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4,1

Based on 218 opinions finded in 3 websites

3.6Ambience4.2Cuisine3.7Price4.0Service
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Nº 282 in 573 in St Albans

Nº 6 of 20 Chinese in St Albans

CUSTOMERS TALK ABOUT DISHES WITH.. friedricenoodlesprawneggcookedsquidchickenduckpepperoldprawnsporksoupchilli

comment_iconOpinions

There has been a Chinese restaurant on this Holywell Hill site for many years - previously the Chinese Cottage - and more recently this establishment. With the demise of the Jade Garden after 48 years of trading last year and now this month the Chi's closure means that there is no Chinese restaurant in St Albans town centre still open.

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Wanderlust2 . 2018-01-27

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Food is actually quite nice, fresh and not too gloopy , the set menus only catered for adults there weren't any kids prices... we went after the st albans panto and it was pretty quiet . The service is a bit hit and miss ... I can imagine if busy the service would be awful!

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545robr . 2017-12-28

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I went to this restaurant with my two boys, a friend and her son. What should have been a delightful dining experience (as the food was good) was totally ruined by the curmudgeon of a waiter. Every time we called him for service, he would sigh visibly and stump over to our table. He seemed reluctant to serve us. He was rude and condescending when I asked if the egg fried rice was moist enough to have without sauce as that's what my boys wanted. He sneeringly told me he couldn't tell me the 'measurement of moisture in the rice.'

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Nkem I . 2017-12-04

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Chinese is not my favourite food, but when visiting friends ask for Chinese this is the place to go! The buffett is great value at £17.50. A great menu to order from, great food and service, nice decor and background music.

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TravellinTomS . 2017-11-02

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I found the restaurant a bit on the gloomy side.The rather worn menu was printed grey on blue and difficult to read.I ordered chicken chow mein,at £7.90.The dish was OK though a bit salty.When the bill was delivered it showed a price of £8.80.The waiter apologised when I pointed out this error and he brought a corrected bill.Maybe he too had difficulty reading the prices,so always check your bill.

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wingate . 2017-10-29

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First time to this restaurant as just moved to area. Pleasant and attentive staff although

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perrisansi . 2017-10-28

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Visiting this area for the first time we decided to eat here. First impressions weren't good as waiter was a bit sullen but don't let this put you off. We ordered our food which arrived well presented and freshly cooked. Three mains between 5 of us was plenty. All the flavours were great and would definitely visit again if coming to this area.

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sarahdM4471KO . 2017-10-27

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The food here was great, really well cooked, not oily or greasy but wonderfully well spiced and crafted. Each dish had distinctive taste and texture, not the bland overpowering MSG of other places. Would probably say in the top 5 Chinese meals I've ever had. Can especially recommend the Malaysian style roast pork.

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Irons69 . 2017-10-02

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Visiting St Albans we decided to eat Chinese. Friendly place. Starters were good. My main course arrived, not what I ordered, but it was a curry that looked and smelt good so I decided to have it. Very good. I would go back again.

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Alan S . 2017-09-09

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My boyfriend took me to this restaurant to celebrate my birthday.

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lucie859 . 2017-09-07

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As a family of 4 we ordered food that came to roughly £60.We were given a delivery time of 30 minutes but it took 1 hour for the food to arrive. I like the packaging of the food - the white boxes are much nicer than the tin tray boxes. Food was good - not too oily and had a good taste.Only fault with the food was the squid - hardly any squid and too much batter.menu was clear and easy to put the order in

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ife f . 2017-08-18

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I will admit straight away - I am not a massive fan of asian food, especially Chinese. My better half made me go there to try something different, although, I would always prefer steak. This is a very local to us place so we went for it. At first I thought I could smell mould, but then was explained that was some sort of chinese incense. Would not have guessed. The food was good, tried lots of things. All in all good for both lovers of chinese food and non-lovers too. A bit pricey, nice interior although quite dated. Some remarks with regards to cleanliness and service.

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Yavor R . 2017-08-17

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First visit to Chi and we were excited to find out what this highly-rated place had to offer. Lilies on tables and a nicely-laid out room. Surly service from one of the waiters rather spoiled our enjoyment of this place and it seems they are doing lots of take away and aren't that bothered about the diners in the restaurant. Food was excellent...salt and pepper squid, spring rolls and sweetcorn soup for starters. Mains of Kung po king prawns, some dry fried king prawns with chilli and garlic and tofu in yellow sauce; sides of egg-fried rice and Malaysian street noodles, some chow mein as well as pak choi. Jasmine tea for 3. All delicious and we enjoyed the food very much. £96 including service which was added.Amex not accepted. We are used to paying less than this in our old all-time favourite Mr Kong in Chinatown.

