China Gourmet

It’s still so hard to rate Chinese food after eating at Kwan’s for so many years, but China Gourmet is a wonderful hidden gem in north central Salem. The service is great and the restaurant is cozy yet small. The food is delicious and flavorful and was fresh and hot. Pot Stickers were amazing. So was the Kung Poa Chicken and the Garlic Sauce Chicken. BBQ Pork fried rice was as expected and we will try a different fried rice next time.

Very good food. Decent portions and quality chicken! I really enjoyed the company of the owner while waiting for my food. What a pleasant woman and very kind. The prices are high but the quality is there. I will try new things next time. Mapo tofu was really good. I just didn’t like the mushroom’s, there were way to many in the dish. The sesame chicken was delicious! Looking forward to returning.

My husband and I recently stumbled across China Gourmet. We were told the business has been around 14 years and counting! After we had our first meal we immediately understood why. We both agreed this is the best Chinese food we’ve eaten. The fried rice is by far the better than its competitors and the beef is of the highest quality and very tender. No MSG!!!

I've been coming to this great little place since about 2014. The flavor and the tastes have not changed. The first time I came I pulled into the parking lot and thought to myself. I don't know if I want to stay, but I am so glad I did. I've eaten a lot of Chinese food all over the place and I have to say that when I come to Salem this is the only place I will eat if I'm hungry for Chinese. The staff are very friendly. The outside doesn't look like much, but inside is a very warm and inviting atmosphere. Nice tables. Nice lighting chopsticks on the table and the food is exceptional the sauces are thick and have loads of flavor. Also the portions are huge. The vegetables here are always fresh, never frozen. I don't believe I've ever had anything here that I didn't absolutely love. As you can tell by the photos it's always done hot and fresh and if you can't eat it all ,not a problem Take it home and warm it up later. It'll be just as good. Most everyone that we see there usually takes home a box... I usually get beef and something. The beef is always tender never cuts with a fork and as I said the vegetables are crisp and very good. If you're in Salem or close and you want to eat some of the best Chinese food, stop into China gourmet...

Still one of, if not the best choice for authentic Chinese. The lady who owns it is so gracious. She always has the best chefs working.. Leaving my original review as well. What a fantastic experience I just had at this small family owned Chinese restaurant. It's a definite must go to and try. The flavors are very fresh and not overpowering. I had 2 dishes and both were fantastic. Way superior to any other Chinese restaurant in town. Not a huge menu, but there's plenty to choose from and I can't wait to try more. So I did circle back around and had two more dishes and this place is the real deal. The Kung Pao chicken is by far superior than any other Chinese restaurant around and the fried rice is really really light and flavorful as well. Everything I had was amazing. Pork with pea pods and gourmet seafood udon noodle are great as well. Best part they are OPEN on Monday!!!

My niece and I were dining out. She asked me what type of food. Or we could go to her favorite Chinese restaurant. I'm so glad we tried it. Everything was perfect and so tasty. I love Chinese food so whenever I come in town I know where we'll eat.

The food was very tasty and the veggies were cooked, yet still a bit crisp, just as I like them. Yum! Portion size was great. Plenty if you're hungry, or enough for 2 meals for the smaller appetites!

Tried this place today for the first time. I got the sweet and sour chicken and fried rice. I also added the egg flour soup. The soup is DELICIOUS! They put just a tad bit of crab in it, and it really brings out a ton of flavor! The chicken was crispy but also tender. A perfect balance of sweet and sour for the sauce. However they cook the rice, is superb! Not greasy at all, no MSG and the veggies tasted so fresh! The lady that served us was incredibly nice and welcoming. Punctual and easy to talk with. Food was so good, I ordered take out for dinner and got it before we left! Blessings to this business and I look forward to filling my stomach again and enjoying wonderful smiles while dining in.

My little hot spot! Best place to take a Besty. Small & quaint. They cure my crave! All fresh ingredients:) Best of all, best service ever! Specialize in Take Away.

Fast and friendly service, huge portions, tasty food. Small space but comfortable tables.

Huge fresh and scrumptious servings. Friendly staff. Cooked upon order so steaming hot.

I have returned. Once again... FIRREEEEEEE!!! The lady serving is so sweet and nice! My friends got coke, and they got awesome bendy straws. I loved my mapo tofu, and my friend loved her sweet and sour chicken so much that she exclaimed that she would get stomach surgery just to eat more (crazy girl ) !!! Love it here

Me and my wife went here today(7/5/24) and everything was absolutely amazing! I have never in my life had Chinese food so fresh tasting and flavor-full! I will definitely be coming back for more.

