Quantity of food was big. Service was fast. They expanded their menu with alot of selections now. Will come back to try their other dishes. read more

Joyous Cuisine - Lamb rice noodle soup. - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

Cozy place with great food and attentive service; the Bao Zi are excellent and absolutely worth ordering.

We ordered the Xiao long bao and lamp pot, they were so good and the interior design was really cute.

This restaurant is actually not permanently closed. It just changed its Chinese name (previously 蘭亭序, now 花溪王). The noodles and wontons are really good here. Their Beijing style homemade yoghurt (酸奶) is especially refreshing and appetizing. read more

Amazing place : quality quantity and flavors Priced super competitively, honestly one of the spot of Castro street read more

Joyous Cuisine - Sour Guizhou soup with fatty beef - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

We ordered the lamb spine pot. The meat is not fresh and the sauce is just okay; will not be back.

I'd like to think I am a pretty adventurous eater. In the past few years of being in the Bay Area I feel I have learned a lot about the various regions of Chinese cuisine. I think for the first time in a while I've discovered food from a region I hadn't tried yet. Joyous' food hails from Guizhou which apparently borders the Sichuan and Hunan areas, has sone commonality but is also unique. Not sure why I haven't encountered this food before. I feel I may have had some similar taste profiles but perhaps a Sichuan or Hunan place lifted sone of the flavor profiles? Food is the story of appropriation throughout history so.... Normally I have a friend that speaks a number of Chinese languages and can read/write/translate for me what is going on. I didn't have said friend so I wandered in blind. Luckily the staff speak English. They just opened so I came to realize sone of the items I had questions about weren't available for the soft open. So dumplings and noodles it is! Got the lamb/beef tripe noodle soup with Guizhou spicy sour soup base. Then added an order of chive shrimp pork dumplings to boot. The soup noodles comes in this giant earthen ware bowl and the base is this awesomely sour/pickled tang with some Sichuan peppercorn numbing and chili. I asked for medium spicy to test the water and realized I could have just gone all the way. There is chili and peppercorn powder on the table plus soy and vinegar to amp up the base more as needed . The cauldron was a cornucopia of stuff, tofu squares, fried tofu puffs, tuna, bean sprouts, garlic chives, seafood/meat balls, quail egg, pickled and fresh greens. Then the beef tripe sliced long and lamb neat with sone ski. And bones too. Very rich. The noodles were medium thickness and were fairly light compared to the broth. The dumplings were very juicy, in fact I tried to do it xlb style but even pre emptively trying to get the soupy insides out would still result in squirting part way down the dumpling. Lucky for the giant bowl to catch it. They pan fried them like a classic potsticker with the starchy skirt for textural contrast. All great food for a weird rainy, then hot then suddenly cold day. As mentioned the staff speak English and they were very nice to a customer who clearly didn't know most of the cuisine. I think this is another winner in the Chinese cuisine department for this area which is dense now. You have happy lamb, 3 kingdoms, migrant 101, & seasons noodles and dumplings all within a short walk. An embarrassment of riches. As I walk down the street past the station I think I'm ready to bring my friend back to translate after soft opening when they have their full menu going too. Glad to step out of the comfort zone and be rewarded read more

Overall, it was a pleasant experience, though fairly ordinary. The staff were very friendly, and we enjoyed sitting outside, especially with live music playing in the distance. The food was good as well--we ordered xiao long bao, which were nicely done read more

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The broth is really flavorful. The noodle portion is really big, I think it could be shared by two people (unless you eat a lot / are really hungry). Also got some dumplings where were pretty good. The yoghurt drink was delicious! read more

