From a reopened Cantonese fixture to a dim sum hall to an East Sac delivery joint, the Chinese food scene in Sacramento has seen some shakeups lately.
Read on for the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for Chinese food.
Far East Cafe
5014 Freeport Blvd., South Land Park
Fresh off a change of ownership, Far East Cafe is a recently reopened neighborhood Chinese fixture of South Land Park. Located at 5014 Freeport Blvd., it specializes in Cantonese food in a casual atmosphere.
House specialties include the Hong Kong style ribs and the soy sauce chicken: a whole or half chicken with crispy skin under a soy sauce glaze. The eatery also serves a full range of American Chinese classics, as well as individual clay pots with choices like the braised rock cod.
Family-style and banquet-style set-menu dining options are available, as is take-out.
Yelp users are still warming up to the new Far East Cafe, which currently holds 3.5 stars out of 41 reviews on the site.
"I loved the lunch special, jook (rice soup), gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and beef chow fun. The price was crazy good to me," wrote Yelper Garry Y., who reviewed Far East Cafe on May 11. "The restaurant is clean, the food choices are large and the staff is friendly. "
Mike R. noted, "We tried the salt baked squid, Peking spareribs, special chow mein, and the black mushrooms with vegetables. Everything was good but different. ... The problem with Far East is that there are two other Chinese restaurants directly across the street that are even better. "
Far East Cafe is open from 10:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. daily.
Ming Dynasty
1211 Broadway, Land Park
Ming Dynasty, recently opened in the former Fortune House Seafood Restaurant space at 1211 Broadway, is a full-service Cantonese eatery and banquet hall by night and a dim sum spot by day, as we previously reported.
On the dim sum carts, in addition to classic options like shrimp dumplings, siu mai, chicken feet and noodle rolls, look for unique offerings like the open sea-bass dumplings, shrimp-stuffed sticky rice balls topped with a piece of pork belly.
During dinner service, dishes on offer include stir-fried scallops and snap peas with XO sauce, chicken with salted fish and tofu braised in a clay pot, and simmered clams with bok choy in broth.
With a four-star rating out of 66 reviews on Yelp, Ming Dynasty has been getting positive attention.
"If you like the dim sum at the restaurant in Natomas (Yue Huang), you'll like this place. It's the same chef!" said Yelper Michelle L. "Definitely try the pork tofu skin rolls and durian puffs if you've never had it! The tofu skin rolls are really juicy and tender and the durian puffs are filled with sweet durian on the inside and crispy on the outside."
And Yelper Monina Y., who reviewed Ming Dynasty on June 10, noted, "I can say that this place is different in terms of customer service, from reception, to waiters, manager and cooks – all seem happy and contented, maybe they're all properly compensated. This kind of good customer service is rare."
Ming Dynasty is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. on weekends.
Wing's Restaurant
3653 J St., East Sacramento
Wing's Restaurant, located at 3653 J St. in East Sac, is a Chinese joint with dine-in, takeout and delivery options.
It recently earned a positive writeup from the Sacramento News & Review for its affordability and dishes like the hot braised chicken wings and eggplant in spicy garlic sauce.
Other house specialties on the menu include the orange-flavored eggplant as well as a variety of American Chinese classic dishes like kung pao chicken. Diners can order online through the business's website.
Wing's Restaurant currently holds 4.5 stars out of 51 reviews on Yelp, indicating a very positive reception by patrons.
"This may be the most authentic Chinese food I've experienced in Sacramento. Does the restaurant have ambiance? No. But this is the highest quality Chinese food in Sac," declared Zeke F.
"The food is very good, certainly the best option in the area," Yelper Jeremy K. wrote, but warned other customers of a bad delivery experience with the Caviar service. "Now that I know you can order directly from Wings, I strongly advise that! Do not use Caviar."
Wing's Restaurant is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
