Emchai Restaurant in Barnet

Went there for dinner with my friend whilst on holidays from Australia, was disgusted when we saw a giant bald waitor working there picking his facial hairs, very expensive and awful tasting food. Drinks were 3 pound each..empty restaurant with no customers and very sparse decor..if we go to visit UK again never will we be going to that place again..huge disappointment.

We had the Thai calamari , Thom yam goong, Thom kha chicken soup which were tasty. My son had the Massamum beef curry with rice winch he enjoyed, I had the Phad thai which lacked flavour. Over all good food and great service, I have visited this establishment in the past when it used to be Emachai

The food is delicious and the chef, owner, and team know what they are doing. This may be the best restaurant in Chipping Barnet at this time. I have dined there a number of times and never been disappointed. Last time I had the grilled salmon with lemongrass mint peanut salsa, with sticky coconut rice and it was delicious: the rich buttery flavours of the grilled salmon and peanuts zinging against the bed freshly picked herbs, including mint, that it was served upon. The sticky coconut rice perfumed, but not too sweet or forward, a good foil for richer flavours, while being delicious and satisfying by itself. The green tea ice-cream is also delicious: an adult flavour, not too sweet, but interesting, and moreish. The restaurant is well fitted out and comfortable. It is worth a visit.

Came here for a birthday meal - the vegetarian chicken was so good the server thought it was real and had to go check! Great to have a place near by that does vegetarian so well. Highly recommended.

A lovely Thai restaurant. A real gem. Fresh ingredients, tasty fish and a good selection of vegetarian and vegan food. Home made deserts and ice cream/sorbets. I look forwad to going back. A real treat if you want genuinely good quality food at a reasonable price.

We had the set menu, because the food sounded appetizing and it was delicious. It comes with a vegetable side, but we bought another (broccoli soy sauce) - it turns out the portions are quite large so we probably didn't need it. We'll definitely be coming again.

The food here is brilliant. The sort of quality I'd expect from a very decent central london thai restaurant. I truly don't understand why they aren't busier (there's very few decent restaurants in Barnet). I'm writing this as I'm hoping that they stick around - I want to be able to keep going back!!

I have visited the predecessor to this restaurant, Enchai, for many years & was pleased to see this restaurant is also excellent. The menu was diverse, well priced and good service. Flexible choices for vegetarian and meat eaters. Recommended.

We are very local to this venue and visited it regularly when it was Emchai with the wonderful Singh front of house. It has gone through many changes since (this was our first visit since Singh’s family moved on). It is certainly back on track with regards to the excellent Eastern fusion dishes it offers. I booked our table 20 mins or so before arrival, sadly there were not many other tables occupied. Please go and eat there - the food is delicious, cooked with passion and presented beautifully. The more diners, the more popular it will become and the chances of it being around for many more years to come.

The restaurant's environment is warm and cozy, very suitable for family meals. Particularly love the Thai iced tea, having come for a thousand times just for this drinking Also the services are fantastics and their food remind me my hometown. I love the pad Thai and the Tom yam gong. It is hard to find such an authentic Thai restaurant in London.超级无敌好吃的泰国菜没有雷点，所有菜都很正宗且老板娘是广东人，超级好，还送小吃，强烈推荐，很难在伦敦找到好吃的泰国菜

Went for a evening bite to eat with my wife. Good food. Good service and nice bill. Would recommend this to anyone who wants a noodle dish.

I’ve had two meals here this month, the set meal is excellent, plenty too eat and it’s very good value.

Ordered set menu for 2 for £30. Excellent value. Mixed starters includes calamari, spring roll, chicken skewers, Thai fish cake and Thai sausages. Mains were very authentic Thai green chicken curry, chilli prawns, sticky rice and spinach. Dessert Raspberry/strawberry sorbet. Great Thai beer and excellent service. Highly recommend.

I came here as a special treat for my five year old daughter. She was able to find non-spicy and delicious food (crispy duck spring rolls and the absolutely divine Thai calamari ... Which I tried not to steal!). My food was cooked to perfection and extremely tasty. I asked for it hot and it had a nice spicy kick to it. It was extremely good value as I had the lunch special which included a starter (small plate) and a main with rice and also a beer for £11. The lovely waitress then brought out a delicious homemade raspberry sorbet for my daughter on the house! We will be coming here regularly!

