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Amherst Chinese Food
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
30 reviews for Amherst Chinese Food
Review Highlights
30 reviews in English
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Review from Susan W.
Montpelier, VT
1/26/2012
One of my all time favorite restaurants for food and atmosphere. Have been going there for decades, since it was a tiny place. Food is mostly very pure and tasty (I order chicken or shrimp and some Chinese green vegetables "steamed". The fresh Chinese vegetables are from the owner's organic farm nearby. Also try the Egg Drop Soup and the egg rolls.
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Review from Fauzia I.
8/27/2011
There have been many reviews, so rather than repeat all the other things, I will just give my own observations from tonight. I've been before and each time I forget my chief complaint about going here - NO AC. It makes things incredibly hot and eating very uncomfortable. Even on a night when it's not particularly hot out.
I can't relax (let alone eat spicy things) and enjoy while in heat torment and mopping my face like a mad woman. And living in FL pretty much ensures one can handle hot weather, at least in my opinion. So, that part of it was definitely not fun.
I went with 4 other people, all of whom shared 2 whole fish dishes. The general consensus on these was that they had definitely gone down in quality and were not as good as last time. Granted, last time had been crispy fried, but based on the recommendation of the waitress who said the steamed ones tonight were "much better", well ... maybe not. Anyway. Maybe it was the type of fish. Overall, they were good, albeit in my opinion, a bit overpriced. Which was surprising, as most of the other things on the menu seemed quite reasonable.
I got the triple delight, which I enjoyed. It wasn't too sweet or heavy, although it could have been a bit hotter. Hard to tell which pieces were beef and which were chicken.
We also had the spinach and shrimp dumplings. The spinach ones had a ginger and garlic filling - unusual and nice. The shrimp appeared to be minced as opposed to whole. Both came steamed, but personally I would have liked at least the latter ones fried. Wasn't impressed with the flavor (strength) of the tea.
After the first 10-20 minutes of being virtually ignored once seated, the staff suddenly became very attentive and efficient - constantly filling up glasses, whisking away plates, etc.
Would have possibly considered dessert, but 1) didn't know what was on the menu, and 2) wasn't offered the option. Plus by that time, all I wanted to do was leave for somewhere, anywhere, much cooler. -
Review from Yadim M.
Northampton, MA
7/2/2011
My business takes me all around North America, and I've eaten at what are considered the finest Chinese restaurants in all the major cities. At each one, I've found myself wishing I was at "AmChi" as it's affectionately known by us locals.
The owner, Dr. Chang, has a doctorate in Plant Science, and he supplies the restaurant during the summer months with organically-grown vegetables from his farm in Whately, MA.
This is not your typical Americanized Chinese-food restaurant like others in the area. The sauces are delicate, sublime, and light on the oil. Simple dishes that would be greasy and bland other other Chinese restaurants, like chicken and snowpeas, are fresh, crisp, and delicious. Make sure you try the tofu with cashews and pepper, an unusual, smokey and complex sauce you won't find anywhere else.
Also don't forget to try the fresh Schizandraberry juice, a delicious fresh berry that's a staple of Chinese medicine. In the restaurant, they sweeten it a bit and it tastes like a combination of cranberry juice and grapefruit juice. -
Review from Bill S.
Atlanta, GA
6/13/2011
We really enjoyed our dinner here. It is an outstanding restaurant that has is own farm for seasonal produce -- how rare is that??? We think it stacks up well against Chinese restaurants in many places in this country with a selection of familiar and unfamiliar dishes, thoughtfully prepared and served with a sense of style. Prices seemed to us quite reasonable.
Specifically, we had the squid with scallions -- uncommonly tender and packed with flavor, not too spicy -- and the lemon grass chicken, large pieces of white meat very tender, in a coconut sauce that unfortunately overwhelmed the lemongrass. The vegetarian spring rolls had the crust just right with crunchiness and the inside with veggies (sprouts, beans, etc.) as fresh as could be. There's a full bar, too. Our service was mixed; dinner was served quickly and efficiently, but our waiter disappeared an it took us nearly 15 minutes to find someone to bring the check. -
Review from Courtney R.