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TrendyVicar . 2017-07-29

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We order from Chi quite often and the food is always of good quality. However, this evening we ordered a couple of different dishes including chicken with cashew nuts and yellow bean sauce. After a few mouthfuls, it was obvious that the nuts were peanuts and not cashews. Luckily we do not have anyone in our house with an allergy but do know of several people who do. This was a serious accident waiting to happen and totally unacceptable. When I telephoned Chi to explain, I felt that their reaction was very blaze and dismissive. They appeared to not know how serious this could have been. I would seriously think again about ordering from them due to this. Sorry :-(

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Sarah P . 2017-07-01

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Visited on Saturday 10th June, hadn't had a chinese for ages so after reading the reviews on this site we decided to give it a try, nice welcome and attentive service throughout the evening, we shared half a crispy duck to start, it was very good, followed by chairsoi pork for me and the scallops for my friend, we both had singapore noodles, the pork was excellent but sadly the scallops were tough and rubbery, my friend left the majority of her dinner which spoilt the experience, it was a shame because all the other food was very well cooked, they were busy and cooking scallops myself on many occassions I do know that once overcooked there throwaway really and should have been discarded and a new dish prepared, I have gived it 4 star rating as I feel it would be unfair to mark it down on one dish, hopefully if they read this it won't happen to someone else.

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les s . 2017-06-14

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The wooden tables, wall and ceiling décor, and table flowers (lilies when we were there) made a lovely setting.The staff were very helpful and attentive (but not too attentive).The menu felt limited compared with other Chinese restaurants. We picked the Kung Po Chicken which was tasty, and the Crispy Chilli Beef which seemed a little dry. Perhaps we didn't pick the perfect dishes for us. both with Jasmine rice and a small glass of one of the house white wine (Pinot Grigio), which again were nice. The meal was pleasant and the food all fine, but we concluded that we've had nicer Chinese meals.

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ClareHebden . 2017-06-02

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A fabulous meal. All the dishes were excellent, delicious prawns, even my difficult to please teenager loved the satay chicken. We can't wait to go back. Great contemporary furnishings. My youngest son liked the oriental sink in the bathroom. It was a memorable birthday meal. Thank you.

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Claire A . 2017-05-25

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I'm so glad we found this restaurant. The food was amazing and the service was fantastic. We will definitely be coming back.

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KEVMICHAEL28 . 2017-05-19

MORE AT TripAdvisor

I've read lots of reviews about this place and there are many different opinions, so we came for a visit to see for ourselves.We came early evening. It's true, the decor is a little bit 70s. It's also true that the menu is limited and the ones we were handed were all stuck together with white tape. Not great on presentation. Service is freindly, helpful.A good selection of all sorts of drinks.You can chose between 4 set menus or just chose your own, however, this may work out even more pricey so do your sums. I hadn't realised that the portions were quite so generous and each item was freshly cooked, good temperature and full of wonderful flavour. We were served reasonably quick, there was a bit of a gap in between each course but considering how much there was to eat, we found this a good thing.Maybe next time we will order less.The 10% service service charge included in the final bill was a bit of a shock though and because it was already quite pricey, it seemed a bit steep to me compared to other restaurants in the area. So for me, this place is nice for a treat but not somewhere I'de go regularly. I beleive their lunchtime menu may be more cost effective.

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Clive B . 2017-04-27

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Four of us had lunch there today. What a lovely restaurant. Excellent service, great food and charming environment. Everything was fresh and served promptly.Stand out dishes...the squid starter and the Singapore noodles.We will return!

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Sheilina_Somani . 2017-04-14

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Took family (8 people) to this lovely little restaurants to celebrate my partner's birthday. It was our first visit here and didn't know what you expect, but chose it based on TripAdvisor reviews. I am so pleased we did! All the food was fantastic, especially the duck, the sticky ribs, the sweet &sour chicken and the lemon chicken! (Although my mum did say the Szechaun prawns lacked flavour). The service was excellent and it was great value for money at £17.50 per adult and £15.50 for my 2 children - the buffet offered a great selection. Drinks weren't overpriced either! I will definitely be visiting there again ☺

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Lisha W . 2017-04-10

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Although Chinese is not my favourite food, I love this restaurant! Always a warm welcome, the service is very good. Nice decor and good background music creates a great atmosphere. The excellent (to order) eat as much as you like buffet is great value at £17.50. The menu has a great selection and is served Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It does a nice Malbec!

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TravellinTomS . 2017-04-03

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I have eaten here many time and I have a simple review . 1) Ambiance - the owner tries hard to make everyone welcome and feel at home . There is always a gentle buzz to the place . 2) food - my most IPortland part of a Chinese meal . This place is as good as Hakasan. I don't know why they don it charge more 3) overall- I love this place and I love to support small business owners . The food is brilliant and St Albans would be a lesser town without a high quality Chinese like Chi !!! I have been repeatedly impressed and anyone who's read my previous reviews knows it takes a lot for that to be the case .

