I've been here a couple of times and each time the food has been good! Others seem to rave about…read morethe double skin as well as sauteed crab meat with steamed buns so I'll have to get those next time. 1. Peking roast duck 3.5/5 I had really high expectations and unfortunately this roast duck was just okay. The skin was not super crispy but the duck itself had good flavor. The plum sauce was probably my favorite part. 2. Salt and pepper prawns 4.5/5 Note that these come with the skin on but it's fried so perfectly that the skin is completely edible with a crunchy texture. 3. Combination fried rice 5/5 I was surprised how much we enjoyed this but it was really well done. 4. Guo ta fish fillet 5/5 This was excellent--very tender fish fillet with a perfect soy broth sauce 5. Crysanthemum leaves with fermented tofu sauce 3/5 On the salty side All in all, even though I came for the peking duck, I found that the other items were much better!

When I first heard of Great China, I assumed it would be more of a casual neighborhood mom-and-pop…read morespot, but I was definitely wrong. It's actually a popular, higher-end Chinese restaurant in downtown Berkeley, and judging by the number of people waiting to be seated on a weekend only 30 minutes after opening, it clearly does very well. One note: I often see long weekend lines forming even before opening, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation or arriving early. We came here with one thing in mind: Peking duck. It was prepared beautifully, with the exact nostalgic flavor and crispy skin I was hoping for. I also loved the way they presented the thin pancakes--half-folded and slightly overlapping each other--so you didn't have to worry about peeling each layer apart and accidentally ripping them. The dipping sauce and green onions were provided on the side, though I do wish they included thinly sliced cucumber to complete the experience. My husband also ordered the fish, which turned out soft, delicate, and delicious. It was a nice complement to the duck and rounded out the meal really well. My only real critique of Great China is the pricing. You're definitely paying a premium here, but the food does taste authentic and well-executed. Given the limited competition in the area, I can see why it feels justifiable if you live nearby. That said, it may not be as worth the splurge for people who already have easy access to more traditional, old-school Chinese restaurants.

One of my favorite local spots to bring friends and family from out of town to experience. This…read moreplace does not disappoint. My favorites are the Shandong chicken and their signature hand-pulled noodles, so delicious! They are a popular spot so depending on when you go, can be a bit of a wait to get seated. It's not that big and can be a little tight inside. However, there's a reason why they stay busy, because their food is worth the wait! This place is a must when in Oakland and looking for some really tasty Chinese food.

This place can do no wrong in my eyes--or stomach. I've been coming here since 2018, and the…read morequality hasn't skipped a beat. I usually come with my family, and we order damn near everything on the menu. The aunties serving dishes actually laugh when they see how much food they're dropping off at the table. My favorites are the chili oil wontons, hot and dry noodles, bok choy, and General Tso's chicken. The wontons have just the right amount of heat, the noodles are thicccc and chewy, and every dish somehow manages to disappear before we can even think about leftovers. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything you order. One of my favorite parts is watching them make the noodles by hand. Half the restaurant is dedicated to the noodle-making station, while the other half is for seating. It's not a huge dining room, but they do offer the Yelp Waitlist, so you can check the live wait before heading over. The vibe is very, get your food and head out so they can keep up with table space for incoming guests. Always a hit, never a miss.

Special Noodle is located in Pacific East Mall towards the back. Ordered a pretty big spread that…read moreconsisted of beef rolls, dumplings, fried rice, and salt and pepper chicken bites. The dumplings were delicious and even better with some chili oil. The chicken fried rice had huge chunks of egg and chicken which I loved with a deep soy flavor. The salt and pepper chicken was decent, I think I prefer salt and pepper wings/fish/shrimp. The beef rolls weren't for me, though. It's typically one of my favorite dishes but it seemed to be lacking beef & I wasn't a fan of the lettuce filling or the roll itself being a bit too soft and doughy. Overall, a good experience. Our server was nice and everything came out quick!

The soup pan fried buns...the soup pan fried buns..the soup pan fried buns..saying this three times…read moremay stick ;) Wow, will definitely be back for these! So delicious..plump/juicy/crispy and golden brown..chef's kiss. Special Noodle in the Pacific East Mall has delicious noodle dishes, small bites/dim sum, and a pretty extensive and unique dining menu. We ordered a combination chow mein and pan fried buns. FYI, the pan fried buns take a bit of additional time and come piping hot. I would wait a few minutes before eating, or check out a video on @yelpbayarea of how to eat soup dumplings! Another note, you order from an iPad that's handed to you upon arrival once seated. Make sure after you 'add items to cart' you submit your order. We left that step out and didn't realize until a few minutes later. Staff is friendly and make sure to ask if anything additional is needed like napkins, etc. Overall a fun experience, fair pricing, located in the hustle and bustle of the mall, and cool digs if you're looking for a comfortable dining experience without the frills.

Yummy dumplings! Made fresh in front of you. Great service…read more Had the Shanghai pork soup dumplings.

