I really wish I loved this place, but I just don't. Â I love the concept, and am a big patron of Hollywood Boulevard theater next door. Â However, the place is just a little dreary and creepy. Â The food is mediocre for Chinese food. Â The food was very similar to what you would get at a local Chinese pick up place. Â For some reason, it just expected to food to be better. Â The last time I went here on a Sunday afternoon, there was only 1 other table with customers. Â The service was great, food was okay, but I felt like I was eating in an old museum.
Review Source:This is a pretty good American-style Chinese place. Â The decor is five stars; the food, maybe three and a half. Â I'm a vegetarian, and there are exactly three things on the menu I can eat, which is pretty standard for an American-style Chinese place (the usual trio: vegetable medley; fried rice; lo mein). Â Unlike most American-style places, the egg rolls are vegetarian, and the decor is smashing.
We got the lo mein and the vegetable medley, which come with egg rolls. Â The egg rolls were freshly fried and the vegetables not mushy; wrapper wasn't too thick and was crisp, not tough or chewy. Â The lo mein was fairly standard; the vegetables were pretty good; not overcooked. Â And at least they used different vegetables for both dishes. Â We've had American-style Chinese at a couple of places around the Wheaton/Glen Ellyn area and this is better than any of them; I wouldn't put it in the same ranking as Lao Sze Chuan, but that's really a totally different kind of restaurant. Â
There's also a not-terribly-Asian dessert menu; if we come back we'll have to leave room for creme brulee. Â I'm not sure I'd get take-out from this place; delivery is free, but you'd miss the atmosphere, which is the point. Â The food is not destination dining; the decor is. Â This would be a good place to bring folks from out of town who are looking for somewhat familiar food (like my in-laws) or a group looking for something a little different.
Service was good; a little slow to get started (we were here for lunch; the host was also our waiter, and there was no one at the host station for us or the folks who came in after we did). Â Drinks were refilled, food and the check were produced fairly quickly.
I'm not sure how many times the movie-style decor will bring you back, but do check out the information on it in your menu and on the walls. Â Since Anna May Wong is really the only prominent Asian actor or actress from glamorous Old Hollywood, the decor is slanted more towards her than perhaps it should be - if they were willing to go more modern and do some chop socky actors as well, that would add some variety (there are some concessions to modernity - two autographed photos of David Carradine hang over one of the doors; there's a Mulan mini-poster on the bar and a Kill Bill poster in the back hallway). Â As it happens, I love Anna May Wong, and enjoyed the main dining room behind a bar, which is a tribute to her. Â If there really are only two copies of the glamour photo of her from "The Thief of Baghdad," I'm glad I got to see it. Â
Even if you don't care for old Hollywood, the three-hundred-year-old doors which serve as tables; the old Kwan Yin and Buddha statues and other random Chinese antiques should keep you interested, as should picking out all the celebrities in the ranks of signed photos.
I like this place. They are 10x better than the kitchen next door at Hollywood Blvd., they really oughtta give them some lessons or let people who are for some reason required to order that poor excuse for food a chance to get some real food, from this Chinese place.... Anyway, I've come here a few times and done carryout twice. They're a little more expensive than your neighborhood Chinese food joints, but I think it's worth it. The last time I came, my boo and I started off with hot tea and the crab rangoon. I personally am not a fan of seafood, except the occasional shrimp here and there, but the crab rangoon was very good! It was fried up in a little puff pastry with like a garlic cream cheese on the inside. It wasn't the mushy stuff you'll find in some places, it was actually very good. After that I ordered the orange chicken and he ordered the General Whose Chicken? (I think). We both enjoyed our food a lot. We ended up coming out on a Thursday, and after 4 on Thursdays you're able to get an appetizer, 2 meals, and 2 desserts for $20. Can't beat that!