Shutesbury, MA
11/17/2011
Good old AmChi has gone down hill. Once vibrant and busy with hot fresh food...not anymore. Takeout is always wrong, and service is slow.
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Review from Mel G.
Amherst, MA
2/6/2011
I've given AmChi 5 stars, not only because it is extremely good in all aspects, but also because when compared to the horrid and mediocre dining experiences you will have at the poor excuses for restaurants in Amherst, AmChi undoubtedly comes out on top as the #1 restaurant in its price category in Amherst Center. Though they aren't necessarily "as good as it gets" in the entire world, they are probably as good as it gets in the Pioneer Valley dining world for a restaurant in its category.
As other reviewers have noted, their food is not too greasy, salty, or gooey sweet like other chinese in the area. It's rumored that they don't use MSG which is a huge plus. Service is generally fast friendly, and attentive. There are a lot of vegetarian and vegan options. In addition, they will prepare any other item special for you without any qualms. They also offer brown rice as an option.
When I go there I am usually very excited and order a lot so that I have leftovers. On my last visit there my partner and I ordered 3-4 appetizers, 2 entrees, and we were going to throw in an extra vegetable dish for the heck of it, but our waiter was kind enough to suggest that that might be too much, even for leftovers, and he was correct.
Another reviewer was correct in saying that they do have their own organic farm-fresh vegetables, but mostly featured in specials, and in a few scattered dishes. Sure, it would be nice if ALL their vegetables came from their own organic garden, but all you have to do is take a look around at the restaurants that serve local organic produce in their dishes, and they all only can afford to do so partially, as this is New England, and sorry, celery just ain't in season all year around, especially if your trying to remotely compete or survive up against any other restaurants. You just can't grow everything locally in New England, while keeping with the seasons, and trying to keep your business open. Unless of course customers would be willing to pay double, and we all know that probably wouldn't work even in a hippy- earthy-yuppy town like Amherst, unfortunately.
They also offer local grown and produced organic sandraberry juice which is healthy and delicious. Be warned however, it is $3.50 for a tiny glass. It would be totally nice if they increased the serving size, but again, we are paying for something small-scale, local, organic, that's not always in season.
They make the best pork dumplings I've ever had, not that I've had that many, but I'm sure they're delish. Also, their spinach dumplings are a great vegetarian option (they are filled with tofu, veggies, and rice noodle bits, with spinach puree in the dumpling dough to make them a pretty green). Great vegetarian egg rolls-mild and not too greasy. Also, if your looking for items with their own veggies, look no further than their House Bun-yummy with their own organic veggies, tofu and rice-noodle bits. As for the entrees, there is something for everyone, try them all, and don't be afraid to ask the servers questions. I myself have tried 5-6 different entrees, and I've liked them all in their own way. I plan to keep trying something different every visit there. complimentary yummy hot tea to keep your tummy settled as you fill it up with deliciousness.
Also, though their restrooms could use a little work, the dining room itself is warm and cozy, with plenty of window seats to go around. (Be sure to call in a reservation if you absolutely must have one on a Fri-Sat). AmChi is a great medium between the overly flavorful AmericanChinese dishes that most people are used to, and the more healthful, light, and delicate flavors that traditional Chinese dishes offer, of course veering on the side of being lighter, healthful, and more traditional. Try it. -
Review from Nom D.
Central Falls, RI
8/26/2011
No ac, service was decent, food was average.
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Review from Katie B.
Chicago, IL
3/28/2011
Insanely good Chinese food! An ill relative was craving the "Crispy Shrimps", so we drove in to Amherst with the intention of dining in and also placing a large carry-out order. We had a great visit here, both the service and food were excellent. Highlights were the pork pot stickers, crispy shrimps, and the triple orange delight (crispy chicken, beef and shrimp in orange sauce). Really, some of the best Chinese food I have ever had.
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Review from Darci C.
Sunderland, MA
5/26/2011
Fresh, seasonal dishes that keep you coming back for me! The best American Chinese food I've enjoyed in the area.
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Review from Aviva S.
