China Gate

We eat out a lot and love Chinese, but this place has gone over the years from excellent to OK to bad. Tonight was the worst experience we have had for a very long time. The waitress arrived promptly, took our drink orders, and then disappeared for about 30 minutes, finally showing up with my wine, but no water (for which we had to ask three times!). After another quarter of an hour, she shows up again, takes our order, reappearing in another quarter of an hour with one of the entrées, but no appetizers. She takes back the entrée and five minutes later brings the egg roll and soup (but still no water!). Then she brings the entrées, one if which was the one I had sent back (it had not even been reheated!) and another which was not the one my husband had ordered. Finally, we get the correct one, but by now it was also a bit on the cool side. Then we had to had to ask for rice, which did arrivé fairly promptly. It took nearly a half hour to get the bill, which was wrong (we were undercharged by one glass of wine). So, we paid the bill, including for the missing wine and left, two and a half hours after we arrived. The restaurant is understaffed, poorly managed, and the staff is badly trained. Too bad. Several years ago, it was wonderful.

It had been several years since I visited this restaurant. I used to dine here almost every Sunday for a marvelous buffet that regrettably, is no longer offered.
This was our second choice. We had tried to get into the newly-​opened BRGR downstairs, but were told that there was a ninety to one hundred twenty minute wait to get into the loud and raucous atmosphere, in which diners are placed in very close proximity to others: no, thanks. No meal is worth waiting that long for, and it is probably just as well that there would not be any tables available until well into the evening because it is not a pleasant place to eat. We enjoyed the quiet of China Gate.
What sets this restaurant apart from others is its beautiful space in the region’s most exclusive and lovely mall. Both sides of the restaurant offer a view of the lower level of the mall, enabling the diner to engage in interesting people-​watching throughout the meal.
Our server was a woman who used to serve as buffet busser. Her command of English is not great, but good enough. She is pleasant and provided good and attentive service with regular plate-​clearing and water refills.
The crispy noodles with which the meal begins are delicious, a great first course.
I ordered pork egg roll and pork lo mein. The egg roll was not very good because it was not hot. The lo mein was priced relatively high at $ 10.00, but it was worth it as it was ample and delicious. It was also very salty as evidenced by the amount of water I felt compelled to consume after dinner.
My wife ordered mixed vegetables with tofu and brown rice. It was also a good portion and prepared well.
Those who regularly dine at area Chinese restaurants will find the prices of many dishes to be high.

Firstly, almost as soon as we sat down the waitress brought us waters — including two with lids for the kids, yay! Plus won-​tons and that warm red sauce they serve here. Encouraged by the start, we ordered orange beef and pad thai. The food came out quickly and was steaming hot and surprisingly delicious. The beef was battered, which isn’t my preference, but was really good with citrus peels in the sauce and great level of spice and flavor.
One thing we just haven’t gotten used to in Pittsburgh (and maybe it’s an East Coast thing??) is that restaurants here tend to mash up all the «Asian» cuisines together and you have Chinese/​Thai/​Sushi (Japanese) places that just don’t quite get the sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious differences. Didn’t we learn from the great Inspector Clouseau to never trust Japanese waiters bearing fortune cookies? Ok, I digress. Anyway, we’ve been burned with the combo places before but this place ROCKED THE PAD THAI! It was hands down the best, most authentic-​tasting (yes, I have been to Thailand) dish I’d had in a while. Shocked me at how good it was!
So we had to go again. The second visit we had a larger group and the food was not quite piping hot. We also tried the amazing chicken (still not sure what it is exactly, but it’s everywhere in Western PA), and everyone agreed that the Pad Thai was great. I’ll go back for that any time. I’m hoping that the slower service and not hot food was an anomaly, but regardless there’s a dish there that calls my name. Definitely try it.

I was actually surprised whenever I checked into China Gate and it had a lower than average rating. I was curious as to how my meal was going to be because I’ve had some bad Chinese before.
My friend Brandi & I did painting with a twist at the Galleria during the mall’s art week. She had been to China Gate before and explained to me how cute it was, so we both agreed to eat here.
The restaurant is upstairs in a loft-​like area of the Galleria and you can see some of the mall from here.
My friend and I weren’t extremely hungry and we noticed that the plates were pretty large, so we decided to split a plate of general tso’s. We also ordered white rice as a side and egg rolls for appetizers. No complaints on the food. It wasn’t bad at all. The only spotty thing was i had track down the server for a water refill when my water was empty for awhile and there were only a few other people in the restaurant. Other than that (which honestly isn’t a big deal at all) it was satisfying,
Oh, there is also a full bar [thumbs up emoji]

My son and I stopped by China Gate after a movie in the Galleria. We had eaten there before when it was called Mark Pi’s China Gate. The food was very good. I think it’s changed hands and here’s why. We were seated and given menus. We placed our order with the waiter and not less than 3 minutes later, ALL of our food was brought out. I was shocked. There was no way this order was prepared and cooked that fast. My son took one bite, I didn’t even bother, and we called the waiter back over. I told her I expected fresh food, not some hidden buffet that had been sitting out. I got up to leave and she called the manager who tried to force me to pay. I refused. I will never go back. There is such a thing as food too fast. If I wanted fast food I’d have gone to Mickey D’s.