Review Source:I don't know how to begin to describe how bad this place is... The drinks are terrible, the food is bad, the service is slow and unknowledgeable. The drinks tasted like rubbing alcohol. The best part was that I found a steel shaving in my entree. When I showed the waitress she said "Oh. Sorry". She made no attempt to apologize or make up for their mistake. We came here to eat before catching a movie... And thanks to their sloth like speed, we almost missed it. Believe me when I say the service is slow... We were the only people in the place... That deserves an award....
Review Source:Lawd, have mercy....This place sucks....
Me and my bf were so intrigued by this place at first.... Chinese and fancy drinks.... Yes please...
So we went last Saturday... Â No one greeted us.... The staff were busy chatting....
Then, I had to say hi... We were both seated then.
This waiter greeted us, I think his name was Josh.... Very friendly... And another skinny guy with glasses came up, and says he (Josh) is a trainee....
I (sometimes) tackless apparently... told this guy... " I thought YOUR the newbie"
Why did he had to steal Josh's thunder right? Smh
So, we ordered our drinks... It took forever, like 20mins.... I mean, this place was not busy....
They kept apologizing... I'm like, danggit.... Stop apologizing, just get my damn drink.
We ordered Appetizer... Lettuce wrap... Again... It took a looong time... It was not good at all.... My bf said, mine tastes 100x better...
I use butter lettuce (expensive SOFT but yummy) so we can actually 'wrap' the fillings and eat it....
They use cheap lettuce... You can't actually wrap... Everything falls apart... Ugh.
We were scared to order more because at this point... We were already bummed that everything takes forever, and just blah...
But we weren't satisfied with the wrap. So, stupid me, ordered pot stickers.... Hum yea... It took long again... And flavor was disappointing again...
My Chinese guy (chinese kitchen in westchester) who has a small place that just delivers, no actual restaurant... Has better pot stickers...
To top it all... This 'head waiter' comes back, asking us... How is the newbie (Josh)?
Whaaaaaaat????????
As you can tell... I don't even know this guys name....
He was soooo annoying.... Nerdy looking, but bossing Josh around...
I'm like thinking to myself.... You power tripping when our food sucks???? Arghhhhh....
Then we ordered dessert... They have sticks.... Like churros, but thinner smaller version.... Let me tell you.... That's the ONLY thing I liked about this place, that's why I gave it one star.... It was really good, chewy hot, and the chocolate dip was a perfect not so sweet dip.
Overall... We are not planning on coming back...
Too bad... We like the concept of drinks and Chinese food, since I'm part Chinese....
But meh.... You only fool us once..... Thank god we were not in a hurry or anything... If anyone is trying to catch a movie... You have to be here 2 hours BEFORE the movie starts....
The waiters said the owner of this place... Owns hollywood boulevard...
I hope he reads this.... All your staff are just chatting... I know they don't cook or prepare the food.... But maybe you can add one more chef or something.... Sheesh
Absolutely love the Szechwan Chicken and Teriyaki Steak, an acquaintance of mine had told me recently that the quality of food was in a decline but I had to witness and taste it for myself before banishing this place to the fiery pits of yelp hell, fortunately Formosa pushed that misconception of mine right out the window. I'll Be Back(Arnold voice).
Review Source:I got an Amazon Local deal and came here for a Sunday late lunch with my family. Â I was super surprised at the decor wow was it over the top! Â There was a very detailed write up in the menu telling the stories of all the arts and antiques in the restaurant. Â I came to learn it is not an ordinary Chinese establishment but an extension to the Hollywood Blvd theme movie theater next door.
I loved the tables and large comfortable booths, my kids loved the huge see through aquarium behind the bar.
Food wise I didn't expect too much knowing it's not going to be my version of Authenticity  - turned out exceeding my expectation.  In summary - if you like P. F. Chang, you will like the food here.  Very similar taste.  Heavy use of dark sauce and sugar.  Portion of each entree is not big but it does come with either soup or salad.  For real entrees other than Fried Rice or Lo Mein you can choose either steamed rice or fried rice on the side.
