New Harbour Restaurant

I definitely don’t want to sound like a foodie snob, because I’m not. I am, however, a connoisseur of good eats that I don’t have to cook myself, or clean up the bomb that apparently goes off in my kitchen every time my boyfriend cooks. I left Spokane a long time ago (recently returned from 20+ yrs of west side living) and the only Chinese place I know, the only place my parents would ever take us to when we were kids, was the Cathay Inn on North Division. So, of course, I love the CI, but my boyfriend, who is from the Seattle area, seems to think there absolutely must be better Chinese in Spokane. We’ve heard the rumors from various friends and co-​workers about this place and that place, but I have learned (the hard way) that a four or five star rating (or referral) for a Spokane restaurant is a long, loooong ways away from a four or five star rating anywhere between Shoreline WA and Portland, OR on the west side. So we’re in experimental mode, trying to find the absolute best restaurants in their respective cuisines anywhere else in Spokane so we can make them our go-​to spots. I found New Harbour on Google (I have driven past it a thousand times and never noticed it), and to my delight, it has a 4 ½ star Google User rating. My boyfriend was sold, and we headed there for dinner last week. As we were seated, the very first thing I noticed was the ceiling above our table. Brown water stains and warped paneling can often be a red flag, but not for me. Sometimes, the biggest dive has the best food, so even with the grubby, not-​so-​fresh feeling of our booth, I was hopeful. It threw me off, however, that the inside of the restaurant still looks a lot like the Dairy Queen it use to be. It was mostly empty save a large party there for a birthday celebration. An almost empty restaurant does not leave me hopeful, but we decided to wait and see. Could be a diamond in the brown water-​stained rough. Our waitress was nice and efficient, though I almost turned on her when she told me they do not serve alcohol. (That’s a deal breaker for me so I don’t even need to go on here, but I will.) I like a nice, cold Tsingtao with my Chinese food. But it wasn’t meant to be that night. The egg flower soup was just fine. The BBQ pork appetizer was OK, except it tasted a little like the refrigerator it had been in. I ordered the almond chicken with Hong Kong style pork chow mein and fried prawns. The prawns were really good and I ate them all first. But the chow mein was sooo boring and bland that I only took a few bites. Sad face, because I adore chow mein. If that’s what Hong Kong style means, I’m swearing off of it. The almond chicken tasted like the chicken had been pre-​cooked and refrigerated before being breaded, and I ate about two pieces of that. Left an after taste that wasn’t entirely pleasant. I don’t remember what my boyfriend ordered, but he only ate about half of it and didn’t get a to go box. Defeated, we headed home. We both had a hard time sleeping that night because our bellies felt gross, even though we didn’t eat much. The star is for the prawns only (and because Unilocal made me).
New Harbour will NOT be our go-​to for Chinese. That remains the Cathay Inn, so for now, I win.

I will never eat there more than once! The food was mediocre at best, the restaurant was very dirty, dead flies in the window seal, bathroom was gross and to top it all off the waitress was extremely rude. I had a coupon through Entertainment Book and on the application it doesn’t say anything about having to have it in paper form so I brought it in on my phone and at the end of the meal she said that she couldn’t take it. So I asked if I could run home and get my paper coupon and bring it back and she laughed at me as she was telling me no… wow!

Not the best place to eat the dishes are dirty and service is long I wish the food would come faster

I really enjoy the food and atmosphere. I only waited a very short time to receive my meal and it was really busy when I went. It gets 4 stars because I like frequent beverage refills and that seems to be something I don’t always get here. Really great place to take family and friends. I’ve brought my son with me multiple times. He always enjoys the food and the staff shows patience with him.

Gotta try!
My new hair dresser at B and T Hair Salon laughed when I asked her if she knew of any dim sum restaurants in the area. Then she mentioned that she goes to Seattle for her dim sum. When I asked her for recommendations to good Chinese food, she told me I would have to head to the west side of the state as well. I have suspected as m7ch and have not been in any hurry to run out and try many Spokane area Chinese restaurants in the several years I have lived in the area. However, she suggested I give nearby New Harbor a try, saying that they serve decent Cantonese-​style Chinese food at a decent price. Since I was in the area, and it was nearing lunchtime, I decided today would be the day to try another Spokane Chinese restaurant.
I was warmly greeted upon entering and was quickly seated at a table of my choice. The menu offered a number of lunch specials. I liked that they offered an additional lunch specials menu printed in both Chinese and English.
My entrée was preceeded by a complimentary cup of Egg Flower Soup. The broth was flavored well but heavily thickened to the point of almost being gelatinous. The Brocolli Beef was served in an oval platter with a cup of white rice served alongside. The broccolli and shredded carrots were cooked just right, tender and bright in colors. The beef was okay, with a strong taste of tenderizer but that’s not unusual for many Chinese American restaurants. The menu cover mentions Hong Kong style, which I understand to be fusion of western and Cantonese ingredients and cooking styles.
Service was friendly and attentive. I had a chance to practice speaking in Chinese too (she was so patient as I hesitantly verbalized what I was trying to share)! The dining room was spacious and clean, as was the women’s room. Simple and pretty Chinese-​themed décor. My food was decent at a fair price, for table service.
I’ll be back.

Always a good experience here. The place is very clean which is a big plus to me. Good service and delicious, well-​priced food.

I live super close to this place and I thought I’d give their lunch special a try. First thing I noticed was that none of their lunch specials were more expensive than advertised, which was kinda irksome. Secondly, the food was nothing to write home about, but a few hours later and I don’t feel bad, which is a plus. A lot of their menu seemed to be Americanized which is disappointing but I guess to be expected. All in all New Harbour is just a place I don’t see myself returning to, but glad I tried, had the lunch special been less pricy and more accommodating/​customizable, I would’ve had a swifter, more relaxing time.

I, Dick Darlington, loves Chinese food. Ever since moving to Spokane, I have been searching high and low for a good Chinese restaurant and New Harbour in Dick’s humble opinion is the best in the greater Spokane region.
Spokane is not Seattle or Vancouver, BC, it is therefore impossible to find a truly authentic Chinese restaurant. Dick knows because Dick has traveled the world and lived in many countries including China.
New Harbour is not 100% authentic, but compared with all of the other so-​called Chinese restaurants in Spokane, this place has at least some 100% authentic dishes on its otherwise Americanized menu.
My favorites are the whole steamed fish, pork ribs in black bean source, fried tofu, beef rice noodle, and roast duck. They also have one of the best hot and sour soups in town. The prices for the dishes are also reasonable.
Sincerely,
Dick Darlington

Disgusting. Unless they have new cooks and menu since 5 years ago (when I did not have Unilocal options). Worst Chinese food ever, anywhere. So bad that I had to write a review 5 years later. Just completely inedible.

First off, New Harbour is not a «excellent» or even «great» Chinese restaurant IMO. But in Spokane, it’s amazing just how many Chinese restaurants there are… and they all suck. But this is the best out of the bunch with some food that’s actually edible… okay I’m gonna stop being that mean. Most of the Chinese food in Spokane is decent, BUT when you’re getting safeway/​panda express quality and paying restaurant price that’s not right. New Harbour is at least a reasonable price per entrée, and they have great beef chow fun. Plus it’s a place that’s more hole-​in-​the wall focused on food, then atmosphere and flair. Best chinese restaurant in Spokane, it’s not saying much, but it’s the best of the bunch.
~G