May Chinese in Epping Forest

Average all round, not bad but not great. Some of the food was a bit dry (satay chicken & the crispy duck) & quite salty. Service was slow despite it not being busy. Perfectly exible but certainly didnt blow us away. £75 for two, two starters, 1/4 duck & a main with some veg, two house wines. Which I would say is averagely priced.

Fantasic service and very accomadating for a short notice seating for 6. Every dish was absolutely delicious and the staff are all soo polite and hospitable. Will be returning again in the future.

Service was suberb! Atmosphere is very intimate and the food was incredibly tasty. Haven't had Chinese in a year or so and it made me crave it much more!

Great staff, great food. A classic Chinese.

Food is good (when it eventually comes). It is VERY difficult to get through on the phone to order. Occasionally difficult to get through on the phone - they are a popular place! And being such a small restaurant there is rarely a table available to dine in

Went Saturday with my daughter and son-in-law the food was excellent but the size of the meals have halved and the price has gone up so much I could not believe the sizes of the meals so small I will not be going back again as I don’t like being ripped off In the past it has always been my favourite Chinese but will not pay there prices for such small portions

Ordered a takeaway for my daughter’s birthday on Monday 13th may 2024. Salt and pepper squid and shredded chicken was inedible was so chewy the other 3 dishes were average. I emailed the restaurant twice with no reply. Disgraceful not replying

We love this place. It only holds about 20-24 seats but the food is delicious!!! They absolutely focus on flavour not portion size. As the place is so intimate, the staff are very attentive.

I’ve been a customer since the place opened. I feel the place has got very greedy and doesn’t look after their customers. It’s the most expensive Chinese I’ve ever eaten, and when I asked for an extra teaspoon of sauce on my prawns, I was told that’s the way it comes, and they weren’t willing to budge. I will not be returning. I have now gone back to New China which is half the price and the food is great.

Love this place , food is brilliant , especially if you pre order lobster , staff are so friendly always happy

Absolutely disgusting containers not even half full overpriced and duck was inedible would never use again

It’s small but perfect. Food is always fresh and delicious. Cannot fault the service. Always a friendly atmosphere.

First time eating here last night. There were 7 of us. All the food was superb - piping hot and fresh. Will definitely be returning. Thank you for a lovely evening

This Chinese is the best in Epping people are friendly and always helpful and nothing is to much for them It is a lovely small restaurant to relax and have a meal All the food we have ever ordered is tops and never felt rushed or have never had a issue with it being small and people turning up for takeaway it has never affected us we go to this little gem and always have a good night thank you guys Chris Tony Sam

Gone down hill, small portions, dry and expensive

Excellent food quality, the best Chinese I've had in a long time! Kin was an excellent server that made our experience thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Would definitely come back with my family again.

Nice small intimate restaurant. Good food served hot. Good service and staff were friendly.

Lovely food and great atmosphere

I’ll never bring business here again. I’ve ordered 2 takeaways from here before & literally had a problem on the first order. This time I dined in, the confused waitress took our order only to tell us afterwards that they have a £30 min spend per person. Is this Epping or central London? Pretty shocked at their prices considering the cost of living crisis and the food is SO average, so bland and the beef was extremely chewy. The noodles and duck rolls are the only decent thing but portions are tiny… Not to mention the restaurant menu prices are a lot higher than the online menu prices. The only reason I didn’t complain at the time was because we were celebrating my friends birthday.

Lovely food plenty of it. Staff very friendly

Service was good, accepts card for deliveries! Unfortunately food is very bland, small portions, and more expensive than other local Chinese takeaways.

A very small restaurant , 6 tables only I think. A bit too small when you have people coming in to collect takeaways and the room fills up. The service was friendly but not the quickest. The food we ordered was good and had plenty of flavour so can't fault it. The only real issue I had was the bill comes with a 12.5% service charge added which is cheeky and makes me think twice about visiting again.

My first visit to May and it was a very good experience. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and really good quality. May is a small restaurant but works really well, highly recommended.

4 of us enjoyed a delicious meal. We were well looked after ànd really enjoyed everything we ate. We'll be back!

Had a great meal for daughter and her best friend’s birthdays. The staff went above and beyond what was expected. Decorating the table and bringing our banana fritters and ice cream with candles in . Food as always was amazing. Thank you! Highly recommend

As always, great food and friendly staff

I am disappointed ! The food is not eatable solt and pepper squid not eatable and the king prawn in krambels same whet and not testy at all !!! And specially I am disappointed by duck with dry noodels they are not dry they are too oily not posable to eat, wryly discasting and got strange test as well. Definitely not recommend! I think the Cheef is different or the quality of food dropped. I just try to give my dog but even he's not eating so it das means a lots to me !!!

