Okay...I know the restaurant was slammed. It was New Year's Day. Still, there were serious strikes with all my dishes. 1) Won Ton Soup broth tasted like zucchini and nothing else. 2) Chicken Chow Mein had mushy noodles and no veggies besides bean sprouts. 3) Beef with Broccoli was good but the To Go cartoon was barely half full. Three strikes you're out guys. I love Chinese food. After a crazy day of hangover pain I wanted some delicious hot flavorful soup and yummy food. I didn't find it here. They obviously couldn't take the rush of people. Maybe they're better on regular days. Who knows, but what I had didn't make me want to come back again. read more

Do you remember how as a child, when you went out for Chinese, you were for sure going to have some sort of walnut prawns, lemon chicken, and broccoli beef? Yet over the years, authenticity has been the word of the game, and these Americanized Chinese joints have been swallowed into the greasiness of Panda Express, and all you're left with are legitimate restaurants with legitimate food, which sometimes just doesn't work for your illegitimate palate! HAVE NO FEAR: KING YEN IS HERE! 3 girls, 1 fried rice dish, 1 eggplant veg dish, 1 mongolian beef dish. All delicious (if salty), and we ate our fill and had leftovers. (for ~$37 with tax/tip) We got some awesome fortunes... and yeah, it's just the western Chinese experience done with tasteful settings, tasty food, and no pretentiousness. Gotta love it. (PS: the fact that we were the only asians here should've tipped us off about the "authenticity" of this joint.. the REAL asians were probably at some Canto-speaking joint in Oakland where the chicken dishes all include the chicken heads and feet.) Don't come here expecting something real/authentic, come expecting comfort. (wow, never thought westernized Chinese would qualify under the "comfort" category...) read more

King Yen is the first restaurant I ever went to. I was probably a couple years old at the time, and the restaurant was on the other side of College Ave from where it is today in a darker, slightly more depressing space. They were always super welcoming to families (even the occasional screaming 2 year old), and have amazingly held to that standard over the years. In short, a great place for busy parents with kids. As for the food, well, it's pretty standard fare. I don't get too excited, but it's a lot better than most Chinese restaurants. Favorites include chicken with green beans and the crispy-fried noodle dish with everything in it (I forget the name). It's not going to knock your socks off, but it's going to satisfy. King Yen deserves props for pulling this off for several decades now. Kudos. read more

Have been wanting to try this for awhile because I always see it fairly full when I walk past it down college. Didn't disappoint! First time eating Honey Walnut Prawns and they were really good. I loved the caramalized walnuts and the prawns were pretty big. Loved the taste of the Garlic Eggplant but the skin could've been a little softer. Servings are very very generous. I was surprised by the amount of rice given. I think i got about 4-5 servings out of what I ordered. read more

I don't remember a time that I didn't come here. I have grown up with this Elmwood landmark. It wasn't until I left the bay area that I realized that vinegar on the table isn't a universal Chinese restaurant thang. (PS: I'm addicted to vinegar). Anyhoo- always the best service, and some servers have been there for over 20 years. My favorites are the green beans w/ tofu, hot and sour soup, sizzling rice soup (shrimp, spinach, mushrooms), and of course their schezwan beef. Great food. Great family restaurant. Never to be missed when I'm in Berkeley. read more

King Yen serves fresh, slightly americanized chinese food in a comfortable environment with clean table cloths. I've been coming here since I was wee-high... And that was a while ago.. This place is successful and has had steady clientel over the years for a reason. The food is tasty. Plus their lunch specials are big, delicious and inexpensive.. And their hot and sour soup is amazing. A hot pot of jasmine tea is delivered to your table as soon as you sit down... As I said earlier, the place is comfortable. Don't listen to these other negative reviewers.. They are whining about nothing. Enjoy. read more

Delicious! My sister has been tellin us how great the food is for years now and ive finally been able to go twice and its so so good. the first time i got the duck and was blown away, no one else seemed to like it because it was pretty gamey but i really enjoyed it. this time it was a large group and i ordered the special house tofu and the eggplant chicken, both were some of the best chinese food i have had. i suggest everyone go there and celebrate something. read more

King Yen Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is our go-to Chinese restaurant in the East Bay. The food is good and the prices are appropriate for the portion and quality. I love the mushu and sweet and sour pork here. Initially we had some service issues in the past, but got past those and now as regulars we get excellent service. The workers know us well and treat us like regular customers (which we are). My son's friend once left a sweater in the restaurant (we didn't know) and they held on to it until we came back the next time to eat (might have been 3-4 weeks later). While there are other Chinese places we like in the East Bay, this is one of your favorites and one insisted upon by our son. read more