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John-Paul F . 2017-04-02

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Not the best first impressions, walls and decor many years over due a clean and redecoration. Menus just dirty bits of card held together with sellotape. The menu is pretty short and very basic - a kind of cut down take away menu. Prices are astonishing - egg fried rice £5 and pak choi £8.60 - really? Main courses are the usual with no adornments but prices between £8 and £15. Basically this is a very average Chinese takeaway with a restaurant attached that is in serious need of decoration and renovation and needs to get real with the pricing.The staff were nice but chaotic and slow. The bottle of Evian we had did not taste like Evian to me. The house red wine was unexpectedly cheap at £4 a glass and judging by the the rest of the pricing I can only guess how much this plonk cost a gallon. Pretty nasty. The noodles and beansprouts we had were very oily with a bad taste. We paid just short of £60 for 2 for what was a less than average takeaway that should have cost about £20. We won't be returning and suggest you don't bother, many take aways much better than this and considerably cheaper.

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Knowldav . 2017-03-24

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This restaurant is becoming my systematic stopover when I am in St. Albans. Very good soft shell crab, reasonably priced.Friendly service comes with it. When no time to go there, I get it delivered and always look forward to it.

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Gary H . 2017-03-23

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We had some amazing food here. Soft shell crab, deep fried salt and chilli squid, a black bean and pepper stir fry with top quality medium rare steak chunks, it all just melted in the mouth and burst with flavour. However the portions weren't massive, and the price was extremely high especially for Chinese food, albeit high quality Chinese food.

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Ayla R . 2017-03-19

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Lovely food and good service, really nothing to complain about! Only strange that there weren't more people in the restaurant (Holywell Hill affect?). Definitely our Chinese of choice now! Even like the quirky toilets!

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Tim S . 2017-03-12

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We went to Chi to celebrate my wife's birthday.The quality of food was good but the service totally absent.The waitress had a VERY bad understanding of English giggling all the time and knowing nothing of her menu . She could not explain any dishes to us.The chef ( or is it the manager ? ) came around at some stage with an " hello guys, is all ok ? " and of course we said yes...The menus are all cellotaped and were probably put in service when William the Conqueror was around... lol...We paid £165 for four dinners which would have entiled us, to my understanding, for a little more value... will not go back to Chi anymore...

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Francis C . 2017-03-04

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Good food but vastly overshadowed by appalling service. The manager couldn't get us out fast enough.

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William_S_A_I_L . 2017-02-25

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The food was absolutely delicious, we had the Chi sharing platter to start and a selection of mains, noodles and rice. Really well cooked and authentic taste. The food wasn't too greasy like most takeaways taste. The Malbec was great too. £84 for two people including a 10% service charge, not the cheapest but I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. The only thing the restaurant lacked was a bit of atmosphere, I don't know how they would improve this as the décor was great and service fantastic. I was just surprised it wasn't packed on a Saturday evening. Will go back with friends or family so we can order even more dishes to try.

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Jodie J . 2017-02-12

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We ate lunch here on Sunday to tie in with Chinese New Year. There were three of us, including my husband and seven year old. We didn't arrive until two at which point most of the other tables were towards the end of their meals. There wasn't much atmosphere but it is a nicely furnished restaurant the lack of a buzz wasn't a concern to us at lunch time. The order-as-much-as-you-can-eat menu offered plenty of options and everything we ordered was delicious. We took our time moving through starters, soup and mains. The intervals between each course were the right length and we didn't feel we were being rushed. The flavours of the food were very good and the portion size was just right to allow us to sample a range of dishes without being overly full. The only disappointment was that our shredded duck came with just four pancakes between three of us. However, we didn't ask for more and they may have been forthcoming. We were concerned before setting out that we wouldn't eat enough to cover the cost per head however we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the lunch rate was slightly lower than we'd expected and, given that our daughter ate for half the price, we left feeling that the meal had been good value for money. I have to admit that the service was not exactly warm however it was efficient and in no way rude. We will certainly return and would happily recommend Chi to anyone who enjoys Chinese food.

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Melanie B . 2017-01-30

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We went here on a Thursday evening and had such a wonderful meal. Food was one of the best Chinese I have tasted and the staff were attentive. They also do a takeaway menu. Would recommend. Only disappointment was that there is no parking as it's in the high street.

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Barbara R . 2017-01-29

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I was unsure about Chi as it wasn't highly rated however we were really impressed and had a great dinner. Would definitely recommend.

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JamieHodson . 2016-11-17

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Had a delicious supper in here with some girl friends. Food was fresh and tasty. The restaurant lacked ambience but I guess you can make that yourself! Would definitely recommend.

