Again, you can't compare the Chinese food quality + selection here to what you can get in CA. This may be an only 2 star Chinese restaurant in CA, but it certainly deserves at least a par 3 stars in the Midwest. First of all, the selection wasn't bad. Besides the typical Americanized Chinese dishes such as the sweet & sour, Mushu, Kong-Pao and fried appetizers, you can also find Vietnamese spring rolls and a selection of Chinese noodle soup. Impressive! What even impressed me more was that, they have a large variety of cocktail drinks available. Seriously, you can't even find that at most Chinese restaurants in CA unless you go to PF Chang. Drinks are cheaper here for around $5 per cocktail. With that kind of price and the cocktail names such as "Pink Panda", you know you have to order at least 1. Taste wise? Not impressive. All dishes tasted pretty mediocre and overly greasy just like your typical Americanized Chinese food. The $5 cocktail tasted like cheap punch with a very tiny kick of booze. The portion was pretty nice though, we were very satisfied and full with the 4 people meal when there were 5 of us. If I ever craved for Chinese food when I am in Ankeny again, I don't mind visiting China Moon again. Oh, and it actually tasted better than some of the Americanized Chinese restaurants in my hood (watch out Jade Palace!).
(3)
Casey R.
Never have I had a bad experience here. I think it's the best Chinese joint in Ankeny. They are a tad bit expensive but it's totally worth it. They're egg rolls & egg drop soup are amazing. They do fun things with entrees like cut up different fruits and veggies to look like flowers. When they give you your check they bring out a cute little pot that "smokes" (dry ice & water). It's very fun. The buffet on Sundays is good. They're cocktails are great! The volcano drink it great for 2 people to share or drink on your own :) My friends, family, & I go here as often as possible! They also deliver in Ankeny & I've never had any problems with the food quality. It's always been fast & still very hot & delicious when it comes.
(5)
Dong B.
Very disappointed in this place. I order 2 chicken dishes and an appetizer (crab rangoons) for delivery. It ended up costing me $34 plus tip. Not only was it expensive (compared to other Chinese restaurants in more expensive cities like Chicago) but the quality was just horrible. Too much sauce on both chicken dishes, the broccoli was overcooked and was soggy, and the crab rangoons were just over fried and chewy.
(1)
Tony G.
I get carryout from here bi-weekly. Good balance of price and portions. They have the best crab rangoon in the metro. That alone bumps them to the fourth star.
(4)
Craig Z.
I love this place. I try to stop in every week or two for lunch. The food always tastes great! I have tried a handfull of dishes, and have never been let down.
(5)
Lynn T.
We had our wedding reception here, and based on the food itself - I wouldn't eat here ever again. We trusted recommendations on choosing this restaurant for the reception/catering. When ordering our food selection, we were promised lots of fresh options that we were more than willing to pay for. Our guests were served steamed fish that was still raw on the inside. No apologies, and when paying my sister in law had to remind him the fish at most tables were still raw and not edible. Fast forward to our friend's wedding reception where they catered, the stir fry noodles were terrible. The noodles were overcooked and complete mush. The crab rangoon had no flavor. She also had the lobster and scallion dish ordered, and that was also lacking in favor but also not cooked properly. I bit into it and it was raw! Her entire wedding reception was maybe 100 people max, and he charged her a little over $8k for catering.
(1)
Bev T.
Our first experience with this restaurant was tonight's meal we had delivered to our daughter's home. The meal arrived to us somewhat late as the delivery driver got lost and ended up on the wrong side of town, but arrived shortly after calling for directions. The food was still warm. Lots of yummy sauce in both the mushroom beef and in the cashew shrimp. The fried rice was ok, putting in the sauce from the entree's helped the rice out a lot! The egg rolls are ok, but a tad greasy. Overall, our meals were decent and enjoyable. The portions were definitely large enough and there was plenty of meat in the entrees.
(4)
CHRIS C.
Not bad. Didn't try the buffet but there seemed like there was a lot of different types of food on it. The menu is huge with many different options.
(3)
Patrick T.
I can remember when China Moon, was almost out in the country located on the south side of Ankeny, this little family owned Chinese food spot was almost an island unto itself! Now with Ankeny growing so rapidly China Moon, is pretty much in the middle of town! And that benefits the citizens of Ankeny, cause what we have here is a great restaurant! I love the mixed veggies, and tofu, their sauces have a great flavor and their selections of soups (pho) are fantastic. Every time I have been the staff has been super sweet, whether, you are digging a nicer dinner or just hitting up the lunch buffet. They will always have something for everyone! I'm glad Ankeny has this institution of food to grow as the community grows as well!
