People usually like to bring up Italian Delight when you ask what the best place to grab lunch in Novato, and yes i would agree that it is pretty bomb. However, if i revert back to my highschool days(when i actually did go out to eat and not hit the creek to go get loaded) china express hits home for me. Hate that a panda express came to town. china express is like an upscale panda in my opinion. read more

Great food at a great place! And such friendly staff. I ate here last night and was impressed with their menu and quick and friendly service. Great for those on a budget and having a craving for greasy, delicious Chinese Food read more

2 months and a half since we moved to Novato, and we are slowly figuring out this town. First off, it is a town of shopping plazas, chain retail stores, and endless cookie cutter homes, with a giant freeway running through it. And yet, every occasionally, I must admit, there are random things that are kind of nice. Well, I actually think this place is one of those things. Being in the "BURBS" (shocker), and looking at the kind of town this is, I assumed that they have got to have Panda Express somewhere for when we are missing too many ingredients to cook from our fridge and we need cheap Asian food. Then I discovered that there is no Panda Express in Novato!!! I was like, WTF?!?! Then where does this Asian chick go get her under $7 Asian dinner?? So I tried trusty Yelp as always and found this place. Today was our first time here, and I must say, I just might like it better than Panda (and those of you who know me know that I actually really like Panda Express food). At the very least, they satisfy the spot Panda used to fill in Sausalito, SF, and LA. Here's the run down: 1) It is a small joint, no frills, with only a few seating available if you choose to eat there. Like many have posted here, it is much more catered to take out, delivery and, well, catering. 2) Just like panda, they offer meals that involve a choice of chow mein, fried rice or steamed rice and 1 or 2 entrees. But they offer more variety than Panda. Hello, BBQ pork buns and wor wonton soup??? Noice. 3) I really like the people working here. They are definitely not random kids hired to dish up food they don't really care about. They greet you, even the guy that was in the kitchen, and they explain what's on the special, tell you if you want anything that's not already made, they will make it fresh, offer suggestions when they see that you are indecisive, explain that they do delivery too and suggest we take a menu... You can tell they like what they do, and their enthusiasm alone makes you feel like they really appreciate your business. 4) I had steamed rice, orange chicken and eggplant tofu, and hubby had fried rice, orange chicken and Shechuan chicken. Plus 2 charsiu bao. The pork buns were good, although I wish they had more filling relative to the amount of dough. We made our own dipping sauce of soy sauce/shredded ginger because the dough was a little much to eat without moisture/flavor. Orange chicken was crispy and sweet. Not as citrusy as Panda's, but flavoring seemed more Chinese than Panda's too. I like them both. Eggplant tofu is also my staple choice at Panda... Panda's seems lighter on the flavoring, while this one is more garlicy soysaucy : P Again, more Chinese IMO... I had a piece of husband's Shechuan chicken too.. slightly spicier than orange chicken and less sweet. pretty good too! I think this may be a place we would use pretty frequently. It is a good, everyday Chinese food when you don't want to spend 30-40 bucks for a dinner for two. Decent food almost as cheap as cooking at home, without laboring over a stove and cleaning up afterwards? Pretty sweet!! The only thing I didn't like too much about, (and this is not unique to this place only, there are still many Asian places that do this) is that they still use styrofoam boxes for their boxed meals. I know they need to keep their costs down... but if Panda Express at ghetto Fillmore in SF switched to clear plastic boxes, it's really time they consider this too. In fact, many coffee shops accept bring-your-own-mug these days, how about we bring over our own tupperware or plates? I don't expect a discount, but I would like a choice to have less impact to the environment. What do you say, China Express, might you consider?? read more

I had no idea where to order delivery in Novato until I saw these guys coming up the walkway to my neighbor's place. The delivery guy (super cool) didn't have a menu on him, so I just called up and ordered some standards - General Tsao's (which wasn't on the menu but they made for me anyway), etc., and it arrived at my door in, I'm not kidding, about five minutes. Everything was PERFECT. I've started stopping by on my way home work on those 'can't-deal-with-cooking' evenings and I'm never disappointed. You can't dine in and the menu is limited, but I'd bet they'll make you anything you ask for. Nice service, too. read more

