Excellent food and great service. This has been my favorite Chinese Food restaurant for years, when it was still Pings.

the only thing about this place is the name!! Run people run. Food was ineatible ! Swiftly put in the trash.

Three of us had the Lunch Special at Emma's last Thursday, 1/30. For quite a low price, from $11.50-$13.50, depending on what dish you order, you get soup, that dish, rice or chow mein noodles or fried rice, and water. We had to order tea separately, but there was no extra charge for it. I ordered the Garlic Green Beans, and they were lacking in garlic aroma and taste. The soup had good flavor, but a gluey texture. I tasted the other dishes, and they also tasted underseasoned to me. The Lemon Chicken had a bottled lemon juice flavor. The tea we asked for came with one lonely bag floating in the whole pot of water, so took many minutes to steep, and even then was too weak and flavorless. I will not go back. read more

ordered chix chow fun, Singapore noodles, and fried rice. Chow Fun acceptable, singapore noodles were not good, no shrimp at all, a bit of unrecognizable meat, and overly curried noodles, rice was dry, very little vegs or meat or egg. Was disappointed as I hoped could go there instead of Pings in northgate as closer. Hopefully just bad day but will not order these items. Addendum Found 2 shrimp in noodles. read more

There just isn't any real Chinese food restaurants in Marin county. I happen to drop by last week thinking it was still Pings. What a surprise! The food was great. Since I am of Asian decent, I can be critical on Chinese food. Wing the owner recommended the special, which was spareribs and veggies. It was fabulous! Now if he only served Dim Sum on Sundays. Rolling carts.. read more

overall pretty good but really mad about the potstickers. they are miniature! and not cheap! here's a picture next to a teaspoon - yeah that small! read more

Emma's Restaurant - mini potsticker - Chinese Near Me - San Rafael, California

First, over the year I've had my share of Chinese food and was a consistent visitor to Pings (location site) for about 25 years. Secondly, when I went this time, I did not know that they had sold their business and was owned by someone else. Imagine my surprise when I was met with new lighting and regular music! (I always loved the Chinese music they played. ) Ours was to be a takeout order so, though surprised, it was fine... However, the food was, at best, mediocre. Perhaps it was because we ordered lunch specials but still... What a disappointment. Neither of us finished our meals, my guest took her friend rice home with her ("to fix it" as it was virtually flavorless - first time ever) and I did the same. As for the BBQ pork buns I ordered? I've had frozen ones (from Trader Joe's, Costco, even almost expired ones from Grocery Outlet) that tasted better. Of the 3, only 1 has been eaten as, most of what you are getting is "bread" and the 1 1/2 teaspoon of filling is too inadequate to even taste. All in all? The service was quick, the restaurant "pretty", but the food left more than a little something to be desired. For what we received, it was overpriced BUT I'm glad we tried it on our own (as compared to us doing it based on both the reviews of the Pacific Sun and the Marin IJ). We will not be going back but I wish them every success and doubt that our experience is common to everyone. read more

This restaurant is proof positive that it is really hard to open a restaurant. I've been in twice now and both times it wasn't very busy. This is shocking for a few reasons. First there is no good Chinese food in Marin and this place is very very good. The people who work there are extremely nice and attentive. The restaurant has a great modern look, they've done a great job designing the space. And I can't say this enough, the food was equal to the great Chinese food we'd get when we lived in SF. Oh, the portions are very large too. We are a family of 4, ordered $100 worth of food and it was dinner for us and I ate lunch with the leftovers for three days. So far we've had the Mongolian Beef, Princess Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, Spicy Beef potstickers, sizzling Rice soup and the Mopu Tofu. They were all very good. We also got their steamed pork buns which were savory, not BBQ. That was the only dish that didn't knock my socks off. Everyone should rejoice that we finally have a great Chinese option in Marin. read more

Had dinner there recently. There was no heat and because the night was cold and rainy, it was freezing inside. I had very high hopes for this place and I will go back again, just not soon. The chicken pot stickers were very good, very small but tasty. The chicken in lettuce cups was not good and i would not order them again. We asked for not spicy dishes but the chow main/eggplant was too heavily peppered. On the plus side, shrimp with snow peas was very good as was the fried tofu with mushrooms . We were not offered drinks or tea. The interior still needs a lot of work in order for me to return soon, but I might try take out. Marin needs good Chinese restaurants and I hope this one can succeed. read more

It's an admittedly low bar, but this is the best Chinese food in Marin. Give it a try.

