Ming Tree Cafe

Such a gem in Tallahassee! The food all tastes home made and fresh and the lady who owns it is very kind. You can get refills on your big pot of rice (if everyone in your party orders the same rice) and it’s a great place to all get different orders and share.
My favorite items are the Lo Mein and the bean curd with sesame sauce. The bean curd with sesame sauce is a lot crispier than the bean curd with veggies, and it wasn’t too spicy.
The only downside is the lack of space/​small number of tables, and it’s been cold in there every time I’ve been. But it’s worth the wait and bring a sweater!

For a while I was under the assumption that Tallahassee was entirely devoid of quality food. Eventually, I realized that there were a few gems (usually on the outskirts of town). Ming Tree is one of those gems! The first time I went, I was skeptical. It looks like a bit of a hole-​in-​the-​wall, no frills. I soon realized that the magic of Ming Tree had nothing to do with the appearance; it’s all in the taste. This is a family run place and you can feel the love. The employees really seem to care and do what they can to ensure that your experience is a good one. The food is authentic, or so I’ve been told, and absolutely delicious. While everything that I’ve tried has been phenomenal, a few dishes stand out:
The General Tso Chicken is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. The flavors are deep and complex, earthy, sweet, salty, and crispy all rolled into one. It’s almost as though you can taste the heat of the wok! The breading is light and crisp. I usually ask for mixed vegetables because none are included and I’m a vegaholic.
The wonton soup is something that you must try. It’s not like typical, boring Americanized wonton soup; it’s full of vegetables and several types of meat (including shrimp). The flavor is out-​of-​this-​world. This soup will be your go-​to the next time you’re sick in bed with a cold! It tastes the way a hug feels.

We’re from south Florida and wanted real Chinese food. They have 10 – 12 dishes that are authentic but the rest is very western. For the area and considering the competition it is a very good find. The place is busy but they are very helpful and kind.

Had another superb dinner — Bean Curd with Vegetables. The fried tofu was copious and perfectly fried. The vegetables were sautéed in a mild brown sauce. My companion had Bean Curd with Sesame Sauce. It had a nice tang!

Best general Tso I think I’ve ever had. It’s a nice family owned place with great service and for that can get quite busy. Sometimes they don’t answer the phone for take-​out if the restaurant is too full to give better service.

I must say… Ming Tree Café is good! Quite good, even. I wish my Sinogastrometer (I just made that up, but etymologically, I think it works — right?) were as finely tuned as my pizzometer, because I’d be able to give a clear-​cut rank order of the Chinese restaurants in Tallahassee. I will say this.
1. There is no better Chinese fare in Tallahassee.
2. This restaurant surpasses all of the buffet-​type Chinese places — except one: China delight on Tennessee. Perhaps it’s nostalgia — but I like China delight very much — as much as this.
Service here was impeccable and delivered with genuine smiles and warmth.
I told Alice that Cecil S. sent his regards and she was happy about that.
It appears to be a team effort concerning running and bussing — and everything went without a hitch.
The hot tea was great — with fresh tea leaves steeping.
Wife was having birthday-​eve dinner at kool beanz with girlfriends so this was just the kids and me — so ordering may appear somewhat pedestrian:
On recommendation, I went with the pork & pickled cabbage. Outstanding.
Then, we had sweet/​sour chicken, bean curd and special mushrooms, and vegetable fried rice to complete the table.
All ingredients tasted great and dishes were delivered swiftly and pipping hot.
I’m a believer.
Oh — and this IS all because of the many positive reviews of the Ming tree. I would never have driven all the way here for dinner. But for Chinese, I will in the future!

