waiting a half hour for food. I do have a problem with it not being ready when I get there, and having to sit awkwardly in a chair in front of the register for another 10 – 15 minutes.
On my most recent visit, we decided to dine in. The tables were maybe half full. We each ordered one of the standard-​fare soups and an entrée (they were out of what my husband initially wanted, so the owner more or less told him what to get). While the soup came out quickly, it was a solid hour before our entrees came out. We’re not talking duck, or frog legs, or anything unusual. It was just slower than slow. My moo shu arrived without the pancakes, which I was assured would be brought out shortly. A half hour later, my food now cold, they appeared. And before you think I should have just asked, know that the one server/​owner does her best to avoid eye contact when she’s shuffling around working the tables (when she’s not up front, she’s yelling at her husband back in the kitchen. Always.)
BTW, they won’t honor the BOGO coupon from the Humane Society book and the menu prices are often incorrect. I’ll deal with unfriendly service and long waits, but false advertising isn’t cool.

Every experience here just continues to impress.
The service is super friendly. If you’re unsure of what to order, smile and ask for a recommendation. The lady with the ponytail will make some suggestions that will be sure to satisfy. Listen to her!
The soups are generous and very tasty. The only meal I’ve had that I haven’t really enjoyed yet is the Pad Thai –skip it. Everything else has been great!
She really wants you to be satisfied. She has let me call in ahead of time so that our dinner is ready when we arrive if they’re busy.
The atmosphere isn’t exciting, but the food is great is generous portions and the earnest, friendly service is refreshing.

Absolutely authentic! They give you a separate menu for the more authentic dishes which is awesome! They give you a lot of food and most of the time I end up having to take it Togo. Their noodle soups, Thai chicken with xo sauce, beef tomato and egg, braised beef with chili sauce… All very delicious. Although their food leaves you feeling sleepy like many Chinese food do and it’s something you can’t eat every day, it’s great for occasions. The owner/​server is pretty awesome too. She gives you extra of everything. I feel as if my mom is forcing me to eat more until I’m stuffed! They give you tons of oranges at the end and also a student discount! You should all try it out

They are a small restaurant but deliver so much food for the price. They truly care about their customers and their satisfaction.
Go with your family or friends, it’ll be well worth it.

I live in Chicago. Used to live in NYC. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in San Francisco and LA. The point is I’ve had a fair amount of Chinese food — good, bad and ugly.
I grew up near Binghamton, and my parents still live nearby. The quality of the Chinese food in the area has always been suspect.
Let’s be blunt: this is a takeout/​delivery place in a down at the heels strip mall. To say that it has décor would be a joke. It has 3 – 4 tables in a fluorescent lit room. The best you can say is that it is clean.
Why would you eat here? It has some of the best Chinese food I’ve eaten anywhere. Anywhere.
The chef is a master. If he ever leaves or sells the place, the story may change. But right now, it’s almost worth a trip to upstate New York for the food.

This place has really good chinese food. It has a «chinese» menu and an «american» one.
I’ve tried almost everything on the chinese menu and it’s all great! Their peking duck is probably one of the more authentic tasting ones in the area (it’s also super cheap — like 20 $ for a whole duck). You need to order one day in advance, however. It’s a little greasy too so if you don’t mind that then you will love it!
I recommend buying a cucumber or two and cutting it up thinly to eat with the peking duck (along with the pancakes/​scallions/​sauce that come with the duck)
The setting is not so nice, and the service can be slow. I recommend getting takeout over sitting down. If you sit down try to go on a weekday or during the day on a weekend (as long as there are less than 2 tables already sitting down you should be fine!)