Their food is great and a GO-TO for local Chinese. Everything tastes fresh and delicious. I also look forward to taking my family here to dine in when the restaurants open as our kids love their food as well. King Yen should be on your list for Great Chinese and order with confidence. I am tired of all the other places that were just Hit Or Miss, these guys having been doing things great for a long time! read more

What a shame. The Calamari app and Wonton soup were really great. Then my waitress brought me the wrong opened bottle of beer. No prob, she says when I point it out to her, and goes to get me another. On her way, she reaches into a buss tray, pulls out a used beer cap, places it on top of the wrong open beer then sets the beer back on the shelf where she can use it later. Several awkward moments go by and another waiter grabs the beer and sets it on a tray, ready to serve. I jump up and let him know what happened and before I finish explaining, he says in an annoyed tone that he'll use another one. I don't like to read people's minds, but he acted like the problem was familiar territory. Our Szechuan Shrimp entree was undercooked. Not criminally, but enough to prevent us from finishing it. I can't see ever going back. read more

OK, somebody in the bay area has to say it and I'm finally going to: There are more types of Chinese food than Cantonese, and King Yen delivers the goods with its Szechuan based yumminess. I have lived in San Francisco for 5 years and while we have some fantastic Dim Sum in the Bay Area, Koi Palace is unbelievable, we also suffer to some extent because most Chinese restaurants here cater to the Cantonese population and most restaurant's Szechuan offerings are prepared with a large amount of oil as is the case with most Cantonese restaurants and are made to taste like Cantonese food instead of Szechuan. While I have found some exceptions at Hunan in the City and Brandy Ho's, authentic Hunan can be a little extra salty for my tastes personally, though I do like both restaurants on occasion. Finally I find King Yen and wow! The Shredded Pork in Garlic Sauce, (basically Yu Shian Pork) is to die for. The Szechuan Chicken is fantastic. Their Cow Mien is quite tasty and includes celery and carrots which somehow add a nice touch of sweetness, but I guess that's part of my point. Szechuan food has that spicy sweetness that Cantonese does not. Personally, I prefer that. Their Won Ton soup is a little on the weak side, though adding a drop of their smoky chili oil fixes it up very well. My one disappointment is the tea, where I prefer Oolong and wish it were available, even as an additional purchase. Now while I love some Cantonese family places like Porridge King in Daly City, I have to say that King Yen is my favorite Chinese restaurant in the Bay Area, maybe tied with Koi Palace. This is a great place. Still "real" Chinese even though it's not Cantonese. And my wife is first generation Chinese (Hokkien) from Asia so I know of what I speak when I say that some of the bay area "experts" on Chinese food should loosen up their palettes and experience Hakka, Hokkien, Hunan and Szechuan food and give it its props for what it is which can be great AND different. read more

When ordering takeout on the phone, beware of the "King Yen" restaurant menus that pop-up at the top of the list. Their pricing is painfully outdated and the "King Yen" website is very difficult to find as they are too lazy to keep it current in Google listings. I could not locate it. Be sure to VERIFY the pricing on the entrees or you may be in for a big surprise when you pick it up. The food is O.K. when dining in. It is your typical Chinese-American food that we have been eating for decades. The take out version is very mediocre when compared to other like fare in a similar price range available on College Avenue. read more

A friend and I went here for the first time in quite a while. King Yen is one of my favorite childhood restaurants, and I am happy to say that its deliciousness has maintained all of these years. Everything was wonderful, from the mu shu, to the noodles, and the chicken dish. All dishes were incredibly tasty and we left feeling full, but not greasy. Not only is the restaurant great, but the location is prime too. The Elmwood area is adorable, and great for walking around. After dinner is a great time to take a walk and look at all of the fun businesses. All in all, King Yen was great experience and left me feeling content that my old childhood haunt is still superb all these years later. read more

I hate chinese food. Dont touch the stuff unless i was starved for 2 days and the water supply ran out. BUT....majority rules and so chinese it was for 4 Cal Students. My plate sucked *SURPRISE* do not order the prawns sautee - the sauce taste like plain diluted gelatin...nast BUT... everyone elses plates were Delicioso. and to be fair the prawns were very fresh and big. All the veggies tasted amazing, very fresh and cooked just right. The portions are huge and the eggplant dish one of my friends ordered was like a spicy fiesta in your mouth. I like that you can share in case one yous F-ks up and orders something gross. parking is a B* so take the 51 but thats another story... just walk and then you can walk back w some ice cream from Icy! woo P.S. Ok so i am still not a fan of chinese but i wont act like a POW next time King Yen is suggested - i just wont order the prawns. capice? read more