June 2026 -- Berkeley, CA Dumplings for the Deadline Damned…read more Dumpling Express, not far from UC Berkeley, has the kind of facade that says: we are not here to seduce you with ambiance; we are here to prevent your blood sugar from collapsing during midterms. The exterior is a pale green, low-drama storefront with a metal roofline, a modest hanging sign, a couple of sidewalk tables, and a general visual philosophy best described as "handmade dumplings, not handmade branding strategy." It looks less like a restaurant trying to be discovered and more like a temporary work-in-progress bungalow that decided to become permanent, with the rust swirling in like Berkeley's unofficial architectural signature. Naturally, this makes it more trustworthy. My review is based on an Uber Eats pickup order, which feels like the correct way to encounter this place. Dumpling Express appears mostly built for takeout: fast, practical, compact, and run by one kind master behind the counter surrounded by enough BTU's, condiments, steam, and ingredients to power a graduate seminar and three emotionally unstable group projects. Service was reliable. The food came packed in plastic containers that held heat well but were still easy to open and close, meaning you could theoretically eat this while driving. Should you? No. Could you? Tragically, yes. Berkeley has witnessed worse experiments in applied ethics. We ordered four items. The egg rolls were shockingly generous. One order could probably feed a four-person study group, or one economics major after discovering rent is not a theoretical construct. They were pretty good: crisp, not overly greasy, almost light. Flavor-wise, they were not exactly writing a dissertation, but they showed up to class. 3/5. The XLB tasted good, but they were not classic soup dumplings in the strict "I have traveled, I own opinions, and I have been hurt before" sense. The wrapper was not especially thin, and there was not enough of that dangerous, piping-hot broth that makes you question your dental insurance. Still, the flavor was pleasant. I did not feel betrayed. Merely academically unconvinced. 3/5. The chicken and cabbage dumplings were fine. A little bland, yes, but not bad, especially for cheap eats near campus. They are the dumpling equivalent of a decent discussion section: not life-changing, not offensive, and useful if you are hungry and trying to survive the week. 3/5. The clear star was the sesame ball with red bean filling. Crispy, warm, gooey, sweet, and deeply correct. This was the one item that stood up, adjusted its tiny sesame-covered blazer, and delivered an argument worthy of tenure. Excellent. 5/5. Overall, Dumpling Express is an excellent value spot for students, quick lunches, late study nights, and anyone needing hot food without emotional paperwork. For well-traveled adults chasing transcendent dumpling enlightenment, this is probably more of a "good in a pinch" situation than a destination pilgrimage. But for Berkeley? Near campus? For the broke, busy, brilliant, sleep-deprived, caffeine-haunted scholars of tomorrow? It makes sense. It feeds the machine. It keeps the little academic hamsters running. And the sesame balls deserve a fellowship.

Me and the wifey couldn't decide on a place to eat and wound up in Solano Avenue. We looked up a…read morecouple of Yelp spots and decided to give this place a try. I am glad we did because I was not disappointed. The place was busy but the service was prompt and excellent. We had ordered three dishes to share family style with rice. First off let me start by saying the portions are generous. All three of the dishes were a hit but to me the star of the show was the garlic chicken. The sauce was excellent! If spicy is your thing then order the beef, it was loaded with peppers! Finally the walnut prawns were nice counter to the garlic and peppers. We also ordered steamed rice to go with the meal. This was an excellent choice and we will most definitely be back.

What a surprise! I stopped going to this restaurant before…read morethe pandemic hit. I had disappointment after disappointment, both in house and to go. Tonight I was craving good local chinese food and decided to give this place another try. I don't know why. I always felt bad with each previous sad serving. It was terrific! The order was ready on time. The containers were bulging with food when before the servings were getting skimpier and skimpier. The chow fun was not swimming in oil. The cumin lamb was no longer 90% peppers but a generous portion of lamb and a good ratio of peppers. The crispy chicken appetizer was delightful. The dry green beans had a snap. It was such a complete reversal from the last experiences that I'm glad I went back and we will certainly continue to satisfy our Szechuan cravings with this place. I had braced myself expecting in these dire times with many food places closing or gasping with high costs, a less than stellar experience. What a wonderful surprise!

I was looking for a late night option in the area, and Shanghai Dumpling King stood out to me!! My…read moreboyfriend and I got the chicken corn soup, the cha siu bao, siu mai, and liu sha bao. The chicken corn soup was delicious and hearty- definitely filled me up and was what I was looking for. The cha siu bao was fluffy and came packed with meat inside, definitely a good ratio and very warm and yummy. The liu sha bao was similar, the bao was so soft and fresh. We had a very good experience dining here. The front desk guy/server was also really nice. I would definitely come back here if I was craving an authentic Chinese meal.