(4)
Genevieve W.
Placed my order over the phone about 4:30. Was told about 45 mins to 1 hour for delivery. Glad I asked if they accepted credit cards before she hung up! They do but assume cash which was fine! Order was delivered 5:45 but the driver had gotten lost due to my area being do new the gps would not find it. No worries! Driver was super friendly! I even got a calendar with my order for the New Years! Kind of like an adult happy meal prize I guess. Food was warm when it arrived which surprised me because it is frigid cold outside! Sesame chicken was good! They give you a large portion with quite a bit of fried rice. Sui Mai was a little oily but pretty good, especially since it's a little hard to find anywhere. Potstickers were really good, filling was moist, outside was still a little crispy despite this being delivery! Crabrangoon was a bit disappointing it was chewy I need to try it fresh! Egg drop soup was decent ! Overall pretty good experience for delivery Chinese food, which is hard to come by!! Overall good first impression. I will have to try dining in next time!!
(4)
Bill L.
It was my time eating here today after driving by almost daily. I have eaten take out and delivery from this restaurant in the past at a family member's house and was not very impressed. The food was average at best, not really something I was looking forward to. When I found out they had a buffet I decided to see what they had to offer. The inside was a very calming atmosphere, it is the best I can describe it. There were other patrons eating here and everyone was very quiet. Even the staff was speaking to us in a whispered tone when they serviced us. Honestly, I enjoyed the calm setting. The buffet is set up like a catering party, limited food dishes in the middle of the restaurant. The food selection was very limited, but a descent amount of their dishes were good. Now here comes the kicker, they had King Crab legs! I was surprised, and they were very tasty. Their servers were very friendly and were on top of their game. Overall I had a great experience. It looks like they only have buffets for lunch on Sundays. Price was not bad at all, especially for getting crab legs. I am still not sure if I would come to eat their menu items, maybe I will try one day.
(4)
katherine l.
We went there for dinner and as soon as I walked in I had a feeling we should leave but stayed. We were 1 of 2 tables. Booths torn, dated decor, and the napkins smelled so heavily of perfumed laundry detergent it was hard to ignore. We had our 1 year old with us and her high chair was straight out of the 70s with a metal tray.... Thought she was going to fall out of it or that tray was going to fall off. The safety strap so discolored it was brown. Then our food. I ordered the hot braised pork. I couldn't even eat it I got a gross big piece of fat in my first bite. It was supposed to be crispy but was soggy. My husband took it to lunch today and had two pieces with bone in it. Gross. He ordered the empress chicken which he said lacked flavor and spice. But was so hungry he ate it. My 1 year old who isn't a picky eater wouldn't eat anything we ordered. Not even the rice. Here's hoping we don't get sick. It was the biggest waste of $35. I will never go back and recommend you try somewhere else for Chinese food when in Ankeny.
(1)
Erin S.
Overpriced. Mostly tasteless. Check your bag before you leave! NO KIDS MENU. NOT family friendly!!! China Moon, you seriously need to get your crap together. We order takeout about once a month and every time the order is messed up. Back in December we ordered 2 orders of sesame chicken. With this you get: rice, egg roll and soup. We ended up getting and PAYING FOR our order of crab rangoon and FOUR orders of sesame chicken that were lacking soups, rice AND egg rolls??? This was at dinner time so they put us down for two free orders of sesame chicken. When we decided to take them up on those two meals they only gave us lunch portions??? RIP OFF. Sounds like someone was trying to line their pockets at Christmastime. Tonight I ordered one order of sesame chicken, an extra soup and an order of crab rangoon. We didn't get our extra soup but thankfully after checking with them, we didn't pay for it. China Moon - - your food is so-so (not a lot to choose from that's actually good [empress chicken is terrible]) but your hot & sour soup is the BEST in Ankeny. Crab Rangoon is also good but I'm starting to think we'll just have to do without Chinese in Ankeny. The only other place worth eating at is Lucky Bamboo but they only take cash. 5/12/13: LARGE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE RICE. It was nice knowing you China Moon. You've finally lost us as customers.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Del S.
