CCK Chinese Restaurant

CLOSED. This place is now Northeast Restaurant, which is a Szechuan Chinese type food. No mo’ dim sum, aw.
Thanks to fellow Unilocaler Roger K.‘s inside scoop, the owner/​chef moved his place to a smaller take-​out restaurant called Ocean Palace.

Tip! Portions are small here, so if you’re coming in with a large group looking to share family style, I recommend ordering more generously. The service here seems a little shotty (you have to flag someone down for every little thing) because the waiters won’t pay any attention to your table once they drop off a dish. There are fewer items to choose from in the menu compared to what you might find at Shining Rainbow, particularly the vegetable section. I found nothing green except for the stir-​fryed green beans. Otherwise there were 2 eggplant dishes and everything else was some version of tofu. Definitely ask them for their offering of fresh vegetable, and you can likely get a stir-​fry water spinach or Chinese broccoli.
Otherwise, I think the water boiled spicy fish was delicious (the standout dish for the night). The dish is composed of pieces of white fish with a light coating of flour in a spicy stew with an abundance of cabbage and wood ear mushroom. Delightful!

This is a great little Chinese restaurant somewhat hidden in plain sight along busy Central Ave.
So far, I’ve been here two times, both in small groups where we were able to order and try about eight different dishes. Every dish I’ve had so far has been excellent, with the Beef Chow Fun (with Bean Sprouts), Spicy Eggplant, and Northeastern Style Braised Lamb being some of my favorites that I will definitely be having again.
What’s great about this place is that the while the food is cooked with plenty of oil, it does not have that same heavy feeling that I’ve found with most Chinese food in the Capital Region (such as A la Shanghai, or Taiwan Noodle).
I recommend you come by with someone who can read a Chinese menu, as the translations are not exactly the most descriptive. (My friend has actually done most of the ordering!) Depending on the composition of your group, I think about 1 dish per person should be enough. If you come by with a large group (say 10+), I’d recommend ordering 5 different dishes two times, rather than 10 different dishes.
Some people have commented on the prices. While I agree that some of the items are definitely quite cheap, or good value (particularly the lunch items), you should beware that the seafood items are quite a bit higher than the other parts of the menu. I think every dish is about the same size, so don’t expect to receive more for the more expensive dishes. Furthermore, while I’ve never seen a wait outside for a table, the kitchen seems to be pretty small. If the place is getting close to full you can expect a long wait for your food (or for it to arrive piece by piece rather than all at once).
Overall, I’d say that the food is five stars but the restaurant itself is four. While it may seem like a petty thing, the main reason why this is not a five star rating is because we were charged for both rice and tea. I can kind of understand charging for tea, or for charging for an extra bowl of rice, but any Chinese restaurant worth it’s salt should give you the first bowl free. Rice is the vehicle for this type of food, as bread is to a sandwich, or noodles are to pasta. There’d be an uproar if Italian restaurants started charging $ 1 to include spaghetti with their pasta.

If you want a review on the American dishes (e.g. general tso, chicken and brocolli, large egg roll, etc.), you won’t get one in this writeup.
The reason we come to CCK is because of the authentic Hong Kong style dishes at a very reasonable price. You’ll find fresh, light and less saucy plates (some may call it bland) that are perfectly prepared. Most dinner dishes (those compliment white rice) are equal or better than those found in Chinatowns in the U.S. If you can appreciate this style of cooking, you may leave the place longing for the next return.
Here are some of the highlights:
— Seafoods — fish and crabs (the sauce is phenomenal — HK taste at its best)
— Hot pots — choose from lamb, beef, roots and seafood; very fresh with just the right amount of mixed ingredients
— stir fried noodles — a pretty large selection; try their lobster meat longevity noodles (prefried egg noodles).
— Homestyle/​country-​style cooking (such as meat dishes mixed or topped with pickled veggies) you can only find these varieties in authentic restaurants
— Combo dinners for multiple parties — excellent selections consisting of 2 or 3 of the above dishes; all starts at $ 30 for 2
At the end of a meal, ask the owner for a taste of their sweet soup of the day when it’s available (a traditional desert). It’s rare to find them outside of large metro areas.
They also offer low cost lunch items such as soup noodles and dumpling (some home made). They are definitely worth their money but their tastes are more ordinary.