New Haven, CT
5/15/2010
I LOVE this place and have been coming here for years. Now that I don't live in the area, I keep AmChi in my cell to place an order to pick up whenever I'm passing through.
I can't speak for the entire menu, because I've found my all-time favorite meal here. Start with a bean sprout salad, and when you're done - save the ginger/soy dressing. Then get the soup noodles with chicken (or whatever you prefer). This isn't on the regular menu, but is on the "specials" menu you'll see on a piece of construction paper by the register. Ask for the wide noodles. When that comes, pour the leftover ginger/soy concoction into the soup and prepare yourself for the best, most comforting bowl of goodness ever invented. -
Review from Andrew J.
Hampshire, MA
3/27/2010
I love Amherst Chinese. Let the haters hate, this place is great. Unbelievable lunch specials at the price. Anything deep fried there is top notch and better than any other Chinese restaurant. You can have them make anything you'd like, they have their own farm and grow their own vegetables (which they also sell at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays) which are just unbeatable. Fresh, not sweet or greasy. Many hard to find items they do with the best.
Best egg rolls of all time.
On a side note, they don't really know how to make drinks well, in my opinion, so they end up being really boozy. The $4 long island iced tea is absolutely ridiculous.
Get the Moo Shi. Bomb. -
Review from Johnna M.
5/6/2009
The food was basically average. We split three chicken, shrimp, veggie, rice dishes and I can't complain nor rave about any of them.
The waiter was what I like to call a "first date waiter." He was pleasant enough but for some reason I couldn't help but feel slightly self conscious around him. Apparently Uma Thurman used to work here, perhaps she would have been less awkward.
Towards the end of our meal, the staff started sorting through a gigantic pile of mushrooms on the bare table with their bare hands. I'm not quite sure what they were doing but it didn't seem very sanitary nor friendly to people with food allergies.
My fortune cookie advised me, "an apple a day MAY keep the cancer away." This strikes me as offensive at worst, pragmatic at best-neither of which are qualities I look for in a fortune cookie.
Needless to say I never went back to AmChi but the whole experience struck me as so unsettling that I am compelled to write a yelp review two years later.Listed in: Johnna Rants., The Pioneer Valley
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Review from Wing M.
Putney, VT
6/26/2009
I will only go to AmhChi if I'm not paying for it.
They do have their own organic farm. Problem is? They don't know how to actually cook the vegetables well. They overcooked everything I ordered from the vegetable menu.
Had several other dishes there. Was completely unimpressed. The duck was especially bad.
They try to walk the fine line of authentic and Americanized Chinese food and failed pretty badly.
Presentation of the food is... "homely". Not necessarily a bad thing since I think they're going for the home cooking style, but if I'm paying the prices they're charging I expect my food to look better. -
Review from Claire S.
Brooklyn, NY
12/23/2009
Unfortunately for me, I grew up eating Amherst Chinese Food. Which means that I like my veggies steamed and fresh rather than swimming in your average garlicky salty cornstarch goop. And yes, if you choose wisely, you can still get thick sauce, but expect it to taste like fresh garlic, and it's not over salted.
If you love chinese food that you will taste in your belches for a week, this isn't it. If you've got high blood pressure and self destructive over salting tendencies, take them elsewhere. If you can dig the taste of steamed, fresh, organic veggies, this is your jam. (Or duck sauce, or whatever.)
LASTLY! These are the best mushu pancakes I have ever had. They are thin and toothsome and amazing with plum sauce and any of AmChi's mushu dishes. I can't eat them anywhere else. (I am still traumatized from my first foray into the world of average chinese and horror of when they serve me whole wheat burrito wraps? WTF. Never again. AmChi, you had me at Mu...) -
Review from K H.
Amherst, MA
10/9/2011
I went to Amherst Chinese about 4 years ago and had bad food. I thought that I would give it another shot, but found that the food is still horrible. Chinese food is like pizza....even bad pizza is not that bad. However, this is not the case here. The food is bland, horribly prepared (e.g., shrimp was not properly deveined), and the restaurant is stingy (you have to pay for the fried wonton strips).