La comida en este restaurante es bastante auténtica y se compara favorablemente con los mejores restaurantes tailandeses en Londres. En particular, el plato de curry de pollo verde "signature" fue excelente e hizo más picante si es necesario. El King Prawn Pad Thai también fue muy bueno. En el lado negativo, el vino en oferta es bastante caro y postre de helado de vainilla de mi compañero estaba lleno de bultos y sabía añejo.

El arroz solía ser el mejor chino en Barnet. Luego cambió a angtong y el precio subió pero también lo hizo la calidad de la comida.

He estado viniendo a este restaurante por muchos años; primero como "Emchai", luego como "The Rice" y ahora como "Angtong. Esta encarnación es definitivamente la mejor. La comida es extremadamente buena y el tamaño de las porciones es generoso. Ahora visito aquí todas las semanas y nunca he comido mal Muy recomendado.

Un amigo y yo fuimos a Angtong el 14 de agosto para almorzar. Puede tomar un plato principal y un refresco o café para 8 y 2 platos y una bebida para 11. El personal era muy amable y servicial, y la comida era excelente. Tuve Beef Massaman y fue una gran porción con la carne tierna y suculenta. Mi amigo tenía un plato de gambas igual de generoso. Nuestros entrantes de pasteles de pescado y calamares también eran encantadores. Recomendaría este restaurante a todos. Solo ha estado abierto unos meses y merece el éxito.

En un área carente de restaurantes decentes, Angtong Thai es una gran adición a Barnet High Street. La comida es muy auténticamente tailandesa, con especias bien valoradas y el uso de hierbas aromáticas autóctonas de Tailandia, desde un delicioso curry de pollo verde hasta un calamares tailandés infundido con limoncillo y un Pad Thai ejemplar con una sutil dulzura bien juzgada de la palma de la adición El azúcar como se saboreó en nuestro pasado viaja a Tailandia. Otros platos dignos de mención incluyen su cangrejo de caparazón crujiente con aderezo de mango, ensalada de papaya verde y salteado de gambas y vieiras.

Fuimos a este restaurante el domingo pasado. La comida era buena, las porciones son muy generosas. El vino podía ser un poco más barato como un pequeño vaso era de £7. 00 y una botella de 23 libras. 00 para la más barata. Sin duda no podría permitirse comprar por este precio. Volvería de nuevo, ya que realmente disfrutamos de la comida.

We had a very nice dinner here last week. The staff were helpful and attentive and the portion sizes were good. We are a delicious prawn and scallop dish and a Thai beef curry. We were sad when Emchai closed but Angtong has definitely drawn us back.

I have tried almost all the Chinese / Thais in Barnet and this is by far the best!

We went there last night with friends and they also enjoyed the food and the service. We chose the vegan dishes and they were excellent.

The most delicious food - thoroughly recommend takeaway and eat in! Buttermilk prawns, chicken wings amazing really really good!!

El director pasó tiempo haciendo una de dos cosas - nosotros ignorando y charlando con la camarera bastante alto; o "espiar" desde una lejana esquina. Era bastante incómodo, ya que éramos los únicos clientes y el restaurante era enorme!

La comida aquí es fantástico! Caliente y recién hecha. No pegajosa monosódico glutomate salsas aquí! Es una pena que el ambiente no coinciden. Focos en el techo demasiado brillante y la última vez que fui tenían batería operado en las mesas de té! NO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Nunca había visto eso antes en un restaurante y espero nunca hacer de nuevo! Este podría ser un lugar de primera clase superior, si se algo sobre la manera en que parece el lugar.

Visitamos este establecimiento el domingo por la noche y estaba vacío, aparte de otro mayor. El servicio era un poco impredecible aunque el lugar estaba prácticamente vacío.

Very good service. We enjoy regular lunches and had a family party here. There is a very good range of dishes: Thai fish cakes, Penang Prawn Mee,and Vegetarian dumplings are current favourites. Lovely and not expensive.

Used to eat here on a regular basis as I was working in the area and used to have lunch or dinner here, the food is really good, atmosphere of the restaurant is really nice aswell.

He estado aquí dos veces para la cena; más recientemente, en una noche de viernes, es un restaurante grande, pero rara vez completa, le faltaba un poco de ambiente. Sin embargo, el personal es muy amable y atento, no es criticar una variedad de productos para elegir, y la calidad. Un encantador restaurante chino!

