Good place for egg rolls to go with my homemade Asian fare, Â Otherwise I wouldn't eat here, ever. Â Dark and swampy inside, if you go in the evening, there are a bunch of old dudes hanging out for open mic night or something and the owners are rude to their employees - I have seen thier rudeness on 2 separate occasions - actually, bow that I'm wring this, I won't go back to this one any more. Â Thanks self!
Review Source:We visited yesterday for Golden China's Sunday champagne brunch. Â I was super excited to find imitation crab among the options for custom omelettes! Â Having recently become allergic to shellfish it was a REAL treat for me. Â
We also enjoyed endless mimosas, hot soup, cream cheese wontons, broccoli beef, sweet & sour chicken, and chocolate covered strawberries. Â Not the best Chinese food in town and the restaurant is in need of a serious renovation but a solid 3 star champagne brunch.
I thought this place could have potential until I picked up some food to go. They got the hot & sour soup wrong, left out half the order and what they didn't leave out was bland and boring. NOBODY was in there when I went in to get the food and it was a Wed. night. I should have known when I went in that something was off but I had to see for myself. I live just up the road, but I wouldn't go back if their food was free.
Review Source:So...the food might be whatever it is. But seriously the 7 day a week karaoke suffers from a host who is too complacent with a sweet fulltime job. He suffers from cronyism and just a general lack of understanding how to do his job properly.
I am a karaoke veteran. I know if I show up on a Saturday night it's going to be busy. However, I have been to several karaoke nights with 200 plus people on the list and have been able to sing more in the 9 to midnight slot than here. The KJ lacks the ability to properly manage a night with more than 20 people singing. Guess what....there is software that does this job for you Buddy.
We watch sipping our well mixed mai tais as the kj's buddies sing song after song. And we wait. And wait. And are told it was so busy. Amy good KJ who deals with a regular large load on a weekend knows that large parties are bringing in the dollars for the bar. It would've been easy to keep someone from each large party in the rotation....with better management.
I don't want to be told that I should come back on a Tuesday night to drink with my ten friends. As I watch your homie sing five times. Boo on you Golden China. Perhaps it would've been a better spend of my time and money to take my ten people with our average four to five drink ticket to a better karaoke night.
I've been on a weeknight with less people for singing. Guess what? It doesn't matter if it's a twenty or sixty person rotation: I've never sang more than two songs between 9 and close. Very un awesome Golden China. Glad I dropped the money on drinks. :P
Your servers and bar staff handled the crazy busy night expertly. We never lacked for drinks and they were mixed what they were worth. Get someone in there who isn't lazy because he figures he will always have a job doing karaoke and your Saturday night bar experience will garner more stars.
It took an hour and a half for a delivery!!! Â I paid with a credit card over the phone. Â It was my boyfriends card--he wanted to buy me Christmas dinner because I had no money. Â So they charged his card. Â Then when they FINALLY showed up, they asked to see the card and because I didn't have it in my possession, they insisted that they take the food back from me!!! Â They even already charged the card!!! Â I called and the first lady lied & said she was the manager. Â Then the real manager said she would take back the food and throw it in the trash rather than give it to me since I didn't have the card to show them. Â I explained that it was my boyfriends card and that it's Christmas and I had no money, aside from his card. Â She didn't care. Â So I had to give the cold food back, so they could throw it away, and I went starving on Christmas. Â THE LADY HAD ME IN TEARS!!!! Â Also, she said the money wouldn't be charged back to the card for 7 to 10 days!!! Â Worst experience with a food place ever!!!! Â :(
Review Source:I drove from South Orange County with a buddy to meet a good friend here for dinner and karaoke. Â All the way up I kept hoping it would be a great experience and worth the hours-long Friday drive. Â I was not let down!
For dinner I ordered one of the lamb dishes and discussed my dietary needs with the waitress, and later the cook. Â Both helped me design a sauce that would taste good with the dish and not compromise my diabetes. Â It was *delicious*! Â I found out later that the kitchen is actually open until 1:30 am, when the karaoke bar closes.
