J2C Asian Bistro

We got fried dumplings, chicken lo mein, chicken in garlic sauce, dumpling soup, egg rolls and chongqing chicken. Both chicken dishes were ordered with fried rice. Portions were reasonable. Everything was fine, although nothing was exceptional. The Chongqing chicken boneless version was very different than the version pictured on the website, which was disappointing. We wouldn’t have even bothered ordering it if we knew it wasn’t prepared the same and wasn’t coated and crispy like the bone in version would be.

J2C has always been good; we go there regularly and I always have a good experience. Today, we went, dined in and they had a new menu, or else I just noticed it. It's lunch specials or their version of giving you a good deal for some regular dishes. Anyway, I'd tried their General Tso a while back, as we've been going there since they opened, and I didn't remember it as being my fave. But somehow it came up today and the server let me in on a secret - they've changed it, and it's very different - larger hunks of real chicken, less breading/flour - so I tried it. So glad I did, it was really delicious. It came with egg roll and fried rice, both were also good. My son got his go-to - beef fried rice - he loves it and it fills him up. Anyway, the lunch special is a great deal, very filling and just 10 bucks. Oh, and they don't have diet Coke on tap (fountain) ;). but, they do have it in cans and give you ice. So, even tho it's not a Coke place, they please the customer. Speaking of customer service; it is always superior. The place is a very modern vibe, yet still cozy somehow. And the staff makes you feel welcome. Great atmosphere all around. I will now be back even more frequently. Give their new lunch menu a try! I'm glad I did.

First off, the food was delicious, they didn't hold back on the Sichuan peppercorns, the flavor was so rich! I got Sichuan fish and tofu. They were friendly and asked about allergies immediately when I ordered. Will definitely go back and I'm already telling friends about it!

I came in around 2pm and was able to order the lunch deal which was very affordable. Overall the meal was just ok the food was fresh but just ok. I ordered the orange chicken spicy it was good sweet but I didn’t taste much spice. Comes with rice which was delicious it was light for fried rice so I was skeptical but it was really good. I may try some different items in the future.

Loved this place. Had the Mapo tofu, it was delicious. The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was great. I enjoyed the music too, highly recommend

The environment is very nice and the $10 lunch at noon is a great deal! And all the food was delicious. Highly recommended if you like Chinese food.

The menu offers a wide variety of dishes, each with its own unique flavors and characteristics. It's clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into crafting the dishes, and every bite was a treat. The restaurant's ambiance is spacious and has a cozy yet modern vibe.

Excellent food and service. We had the Pork Belly and House Fried rice. The food was very flavorful and the perfect temperature.

J2C used to be one of the best places in Lexington, but since the change in ownership, it is mediocre, at best. My last order was sub par and missing items. They are priced higher than other places that have better food. Sadly, I won't be returning.

Best Chinese food in Lexington. The Mala HotPot with real Sichuan peppercorns hit me every time. The chicken dishes are all REAL chicken with minimal filler. Even good on DoorDash

This was an absolutely delicious lunch. I highly recommend the braised pork belly. Atmosphere is quiet and comfortable

Great restaurant hidden away in Lexington. Staff was friendly and nice and very courteous. The food was also very good. We got an assortment of things to try.

The food was great and the service was really decent. I was a bit disappointed with the decor and ambiance but it's the food that matters and it's good. Easily located and ample parking.

For local Sichuan food it's pretty good for pick up or delivery(which adds quite the cost). I would recommend it as sufficient but nothing special. Did the trick for Chinese craving.

So initially I thought this restaurant specialized in carry out only. I did get my to go in mins, but it's a sit down, kinda fancy restaurant to my surprise. I got the hot chicken with fried rice to go of course. Tax and tip was around $20 bucks. When I got my food outta the bag, I was disdisappointed in the portion size. Then I tried the food. The hot chicken isn't your avaverage hot. It's notches above what most Americans would consider hot. It was really nothing that I got excited about. This is authentic Chinese food mind you! The rice was somewhat bland. Overall, the quantity-quality was disappointing. This isn't a bang for your buck restaurant. I will not be back.

The food was incredible!!!! Authentic Chinese with little "filler". I got ALL chicken in my dish ... veggies were an accent, s it should be

Last night we actually ate in the resturant, have always got it to go Very clean inside and service was great. Everyone meal was really good,veg fried rice,orange chicken,pepper steak,egg rolls& pot stickers...I got the black pepper short ribs and ask for hot. They were hot and there were bones in every bite which I didn't enjoy so I won't order that again but love their food

Everything was very tasty! We came in with a group of four on a Friday at 5, and were sat right away. I was a little disappointed that there were no beer/ wine options, but the food menu had plenty of options! The portions were a good size, though I do think prices were still a little high. We will definitely be visiting again!

