China Bistro

I met a group of friends for dinner, the appetizers came quickly and were very fresh. It was very comfortable for a group, noise level easy for conversation. It took a while for the food to come but it was obviously made fresh to order. There was a variety of dishes at the table and everyone was happy. Great flavors in my basil chicken, the person next to me had orange chicken and loved it not greasy., smelled good. I love authentic chinese tea, its the real deal, a pot brewing at the table, loose tea no bags. Definitely a favorite place.

I enjoy the setting of the place. It is very empty and quite, until you hear the severs in the background yelling at each other. The food was good, but not great for the price.

The servers are nice but overprice Chinese food. I can get the same food at a Chinese buffet.

Still a favorite! Our waitress, Diane, now knows my dumpling-​loving daughter by name. The food is fabulous, and I hope the south side catches on soon so we don’t lose this gem!

Delicious. Not a run of the mill Chinese restaurant! Nice staff! Clean & comfortable.

Pretty environment. Fast service. Food is smothered in sauce and overtakes any flavor except for salty soy sauce taste. Fried rice was pathetic. Even the water had a bad aftertaste. Tom Yum soup was only thing worth getting.

Yum! Good quality Chinese food in a nice atmosphere. Service has always been good for us, too. We will keep coming back!

I love this little south side gem. It is unassuming as you enter, but prepare yourself for a lovely restaurant and even better food. This place is several steps above typical Chinese take away. The wait staff are great and the food is high quality from taste to presentation. We are quickly becoming regulars here!

This place is a hidden gem!!! I never thought I would walk into this place to find how gorgeous it was in the inside. It does seem kind of out of place in this plaza, I dont think anyone would of guessed it. The décor is quite fancy. Very elegant and plenty of seating. And it felt comfortable to not be all dressy in quite an elegant seeting. It seems when we came in only a quarter of the restaurant was filled on a Monday night. We came here because we had a groupon deal. My grouponing and Unilocaling always goes hand in hand lol. They had a extensive menu and it was hard to decide to what to get. We decided to the dinner for 2 just because it seem easier. it was 2 for $ 38 and was worth it on top of the groupon we used because it was a lot of food. The ginger salad seem kind of like frozen dressing, maybe it was just thick, but once I mixed it it was well blended and was very good. After salads we did once of each kind soup. Most amazingly good and came out super hot. Adding the wontons gave the soup crispness. The food always kept coming, we never had to sat and wait for anything to come when we were done. Service was wonderful. We got our calamari and it was good. It was tender in the inside and crispy on the out and that dipping sauce was sooo yummy! I even added lemon i got from my water to the calamari and it gave it a kick. Finally we got our entrée and I did the sweet and sour chicken and my bf did pork du. Its normally something we never order, but being a chinese restaurant where stuff is made to order why not. By getting to the entrée I was too full, I literally couldnt take another bite and the food was quite good. Good thing my boyfriend being the garbage disposal he is is always there to lend his stomach to help me eat my food lol The sweet and sour chicken was good. I love fried food so cant go wrong with that, although I was expecting something a little different without the fried batter. It had bell peppers and pineapple for sweetness. My bf did the pork du and even though the name was kind of funny this was good. I usually would ask foe some kind of hot sauce with my food that everything was good that it didnt need any. To end our dinner we got 2 dessert and the Coconut Jelly was amazing! This is refreshing and it almost taste like almond. It seem like such a simple dessert but trust me its good. As for the green tea ice cream, it was ok. I think I would of happier with a green tea mochi. Overall this place is great and I hope they continue to thrive and bring in more customers. I would definitely be back probably to do lunch just because I can only handle lunch portions than dinner and with lunch the price and menu seems like a better deal.

Excellent Chinese food at very affordable prices. Doesn’t look like much from the outside, but has a quiet and beautiful atmosphere inside. Quick service, and above-​average selection.

I really want to go here it looks so yummy and the inside looks cool from the outside