[Review by the kid:] I've been coming here since before I could walk. My dad brought me, because it was the first restaurant HE ever ate at. I looove the service because the waitresses coo over me and give me extra fortune cookies -- I guess King Yen has always been extremely kid friendly. Infinitely so, when compared to the cold atmosphere up the street at Shen Hua. It's hard to beat King Yen for FRESH-tasting standard Chinese-American fare. I could eat their chicken & green beans (crisp!) for days, and the fried calamari appetizer is too sweet a treat to turn down. Their pan-fried crispy noodles are also a solid play, far better and more consistent than the competition. Portions are generous, prices reasonable. My mom usually gives me leftovers for lunch, for days. You can probably have your own leftovers without your mom's help. King Yen is a neighborhood institution, in a neighborhood of foodies, for good reason. Is the food mind-blowing? No, but the whole package makes this a surefire bet for Chinese American comfort food. read more

What ids this place and how is it almost busy? I ordered "Schezuan Chicken". Well, it was chicken but I don't know what about it was Schezuan. It was fried pieces of chicken doused in some sort of sweet and sour sauce, minus the sweet. Basically it was sour chicken. Not edible. The woman who greeted me wasn't exactly rude, but she wasn't polite either. The fact that it's cheap and seems relatively clean saves it from one-stardom. read more

Going a bit stir crazy during the shelter-in-place, so came by for lunch takeout. The restaurant was taking good steps - hand sanitizer at the table, waiter was wearing gloves. Ordered the Mongolian beef lunch special - portion sizes were large and the food was good. Service was friendly. Recommended. read more

Well, tried to give this place a chance but.....was seated, waiting 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge us (bring us water, get our drink order, something) no one ever came. With hungry kids, we got up and left. And even as we walked out, no one bothered. read more

Wonderful food - especially the lettuce wraps - great service and great prices. I really enjoy this unpretentious dining. I have been coming here for years and always get great service. The food is fresh and delicious. read more

Really good Chinese food and great setting for big groups and family. King Yen special chicken is crispy, sweet and a bit spicy. A little expensive but you get what you pay for!! read more

So average it hurts. So so average. Kinda got stuck with King Yen after not having a reservation on V-Day, because who gets Chinese food on Valentines right? So damn romantic. Got three dishes here. Sizzling rice soup was my favorite. Kinda bland tasting, but in a good way. The rice was also pretty crispy, which was a pretty perfect texture in the soup. Kinda like crunchy cereal! Other dish was the Shredded Pork with Garlic sauce. Pretty decent here. Didn't taste much garlic, but it was tasty enough. Liked all the bamboo shoots in this dish. My least favorite dish was the Chicken with green beans. Tasted okay, but the chicken was a little dry. To be honest, this is one of those higher class Chinese restaurants that offers a nice dining environment and experience, while still providing just normal Chinese food. Pass for me, especially with these prices. read more

An old-time favorite of mine for Chinese food in all of North Oakland and South Berkeley/Elmwood. A great alternative for those who want good non-greasy authentic Chinese without all of the 'scene' and hype of say, Shen Hua (up the road), or without the limitation of vegetarian only (Great Wall, down the street in Rockridge). Both of those places are great, but King Yen is for those who crave straight up gourmet chinese and nothing more. The front open air tables or near the windows are great on a hot day or warm, breezy evening. And the rest of the restaurant's interior is equally nice and simple. Prices are really good and service is pretty quick. I've never had to wait for a table there either, even though it always seems to have a full house. Plenty of room I guess, yet it's pretty cozy too. Great for pick-up or take-out too. Parking directly in front of the restaurant on College is pretty difficult since it services all of the rest of the Elmwood venues, so go directly to a side street off of Ashby or in the neighborhood directly behind. My favorite is the garlic tofu with greenbeans, and I'm not even a vegetarian. Hong Kong style pan fried noodles are also good, as well as the kung pao calamari. Minus one star due to the one instance where I tipped in cash but paid for the meal on my debit card - and they charged my card and added an additional tip as well. Oh well, a few bucks lost that I should have gone back for on the next day. I guess I thought the food was worth it so I didn't bother. read more

Food is good.... However, they added an extra $4 on my $16 to go order. I suspect the waiter wanted a bigger tip. I found out by looking at my bank statement online the next day. This is not OK. read more

Hallelujah, I've finally found a good clean Chinese-American restaurant! Not authentic Chinese, but sometimes, you just want old fashioned, but fresh and clean, Westernized Chinese food! The lunch specials are so tasty, fresh and hearty with lots of veggies, even in the Cashew Chicken. I'm definitely a fan! read more

Just thinking about this place makes me hungry! I love this place because they serve QUALITY food. Unlike Mexican food, hole in the wall Chinese food is not good...even if you get a butt load of it....it just means you're getting a butt load of crap (no pun intended). Their Szechwan Chicken and Dry Fried Green Beans are so SOOOOOO delicious read more