Great service! Even better food. We enjoyed the orange chicken, Mongolian beef, low Mein, and hot and sour soup!

We're longtime fans of J2C, but a pickup order this weekend left us bitter and disappointed. The general Tso's chicken here has been the best we've ever had - crunchy and moist chicken with an incredible sauce. Last night, our order may have been the worse we've had in Lexington. The recipe has changed and it was so bad. The fried rice also had a new recipe that was bland and greasy. Pad Thai was sticky, greasy, and again- just bad. Not sure if there is no management or maybe this was a fluke evening, but another trip like this one will result in us permanently leaving this place. The high prices here were always justified by fresh, Flavorful food that surpassed typical fast Chinese. Now it's overpriced and not much better than mall food court Chinese. Really hoping for a better experience the next time we feed our family on $60 of Chinese food.

First time visiting...will certainly not be the last. Amazing food, simply delicious. Interior was small but very clean and inviting. Service was very good. Super convenient location right off Broadway lots of parking or walking distance from Rupp. You will not be disappointed. Go give them some love.

No kick at all. I went in and had the lunch special which consists of an appetizer and a main course. I had hot & sour soup which was pretty good and Mongolian beef which I asked for extra spicy. Bland, extra bland is what I got. Whoever wrote the review claiming this place had some zest got a different cook or owner! Food tasted okay, and price at $9.95 for the lunch special was nice, but bring your own hot sauce.

I have wanted to try this place for a while. I finally did. The food was amazing. I got the twice cooked pork, fried rice. My son got the golden ribs and fried rice. I also ordered the green beans as a side dish. We also had egg drop soup and dumpling soup. The food was fresh, delicious and plentiful. The 4 of us shared the different entrees. That was plenty for us and we had one small take home box left for someone's lunch. The service was great. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I really like that they have a special house menu. Prices are great. I will be going back next week. I am so glad I found this little gem in lexington.

Good food, large servings, very good quality, and good prices. The atmosphere is actually very nice considering that it's in a strip mall, but the staff needs to match the ambiance. Our server wearing grey sweatpants and a hoodie made for a less than desirable experience. Salt and pepper on the tables would also be nice.

Food is delicious and fresh. The owner is friendly and gave good suggestions. We did not wait long for our food because we came during off hours around 3pm. We tried pork skin, hot pot, fried rice and tofu. We like them.

We decided to order Chinese food for dinner. My friend told me that they aren't open for dining but you could order ahead . Which is what we did so I can't say what the inside looks like or comment on table service . However having said that when we arrived one of the employees was waiting at the door for us and was super friendly . We ordered beef lo-mein (no vegetables with the exception of mushrooms ) that wasn't for me but for one of my friends. We also got sweet and sour chicken . The food was piping hot even by the time we got it home . I have to say not only did the food look good (we all eat with our eyes first) but it was really good as well ! I'm born and raised in New York so I'm used to authentic Chinese food from Chinatown in the city. I have to say this was pretty close and I'd definitely recommend ordering from here .

Order take out and we was very happy with the experience. The food was all fresh and portion size was reasonable. Believe will be our go to spot for take out.

Nice place but don't order the beef soup, it was mostly bad cuts of beef. It's the part that you would trim away before cooking.

I am not very impressed with this Chinese place. I got take out and when I got home, my pad thai had very, very LITTLE chicken and the noodles had almost no sauce. I got something else, but it was so unremarkable that I forgot what I got...: Won't be going g back!!!

We were NOT impressed by J2C. We were served bland food that tasted like it had been microwaved and not made fresh. I had the spicy eggplant and beef and it had cold spots and very hot spots. It had zero spice. No heat, no garlic, no flavor at all. My husband's dish was also bland and boring. The server did not check on us one time after taking our order and there were no other diners in there. We even had to walk up to the counter to wait and pay since apparently she was in the back microwaving to go orders or something. I believe she was the only person working. A $59 lunch disappointment. Should have gone to Panda Cuisine or Wind instead. I was excited about this place, too!

Fried rice was inedible and so was their pepper steak. Steak pieces had no flavor. Tasted like cardboard. I hate when my money is wasted on bad food.

Authentic schezuan Food with really great service. We had spicy mixed vegetables and Mao pao tofu. Loved it

This place is running takeout only, and their website notes that as of this writing there are no plans to reopen for in-person dining. As a takeout place, they offer a suitably generous lunch special which includes a good sized takeout container plus a spring roll (or alternative). They have a small veggie selection and only one of those makes it into the lunch specials, which I tried. The garlic sauce tofu was a bit sweet for my taste, even with the "extra spicy" box checked. I also would have chosen some different vegetables given the choice. The spring roll was mostly cabbage and black pepper; the fiber is always welcome. It was fine, but not as good as I might have hoped. There are one or two dinner options I thought worth trying, but I'd like them more if they expanded their menu.