Looking to see what China Gate had to offer, I stopped by on a recent Monday night with a friend. The décor is pleasant and the set up is nice– being open to the other levels of the Galleria allows for an interesting view. We were one of only 3 tables occupied in the restaurant. The menu is quite large with many Chinese and Japanese selections. I decided on the edamame and the teriyaki chicken. The edamame arrived quickly. Standard, not much to report there. Within a few minutes, my teriyaki arrived. It was described on the menu as being a healthy choice though I question how accurate that is as it was heavily coated in sauce. The accompanying veggies (cabbage, carrots, etc) were crisp and flavorful. Now for the reason for 3 stars. The food was average. It did not excite or disgust me. The waitress was not very professional or attentive. Little things throughout the meal such as her giving me a box rather than boxing my leftovers, forgetting to fill waters and sitting at the bar eating and talking to the bartender when we left, will result in me going elsewhere when seeking to satisfy a Chinese craving.

NEVER EVER get the All-​you-​can-​Eat. Hibachi plates are basically plates of panfried squash with a little meat that isn’t even grilled. They give you nigiri sushi instead of sashimi. It’s like they are trying to stuff us full of rice and squash so we fill up quickly. Also, service was unfriendly.

Their food is delicious! They also have fresh sushi. The only thing I’ve had that I have not cared for is their hibatchi. I had the hibatchi chicken and my friend had hibatchi shrimp. They were both dry. We were disappointed because normally the food is outstanding. Lesson learned. Stick to the Chef’s specialties and the sushi.

Eh, I wasn’t crazy about this place. My sesame shrimp was just ok and nothing exciting. The same could be said about the almond puff dessert. The steamed dumplings were pretty good, though. The service was not great at all. Weirdly enough it’s inside the Galleria right above Dragonfire in an open loft.

Note: Mark Pi’s China Gate (or is it the other way around?) is housed inside the Mt. Lebanon mall known as The Galleria in the Mezzanine section directly above Dragonfire, a new Japanese restaurant.
With all apologies to Joe D. whose referral led us here, I was not as taken by China Gate as he was. Sparsely decorated, the open, albeit tasteful dining room somewhat reflected the unimaginative menu; there wasn’t much that captured my attention. The bill of fare was so boring to me, I had trouble deciding on my entrée. Eventually, I settled for the Mandarin Duck.
Made up of battered duck pieces and stir-​fried in a «brown sauce,» it was accompanied by the usual litany of vegetables, and while it was edible and served in a hefty portion, I felt that I tasted more of the batter than I did of the proteins. It left me wanting.
Kay’s Sesame Shrimp seemed to be better appointed as it was sweet, not overly battered, and carried fat portions of shellfish within each encased bite. Chunks of pineapple further accentuated the dish’s sugary, sticky raison d’être.
Our appetizer in the steamed dumplings (our arbitrary Chinese starter) turned out to be a small victory as they were pleasantly doughy and adequately — if not generously — stuffed with dark and darkly savory ground pork.
Dessert came to us in the shape of Almond Puffs, and like the dumplings, they too were only a minor success. Never having had them before, they recalled Mexico’s sopapillas or Italy’s zeppole with their deep-​fried golden color and powdered sugar. Inside each of these «doughnuts» was a sort of almond paste that nearly burned my mouth. My brush with thermal oral injury notwithstanding, I don’t know if I’d order them elsewhere, their palatability being too timid for my sweet tooth to dance with.
Our meal started with a whimper, began with a whimper, and aside from Kay’s dish, didn’t make much of a fuss around the middle either.
China Gate sure is a hit with the Mt. Lebanese, however. As an elderly man and fellow diner I struck up a conversation with remarked, «I’ve never seen this place so busy!» Kay and I even had difficulty finding a parking spot! Little Tokyo, also in Mt. Lebanon, is identically bustling. Hmmmph.
P. S. Is Mark Pi’s China Gate a chain? Kay claims she went to one in Ohio once.
P. P. S. The service was patchy. Our waitress, while nice enough, kept forgetting about us and even admitted several times that she was having an «off night.» Out came the calculator application on my cell phone to determine a standard 15% tip in lieu of my usual 20%. Actually, I think I gave her a little more than 15%. Blame it on my Dumbo heart