After our meal, the three of us wandered to the Karaoke bar where the cocktail waitress appeared at our table just enough to be helpful but not so often as to be disruptive. Â I don't sing, but my carpool friend said he loved being on the stage because of the acoustics (he said he could actually hear himself sing). Â The "KJ" running the show was energetic and kept things moving smoothly. Â Both my buddy and I agreed we'd love to make the drive up to Ventura again for another fun night!
i am shocked...literally SHOCKED...that gc has only 3 stars...i've been a regular patron at gc for over 6 years...and i've tried almost everything on that menu...from the sunday brunch...to the regular dinner items...to the obscure chef specials...and EVERYTHING that i've tried has exceeded my expectations...(ok i didn't like the duck...but not a huge fan of duck...)...gc has never let me down... 3 stars?! unbelievable...this is a HUGE injustice and disservice to the public... someone please do something...
i consider myself a pretty big enthusiast of chinese food...having eaten at chinese restaurants far and wide...(ok fine...mostly in the san gabriel valley area)...notwithstanding...i can honestly say that gc is on par with some of the best chinese restaurants I've ever tried...whereas so many sgv chinese joints produce this msg-laden, cotton-mouth inducing, sodium saturated, fit only for paper take-out container, heaps of barely edible mess (I apologize...got a little carried away...its not all that bad)...gc's food is fresh, made to order, generous in portion, not (too) greasy, and most importantly DELICIOUS...
you cant go wrong with the beef chow fun...general tso's chicken... chicken and string bean...you really cant...the servers are friendly and attentive...they have a full bar... with dj + karaoke on some nights...
gc is a historic ventura LANDMARK... having been visited by former presidents (dubbya bush...don't let this deter you)... celebrities and the like... the only thing gc has EVER done wrong...is lay down its roots in ventura...where it is clearly going underappreciated and not getting the recognition is deserves (on yelp at least)...show gc the love it deserves
Amazing food. Love the decor and atmosphere. I recommend the orange chicken and filet mignon. This isn't your panda express orange chicken either, this is fresh, well seasoned, tender orange chicken. The way it's suppose to be made. Also love their friend rice and their service. Family owned and definitely treat you well here.
Every time i drive up north, i try to stop by.
Golden China is hands down the best Chinese food in Ventura. I've had a roommate bring me left overs from here before, but that did not do it justice. I stopped by to grab a bite cause I needed a break from driving up the 101. Totally worth it. Everything I ordered came out pretty quick and very tasty. I also received great service. One of the owners came to my table to check on me.
Definitely will go back to Golden China and will recommend it to friends.
This place has some of the best Chinese food I've tasted.
I like how they are consistently good even when it is 1am. Whenever I'm in Ventura I get their Mongolian beef and orange peel chicken to go. My girlfriend (who is Chinese and knows her food) loves this place and always tells be to bring her the Mongolian beef. Its a 3 hour ride to San Diego but the food still tastes amazing.
The portions are large and the price is easy on the wallet. The customer service is also great and their staff always seems to be in a good mood.
I'm always running into friends here - which makes it a great place to figure out who wants to make it a late night and then head to old town Ventura!! This is my favorite place in Ventura to get my karaoke fix. The fact that they have a large stage for people makes it that much better of an experience when they "bust a move" while singing their tunes (or should I say outa-tunes for some).
I have never eaten here. The few times I have gone I have been served wonderfully by the bartenders. I have always found their drinks good. Fluctuates though between strong, and one time them forgetting to add the alcohol- hmmmm.
Once I have been here when the dance area in the back was really jamming. Some local band was playing, wish I remembered who, for I'd be looking up their other venues in a snap.
As a side note I appreciate GC's security. They are great at knowing when certain belligerent customers need to be guided out the door prior to any drama taking place. Unfortunately, I don't like the fact that one is not suppose to dance near the karaoke stage since they don't have a permit for dancing in that area...supposedly. SAD!! Â Thank you for pretending you don't see me strutting out my swing moves now and then!!
I didn't try the food. I was there for a show and it was terrible.
1) The place smelled like poop. Literally, the smell of feces was prominent.
2) The crowd control was pathetic.
3) The karaoke bar was running at the same time so the two PA systems kept blending.
4) The PA kept cutting out completely and there was no soundguy competent enough to fix it.
5) Spills went uncleaned the entire time I was there.
I paid money for that.
I hated every second I was in that place. Terrible management, smelled like shit and the show was bad.