You will struggle to find better Chinese food than this restaurant. The staff service is excellent Very warm and welcoming atmosphere - small restaurant so you will need to book during busy periods We have been twice over the last two weeks and they have delivered excellent food on both occasions

Great place. Wonderful staff. Excellent food 🥘

This is a nice place to eat food is excellent and the staff are great and always make us feel welcome you can have a great meal and drink and staff are spot on We love coming to this little gem and relaxing on a Friday evening Staters mains and dessert top marks thank you guys Tony Christine and Sam

I just spent £45 on a set meal from here for two of us, I’ll tell you now it’s the worst Chinese I have ever tasted, it all tasted as it has been warmed up in the microwave. Never again!

Ordered the Imperial Set Menu. Food was excellent. The prawn toast in the starter was amazing. Duck pancakes were delicious and the main dishes were a good selection; chicken/onion, sweet/sour pork and beef in black bean. The beef was delicious. Staff were attentive and informative.

What a fabulous place! My wife & I visited May Chinese for the first time last Sunday evening & I were absolutely blown away by the quality of both the food & service. 10/10 In every way.

Food was nice but portions are very small and quite expensive. Staff are friendly and service is quick.

Love this place, great service and lovely staff. The restaurant is not huge but has a wonderful atmosphere. Food was delicious, a bit salty but acceptable.

Just come out of May Chinesse with my take away for 4 people - food is ok BUT its so EXPENSIVE 79.00 for a takeaway ! Seriously how can they justify 79.00 for literally a small bag of chinesse noodles and a bit of Duck . I won t be getting my take away from here any more The Swan Epping is much better try that is my advise

Great food but timing is awful. Been late so many times now & im currently waiting to collect a takeaway. Told 645 wasn’t ready, told 10 more minutes wasn’t ready, then told another 15 minutes & if I’m not happy cancel it. Obviously not going to do that as have my family at home waiting to be fed. Would just expect them to have a bit of a better attitude.

The best Chinese in Epping and surrounding area. You the food is good because they are always busy.

We ordered our starters and main courses and had to wait over 30 minutes for the Aromatic Duck starter to arrive, after another 55 minutes there was still no sign of the main courses. We had now been in the restaurant for nearly 85 minute with no sign of the main courses There was only 1 other couple and a family in the restaurant who had been waiting the same time. Mean while there were Take away order going out the back door every few minutes. We were fed up with being ignored, so paid for our starters and left. Please do not waste you evening in this restaurant unless you like being ignored. They should concentrate on being a take away service only as they are clearly more interested in telephone orders than serving eat in customers.

Good tasty food BUT they focus on their take aways sending loads and loads out the door and leave the in house guests waiting 1 hour and a half before mains arrive. This is the second time it has happened to me and other friends say it has also happened to them.

Small establishment ( but welcoming ) very friendly staff & great food.

Very nice food. I love the soup and the duck vermicelli. They are my favourite. Thanks

Service is a bit slow . Food great

Don't go here it's a rip off. Their chow mein barely had any flavour or chicken and there was barely any sauce that came wiht the prawn kung pao.

Fantastic service, food just the best

Friendly staff and the food was excellent I recommend booking as it is a small restaurant

Always use May’s Chinese in Epping. Fabulous food, Fabulous service from door to door. Thank you for the last few years of your time. Have been to many Chinese restaurants and had many takeaway’s but May’s Chinese is our number one. Couldn’t recommend highly enough.

£120 for a Chinese takeaway that Was way overpriced and quite poor Ordered the same from the new Hong Kong £55 and bags more flavour Total ripoff

Always keep you waiting for at least 20 to 30 minutes longer than promised. They ran out of seaweed and didn't tell me and never had the courtesy of an apology .... stay away

Food Quite greasy and left me feeling disappointed. Would not return.

First time eating from this Chinese and I must say the food was delicious. Arrived on time and piping hot. delivery man was very polite and the person who took my order was really helpful. Overall would highly recommend. Will be a returning customer in the future

Very very good Chinese, tasted amazing (probably too good as I got full from eating more than I should have). I got a takeaway which was better as the restaurant looks on the small side and cramped but staff was pleasant. Would be getting more in the future.