I always order from China Express when I'm craving Chinese food! Coming from NY, I have high standards for Chinese food and any food for that matter! I always order sweet n sour chicken, fried rice with everything in it, and egg rolls! Soooo delicious! And I want to acknowledge that they always arrive in a timely manner and are very courteous! read more

This place is strictly takeout, which is a shame considering you'll be craving additional items when you end up clearing the plate at the house. For a fast food Chinese restaurant with steam trays dishes, China Express definitely takes the cake. I don't believe I've tried anything yet that wasn't at least semi-yummy. Chow-mein is very good, the assorted crispy chicken dishes are quite good, the chicken curry tastes great. Basically, it's just all-around good.... I load up on the 3 item special, usually walking out the door w/ 2 or 3 additional including chicken wing appetizers (Yes, I Love Chicken) & so forth. I've been to many of these hole in the wall fast food Chinese restaurants but this is the first that I can actually clear my plate, despite the massive portions. 3 1/2 stars from me... read more

WORST CHINESE IN NOVATO! Workers don't care......sloppy.....do not want them touching your food. Chinese food from a can would be fresher than the 2 week old slop they serve here. Don't know how the health inspectors missed closing down this hole in the wall. read more

A great spot for quick Chinese takeout! The owners are very friendly, and they always add a little bonus to a decent-sized order. I usually come here for the wonton soup, which is made to order. read more

No, just no. The food at this place tasted 2 days old, and was super hard and chewy. I wanted to give it a chance since it was close but overall it tasted worse than what you would get in a food court. read more

We just moved from San Rafael and lost the proximity to our old "fave" - Tsing Tao - but we took a gamble tonight and won! Other Yelp reviews looked good so we ordered delivery. Super nice guy and amazing value for the food. We struggled to meet the $40 minimum to our neighborhood. read more

This place is awesome. Good food at a good price. The pork buns are delicious. The only complaint is that when a line starts forming it gets cramped in there. read more

Not sure why this place has good reviews. Food was soggy. Greasy. And came back up as quickly as it went down.

I don't write many Yelp reviews, but this place deserved one. More specifically, the house made hot chili sauce deserves its own mention and praise. I am a big pepper/chili/hot sauce guy, so I'd like to think I have some insight into this arena. Their chili sauce is motherf**king delicious. It's one of the best I've ever had. If they sold it in a bottle I would buy a case of it. Yes, it's that good. Everything was delicious, but this took it to the next level. Well done gentlemen. read more

The food was average...The lady who was serving the food at the hot case was coughing and kept clearing her throat. Yuck. They didn't even give me a fortune cookie! Wtf! Better off with Panda Express. read more

FOOD POISONING! I ate lunch here recently: got the chow mein and green beans. Later that day, was throwing up and very miserable. I know it was this meal and nothing else that I ate that day. read more

I recently moved to Novato and have been hunting for good, cheap and convenient eats. This is definitely one of my top 5 so far. Delicious and super affordable, this family restaurant is exactly what a good family Chinese restaurant should be. They will cook anything for you fresh, and I look forward to trying more of their dishes. So far I tried the chow mein, fried chicken, teryaki and beef and broccoli. All fresh and home made. A local treasure for the city. Nice to meet you, Martin! Thank you for your welcoming attitude and accommodating demeanor. I will be back to enjoy your food soon! read more

Ok so let me start off talking about the chow mein, it was dry but it tasted soo good, the orange chicken was hard and not even a little soft tasted a day old. I wouldn't recommend this place if your picky person read more

Terrible. Bland. The fried rice tasted burnt. Had to throw it in the trash. I wish I would have walked out after asking for a taste of an entree. The lady laughed and said this wasn't Costco. No kidding, Costco gets 5 stars compared to this crap. It gets 1 star only because I have to. Never again. read more

Super inexpensive, friendly staff, especially my boy Marty. I've only been here for lunch take-out so I can't attest to the dinner selection or delivery but I always hear good things. The potstickers are bomb here. read more

Very fresh food! The owners's mother is so friendly. I can feel her love in the food!

MARTIN! You Rock! Made my delivery so much fun and the food was YUMMMMMY! Much Mahalo!!!!!!