Love this restaurant! I think the locals are snooty about it because it’s in the same parking lot as a Walmart and a Dollar Tree, but this is one of the best Chinese restaurants in all Indy. I’d say it’s #2 when it comes to food, but definitely #1 when it comes to the whole package of food, price, service, and ambiance. First, it’s beautiful on the inside. Definitely worthy of a date night. There’s a waterfall and koi fish inside when you first enter. The lighting is romantic and the atmosphere is VERY quiet. Kind of makes you feel self-​conscious if you’re dining alone. This is obviously meant as a sit-​down, take-​your-​time restaurant, not the kind of place where you hurry in, smash some food in your mouth, and go.
Secondly, the service is just so-​so, but consider that there are very few staff and you might not mind the timing so much. They do get more courteous the more that you visit! I’ve been there about 6 – 7 times now and the service immediately went from ok to stellar from the 3^rd visit up.
Next, the food choices are wide-​ranging and there is always a special. I brought my vegan friends here and they really liked it, as well, but to be honest I’ve had better vegan food. Just keep in mind that fish by-​products and broth go a LONG way to changing the flavors of the food, so meat-​lovers and pescatarians, you will enjoy the food the way it was meant to be eaten! The hot and sour soup was DELICIOUS, just the proper amount of sour and a lot of well-​developed flavor in the broth. The spring rolls, penang curried shrimp, and bak kut teh are authentic and delicious. The pad thai is amazing, as well. My unadventurous friend had the chicken with broccoli and really liked it. Dishes are $ 8 – 14 on average for dinner. The green tea ice cream was a good finisher. If you order from here for takeout, they tend to be very fast and the portions are huge! Hope this place attracts more people because there’s not many amazing Asian restaurants like this around Greenwood or even Indy. Like so many other reviewers, what first brought me here was the Groupon. I love a great deal, but trust me when I say it’s worth every penny full price (mostly because it’s not that expensive to begin with).

A hidden gem. Above average food. I haven’t had above decent and savory Chinese food like that in a very long time. The service was very scarce, lazy and haphazard though. I am giving this restaurant 5 stars based on primarily the food and the décor quality — not the service.
We waited and wondered for awhile when someone was going to seat us when we first came in.
We also waited an unusually long time before a server showed up at our table. We kept looking toward the front of the restaurant and saw a few employees socializing, but not paying attention to the patrons. When she finally showed up and and took our drink order, we made sure to order our meals at that time for fear of not seeing her again for awhile. Call me funny, and more so psychic, but I just had a feeling after our initial experience at the front door, and waiting in her to initially to show up at our table, that we would be waiting on her as a general rule during our entire dining experience.
Our server ended up giving us our appetizers before we ever saw our drinks. I was just about ready to get up and try to find her. So,…we finished the appetizers, and we still had no drinks. In a split second just before our meal came out, she gave us our drinks and then half apologized for forgetting.
The décor was very nice, clean and calming. The lighting was very low and mellow, so the ambience was on the intimate side. The booths were very comfortable. And appropriately soared apart for privacy.
The price was nice, as the deal of the day was all chicken dishes were 7.95 each. For being a Saturday night, I was impressed. That shaved off roughly about 3.00 from each meal.
I had the ginger chicken, and my fiancé had General Tso chicken. Both dishes were awesome and highly flavorful.
The appetizers were great too: regular/​standard pork/​cabbage egg rolls and shrimp tempura. The shrimp was breaded, and I was expecting it to be batter fried instead. Regardless, it was OK. It very well could have even been pre-​frozen shrimp. The creamy dipping sauce was a nice and tasty touch. The egg rolls were a little on the small side. They looked like a spring roll. They did on the other hand, taste house/​home made. They were served with a light sweet and sour sauce. I would have preferred a hot mustard condiment dipping sauce with it, but once again, the waitress was no where to be found, I was very hungry and they were getting cold.
The food was served hot which is always a plus.
**** Finally, I will note the place was dead with barely anyone in there. It was very surprising. I am not sure what the problem is. It’s location is perplexing, as it is obscure. Maybe the good word hasn’t gotten out about them? I just don’t know at this point. I am not exactly sure how long this restaurant has been open.
I know there used to be a big Mexican buffet there before them, and then a huge Chinese buffet.
My suggestion to this restaurant, would be to have more attentive service, otherwise it’s a perfectly great place to dine.
It would be a damn pitiful shame if this place shuts down, because no one has a clue about them.
I absolutely plan on going back soon.
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Update:
We went again recently. We made the mistake of going off the beaten path and ordering something else. We didn’t care for what we ordered as much as what we ordered initially in my first review.
I ordered the chicken pad Thai and my date ordered a spicy hot chicken red curry dish. His dish definitely did not have enough curry in it, and fell very flat on overall flavor. My pad Thai was OK, but don’t think I will order it again. The appetizers were acceptable again.
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Third time visit: And we are back on track! ;o)
My ginger chicken was excellent. My date’s general tso’s chicken was great too. Appetizers were spot on — regular egg rolls and shrimp tempura.
The service was great. We had a sweet/​friendly and attentive server. They work with a skeleton crew; as it’s never busy, so I really hope this place stays in business! It is seriously really one of better Chinese restaurants on the southside of Indy.
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4^th visit: spicy/​hot garlic chicken — it is a winner winner chicken dinner.
The pan fried potstickers/​pork dumplings are awesome too. ;o)
The next time I am trying the spicy hot chicken with the sherry sauce.