Returned after a long time since we're not in this area often. Things have changed some it seems. My wife and I started with egg rolls. They were small and overcooked to a dark brown and a little too crunchy. Taste was OK, but my wife commented that we've had better at Chinese buffets. We shared a Hot & Sour soup, which was tasty but so spicy that we could not enjoy it. We each sipped it 2-3 times and left 95% of it. Shame. Then we ordered the General Tso's and the Orange Chicken, both with fried rice. Both were tasty, but also tasted so similar that there was not much noticeable difference. One of them was very light on sauce, so it seemed like just a plate of chicken nuggets. The fried rice fooled me it was so white and not seemingly fried, but taste was OK. The service was great. We left satisfied but a little disappointed that it did not measure up to our original visit.

I came in late but the service was good. Most importantly, the food was great. One of the best Cantonese dishes I ever had in US including China towns in big cities. Very good dining experience

We went there last night. Food were excellent. Everything we had were very flavorful, some dishes can be on the spicy side, so if you're not into spicy dishes, let them know and ask for recommendations. The seafood Tofu pot was our favorite. Our waiter were very patient and knowledgeable. We will be back!

Well, they have reopened, pity really. They used to be exceptional, but now they are terrible. Salt & Pepper ribs were oily, and the fried rice was bland. If you are thinking of going, just don't. Try Chengs instead.

Stopped by Lexington for a day and needed to grab some dinner in the area. My hotel was central to a bunch of restaurants.... mostly fast food joints. I headed to Yelp and filtered places that had 4 stars or greater. It took me to J2C. J2C had 4.5 stars so I had to try it. As I arrive, the dining area was of contemporary decor and a nice open seating environment. On a Wednesday evening, there were ample customers dining. I took a look at the menu and it was your typical Chinese menu. I typically order General Tso's chicken at most Chinese restaurants I dine at so this wasn't going to be an exception. I also ordered an egg roll as an appetizer. The food came out in respectable time. I bit into my food and I have to say that this was the most delicious take on Chinese food. The chicken had a fine crisp to it prior to getting to the moist center of the white meat. The flavors just oozed taste and I was hooked. I give reviews not only on the food and the restaurant ambiance but also on the dining experience. The service really matters and what put this place at 5 stars was that the service here was top notch. They stopped by to check on me and how my food was but not in a pushy way.

Closed! Except for curbside only. From out of town and drove 30 minutes to find that out. How about updating you website?

Ok. Coming from So. Cal, I was not planning on eating any Asian food in Lexington. I'm so glad I changed my mind. This is some of the best Chinese I've had. I recommend the Ma Po Tofu and the Kung Pao chicken.

It is a decent Asian place to have food. I went here with my Chinese co-worker as he suggested that this is one of the very few good Asian place in town. I got the Kung Pao chicken (Lunch special - around $8) which was good. It wasn't anything extra-ordinary but it did its job. The lunch special came with complementary pork/veggie rolls or soup. I got the pork roll and it was pretty huge and satisfactory. The lunch special also came with fried or regular rice. My friend suggested that this place is known for its Hong Kong cuisine and they have a special section in the menu for it. Planning on trying the HK cuisine next time.

Get lots of food, quick service. Amazing crab Rangoon dumplings. Will be getting again.

Great food! They used to own Chengs and I've been looking for their delicious food for years. Glad to have found them.

I ordered chicken lo mein and it was dry compared to other lo mein I've had so just not my favorite. I have also tried their sesame chicken which was pretty good and would get It again.

I ordered the salt & pepper beef ribs, which was always my fav before, since they just reopened with a new owner, but it was so much oily than before it didn't have the salty coating it had before, it also had white onions and none of the spicy peppers it used to have. The fried rice was also horrible it tasted stale had zero flavor, and didn't seem cooked right. If you were gonna reopen with some of the same menu items then you might as well have used the very loved recipes of old, after you went to the trouble of buying the place.

Take out only today, no dine in, so we left. Hopefully we can try again when visiting Lex.

BEST authentic Asian cuisine in Lexington! The workers are always so friendly, the food is always on time, and they deliver the food to my car window for carry out. The ginger scallion chicken is the best. It is extremely tender and full of flavor! The crab Rangoon are also a favorite appetizer. Definitely give this place a try!

J2C is one of the best Chinese locations imo in Lexington. I ate here last week and I had the Honey Glazed BBQ Roast Pork with fried rice and I purchased an egg roll on the side. Main entree was very delicious and hot. Egg roll was not that tasty. I couldn't really tell exactly what was in it. I would definitely eat here again but excluding the egg roll. Also, they don't provide much sauce when it is asked for.

