The Essence of China
The Essence of China
a woman holding a donut over a bowl of soup
Sauteed String Beans
outside
Menu
Menu
Pork fried rice without pork on it.
Outside
meat and cabbage on a plate
Orange Chicken and Chrysanthemum Tea
Menu
Combination plate
Menu
Menu
food
Ma Po Tofu
Menu
#2. Three Items Combo Plate! The kids loved it!
Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Mongolian Beef
Wonton Soup
Menu
Chrysanthemum tea.
menu
Sauteed String Beans Ma Po Tofu
Maryia S.
Aug 24, 2024
We had family in town and wanted to go somewhere together. There were 11 of us total. There was more than enough space for all of us. We all ordered our food and the staff were so hospitable and accommodating. When received our food we were surprised by how generous the portions were. Two of us ordered a pot of tea (different kinds) and they were both delicious. Not a single person in our party was disappointed with the food... it was flavorful and fresh. Everyone said the wanted to come back again.
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Nadine O.
Jul 26, 2024
Visiting my daughter in Salem and craving some good chinese food. I lucked out with nearby The Essence of China in West Linn, a peaceful and upscale town not too far from Lake Oswego where I hear Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga have homes. The 3 of us shared Wonton soup, Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Mongolian Beef and the House Special Chow Mein with Shrimp, Chicken & Beef! (Normally you would need to only select one at other chinese restaurants) Everything was delicious - my favorite was the Mongolian Beef - tasty crisp slices of beef on a bed of crispy rice noodles and fresh thin sliced cabbage. The owner Youggen Qui stopped by for a chat and was very friendly and entertaining with stories of his younger days in China. He has owned the restaurant for over 24 years! If you are craving chinese you should stop by here!
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Jay A.
Oct 21, 2022
Don't come to this place expecting good Chinese food, It's not actually Chinese food it's "The Essence of" Chinese food. The BBQ pork was drier than dad jokes in the Arizona desert. Spring rolls taste like they are from last summer.Ever seen a Wonton fried flat? Me either! The egg drop soup okay but it's thin and had no texture. Anyone posting about how amazing this place is was paid review or they have a tastebud disorder.I don't often walk away from a table full of food, but tonight was the night. But hey you get free tea!
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Michele F.
Jan 20, 2024
I love the food they have here. The chow mein is probably my favorite as well as the general tso chicken. They are always open when everything else is closed which is so nice.
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Tia J.
Dec 7, 2021
Very good foodSuper friendly staffNice restaurant We had a family birthday dinner here with 6 people. They had a very nice table to accommodate us with lots of rooms for food and drinks. We ordered tons of food. Everything came out together, served hot, nicely prepared and it all tasted fantastic. Great flavors! There wasn't a single dish that we didn't love. This is now one of our favorite Chinese food restaurants. We've since ordered take out from here as well and everything was just as good as take out as it was dining in. Absolutely worth a try for good food!
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Dottee H.
Jan 17, 2024
We found this place after we moved into the neighborhood (three years ago) and we are so happy to have found it. The food and service is consistently good. I recommend the noodle soup with chicken and ask for hot oil to add some spice if you like. The homemade steamed pot stickers are wonderful and I also recommend the sesame beef. Delicious!
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Lawrence G.
Sep 16, 2024
Service was very good. The dish I had, almond chicken, was very good. The ambiance was pleasant. Worth going back to.
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Tellulah E.
Oct 23, 2024
We have been going to Essence of China for over 15 years the food was always amazingly good and our orders have always been correct, up until now. Never has a take out order been so screwed up.My husband picked up our take out order and when he got home it was obviously someone else's order. When I called to complain the person on the phone tried to make it my husband's fault saying that he picked up the wrong box. He took the box that the cashier took the slip from and charged him for. A few cents short of 50 dollars. Our order should have been just over 38. If we didn't live 20 minutes from the restaurant I would have taken it back.So we got an order that someone else should have gotten and ended up throwing at least half of it out because it was food we didn't like. I paid 50 dollars for two plates of food and what is worse the cashier couldn't take responsibility for her mistake and tried to blame it on my husband.I don't know that we will ever go back, since the owner's wife isn't working there anymore the service is poor and the staff, well they could be worse but not much. We have noticed a decline over out last few visits and take out orders. Given that and the cashier I think we are through with Essence of China.
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Renee R.
Jul 16, 2024
Went for lunch as in the nice downtown area of West Linn. There food was pretty tasteless. My husband ordered Mongolian Beef and said it was good. I ordered a combo plate. The chow mein was very undercooked. The almond chicken and fried rice were flavorless. The sweet & sour pork was average. The egg foo yung was okay, but nothing special. The serving size was plentiful on everything we ordered. If you go, I would stay away from the combo plate, but maybe some of their other meals have more flavor!
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Jennifer G.
Jun 29, 2024
Nice , clean relaxing atmosphere , the food is always delicious and nice portions. The vegetables are always fresh, crunchy. Chicken, shrimp, beef are all always tasty and the sauces are delicious. Good Chinese food! Friendly service also!
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