My buddy wrote to me and said I should do a review of Mark Pi’s China Gate. To be completely honest, I thought I had. I checked and saw that indeed, I had not. It’s been a good six months since my last visit, I remember what I ordered and how good the entire experience was.
I ordered the eggplant with garlic sauce and an order of bok choy which was steamed first, then quickly stir fried, delicious. The eggplant was tender, a touch of heat from chilis, garlicky, meaty and filling, served with brown rice, very nutritious. My family all ordered something different, Judy, my cousin who thinks China Gate is the finest Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh, and would come here at the drop of a hat, ordered her Chicken and Green Beans. I must admit, when I did eat meat, I’ve had this on many occasions and it’s really very good. The green beans are crisp tender, the chicken is finely ground, moist, and tender.
Over all Mark Pi’s China Gate is good Chinese food, served in a nice atmosphere, and a great value for your hard earned buck.

So just finished my meal with my family here and I will not go back! The waitress who I don’t know her name because it was never shared was polite and efficient. The only redeeming quality I found in the meal was my 2 glasses of wine! Not that the food was bad it just wasn’t good! I ordered Moo Shoo Pork with 4 «Chinese» pancakes. Once it arrived I was looking forward to it as the main dish looked appetizing. Then I opened my «Chinese» pancakes… OMG they served me steamed tortillas! I was expecting the crêpe style Chinese pancakes and instead I had flour tortillas steamed!!! Growing up and just having moved to Pittsburgh from the West Coast I KNOW a tortilla when I’m served one and it wasn’t even handmade freshly cooked tortillas that you get at a chain joint like Chevy’s but pull em out of the bag from Giant Eagle tortilla! This not only killed the meal but when the $ 100.00+ tab came I was aghast! My wife and two kiddos had decent meals but just because you serve large portions doesn’t mean you’re serving 100 dollars worth of food! I felts cheated by high prices for mediocre chinese (notice the little C) food from a place that used to be rated as great Chinese restaurant but that was back in 1996 as the plaques on the wall gleefully point out; but only seem to notice on your way out!

Currently sitting in the restaurant. Got seated very quickly, around 7:10pm. For the first time ever, the restaurant actually had more than myself and my fiancé in it. We sat until 7:30 without so much as a «Hello» from a nearby server. People were sat after us and have already received food. We finally had to go up to the front to tell the hostess we had not been addressed. She then came and took our orders herself and finally just filled our water glasses. I’ve never received great service here, but it’s never been this subpar either. This may be the last straw for this place. Three strikes and you’re out, Mark-​Pi.
P. S. I ordered a Diet Coke, and received a glass of what seems to be Robitussin. That, or there’s alcohol in this drink. Either case, I’m not thrilled.

get take out from here once a month — fast service and mostly pleasant service
hot pepper chicken and soups always good
chicken or vegetable fried rice can be greasy (than usual) at times

An article I once read in the Tribune-​Review said that Chinese food has gone from exotic to good old fashioned American comfort food. It’s also what you get when you’re too tired to cook or when you’re running around, getting last minute shopping done.
As my Cousin Cindy & I were. We met up at the Galleria, which is kinda-​sorta half way between Downtown (where I work) and Bethel Park (where she lives).
China Gate – Mark Pi’s food can best be described as what you’d get in a typical strip mall Chinese place, only in a more upscale setting. The décor here is actually very nicely done. The food though is your everyday Americanized Chinese chow. You’ve got your eggdrop and wonton soups, your eggrolls and springrolls, your pot stickers, and your typical chicken, beef, and seafood dishes here. And of course your General Tso’s Chicken.
I went for their Amazing Chicken – fried chicken in a cherry sauce with broccoli on the side. I believe my cousin went for Orange Chicken. And of course we each had the hot-​n-​sour soup and an eggroll.
The food here is good, but it’s really nothing you haven’t seen before. And you’ll notice that a surprisingly large number of menu items are fried. On the whole, if you’re in the mood for some Chinese, or if you want something else besides chain places, you’ll get a decent meal here.

Went here recently with my husband and a friend. Luncheon buffet was already closed, which was fine with me as I abhor buffets.
Friend got something plain like chicken &broccoli and thought it was good. Whatever I got was forgettable. The reason for this review was to report that my husband’s usual done to death General Tso chicken, which was actually the best GT chicken I’ve ever had bar none. I kept picking off my husband’s plate. I would much rather have this than the over hyped Panera