I was here for their soft opening on Day 1 and am disappointed. We came in and were seated in the middle of the big dining area. There were white neon lights spotlighting the few tables in the front middle section which was neither comfortable nor inviting to have a nice dinner. After two minutes of reading the menu, we were asked for our order. We said we needed a little more time since this is a new restaurant. After one minute we were asked to order by another person and we said we needed more time. We were asked basically every minute by a different person what we wanted to order. I mean, it's a new restaurant, is it too much asked to give customers a little more time to study the menu? The service was literally in our face at all times. They were just standing next to our table, making the dining experience very uncomfortable. The dining area was also pretty cold. We ordered the lamb noodle soup, extra spicy and spicy and the vermicelli buns. The noodle soups came in beautiful 'clay pots' that were too light for real clay in my opinion. The soups weren't cooked in the clay pot as the pot was cold on the outside. The soups were also only lukewarm with the oil layer alread forming a skin which I disliked. We had the bonebroth base which was not very bonebrothy. There were interesting things in it, meatballs, fishballs, fried and regular tofu but half of each respectively. You have the option of wheat noodles or rice noodles. We had both, rice noodles were definitely better. However, you only get a small amount of noodles. The most disappointing were the vermicelli buns. The dough wrapper was still raw. The buns had not much taste, only from the dipping sauce which was literally garlic and chili oil. I asked for two takeout boxes as we couldn't stand eating in the spotlight stared at by the staff any longer and one of them said to the other in Chinese, only one box is enough. Aha. I asked again for two and the brought two but on her way back to the kitchen, she took away the lid of one of the boxes. We thought they accidentally got the wrong sized lid and will return with the right size but no. We had to ask again for the lid. There are a lot better noodle places in downtown Mountain View with tastier food and nicer service. This feels like storebought soup base with storebought meat and fish balls put together in a restaurant that lacks atmosphere but plenty of uncomfortableness. read more

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Definitely didn't make me joyous. Where to start... all the food was very bland. The lamb skewers tasted like they had almost no seasoning on them and were cooked last week, and have been lying on the heat lamp since. The beef rice noodles were in a soup that tasted like it was diluted 1:10 in favor of water. Worse of all there was like 4oz of meat and 20oz of noodles. Too much carbs. If this place tried to mimic Mifen101, this place is a complete and utter FAIL. Mifen101 gives 6-8oz of meat and a similar amount of noodles along with 5-6 different kinds of veggies and a strong soup base that's very flavorful. Next, the staff feel like they were on a permanent smoke break the entire time. They were nowhere to be seen after bringing out our food. Never got my water refilled once. We had to personally get our take out boxes, utensils, and checkout to pay ourselves. Normally, I don't care about service as much as the food, but the food itself deserves 1 star-- the disastrous service takes that 1 star to a 0 star. read more

Joyous Cuisine - Beef Rice Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

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Opened just this week so still in soft opening phase and getting their bearings. However, the food and service was really great! We got two noodle soups (beef and lamb) which were hearty and really delicious. The original spice is quite spicy so they even brought an extra bowl of no spice soup to help make it more mild for us. We also got the prince bun and the chive pork shrimp dumplings and cucumber salad. Dumplings were very good and high quality and the prince buns were solid. The staff were so helpful and kind despite being very busy! They are still in the beginning phase so they don't have the clay pot rice/noodles yet. read more

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Opened just couple weeks, don't have the full menu yet. Like their regular and rice noodle dishes. Good flavors and lots of good ingredients. Three different soup bases and spicy levels to choose from. The dumplings are good as well, tried their prince buns, it was ok a bit more doughy. Should have tried their beef and pork biscuits l, that is fried and looked real good. Cucumber salad was good too. Went on Sunday around 11:30 and that was a good call, an hour later, you have to wait in line. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Will definitely go back again to try other dishes. read more

Joyous Cuisine - Soft opening menu - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

A nice addition to Castro! I really enjoyed my fish soup and want to come back to try some of their other dishes like their skewers.

