The restaurant has plenty of seating, and there was no wait when I arrived, so I was seated right…read moreaway. The staff were friendly and attentive the entire time. Sautéed Green Beans & Eggplant (4/5): A little sweeter than I was expecting. It was a bit too sweet for me to eat on its own, but I think it would pair really well with rice or as a side dish. It actually complemented the xiao long bao nicely by adding a touch of sweetness. Pork Xiao Long Bao (5/5): Super juicy and flavorful. The wrapper was cooked perfectly not too thick or tough. Definitely a must try! Chili Pork Wontons (3/5): They were pretty oily, and I didn't get much chili flavor. Not spicy at all, with a slightly creamy taste that I wasn't really a fan of. The bok choy soaked up a lot of the oil. I really wanted to like these more, but I wasn't a huge fan. Spicy Flat Noodles (3.5/5): The beef was incredibly tender. The noodles had a nice chewy texture, though they leaned a little firmer than I prefer. The flavor was pretty subtle, and I was hoping for more spice and seasoning. I ended up packing these to go and adding my own sauce to it when I got home. One thing I thought was really cool was that they had a TV playing videos of the hand-pulled noodle-making process. It was fun to watch while eating.

I've been to Highland Noodles multiple times but I think I will think twice before coming back in…read morethe future. Their handmade noodles are amazing and the main reason to come. Broths are flavorful and perfect. But their meat is incredibly inconsistent. It sits in their hot soup and continues to be boiled eventually leading to a chewy texture. With the prices they charge, I'd expect consistency each time. They need to pull all the meat out once it reaches a point where it will overcook. Then gently warm it up before serving. Beef is expensive and it shouldn't be wasted like this. Where one bowl has tender meat and another has overcooked meat. I hope they take this feedback into consideration. There is no other place like this and I would love to keep coming back. Service is great! But food is the most important thing for me personally.

Kajiken never disappoints. If you haven't tried aburasoba before, this is the place to do it. The…read morenoodles are chewy, the sauce is packed with flavor, and once you mix everything together it's so good. Definitely one of those places I will keep coming back to.

Came on a Friday evening from Natomas specifically to try this as we stumbled upon a location while…read morevisiting Japan and were thrilled to find out it was a chain and one was in Elk Grove. It's a small space & there are a few small tables but the servers were quick in clearing Server was Thomas and he was PHENOMENAL! Chicken karaage portion was decent and lots of garnish but I don't think I'm a big fan of this type of chicken in general so I prob wouldn't get it again. It was good but just not my jam. I love the soupless ramen and the portions were HUGE! Hubs had the #1 recommended noodle dish and it was delicious! He killed the whole thing. I had the spicy ramen and boy was it spicy. Mixed well and added some vinegar but no extra chili oil was needed. Worth the drive from Natomas to Elk Grove :)

Read all the positive reviews and decided to come here for dinner. For a Monday night, there was a…read moregood crowd but we were seated immediately. The QR code is on the tables. Scan to view the menu and order. Great variety of dishes to choose from. Ma Po Tofu Rice - appreciate the deep dish. Tasty, not too spicy. Combination chow mein - first time I used scissors to cut the noodles. (Scissors provided at the table) Little salty, combination lacking but large portion. Barbecue pork bun - ok General Tso's Chicken- good. Large portion. Good service. Clean with plenty of tables. Overall we enjoyed our food and will be back.

The service here was awful. You do everything yourself, you order through your phone/QR code and…read morenever once get checked up on... we needed napkins and kept having to get up to ask for stuff and a tip is still expected at the end. That was the only downside to this place. The food however was amazing! The noodles were soft and chewy, everything was flavorful and hot. I'm not from the area but I would happily make the drive here again. Something I really appreciated about this place is how the ac is blasting inside. I got a little chilly but I didn't care, nothing is worse than going to a stuffy restaurant and coming out to your clothes and hair smelling like oil & food so that was a plus for me.

Me and my brother just tried out this spot and it is AMAZING! not only is the food super good, but…read moreall the workers are incredibly nice. Our server, AJ, was super attentive, helpful, and just a vibe! Food came out pretty fast and the ambience was just everything. Will definitely be coming back! PS. the piggie custards are super good and sweet! the wontons are not so spicy but super good overall. my brother got the beef rolls and he really liked them!

Dumpling U feels like a modernization of an old school mom and pops Chinese restaurant. Perhaps the…read moretarget audience is more younger college folk? Non-Chinese folk? Unfortunately, I'm neither? The food was off. The flavors missed significantly. The beef rolls rely too much on oyster sauce and lacked balance. The sheng jian bao had raw dough on top, wasn't fried well on the bottom, and the "soup" inside was artificially flavored and lacked richness and depth. The Shanghai noodles were udon based? I've never experienced this before. The chili oil wanton were watered down where the chili oil couldn't stick to the wanton, which meant a lack of care to detail. The green pancake was fine. Overall, if you're looking for quality and great authentic tasting and actual quality Chinese food, Dumpling U isn't it. The service was 4-stars. Very nice.