I would definitely come back here for the service and atmosphere.
Since I'm such a fan of the crappy hangover Chinese food you can find everywhere it is hard for me to spend a good amount of money sitting down at a restaurant for Asian food. This place almost makes me want to reconsider that. The service was perfect and the place is actually impressive for being in a strip mall in the suburbs.
The only thing holding them back is the food. It was just missing something to take it over the top. It was also weird that the dishes come served family style. The Bourbon Chicken and General Who's (Tso's) Chicken came in bowls and the white rice came in a separate bowl. No fried rice? Weird - they usually try to at least upsell it. Both entrees were the best things we had but to be honest I can get it for half the price down the street with some fried rice and egg roll and a can of coke. We also had the hot and sour soup (not hot enough) and the wonton soup (tasted like weak chicken broth). For dessert we tried the Great Wall of Chocolate and it was forgettable.
If it wasn't for the great service and cool decor - which I usually don't give two shits about I would have given this place a 2. If they can find a way to bring the level of the food up to par they will be better off. Must fight urge to say something corny like kicking the competition...
We used a Groupon and had an early dinner. Â We thought the decor was very interesting (in a good way). Â The photos on the walls of movies stars who signed the photos (addressed to Hollywood Blvd) were great to view. Â Our waiter, Chris, was fantastic. Â He did everything and more you should expect of great service. Â I liked that he asked if we were planning to catch a show next door. Â We informed him that we were not. Â He said he likes to ask because there are a couple of dishes on the menu that take a bit longer to prepare and he didn't want us to run late. Â They have really nice daily specials. Â Today they had $5.00 martinis (I didn't have one) and 1/2 off appetizers. Â I ordered Mu Shu Chicken and it was up there with one of the best Mu Shu's I've tried. Â Even their eggrolls were tasty and crispy. Â The flavored ice tea was nice as well. Â We enjoyed our meal and will be going back in the future. Â I liked that the manager stopped by after our meal to see how everything was. Â Chris was an excellent server ---- very attentive, friendly and fast.
Review Source:We ate here during the week in the late afternoon, so there were no crowds and we were the second couple inside. We both liked our dinner and appetizers. I had the Sweet and Sour chicken and my wife had the Sea Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce. The portions were very large and took home a lot of food.
The service was great and the ambiance was pretty cool, lots of autographed pics of celebrities and a huge fish tank behind the bar.
We will be back!
My updated review- this has become one of my very favorite restaurants! The timing of the food is much improved now that it's been open for a while. However, I never feel rushed, which I appreciate, and think it's a great restaurant to enjoy a good conversation. The service is really excellent- very attentive and friendly too. And the lettuce wraps are AMAZING- my new favorite! I still love the pot stickers and also have decided that the orange chicken is my favorite meal, though it can be pretty spicy. Sometimes we just get several appetizers to share. They have great specials. We also enjoy their little desserts. The parking lot behind the restaurant is great and very convenient, especially when you are going to dinner before or after a movie next door at Hollywood Blvd. I'm surprised this place isn't busier- it is unique and the food is consistently fantastic.
Review Source:My wife and I gave this place a try after hearing and reading so much about it. Â Sure enough, we were not disappointed. Â Not only is there plenty of decor to keep your eyes busy and engage in a great conversation, but the food is worth the trip. Â Similar to the theater, the names of the dishes are a little corny, but fun! Â We definitely recommend this place.
Review Source:First of all, let me just say that on normal circumstances I would not give any restaurant one star.
Today, I visited Formosa Cafe to use a Groupon that I purchased this year. In conjunction, I had purchased a Groupon for Hollywood Blvd for movie tix. I arrived at the Cafe at 5:45 in order to see the 7:00 showing of Horrible Bosses. I figured that an hour and 15 minutes should be ample time to sit down and eat dinner on a Tuesday night. Unfortunately, I was very wrong.