Our new favorite spot! If you're in the Mountain View area and craving delicious, high-quality Asian cuisine, Joyous Cuisine is definitely a must-visit. I highly recommend trying their house-made dumplings, which are a perfect combination of tender and savory, and the mango sticky rice for dessert is an absolute must if you like something sweet to round off your meal. read more

Restaurant on Castro street in soft opening phase. Not too busy on a weekday night. We were very surprised to see how big the portions are for the price. Especially in Castro street. The pot had lots of meat and toppings. I got the spicy option and it was just the right amount. I love eating tripe in spicy soup. Soup was not too oil either. Lots and lots of noodles that we got to take back for leftovers. The service staff were very kind and attentive and even gave us extra soup to take home with our leftover noodles, and helped us pack everything up. We wanted the clay pot milk tea but unfortunately that is only for the winter time cuz it is hot. The decorations are also really pretty. Would love to come again and try the skewers. read more

I got the beef tendon noodle soup and my husband got the beef noodle soup. Both of our noodle bowls had noodle clumps, the bone broth didn't taste like much. The black bowls that look like stone or clay are actually plastic. No toilet paper in the bathroom. The host was friendly but disorganized and confused. We are not coming here again. read more

Food is authentic and tasty. I like the decoration and atmosphere here. No loud pop music, like other Chinese restaurants do.

Best food, best staff, best environment, and the most delicious and calming experience you can get!

I don't usually leave negative reviews, but I feel obligated to share my experience. I recently visited Joyous and unfortunately ended up with a severe case of food poisoning afterward. I had a noodle, and within hours I was sick -- it was not just discomfort, but full-on food poisoning that took me out for a couple of days. While the ambiance and service were fine, none of that matters when the food served is unsafe. I would caution others to be careful -- and personally, I won't be returning. read more

Just not good. Got the fatty beef noodle. The broth was thin and lacked flavor for a bone broth. Noticed that it tasted kind of funky, which usually indicates that they didn't clean the bones well. The actual beef tasted off. No real flavor but smelled bad. Like it had been left out or frozen and thawed too many times. This would be a 1 star, but the cucumber dish was nice. I should've known. Place was nearly empty on a super busy Saturday. The server had to be outside soliciting people to come in. Feel like the food should speak for itself? read more

Hate to leave this review, but while I was eating here, a huge rat ran across the restaurant and into the kitchen. Based on the staff's reaction, could be that they are working on the issue. But I was a little worried about the food after that. read more

Food was ok; noodles were good just broth was a bit bland for me. Good portion size of veggies/meat/noodles ratio. Skewers were ok. Service staff were nice. Updated interior but no ac. read more

Joyous Cuisine - Beef brisket noodle - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

So I gotta say, this particular spot has been several restaurants over the years. No one had any staying power unfortunately and that's mostly because every concept that chose to open up was a pop-up effort. I think Joyous Cuisine will be different. The place looks like it has been invested in and they mean to take things seriously. I got the Fatty Beef Noodle Soup to go. I went for the spicy smoky broth and added extra noodles for a dollar more. Broth was just right. Good consistency and silky smooth from the beef tallow. The initial amount of noodles was a generous portion. I had about a cup's worth of broth left so the extra side of noodles made for a great snack for later. I work nearby so I'll be back. Looking forward to touring the menu! read more

Fast service, pretty decent food. I like the spice level. Wished they had lemon tea and clay pot milk tea, but it was not ready yet. read more

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This is a new restaurant we tried 2 times already. It serves authentic Chinese cuisine including all kinds of Rice noodles, dumplings, braised meat and fried meat and vegetable skewer. We love their amazing tasty lamb rice noodle and other side dishes. Their staff Alan provide wonderful service, the restaurant is very clean and provides outside seating. The price is very reasonable. I highly recommend anyone to try it and you will not be disappointed. read more

First day of opening - the interior is large and spacious. We went in for a late lunch and got A1 Beef Rice Noodle, spicy with thick bone soup, and B7 Spanish Mackerel Dumplings. Food came out pretty quickly. The rice noodles were great, chewy and not soggy, and the beef cuts were tender. There were many different toppings, including some bok choy, fishballs, meatballs, and tofu. The soup looked spicier than it actually was. It'd be nice if the beef cuts were larger and there were more noodles, as there was a lot of soup. Highlight of the meal for me were the Spanish mackerel dumplings. I haven't had them before and expected them to be stronger in flavor, but they were actually quite light with a subtle sweetness. The filling was very generous. They provided a dipping sauce with garlic, onion, cilantro, and spicy oil, but I thought plain vinegar and soy sauce went best with them. Would definitely get again. They also sell frozen dumplings for $30 for a bag of 50. Overall, would go again to try other offerings on the menu. read more

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This place was such a lucky find for me: I had the best beef noodle soup that I've ever had! The staff was very attentive and even though I'm a fork-wielding, non-Asian, I felt very comfortable and welcomed. I'll be going back whenever I'm in Mountain View. read more

The soup dumpling with pork was really good! The beef soup also. Service is fast and the atmosphere is great

Fake store. Stole the other store's name, told other people the other store are closing and they are the new location.