Again, you can't compare the Chinese food quality + selection here to what you can get in CA. This may be an only 2 star Chinese restaurant in CA, but it certainly deserves at least a par 3 stars in the Midwest. First of all, the selection wasn't bad. Besides the typical Americanized Chinese dishes such as the sweet & sour, Mushu, Kong-Pao and fried appetizers, you can also find Vietnamese spring rolls and a selection of Chinese noodle soup. Impressive! What even impressed me more was that, they have a large variety of cocktail drinks available. Seriously, you can't even find that at most Chinese restaurants in CA unless you go to PF Chang. Drinks are cheaper here for around $5 per cocktail. With that kind of price and the cocktail names such as "Pink Panda", you know you have to order at least 1. Taste wise? Not impressive. All dishes tasted pretty mediocre and overly greasy just like your typical Americanized Chinese food. The $5 cocktail tasted like cheap punch with a very tiny kick of booze. The portion was pretty nice though, we were very satisfied and full with the 4 people meal when there were 5 of us. If I ever craved for Chinese food when I am in Ankeny again, I don't mind visiting China Moon again. Oh, and it actually tasted better than some of the Americanized Chinese restaurants in my hood (watch out Jade Palace!).
(3)Casey R.
Never have I had a bad experience here. I think it's the best Chinese joint in Ankeny. They are a tad bit expensive but it's totally worth it. They're egg rolls & egg drop soup are amazing. They do fun things with entrees like cut up different fruits and veggies to look like flowers. When they give you your check they bring out a cute little pot that "smokes" (dry ice & water). It's very fun. The buffet on Sundays is good. They're cocktails are great! The volcano drink it great for 2 people to share or drink on your own :) My friends, family, & I go here as often as possible! They also deliver in Ankeny & I've never had any problems with the food quality. It's always been fast & still very hot & delicious when it comes.
(5)Dong B.
Very disappointed in this place. I order 2 chicken dishes and an appetizer (crab rangoons) for delivery. It ended up costing me $34 plus tip. Not only was it expensive (compared to other Chinese restaurants in more expensive cities like Chicago) but the quality was just horrible. Too much sauce on both chicken dishes, the broccoli was overcooked and was soggy, and the crab rangoons were just over fried and chewy.
(1)Tony G.
I get carryout from here bi-weekly. Good balance of price and portions. They have the best crab rangoon in the metro. That alone bumps them to the fourth star.
(4)Craig Z.
I love this place. I try to stop in every week or two for lunch. The food always tastes great! I have tried a handfull of dishes, and have never been let down.
(5)Lynn T.
We had our wedding reception here, and based on the food itself - I wouldn't eat here ever again. We trusted recommendations on choosing this restaurant for the reception/catering. When ordering our food selection, we were promised lots of fresh options that we were more than willing to pay for. Our guests were served steamed fish that was still raw on the inside. No apologies, and when paying my sister in law had to remind him the fish at most tables were still raw and not edible. Fast forward to our friend's wedding reception where they catered, the stir fry noodles were terrible. The noodles were overcooked and complete mush. The crab rangoon had no flavor. She also had the lobster and scallion dish ordered, and that was also lacking in favor but also not cooked properly. I bit into it and it was raw! Her entire wedding reception was maybe 100 people max, and he charged her a little over $8k for catering.
(1)Bev T.
Our first experience with this restaurant was tonight's meal we had delivered to our daughter's home. The meal arrived to us somewhat late as the delivery driver got lost and ended up on the wrong side of town, but arrived shortly after calling for directions. The food was still warm. Lots of yummy sauce in both the mushroom beef and in the cashew shrimp. The fried rice was ok, putting in the sauce from the entree's helped the rice out a lot! The egg rolls are ok, but a tad greasy. Overall, our meals were decent and enjoyable. The portions were definitely large enough and there was plenty of meat in the entrees.
(4)CHRIS C.
Not bad. Didn't try the buffet but there seemed like there was a lot of different types of food on it. The menu is huge with many different options.
(3)Patrick T.
I can remember when China Moon, was almost out in the country located on the south side of Ankeny, this little family owned Chinese food spot was almost an island unto itself! Now with Ankeny growing so rapidly China Moon, is pretty much in the middle of town! And that benefits the citizens of Ankeny, cause what we have here is a great restaurant! I love the mixed veggies, and tofu, their sauces have a great flavor and their selections of soups (pho) are fantastic. Every time I have been the staff has been super sweet, whether, you are digging a nicer dinner or just hitting up the lunch buffet. They will always have something for everyone! I'm glad Ankeny has this institution of food to grow as the community grows as well!