I had followed Ms. Alice’s Chinese restaurants years back from North China Gourmet on Timberlane Rd to China Delight on N. Tennessee St. As I moved away from Tally and lived in TX for the past 6 – 7 yrs, I was not able to find any Chinese joint that’s comparable where I lived.
Recently I moved back to the capital city. As soon as I found out her new restaurant is now Ming Tree, I came here in no time. This Chinese establishment is true neighborhood dining. It’s very small but cozy. I didn’t have to wait as I came on a Wednesday around 6pm.
Menu is limited compared to her previous restaurants. I ordered pork with pickled cabbage and garlic eggplant. Both were very authentic and delicious. However, pork with pickled cabbage was deff my fav! Service is warm and attentive. I’m not too sure but I think the server is her son and I’m positive that her husband still runs the kitchen. Surprisingly she still remembers me.
Overall, a true gem. The best part is that it’s only minutes away as I live in the Killearn area. Woot woot!

First time eating here… worth the wait! Very clean, very friendly owners. Food was fresh and served hot! Prices are reasonable. Definitely be eating here again!

First time there… a bit of a wait but well worth it… our food was delicious! Actually, ALL the other food that customers had smelled and looked delicious … we will return and sample more.

They customize food for you. I enjoy spicy, luckily they will use spicy on shrimp and veggies. Every time I stop it’s busy but friendly. Love the ribs in black bean sauce.

I’ve tried the Beef with Sesame Sauce, Sesame Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Beef with Sesame Sauce and found all of them to be very good. Also, you get a lot of food for the price.
The business hours on Unilocal are wrong. Ming Tree’s current business hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 3:00pm to 9:00pm.

Ok. This beats Tans and that is saying something. Love the schezwan pork and the crab Rangoon. You can actually taste the crab. The Mongolian beef is wonderful and the sesame chicken is good. Great food!

Best Chinese food in Tallahassee. It might be the best Chinese food I’ve had in a few years regardless of location. The pork and pickled cabbage was AMAZING!!! The restaurant is really small and you may have a long wait. The only thing that would make this place a 5 star would be a full bar, or even beer and wine.

Great and very welcoming family-​owned Chinese restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised to find this excellent place in Tallahassee on our way back to Jax. We just searched online and the Unilocal reviews and decided to give it a shot, We ordered the fish fillet, egg drop soup, lo mein, and sweet and sour chicken. They were all good. I may have skipped some of the tough veggie parts included in the fillet dish but not a biggie. Price was reasonable too. We’ll definitely drop by again next time we visit the our state capital

Excellent food. Definitely no MSG because I didn’t even get a twitch of a headache. Fresh ingredients that you can really taste.
I love it when a place makes you feel welcome. People could take lessons from the woman who gave me my food, she was so sweet and friendly.

Wait time is too long… starved for half an hour to get a table, starved for another hour to get the food… food portion is relative small comparing to other Chinese restaurant. Do NOT order sesame beef, too sweet

The closer we got to the front door, the more we began to doubt that we were at the right place. A night, the place is so bright we thought maybe it was now a library or an AA meeting or something. We persevered, and are glad that we did. The service was top-​notch, and the food was delicious and fresh-​tasting. Not the most cozy place, but we’ll be back!

this is the best Chinese food in Tallahassee, Ms. Alice and her family are very nice and the food is wonderful. Fresh, hot and tasty.

Wow. Just got home from eating at Ming Tree Café and had to write a review. Hands down, the best Chinese food I have had in many years — certainly the bet in Tallahassee. Amazing, as they cook the entrees to order, so we were able to tailor the spice level for our kids. This isn’t your Sysco stocked restaurant. It doesn’t taste like everywhere else. For example, the Sesame Chicken had a distinct sesame oil taste.
Portion size was quite large and the prices were too reasonable for the volume of delicious food that you receive.
In addition to the fantastic food, the service was warm and friendly. Obviously family owned, but they don’t rest on their food — they are very kind and seem to take interest in their customer.
We are so excited to be eating Chinese food in Tallahassee again!

This is my favorite place to get authentic Chinese food in Tallahassee. It is owned by a Taiwanese couple and their son (They used to own China Delight on Tennessee, but sold to a Chinese family a couple years ago. They are actually just helping out their son now).
The food is as authentic as you can get in Tallahassee even though it is still not on the same level when compared to the best Chinese restaurants in NYC or LA. The general rule is that if you like authentic Chinese food, order from Chef’s Specialties. For people who prefer more Americanized food, order from the rest of the menu.