This is the most romantic restaurant in town. Seriously. What? You don't believe me? Come on. That fake water feature/volcano thing with fake foliage is ten times better than a date bearing flowers, right? So, ignore some of the cheesy decor, as well as the sign that says that this place is romantic.
The Honey Walnut Shrimp is sweet and salty in just the right way. This has been a staple for my mom and me for years. Of course, we get it to go, so we miss out on sitting near the volcano.
In truth, this place is typical American-Chinese food. Service is fine. Have you experienced the service in a traditional Chinese restaurant? So, what complaints can we have here?
Once Mom and I ate in the restaurant. Again, we missed out on the volcano. We sat near the fireplace on a cool evening. Actually, that was really pleasant. While sitting there, we also wondered about the bar area on the other half of the building. Thanks to other Yelpers, I no longer wonder.
There are other items on the menu that are tasty. If you go in expecting Chinese-American food, you're in for a pleasant meal. To go? That is our way to go. Call ahead and it's ready when you get there.
As for romantic, my BF and I are still chuckling about that one.
I have few ideals, but here is one: sitting by a fireplace at 11:00 at night, eating continental U.S.-reinterpreted Chinese ("Amerinese") food accompanied by a heap of brown rice and preceded by a bowl of wonton chips while drinking flavorful but somehow too-brown tea, listening to a Tuesday-night karaoke barfly belt out "The Crying Game" from the seated position loudly but completely without affect and talking to a waitress about Dr. Mario while a late-middle-aged Chinese fellow practices calligraphy on a sheet of newspaper a table or two away.
Golden China offers all this in a building distinctively placed right alongside but an unexpectedly lengthy drive from the 101 (must be the sprawling parking lot) which it has occupied since 1994 but which has housed Chinese restaurants since 1984, though I'd have guessed 1970. It feels like 1970 inside, or at least my idea of 1970. The food might also taste like 1970, assuming you're the unfortunate type to order broccoli beef or Kung Pao chicken or other names which make me almost too leaden with mediocrity to type.
As in any Chinese place around these parts, you've got to stick and stick closely to the "Chef's Specials" page or equivalent. That got us a plate of "bear foot-shaped" tofu -- bears have circular feet in the part of Mexico these cooks come from -- and fish fillets in "hot bean sauce." Not hot enough, of course, but generously provided hot mustard compensated nicely. Authentic or not -- and for a serious eater, authenticity's beside the point -- this stuff tastes exactly like what I want to eat on a Southern California late night amid that distinctive denim-shorts-halfhearted-punks-and-ponytails Venturan casualness. (Can't fight it; just roll with it.) +100 points for staying open until 1:30 a.m. Do it on Sunday too and you might get five stars.
This review focuses mainly on this place as a karaoke venue. Â I was in Ventura for a conference at the Marriot (across the freeway, and well within "staggering'' distance ; ). Â Anyway, I was looking for something to do on a Sunday night, and the guy at the hotel counter mentioned that they had karaoke every night at this chinese restaurant, 'if you're into that kind of stuff'. Â Are you kiddin' me? Â A karaoke bar is probably one of the chill-est' places to go and find "chill people' who love to have a great time, like me :)
Anyway, I get there around 10'ish, and there's a big dance floor w/some MCs spinning hip hop and about a dozen or so folks dancing, and in the other room, there were about 20 - 25 would-be singers scattered around
room, and a guy playing air-guitar, or piano depending on the song.
So I see this older asian man, dressed in all black, checking up on things at the bar, and I happen to ask him if he ran the place. Â He was pround to tell me that he's owned the place for the past 25 yrs, and claims to have had karaoke 7 nights a week since he opened! Â I thought, wow, and it still seemed to be going strong (for a Sunday night!). Â 25 years? Â Doin' somethin' right...
Long story short, Gary, the owner, is a great host, and is on first name basis with alot of his customers. Â Jeremiah, is was the "KJ" during the week, and is also a realy cool, talented guy. Â He plays a sax (which is pretty unique for a KJ) and/or sings at the top of each rotation. Â My only gripe is the limited song list - could add alot more updated songs!
