Tina Louise

I'd go 2 1/2 stars on Tina Louise....not that their food isn't better than 2 1/2 stars (it is)...just that the type cuisine may not float my boat when seeking a Chinese food meal.

This is not ordinary Chinese food....it has a distinctive flair, for both better and worse.

The pan fried pork dumplings were as good as we've had anywhere. The dumplings in peanut sauce were very salty but ok. The ribs were fair. All the portions are very small.

For entrees we had house special fried rice, which was good. Shredded pork dish that was very good....very spicy and a shrimp dish that also was pretty good.

Service is very nice and people are willing and friendly.

We'll probably put Tina Louise on our coveted, Sunday night Chinese food rotation for now.

I came here for an office lunch. It's Chinese New Year so they encouraged us to order the special "Rice Cake Noodle" appetizer. I must say it was extremely tasty, but VERY oily. I tasted the Boneless Spare Ribs which were yummy. I also tasted the Sesame Tofu which was cooked VERY well. This was my favorite thing. For my meal I ordered the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce. I thought it was OK.

The Green Tea Ice Cream rocked. You really taste the Green Tea. I also like how they serve chocolate fortune cookies!

Overall, I have come to realize, that all the "Village Gourmet" restaurants are OK. I'm never blown away, but I'm also not dissatisfied.

The lady working, she may have been the owner, was really funny and cool.

This is a very tiny little restaurant. So cute and intimate.

I recommend making a reservation, otherwise you may have to wait.
I love that its BYOB..

Their food is excellent, great menu, not your typical Chinese menu. This food impressed me. You get what you pay for and that's quality. deff worth checking out ..

They seem to use a lot of MSG in the food. One of the reasons its tastes good.

Usually after eating their I end up very sleepy which usually means a reaction to MSG for me

4.5 stars at least... i kinda wanna get naked and roll around with the noodles.

Although this is a tiny little hole in the wall restaurant, you walk into a narrow hallway with a deep, appetizing aroma that invoked memories of my childhood in the old-school kind of dine-in Chinese restaurant. There are framed articles and reviews lining the wall that tantalize and tease about what you're about to enjoy. I believe the seating in the restaurant can accommodate about 30 people... cozy style.

I believe we were served by the owner and a waiter. They were polite, sweet and wonderful. No complaints at all. A complimentary salad of dikon with a citrus dressing and sesame seeds was brought to the table immediately with our drink orders (BYOB by the way). It was fresh and tasty, and a really great way to start the meal.

The menu is mostly Chinese with some Asian fusion elements. My boyfriend and I selected the cold noodles with sesame sauce as an appetizer. They tasted to me like they were Thai influenced. I enjoyed them, finding them just spicy enough that I could handle it. My boyfriend loved them (actually I'm sort of surprised he didn't sneak in picking up the bowl to drink the remainder!). The best part was the slices of cucumber that adorned the bowl of noodles. They had the same basic flavor but the cool crisp bite provided just enough fresh zing to balance out the dish.

I had selected a couple things off the menu that I was deciding between when the owner came to the table to tell us the specials. When she mentioned the special of fun noodles in a black bean sauce with chicken and beef, I didn't hesitate (although I asked them to tone down the spice). YUM. It was a large portion, but not so huge that someone can't finish it. It was precisely the plate of food I wanted in front of me, and it did not disappoint. The noodles were cooked perfectly in a lovely black bean sauce with lots of sprouts and some onions and carrots. The chicken and beef were both plentiful and flavorful. I was one happy chica.

He got beef in garlic sauce. I thought his beef was among the best I've ever tasted, particularly in a Chinese restaurant. Tender and flavorful, and OH MY did his dish smell delicious. I was impressed although he felt it lacked garlic and could have been spicier. The beef was interspersed with lots of veggies that were also really good.

We split a hot chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream thing for dessert. It was pretty good - nothing to write home about.

More expensive than a take-out joint, sure. But also a LOT better and I didn't leave feeling like I wanted to die. This was absolutely the best Chinese I've had in a long time, and I can't wait to go back!

Went there last night for a combo Fat Tuesday/ Chinese New Year. Louise always adds some new dishes for the New Year celebration. Last night we had an app. of rice cakes (get them if you can) as well as our usual spicy dumplings and boneless spare ribs. Yum!

I had one of her specials for the holiday which consisted of chinese broccoli (similiar to broccoli rabe) with onions scallions and your choice of chicken, beef or scallops and shrimp in a light brown gravy. I went with the scallops and shrimp. Awesome meal.

And of course, Louise always makes us feel at home. Love, love this restaurtant...

Tina Louise feels like your local little place where you're always welcome and always a friend. The food is delicious, wonderfully presented, and generous. Gluten-free friendly. BYOB is a bonus and keeps the check almost ridiculously low.