[Takeout Order] What an absolute bummer. An old colleague of mine and I loved going to their…read morerestaurant on Monterey Blvd and it was always so delicious. Naturally, I thought the same would be for this location, ordering for delivery. Sadly, I was proved very very wrong. I got a total of 3 items and paid a little over $50 not including tip.First plate, stir fry noodle Shanghai style 0/5. Noodles were stiff, entire plate lacked flavor, it was really dry. The cabbage was just sort of thrown in there and to my surprise, there was chicken (I didn't think it came with meat) and it was so suspicious, one bite and I immediately had to spit it out. It was chewy and tasted uncooked. I began to lose my appetite... Sesame Chicken 0/5 - it was all batter, little to NO meat inside whatsoever. Saucy but it was very clumpy. I was so disappointed with this one. It was literally just eating fried batter in sesame sauce with sesame seeds thrown on top. Braised String Beans - 2.5/5. They were fine, flavored enough with the grilled onions and garlic other than that, not impressive at all. I had really high hopes for this place/order. I had been craving Chinese food for so long and was going to order from my typical place but decided to give this one a try. I definitely should have stuck to what I know would have hit the spot. An absolute waste of $50, so frustrating.

Normally, I would write this in the "Tips" section but it's no longer available…read more I am sad to share that this restaurant will close on 6/15/25, final day of service. The owners, the Shen family, are retiring. When they opened in 2008, replacing two popular Chinese western food restaurants, they were a refreshing addition to the mainly Cantonese cuisine Chinatown community. There was only a small Shanghai literal hole in the wall spot across the street that closed many years ago. The mom did the cooking while the daughter ran the front of the house, literally producing home style Shanghainese cuisine. They have regular normal northern cuisine favorites like hot & sour soup and mapo tofu, small bites like XLB (soup dumplings), green onion pancakes, and Sheng jian bao (pan fried dumplings). I often had family style dinners here enjoying Shanghai staples like Lion's head meatballs, Shanghai stir fried shrimp (use that blank vinegar), braised pork shank, and stir-fried eel. Never had the pleasure in trying their Dong Po pork. Get their steamed rice with bacon and vegetable to accompany those saucy dishes. With their departure, I do not know of any authentic Shanghai restaurants in San Francisco... clue me in if you think of one. The closest that comes to mind now is in San Mateo off the top of my head. Thank you, Bund Shanghai and Shen Family for providing my family, my coworkers, and me many meals over the years. You will be sorely missed but enjoy your retirement.

An institution is going away! If you're reading this then I want you to know that the last day of…read moreoperation is June 15, 2025. The chef is retiring, so wish them a congrats and farewell if you're stopping by soon. I can definitely taste the authenticity behind the dishes. While I thought the crab sauce tofu was a bit too sweet and the rice cakes too salty, there wasn't a single bad dish. It's hard to find Shanghainese food in DTSF and I'm sad to see this one go. If you find yourself here, do order the stir-fried eel, XLB, pickle and ham steamed rice, and the Sheng Jian Bao. Overall, it was worth a visit and hope the area gets more Shanghai cuisine in the near future.

I love the egg drop and seaweed soup, and the long baos. The sautéed green beans are some of the…read morebest in the neighborhood. Lots of well maintained seating and an attentive and efficient staff. Well balanced background music. They have both physical and QR code menus.

We were the first to arrive, so they were kind enough to let us in to sit til they opened…read more We ordered lots of food you'll see in the photos, pretty good choices but they were out of beef, you would think they would be prepared for weekends because I heard other tables trying to also order beef noodle soup. Their prices are steep, much higher than other Bay Area restaurants serving that same style of food. Service was good, got too see the ladies wrapping all types of dumplings. Would return to eat again

This is a cute little noodle and tea house that really hit the spot. I was craving noodles, and…read morethey definitely delivered. I ordered the Canton Seafood Stir Fry, which came with plenty of seafood and fresh-tasting noodles. The portion was generous, and everything came together really well. My husband ordered the Sweet & Sour Chicken, and he really enjoyed it too. It even came with rice, which feels like a nice bonus these days! Another pleasant surprise--they serve wine, too! We'll definitely keep this place in mind the next time we're craving noodles.

Update: Thank you for your response and for taking this seriously. I only remember that the man was…read morean older white male driving a white car, but unfortunately I didn't notice the make. A friend of mine was also stopped by the same person when driving through the alley before, so this doesn't seem to be an isolated incident. I had previously been told that he might be associated with the restaurant, so I appreciate the clarification and your willingness to look into it. Original comment: I've been a regular customer at Noodles Fresh for a long time, and I've often entered through the Kearney St. entrance to pick up food. Tonight, at around 8:45 PM, I was simply walking through the small alley next to the restaurant's back entrance when an older white man in a car, who appeared to be associated with the restaurant, called out to me and told me that it was a "private parking area" and that I should not walk through there. His tone was unnecessarily rude and confrontational, especially since I was just passing by and had done nothing wrong. If pedestrians are not allowed to use that area, there should be clear signage or some kind of barrier indicating that it is private property. If there is an open walkway with no clear notice, I don't understand why someone should be spoken to so rudely simply for walking through it. As a longtime customer, I found the interaction extremely unpleasant and disrespectful. Unfortunately, after this experience, I will not be returning to Noodles Fresh.