We had lunch specials, and they were great! Sweet and Sour Chicken; Chicken with Broccoli. Great service! Lovely atmosphere and décor! Did not expect such a nice place from the strip mall storefront.

This is SO not the buffet that used to be here. Carmel & Fishers, eat your hearts out — though the smarter option would be to get in your car and head down here.
The reviewer who said this was kind of a PF Changs-​like place was kind of right. The quality and presentation are quite similar. But the pricing and atmosphere are not so pretentious. That is NOT to say that the décor is lacking. It’s just… more comfortable. Friendly. Not marketing.
I had a custom order and it was executed perfectly and without a hint of complaint. The Pad Thai was flavorful and decently spicy. Salt and pepper calamari was perfect. The only complaint is that they don’t have brown rice.
Other observations: Coke products, quiet but not dead, comfy seating with no arm rests, very wheelchair friendly, attentive but not intrusive service.
Some people have mentioned coupons. I’m a total bargain hunter, and I say to you, it’s worth paying full price. We’ll be back when we’re in Indy next time.

I visited around 7pm on a Tuesday, here are my gripes:
I was the only one there other than what appeared to be 1 employee. It was very eerie being the only person in a restaurant and it doesn’t exactly give you confidence in your meal.
A little pricey. I spent over $ 18 on an entrée and an appetizer. This is Chinese takeout remember.
I ordered Sesame Chicken. There were no sesame seeds on it, it was soggy and the sauce was thick and tasted almost like BBQ sauce. Fried rice would have been extra, seriously?
The Crab Rangoon was actually pretty good.
I won’t be going back, and unless they pack the place out on weekends, I’m not sure how in the hell they are staying in business. The place is gigantic and very nice on the inside (read: $$) but it is a strip mall Chinese joint with bad food in my opinion.

China Bistro is much too nice of establishment to be located where it sits. I say this because the décor is beautifully appointed and it makes it a pleasure to eat in here. Please patronize this establishment. This is by far the best Chinese food on the south side, if not in the entire metro area.
We have been for lunch and dinner, each time the servers were great and the food was super. They have great lunch specials. For less than $ 6 you receive a chicken entrée, fried rice, soup and an egg roll. My wife and I both enjoyed the General Tso’s Chicken lunch combo. Plenty of sauce with a great flavor, not too sweet, not too spicy and all white meat chicken, fried to perfection. I had the wonton soup for $ 1 extra, 3 huge wontons in broth. My wife partook in the egg drop soup. Both were very good. The egg rolls are on the smaller side, but worth it. They are not overstuffed or overfried, like you find at most of the other places. Plus they come with a delectable dipping sauce.
The time we went for dinner, it was a Saturday night and we had the the dinner special, which was any full sized chicken entrée for $ 7.95 which comes with steamed white rice. We upgraded to fried rice this evening. My wife had the General Tso’s (see review above) and I had the pineapple chicken. The pineapple chicken, again all white meat chicken with pineapple chunks and bell peppers. The sauce was sweet but was quite tasty. We also shared the beef lomein that evening. My wife said that it was the best beef lomein that she’s had in the area. I have to agree with her. The noodles were cooked to perfection, the beef tender and juicy and the sauce was again very flavorful.
All in all, we both agree that this is the best Chinese place in the area.

The ambiance is superb for the Southside of Indy… especially in a strip mall. The food is decent and the selection is equivalent to an Asian Cheesecake Factory minus all the cheesecakes of course!
It is an easy alternative of a china buffet or to go Asian food. It features a decent bar and beer/​wine selection!

This restaurant is such a hidden gem! It’s in a junky strip mall with Walmart, but it is so fancy inside! (Yet you can still wear casual attire.) The food is so fresh & delicious! I don’t usually like egg rolls because they’re too dried out, but I love them here. I had basil chicken tonight, which I’ve never had before, and it was such a refreshing change from fried chicken (as in general tso, though their General tso is good here). And any chicken entrée was on special for $ 7.95! It was very filling, and so much better than eating off a buffet for the same price. The only bad thing is this place is never busy! On a Friday night, there were only 4 other couple eating here. I hope word gets out so they stay in business!

We used a groupon and tried the bistro for two experience.
The Mongolian beef is AMAZING. The orange chicken is pretty good also.
We tried the crab Rangoon, which I would rate above average, and each got a different type of soup– he got egg drop and I got hot and sour. Both were great, but the hot and sour is better in our opinion.
I like the ginger salad.
Best tip I have is for dessert mix green tea ice cream and coconut jello (which is more like flan) so good!!!