Chinese Express in St Albans

For close to 15 years this has been our go-to Chinese takeaway, having sampled a range after moving to St Albans in 2006. I can’t vouch for a wide range of their dishes as we are creatures of habit in our selection, but what we get regularly (which includes capital spare ribs, prawn toast, pancake rolls, s n s chicken balls and occasions pancakes) is the best version of each of these I’ve tried anywhere. Furthermore, given we order about twice a month, they never get an order wrong (and there is scope for this as our kids do vary with their selections). They’re always very friendly as well as efficient.

forgot a main dish, lemon chicken was AWFUL it was slimy chicken some weird jelly lemon cordial. way to expensive for what it is

We ordered via Just Eat. The food arrived on time and was delicious and plentiful and hot. We will be ordering from here again.

Decent food and friendly staff. We had a range of dishes and shared. They all tasted good and service was fast.

On road parking, which is normally available. Good access to the shop. Excellent staff. They handled my need to remove one ingredient from the dish ordered, without an issue. It was fun watching my meal be cooked. And it was exactly how I wanted it. This is my go to Chinese takeaway.

Moved to the area 24 years ago and this is our only go to Chinese for a large or small takeaway. The food is constantly good, always tastes the same and lots of verity and choice. Never had a bad or wrong dish. I know you can book via various platforms but we always book direct and will collect or have delivered. By booking directly you pay the same or less and the takeaway does not lose out. 5* food 5* friendlyness 5* always clean fresh and hot. The negative nellies are wrong!!!!

Rule number 1 - NEVER cheat on your regular takeaway!! This was THE worse Chinese I've ever had. I asked for small sized spring rolls and made it VERY clear but when I got home, opened the bag and I saw 2 BIG vegetable spring rolls🤦‍♀️ And I also ordered a Singapore vermicelli noodles but it was bland!! In my experience Singapore vermicelli is well spiced and tasty but this was disappointing to say the least. Never again! I wouldn't recommend.

Absolutely amazing food. This is definitely worth it if you are vegetarian!! Polite staff, food was hot and tasted amazing

Used to be my favourite takeaway in St Albans but today my order was a huge disappointment… tasted like microwaved food, spring rolls were soft not crunchy, nearly tasteless rice & they forgot one of the things I ordered. Very overpriced too.

This place is an absolute gem of Chinese and Cantonese cuisine in the heart of St Albans. It also serves a fantastic range of vegan options which are truly incredible. I have only ever used this place since I have learned of it's existence.

Avoid. Greasy flavourless food. Burned the spring rolls but still sent out. Short grey hair in satay. Beef ordered but chicken received. I'd be embarrassed if this was my restaurant.

Good food as usual. Friendly people and tasty as always.

Oh Dear. Delivery was on time and the food was piping hot. Unfortunately, the Kung Po Chicken was very beige and tasted of vinegary sweet and sour. There was no kung po heat at all. The Szechuan Pork was, basically, pork with onions and peppers and not a single trace of the szechuan pepper I love. The Egg Fried Rice was quite nice. Never Again

The best takeaway in St Albans!

Always buy from here theyre halal and have the freshest/tastiest food and quick delivery (always call in)

The food was horrible and so was the sweet and sour sauce. Expensive for nothing.

Always the best in my opinion. 7 years eating from this place and been never let down 🔝

Disgusting greasy low quality food, no flavour and arrived cold. Do not waste your money here. Workers are rude and incompetent and did not offer a partial refund or to remake food. Absolutely vile

Crispy shredded chilli beef was so crispy you couldn’t taste the beef and was anemic in colour. The Beef and mixed vegetables were tasteless. Phoned up to tell them and ask for a replacement or refund, and it was a resounding “no”. The woman on the phone was so rude I was shocked. I took the food back to the takeaway and asked them to try it, but they wouldn’t. So I walked out very dissatisfied. I recommend that no one buys food from this takeaway because you will be very disappointed 😡.

Chicken curry was disgusting. Chicken was chewy and inedible. Curry had no flavour, hAd to throw it out. How can a Chinese mess up a curry ! It’s a basis dish, wouldn’t advice to eat from here . Also expensive for the quality . Please cook chicken properly and fix your dish.

For sweet corn soup with crab meat I got corn and shredded prawns tasteless soup. Prawn tost was gummy and fish like, even ASDA does it better.