When by friend suggested that we eat Chinese food in Albany, I was very skeptical. Since I live five minutes from Flushing, Queens, (which I think has better Chinese food than China Town in Manhattan), I’ve become spoiled over the years. I put my bias aside and remained open-​minded.
I’m so glad that I did! My palate was treated to some authentic Chinese food in our state’s capital. We started with a couple of steamed roast pork buns off the dim sum menu. They were very good, but the flavor did not overwhelm me the way a good pork bun will. I will admit, I am a tough critic since these are my favorite. We also ordered some scallion pancakes that I could have done without; they were all oil and very little flavor.
For the main course, we shared two dishes off the Szechuan menu: the Mongolian beef and spicy bean curd with minced pork. The Mongolian beef had a great smokey flavor. The dish had a lot of onions that could have been cooked a little more for my liking, and they were a little skimpy on the beef. With this being said, I still loved the dish and would order it again. The non-​spicy beef dish was a great balance to the spicy been curd with minced pork. This dish was the highlight of the meal. It came in a thick sauce, slightly gelatinous, which mixed will with the soft tofu. The flavor popped in my mouth and coupled tremendously with the white rice.
With the check, our server brought us free pistachio pudding. This was a pleasant and refreshing finish to a great meal.

For anyone who gives a bad review of this restaurant I am going to assume you ordered over the phone. Don’t do that. Go there and instead order off the menus on the walls. The online and takeout menu is Americanized Chinese but inside are authentic Chinese dishes and are so delicious!!!

Placed a delivery order (FYI — $ 15 min). Food was freshly prepared. Sesame chicken did not have the «crunch» I was hoping for, but I enjoyed the egg rolls and fried rice very much. I was happy to see the fried rice was not neon yellow like other Chinese restaurants, but it was pretty greasy (yes, I know it’s fried but it was TOO oily). My boyfriend loved the chicken and black bean sauce. I will definitely order from again and will stick with white rice.

When was the last time you received a really great recommendation from your waiter at a restaurant that didn’t cost $ 30/​plate? And when was the last time that you ate at a restaurant where it’s OK to be a foreigner and ask for help finding and figuring out how to eat your dinner? I went to CCK and my eyes were opened. I thought that I was walking into a mom & pop greasy-​spoon Chinese-​American restaurant, but I was gleefully wrong.
This place is delightfully authentic and welcoming. Their food is delicious and plentiful. I ordered the first thing on the Daily Special board, and it was a whole fresh fish roasted in an Asian barbecue sauce, served simmering on a hot iron pan. I wasn’t sure how to go about eating it, and not having anything to lose, I asked for help. The lovely woman who seems to run the place smiled, went into the kitchen, returned with a knife, and proceeded to demonstrate how to cut the fish so as to get the most meat with the least bones. She also educated me on the reason why fish is better when it’s cooked whole: it’s way more flavorful.
But I get ahead of myself. I had ordered a bit of soup and some eggrolls to start. I thought I’d be getting standard stuff, but this soup (eggdrop) was savory, not overly salty, and had a good texture. And the eggrolls! Let me tell you, «eggroll» is a misnomer when it comes to CCK. These are «egg logs». They’re like eggrolls that ate other eggrolls. They’re huge! And they come with a bowl of sauce that’s commensurate to their size.
So I ate, and was extremely happy with this place. The staff are so nice and the food is awesome!

CCK is one of my favorite restaurants in the Albany area. I went here on the recommendation of a Chinese friend who described it as «pretty authentic Cantonese style food» (without recommendation, this place would be easy to overlook). The service is phenomenal and the food never disappoints. Here are a few of my favorites:
–Shrimp dumpling dim sum (I always start with these – delicious – even if they aren’t made in house)
–Chinese broccoli with garlic – healthy and scrumptious!
–Chicken/​Beef/​House mai fun or chow fun
–The chicken and beef dishes with vegetables – all wonderful
You often get freebies, like a nice appetizer or fresh fruit to end the meal. Two people can expect to leave well fed, with leftovers, for under $ 40.

My aunt and I found this place by mistake on our way to a deli and was pleasantly surprised by their food and service! This place is pretty small that’s perfect for lunch and free delivery for orders over $ 15. $ 4.95 for lunch that comes with white or fried rice and soup? and tea and desert included?! What more could you ask for?
Normally, I’m not a big a fan of Chinese food because it’s too greasy and/​or too sweet, but the food here is really delish! My aunt had the Curry Chicken which was rich in curry and flavorful, and I had the Beef Stew w/​Turnip over Rice. The Beef Stew was really tender and perfectly seasoned :9
Also, I LOVE~ Bubble tea and haven’t had good bubble tea since I moved back from Cali. This place has hot and cold bubble tea that was tasty enough to fill my craving :9. AND they didn’t even charge us for the bubble tea lol.
The two waitresses were so attentive and so friendly. Also, the owner/​chef came out to greet us. She’s apparently from Hong Kong which explains why the food here tastes a bit different for the better ;)
Overall, GREAT service, food, and you really can’t beat the price!