So good! We are new to Oakdale and needed a new Pho spot. This one is it. Yum yum yummmmmmread more

Charges for sauce- I want to start by saying that the food is delicious and the service is always…read moregreat. I genuinely enjoy dining at your restaurant. One concern I have is the recent charges for sauces on takeout orders. When dining in, sauces are provided at no additional cost, but for takeout there is now a charge for items like chili oil and even extra Sriracha packets. I understand that restaurants have costs to manage, and I'm not trying to be petty or rude. However, charging $1 for two Sriracha packets feels excessive to me. I would encourage you to reconsider these charges, or perhaps only apply them when a customer requests an unusually large amount of sauce. Small requests for condiments seem like a reasonable part of a takeout order, especially for customers who regularly support your business. I appreciate your time and hope you'll consider this feedback from a loyal customer.

I tried the Numbing Spicy Minced Pork Noodles yesterday, and they were delicious. I went with…read moretheir widest noodle option, and the noodles were thick, chewy, and bouncy. The minced pork sauce clung onto them really really well. The minced pork had a nice balance of sweet and savory, although it leaned towards a little sweeter than I personally prefer. But it wasn't a problem at all, since I was able to adjust the flavor to make it more savory by using the Chicken Granules, Cumin, Chili Oil, and White Pepper condiments. Overall, it was a very satisfying dish! We also tried their new shaved ice dessert. It wasn't like the Hawaiian style shaved ice which is based on frozen water, but more like Korean style Bingsoo with a milky shaved ice base. The flavor and texture were both good, but I thought it was missing the toppings. It relied solely on syrup, and I think it would've been much better with fresh fruit or other toppings to add more flavor. It was $5.99 per order as of July 2026.

My 2nd or 3rd time here. I found this last time via Yelp!…read more Same consistency this time: like how fresh the noodles tasted and felt. The dumplings and beef baos were good. What I liked about this place was the both was not too heavy or salty: just about right plain and simple. The ribs noodle was good. Amazingly the chicken wings were very good. Got Pig Ears and Cold noodles take out at the end: very good. Not too salty. Service was quick, accurate and finely. Very clean, simple store. Not overly decorated. Parking was easy. Will come again.

Always the best! Love the gluten free options. Fresh and delicious. Our fave Thai restaurant in…read moretown. Faves are the curries and noodle dishes.

1 Star! Disappointing Service and Food. First time eating at Thai Noodle Express last Sunday…read more(4/12/26), and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. We were a group of 11, and I had to say our experience was very similar to another reviewer here, (Elite Marlane R.) The guy punk white dude taking our order was also the one bringing out the food, and his attitude was honestly shocking. When we politely asked if we could switch coffee to Coke, he immediately said no in a loud, irritated tone, saying Coke costs more than coffee. For us, the price difference wasn't even an issue, it was the way he spoke to us that felt disrespectful. At one point, I was just looking toward the door, and he suddenly asked me, "What are you looking at?" in a loud voice, as if I was staring at him. It was uncomfortable and unnecessary, especially since it drew attention from everyone around. Despite the poor service, we still made the effort to clean up after ourselves, busing our plates and making sure the table was neat before leaving. To the owner of Thai Noodle Express, I hope you can train your staff on how to properly treat customers. Good service goes a long way. On top of everything, the Pad Thai did not taste authentic. Very disappointing overall. I wouldn't recommend this place based on our experience.

I ordered the Shanghai Pan-fried Soup Buns and a hot tea, and it made for a simple but satisfying…read moremeal. The soup dumplings were served at a good temperature (hot enough to enjoy right away), with a soft layer, crunchy base, and a flavorful broth inside. They were juicy and well-seasoned, and best enjoyed carefully otherwise the soup will spill. The complementary hot tea was a nice pairing that helped balance the richness of the dumplings. The interior is minimalistic and clean, which I really liked. It feels modern without being cold or overdesigned. There is Wi-Fi. Parking was easy, and there was no wait to get seated when I went in on a Wednesday afternoon (12:30 PM) which made the whole experience smooth and easy. Overall, a solid spot for soup dumplings when you want something quick, warm, and well-executed! I would say this is one of the gems in San Leandro.

This is a nice place for lunch. We ordered The Classic Pork Xiao Long Bao, Crab Meat Xiao Long Bao,…read moreand Shanghai Pan-Fried Soup Buns. The Crab Meat Xiao Long Bao stood out as the best of the three that we ordered. It was very flavorful. The Shanghai Pan-Fried Soup Buns were okay. I definitely would get the Crab ones over the Shanghai ones. The dough on them was the perfect thickness and just the right amount of chewiness. The restaurant is located in a strip mall with ample parking. The restaurant is decorated nicely, and there's a counter where you can eat and watch them make the food through a large window. Service is friendly and fast. There was no wait for a table on a weekday for an early lunch.