My God i just ordered everything I normally do but veggie versions 'satay soya chicken skewers bbq soya ribs soya chicken in yellow bean sauce smoked soya chicken' and they was absolutely outstanding like the football tonight 👏 i didn't even miss the meat was very very surprised tasted even better than the meat versions.

Our favourite Chinese in St Albans

We ordered from this joke of a restaurant on New Year’s Eve and was told the order will be delivered in an hour and 45mins. THREE HOURS LATER we were still waiting .... and we continued to wait. The order never arrived and the restaurants phones were constantly ‘busy’. We tried calling so many times to find out where our food was and nothing. I called this evening, the night after to find out what happened to be met with the most unprofessional and rude owner, who admitted down the phone they ‘lost our order’ then proceeded to order me a ‘discount’ for the food. I cannot believe a business owner could only offer a discount after ruining our New Year’s Eve dinner by not delivering it at all, I think the least they could do was offer us our order for free as an apology for such an inconvenience. I will never use this restaurant again - the owner was rude and extremely arrogant on the phone, almost laughing at the idea of offering our food for free. What a way to set a horrendous reputation, I will be actively telling people to avoid this place as quoted form the owner ‘your order fell down the back of the till’.

We have been using CE for many years but things have definitely changed over the last year. Still waiting for a delivery ordered over two hours ago this also happened last month. What I find really infuriating is that they obviously take there phones of the hook, had them on redial I’ve 100 calls and still engaged, They have increased their price for substandard service and food. Do not order your wasting your time on a service that isn’t bothered

Oh Dear! This place use to be great about 5 years ago. Avoid at all costs. Poor service especially if you are ordering a takeaway. Shame. Like supporting small businesses but not this one.

Food great as always. Used new app as requested by this business which allowed collection when other popular apps didn't. All would have been fine except business didn't update status on app so I sat outside for 20 minutes while the app said "cooking" only to have my food taken out of a warming cabinet on finally giving up and entering to enquire. Really not good enough.

Very poor customer service and rude, waiting for food for nearly two hours now everytime we call hey say waiting for drive they aren't sorry at all. Poorly run business and will be finding else to buy. Disgrace.

Lovely Chinese food. Nice people and quick service. Love to watch the chefs cooking the food behind the counter in the open kitchen. Always a good service and the waiting area isn't always too busy because the cooking time is so fast.

Love their food every single time!

My favourite chinese take-away!

Best Chinese takeaway in St. Albans. Food is so tasty and good quality.

It's been good for ages but has gone down hill. 3 meat delicious has a weird smell, sweet sour balls had odd batter, it's just not as good as it used to be. Tried them again yesterday and it was very good. The reception area needs a refurbishment but the food is fresh. Now worthy of 3 stars

walked in last night to order some takeaway, food was tasty, not salty which I quite like, curry dishes are always my first choice, price is cheaper rha the one close by.

Always on time, reliable in terms of ordered foods, always goods prices. We love the food and do not buy chinese anywhere else.

Ordered large amount of food for a family birthday meal . All Food was hot , tasty and good portions . Arrived on time . Absolutely delicious

On road parking, which is normally available. Good access to the shop. Excellent staff. They handled my need to remove one ingredient from the dish ordered, without an issue. It was fun watching my meal be cooked. And it was exactly how I wanted it. This is my go to Chinese takeaway.

The title says it all really. I hesitated before ordering from Chinese Express bc the reviews on Tripadvisor were mixed but ultimately decided to give it a go. But after waiting an hour and a half for the food I decided to call the restaurant to find out what was going on given I was told 1 hour when ordering online. Anyway, my kids and their friends were busy playing Fortnite upstairs so no one was too bothered with the wait even tho never before in my life have I waited 2 hours for a take-away. When the food eventually arrived it was literally soggy and gross (except the spring rolls which were nice). A real pity as St Albans is seriously lacking a good Chinese take-away option. But this certainly isn’t it. I think they should lose the “Express” but in the name. It’s totally misleading.