I went and hung out here 3 of the 5 nights I was in Ventura, which is how I got to know Gary pretty well. Â Oh, and by the way, the food's pretty decent, about 3.5/5. Â And if you see Gary, ask him to sing, "The Impossible Dream" = )
The Food Sucks.*
I picked up Kung Pao chicken, Pork Egg Foo Young, Pork Fried Rice, & egg rolls for last night's dinner. The price wasn't bad at $33, but the value for our money was almost nonexistent.
As soon as I got home and started serving up food, I noticed the terribly burnt smell from the Kung Pao, so I called them and drove back for a replacement order. I didn't bother to check it before taking it home because I was positive that they'd make sure that it was edible. No such luck. I liked the egg rolls, that's it.
Footnote:
Worse yet, I even read these & other reviews before ordering:
GY: Â "Inferior Chinese food."
Brandon S.: Â "...the food isn't all that."
Keith B.: Â "Everything else was good, just not the service or food."
Minnie M.: Â "The food is not great, to salty, greasy..."
Don M.: Â "...ambiance is not bad... too bad the food isn't."
Kim C.: Â "Don't waste your time here..."
Mike L.: Â "the dinner was dirt ball"
Mike D.: Â "Terrible food..."
THIS IS A REVIEW FOR OPEN MIKE/ KARAOKE...
Psst. Come here! I have to tell you a secret! Â The people who come to Karaoke and open mike...? Â Most of them are like me: not professionals, like to break up the week with some really bad renditions of Mandy by Barry Manilow, and strum that guitar in a way that would make Eric Clapton pull his pants down and take a big dump at your toes while you're playing your version of Love Story by Taylor Swift.
But who cares! It's good times if you're with the right group and you've had just the right amount of alcohol dumped into your system.
We went on a Friday night to try Golden China . Had a few problems, I ordered beef noodle soup which shouldn't take more then 10-15 mins to make, we waited over an hour before the waitress told us that the kitchen didn't have noodles. I had the option to order something else and did then she came back and said that the wait would be 10 more mins if I still wanted the soup. I told her I would wait 10 more mins was not going to hurt anything. So I got the soup and it just was not good, the flavors were way off. I've eaten a lot of noodle soup at other places, and have never been disappointed until now. It didn't help matters that the waitress appeared to have every single table on the floor that night, and every time she came to our table she complained about no one helping her. Everything else was good, just not the service or food. I would give them another chance though.
Review Source:2.5 stars.
I came here for karaoke on a Friday night with a large group. Didn't have any of the food, but the restaurant was split in half, with an empty dance floor on one side and a restaurant/karaoke stage on the other.
First of all, the bar is WAY understaffed. Two of us tried to get my homegirl some shots before she went to sing, and were ignored, until it was too late and she had to sing with a certain degree of sobriety. No one wants that. For the rest of the night, it was difficult for anyone to get drinks, and they were pretty overpriced for the area we were in.
Since karaoke had so long of a wait, we went over to the "dance floor." For the whole night, we were the only people dancing, so it was pretty easy to get bored (besides a few people leftover from dinner staring at us from the tables).
I'd go back again if there was a big enough group to have fun with, and try the food to give it a fair review. But with the mediocre bar, dance floor, karaoke, and the location (it's pretty isolated with nowhere to go afterward without driving) it's easy to get bored fast. On a positive note, the owner is super cool and comes out to hang out with everyone! There seem to be a lot of regulars, so maybe I happened to catch it on an off-night.
I've been eating at this restaurant (in all three locations) since the eighties. My friends and I used to come here on the last day of school in Junior High. The food is typical of a sit-down Chinese Restaurant. There is nothing amazing, but nothing is bad either. The atmosphere is nice and the main room is quite open so you can look around and see a lot of people and such.
The bar is quite popular too because of the karaoke.
There is ample parking. It's right next to the freeway so it's easy to get to. They even deliver!
One part Chinese restaurant and the other part, Karaoke bar. The food is not great, to salty, greasy, the place feels like a lodge area with all the dark woods and fire places, doesn't go well with Chinese Restaurant type of atmosphere. Ive been here with friends and family and the disappointed in the food has not changed. I wish my friends would choose a different Chinese Restaurant, but now with the Karaoke bar it gives them a reason to come back.