Iv not been in the restaurant for over a year1/2 due to waitress being rude !! Tried it again waitress asked us if we wanted a bottle lid to take our wine home after we just finished dinner,we said no we wanna finish it little bit after the owner smashed on the table and shouted come on youve got to go home filling the glasses up i will never get a take away and definitely would not ever go there again !!! The SWAN epping is beautiful and lovely people and service .... is unreall conpared to mays

Just got home from here first class meal and first class service has been a year since I was there and it is still one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area Will be back again very soon thank you

My first takeaway in Epping as it came highly recommended and it didnt disappoint. I tend to find chinese a bit greasy and bland but this was definitely not the case.Really high quality food, the lemon chicken and salt and pepper squid were up there with the best I've had. Overall, a superb Chinese, would definitely reccomend and go back.Very good value for portion size and quality.

Very disappointing. Delivery time was ages and when we called to find out where it was they said it had been delayed by a further 40 minutes! It would’ve been nice if they had called us to let us know rather than us chasing. When the food finally came it had dishes missing and the food was bland. The crispy shredded beef didn’t contain beef and was just dry crispy bits. The spring rolls tasted like they’d come from a supermarket. The chow mein was dry. I could go on... considering I’d heard good things about this place I will not be going back nor would I recommend.

Best Chinese I’ve had by far every dish tastes fresh and tasty . Food always arrives on time aswell cannot fault it

Takeaway - all dishes delicious, was ready for collection on time, Friday night, a lockdown treat. Kung po prawns and black bean squid a highlight

This was really awful we waited over 1hr 45 mins for a 1 hr delivery.When eventually it arrived after phoning the starter was acceptable but the king prawns in yellow bean sauce with cashew nuts was completely dry.I know things are difficult in the catering industry at present but don't forget we are the customers who will be here when the lockdown eases so please don't treat us this way.Paul Arber

We have ordered from may’s since they opened a couple of years ago and all was good( although very expensive). The service as in just trying to get through on the telephone has steadily worse and more recently. The last couple of times we have ordered an average about £50-£60 worth of food. The last few times the takeaway has taken nearly 2 hours and with orders of the food missing.When you call to rectify the problem the lady on the phone talk to you in a blasé manner and almost don’t seem to care even though we’ve just spent £60. By the time I got my prawn balls about half an hour after my original delivery the food was cold.My partner has been inside to collect a takeaway on three different occasions and has witnessed the manageress talking to her staff in a very rude manner and also taking the phone off the hook where they cannot cope with the high demand. Terrible customer service, I will not be going back.

I ordered the same thing I always do and I always make it clear that I am alergic to spice/hot food. I always get it packed with Chilly powder. I ask time and time again and as I call back all they say is: "sorry, that food is always hot". Then why not telling me that when I placed the order??? And how come I had it so many times before ...Careless and disrespectful I will definitely not order from them again.Not even willing to give me my money back. Shame on you May China

We ate here tonight 03/08/20 for our granddaughter's 17th birthday. There was 8 of us. The food and service was excellent and every one enjoyed themselves. One my dishes was sweet and sour king prawn balls they were very large and very tasty!!!

We had salt and pepper squid king prawns ko po style plain chow mein capital ribs satay sauce green veg pak Choi .. Not one but oily at all. Def a great takeaway !

It's a real pity because the food was quite nice, however you CANNOT have a relaxing meal in this tiny restaurant because there is a constant stream of Take-Away customers walking through the restaurant. If you are unlucky, as we were, to be seated near the service counter you have to put up with people pushing past your seat or standing next to your table whilst they wait. This situation is compounded by a manageress who is continually rushing around and speaking rudely to her staff. Neither of which create a relaxing atmosphere in which to enjoy a meal.However, the main reason I will NEVER return was the manageresses rudeness!!! Not only did she start removing the dishes and tablecloth before we had finished our meal, she presented the bill, unasked for, whilst one of our party was still finishing his meal.The young waitress, who did a superb job despite receiving barked instructions from the rude manageress, saw what happened and was visibly embarrassed, she apologise to us. However, it should not be necessary for a young waitress to apologise for her manageresses rude behaviour.They are clearly trying to get too many clients in a space which is frankly is too small, although I accept some may find it quaint. Before we left we heard a group of elderly diners complaining that they had been left waiting in outside in the rain, despite haveing booked their table and stated their arrival time.Conclusion:Better Take-Away than RestaurantToo small for the number of tables and take-away customersIf you don't like having people standing around your table waiting, then this is definitely not the place for you!Very rude manageressImpossible to have a relaxing mealFood quality quite goodI will not be back, there are superior Chinese Restaurants!!

The welcome, friendliness and efficiency are only matched by their wonderful food. The menu is comprehensive and every dish I tried I found it to be delicious. The cleanliness, like the service, is spot on. Just can't be faulted.