Cheap. Kick ass king fu Chinese. I’d say go family style and get the sizzlin shrimp & scallops and the pork buns.
Fried rice is extra and they have it set to a good radio station.
(Don’t accidentally put an «O» in the first word when you say their name)

Under new management and have a new menu.
Went there last night and had a very good meal. Very good hot and sour soup… could use more heat but it is otherwise very good and not starchy like some other places. Clams with black bean sauce was tasty, with proper flavoring and a hint of that smoky wok flavor that really hits the spot. Sauteed Oh Choy with preserved bean curd was spot on, like what mom used to make many years ago. Sea bass steamed with scallions and ginger was nicely done, but oddly had some broccoli for garnishing… they will also prepare fishes in other styles and can suggest options.
I am happy to say that this is still an authentic cantonese styled chinese restaurant even with change of mangement. A few pan asian dishes were also available.
2 very friendly ladies served us and made us feel like if we were regulars. They also offers many other dishes off menu, just ask them for their recommendations. I wish they would provide an authentic chinese menu for those of us who would like to try those dishes since verbally they seem to have many of those dishes which they will tell you about verbally. They even mentioned to another table that they have boba tea!
They do not seem to have dim sum anymore though, except for a «dim sum combo» as an appetizer. No idea what is in the combo since we didn’t get it.

CCK restaurant opened January 26 under new management who relocated to Albany from Queens. The interior has been remodeled with new granite floors, tanks for live fish and lobster, new modern tableware, and more upscale furnishings.
The two very nice ladies suggested I start with beef and chicken satay. The crunchy peanut satay sauce is the best I’ve ever tasted. The curry chicken is also quite good, with lots of chicken breast, bits of lemongrass, and pepper and onion with a little crunch.
The new owners are serving Cantonese and Malaysian food, with a little Thai and roti thrown in. There were a number of lobster specials, but that seemed a bit much for lunch. Prices are very reasonable. The chicken curry was $ 4.95 with soup or soda (I passed and just had tea), and the wonderful beef or chicken satay is $ 2.95.
They also mentioned that they cater.

When I came here I kind of went nuts because it had been a while since I’ve had half way decent Chinese food. My brother came here a while back and said it was alright so we came in for lunch. Whether this place is the best place in Albany or not doesn’t matter because it is not on the scale of good — it borders decent and edible.
I ordered a lot of stuff. From the dim sum: har gow, shu mai, scallop dumpling, pork bun dumpling, chicken feet, and chinese broccoli. The har cow and scallop dumpling fell apart when I tried to pick it up with my chopsticks (both while it was hot and when it cooled down). The overall texture was too soft and lacked that chewyness. The pork bun dumpling was no good, I had one and left the rest. The chicken feet was too thick and tough. However, the shu mai was decent and the chinese broccoli was pretty good even though it was a little overcooked.
I also had a roast duck wonton noodle soup. The duck was pretty disappointing being mostly fat and bone. What meat there was tasted as if it had been lying out for a while or been originally cooked at least the day before. The soup was plain and lacked. The noodles weren’t bad but they were either overdone or cheap because it had that crunch-​tease where you think it’s good but then you bite and then it’s too soft.
My brother ordered the beef satay with rice. The rice came out a little dry but the beef dish wasn’t half bad. It was a lot of onions and bell pepper, but the beef and overall flavor was pretty good not too sweet or salty but it could have had a little more kick.
If you need a chinese fix for anything, this place is kind of a jack-​of-​all-​trades; it has it all, but don’t expect any of it to be top notch.

just so so. We’ve been there once, very long waiting time. Don’t go…

One other reviewer said, «this is the best Chinese food you can get in Albany.» I’d like follow that with my own recommendation, do NOT get Chinese food in Albany!
I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan of Chinese food, but that is mainly because I have been disappointed so many times as there are very, very few Chinese food places I’ve been to that do it well. This place was no exception. Fellow Unilocal reviewers have greatly let me down on this one.
I went with my bf and we ordered the food to go. The menu was pretty average, a nice selection of choices. The lady was nice and the wait wasn’t very long. We got the pork fried rice to share, he got the beef and broccoli, and I got the orange chicken, both came with white rice. He also ordered some crab rangoon.
The food was still very hot by the time we got it back to our hotel. The pork fried rice didn’t look very good, but I was hoping it was better tasting. Sadly it wasn’t. It was very bland and didn’t seem to have much egg in it. The orange chicken was actually pretty good. I’m really picky with chicken, so it’s always a little worrisome getting chicken that isn’t technically visible, you can’t see if it’s the good or crappy/​gristly kind. Fortunately this chicken was good. It was flavored well, and I would consider it to be above average orange chicken. The beef and broccoli was very mediocre. It was pretty flavorless and had significantly more broccoli than beef. The crab rangoon was decent but they were smaller than usual.
The prices were ok, not that great. It was about $ 37 for all of the above, no drinks or tip in that price. Although the portion sizes were good, I’d prefer less, better tasting food.
Now, after all that, I would have still given this place 2 stars, maybe 2 ½, but my bf said he saw a mouse run across the floor when we were waiting for our order, but he decided not to tell me until after we finished eating. Mmmmmmm… Makes everything even more appetizing. That knocked it down to the 1 star.

