There is a God in Phoenix and (s)he is Chinese. For the last 6 years I've been on a quest for decent Chinese food in Phoenix and come up consistently empty-handed. Diamonds answered my prayers.
Everything I've ever ordered (I get take out about once a week and try to mix it up with safe faves and new diversions), has been fantastic. Diamonds is the real deal for Chinese in Phoenix, as substantiated by the fact that every time I'm in there there's a very healthy multi-cultural mix of Asians, Latinos and Euros. When you walk in and you see the bubbling tanks of fresh fish & crustaceans plus a room full of Chinese diners -- you know the place is good.
The two key indicators of good Chinese IMHO are the fried rice and the lo mein. No BS here and no fakery. No nasty dried out yellow/orange sazon goya rice with frozen peas and no Barilla scorched in oil masquerading as lo mein. Diamonds fried rice (all kinds) is the best I've had in 30 years and all of their dishes are custom cooked to order and sered brilliantly hot. From soups to apps to main dishes, everything is fresh and delicous.
The one downside (which is why I gave only 4 stars) is that when I'm craving Diamonds, I'm worse than a crack-whore jonesin a fix. I need it NOW. And as they prepare each meal to order the wait can sometimes be laborious. They also have a stock answer of "20 minutes" for any order and I've placed my orders in advance and sometimes waited up to 45 minutes for the take-out to be ready. In their defense that has been when I've gone in to pick up my take out and the place got packed and I think they prioritize those in the location over take-out orders sometimes... which stands to reason when you have a hungry table of people waiting, I guess. The lady who works the counter is always nice while I'm waiting, offers me a seat and a glass of water, so I cant be too pissed at 'em.
Face it -- we're not in NY, San Fransisco or any town with a real Chinatown, so when it comes to getting your authentic fix for Chinese in Phoenix, Diamonds is worth the wait every time!