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Emma N . 2016-11-14

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Lovely Chinese, staff very polite, attentive and helpful. We had the mixed hors deuves to start 'chi's mixed starter' and it was delicious.Mains we had pork tenderloin and Kung po chicken. All in all we had a lovely evening and I would definitely return. It was the nicest Chinese we have had in a very very long time and I look forward to returning X

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Sophie A . 2016-10-02

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I popped in here last week with my husband for dinner and the restaurant has completely changed, i'm not sure if it's changed hands but the menu is completely different. All the lovely dishes have been removed (Beef in black bean, chicken in yellow bean, beef with ginger and spring onions, no szechuan dishes). In fact there were only 2 options for beef, both priced at £18 each? Oddly the online menu is still the old menu. I opted for Kung Po prawns which weren't good, there was hardly any sauce and it was very bland, it tasted neither sweet & Sour or spicy, the only positive were the noodles which were lovely.It's such a shame because Chi used to have such lovely food, why change the menu? I won't be back unfortunately.

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Sunshine966 . 2016-09-25

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My husband and I went to eat at this restaurant on Friday 16th September 2016. Turns out on the Saturday I must have vomited 20 times after feeling so nauseous on the Friday night. My husband has also been really ill and its ruined our weekend. The food was so oily. Not just oily but in all the dishes the oil tasted old and grim with limited sauce.The service was the other thing that was terrible. Our rice got forgotten and hence our main dishes went cold before it came. After that, we noticed that the rice was stale and undercooked. The worst thing at the end was when the waitress came to clear up, she noticed that we had eaten perhaps a quarter of the food, she pulled a face and shrugged her shoulders. When we told her the food wasn't right (something we rarely do at a restaurant), she simply cleared it away and presented us with the full bill which was completely not worth it.As said above worst Chinese we have ever had...

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SheensV . 2016-09-18

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Chi's is a truly superb Chinese restaurant, definitely a cut above the others. We live abroad but remembered Chi's from our last visit to St Albans, so we went there the moment we had unpacked. It is a very handy location too as it is almost opposite the Clarion where we stayed. True to form, each dish was exquisite. We had dainty little spring rolls as a starter, with delicious dips, and then the sweet and sour chicken and spicy Singapore noodles. We also ordered beef and black pepper sauce, and a side of french fries and spicy curry sauce, as well as the mixed fried rice. The side of curry etc is not on the menu but due to a very friendly, helpful and accommodating owner we had what we asked for. The food also came piping hot and at the same time. The Singapore chow mein was just the right level of spiciness, the sweet and sour balls were the delicious small Hong Kong style cuisine and the curry sauce was extremely tasty. If I had one slight concern it was that I thought I could detect some fish sauce in the fried rice, unlikely as it sounds. As I never eat fish it was something I wouldn't have welcomed. However, the taste was very mild and I was soon distracted with the other exquisite dishes. It was so delicious in fact that we returned the next day and on our last night with our brother in law and his family. I can't wait to return to St Albans and this restaurant again.

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Leean W . 2016-09-11

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They have a small menu at Chi, not the cheapest (but not extortionate either) but the food is amazing! The best Chinese restaurant in St Albans so far! Staff are very friendly too. Their cocktails are nothing to write home about but it's a Chinese restaurant so who cares I come for the food!

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Chenine E . 2016-09-04

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We went to this Chinese take-away because the one we usually go to in Watford was closed as it was Monday!The meal was better than our usual place and so we will be going back...It was maybe a bit more expensive but as the meal was so good we didn't mind..It was ready for us to collect very quickly and the place looked very clean and I wished we were eating 'in'!

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Nicki S . 2016-09-01

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Very nice restaurant, slightly off the main high street so not as busy on a Saturday night. We had the ribs (amazing), special fried rice (tasty and a huge portion), char sui pork (huge plate of lovely sweet cooked meat) and the Guru Chicken (sweet and sour basically).Waiter was very friendly and attentive, and the free pawn crackers as we sat down were some of the nicest I've ever had.Decor was nicely lit and felt relaxing.Restaurant is not the cheapest but it's not expensive by any means, and is very good value for the flavour and quantity of food. You get what you pay for!

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Melakh1 . 2016-08-21

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My wife and I go out for dinner every Friday night, and often other times as well, and we were looking for somewhere different in St Albans where we live. I know many other couples are in the same position and would like to recommend this as a new and refreshing place to eat with a great ambiance, excellent food and just the right service balance between attentive and leaving us alone to talk, and enjoy ourselves.

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Ray M . 2016-08-17

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Monday is not a good night to eat out as many restaurants are not open, however Chi our first choice thankfully was. On entering we were impressed by the tastefully different decor and the friendly welcome. Unlike a lot of eateries today the tables were large with plenty of space and room. The menu was split into two sections, set meals which appeared attractive with well thought out dish combinations but we decided to go for the individual choice menu. There were a number of the favourite numbers but with a modern twist as well as some more unusual offerings. The three of us made a selection of starters including the soft shell crab, which was delicious as indeed were the other choices. The main choices were equally modern and interesting so we went for walnut chicken, black pepper fillet with Pinot Noir, Wok seared scollops accompanied by Buddhist garden and Singapore street noodles. It has to be said that the food is not cheap but the portion size is good and the food beautifully original, the quality and style will be remembered long after the cost is forgotten. To summarise lovely atmosphere, interesting restaurant and excellent food, a really special evening, we will return.

