5 Spiced Kitchen 百香上食

Sujin Gil a month ago

I had the salt and pepper pork and the stir-fried chicken in mala sauce, and honestly, it was way better than that famous restaurant in NYC's Chinatown where people wait in long lines for. Usually, after eating at other Chinese places, my stomach feels a bit heavy, but here, I felt completely fine and clean even after eating until I was full. The staff were super friendly too. I’m definitely planning to try every single menu item one by one!

Renée J a month ago

Exactly what you'd expect ordering chinese take-out. I love crab rangoon so 5 Spiced Kitchen has become my go-to for when i'm craving something fried, and the chow mein isn't too greasy. I haven't eaten inside but I think it's nice that they have a bar since there aren't too many spots for cocktails in Montclair. (Also just have to add that if you're worried about MSG, it shouldn't be a concern, definitely not concern enough to leave 3 stars - it's a naturally occurring substance found in so many foods, every restaurant is going to have ingredients that contain MSG. use your brains before you post misinformation!)

Tina Chen 7 months ago

Having parents who owned Chinese restaurants and literally grown up in them, I’m happy that this place is so close to home. We’ve had take pur orders from here twice but never actually dined in. The menu is very expansive and it is authentic Chinese food. I love the Mushu dish. My partner had the honey glazed BBQ pork and Mongolian beef which he liked a lot. Hot and sour soup could use a little more spice and salt. I never get a MSG thirst or headache after eating which is super important to me.

Olivia Park a month ago

Great food and very attentive waiters! Got the mala beef, salt and pepper calamari, sizzling rice soup, and bbq fried rice. The name definitely fits, everything was so flavorful and well spiced. Will be my goto Chinese spot now :).

Jaseon Outlaw 6 months ago

This restaurant delivered openly dismissive, biased treatment that made the space feel unsafe and unwelcome, and no one on staff stepped in to correct it. What happened After requesting a to-go box twice, the server ignored my requests twice, making direct eye contact and then deliberately ignoring me the second time while actively engaging other guests around me. ​ When I finally had to force an interaction and directly asked for help, his exact response was that he “did not care” and that I was “not in his section,” as if basic acknowledgment and human decency were optional extras. ​ Several other staff members were close enough to hear and watch this exchange and chose to do absolutely nothing, sending a very clear message that this level of disrespect is tolerated here. ​ Bias and discrimination The pattern was not a simple oversight; it was targeted indifference that communicated my presence, comfort, and business did not matter in that space. ​ Being ignored twice, then told outright that my experience was irrelevant because of internal table assignments, reflects a deeper bias about whose needs deserve attention and whose can be dismissed. ​ This is exactly the kind of inadequate service and disparate treatment that anti-discrimination agencies recognize as part of discriminatory customer experience, especially when complaints are brushed aside or minimized. ​ Management and culture failure No manager intervened, no one apologized, and no effort was made to repair the harm, even after it was crystal clear that the interaction was hostile and unacceptable. ​ When a staff member feels comfortable saying they “don’t care” to a guest’s face, it signals a culture where respect is optional and discrimination can flourish unchecked. ​ A restaurant that allows staff to openly ignore and demean guests while coworkers look on silently has a systemic problem, not a one-off bad night. ​ Service rating and warning to others Service rating here is a hard 0 out of 10; there was no basic acknowledgment, no hospitality, and certainly no sense of safety or belonging. ​ Anyone who has experienced discrimination or targeted disrespect should document and share their experience so patterns of behavior at businesses like this cannot hide behind curated ratings. ​ This place needs serious review and accountability, because there is every reason to believe I am not the first, nor will I be the last, person to be ignored, humiliated, and mistreated here. I am considering staging a full boycott with picketing should I find an adequate amount of time to do so. Do not visit this place as it will ruin your dining experience.