Char Koon

Small, casual but cozy little Asian restaurant. We tried the shrimp and chicken bowl and fried scallops, delicious!

Great pan-​Asian. No desserts. Still a local gem.
Meat, seafood, vegetarian, and yes, they have brown rice.

The food tastes fresh and the flavor combinations are not like your usual run of the mill restaurant. Have eaten here a couple of times and not been disappointed.

Service was great, but the food didn’t move me. The restaurant lacked a little finesse and authenticity. It seemed like they were catering to the American tongue, but people in G-​bury may prefer that.

Know what to expect and you won’t be disappointed. The food is very good but you have to know that they are an ‘Asian fusion’ style. So, some of the more commonly named dishes like Pad Thai will not be the same as most other restaurants’ Pad Thai, in fact it is quite different. However, I think it’s an awesome version of the dish. It’s got a bit of spice, more broth to it and has more of a hot & sour taste.
The décor is outdated so do not go here thinking you’re going to have an upscale dining experience like a Max Downtown. Rather, it is a quaint, quiet, hidden little gem that serves great food and the wait staff is very friendly.
Other great dishes are Volcano Flank Steak, Lotus Fried Rice, Char Koon Special Noodles, Ipoh Combo Noodles and the Sar Char Mei Fun.
I took off 1 star because it seems they rotate chefs so the dishes will sometimes vary in the strength of spices and flavoring. Some days a dish will be spicy, others it will be less so. I’ve seen this with the Pad Thai and Volcano Flank Steak. 90% of the time the dishes are outstanding, but 10% of the time they don’t have quite as much flavor & spice.

A true «hidden» gem tucked away in South GBury. It’s been around for quite awhile, but still somewhat unknown. For example, I’ve lived in town for 4 years, and tonight is the first time I’ve been a patron.
Nevertheless, the food is absolutely a cut above the standard Chinese take-​out. Very intriguing menu with options that you certainly don’t see everyday. The Char Koon Special Noodles are amazing, and I also think they have some of the best Lo Mein in the area. The Pad Thai, on the other hand, I would skip. Definitely not traditional in flavor, and somewhat bland. Not bad… just not very good either. Everything else we’ve tried is absolutely righteous though, so I can’t wait to go back!
Nice quiet dining area if you choose to eat in too!
Checky check it out.

Char Koon is one of my favorite restaurants in town. It has a quaint, simple atmosphere and about 12 tables. Minimal decoration — except for the huge fish tank in the front.
The menu is not huge, but each dish has a unique element to it. The menu is definitely pan-​Asian (vs. strictly Chinese). The Szechwan Wonton was great and came with a nice peanut sauce. The Sar Char Mei Fun also had a unique sauce and was definitely enough to have some leftovers.
Prices are, for the most part, comparable to your average «American Chinese restaurant,» so for the added level of uniqueness, simplicity, and tastiness, Char Koon is a great option.

I hate to write this review, the staff was really friendly and attentive, BUT this place was just not very good…
My friend ordered the pad thai. At first glance it bore no resemblance to pad thai. The noodles came in soupy, watery, very bland sauce. The sauce didn’t stick to the noodles at all. When the waiter dropped off our food, he suggested we keep our spoons, now i know why. Overall, just a poor and downright bad representation of Pad Thai, DO NOT ORDER.
I ordered the Thai Spice chow fun. Andddddd it was in the exact same sauce as the pad thai… I have since made the determination that when anything is ordered that is from the «thai» category they simply add «thai spice.» Theres probably a bottle of it in the back.
Honestly, I’ve never been more disappointed in my food than today. It was edible, but not good, not mediocre, just bad.
Positives:
+Soups served before were tasty (Hot and Sour and Wonton)
+Great waitstaff
+Nice ambiance

We live nearby and eat here and get take out a lot. The staff here is very accommodating and attentive. The place is cozy and comfortable. The food is more Asian fusion and always has that extra something to make it a cut above the ordinary. A much better choice than the typical places with the standard selections, but they do also have a lot to choose from that you will find familiar enough if that is your preference. Selections like fried or steamed dumplings for example are really tasty, and that’s before you get to the entrée. I feel prices are on the low side considering what you are getting. Beer and wine prices are very good also. We haven’t found the place full, which is good if you are eating but surprising also because they are so good. If you are thinking Asian food make sure to give them a try

Char Koon may be listed as Chinese, but the menu draws from several Asian cuisines and combines them rather successfully. I enjoyed a remarkable variant on the Thai tom yam soup for an appetizer, which was my favorite item of the evening.
Their scallops in mala sauce rested on a lovely bed of lightly cooked spinach. The deep friend scallops themselves were perfectly cooked inside their coating — no small feat. The mala sauce itself had plenty of heat and richness, and wasn’t too sweet. Very nice indeed.
The dining area is small, but they have managed to give it an intimate feel rather than claustrophobic. They use a lot of directional lighting to provide separation between groups, and it has a quiet, comfortable feel.
It’s a menu that will take some exploration, coming from so many countries. It seems well worth the effort!