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Review from Nancy T.
San Jose, CA
9/15/2009
The food here is definitely not authentic Chinese. It's Chinese-American, but I wasn't expecting much authenticity considering the area. It's pretty much your typical east coast small town Chinese-American restaurant. I had their lunch special of Green Beans and Shrimp. It came with a choice of soup. I chose the Hot and Sour. If I didn''t compare it to Chinese food in San Jose (where I live), I would say it was pretty good soup. Lots of stuff in it with just the right amount of spiciness. If I did compare, however, ....well, I've just never seen cabbage in hot and sour soup before. Another example of being Americanized was when they asked if I wanted white or brown rice. Ummm.....brown rice? That's not a Chinese rice. If they were keeping it real, it would have been Jasmine or forget it.
The Shrimp and Green Beans came in a white sauce. The two main flavors were salt and cornstarch. The beans were cooked well, not overcooked at all. The shrimp was medium-small in size, nothing impressive.
The place was actually a decent size and nicely decorated. You can definitely bring a date or business client here. Their menu was extensive , but the preparation was fusion. We also ordered the water spinach to share, which turned out pretty good. They used only the leaves and thin stems. Authentic places often throw in big stems and all. Chinese people like the extra crunch and don't like to waste anything edible. The flavor of the dish was nice and simple....just sauteed in garlic and seasoned with salt. I dipped each bite in soy sauce with a bit of hot chili oil for heat. Pretty yummy.
I was with my husband and his parents. This was a nostalgic place for them. They use to bring my husband here when he was just a baby, so they had stories about the owners and cooks coming out to fuss over the blond American baby (my hubby). Very, very cute story :) I could see the nostalgia shining through their eyes as I shared the meal with them. I would come back here again. It is a part of my hubby's childhood. I probably wouldn't recommend bringing Chinese parents though. On second thought, I wonder if they have a secret menu??!! -
Review from Andrew B.
Providence, RI
10/31/2006
An average Chinese restaurant. Food is good but nothing spectacular, the service kind of sucked it may have been because we were tucked into the back corner of the restaurant. Most dishes are about $9-$13 I was hoping up get some pineapple for desert but instead of asking if we wanted desert the waitress just brought the check over. I guess i could have said something but i figured I'd save us the extra $2.50 which is kind of ridiculous since places like Ginger Blossom in Springfield include that in your meal for free.
Good food but nothing special get this place an average 3 / 5 -
Review from Huan z.
Somerville, MA
12/31/2009
The owner of the Chinese food has it's own farm, so the veges are very fresh. The food is bit greasy to me but many of my friends love this place.
This place is spacious and they have a lot of plants in the restaurant. -
Review from Dan T.
Worcester, MA
3/19/2010
Amherst Chinese is great food. Most of the vegetables come from a local farm in South Hadley owned by the same family that own the restaurant. I always ask what vegetables are fresh are and you can ask them to prepare those with any type of sauce you like or some meat/tofu. The whole fried fish is also great.
I like it so much, and think the food is so good that I took a girl there for our first date and we are still together four years later and whenever in Amherst we make sure to get to AmChi. -
Review from Madeleine H.
Northampton, MA
12/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
Run-of-the-mill American Chinese restaurant. Delicious, but nothing special or particularly notable. They have their own farm and offer fresh vegetables, but they are considered specials rather than being integrated throughout the menu. Service was a little slow -- my friend and I hadn't decided what to order, so we asked our server to come back to us, and she didn't return until 10 minutes later (when my friend waved her over).
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Review from Fran C.
Northampton, MA
2/17/2011
This restaurant has been Best in the Valley Chinese for years! I love the fresh ingredients and the service is quick and gracious.
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Review from Jessica S.
Cumberland, RI
8/30/2010
Really good. Got beef with mixed veg. Not greasy like some places. Bean sprout salad was ok but the dumpling was very good.
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Review from Stephanie J.
Brooklyn, NY
5/27/2009
Chinese food that's better than average. We came here with an extremely large group, and we were treated very well, and our orders were taken with ease, and everything came out extremely quickly and everything was correct - which is a big plus, in my book. The food itself wasn't the best Chinese I've ever had, but it was on the higher end of the spectrum. I would definitely come back if I was ever in the area.