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clives868 . 2016-08-02

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Love their soft shell crab. Been there 5 times already and totally consistent time after time.Friendly service as well.

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Gary H . 2016-08-01

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Great food, great service, friendly staff. Surroundings are lovely without being pretentious. The taps in the toilets are awesome! This will become a regular haunt of ours.

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William L . 2016-07-22

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I'm not a big fan of Chinese food but visiting friends are. We went to Chi on a Wednesday at 8.30, which was very quiet, and they loved it. A good menu, good food, wine and service made for a pleasant evening. Suprised that there were no spinning trays on the table

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TravellinTomS . 2016-07-21

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I have always liked it here, but in the last few months especially, the level of cooking is amazing. The tea smoked Chicken is always a must try, but the Hot n Sour Soup (best I have ever tried) and Veal/Beef dishes are exceptional too. Very friendly, and do not be fooled by how quiet it can be at times. Will please Foodies!

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Sebastian S . 2016-07-15

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Absolutely amazing! Start to finish... Staff and food completely spot on.Offered a complimentary drink on the house at the end of our meal and what we couldn't finish was kindly boxed up for take away!

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Samantha M . 2016-07-09

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Came here for a meal with my partner. Can't really fault it to be honest! Nice atmosphere, very attentive staff and really tasty food. I thought it was pretty good value considering how much was loaded in each dish, we left stuffed after starter + mains! They even threw in a cheeky free drink at the end which was a nice touch.

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Vanessa C . 2016-06-05

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The food was excellent. Portions are generous and very good quality. The service was awesome, they couldn't do more for us. We're already looking forward to going back.

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Nicole M . 2016-06-05

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Always choose to get takeaway from here every time I'm in St. Albans and each time it is delivered quickly, hot, fresh and very tasty!! It isn't the cheapest but is definitely worth every penny!!

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JosieKirby . 2016-05-31

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Nice & spacious. Friendly staff & service. I wasn't blown away by the food but that may be because I've been spoilt by authentic Chinese food.

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Apeksha Z . 2016-05-24

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A group of 5 went to this fantastic restaurant - we regularly dine as a group in restaurants in St Albans and tonight's meal was fantastic! Friendly service by all and out of this world food. This restaurant is a must - one of the best Chinese restaurants we have been to for a very long time!

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Sarahdyer_111 . 2016-05-12

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Walked past this restaurant many times before we gave it a go. Very glad we did! Loved the food here, brilliant vegetarian food for me and my husband really enjoyed his meat dishes. Love that they do take aways too! Would highly recommend

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J0anna1234 . 2016-04-04

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Since discovering Chi I will not get chinese food from ANYWHERE else in St Albans. It is fantastic, so fresh and such professional service. Good job Chi!

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SnorbsMummy . 2016-03-06

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....but this was the most disappointing meal we've had in St.Albans for a long long time. Every item brought out was luke warm or cold. The 'spicy' scallops were dull, chicken for satay was hard, 'jasmine' rice flavourless, nothing really felt fresh or nicely seasoned. Pak choi was lovely and satay sauce ok, but I'm clutching at straws here. Such a shame cos a few months ago the menu was completely different and quality was so much higher. I won't be coming back...shame

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Sylwia W . 2016-02-23

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well presented. ..staff attentive. ..aromatic duck fantastic. ..a different kind of Chinese. ..small menu but very well cooked. .will be back

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Markjmbond . 2016-02-12

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Perhaps I was there on a bad night. Other reviewers seem to rate this establishment much higher than my perception. Pleasant interior but the food was very disappointing. I ordered the Kung Po Kung Prawn which surprisingly had little flavour and included some dried and burnt chilli peppers. I would not go back as there are so many other excellent restaurants nearby.

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Apismellifera100 . 2016-02-11

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We visited for the first time and were not disappointed. Good menu and reasonably priced. Loved the porcelain chopstick rests and indeed the chopsticks themselves which were a lovely design with pointed ends to make them easier to use. Good, prompt service even though we were not in a hurry. Open all day which is a bonus with a buffet service available on Sundays although we did not partake of this. Tasty, well presented food and will return.

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LWF2014 . 2016-02-11

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I went to this restaurant in a group of seven people. The interior is nicely decorated and very clean.It was not very busy so we had very individual service. Our waiters were excellent, friendly and very pleasant. The manager gave us complimentary starters and we had two of their set menus, Fire and Earth, between the seven of us. The food was gorgeous, plenty of it and freshly prepared. It is a bit more pricey than a "normal" Chinese but by comparison the content was way better than any other Chinese that I have experienced. I would thoroughly recommend this restaurant.