The food was great and pretty large portions. We ordered the orange chicken, chow fun, and a lamb dish. The service was friendly. Overall, I'd recommend Emma's, and I plan to come back. A good local spot. read more

See all

I have had plenty of terrible Chinese food but this was hands-down the worst. We ordered 6 dishes for delivery and every item, every bite was utterly flavorless. Not just lacking flavor, zero flavor. The food was greasy and lukewarm. We threw it all in the garbage. The restaurant also took 90 minutes to make the meal, so will have to say it was a disaster. read more

Mostly positives at Emma's. Hot sour soup - great. Mongolian lamb - fantastic. Beef chow fun - seared properly with wok and seasoned well, beef was tender but lacked flavor. Eggrolls were nothing special. Mu shu pork was good, but wraps were microwaved, not steamed so they were brittle and tough. All said, the positives far outweighed the negatives and I will definitely go back! read more

Finally a really good Chinese restaurant here in San Rafael! Emma's is nicely decorated, with a friendly and efficient staff and delicious fresh prepared food. I can't wait to go back. If you like Chinese cuisine, give them a try, you won't be disappointed. Open for lunch and dinner. read more

Folks who remember Pings at its peak, the 1990's and early 2000's, you have a return to authentic, inspired Chinese cuisine again. Find a way to support these young owners as they revitalize the food, the place, and the service. Great job! BTW: Get a new sign for the outside of the Resturant lol read more

Got food to go last evening. Best Chinese food I've had in Marin County, and I believe I've tried all of them. Every other Chinese restaurant had rather ordinary food. Emma's stands out from all the others. read more

Came back after the old place was closed. I can tell the new owner put a lot of thought into the new place. The food was so good. The crab puffs were to die for‍ read more

See all

Pings got a major upgrade with the new owners at what is now Emma's. Hadn't been to Pings in a while - only ordered delivery. Place is totally different. The food was excellent with generous portions. My husband said we're not going to any other Asian restaurants now that we have Emmas. read more

So, there's this spot, used to go by Ping's, but new owner, same fantastic taste that I've always loved. The flavors are still on point, and the pricing? Oh, it's not gonna break the bank, which is always a win in my book. The transition may have happened, but the delectable taste and wallet-friendly prices have stayed wonderfully consistent. It's like a comforting food haven that just keeps getting it right! read more

Finally, a very good Chinese restaurant in Marin County. Everything we ordered was exceptional and the prices were very reasonable, which is unheard of in Marin. The only thing we wish they had were family dinners, which would've earned them a 5 star. They are located near the on-ramp to southbound 101 off Anderson near the Dollar Tree store. It used to be the Mandarin. Lots of parking, nice people. Try it you'll like it. read more

The service was great, and the taste of the food was amazing. They even returned my credit card when I left it. My favorite dish was the mu-shu pork. read more

My girlfriend and I were out and about in San Rafael just now and she wanted to use the bathroom. I suggested we get take out at Emma's Chinese Restaurant. She came out of the bathroom raving about how great the bathroom was and I was shocked because she is a super neat freak. Then the food was first class. They didn't skimp on the vegetables (we eat plant based) and the sauce was delicious without the usual grease. Highly recommend this place. read more

I wanted to try the place after seeing the change in ownership and the remodeling and it did not disappoint! The decor is so modern and clean, the staff is so knowledgeable and attentive, and the food is truly authentic and made with love. You can tell that everyone that works at Emma's is giving their all for the service and food. It is even comparable to (or better than) the Chinese restaurants in SF and Oakland, especially at this price point! I will definitely make Emma's one of my regular go to restaurants. read more

Well, I was certainly taken in by the takeout menu. The menu immediately gave me the impression that I was going to enjoy some nice Chinese food. Sadly, the execution in the kitchen was completely disappointing. Overall, the dishes were too oily, too sweet and very glucky from the overuse of starch as a thickener. The vegetables were over cooked. The pot stickers are gummy and are enclosed in dough which is way too thick. We were hoping that Emma's would be more capable because they are closer to us than our regular place Hulu Wa in Terre Linda. Unfortunately, this is not the case. read more

I ordered Ginger Beef with Green Onions!! It wasn't on the menu but they hit it right out of the park. DELICIOUS and AUTHENTIC! Flavors were amazing. I will definitely be back. I love this restaurant! read more

Good food, great service. The best Chinese food I've had in Marin so far. This and Tommy Wok. They are not as good as Brandy Ho's in the city, but what is? read more

I tried Kung Pao Chicken and rice plate for lunch and it was not very good. The biggest problem was it had strong taste of five spice, which I do not like. Maybe some people like it, but not my favorite. I will read reviews and will try something else next time. read more

The new owner "Wing" is really a "hands-on" type of a person and almost always present on the promises, and so accommodating. Parking is FREE ~ no need to worry about those meter-maids or tickets .New Interior design gives an airy, clean feeling, and not cramped or crowded. service is fast for both dine in and take out. Angelina Frey read more