We had quite the gluttonous moment when coming here our first time. We were so hungry and wanted…read moreto try something new. I think we ordered half the menu lol. The service was great. They gave us recommendations, described the dishes well and were very quick with service. The restaurant was quiet, not much chatter and noise and that was appreciative on a relaxing weekend with the hubby. I would come back and try more next time.

My favorite Chinese Food Restaurant in Amador County!!! I've tried a few, but I'll always keep…read morecoming back to Golden Dragon. I usually get combination fried rice & chow mein (with no shrimp), orange chicken, & sweet/sour pork. Everything always has amazing flavor & the family who owns it is super sweet & kind. Very attentive people & they definitely know how to make good Chinese food Will always come back!!!

I don't know how many times over the years we've driven past Good Friend Chinese Restaurant while…read moreen route to the foothills and high country, and nearly every time we'll make a comment. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's pithy, sometimes it's out of curiosity, but usually it's in the context of "who would come to Valley Springs to find good Chinese food?" Well, recently we were returning from yet another trip in the Sierras and were kind of hangry, so we decided to settle it once and for all, and give Good Friend a try. We arrived relatively late - it was only 7:30pm, but they close at 8:30pm, so their dinner rush was well past and they were winding down. This is important. Throughout our meal, the staff could not have been friendlier or more efficient. They were not annoyingly so, but they didn't miss a beat. The food in the buffet stations was starting to run out. The sushi selection had dwindled down from what was probably a much larger offering, although what remained still looked pretty fresh, not old and tired, and in fact, the few pieces we had were much better than typical Chinese buffet sushi. (I know that sounds like faint praise, but the sushi was actually decent.) The green mussels that were next to the sushi did look a little dry around the edges so we gave those a pass, but in fairness, mussels start to look that way pretty quickly, so they may not have been out very long. The hot and sour soup was much better than expected. If I hadn't crammed so much food into my pie hole already, I would have had another bowl of it. It does seem kind of weird to eat a Chinese soup with a Western soup spoon, but when in Rome, I guess. Also surprisingly good was the beef & broccoli, jalapeno pork, and the ribs, keeping in mind again that it was close to closing time and most of the ribs in the tray didn't look that great, but I managed to find enough that were meaty and moist to satisfy my jones for them. Next time - and there will probably be a next time - I'll pass on the stuff that is battered and fried: chicken, frog legs, tempura-style veggies. The battering was soft, not crisp. I don't know if that's because they'd been sitting and cooling in the steam table or if it's the batter mix. They weren't bad, just not how I like my fried stuff. The fried chicken actually tasted pretty good other than the soft coating, but I was reminded after eating the frog leg that frog's legs don't excite me to eat as much as the idea of eating frog's legs. Too much work for too little payback, and frog's legs can sometimes taste a little fishy. That's ok if you're eating fish, but when the meat is more like chicken, fishy taste is just odd. There were a few items that, earlier in dinner service, were probably much better. The dry fried string beans (labelled as "sauteed string beans") were really in need of replacing although we managed to pluck half a dozen of them out that looked ok, and there were a couple of other mixed veg trays that were past their prime as well. We also gave a pass to the crab legs, but not on account of their appearance. We just didn't feel like working that hard to get at the meat. All in all, we were pleasantly surprised. It was not the best Chinese food we've ever had. OTOH, it was FAR from the worst. Even more important, we agreed that we would have no problem going back. Is it a destination place? Absolutely not. But we definitely added it to our list of places to eat while we're on the road and want something we know will be good enough. Again, that sounds like it could be faint praise, but there's a ton of places out there for which we would not say the same. I'll add for context that the 4-star rating is relative to what I'd expect in Valley Springs. If Good Friend Chinese Restaurant were in, say, Richmond or San Francisco or San Gabriel, for instance, there's no way I'd rate them at 4 stars. More likely it'd be in the 2-3 star range in those areas. But considering the location and expectation, Good Friend is not a bad option. All the cars lined up in the Taco Bell drive-through should have gone across the highway to Good Friend! It also gave the "divorced dads with kids for the weekend" vibe.

First time trying Good Friends - my spouse grew up eating here with his parents/grandparents…read more We stopped in for dinner on our way back from the Airport. We were greeted & seated as soon as we entered the building. It was not super busy but had a good amount of people dining in. They offer a full menu as well as their buffet. We had the buffet; and it had a wide variety of food options. Their beef broccoli was delicious. I would defiantly go back and eat here again.