Rùxiāngsuísú - "Wherever you are, follow local customs." In other words, when in Salem, go where the locals go...for great Chinese food! Seeking out some tasty Chinese food got me off the Interstate and into China Gourmet's wonderful little restaurant. It's unassuming from the outside. Were it not for finding this place on Yelp (and its 4.5 out of 5 star average rating) I might have just passed on by. I'm glad I didn't and you shouldn't either...your taste buds will thank you. The dining room is slightly bigger than tiny, but it's comfortable, cozy and the hostess is very friendly and helpful when deciding what to order. While the food arrived quickly and was hot out of the kitchen, this is not "fast food" Chinese. The ingredients were all fresh and the sauces well balanced and flavorful! Note: They do not use MSG in their food prep if that's important to you. You should know that the food is being prepared by head chef Sam Chan of the world famous Yung Kee Restaurant in Hong Kong (once rated as one of the top 15 restaurants in the world). He has worldwide experience in the kitchen that stretches from Taipei to Tokyo, and lucky for you, now in this very restaurant!

Trust the reviews! While this restaurant flaunts an unassuming exterior, it only takes a passing through the doors to see that they take pride in ownership. I'm still getting to know the area and Chinese takeout was on my mind. It's challenging to find that perfect spot to fill the void of your hometown restaurant that got your order perfect and delivered. The menu was vague and a little confusing, so I made a call to find out what their idea of Singapore Rice noodles (N8) was. It sounded similar to what I ordered at home (Singapore Chow Mei Fun) only you had one choice of meat instead of shrimp, pork & chicken combined. I also had to ask about the All Veggies Chicken (C8), which was the closest to Moo Goo Gai Pan that I could see (it was). I didn't want to make the same mistake I did before and assume, because it came in brown sauce from another restaurant and my daughter wouldn't eat it. Once I got clarification on the menu items, I placed my order for pick up within 15 minutes. Minus a star for lack of details on the menu. The dining room was charming and beautifully decorated, and I was greeted upon entering. While the service was top notch, the food was amazing! Next time I'll make a point of coming in for a sit down meal.

Best fried rice I've ever had! A friend of ours said we had to go to this place. We were all here for a convention for four days, and he said he was going to eat there every day, and he did! So we tried it, and he was right very delicious, it is a tiny place with not very much parking, the food is made very fresh and let me tell you he is fast. Whoever the chef is. I'm glad we came service was excellent. You can tell it is a local favorite., do yourselves a favor, and try it out! My husband expected a bowl of curry, but he said it was delicious as was my cashew chicken.

Excellent food. World renowned chef and owner is former female Olympian. They take great pride in perfection.

Wow!!! I was just here about 20 minutes ago. Absolutely incredible food. I have heard this place was a little hidden gem and the rumors were so true! Friendly people, really fast with my order, super tasty dish. I had the Singapore Rice Noodles. I recommend.

My food was flavorless. Disappointed. My friend liked his though. He took mine home and added spice and said it was ok.

Good food and great service! I had the noodles with shrimp, it was good and reasonably priced. We started with the spring rolls and definitely recommend them.

We passed Salem on our way to Seattle and ordered takeout at China Gourmet. Fried rice is great and vegetables are very fresh. Great service too.

The food and service were excellent. The Ambience was classic. No MSG was a great bonus! We had the potsticker appetizer with the homemade soy sauce. They were delicious! The fried rice was devine with anorder of all vegetable chicken and an order of all vegetable shrimp. Even the tea was a cut above. We will definitely put China Gourmet on our dining rotation!

China Gourmet, If I May Do you want to know where you can find the best Chinese food in this god forsaken city? China Gourmet has the best Chinese food because it's good quality and doesn't take too long to get the food. The food at China Gourmet in Downtown Salem makes your mouth water due to how good the Chinese food is. Imagine starting your lunch with zesty Orange Chicken, fried rice, savory noodles, and juicy potstickers. They even have a refrigerator that sells sodas and beverages, and don't forget, every meal that you buy always includes a fortune cookie. The options are endless, they'll make your lunchtime better with your fortune cookie message! China Gourmet's interior reminds one of Beijing China. They have comfy red chairs. They also have cool Chinese decorations. The walls are painted a festive yellow. China Gourmet is stylishly decorated to showcase the grandeur of the east. The staff is very friendly, they always smile. The staff cares about your experience and asks about how good the experience was. The owner even comes out to visit with diners and personally see to their satisfaction. I have never met such outstanding restaurant staff. Sweet smiles, friendly staff that is the China Gourmet experience China Gourmet is not just a restaurant, it's a wonderful place with many items to eat. The staff is very friendly and can help you. The decorations are very beautiful and remind you of ancient China. No matter if you don't like Chinese food, I recommend you should go to this restaurant. Contributed by Dylan H.