Dined before SF Comedy Competition show in the restaurant. Chinese beer, mu shu chicken and corn and chicken soup were delicious and servings were generous, especially the huge "small" soup. Server thoughtfully steered me away from ordering the large soup. Dinner service ended at 8:30. At 8:13 female manager dropped the check. Being a server myself, I appreciated that they wanted to get their paperwork done early. I promptly offered my credit card and was signing the paperwork at 8:16. At this time the manager hovered over my table and repeatedly attempted to collect my paperwork as I was still filling it out. She did everything but pull the pen and paper out of my hand. I was very courteous and sensitive to the restaurant's business needs and was thanked with rudeness. I felt very rushed and it definitely negatively altered my dining experience at Emma's. Maybe take-out is a better way to experience Emma's and save your dining out experience for another business. read more

Emmas must use only the finest, organic, artisanal farm-to-table MSG available. I am consistently surprised on the upside with the taste and consistent delivery of quality Asian cuisine. Look no further, this is your takeout of choice. read more

M husband and I have enjoyed meals at Emma's. However tonight when i ordered take out for pick up. My 3 were all poor. Seafood panfried noodles, salt & pepper pork chops and green beans in garlic. The worst. We may never go back. Peggy & Jon Wu * read more

If I could give zero star I would, I went to the restaurant today, my food was not so good at all pork meat it taste like from two days ago, than I talk to server, I told him that my food was bad, so I ask for a beef chow-main when I start eating it the beef was raw. They didn't do anything about it I'll never come back to that place again.. read more

My first time I felt it was good. The second time it we felt it was okay but tonite the food wS poor. The overall flavors were pretty bland. The BBQ Pork and string beans were the best thing we had but were very saucy. The Wah wan ton soup was not very flavorful and as everything else bland the wan ton were mushy. The mango chicken sounded good but was terrible. We tasted it and after the meal threw it out. If you like bell pepper sauté you might like this dish. for every scrap of chicken there were 4-5 chunks of bell pepper. As far as the mango goes I only saw 2 pieces and they were tiny and mushy the sauce tasted like corn starch and water. DON'T ORDER THIS. We had shrimp and assorted vegetables which again were way too bland and pretty flavorless. Too bad we need a real good Chinese restaurant in Marin. This is not it. read more

so much oil! i ordered the eggplant with basil and garlic, i specifically requested that they use as little oil as possible. it came swimming in oil, and with no basil at all. cannot order it again. so unhealthy and not what was advertised. i also ordered the cilantro lamb. again not what was advertised. the dish was 80% onion, 20% lamb. nothing but onion, lamb, and some small amount of cilantro on top. no "mix" of vegetables, just onions and onions. the description says: Tender slices of lamb, stir-fried with fresh cilantro and a mix of vegetables in a savory sauce. lamb slices were sub par, with gristle and tons of fat. we used to order from here when it was pings. we used to order the wor wonton soup. now that it is not pings, the broth has lost a lot of flavor and the wontons have very little meat inside of them. no mushrooms anymore and less shrimp and bbq pork. their chow mein has stayed the same. that is the only positive i can say. not a healthy option for a restaurant. ill be looking elsewhere read more

These folks took over the old, original Ping's, and what an improvement. Very good service, free parking steps from the door, nice redesign of interior. But the food is the highlight here, given the lack of very many good Asian cuisine places in Marin. Nothing was oily or greasy, very good flavors, and extensive and not over-priced menu. We will be going back here many times. read more

Went to Emma's on the recommendation of others on Yelp. Food was not terrible, but neither was it great. The place is vacuous, unheated, and dark. Not at all what I expected. It was so cold that the food on my plate actually lost all its heat before I finished eating it. So disappointing! Cannot recommend this for quality of food, nor ambience, nor service (waiter stayed back near the kitchen, so if we needed something, we had to get up and walk back there to get his attention). Maybe it will improve over time, but right now It has a ways to go to merit a higher review. read more

Food from MS was very tasty... Initially there was some confusion when we went to pick up our order. Outside, the restaurant is called pings. Inside, there was confusion with picking our order up. Once that all got squared away the food was tasty! Very crispy spring rolls. read more

They have an extensive menu and everything we had was good. The corn chicken soup and the prawns with snow peas were our favorites.

Not even done with my meal, but this place is exceptional. Very good food, extremely good service and wonderful ambiance. Very easy to get to, right off the 101. And Billy is super hospitable! Highly recommend read more

I was reading reviews about this restaurant and one review jumped out... a one star review stating that we should, "RUN" from this restaurant. I looked at her other reviews - and all are one star. I went to the restaurant and I have to say, this is the BEST Chinese restaurant in Marin - really! I've been there twice with friends and also had delivery 3x, and I'm not sure what her problem is. I lived in NYC for 20 years and loved Chinese food - ate it frequently both in Chinatown NYC and SF. This restaurant gives you good portions, good service, and the food is way above average. We have had crab puffs, sweet & sour chicken, Mongolian beef, fried squid, egg rolls, wonton soup, Emma's fried rice, princess chicken, chow fun, salt & pepper fish, basil eggplant, etc. Have not had a mediocre meal yet. Everything has been delicious, and I can't wait to go back...! I've recommended this restaurant to my friends and clients and all have told me it's great. Seriously - give it a try! Mariel read more