Lum Yen Chinese Restaurant

Recommends

Becky C.

Joined 11 months ago

Good food, decent atmosphere. I like it.

Doesn't Recommend

cookingmusician

Joined 4 years ago

it's in decline. I lived in Mamaroneck in the early 2000s as a student, and I really enjoyed the few times I decided to spoil myself and my girlfriend by going to Lum Yen. It was usually empty (never bothers me) they had nice tablecloths, good food served with a lot of class... it was a bit dark and old-timey, but it had its charms, and the food was a cut above the other counter-and-a-few-tables Chinese places in Mamaroneck.

The other day we had some friends up from Queens to have dinner with us... they've taken us to many great restaurants there, so I wanted to respond in kind, and thought of Lum Yen. It's SAD, really. They've gotten a good looking, slightly more casual makeover. But the food and service have gone down the tubes. We ordered our Chinese staples: scallion pancake, greens with garlic, soup dumplings (XLB) salt-pepper squid, a mushroom dish they called 'lilies of the forest,' shrimp Ding, and vegetable fried rice.

The scallion pancake came out first, and it was chewy, stale, and room temperature. Then I think the squid came out, and it was actually pretty good. They were very confused by our ordering garlic greens (something every Chinese place in the city brings without trouble,) and made us feel a bit uncomfortable about it... what they brought out tasted pretty good, but instead of nice, thin refreshing greens they were thick broccoli stems that were a bit greasy and oily. The soup dumplings took 30 min, were about a quarter of the size of the ones I get in Chinatown, and not one of them contained any soup.

The lilies of the forest were shitake mushrooms cooked in grease and presented like a vegetarian entree from the early 80s... on unappetizing overcooked bok choy. The shrimp ding was ok, but a bit oversweet, light on the cashews, and just overall seemed a bit gray and not that fresh. The vegetable fried rice was fine, but the same way it is from a takeout counter in the mall.

In addition to all this, the service was generally slow and unwelcoming, and at the end of the night after we left cash for the bill + almost 30%, we had to ask for change after, and they had clearly already put it into the tips, so we had to ask for a specific amount, and they made us feel like it was our mistake.

I don't mean to go on and on, but I was excited to share this place with my friends, and just ended up feeling really embarrassed that, because of me, they ended up spending an amount of money that would've got them a really nice meal in Queens or Manhattan on a meal that nobody could say anything much about. I hope somebody turns things around over there... I suppose it can probably coast on its reputation with people who've been going there for decades, but it seems a shame that a once nice place is just getting by now.

Recommends

jmcgra

Joined 7 years ago

A Notch Above The Rest. Just moved to Westchester from Manhattan. Tried pretty much all of the Chinese restaurants in the area before someone recommended this place. The food is great (not greasy, no mystery meat, fresh) and always consistent. My family is ecstatic now that we've food our weekly Chinese food spot. Recommendations: Steamed sea bass, sesame beef, the wings.

Recommends

hoyas2000

Joined 8 years ago

Best Chinese in Southern Westchester. We have been getting our Chinese food from Lum Yen for as long as I can remember, which must be about 20 years now! The quality is always great and the selection is extremely diverse. Now that they offer delivery, it is an even better option. I always get the General Tso' chicken, which is the best I have ever had anywhere (New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C....anywhere). The food is extremely good and never has that too oily feeling that some Chinese food can have. Have only dined in the restaurant once (always do take-out or Delivery), but I seem to remember it being very nice inside. If you are in Southern Westchester, you can not do better than Lum Yen!