We had great food at this place! Like others have said it doesn't look like much on the outside but it's quite nice inside. The server was very pleasant and the food came out hot and fresh tasting. We would definitely come back when visiting the area.

Great fresh food! Wonderful service! We had snow pea beef, garlic prawns, steamed rice, fried rice, and pot stickers. The restaurant is a place we would have passed by had we not read the positive Yelp reviews. They lead us to a real find. We are passing through on our way from Cloverdale CA to Kirkland WA. We highly recommend.

Amazing food, located right next to a weed store if you're into that sort of thing, good location & parking, good service with clean bathrooms.

Best fried rice in Oregon everything they do is really good. Highly recommend going here.

Great food, cozy place, friendly staff. I love it. Had the garlic sauce chicken and it was awesome!

I have never had a bad meal from China Gourmet! Staff has always been fantastic, even when they see me licking the sauce from the plate! :) I haven't eaten my way through the entire menu, but I'm slowly getting there. Nothing my partner or I have ordered from this restaurant has been as miss. If you want fresh food, good atmosphere, friendly service, and a full belly - go here! This isn't your deep fried "American-style Chinese food."

Food is still good. Update to reflect the quality and flavors of food. Kudos to the efforts in improving service.

Food was fantastic very authentic best Chinese food I've had in a long time. The service was excellent very attentive and recommendations were spot on for maximizing flavor. Great ambiance very genuine. Sesame chicken was flavorful with fried rice perfect combination.

I've been going here for nearly 10 years and it's likely the best Chinese food in Salem. The food quality is higher than other local Chinese restaurants, which is probably why it's a bit more expensive. Post-COVID, most Chinese food restaurants limited their vegetables in dishes to the cheap ones, but not here. I usually order their hot and sour soup, Kung Pao, and fried rice. Their fried rice tastes freshly made, and is the best I've had. It's well worth the add on.

The waitress went above and beyond to make our dining enjoyable The restaurant was clean and the portions big The food was good although rather plain Doubt we will ever go back

I stopped here on a whim in the middle of an afternoon after a quickie shopping trip to Salem... and I'm so glad I did! What a great little place to come for some very tasty Asian food! I had the Mushroom Shrimp with steamed rice and it was super yummy. Don't let the tiny-ness and unusual location keep you from trying them out. I'm sure you'll find something on their extensive menu that is the most perfect thing for you to try... and then you'll be coming back many more times to try other things!

Great Chinese food in a teeny tiny little place! We've ordered to go a few times and it's always hot and fresh.

This restaurant is a very nice Quant place to come enjoy some good food with your family or solo, it's peaceful and has a nice ambiance. They were so kind to let me use their restroom. The restaurant is very clean and so is the restroom! Thank you so much for your good energy and hospitality. I appreciate you Lana your so sweet!

Outstanding food and service. Have been going here for years. Very authentic and the service is always the best.

Easy to drive by. Don't!!! Very fresh and delicious food. No MSG. Small - only about 8 tables but service was quick. Will definitely be back.

Such friendly staff. Food is delicious, generous portions. I love coming here and will absolutely be back. We ordered take-out, but it seemed like a very nice and comfortable place to sit and eat inside as well.

Had a wonderful dinner here on a Sunday night. It was nearly full when we arrived at 7:40 but completely cleared out by 8 except for a couple of take out customers! Had the Broccoli Beef which used very high quality beef that was tender; the chef cooked it in a delectable sauce. The Sesame Chicken has a great gingery/garlicky taste and on the pieces that didn't have much sauce on them, the batter was light and crispy. Pieces were big, the dish is generously sized. Very well done. The Eggplant with Garlic Sauce was very good but needed more garlic and less ginger. The Shrimp with Snow Peas was great. Their BBQ Pork fried rice is traditional in that it is not seasoned with soy sauce like so many Chinese American restaurants make it. Flavorful! Great wok hay! I've also tried their Satay Beef Noodles which is tasty! A really nice place for Chinese food that is cleanly made, and the place is clean too. Jade, the owner, is always friendly, and tonight, Ethan, the waiter did a great job. Suffice it to say, dining in, having all the dishes brought to your table as soon as they're cooked is THE way to REALLY taste the true flavors and textures the chef intended. Even putting fried rice into a closed container will make it lose that wonderful wok hay. Till next time! :-)

when we ordered they said they had the best fried rice in Oregon. all i know i ate almost all the rice and had to remember my also very good sweet/sour chicken! My husband said his beef/ veg. was also very good. we will be back!!!!