Do not try it's awful. Honestly this was the worst Chinese I've ever had.The chicken in our sweet and sour chicken balls was pure mush and I found a large bit of gristle in one of them, just gross. The chips were so thin not like chunky Chinese chips at all. Our spring rolls were rock hard and chow mein bland. Plus on top of that it gave me a bad tummy ache. Will never use again

Do not try it's awful. Honestly this was the worst Chinese I've ever had.The chicken in our sweet and sour chicken balls was pure mush and I found a large bit of gristle in one of them, just gross. The chips were so thin not like chunky Chinese chips at all. Our spring rolls were rock hard and chow mein bland. Plus on top of that it gave me a bad tummy ache. Will never use again

Honestly the worst customer service I have ever received. I ordered a shredded chilli chicken and I received a chili shredded beef, I called the lady up and explained that I do not eat red meat she told me this is my fault and i asked for it. Why would I ask when I know I can not have red meat. I did not receive a apology, nor did they offer to replace my order. I will not be ordering from this poorly ran establishment again.

Thursday night - ‘I’ll get this’ treat...absolutely horrendous food. Duck was so dry that when it came shredded it was literally like a container or very dry mince. Mixed starters & Mains just as bad - just some unidentifiable gloop of a sauce with no real authentic taste. Going back to Lantern House

Does anyone have an alternative contact number for this place. Its usually a bit slow but its been 2hr 15 minutes and there is no answer on the phone. Can't go down there on the off chance someone turns up.

After the closure of Po Che, everyone recommended Chinese Express, so I thought I’d give it a try.The staff were pleasant and efficient at taking my order, and happy to modify my dish for my likes and dislikes (removed seafood, made hotter).It was nice to watch the guy cook my meal from scratch.Both containers were full to the brim, with well prepared and very nicely tasting food; and reasonably priced.I can see me going back.

That's literally the worst Chinese I've ever had. The crispy chilli beef had no beef. Or sauce. The salt and pepper squid was the equivalent of eating a rubber. The sweet and sour was edible at best. What's going on? I've had my fair share of bad chineses before, but never have I felt compelled to sign up to TripAdvisor simply to warn others. Is this what it's come to round here? I'm moving to Harpenden. Weekend ruined.

I ordered chicken with cashews in yellow bean sauce and a chicken chop suey. Each was revolting in its own way. There was a generic gloopy brown sauce that tasted sweet and vinegary at the same time. I couldn’t find evidence of cashews or noodles on the chop suey. This was the first and very last time I would ever use this takeaway.

Used to be the best in the area but now bland. Glutenous sweet and sour, weird tasting spring rolls, 3 meat delicious has become "unrecognisable meat tasteless". They are busy so their impatience is understandable. After 3 recent attempts, we have now given up.

Really good quality, and excellent value for money. They get really busy Friday and Saturday nights so it is worth ordering over the phone for collection. The amount of food you get for your money in unbelievable, the containers are full to the brim and always piping hot!

this is my first choice for chinese takeaway but they dont do delivery so often end up using another when im feeling lazy but highly recommend this place

Realmente mala calidad entrega para llevar comida esta noche. . .

Fast delivery and I've always had great quality food from here! I've been a regular customer for over 5 years.

good food, not greasy, but that may be down to what I order- veg stir fry, boiled rice, salted chilli squid. I have a few dietary requirements which they are able to adjust for me, without any problems or fuss, which I really appreciate.

Awful, took over 90 mins to deliver. No beef in ther crispy shredded beef. Rude staff, no compensation given. Avoid at all costs.

Cuando este lugar abrió en calle Albans realmente fue una gran sorpresa de bienvenida en calidad y sabor. Lo usé así que a menudo me dieron a conocer el modelo de negocio propietario bien Lena's era para construir buena voluntad en un restaurante y luego vender y empezar en otro lugar. Esto sucedió hace unos años con China Express y, en mi opinión, ha perdido su atractivo y calidad al mismo tiempo.

I go here quite a bit when I'm working from home. I'm not particularly adventurous, but the special fried rice is delicious, the staff are always very friendly and it's great value for money.

Fast, busy and very efficient. This is currently our (family's) favourite takeaway. Really tasty Thai food.

Best Chinese in St Albans. The shredded chilli beef is the best I've ever eaten. Came in about 30 mins lovely.

My favorite Chinese in St Albans. Dont understand the negative reviews.

This is by far the best takeaway in St Albans - consistently excellent food, with lots of choice, very reasonable prices, and friendly service. The beancurd in black bean sauce is divine!