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Marion R . 2016-02-10

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The food was pretty good, although despite being only half-full the service was awful. Took 50 mins to get starters, and almost 2hrs for mains. Also very over-priced for what it is; £120 for two is pretty excessive (two pieces of prawn toast cost £8!).

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Graeme D . 2016-02-06

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We love Chinese food and we received an offer of 10% off the bill if we went to eat there. We decided for one of the set meals on the menu (in a later occasion we went for the Sunday buffet) and I have to say yes it's pricey but the food is really gorgeous! Very tasty and good quality, not abundant but it fills you up! I recommend the Sunday buffet as an alternative to any Sunday roast, you can choose anything in the menu up to 6 dishes at a time, for 15£ pp! Great for a treat or special occasion as the decor is modern and cosy and elegant.

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Diellebee . 2016-02-05

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Reasonably small menu but overall lovely food, great starter platters to share, good service, pleasant surroundings

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zoec21 . 2016-01-20

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A favorite of friends and recommended we where not disappointed. Small but well put together menu that turned into a well prepared and great meal.Good service and pleasant surroundings added to the night .Will go back the next time we are in St Albans

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travelwander35 . 2016-01-10

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A favourite of our family. Reasonably small menu but all dishes are good, we particularly like the salt and pepper squid.

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Katie S . 2015-12-18

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Being a regular customer of another Chinese restaurant in St Albans I thought I would break tradition therefore took my family to Chi on Holywell Hill. Straight away when I walked in I loved the modern décor and feel to the restaurant, but would the food be up to the same high quality as the other Chinese restaurant! The answer is simply yes & better! Always comparing to the Chinese I’ve been visiting for years, Chi ticked every box! The food was fresh and excellent and the service was exceptional always making sure we were happy and even sharing the occasional joke. We weren’t rushed and the kitchen allowed the correct amount of time before courses. If you’ve not been to Chi then give it a try you won’t be disappointed! Thank you for a very enjoyable evening and I’m looking forward to my next visit!

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Matt P . 2015-12-10

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I've been here 3 or 4 times over the last year or two. Every time the menu seems to be different or a different ordering style ie I think last time you chose meat, then sauce etc. Time before was lots of typical chinese dishes - black bean sauce etc. this time very limited small menu with more unusual chinese dishes . The service was good, beer well priced, food very good quality and decent portions. On the expensive side, but very very tasty.

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david c . 2015-12-02

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St Albans has always suffered from a lack of decent Chinese restaurants. We visited Chi in it's latest incarnation on a Friday night. It was quiet for a Friday - even a wet Friday - but clearly people have not yet sampled the new menu. There are wide variety of less common dishes which you don't normally see outside of London and the quality is very good. I had Walnut Chicken with Goji berries as a main course and it was excellent. The service was attentive and efficient and the wine list seems to be of good quality and reasonable value - not often a common experience in Chinese restaurantsThe downsides:It is not cheap - some mains well into the mid teens with sides extra. The vegetarian choices are more limited than before - although my wife really enjoyed her aubergine and tofu clay pot dishIt doesn't have a lot of atmosphereDefinitely worth trying if you like Chinese food though

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Andrew R . 2015-11-29

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Good decor, excellent menu concept (choose meat, style then sides - so you know it's very fresh) and very attentive service.The taste was good, but that's about it, I would give it another go. The platter starter was great but I thought the main was underwhelming. I had king prawn curry (great chunky prawns) and mixed veg (asked for pak choi but unavailable which was disappointing for a slow Monday evening).Others ordered noodles or rice with their mains and, after a really big starter, there was a lot left and it would've been an idea to flag to us that the portions were quite large as we ended up wasting food and money.To be totally fair to this place, it beats a buffet restaurant hands down and I'd usually choose other cuisines over Chinese but if it's really your thing, give it a go...

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leeboy88 . 2015-11-23

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My Wife and I visited Chi 'on spec' last week and what a surprise. Brand new welcome,great new team on board,led by Sean.Food and service excellent,before it was good but now even better. More refined and flavoursome,good news. Looking forward to our next visit.

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990adrian93 . 2015-11-21

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I've been twice in a week and the menu has already changed but the food remains outstanding. The beef is very tender and the prawns large and tasty. We tried the medley of Dim Sum which were lovely. Only concern is the service charge is added automatically to the bill and waiters have confirmed on both visits that they don't see any of it. I declined to pay it last night which wasn't a problem and gave the waiter a cash tip instead.

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HolidayFoodie4875 . 2015-11-18

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Called in on a weekday. It was quiet so lots of attention from the staff. I tried a couple of starters. Both fairly standard but tasty nonetheless. For main course I had a beef dish and can say the meat was delicious. For that alone I would come back but on top of that the rest of the food was good and the service was fine.