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Salem. Don't let the size fool you, this is a fantastic place to go for all your favorites. So much flavor, the right balance of veggies to meat and good prices. It is worth the drive from south Salem for a wonderful meal.

I went to this restaurant over two years ago and the owner did not prepare my crispy noodles crispy and I went back to ask her for them to be crispy. The owner said no and tough luck and said goodbye I will never return to this restaurant and have driven much further to get much better Chinese food in Portland.

China Gourmet is a very small restaurant. I've been here a handful of times. Each time I've received great service and great food. The food always comes out fast and piping hot. Ample portions. I definitely will continue patronizing this restaurant.

Just really good fresh healthy tasty Asian food Nothing fried!!! Don't even ask The place is rather small, so I like to go during off hours

The food is the BomB! Usually only one wait person but the restaurant is small. Food comes out fast and hot. Unassuming on the outside and crazy good food on the inside!

Do not be fooled by the exterior, this is a great spot and so happy we gave it a try - it was some of the best Chinese food I've had in a long time! The interior is also quite neat, clean and nicely decorated, and the staff were attentive and friendly.

Website says they're open til 830. Call at 645 to place an order for pickup. Told the kitchen closes at 7 and they won't take my order. Not gonna waste my time here again...

You NEED to eat here. Little hole in the wall, absolutely delicious and super friendly staff.

Easily the best Chinese restaurant in Salem! Every other Chinese place I have been to here seems like they haven't changed the menu since 1986 and its not that they are terrible, just that they all have the same, standard, low-ish quality food. China Gourmet is a huge stand-out in this regard. The space is cozy. You can tell all the food is very fresh and healthy. Most importantly, their take on all the chinese classics really are different and better than anywhere else I have been. The staff is also very attentive, kind and personable especially the beautiful woman that runs the place who always goes out of her way to make you feel welcomed.

I went here with a friend who recommended we try it, so we did. First, the space can be scarce since the dining room is on the small side, but that day we went there was plenty of room. I had my usual item that I have when going to a Chinese restaurant, which is sesame chicken and fried rice. The portion was good and the taste was a bit different than other places, but not bad. The only negative thing I can say is that the chicken was over sauced. The staff was friendly and attentive. The experience here was good and worth a try.

While I was a bit surprised by the outside- it doesn't look very classy, I was tremendously surprised by the interior, food and wait staff. Not being from Salem area, we didn't really know where to go for a reasonably priced meal after a family members funeral. We were trepidation's about even entering the restaurant but boy were we happy when we walked in. The restaurant was very clean, nicely but simply decorated and all ready for a table of 11. It's not a big place but they were able set up a table for us and it worked well. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. She was right on with her service and knowledge. But, the shining star was the food. The food was fresh, clean tasting yet carried authentic Chinese flavors. The sauces were perfect. The BBQ pork fried rice was so good... The cashew shrimp was tender, savory and the nuts and veggies were crisp. We had lots more and it all was superb. From now on I'm driving the distance about 45 minutes to have Chinese here!

We found this via Yelp and did not disappoint. The food was amazing. Highly recommended, especially the fried rice.

My food came out within minutes after ordering. Food was so damn hot it burnt my mouth pretty bad. When food is pipping hot like that, it usually means it was microwaved. But microwaved Chinese food? I surely do hope it was just on the wok a little too long. This place still gets a low score because the taste was bland. No seasoning, no flavor, and the beef was really fatty. Could barely chew it from all the gristle. The only reason I give this place two stars and not one is due to the friendly service. The lady was really sweet.

It's been more than 2 years since the original review and things have only continued to be great. The folks here are friendly, the food is good and the service is excellent. This is definitely one of those rare gems you find when you aren't really looking. Choose to come here, you won't be disappointed.

Stopped at a place down the road.... was a little nervous about the atmosphere for the kids. Drove a mile and SOOO glad we did! All of our food was GREAT, Fresh, Homemade and Fast! Our server was fantastic and very attentive. This little place packs in some BIG flavor and does it for a reasonable price. 2 Thumbs up for sure. We will be back next time we are in town!

Love the food, fresh and delicious! I get carry out and it's always ready when I arrive and like I said fresh and delicious!