My family and I have been looking for a replacement go-to restaurant after the one we frequented closed down - I am so happy we gave May Chinese a chance. We went for a meal for my sister’s 17th birthday and it was absolutely fantastic. The ambiance was perfect, the staff were friendly and attentive, and my sister was made to feel very special. The food was absolutely delicious - I thoroughly recommend the seafood dishes. Can’t wait to return!

Came here for a get together with friends. The food was incredible, it cannot be faulted! Will be back again soon for sure.

Excellent food all freshly cooked, great service I would recommend it to anyone The restaurant is quite small so I suggest booking a table don’t just turn up

We live locally and can confirm this is not only the best Chinese Restaurant in Epping but probably one of the best in country! Food is always first class!

Verygooddontwanttomanypoepletoknow Good value good staff couldn't be betternotmanytableshavetobookparkingnoteasy

Always have excellent food here. Lovely small venue - staff very friendly & welcoming. If you like Chinese food you can’t beat this!

This was the second time we have been to this restaurant and it has rapidly become our favourite local Chinese restaurant.The service is great, the food is DELICIOUS and the way it is presented makes you feel like one of those guest judges on Masterchef.We wanted to swap out one of the dishes in the main course on the set menu and it was no trouble at all.The best bit is that they don’t over do the portion sizes either, so you’re not stuffing your face to avoid any food wasting. If we were to have one criticism, it’s that the wine is definitely on the expensive side and the food, whilst being excellent, is not the cheapest around. Set meal for two, one large wine, a lemonade and a Chinese beer came to around £50.But that won’t stop us going back.

The food is up to standard on a good day but too often I found myself not feeling well afterwards. Twice was actual food poisoning. The last I saw of this restaurant, we were being charged more than double the food price just to sit in The restaurant, a service charge (because the lighting is expensive) and just to top it of, they write +VAT in tiny writing at the bottom of what looks like a handmade menu, which pops up at the end to bite you. No cards, only cash. There is no VAT being paid here, I was scammed due to not wanting to create a scene. We paid £60 for food I would have begrudged paying £15 for. We weren't even nearly full not even half way. I lost time, money and self respect going in there.

Enjoyed our first meal from here tonight. Ordered as a takeaway delivery, which was lovely as not many options for a delivery where we are. The portion sizes are good and the food is delicious. We ordered a 1/4 duck, 3 mains, a rice and a noodle dish and it came to £33, which we felt was a reasonable cost. Will definitely order from here again.

Ive been here 3 times now, I recommend to book a table as its very small inside, the staff are lovely and the food is simply the best chinese ive ever had absolutely superb the salt and pepper prawns and singapore noddles are worth a visit alone.

We tried May Chinese for the first time on a Saturday evening, phoning through the order for pick up at a specific time. The vegetable spring rolls were full of veg with minimal filo (in my opinion the right balance ), the prawn toasts appeared homemade and on thick toast and were delicious, as were the crispy butterflied prawns. Duck was super crispy, szechuan noodles weren’t too hot. Sweet and sour prawns (in sauce) and chicken in yellow bean and cashew were great. Pan fried pak choi and french beans and mange tout in garlic were an excellent addition. Everything seemed high quality. £50 in total and ready on time.

You need to book as restaurant so small , but food is super. The food is simply excellent, I haven’t eaten better Chinese . Pay a visit this is really good

This is a regular visit my family have paid to this restaurant. The quality of service was very attentive and the food was really good also. Plates were all cleared so Must have been good!!

Very small & crowded, have to book; attentive service.Food excellent - fresh, crisp flavours Ask for seat away from door - busy and draughty

My husband and I just adore this tiny restaurant, only 6 tables so make sure you book.

My friend and I had a lovely meal here on a Friday evening, the food was absolutely superb especially the chicken cashew in yellow bean sauce and the chicken balls with succulent egg fried rice, staff were very polite and friendly plus very clean restaurant. As it’s a smallish restaurant with only around 5 tables best to book up,highly recommend this restaurant..

Have been using this Chinese since it first opened for take aways. The food is nice, however we used it less regularly as the delivery was so hit and miss. You can be told 30 minutes and still be waiting over an hour later. I have actually had it before where they’ve had to send the food out again as a priority and that arrived before the original delivery.

Don't judge it by its size Food is fabulous. Seems like they know the basics of Chinese food very well. I love to go back soon.

Second time we’ve been here since opening and was really impressed with our meal. Good quality and choice with good, friendly service to go with it. Every dish was served freshly prepared and portion sizes were very good too. We particularly liked the sizzling beef with chilli and garlic although we couldn’t fault any of it. It is a very small restaurant and would definately request a table towards the edge, the one table in the middle tends to get knocked by waiting staff and blasted each time the front door opens.