I have been wanting to try this Cantonese restaurant for awhile. It has eluded me, but today was the day. It was worth the wait. The interior is modern and very clean looking. The TVs inside with baseball playing seem a little odd to me, but these quite frankly have become ubiquitous, and I'm not sure the general populace can go out to eat anymore without one. Or two. Or six. So, this is just an observation from an old man. I miss restaurants sans TVs. The service is quite good, albeit a tad slow, but you're going to get great food, so just be patient. I ordered the Singapore Rice Noodles, along with hot and sour soup. I highly recommend both. The soup comes out super hot, which is great on a cold and rainy day, and it is both spicy and sour, with a heavy onion taste. It's a fantastically unique soup. My server recommended the Singapore Rice Noodles, and the gal knew what she was talking about. It is a taste sensation. The noodles soak up all the flavors of the dish. All the shrimp, pork, and vegetables combine to form an awesome meal. The sodas in this restaurant are priced at a ridiculous $2.50, so if you're like me, you'll go with water. But, I'll definitely come back. My server recommended the duck as well, and as I said, she knew what she was talking about. I'll try that the next time I'm there.

Wow! This was soooo good. I'm finally excited to find a GREAT Asian spot in Lexington. Looking forward to trying other dishes soon.

The Cantonese dishes are all authentic. Just the price is much higher than other places. Not many options to choose from.

We placed a to go order. Food was good but expensive for what we received especially the appetizers.

Sick with covid July 2022 first time ever. I ordered pick up and they brought it straight to me - already paid for. Quick & very efficient. The steamed dumplings and hot/sour soup was one of the best ever. 10/10 sorry no picture

It's refreshing to finally have more authentic chinese food options here in Lexington. Located next to the LEX apartments and Mad Mushroom, you may easily miss it if you're driving by on Broadway. However, you need to come and try the food options here, you won't regret it. Inside you will find a modern and clean interior with seating for ~40 people. As for the food, my favorite menu items worth trying are: 1. Pei pah tofu - fried shrimp/tofu mixture 2. Eggplant clay pot 3. Mapo tofu clay pot - tofu and ground pork in spicy brown sauce 4. Ginger and scallion steamed chicken 5. Beef short ribs with salt/pepper While the food is still not 100% authentic in flavor, it comes real close and you get generous portions with reasonable costs. I'll definitely be back and now if only there was a true dim sum place here in town...

Oh man. I ordered the mapo tofu. It was not mapo tofu. There was no hint of numbing spice at all. The chilli pepper used was wrong. There was an assortment of random corn and peppers that were not supposed to be there. The tofu was weird and fried, which it's not supposed to be. It did not taste remotely close to mapo tofu. This is the equivalent of ordering spaghetti and meatballs and getting mac and cheese. Or ordering hummus but instead of it being made with chickpeas, someone used pinto beans. It's not the dish. You can't just make any tofu dish and call it mapo tofu. As a Chinese American, I was seriously misled by this. Would suggest they call the dish something else. If you are expecting real mapo tofu, this isn't it. The restaurant may have good reviews, and the food may be good to a lot of people, but it's not authentic

I enjoy the General Tso's Chicken. I get three meals out of this, its priced over $15. Its got a nice crispy breading on it, and it stays crispy when reheated. Rice reheats well also. this is a solid 4 to 4.5 rating. My only disappointment was my very last visit where I got fried rice, instead of the steamed rice I ordered. Since its carry out, I didn't know until I got back to Georgetown. The people are nice also. Make sure you call when you arrive, they are not always watching for you to pull up. They don't offer dine in at this time which is a bummer when you don't live close.

Don't be deceived by J2Cs inconspicuous location on the strip adjacent to "the Lex" apartments (next to Mad Mush & Shenanigans)- J2C is an awesome Asian restaurant! The space itself is pretty small- though not very crowded at all for a Friday night at 7:30. The servers were very friendly and very polite. I am not super well-versed in asian cuisine, so I am glad I looked at the reviews beforehand to get an idea of what to order. I started out with the house ginger salad which was bigger than I expected (always a nice surprise) and the ginger in the dressing tasted really fresh. The menu is not hugely extensive, but has good variety featuring many dishes that are not part of a "typical" chinese place. There were only a few different entree options on the menu for vegetarians, and I went with the soy sauce chow mein which was HUGE in addition to being delicious. What I couldn't finish the waitress boxed up for me in a plastic sealable take-home box - nice so your car doesn't smell like chow mein for a week :) My boyfriend got the hot & sour soup which he reported to be a good amount of spice and a broccoli and shrimp dish. The check of course was brought out with the customary fortune cookies - our one "complaint" being that our fortunes were not particularly exciting haha I noticed on the menu that there are a ton of lunch specials- would be a good spot if you work in the area Definitely check out J2C if you haven't been!!