We were seated right away. However, it took a bit of time before our waitress came to see us. We ordered two appetizers and a dish to split. It was 6:30 by the time the appetizer came out. So, mind you, that is 45 minutes of sitting there and waiting. The dinner dish came out at about 6:45. We inhaled our food in order to make the movie. By the time we made it to the theater, all of the movies were sold out. So, now I am out a Groupon because I cannot use it tomorrow or Thursday when it expires.
As for the food itself...mediocre at best. We got crab Rangoon, egg rolls, and sweet and sour combo. The egg rolls were greasy and a bit off. I did not care for the fried rice that they paired the dish with. The crab Rangoon was good though.
I think my main focus of this review should be the contact I made to management after the experience. I called the manager after the experience to let them know of my frustration. They basically said "I'm sorry" and shrugged it off. I explained that my Groupon would go unused now because of the shows being sold out. I told her that EVERYONE in my section was angry because of the service taking so long. I thought maybe, just maybe she would try and make some compensation for everything. NOPE!
I will NEVER go back here and I advise anyone else not to waste their time going here. Neither the food nor the service is worth the time or money!
Pretty good. Â I had their sesame chicken and egg drop soup. Â I have to say that I am not a huge fan of Chinese food, but this was actually alright. Â For an appetizer we had the wings (not sure what they were called, but they were the breaded ones) they were really, really good! The atmosphere is what sells the place. They have tons of autographed pictures on the walls from Hollywood Blvd. Â Check it out.
Review Source:The best part the restaurant is the decor. It's a lot of fun to check out the autographed celebrity photos on the wall and the Chinese ornaments are gorgeous as well. I wish the food was as impressive as the restaurant itself. I seriously want this place to succeed since it's affiliated with my beloved Hollywood Boulevard (which is right next door!) so I'm going to offer a few suggestions.
1. Expand the vegetarian options. Most of your entrees could easily be made with tofu. In fact, I asked if the Szechwan Chicken could be made with tofu, and the chef happily obliged. I bet other patrons would love to know this option is available, especially since the current vegetarian dished are pretty bland. I do appreciate that the egg rolls are meatless.
2. Make sure the bartenders are well trained. When I ordered a Mojito, the restaurant was out of fresh mint and substituted creme de menthe. Blech! Luckily, they were nice enough to replace it when I pointed out the error.
3. Consider lowering the prices. They're in line with PF Chang, but the food isn't as good. Since Gong Ho is right across the street and heralded for its low prices, it might bring more people in if the prices were lower. Right now, I feel like I'm paying for the ambience, which is lovely but won't bring people back.
The location is great. The decor, superb. The positive reviews on Yelp set my expectations high. But unfortunately, the food was disappointing. I've been to Chinese joints from Iowa City to Yokohama, Japan, and this by far is the worse ever. The beef in the Mongolian Beef was dry and chewy (like when you overcook beef stew in a slow cooker), the Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce very salty (I'm on my 4th glass of water since, and I don't drink all that much water), and the egg rolls, just bland. It doesn't get much worse that this.
Review Source:This is a pretty cool place to visit, and I recommend at least one trip here, particularly if you're an Asian cuisine eating movie lover. Â It has two well appointed dining rooms with authentic Asian artifacts, and with each dining room visible from the other via a large aquarium in the center bar area. Â Quite unique. Â On top of that are hundreds of photos of movie stars, past and present, and a dining room featuring Anna May Wong, Chinese actress from the 30's. Â I wish I could say better of the food though. Â We had Mongolian beef, and mu shu pork. Â Both were large servings, but were way too salty, and with a lot of use of corn starch - sort of typical Americanized Asian cooking. Â I'd rate the environs at 4-4.5 and the food at 2.5-3 stars. Â Servers were friendly. Â We may be back if enticed by a special, but do at least make that one visit - it's worth seeing. Â I think the place is owned by Hollywood Cinema, but operated as a separate business. Â It's only been open since Dec 2010.