Review Source:One part Chinese restaurant and the other part, Karaoke bar. So your options here are: anything goes! Either a quiet dinner with your loved one, or getting trashed while singing "Baby Got Back" in front of an equally intoxicated crowd. Or better...BOTH! haha
My friend and I opted for both. Â Found a table at the karaoke bar, quickly ordered drinks and some Chinese food. Â I really enjoyed our appetizer....DAMN, forgot what it's called. Â haha But I think it was fried wontons with cheese inside. Â SOOO GOOD! And the Crispy Orange Chicken was THE BOMB!
While having dinner, we enjoyed plenty well-made mixed drinks, while listening to the angelic off-key voices over the mic. Â
My absolute favorite performer wasn't one of the singers, it was the dude on the side of the stage playing air guitar, air piano on his table, and the air drums!!!! haha  And I'm pretty sure he was backin' it up at some point, too.  Anyway...HILARIOUS! I'd go back just to see what else he has up his sleeve. Oh and for the food.
I like the lodge decor: high ceilings with dark wood beams, the expanse of green on view from most angles, the huge fish tanks. The food, not so much. The crispy duck could do with less crisp, and the noodles are on the soggy side. Our waitress was so-so, sometimes attentive and cordial and other times almost mocking. Like we'd ask when our murky cocktail would be coming and she'd droll with a sly smile, "oh, ten...fifteen minute..."
Karaoke is to be HAD from 9pm on--and if you ever get a chance to stick around after dinner, do it. Some brooding dude's bound to mesmerize with his belting out of "Plush," and then the motley crew from the local IT company will crowd on stage to squeak through a painful rendition of "Love Shack," and the next thing you know, you're facing the lyrics screen with the gal you shared a joke with in the bathroom, trying to be the prettier girl in Abba. Dancing queen, and it's all good fun!
I stumbled upon this venue on accident. Â I am always on the search for the sketchiest looking places to grab a quick drink before heading out to other bars in downtown Ventura, so Golden China Restaurant was better than anything that I could have possibly imagined. Â Upon entering, I headed straight for the bar that was fully stocked. Â There were some Polynesian dancers providing the entertainment that night, which was quite enjoyable after downing some exotic-tropical themed beverages. Â I did not try the food (which looked greasy) and the decor was shabby (yet oddly charming), but who's going to notice all that anyways after you have some stiff drinks from the bar?
Review Source:I thought the food was great. The ambience and people were great. I especially enjoyed the karaoke bar. While me and my friend were singing a duet of Nsync's "Its Tearing up my Heart", the cute blond bartender hurdled the bar, jumped on stage, and proceeded to perform a choreographed routine to the rest of the song. simply amazing. Bravo Golden China, Bravo!
Review Source:Well, we went there last night and had a blast in the lounge. The karaoke selection here is unusual which gives them another star in my book.
They served us food in the lounge at 11:00 and it was pretty good for lounge food. I mourn theTrader Vic's being closed in Beverly Hill's with their Pu Pu platter. I'm not sure why most of the reviews for this place are negative but come on, where does one go for a decent Pu Pu platter now?
Yeah the Pu Pu platter was not up to Trader Vic's standards but it was tasty, especially when you are hungry at 11:00PM and here in Ventura the choices are Denny's, Jack in the Box and Golden China.
The staff were friendly and our drinks were good. Â The karaoke host is a great sax player who played it with some of the singers and it took about 45 minutes for a rotation last night.
There was a birthday party going, cake was offered to everyone and it seemed to be a good space to be in. The owner Gary AKA Garyoke sometimes sings  his version of Delilah gets most of the lounge singing the response to Why, Why, Why?  "You bitch, you slut, you whore" This is karaoke at its finest.
Like everybody else said, the food isn't all that. Â I haven't had an awful meal here, but it wasn't very good either. Â
But we were here on Friday with a big group singing karaoke and dancing and having a good time. Â Too bad that none of us managed to get in more than one song in, like, four hours. Â Mainly because the karaoke host was inefficient taking a long time between songs. Â Come on man! Â Keep it rolling. Â
I would give the food and karaoke only two stars, but I did sing the Dead Milkmen's Punk Rock Girl, one of my favorite songs to sing but is very rarely found in the karaoke catalog, and he had a few other rare songs, so I give them an extra star for that.
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