CCK has not been getting a lot of Unilocal love since Ala Shanghai opened. Carol M reported a truly terrible meal when she went there with a Taiwanese friend. Several have said that Chef Peter had been replaced by a new guy with no talent in the wok.
I decided to take a bullet for the team and went there for lunch today. I can report that Peter is still in the kitchen, but he’s definitely lost a step.
I had the squid with sour cabbage and it was well past its sell-​by date. I have a tolerance for elderly seafood, but I expect most people would have sent it back. Also tried a special, the oyster with XO sauce, which was just weird – the oyster as big as a small steak and consequently rather rubbery and flavorless. This must be a Cantonese vanity dish along the lines of those whole crabs in the shell which are topped with black bean sauce; the sauce doesn’t flavor the crab, just makes it impossible to eat, but it’s handsome and expensive. That’s not Peter’s fault, but I did not like that this obviously pre-​frozen bivalve was hot on the outside and got colder and colder as I plunged its depths.
There were only five people who came and went during my hour at CCK (discouragingly, all were as white as the driven snow) yet my food took a very long time to prepare.
To Peter’s credit, the hot and sour soup was as good as ever, the preparation of the squid (other than the actual squid) was fine and the XO sauce was obviously house-​made. It averages out to a 3 star meal but I’m giving CCK 4 stars in anticipation of better days ahead.

It’s funny because I found this place from Unilocal after my brother and sister-​in-​law complained to me that Albany has NO good Chinese food. So I told them to let me find something on Unilocal and if it was good then they would join Unilocal and review it (see Nichole K’s review, guess who won!). The food is really delicious and doesn’t taste too sugary or salty like I find a lot with Chinese food. I generally order the General Tso’s chicken but I have also ordered the beef with broccoli. Last time we also got crab rangoons because I love those and we always get dumplings. Yummm I am craving those right now. So if you are in Albany and frustrated by a lack of good Chinese food, check this place out!

Tried going to Van’s on Saturday night, but there wasn’t a seat available in the house, and people were waiting for a table. Forgot that schools were back in session. Anyways decided to try out CCK as its a few doors down.
The place was empty as we sat down. No tsing tao beer, or alcohol served. (Bummer) Ordered some shrimp fried rice, general tsos chicken and a breaded deep fried spicy flounder dish that was on the specials board. Everything was good. Love the two whiteboards filled with specials as you can’t find those type of dishes at the numerous gwai lo takeout places. The chicken and fish didn’t seem greasy at all. The fried rice was ok, but nothing special. Overall no complaints.

CCK is a solid Chinese restaurant.
And I don’t know what gives, because I hated Ocean’s Palace. Maybe it has something to do with having lived in Albany longer, and the memory of San Francisco and Oakland Chinatown delights fade.
Even still, if CCK were lifted up and plopped down in my old Bay Area neighborhood, I would still make it part of my rotation. It’s good. Far better than Ichiban and neck and neck with Emperor’s. One day, I’ll have to pit the two against each other in combat.
The waitress won me over when she complimented my ordering («very Chinese» she said). We had the Salt & Pepper Squid, Beef Chow Fun, and I couldn’t resist an order of Taro Cakes from the dim sum menu.
Honestly, the Squid was a little overly salted, and overly cooked, but still tasty. The Chow Fun was delicious, with the noodles scalded and tasting of the wok. Oddly the Taro Cake was served with Hoi San sauce, which I had never encountered before. But I love Hoi San, and would gladly put it on just about anything (it’s a loving food memory from all the mu-​shu I rolled as a young child).
Based on the critique 4* may seem a bit generous. But I grade up for authenticity. And this is the real deal.
Plus, expectations of a hole in the wall restaurant are not on the same level as a linen tablecloth establishment. In one, overcooked squid is a deal breaker. Here, it’s rustic.