Really lovely food, hot and fresh - could not fault it. Called and ordered the takeout for colleagues and myself, pick up 10 minutes later, excellent service and food.

Very good food but cannot hear yourself speak due to the tiled floor. The ribs are amazing and so if the fired aubergines

Comimos aquí un domingo tarde fría, y estamos encantados de haber calentado por una deliciosa comida picante Malasia. Pedimos el menú buffet, que era una buena relación calidad-precio. Pedimos una selección de carne y comidas vegetarianas, incluyendo un plato falso de pato y requesón de soja que estaban deliciosos. Tuvimos una selección de arroz, fideos, etc. que estaban cocinados a la perfección, caliente y sabrosa.

Great fresh food. Big choice, friendly staff and not expensive. I went on a Sunday night and it was really busy with a good atmosphere.

Nice relaxed lunch, ordered off the set lunch menu. Everyone happy and great value. Soft drink, one dish and rice or noodles for £5.50.

Restaurant looks dank inside. I visited here with my sister as it is her local chinese. The food was mediorce. The ambience is non existant. the place needs refurbishing. The owner I found to be sarcastic! Wouldn't go back.

Friendly staff and a delicious menu at a decent cost.The duck vermicelli is my favourite on the menu and the sharing platter to start. The quality of the food is lovely and the owner always makes an effort with local/loyal customers. By far the best restaurant on the high street.

This restaurant is local to us and we wanted to give it a go because it looks nice outside. I think the starters were very nice, and the mains were some of the best chinese/malaysian food I've eaten. They serve sake which is a nice touch. Recommended.

Really good fresh food that was delicious. A mix of Chinese/Thai/Malay food. The staff are friendly as well. They topped up our tap water without even asking. Food came reasonably quickly and was really hot. Definitely recommend it and will be going back there again.

This resturant is local to us and we like to visit at least once every three weeks. The food is that good!If you go early the place can seem a little empty but generally fills up pretty fast. Obviously a hit with others too.It is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. I have taken many friends and family there who were highly impressed too.

I use this place at least once a month, and have been for years. Food is delicious, and I guess I'd describe it as malaysian/ chinese. We always get a great welcome from "C", who runs the place, and he always refers to me by my first name, which is nice.Very reasonably priced - just a nice place to eat :-)

Went last Saturday with friends. Some of the dishes weren't what we expected (rendang beef was more beef in a creamy coconut sauce), but all were very tasty. Salt & pepper prawns and garlic aubergine were our favourites.

Our family eat here about once a month and find it consistently good. The staff are friendly and attentive and the food is fresh, high quality with generous portions. The price is very reasonable and we often find the starter portions big enough for main course. They always bring complimentary pawn crackers with chilli dip whilst we peruse the menu. Our children love the soups and crispy duck and I particularly enjoy the salt and pepper squid and soft shell crab. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal. They also do a fantastic lunch time deal. Definitely one of the best restaurants in the area.

We went to Emchai for the first time last night to treat a friend visiting from America, encouraged by the great reviews it had. We had booked a table for six. The place was noisy and clearly way overbooked for the number of staff they had on duty. We actually felt very sorry for the staff who were running around like headless chicken. We didn't see any of them smile even once and we couldn't blame them. It took over two hours to have a starter and a main meal and that involved us asking twice how much longer it would take to get our food. One waitress actually brought out hot plates for us at one point and we got excited, but, oh no, after ten minutes another waiter took the by then cold plates away again and it took another ten minutes for new plates and some of our the food to arrive. We then waited a further ten minutes for the rest of the food to arrive, by which time the first lot had started to go cold. The food itself tasted alright, but probably would have tasted much better hot. Also, by the time we actually got it and because of the awful atmosphere created by having to watch unsmiling, stressed out staff struggle, we actually couldn't have cared less anymore. We were very disappointed and felt incredibly embarrassed in front of our American friend. This really did not turn out to be the treat it was meant to be. What a shame!

A Great restaurant that I reguarly attend with my family. The service is great and the food is always good. strongly recommend it to anyone.

Been here many time before, never had a bad meal, I do like trying different things on the vast menu. The boss know us quite well and always has a little laugh with us. He always know what girlfriend want as she always orders the same thing..boring. But as food is concerned always excellent quality and service very attentive.

A favourite restaurant that we have been going to since it opened and remains first class every time we go there. The seafood and fish dishes are particularly good.

