First of all, I had consistently found the food and service at China Village to be mediocre at best. The only reason I ever returned at all is that it is within easy walking distance of where I live in Albany or I had to be out doing errrands nearby & needed to eat right away. I will no longer purchase any food from this place for the mediocrity and, more important, becuase of the following:
My biggest complaint about China Village is the dishonest way in which they advertise their prices - they are literally running a scam operation. I realized this a few months ago when I looked at one of the their carry-out menus stacked on the cashier's counter at the restaurant entrance. I placed an order (3 items) and was startled when the middle-aged Asian woman acting as cashier gave me a total price way more than I had mentally calculated. I showed her the carry-out menu & asked why the amount she just told me was so much higher. Whereas I had heard her speak in perfectly fluent English a moment before, she now started to speak in ""broken English"" and seemed annoyed at my questioning her. She shoved the restaurant menu (the one given to diners already at tables) at me and stated that ""prices go up - here, see for yourself"". I pointed out to her that all of the carry-out menus, as well as the ones posted behind a glass window outside the restaurant entrance) showed lower prices (most dishes were at least one or two dollars less on those menus). The cashier then made a perfunctory show of taking the carry-out menus off of the counter and, putting them slightly aside & saying ""we fix"". I noticed that she did NOT toss them in the trash can that was right next to her.
The next time I went past China Village I noticed that the same carry-out menus with the phony lower prices were back on the cashier's counter & the same exact menues were still posted behind glass outside the restaurant entrance. And this has been the case every time I have passed the restaurant for the past several months, including today.
I guess the China Village management thinks that people won't notice that they are being charged more than the lower prices advertised and/or, if they do, they'll be too embarassed or lazy to question the actual higher prices charged or walk out.
I am spreading the word about China Village as I believe they are being dishonest and probably breaking a 'truth-in-advertising"" law or regulation.
There are a few other Chinese Restaurants on Solano Avenue that offer much better food and service, and are honest about their prices. I highly recommend them over China Village.
more