China Express

China Express is definitely the best Chinese place for miles around, although you wouldn’t expect that by the name or the nondescript strip-​mall location. You might get a tip if you look in the window during any mealtime, though, and notice the plastic tables packed full of international students gobbling down the closest thing to comfort food they can find around here. They come not for the usual Chinese-​American menu (all of which China Express executes well enough, for those who are into that kind of thing) but for the more authentically Chinese offerings. The latter used to be doled out quietly on a «secret menu» basis — customers in the know were handed a short list of options handwritten in Chinese. Now, however, a full wall of the restaurant is covered with photographs and English names of most of the old secret-​menu items. My dining partner and I come in multiple times a week in the process of trying everything on the menu. (I think we’ve become some of the more amusing regulars.) Not everything is flawless — the mapo tofu uses the wrong kind of tofu and isn’t quite Szechuan enough — but most of what we’ve tried has been delicious and quite similar to the dishes we loved in Flushing (Queens, NY) and have longed for ever since moving south. My favorite is the «water boiled fish,» unctiously tender morsels in pungent Szechuan sauce. My dining partner favors the tofu eggplant pot and the beef tendon noodles. The option to dine-​in off pretty Corelle plates is nice, especially when we’re served by the brisk proprietress who asks where on earth we come from and why we like each other so darn much.

Run of the mill Chinese place. Nothing special.

Great taste! Authentic Chinese food.

Pretty darn good Chinese food! I just moved into town and I have a feeling this will be my go to place for Chinese. The food is fresh and not too greasy. I will try something on the menu written in Chinese next time. Looking forward to it!

As a single, male, grad student, Chinese food is pretty much a part of my culture. When there’s a pile of dishes in the sink, and the fridge is stocked with nought but beer, it’s time to call in an order to China Express. In 10 minutes, hop in your vehicle (I rock the bicycle, it lends an authentic NYC delivery feel to the whole experience) and there’s hot, delicious chinese food waiting for you, and plenty of it. It won’t break the bank, and the quality is better than most. They serve up the normal fair like sesame chicken and everything you’ve come to expect. If you’re adventurous there’s a menu printed in chinese on a board on the wall, and the owner will help you work through it to pick something more unusual, and generally more rewarding to the tast buds. And if you’re strapped for cash, the lunch specials come in at about $ 5.
All in all, above average chinese food with an extra reward for the epicurean adventurer.

I love this place, we eat here at least once a week. The food is good and the service is very fast. I recommend the spicy Singapore Mai Fun… delicious!