Yao's Diner
2503 Middle Country Rd, 11720-3526 - Centereach
Recommended by Sluurpy:
2021
#39 of 52 restaurants in Centereach
Updated on
€€
Asian
Chinese
Sluurpy Quality Index
PROPRIETARY
Popularity
100/100
Quality
58/100
Data Completeness
67/100
Verified Dish
Add Missing Dish
🚚
Delivery
🥡
Takeout
🍽️
Dine-in
📅
Reservations
♿
Wheelchair accessible
♿
Accessible restroom
😊
Casual
🛋️
Cozy
👥
Good for groups
📊 Popular Times
Not busy
Moderate
Very busy
Contact Information
📞
Phone:
+1 631-676-5065
🌐 Website:
http://www.yaosdinercentereach.com/
📍
Address:
2503 Middle Country Rd, Centereach
📷 Photos (10+)
+2
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Photo 1 / 10
100%
Google Reviews
127
Google reviews
Food was delicious and service was fast and friendly. It was a pleasant dine in experience. It is slightly pricey but the food was very flavorful and cooked to perfection.
Google
Authentic mainland Chinese dishes. Been there twice lately and all the dishes tasted really good.
Google
This is hands down the best Chinese restaurant in the area of Stony Brook University, especially when it comes to Sichuan cuisine (which is known for its spice). And I have traveled to Sichuan so I have a point of comparison. Even if not everything is 100% what you see in Sichuan (there are limitations to what ingredients are available in the US), the variations are still delicious.
Many people have written about the food itself and I wholeheartedly recommend it, especially ordering things that you won't find in "American Chinese Food" which is typically oversweetened mimics of Cantonese food. Below, I'll list some of my favorites.
But I first want to say that the story of this restaurant is truly inspirational. It is a family-owned restaurant where the family in question immigrated from China to the US, having no prior experience as chefs. Yet, they mastered Sichuan cooking and through hard work and determination, set up this place. They are committed to a life in the US and though their English is in progress (have patience with them!), their food speaks volumes. While I was a grad student at SBU, I often got lunch and dinner at Spice Workshop. In the acknowledgments in my dissertation, I name Spice Workshop as a place for great food and also a meeting place for me and my research collaborators.
Here are some of the dishes I enjoy; regrettably, I do not have photos.
西湖牛肉羹 - Xihu Beef thickened soup
鸡茸栗米羹 - Chicken corn soup
青花跳水肥牛 - Sautéed fatty beef with peppercorn
湖西小炒黄牛肉 - Hunan stir fried beef (so they have a typo in either the Chinese or English)
重庆水煮鱼 - Chongqing sliced fish in hot oil
炝炒莲藕 - stir fried lotus root
玉子豆腐 - sizzling egg tofu
地三鲜 - stir fried eggplant, potato, green pepper
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Google
This was absolutely the best Sichuan restaurant my family and I have ever eaten at. As a short recap, the food has one of the highest quality of restaurant food we’ve had and has thorough and delicious flavors and every dish, as well as distinct and matching textures.
The lamb was moist, plump, and well seasoned with great garnishes and the flavors were spot on. Nice spice.
The cabbage had a great cook on it and was crunchy and fresh.
The fish in chili oil was so tender and succulent-you could just sense the immaculate quality of food and cooking. I want to compliment the chef.
The green beans were outstanding-just crispy, well cooked, and fresh, but what really made it shine was the crumbs of garnish you see in the photo. They’re these salty, crunchy, tasty bits on the beans that bring a new spin to the dish.
The soup was hot and fresh with a good amount of ingredients; a standard dish but good nonetheless. We finished all these dishes so cleanly.
Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t have a lot of business, which is likely because of its location. If it was located in more of a hot spot, it would thrive with such great food.
The atmosphere is alright; I like that there are lamps over each table; it gives a warm feel while you eat.
Not sure while this restaurant has some negative reviews; maybe some dishes are better than others, but these were fantastic!
The prices are reasonable (80 something for 4 people)and service is great. The waitress was attentive and nice and the chef clearly is skilled and experienced. If we lived in the area, we’d keep coming back for sure. The food is obviously authentic-take it from a Chinese family. We recommend coming in 100%!
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Google
One of my favorite restaurants. Decent dinning environment and friendly service. Not to mention the yummy food.
Google
Did a take out , excellent food!
Google
Pretty good take out. Only tried 2 dishes, Chicken Lo Mein and Orange Chicken. Both were good, not great. Solid overall
Google
Mostly excellent food. Located in a strip commercial building with not-so-great parking. The interior has been upgraded and is nicer now. Usually we do takeout, but we have eaten here. There is a bit of a language problem. The spicy dishes are favorites. We drive past other places to come here. Not especially cheap, but I am happy to pay for this level of quality. They do a lot of delivery service business.
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Google
Food was fresh and tasty. Never had Chongqing food before was different normal Chinese dishes you'd find on the Island. Defenitly reccomend for people who wanna try something different. They also have the regular classics too which were really good as well.
Google
Really recommend the fish it’s called 泉州烤鱼 idk the English name. But quit authentic and the server is super nice
Google
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