Really friendly staff, food was excellent, you need to book in advance as it is quite small, also an great takeaway menu.

Monday night visit luckily booked ahead as all tables full , very small restaurant but this only added to a lovely experience . Owner and waitress very pleasant never waited long for anything drinks , food and bill . Roughly £40 a head Inc a couple drinks not cheap but not over expensive , had mix starter , crispy duck , chilli beef , crispy plum pork , sweet and sour , sp rice sp chow mein all excellent and beautifully served .well done and we'll definitely return

The Epping, Chigwell,Loughton & Woodford areas have been crying out for a top notch traditional Chinese restaurant for years. There are loads of OK ones but none good enough to make you want to go back in a hurry. May's in Epping however is an exception. The food is gorgeous, with every dish having it's own unique flavour, rather than the usual bland chinese spice tasting fodder across the whole menu you seem to get everywhere else. It's not cheap, but the lovely, helpful staff actually stop you from over-ordering which is a refreshing change. Service is as quick as you want it, so if you're looking to graze you can ask them to slow it down. It's very small which lends itself for a very intimate dining experience, but you need to book in advance as it's invariably full. The picture on here by the way does not do it justice in terms of atmosphere.

Visited as family of three for last minute early dinner; salt and pepper squid, duck spring rolls, dumplings, sweet and sour prawns, rice and special noodles were all amazing, as always.

First time and wasn’t disappointed . Cosy, intimate and spotless restaurant. Service was excellent and so friendly. Appears to be a family run business. Food was the fresh and tasty. The best around. Will return

Booked a table here around a month ago and received excellent, high quality, clean Chinese food! Waitresses were very attentative and gave excellent service. Very surprised that we werent queuing out of the door. Please open another in Buckhurst Hill, but regardles I’d travel miles to eat here again!

Literally my favourite place to eat, never had a bad experience. Lovely people and their customer service is fab. Would definitely recommend to everyone, thank you May China.

We have visited Mays Chinese three times and looking forward to returning. It gives a new slant to Chinese ... no over battered, over coloured pork balls but exceptional freshly cooked dishes. Staff are lovely ... on hand to call but not asking every two minutes (always when your mouth is full!) if you’re enjoying the meal. Only small restaurant so two sittings on Saturday 6.30pm/8.30pm. Can’t praise highly enough ....

I have been here many times since it opened now and i cant speak highly enough for it. Great place, great food, cosy and fantastic service. I couldn't recommend it more. The fillet steak with mandarin sauce is must have. Jamie

We ate in the restaurant, as soon as our main course was served we were told that they made a mistake with the tables and asked us to hurry up. We then ate dinner to the sound of a rude boss berating her staff and threatening to cut their wages,this is unprofessional and unpleasant. We wanted dessert but were not allowed, they got the poor waitress to lie to us saying none of their fryers were working! We asked to speak to the boss but they wouldn't let us and sent us a staff member who paraded as the boss who just quickly agreed with everything we said and blamed the new waitress, but didn't seem interested in the slightest. We will not return and would not recommend this restaurant. We have been regulars for take away since they have opened but will no longer support a restaurant with such poor customer service and one who treats their staff badly. If you want a chinese restaurant do yourself a favour and go to swan restaurant in epping instead.

Lovely food so delicious we are coming this resturant minumum 3 times a month i highly recommend this resturant friendly staff lovely owner so romantic place as well highly recommend

I’ve been here a few times and have always really enjoyed the food and the service. The staff are always very attentive and helpful and the food is always delicious. Try the salt and pepper squid! The restaurant is quite small so best to book ahead.

only recently found this little place for a takeaway in epping, the food is lovely and the staff are so friendly, I had this place recommended to me by someone I met in London who rated it so highly , great food and great value

By far the best Chinese. Good size portion. Delivery is quick and food is ext. needless to say I will be back.

I got a take-away last weekend after reading about all the good reviews here and must admit was very impressed! I am a British born Chinese but have had Chinese food in China town and all over really, but thought the food was very tasty and very fresh! We had seafood noodles and the squid was not rubbery which most of the time it is. The fried rice tasted really fresh too. The sweet and sour prawns were very tasty too. I shall definitely be ordering more food to try in the future. Price very reasonable! My partner really liked it too. Highly recommended!

We regularly enjoy a takeaway from May, delivered. Yes, it takes a long while to turn up, so order well in advance of hunger striking! Food is excellent, generous portions, hot and fresh. Best Chinese takeaway I’ve ever experienced!