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citybluemoon . 2015-11-15

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I've not been out for a Chinese for a long time so was looking forward to going to Chi.They have 2 menus, the first has the more modern dishes on it with some great looking set meals. The other has more traditional dishes. Overall a great meal and we all enjoyed our food. I would say it's a bit on the expensive side, £45 per head without much drink, for a Chinese meal is something I wasn't expecting. However on balance the more tradition menu is cheaper so if you stick with those dishes it would bring the cost down. I would say if you want to sample some of the great dishes this restaurant has then the set menus are the way to do it. Defiantly worth a visit

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Ciminna1 . 2015-11-15

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This has to be the best Chinese food in Hertfordshire! Fresh and flavourful it puts the local take away to shame! You don't get that over salty, msg, aftertaste so many take aways have. The service is attentive without being ott and the price is very reasonable for the quality you get. Highly recommended:)

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sjmanners . 2015-11-15

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One of the best restaurants I haver eaten at. The food was so so fresh and tasted great. The service was really good :) defo be back her again. We had the earth share menu.

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Hallie14 . 2015-11-15

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One of our favourite places to eat in St Albans, especially on a Sunday with the good value buffet option. All of the food is freshly cooked and you will certainly not leave feeling hungry! (Or the overfull feeling you can often get from Chinese restaurant food) Wen and her team could not be nicer, they are all friendly and attentive. Definitely worth a visit - they were also great when we organised a large work dinner earlier in the year, taking over the entire restaurant.Oh, and the salt and pepper squid is a must!

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Weloveholidays88 . 2015-10-14

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We were a party of 8 and booked for a Saturday night. We have been before and knew we wouldn't be disappointed. We ordered Chi's platter for 8 people to start (photo attached), some ordered crab soup and said it was great also.We ordered at least 8 mains, a few different rices and noodles. All the food was lovely and would recommend. Staff were very attentive and always prompt if you wanted another drink.Good value for money £30pp in starters, mains and a few drinks.

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LOULDN22 . 2015-10-13

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We went in at 6pm when they opened and were the only ones in at first, but still felt rushed as the staff wanted to take the dishes and glasses before we had finished. The food was OK but nothing exceptional. The waitress lacked in knowledge about the dishes. Manager needs to smile more and make guests feel more welcome.

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SueRonYorkUK . 2015-10-12

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The food is average at this restaurant but the service is not good at all. We were shown to our table and the waiter did not say a word to us. He gave us our menus then disappeared. We had to ask for drinks and they came quite quickly. We also had to ask if we could order our food. When my friend's soup arrived the waiter literally slid it across the table and the soup spilt over the table. He did apologise and cleaned it up quickly. 2 of us got our starters quickly but my husband had to wait for a while until his arrived. The food came out sporadically and not all at once. The waiter still didn't speak to us. I think the staff in this restaurant need to learn how to welcome people and make them feel as if they want them to be there in their restaurant. You're not only paying for the food but paying for service too.

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Elsa G . 2015-10-10

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Have used this Restaurant mainly on Sundays which are usually very good Tonight however not too good The starters though delicious were tiny. Ribs rather like one rib cut into small pieces The portion of squid also very small. Soups too sweet and beef very chewy. Sad because when they do get it right its great

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Mike G . 2015-10-07

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I went to this restaurant last night as I had been about 4 times in the last 5 months. I loved it and recommended it to my friends. However last night the food was so terrible.I ordered the Oolong Smoked Chicken as I always do. What came out was not this dish, I was given strips of chicken in batter. It did not remotely look like the dish I've had 4 times now. I told the waiter it must be the wrong dish and he told me it was correct. He took it back to check and the brought it back out and said this is definitely it. It wasn't.I ordered a replacement, lettuce wraps with chicken, what I got was lettuce wraps with chunks of garlic!!!! We ordered dim sum, terrible, always looked so beautiful before, it was rubbery and the middle spilling out of them. Then fillet steak in capital sauce, again ordered this many times, usually presented on a sizzling dish steak laid out and the sauce served over it at the table. Last night it was thrown on Dish and all mixed up in the sauce. We paid and left! I was so embarrassed as I had told me friend how great it was. I won't be back again and I'm really annoyed about that as it was one of my favourite places to eat in St Albans.

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Helen D . 2015-09-27

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After reading these reviews, the good ones that is, I wonder, did we all go to the same place!!?? I suppose the clues were all there, as th place was empty - 10 oclock on a Saturday night! Can't knock the service, very attentive, but that's not what we went there for -- it was the food, which was dreadful. Terribl value for money is an understatement - nearly fainted when the bill came!

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fluffylamb . 2015-09-27

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best Chinese I've had in ages!! The menu is fairly limited but I liked this as it made it easier to pick something rather than being stuck choosing from huge amounts of dishes. Would highly recommend to anyone

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ejs2693 . 2015-09-25

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Best Chinese I have had for a long time. Visiting st albans for the harry potter studio tour with my fiancee and we ate here due to good reviews on this site and were not disappointed. If I was ever in the area again I would definitely come back.