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Review from Jenny J.
Belchertown, MA
7/20/2010
This has long been one of my family's favorite restaurants. I'm surprised to see so many negative reviews, because we've never had a bad meal -- or even a bad dish -- here. Although, saying that, we don't tend to order "standard" dishes. We get whatever vegetables are in season (they generally have these posted based on what they're harvesting at the farm that week, but if they don't, you can ask), along with a protein. Our favorites are beef and spinach, beef and bean sprouts, chicken and eggplant, anything and pea shoots... and the tofu vegetable soup and spinach black mushroom soup are hands down the best in the area... in fact, sometimes we stop and pick those soups up to go even when we're not staying for dinner!
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Review from Matt L.
Boston, MA
2/21/2009
To say this place has great Chinese food is a little over doing it. It is average Chinese food for this area. The place has been here since I was in high school and does well in this area for an upscale place. The location is prime right in downtown, but the food is a good presentation of just mediocre selections. It is nothing great and to tell you the truth it is forgetfull. I would say pay a visit but don't keep coming back. It is not the best in the area. It may be the best in Amherst, but there arent many restaurants here anyway.
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Review from Heather H.
Somerville, MA
1/2/2007
You can't go wrong with a restaurant that boasts it's own farm. Vegetables here are ridiculously fresh and good. A favorite spot when I lived in the valley years ago, the quality is still the same. Lunch specials are well priced with large portions- about $6 for soup of your choice, rice (white or brown), and a choice of main dish. I was stuffed and happy.
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Review from Nicholas L.
ASTORIA, NY
9/8/2009
This place tries to pull it off as if it were a upper class dining joint with the furniture, lighting and ambiance, it fails. The color of the walls does not add to my dining experience.
The menu is filled with Americanized Chinese dishes, but also has
The food was not too bad, I ordered shrimp spring roll & crab dish. The spring rolls had no shrimp inside them... but the waitress still insisted that there were strips of shrimp in them. Not only did I not see the strips, I could not taste them either. The crab dish, which was under the House Special... was nothing special at all, it was just deep fried crab meat on top of bunch of bean sprouts!!! This was served with a bowl of brown rice, that was it! It was the driest restaurant meal I have ever eaten in a restaurant.
The place is a little expensive for what it offers, I can get a similar package for much less at Mom's House take out which I would highly recommend. It takes about 5 minutes from Amherst Chinese. -
Review from SS H.
Atlanta, GA
2/21/2009
I am so happy to have found this little jem right in Amherst, two blocks from where I live. I grew up in China, and have always had a hard time finding good Chinese food unless I'm in a big city like NY, SF, or Boston. And even so, I have never found another restaurant that serves Dao Shao Mein -- noodles made by shaving pieces off of a block of dough. It is the most fantastic noodle dish ever, something I grew up eating, and Amherst Chinese has it!!! Additionally, they also make a fabulous mock goose. The veggies there are always really fresh, unlike what you would get in run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurants. Service is always friendly, as well. If you go, please don't stick with the American-Chinese regular offerings -- they make these dishes to taste like everywhere else. Branch out and try something new, and you will be pleased.
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Review from Elijah M.
Leverett, MA
5/3/2010
My family has been going here for over 20 years and let me tell you, this is the best Chinese restaurant in the area. Don't listen to those other reviews. The staff are very friendly and the vegitables are very fresh from their own farm.
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Review from Daisy R.
Amherst, MA
9/18/2010
I'm really very tired of hearing people from the West Coast critizice the Chinese or Mexican food we have here in the East. So if it's not as good as California, then don't go to ethnic restaurants when you are here! Better yet go back to California. Amherst Chinese is excellent, inventive, service-driven and a wonderful value for the money. It's not often - not even in L.A. I'm sure - that you find a Chinese restaurante serving fresh, organic vegetables that they grow on their own farm. And whining about what a fortune cookie says? Get a sense of humor, how sensitive can you be? Amherst Chinese has my vote,hands down.
