For over 20 years, I have dined at this Chinese Restaurant, both as a take-out and a dine-in customer. It is family-owned and operated. The chef's wife and/or run the front. Both the Ownership and staff are Chinese Nationals. Many of the Servers speak little or no English...but they are working from 6 to 8 tables at a time, so questions about the nuances and history of the menu and its ingredients are going to get you "No Speakee" responses. This is a survival mechanism of Waiter Staff to slough off wacky customers who expect them to give them 20 minutes of history. This isn't unfriendly service. Its "efficient" service. Place your order and you'll be happy. Please say "No MSG" if you're at all effected by this drug/flavor enhancer. This Restaurant tends to way over use monosodium glutamate. I tend to wake up fitlessly during the night of my meal. dry mouthed, and somewhat hallucinatory. I ALWAYS say "No MSG. No MSG. No MSG, Please!" And then I ask ... more

For over 20 years, I have dined at this Chinese Restaurant, both as a take-out and a dine-in customer. It is family-owned and operated. The chef's wife and/or run the front. Both the Ownership and staff are Chinese Nationals. Many of the Servers speak little or no English...but they are working from 6 to 8 tables at a time, so questions about the nuances and history of the menu and its ingredients are going to get you "No Speakee" responses. This is a survival mechanism of Waiter Staff to slough off wacky customers who expect them to give them 20 minutes of history. This isn't unfriendly service. Its "efficient" service. Place your order and you'll be happy. Please say "No MSG" if you're at all effected by this drug/flavor enhancer. This Restaurant tends to way over use monosodium glutamate. I tend to wake up fitlessly during the night of my meal. dry mouthed, and somewhat hallucinatory. I ALWAYS say "No MSG. No MSG. No MSG, Please!" And then I ask "Oh, did you write down "No MSG?"
The Pot Stickers ($4) are among the best in the area. This reminds me of going to lunch with a client, corpullant though he was, who ordered 6 (six)! orders of Sesame's Pot Stickers at lunch (no less. I don't know who was more astonished: the waiter or me! (He ate them ALL!) Sesame's proportion of pork, vegetables, and rice is even and reliably steady, leaving no doubt as to the reliabilty of the order. The Dipping Sauce is made as it should be: sesame seed oil, sake, rice wine vinegar, green onions, beef and vegetable broth, garlic, high-quality soy sauce. Ask for double or triple on the side: you won't get it, but ask anyway! The won-ton wrappers are hand made of fresh flour and egg wash, perfectly crimped, and sauteed to perfection on one flat side in oil and rice wine vinegar. Perfection every time! There's not enough white or black pepper on the finish for my taste, so I add or grind more to my taste. I also re-heat them when I carry- out so they are always piping hot, just like YOU like them!
The "Sweet and Sour Soup" ($2) is reliable and executed to a point of perfection! I think, don't you, that a restaurant can always be judged, first and foremostly, by its soups. Sesame's soup stock is a great blend of made-from-scratch beef & vegetable stocks, rice wine vinegar, scallions, green onions, snow peas. Fabulous at lunch during the winter!Try it.
Sesame's "Honey Chicken Legs" Appetizer ($4) is fabulous! Everything you which you could go to the trouble to make: wonderously crunchy breading, fabulous golden finish, fresh chicken legs (you don't think that ALL restaurants use fresh, do you? The sauce is lace with honey, rice wine vinegar, lite soy sauce and onion. Sinfully great!
Entrees: Well, after 20 years, I've ordered quite a few menu selections. I've NEVER felt mis-lead by the menu...its always that I never read it carefully! What I have to suggest: "Poor Quality" Chinese Restaurants - Buffet Style or not - use inferior grade, aged vegetables: those which you would reject in your own shopping tours. They may order "Standard Grade" meat, & chicken, & fish. I can assure you: Sesame DOES NOT. Please read the Chef's menu descriptions. He didn't write them for nothing! "Peanut" means peanut full and a lot of them - Brown vegetble/beef based sauce, tight, green pepper. If you don't like peanuts, please don't order and then not like the entree! The "Shrimp Sautee" Perfection. 10. Rice Flour. Ennoki. Shrimp Sauce. Hot. You won't have room for desert. Tea is fine. They care. Very Rare!
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