Cathay 22
“We had two appetizers – mixed beef tripe with ma la sauce and Chengdu cold noodles, two entries – Sichuan lamb and sea dragon in spicy sauce.”
“There is a reason why Zagat has rated Cathay one of the best Chinese restaurants in NJ.”
“Authentic stuff; you can feel a bit of the characteristic "numbness" from the Sichuan peppercorn.”
Cathay 22
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This was my second time here. The first time I went I didn't love it. That was a while back so I decided to give it another go. Bleh. I was disappointed.
To start we ordered hot and sour sour which was decent. Also, the spring rolls and pan-fried pork dumplings – both just okay.
Our dinner was so flavorless. For our entree we ordered the heavenly chicken, the golden coins (I think that's the name of it) and pork fried rice. All were simply unimpressive. Bland as can be.
The staff was friendly and accommodating but unfortunately this was a major miss for me.
We went there on a Saturday afternoon, it was pretty much empty. We were bit skeptic of the food but the food was amazing and proceeded our expectations.
Its a huge place. The hosts are great and friendly.We had ordered the Three pepper chicken and a customized fish fillet in house sauce. The food was just awesome. Both the dishes were great with the right spice levels.
Will certainly recommend this place !
I have been passing by this place for many year. Today was the first time that we decided to stop by. Everyone was very friendly. The manager and the host asked for feedback on our way out. The food was very authentic, which reminded me of my hometown cooking. Not to mention, the chef was from Chengdu. We had two appetizers – mixed beef tripe with ma la sauce and Chengdu cold noodles, two entries – Sichuan lamb and sea dragon in spicy sauce. All dishes that we got were spicy. If you love spicy food, you should give them a try.
Cathay 22 is a decent and relatively authentic Chinese restaurant. There's plenty of seating and the menu is quite large.
The famed dian dian mian and szechuan-style wontons are okay. I've had better, but for the location, it passes. The scallion pancakes are decent. The soup dumplings are handmade it seems, but the preparation leaves little or no soup inside. The Peking duck is pricier than some and the pieces don't get carved in front of you, but I was impressed with it being a lot less fatty than those from other restaurants.
Overall, north Jersey's Chinese restaurants are limited and the drive can be quite long, so Cathay 22 is certainly a serviceable place to get your authentic Chinese food fix.
Awesome Chinese restaurant! We went specifically for the Peking duck and it did not disappoint!! It was perfectly crisped and flavorful, the pancakes were very large, I maybe would have preferred smaller ones. The hoisin sauce was good, scallions were given but no cucumbers unfortunately.
We also started out with steamed vegetable dumplings for me which were really good, and my hubby had fried pork dumplings which he very much enjoyed.
We had a side of veggie fried rice which was the only true disappointment of the meal, very oily tasting and bland at the same time.
Will be back for dumplings and Peking duck!!!
Dim sum was only available on weekend before 3pm so I did not get to order soup dumplings. Peking duck was not good, but sichuan dishes were up to par.
Super authentic Chinese food! Came here with my family who are all Chinese and they agree. We typically get the Ma Po Tofu and the Beef Tripe with Ma La Sauce (aka Fu Qi Fei Pian: beef tripe with a spicy, peppery sauce). I'd recommend Cathay's other cold appetizers too. Their food is never too greasy or salty.
Place looks unremarkable from the outside, but don't be fooled.
This place brings back fond memories of SAT and AP tests. When I was in high school, my family lived in the area, and we would come here almost once a week.
The food was always something to look forward to after a long week of studying. Instead of boring old fortune cookies, they give you a chocolate mint bonbon at the end of your meal. It helps cool a full, fiery belly of Sichaun food.
Even though we ordered spicy food, they have a diverse menu, and they cater to Western taste buds by offering orange chicken and the like. We always went with Sichuan favorites:
–fish fillet in spicy broth (might be making up this name but in Chinese it's a well-known Sichuan dish called 水煮鱼)
–dan dan noodles (everyone's favorite)
–hot and spicy soup
–hot peppers (yes it's a dangerously good dish!)
–beef and vermicelli noodle soup
I revisited this place today, wondering if it had disappeared or changed owners after almost 7 years. I was pleased to find it still in full swing and the spiciness of the food still as unforgiving as I had remembered. The hardest part about operating a restaurant business is consistency. Five stars to Cathay 22 for consistency. And I do believe it's the best in this area. Only docking 1 star because my standard for Chinese food has upgraded due to the restaurants in our new neighborhood…. it's survival of the fittest out there.