This place will fulfill most of your Chinese food Fantasies (No not those fantasies! Get your mind out of the gutter LOL)

For me, Chinese Food has been the "Road less traveled by" in my own culinary adventures. I tell you this with a sigh that even during my obese days, I wasn't one for Chinese buffets. I mean who wants to eat deep-fried day old food sitting around in pools of fat and God knows what else.

I am not one for Chinese Takeout either! I have too many bad memories of bad Chinese takeout growing up. Too many owners speaking poor broken English, screwing up your salt-drowned, MSG bloated orders with too little meat, too much crap and ending up with a bellyache.

But then I went to Tina Louise last night and that has made all the difference.

On the outside, Tina Louise looks nothing like a traditional Chinese Takeout. Even the name doesn't make you think really good Chinese Food. It is definitely a hidden gem though in Bergen County and something you should definitely try.

Food: 4 stars: The actual menu itself is very clever marketing. It comes in a little notebook that advertises other restaurants that the ownership group runs (This is not a chain restaurant! I assure you) It's very clever and stands out. All of the entrées are reasonably priced even the specials.

My girlfriend and I shared the cold noodles with sesame dressing as an appetizer. Delicious! Noodles had a Lo-Mein consistency that in an extremely flavorful sesame/peanut sauce that had just enough spice so my girlfriend could try it ( For me the spicier, the better) I liked the cucumbers that came with it. It added a nice refreshing sweetness which contrasted nicely with the dressing. They also threw in a couple of chilies which for me added the needed spice to the dish. Excellent appetizer! One of the best Chinese noodle dishes I have ever had.

I had the Beef in garlic sauce as my entrée which was delicious but a little disappointing since it really didn't have a lot of garlic. It tasted more like a spicy sauce than a garlic sauce. It seemed like false advertising. I liked how they gave just enough sauce to compliment the beef without overpowering it. Beef was cooked perfectly and was tender. The accoutrements that came with the beef were also a nice touch. I particularly liked the scallions and celery that again added a nice sweet counterbalance to the spicy but not garlicky beef. Portion size was good. Not huge but satisfying.

My girlfriend had the house special of fun noodles with Beef and Chicken in a black bean sauce. She was very happy as it fulfilled all of her Chinese food fantasies (LOL). I of course sampled it and enjoyed it. Beef and chicken were cooked perfectly and paired well together for this dish. The only complaint about the dish was that the noodles were a little too tough for my liking. I like my noodles butter soft and tender. These weren't.

For desert we had a molten lava style chocolate cake with ice cream that was ok but could have been better. The cake was not as moist as it should have been. The chocolate molten however was sinfully good. Ice cream that came with it was good but not homemade. Tasted like a high-quality super premium from the supermarket.
Service: 4 Stars: Service was friendly and professional but a little clumsy and awkward. The waitress (Whom I suspect was one of the owners) was a little hard to understand but overall it was good service. No major complaints!

Atmosphere: 4 stars: Atmosphere was inviting and eclectic. You walk down a narrow little corridor with all of their reviews positioned strategically on the wall to your left (Smart marketing) and are then seated quickly. Restaurant is small and surrounded with traditional oriental adornments yet doesn't look like a Chinese restaurant with tacky Chinese calendars or anything like that. It's small and cozy.

However I disagree with other reviewers who think this place as a romantic atmosphere. While nice, it doesn't scream romance.

Verdict! While not the best Chinese restaurant I have ever been too, I enjoyed this place very much. The food is very good and you will be impressed with a sit-down Chinese Restaurant that delivers the goods

One of my best friends absolutely loves this place, so every time I am back in JErsey she forces us all to go here. To be honest I like this place, staff is nice, its BYOB, there is a liquor store very very close, and their food is pretty awesome. They have a lot of smaller dishes as well to try so you don't have to spend a fortune to get a good idea of multiple palates here.

It really does have a homey atmosphere at this place too which is good when you are among old friends who you already don't see enough. They are never rude to rush you out or make you hurry up, and if you get here early enough there isn't any wait. I have been here many times and never had a bad experience. My advice? Go now, before this place catches on and then there will be a constant wait to sit!

I hadn't been here in at least 10-15 years and the owner, Louise, was as pleasant as i remember years ago and she remembered me from when i was a little kid!! The food was just as awesome and fresh as it was 10-15 years ago! how is that for consistency?!?! I highly recommend this place - Their scallion pies, tangerine Beef (YUM!), filet mignon, general tsaos combo (chicken and shrimp - this was a special) and their flat noodles in black bean sauce (also a special) - everything was great!

If you catch them on a busy night, street parking can be tough and its a small little place so I'm sure if it fills up, there may be a little wait but worth it! Will definitely be back!