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benjpm . 2015-09-24

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This is a good restaurant. It was very busy which they didn't expect so they didn't have enough staff, but they coped under the pressure. We had hot n sour soup, dim sum and duck with pancakes which were all really good. Next time will try the main courses as they also looked great.

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Gary P . 2015-09-22

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The food here used to be fantastic but now they're still charging the same prices but the quality is very very average. I can only assume they lost their chef. Very poor value and won't be going back.

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NickM29 . 2015-09-21

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We went today with friends. There where only 2 people serving and the restaurant was half full. It took 30 mins to get our starters; not great when you have small children. The food was average, with a reasonable selection for a buffet and portions sizes where good. Pretty average all in all, would probably get takeaway but won't be rushing back in a hurry

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Emily A . 2015-09-20

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Service here was friendly and prompt. The menu has all the basics and favourites. My Szechuan chicken had the perfect amount of spice and my egg fried rice wasn't greasy in the slightest. Also, the bathroom was clean and, like the rest of the restaurant, tastefully decorated.

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Akida J . 2015-09-13

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Had a great sunday afternoon at chi. £14.95 all you can eat off the menu. Not just great value but great variety. Well worth a visit.

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Steve M . 2015-09-07

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Friendly service, tasty food, took slightly longer than wanted but waitress was very apologetic so I assume it isn't a regular occurrence

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Greg B . 2015-09-05

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Absolutely fantastic meal when we went last week! The food is amazing and probably the best Chinese I've ever had, the ambience is fantastic and it was that good that my uncle went four nights in a row!

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Sam H . 2015-09-02

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Lovely Food at these Chinese restaurant in London, fine service and good prices, we will back again if in the area.

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Sachi T . 2015-08-18

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Dined here in party of 6 adults, all decided on the Fire set menu, which turned out to be a full of hot an tasty dishes. Good sized portions for all, and served in good time by a very smiley waitress who seemed to enjoy her role, especially shredding our crispy duck!

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angles_9 . 2015-08-16

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This place sells the best Chinese food in St. Albans. There is no MSG and the flavours taste real. I would highly reccomend.

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Muddyfox85 . 2015-08-05

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the staff were very rude, no welcome, kept coming over to table to get order as soon as we walked in.Pay extra on bill for service charge. When we said service was poor she didn't even apologise. Very little understanding of English. I asked for table to be cleaned after starter and the waitress was rolling her eyes and then went to her colleague to moan about doing it.Portions small and not much taste.Worst night out - atmosphere and food ruined it

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Miriam M . 2015-08-01

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Booked with Tastecard and when we arrived the waitress spent 2 minutes telling us what was not included, Given that this list coincided with almost everything we - and I suspect the average diner- wanted eg Crispy Duck, Sharing platter starters etc etc - we left (never to return)This restaurant should not be listed on Tastecard as it refuses to accept the card for the majority of its offerings - not much of a wonder it was empty.

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StAlbansPadre . 2015-07-30

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Have had many Chinese take aways from hear and I have to say fantastic food all the time I well always buy my Chinese from hear.

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pangers1 . 2015-07-26

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Me and my girlfriend visited chi tonight and found it very tasty and a nice all round experience. Drinks were fairly priced for St.Albans, although the only complaint (of the evening)would be that the still water wasnt chilled and a bit warm.We started by sharing the duck salad which was extremely tasty (up there with hakkasans) and quite filling! There was quite a wait between starter and main as the restaurant got busier, but we were quite releived as it gave us time to get our appetite back! We shared beef in black bean sauce, szechuan chicken (which was quite hot compared to other szechuan I've had), pak choi and "yeung chow" fried rice without shrimp. It was all very tasty but the rice was the stand out dish.I would say the nicest Chinese rice dish I have ever had!Service was good and a 10% service charge was put on to the bill automatically which I was happy to pay.I would recommend chi and would happily return.

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Reviewer123453 . 2015-07-18

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Lovely fresh food, nice staff, fair prices. A bit noisy when the large party arrived and the restaurant was full. Will definitely return (ideally at a quiet time!).

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Ilovechoc . 2015-07-12

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We've been here several times and the food is always delicious. Unlike many Chinese restaurants, where the menu could easily be published in instalments, the menu here is short and easy to navigate, but still offers extensive choice, and some dishes that you won't easily find at run of the mill restaurants. The service is excellent: warm, friendly and efficient without being intrusive. The decor is modern but relaxed and the atmosphere's good for a quiet meal for two or a family meal. Great value for money too. Highly recommended

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Stephengg . 2015-07-05

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112 Opinions

Mayflowerlocation-icon81A Old Watford RdChinese

Always use this Chinese take away. We had family around on Saturday so ordered a meal for five of us. We ordered 3 different Chow Mein meals amongst other things. Theses were so salty that none of us could eat them. The other meals were fine. We felt really embarrassed that everyone left their meals. After paying £55 I was very annoyed. Will be a while before we use this take away again. Very disappointed.

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