Char Koon is my go-​to for Chinese takeout in town. I like that their menu features a little more than the standard Chinese restaurant with some thai-​inspired meals. See the «Southeast Asian Corner» section of the menu. Although, as a couple of other reviewers have noted, their pad thai is not so great.
Although I’ve sampled almost everything on the menu, my go-to’s are the Chengdu Chicken and the veggie spring rolls. The veggie spring rolls come with this fabulous sweet, creamy, chili (and maybe some ginger) dipping sauce. Honestly, Char Koon should sell jars of that sauce. It’s really good and it’s the perfect accompaniment for the simple veggie rolls.
The Chengdu Chicken is like less sweet/​less saucy General Tsao’s. It comes sautéed with peppers and onions, instead of a few broccoli florets. The spice-​level has varied quite a bit over multiple orders, but if you, like me, like something with a pretty big kick (i.e. take your breath away/​give you the hiccups), request it spicy and it can be done!
The fried rice has to be the best in the area and Lembu Java, Thai Curry Gai and Sar Char Mai Fun are also worked into my rotation pretty regularly.
The cost is slightly more than the average Chinese takeout, but worth it. The portions are good for a couple of meals and their luncheon specials are super reasonable, so take advantage of those if you can.
The eat-​in experience is also very nice, it’s very quiet and cozy and actually a little romantic in that way.

We used to go there (or get take out) a lot, but not so much anymore. The last time we were there, the waiter brought me a dish for another patron (the next table over). I stuck my fork in it, then realized it wasn’t the shrimp dish I ordered. Quickly the waiter retrieved the dish. Near the kitchen door he rearranged the food to correct my disturbance, then delivered it to the correct party. Everyone at my table nearly blew lunch. Probably if he did this in the kitchen (like every other restaurant most certainly would do) we wouldn’t have been so grossed out.
On the positive side, the dishes ARE tasty, though we’ve noticed that they seem to be skimping more on the ingredients.

Char Koon is tiny, and out of the way, and unpretentious. Not a huge vegetarian menu, but some really unique things — we shared the Lotus Fried Rice (Pan seared jasmine rice, veggie ham, peas and pineapple wrapped in lotus leaf.) and the Heaven Glory (Wok seared gluten, firm tofu, wild mushrooms and vegetables in seaweed sauce.) and both were delicious. The menu isn’t the typical chinese take out shop — lots of interesting things I haven’t seen on menus elsewhere.
the coffee next door is pretty good too, if you are here when they are open.

Nice quaint restaurant. Good options for sea food, chicken, and beef noodles. My personal favorite was the General Tsao, even though, it’s not what the restaurant is known for i.e. noodles. Pad Thai was a ‘no go’…too soupy…

My family’s favorite chinese resteraunt! We often go here, takeout or eat in. Before me even, my parents ate here. You can ask them to make food not on the menu– we love it here! For very reasonable prices you get a lot. However if you eat in, the space is pretty small. Service is friendly. We have gone here countless times and will continue!

We’ve been going to Char Koon for years (for example, my daughter’s baptism lunch was there and she’s in college now). First of all, this rating is for take out. The food cannot be beat in the opinion of me and my family. The quantity for the price is a bonus. We live nearby and order out at least once per month. This isn’t pure Chinese, it also has Malaysian and other Southeast Asian tastes. We visit Chinese restaurants in virtually all our trips to major cities. Most aren’t quite comparable to Char Koon, there have been a few, such as Mr Chu’s in Los Altos. Most are disappointing in comparison, even in the Chiatown’s.
You can order dishes that are not on the menu or make other special requests. We can feed 6 for about $ 70 and still have leftovers (again, take out). Ordering take out takes 20 minutes, I’ve rarely experienced a delay. Whenever we have a mediocre meal for the family of $ 90 or more, we say «shoot, we could have had Char Koon for less’. Eating there is different, the experience can be hit or miss, taking too long, or poor service. Usually not, but it can happen, thus some of the reviews seen here. Also, the place is very small, you may be cramped. Furthermore, you get significantly more food when taking out. Encouraging take-​out by offering more food works for them because they don’t have the space for more people to stay and eat there/

You have to try the shrimp dumplings!
This isn’t your typical chinese restaurant. Sure, they have some of the old standby favorites, but be adventurous and order something else. My favorite is the Sar Cha Mei Fun. which is stir-​fried angel hair rice noodles w/​chicken, pork, shrimp and mushroom in Sar Cha sauce. All of the pasta dishes I have tried are fabulous!
The hosts are the same that were at Jasmine Restaurant (closed) and are always very nice.
I bit more pricey than standard takeout chinese, but I easily get two meals from an order, and the quality far exceeds anything else in town.

Whatever the name of the dish that has Shrimp and melon balls, order that. Fantastic.

For everyone who states that this is a hidden gem in the heart of Glastonbury is absolutely right. Char Koon is excellent. A charming little restaurant with an obvious booming takeout business has about 10 or so quaint tables inside for dining. Reservations are highly recommended; on the night that I dined there I saw tables turn over quickly and fill right back up.
Char Koon doesn’t have much for a wine list, but they don’t have to, the food is where they shine. The steamed meat dumplings were excellent and bursting with flavor. For dinner, by way of recommendation I chose the Scallop w/​Mala sauce and my date ordered the Volcano Flank Steak. I have not stopped thinking about the scallops since that night, they were THAT good. I also sampled the volcano flank steak which was excellent; spicy and tender.
The staff here was very unobtrusive, yet friendly. They allowed us to linger over dinner without feeling rushed at all. I think that this is my new favorite pacific-​rim restaurant. I cannot wait to go back and try other things on the menu.

Their once a year Chinese New Year menu is flavorful, inventive yet traditional, and amongst the best asian food that we have ever had. Their special menu is only available once a year for limited time. And every year is different.
While we were living in CT, we would visit this place a couple times in a week during the the holiday season. Their regular menu is way better than CT average, but unfortunately, not nearly as good as places in Flushing, NYC, or Silicon Valley.
For their seasonal Chinese New Year Menu 5+ Stars, but 2 stars for their regular menu.
Reservations for their seasonal tasting is highly recommended for weekend dinners, unless you want to visit during non-​peak hours.
We truely miss their seasonal menu.