Review Source:This place reminds of a Max & Erma's or Chilis with an Asian theme. The food, with tacky names like Kung Fu Pao Chicken, is equally phoney. The Kung Pao I ordered had no vegetables or peanuts.
I tried a wasabi martini and it was awful. It's not something they should even have on the menu. And that pretty much sums it up. A lot of cutesy concepts that are horrible in execution.
Across the street is Gong Ho. Go there instead and you will be glad you did.
This restaurant is located right next door to Hollywood Blvd movie theater. What I love about it is that they have their own special back parking lot so you don't have to fight the crowds with the movie theater or the shoppers.
The restaurant is absolutely beautiful. My husband and I were told by our awesome server Antoinette (who by the way is just a doll) that all of the restaurant decor is authentic. Our tables were 300 year old Asian doors. There are Asian antiques throughout the place but in keeping it with the whole Hollywood Blvd. theater theme, they do have movies posters and framed face shots of Hollywood stars. The whole atmosphere is just very cozy. All of the servers seem to be very attentive, friendly and helpful.
Now to the good part, the food. As you can tell I left the best for last. The dishes that we had were the following and I will rate them from 1-10 (1 worst, 10 best):
Our Appetizer: Â
Nanjing Chicken Lettuce Wraps: 9 Â My goodness - so different from PF Changs wraps because they use different spices but they taste just as delicious.
Our Main Entrees:
Chunking Pineapple Shrimp: 10. I don't know how to say this but the batter on the shrimp gave me the illusion that I was eating a fluffy doughnut. Â The batter was just that delicious, that scrumptious. This was my favorite dish.
Orange Chicken: 9 - I order the mild version and the spices were done just right. Orange chicken is my all time favorite dish and they did an excellent job with this dish. The orange flavor is perfect, not overpowering at all.
We had our entrees served with fried rice and the flavor was very authentic. In addition, they give each person a bacon wrapped water chestnuts in BBQ sauce, which was very tasty.
Last but not least our desserts:
Dessert Wonton - 10 It comes with two warm crisp banana cream filled, drizzled with caramel & a side of a scoop of vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. This just melts in your mouth.
Formosa Funnel Stix - 9. 6 funnel stix covered with powdered sugar and served with a of Strawberry dipping sauce. It was very tasty as well.
The whole experience was very enjoyable and we will be back again! Two Thumbs Up!
Great new addition by the theatre. Â Really great decor and excellent friendly service. Â Loved the bacon wrapped dates or whatever they were. Â It's a very clever place with some traditional by slightly different entrees. Â We would definitely go back (even when we're not going to a movie). Â Parking was easy.
Review Source:This restaurant is a new addition to the Hollywood Boulevard theater next door, however it is a separate entity. I walked in their thinking I can buy food and take it into the theater to eat, but unfortunately its not set up that way. I think that was their original idea, but legally they were not able to keep the two as one business.
Our service was excellent - the staff is very friendly. And the decor is awesome! The tables are Chinese antique doors and the walls are covered with photos of the first big Asian actress.
We had the Fu Manchu Crab Rangoon to start out with - good, and a little different than what I'm used to. I had the Sesame Chicken - it was ok, but a little sweeter than what I like, and not enough sesame! The hot tea was a great touch and hit the spot. We did like the complimentary water chestnuts wrapped in bacon.
Overall, it was good but not great. I enjoyed the atmosphere more than the food.
First time at the Formosa Cafe in Woodridge and would highly recommend it!  We ordered one order of egg rolls, an order of Beef Chop Suey (no onions), General Who's Chicken, and Creme Brulue.  Everything was very good!  Big egg rolls!  To drink,  my wife ordered ENTER THE DRAGON a delicious and  bubbly mild drink and I went with the BRUCE LEE which had a real kick to it, appropriate to its namesake, very good!  Overall, we enjoyed the evening very much.  The booths are comfortable and  the staff are very attentive.  There is a porthole window where you can look into the kitchen and see the cooks....very nice!
Review Source:
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