We've been customers here since it opened (!) and keep going back for consistently good, authentic Malay/South Asian cuisine. Great takeaways too, and a range of interesting dishes. The restaurant has a bubbly lively 'canteen' feel, everything is clean and the hosts are lovely. Very reasonable pricing.

I recommend this restaurant. Lovely menu - a cut above the usual Asian / Chinese restaurant. We go here often and always order the sharing platter to start which is delicious. The staff are really friendly too. A nice place to dine out as a family too.

We visited Emchai on a Saturday evening for a celebratory dinner. It was full and there was a good atmosphere. For three people we ordered 6 dishes which I would have thought would be enough (if not plenty) food. However, we all left feeling unsatisfied. The food itself was very good but the portions are not generous for the price.

Just dined there tonight and had a selicious meal.We shared the platter starter and followed with Beef Rendang and two noodle dishes.Service good. Nice ambience. Reasonable prices.We have been many times and highly recommend this family run restaurant.

We've been going to the Emchai for years. The food is scrumptious and the staff are very pleasant. Sing is the boss and he is the perfect host. The prices are very reasonable. Definitely recommend it. However, one thing I would say is DON'T HAVE THE TAKE-AWAYS - you have been warned. Sorry to have to say this, Sing, but I think your take-aways could be bad for your business which would be a shame.

I have been going to this restaurant since it opened 15 years ago, simply because it is consistently the best 'asian' food in the area. We tend to order most of the starters and a few main dishes. Must orders are: buttermilk prawns, salt and spicy prawns, mongolian wings, golden squid, seafood hofun, koay teow!!! Amazing service, food is on your table within 5 minutes of ordering.

Good food and pretty authentic! Shame it doesn't deliver but it does do takeaways.Favourates are mee goreng and the kway teow.

I had a takeaway from here tonight, the chicken curry & Chicken noodles with egg rice, these were very nice.We had quarter duck too- the duck was nice. But the portions were very small for the chips and the hoisin sauce. Lovely crackersOn the whole a nice meal but over priced especially for the portion sizes.

A nice selection of chinese and malaysian dishes - we particularly like the salt & spicy chicken wings and ribs. Nasi Goreng - lovely!

Food is always good and service is always excellent. I love the fact that they freeze their beer glasses. Went for a meal with some friends who had not been before and they said they would go back.

Amazing food, & we are always well looked after, the owner even made a special dessert for a family member who wasn't sure about what was on the menu, so time & again we feel safe recommending it to friends & family. We love the wasabi & butter praawns, crispy duck, & we have never had a bad meal here.

i visited it within the frist week and 15 years on it is still the same good quality food with a great service - it is extremely good quality and value i go as often as i can - it is one of my favourte restaurants and definitely my favourite Thai

We have visited the Emchai restaurant opposite Barnet Church several times just the two of us; with family and with friends and have always enjoyed our evenings. The Manager and his staff are very welcoming, the Asian cuisine is excellent and every dish is full of flavour. We have something different each time and we have never come away feeling bloated. The atmosphere is friendly and lively and I like the subdued lighting. Really you need to book as it does get busy and people come in on the off-chance of getting a table. If you are lucky you might find a parking space in the High Street.

We've been here a number of times and found it adequate, but Saturday 11 May was frankly disappointing.Starters of deep fried aubergine and spare ribs were good, but the main courses were pretty disastrous.I ordered a rendang which should be a thick curry. What came up was a not-very-large portion of chicken which had been basted in a rendang-flavoured glaze. My wife's chicken noodle soup ( a main course dish) was so dilute as to be flavourless. You shouldn't need to add soy sauce and liberal seasoning to make it taste of something - which certainly wasn't chicken.The barren decorationless walls and cafeteria furniture certainly don't make it a place where you would want to spend any time.We won't be going back.

Just had a takeaway to celebrate a B'day and I am sorry to say the food was absolutely below the normal Emchai standard!!!! I ordered Golden Squid and it was spoilt!!!!.It had to go straight into the bin.The Seafood hofun was not fresh either.I paid a total of £50 and it was an absolute waste of food and money.Never again will I visit nor recommend this restaurant to anyone.I did phone and let them know.