Cada ahora y entonces no puedo soportar para cocinar y pedimos chino para la entrega. El restaurante chino Express llega caliente y los contenedores lleno a reventar. La comida es muy sabrosa y el domicilio. También te dan una bolsa llena de galletas de arroz con su pedido.

My family and I have sworn by Chinese express for years now! The staff are very friendly and the food is absolutely lovely! Our favourites are definitely smoked shredded chicken and chicken in cashu nuts so I highly recommend

Creo que está bajo nueva propiedad y la señora que lleva las órdenes deseos que ella estaba en otro sitio. Ella es muy lamentable. La comida no es tan buena como ha sido y estoy buscando en otro lugar para un nuevo chino. Solía ser...

30 minutos más tarde y cuando llegamos era tan grasienta, tomé un bocado y lo tiró en la papelera. Si te gusta timándote luego explica el lugar para usted

The dirtiest, greasiest takeaway I've ever had the misfortune to allow into my house,

Been coming to Chinese Express for at least 10 years. It has it's ups and downs. Food is normally 9/10.Last night they started to charge for a tablespoon of chilli oil £1.20 which has annoyed me. Never been charged in 10+ years.New owner is quite short rude and surley. It's a shame!

If you are looking for a Chinese delivery, look not further!Great food, great service and quick delivery every time.Smoked shredded chicken is the best I've ever tasted :-) Excellent time and again

This is the best takeaway I have had for ages. Their set meals for one or two are generous and very good value for money.

Got a wicked takeaway delivered within 30 mins, totally tasty, fresh and not at all greasy. Loved it! ! All the veg in it was perfectly crunchy and the beef was super soft. Well impressed!

We use this Chinese every week and have done for years!! The best I have tried in St.A. Been converted to this one from my old one by my partner. We always collect and never have to wait more than about 20 mins. The kitchen is open behind the till so you can see them cooking... Always find this reassuring that u can see the place is clean. Cheaper than others in the area too and food always fresh and tasty. Never greasy. Love this place and we are devastated when we fancy a Chinese then realise its Tuesday, because they are closed on Tuesdays!!

Terrible delivery service. 2nd time in a month to wait well over an hour and a half. Won't be making a 3rd mistake. Sort it out!

Take Away service appalling. Waiting over 90 mins is just not good enough. No apology or offer to compensate the long wait. Sadly, may have lost a customer or two.... Certainly NOT express.......

This used to be better than any restaurant/take away in miles. Over the last year they have got complacent. They would rather be on their personal mobiles than listen and take the order correctly and then they have the audacity to blame the customer. I know what I ordered, just you were too busy to listen.The food used to be the best around, now it's average. What a shame they don't seem to care.I have been a regular for over 10 years. I would now re consider coming here as it's no way as good as it used to be or could be.

Usually get chinese from here and it's good but had one today and all I can say it's Discusting very disappointed every thing tastes so so sweet yuk yuk yuk

I have had several takeaways from Chinese Express all have come with free prawn crackers and most with free fortune cookies.The portions are good sized and we have never managed to eat all of the food that we ordered. Quality is good (i.e. meat is normally grizzle free and food is not swimming in oil). There is an open planned kitchen so you can see the food being prepared and cooked.However, I did not fully enjoy the last couple of takeaways. There seems to be something dated about the food i.e. the food is the same as you would have got 20 years ago and I think most UK cuisine has moved on a lot since and I would also think Chinese food in China (from my memories) has moved on from what we think is Chinese in the UK.

Really disappointing: tasteless chow mein, spongey batter on the prawns, bizarre looking sweet and sour sauce that tasted awful and a really gloopy sauce with the satay chicken. Not to mention the fact I was short changed by the delivery guy. Not good

I use this take away about once a month, we always enjoy it.Everything is good though we tend not to go for the Ribs which are nicer at Cheongs. For a family take away its good value we usually spend around £20 between 4 of us and struggle to eat it all.For a quick meal for just me I'm fond of their House Special Rice which has a large portion of steamed rice with meat, vegetables and sauce - costs around £4.50I also like their double cooked Hunan PorkBeware the vegetarian set meals as shown on their website - says they have prawns or chicken, this is a mistake, they don't. So ring them for these items.