(4)Genevieve W.
Placed my order over the phone about 4:30. Was told about 45 mins to 1 hour for delivery. Glad I asked if they accepted credit cards before she hung up! They do but assume cash which was fine! Order was delivered 5:45 but the driver had gotten lost due to my area being do new the gps would not find it. No worries! Driver was super friendly! I even got a calendar with my order for the New Years! Kind of like an adult happy meal prize I guess. Food was warm when it arrived which surprised me because it is frigid cold outside! Sesame chicken was good! They give you a large portion with quite a bit of fried rice. Sui Mai was a little oily but pretty good, especially since it's a little hard to find anywhere. Potstickers were really good, filling was moist, outside was still a little crispy despite this being delivery! Crabrangoon was a bit disappointing it was chewy I need to try it fresh! Egg drop soup was decent ! Overall pretty good experience for delivery Chinese food, which is hard to come by!! Overall good first impression. I will have to try dining in next time!!
(4)Bill L.
It was my time eating here today after driving by almost daily. I have eaten take out and delivery from this restaurant in the past at a family member's house and was not very impressed. The food was average at best, not really something I was looking forward to. When I found out they had a buffet I decided to see what they had to offer. The inside was a very calming atmosphere, it is the best I can describe it. There were other patrons eating here and everyone was very quiet. Even the staff was speaking to us in a whispered tone when they serviced us. Honestly, I enjoyed the calm setting. The buffet is set up like a catering party, limited food dishes in the middle of the restaurant. The food selection was very limited, but a descent amount of their dishes were good. Now here comes the kicker, they had King Crab legs! I was surprised, and they were very tasty. Their servers were very friendly and were on top of their game. Overall I had a great experience. It looks like they only have buffets for lunch on Sundays. Price was not bad at all, especially for getting crab legs. I am still not sure if I would come to eat their menu items, maybe I will try one day.
(4)katherine l.
We went there for dinner and as soon as I walked in I had a feeling we should leave but stayed. We were 1 of 2 tables. Booths torn, dated decor, and the napkins smelled so heavily of perfumed laundry detergent it was hard to ignore. We had our 1 year old with us and her high chair was straight out of the 70s with a metal tray.... Thought she was going to fall out of it or that tray was going to fall off. The safety strap so discolored it was brown. Then our food. I ordered the hot braised pork. I couldn't even eat it I got a gross big piece of fat in my first bite. It was supposed to be crispy but was soggy. My husband took it to lunch today and had two pieces with bone in it. Gross. He ordered the empress chicken which he said lacked flavor and spice. But was so hungry he ate it. My 1 year old who isn't a picky eater wouldn't eat anything we ordered. Not even the rice. Here's hoping we don't get sick. It was the biggest waste of $35. I will never go back and recommend you try somewhere else for Chinese food when in Ankeny.
(1)Erin S.
Overpriced. Mostly tasteless. Check your bag before you leave! NO KIDS MENU. NOT family friendly!!! China Moon, you seriously need to get your crap together. We order takeout about once a month and every time the order is messed up. Back in December we ordered 2 orders of sesame chicken. With this you get: rice, egg roll and soup. We ended up getting and PAYING FOR our order of crab rangoon and FOUR orders of sesame chicken that were lacking soups, rice AND egg rolls??? This was at dinner time so they put us down for two free orders of sesame chicken. When we decided to take them up on those two meals they only gave us lunch portions??? RIP OFF. Sounds like someone was trying to line their pockets at Christmastime. Tonight I ordered one order of sesame chicken, an extra soup and an order of crab rangoon. We didn't get our extra soup but thankfully after checking with them, we didn't pay for it. China Moon - - your food is so-so (not a lot to choose from that's actually good [empress chicken is terrible]) but your hot & sour soup is the BEST in Ankeny. Crab Rangoon is also good but I'm starting to think we'll just have to do without Chinese in Ankeny. The only other place worth eating at is Lucky Bamboo but they only take cash. 5/12/13: LARGE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE RICE. It was nice knowing you China Moon. You've finally lost us as customers.
(1)