After having a bad experience with service at Friendly Thai in Whetstone recently we decided to try Emchai, which is right on our doorstep in Barnet. The decor could probably use a bit of updating, but otherwise we really enjoyed our meal. The service was brilliant, our food came out very quickly and was tasty. Their menu is a blend of Asian cuisines, so there should be something to suit everyone's taste, however I think if you're a vegetarian you might struggle, unless they would adapt their recipes, which I'm sure they would. As mentioned in other reviews, the portions aren't enormous. I think it might become a staple for us!

My wife and I have made a habit of visiting Emchai whenever we are in Barnet for several years now.We have always found the service to be efficient and prompt.It is a super place to take the grandchildren as tasty food to suit their and adult palates is there in a wide range of choices.Malay and Mongolian dishes are there in addition to Chinese standards like Sweet and Sour Chicken.Try the Venison and black Pepper.Wine is reasonably priced and there is a good choice of non-alcoholic drinks for the children.The general ambience of the restaurant is pleasant and has an authentic feel to it.

I was amazed to read poor reviews of Emchai-since I thought it was the best Chinese food I had eaten in this country. It is not run-of-the -mill Chinese and has a twist of Japanese. The restaurant itself is very stylish. The soft shell crabs were wonderful. The quantity was so much that they bagged up food for me to take home. I wish I lived locally so I could eat there more!

My family and I have been going to Emchai since it first opened, it quickly became a family favourite for special occasions. The food used to be authentic, high quality and flavoursome but that has all changed in the last year or so.In the last 12 months we have visited Emchai on no more than 3 occasions and it has disappointed on each. The menu has been changed dramatically since Emchai's original, from one that was bursting with flavour and originality to one that is on par with most bog-standard take-away restaurants. The quality of the ingredients have noticeably deteriorated, for example the chicken used in my girlfriends stir-fry wouldn't look out of place in a packet of Bernard Matthews, small anemic cubes of rubber. Overall most dishes received in our party were greasy to the point that grease was the prominent flavour throughout our meal. It's such a shame that this restaurant which has been such a firm favourite amongst my friends and family for so many years has fallen so far in it's standards. I hope they can reignite what it was that made Emchai so great in the first place, unfortunately we are unlikely to return unless this is the case.

I have been to Emchai 3 times in the last 6 months. The last 2 times have been in the past 2 weeks. The place is just OK and though the food tastes good the portions are tiny!. The staff know nothing about the dishes. I said i would like to order a spicy prawn curry and i was recommended one by the staff..i asked what was it it, she couldn't tell. When the curry came it was sweet as sugar and had peanuts in it!!! It was mentioned nowhere in the menu. I would also like to mention 2 of the most bizzare experiences i had in the last 2 visits which includes the one today. last week I went..after the starters we were offered ONE finger bowl for a table of 6 people. We were told all of us had to use the same finger bowl as they don't serve seperately! I was shocked. If that's the case then why offer one at all?! Today i went again... As the plates were laid, out of curiosity..i turned the plate over to see where it was made in as i thought it was an unusual plate.To my utter shock the backside was dirty, full of curry!!! When i told this to the management..no apology was offered the plates were simply replaced by fresh ones. All we were told that sometimes the curry is not washed off. But they do it once in a while using bleach. who uses bleach for dishes???!!!I have taken a photo of it, wish i could post it here. I could not eat my food. The staff cannot speak english, not friendly, if u ask about a dish they know nothing, Toilets are not clean. There are just 3 people who seem to be doing everything, taking orders,serving ,cooking, cleaning etc. Sometimes the owner is there who is probably the driving force there. I am NEVER going back!!

Yep, very nice, good service and not at all expensive. Can't ask for much more in little old barnet can you?

This restaurant is absolutely fantastic. The food is really really good - a cross between Chinese and Thai - very very good. Well worth a visit. Book if possible as it is very popular. Recommend the starters of prawns and soft shell crab. If you like spicy food then you will not be disappointed. The main courses are very good, recommend the Beef in Black Bean Sauce, Sweet and Sour Chicken and Mixed Seafood. Staff very helpful and efficient. We go at leat 2/3 times a month, it is one we just don't get fed up going.

Discovering Emchai in Barnet was one of the best experiences. I loved the atmosphere of this place and most importantly, the food. We have ordered few starters - tofu with chilli and salt, pork ribs with spices, vegetarian spring rolls; all of them were full of taste. Our main courses: Singapore laksa and beef noodles were spectacular as well. All of that combined with great service means we will be more frequent customers there.