A Review of the Seafood Empire Chinese Restaurant in North Brunswick, New Jersey

New Jersey is known for its Chinese food restaurants but not all are created equally. The Seafood Empire in North Brunswick, New Jersey is one Chinese restaurant that is created just a step above the rest. The Seafood Empire has just about everything - including a lunch buffet which offers a large variety for both vegetarians and omnivores - but the one thing they do not have is alcohol so remember to bring your own.

I went for a late dinner on a Wednesday night with my mother and we were the last customers in the restaurant, yet the staff never made us feel rushed. I ordered a lot of food assuming the portions would be large and I wasn't wrong. I had the hot and sour soup - which I was pleased to learn, was vegetarian - and it had a bit too much vinegar for my liking, but overall it was tasty and helped clear my sinuses. As an appetizer I ordered the vegetarian steamed dumplings. They were served in a basket steamer to keep them warm, and the contents included diced tofu, garlic and spinach although I think there might have been some scrambled egg in there as well. These were served with a dumpling sauce which tasted like soy sauce with green onions - or scallions known to some. The dumplings were plain even with the sauce but I thought The Seafood Empire did their best to season them with the garlic.

Another appetizer I had was cold sesame noodles; these should be served with peanut butter sauce and sesame oil, and have a strong peanut taste but I thought this dish lacked that pungent flavor. It was served with long slices of cucumber but overall I found it to be weak and a bit watery.