Exploring Edison, NJ: A Personal Taste Review of Popular Restaurants

After moving to Edison, NJ, I’ve had the opportunity to explore various restaurants that are highly recommended on social platforms. While it’s purely based on my personal taste, I’m excited to share my dining experiences at these popular spots. Let’s dive in! 🍽️

1.蜀世冒菜 – 5.5/10

This restaurant offers a dish reminiscent of malatang, and while the flavors are decent, I found the stir-fried dishes to be a bit greasy. The boiled beef lacked depth and flavor.

2.王师傅烧烤 – 1/10

I felt misled by recommendations here. It left me contemplating the oiliness of my meal. The recommended sweet and sour pork was disappointing, tasting too similar to a saucy fish dish. The fried instant noodles were soggy and overly greasy – probably the worst I’ve tried! The barbecue was utterly forgettable.

3.四海 – 7/10

Although the flavor of the food was just average, I appreciated the owner’s generosity in sending two complimentary dishes. The boiled fish and dry-fried green beans added some brightness to the meal!

4.不二酸菜鱼 – 9.5/10

This place serves incredibly flavorful pickled fish! The fish and beef are tender, making it hard to pick just one dish. Their side dishes, like crispy meat and spicy chicken, are also worth grabbing. Just a note: the rice noodles were average.

5.小食代 – 8/10

Most of their dishes were delightful, paired with excellent service. I highly recommend trying their pork soup dumplings – they were the highlight! The spicy crayfish rice is divine, and the fish soup is super fresh, though occasionally a bit fishy. A word of caution: avoid the youtiao (fried dough sticks) which were way too hard, the Chongqing noodles that felt soggy, and the pan-fried buns that had thick skins and sparse filling.

6.湘水山庄 – 6.5/10

Although frequently recommended, this place didn’t quite meet expectations. The meat quality was decent, and some dishes smelled lovely but lacked flavor. A highlight was the handmade taro cake, which was quite tasty!

7.山城码头 – 8.5/10

A fantastic value for a hot pot buffet! The seafood was genuinely fresh, and the shrimp was springy. The complimentary lobster was a generous touch, and you can enjoy durian as well – although the restaurant had a peculiar aroma. If you love seafood and durian, this place is a definite win! 🦞

8.一品香 (Northeastern Cuisine) – 3/10

Unfortunately, this restaurant was a letdown. The chicken and mushroom stew was watery, and the spicy and sour shredded potatoes were not good either.

9.麻辣空间 – 6.5/10

The grilled fish was quite average and lacked flavor, and the grilled lamb skewers didn’t impress. I’ve heard good things about the drunken crab, which I’ll be trying next time.

10.面缘 – 7.5/10

The taste was okay, but the luosifen (snail rice noodle) was not authentic; serious fans of the dish may want to skip this place. However, the mixed noodles were surprisingly good! 👍🏻

11.24味 – 6.5/10

After ordering takeout, I found most dishes to be on the salty side. The crispy fried rice was notably fragrant, and the spicy hot pot was pretty decent.

12.Malatown – 7/10

This was another takeout experience – the quality of the mala tang was average at best.

Final Thoughts

Edison offers a diverse array of dining options, but not all live up to the hype. From hot pot gems to underwhelming meals, it’s important to try things for yourself! For anyone in or visiting the Edison area, hopefully, this guide will help navigate your culinary adventures. Happy eating! 🎉