Mmmmm the BEST MEAL anyone can get under $20. I LOVE COMING HERE FOR FOOD. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WATCHING YOUR WALLET. Don't forget to vote for them in the Pacific Sun. read more

It hurts my heart to write this .... But nothing is the same anymore!!! I miss the delicious fresh orange chicken they used to have... Unfortunately I will not be stopping here anymore. & to the last owners... HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US!!!!! read more

This is definitely not the place to go. All of the employees inside are pretty rude, and the food is way over priced for the quality of it. all of the food is either burned or undercooked. I have gone there a couple of times to because some people say it is good. But the very last time I did and ever will go in there one of their employees charged my debit card for a $20 dollar tip and they tried to lie about it and say that all the money paid to them was for my food I ordered but $35 is way to much for 2 box #A meals. Don't go here they will RIP YOU OFF! read more

My favorite Chinese food in town. Definitely try the mixed vegetables with steamed white rice if you want to go healthy.

This place is FABULOUS! The food is tasty, and the people who run the place are down to earth and hilarious. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! Thanks China Express! (I'll be ordering some Salt and Pepper prawns tonight for SURE!) read more

NEVER GET THE WON TON SOUP, DONT EVEN TRY IT. It tastes like the smell of paint, LITERALLY, and the soup itself is just water with the flavor of the won tons with a few pieces of bok choy... The food is good tho read more

This guy is like the Mother Teresa of Chinese food. Nevermind if your hungry; go in if your in a bad mood and want to feel better! The food is good tho, my film crew were all clambering for left over orange chicken to take home, and their special home made hot sauce ("Feel the Peng") was a hit. read more

Really great fresh food and they deliver for free! Friendly service!

Near my workplace, this place is a favorite of mine when I have some money to spare. Absolutely friendly service and delicious food!

I love this place! The food is delicious and their vegetables are fresh. My favorites are the chow mein and the crab rangoons. I think it is extra awesome that they have pork buns also! It's the perfect place to stop by for a quick lunch or dinner. It is a family owned business. Martin is awesome! He's great with customers and fast with service, he can make you smile and he can also make delicious food. :) I only wish I lived closer so I could eat here more often! read more

Stumbled across this Chinese take out after driving around trying to look for a new place to eat that is close to work. A co worker had mentioned this place to me so I decided to give it a try, and I was really impressed! It's a small location but as soon as I walked in I was greeted very warmly, very reasonable price for great homey Chinese food! I would highly recommend this place and every time I go in I'm never disappointed ! read more

My family has enjoyed China Express many times as this is a staple of Novato. The restaurant has great inexpensive Chinese food. I recommend to go to the restaurant and order your food as they are SUPER slow in delivery. In both times that we have had their food delivered it took more than 45 minutes. The last time took over 1 hour. It would have been faster driving from across Novato to order the food at the restaurant and drove back home. We will definitely order food from them again, but their delivery SUCKS. read more

The service was excellent and humorous. The high quality Chinese food was affordable and I would come in as much as I could. I love the fresh veggies, that taste delish, and everything is cooked perfectly. I wonder if they would deliver to Los Angeles, it is that good. For those who are "in the know" they offer another menu, in addtion to what you may see on the service line. Do try the pork buns, you will love them, and won't want to share! read more

It is still horrible. I saw someone walk out of there with toilet paper hanging from the back of their pants....was it an accident from the greasy food? HMMM? read more

Excellent food at reasonable prices! Martin and his family provide delicious food for people on the go. Always enough chow mein left over to have cold the next morning! read more

This place is GREAT! Fast fresh and cheap, the friendly staff is what sealed the deal for me!

I had a really gross experience there today. I went in to pick up some food and one of the women who work there was sitting out front eating her dinner. /When I walked in she got up, went in, wiped her hands on a paper towel and then BLEW HER NOSE in the paper towel she wiped her hands with and went to handle the food. If you like a little snot in your sauce it's perfectly charming, but me, not so much. The sink was right there -- she blew her nose, didn't wash her hands, didn't put on any gloves and went to serve the food. I told her no thanks and called the county health department. Please pass this on to your friends. read more

Best Chinese take out in Novato....delicious, authentic, and affordable. Customer service is top notch!!!

Pretty good place for the kid when she's being picky! Bland noodles, not too greasy ( big plus) and well cooked chicken! Nothing jumps out at you taste wise which is again good for the kid but not so much for mommy! Everything tastes fresh and the service is great! Not my go to but if I'm in a pinch id grab a plate from here for sure. read more