Service was very attentive. Ambiance was artistic yet a bit warehouse like due to the giant size of the place. Would suggest brighter walls like cream color or something and more paintings Lamb rice noodle + beef tendons in Guilin sour soup base. Really big serving of noodles and fair portion of beef tendon and lamb meat. The sour soup was not too sour and spicy soup not too spicy. Pork stew biscuit 火烧 was baked and less greasy than other meat biscuits like 肉夹馍 Tofu skin in chili sauce was also standard Pork and Napa cabbage were standard, the chili vinegar sauce was good read more

Joyous Cuisine - Lam rice noodle - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

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We tried this place for the first time. Soft Opening, so they are working things out. Server was extremely friendly and helpful describing the menu and what was in everything. I don't think tea is on the menu but was kind enough to make us some black tea. The Server kinda hovered a bit, but I could see he was just trying to make our experience a nice one. Food portions were enough and pretty good flavor. I asked for medium spice, but I think it could have been a bit hotter for my palette. My partner thought his was perfect. We didn't get the opportunity to try other dishes because we were pretty full. Next time. Oh, the spoons were a bit odd shaped but functional. Place looked pretty clean and spacious and not too crowded, bit we did get there for an early dinner. It definitely got a bit busy when we were leaving. read more

Joyous Cuisine - Beef Rice Noodle soup. - Chinese Near Me - Mountain View, California

The noodles are good. I got the spiciest kind. It's hard enough that I couldn't finish it.

We got the prince buns to share and the lamb, fatty lamb, and brisket noodle soups. Everything was delicious, especially the buns. Do note that the fatty lamb comes in thin hot pot-style slices, while the other two are nice chunks (which I prefer). The service was good even though they only provided QR code ordering, which I dislike. The owner came by our table to welcome us with some tasty yogurt and sour plum drinks as well. I enjoy the decorations they've put in the space. Overall it was a great experience, and I hope that even though this space has had a lot of turnover over the years, this one sticks! read more

Good food. Portion was big but surprised they dont have white steam rice. Would be nice to pour soup over rice

Extremely good! Very authentic Guizhou flavor, I love it sooooo much!! You can scan the QR code to order food, which is very convenient. The restaurant was bright and clean and the service was spot on. It made me feel at home. read more

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This has been on my to-try list for a while and I'm glad that I did. Initial impression is that pricing is not on the cheap side BUT pleasantly found the portion is actually very generous, more so than similar noodle places nearby. Also liked the variety of ingredients. The noodles are tasty for both the original broth and the sour broth. The skewers are very flavorful too but they're deep fried so might not get them every time. Came here on a Sunday and the service is fast and friendly. read more

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The restaurant food is amazing and in big quantity. Atmosphere is great, some mandopop without being too loud so it doesnt make you want to leave ASAP. The service is also on point. The fatty beef noodle with sour soup is my go to and you should give it a try! read more

I took my son Friday evening here for dinner. My little boy is always very picky about food but he loves the food here! We ordered bunch of things and everything is so tasty! The service here is very friendly and attentive! Our waitress Lina helped us take great pictures which also made me super happy! The environment is very clean and neat! We will come back again for sure! Highly recommend this place! read more

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Great spot for lunch and authentic Chinese noodles. Very quick service via QR app with ultra-customized options within each dish. Able to order degree of "spiciness" which to my taste (medium) was right on. Plus Castro St. Is great for wandering after. 2 bookstores! Definitely coming back. read more