My boyfriend and I had a very pleasant dinner here. The food we ordered was reasonably priced, promptly served, and very tasty. We got seated in the covered patio area, which offered a great view of college shops as we dined. They were a little slow with bringing us the bill and boxing up our leftover food, but no one's perfect. I've also been here for a friend's graduation party and they were very accommodating to large groups. The menu was pre-ordered but everything came out piping hot and delicious. Based on the layout of the restaurant and my dining experience here, I think they're stronger as a large gathering banquet hall over a lunch/dinner restaurant. read more

This place isn't as good as it used to be, but hot damn is it still good! When the prepare the calamari appetizer appropriately (i.e. crispy) it is phenomenal. Spring rolls and potstickers here are always on point and delicious. The Mu Shu is the best I've ever had. Their prawns dishes are quality (which some Chinese restaurants just don't have). I also love the schezwuan beef, walnut prawns, and chow mein. Yummy. read more

King Yen had good, friendly service. They have round tables which I love for a group. The lemon chicken was all white meat which I LOVE! It was deep fried with a lemon sauce on the side. It was average. Mongolian beef's beef was fatty and gross looking... I confess, I did not even TRY it! But one of the college students with us said it was his favorite dish! The "chow mein" (lo mein) was bland and average. The mu shu pork was excellent... they did not seem prepared to roll it for us but were willing when I asked :) The vegetarian pot stickers were good. The rice was not chinese sticky rice but seemed like basmati. The tea was better than most. All in all an average meal but it was tasty enough to fill the belly and nothing was BAD. I think I would try somewhere else on my next visit, but the location was good and it was definitely not something you need to steer away from. read more

I can't express how fresh the food is here definitely worth every dime . I been eating here for a few years now . It's the bomb.com I highly recommend folks trying this place out . read more

We are regulars to this restaurant. The food is always delicious and every time we go it's never a wait. But this past time that we went the food was good and everything went fine. As we getting ready to leave our young waiter comes to us and complains about how much we gave as a tip. He then proceeded to say that he felt that his service was good and that he deserved more than what we had given. I was appalled at the fact that he even approached us in that manner. Tip is optional not mandatory and I felt as though he shouldn't have even done that. How ungrateful of a waiter that was. read more

We happened to stumble upon this place. Had a large seating area (which is rare for the Bay Area). Service was excellent and friendly. We always had our drinks refilled without having to ask. And best yet, the food was delicious! We ordered the chicken and green beans and the Mongolian beef. Everything was great. We will definitely return when in the area. read more

I love this place! Always fresh, delicious and friendly service. Their lunch special is especially great because it comes with soup, salad and steamed rice. Lunch items are roughly $11 depending on what you get. Outdoor seating available and dogs are allowed. read more

I've been going to this restaurant since it was once across the street, where a mediocre curry joint now resides, and I was in diapers. So, for about 20 plus years, it's been serving up something remarkable that makes people want to go back. Some reasons why I go back: I've always been a stickler for good pot stickers and King Yen does it better than most of the food stalls in Beijing. King Yen has been there for my bouts with vegetarianism and catered their delicious pot stickers for me and the like (I still prefer the veggie pot stickers, though I've changed sides). The dry cooked string beans are fabulously flavorful and retain their crisp even when I devour them. The Rolling Lettuce Chicken is a marvelous dish that balances the hot and aromatic with the crispness of the iceberg lettuce. And honestly, who doesn't love using their fingers to dress up chicken in lettuce? Mofo's. Also, I know on good authority that the manager/owner goes out every single morning to pick up the fresh groceries and the handmade noodles so that he's not swindled of quality ingredients. It is clearly evident. The Wanton Soup is heavenly light and yet completely satisfying. I love it with the heavier Chow Fun noodles with it's assortment of vegetables combined with chicken or beef. SOOOO GOOD. To those cry babies that commented about the prices, do you even know what the rent must be like on that end of College Ave? If you want dirt cheap Chinese food, go to China town where the rent is low, lack of customer service is mandatory, and the floors stick. Plus to-go food is a completely different experience than when you dine-in... like the best pasta bolognese from Naples is gonna taste like ass if you put in plastic and wait for it to get soggy. I love Love LOVE King Yen and you will too. * Pros: Portions are extremely generous and ingredients are fresh! * Cons: Busy on certain weekends. read more

As a Chinese person, growing up in the Bay, King Yen is truly a gem. It's family owned and feels like you're going to someone's house for a great home cooked meal. Everyone is so friendly and the ambiance is nice, a great place for a date or a delicious meal!! Definitely a must for college ave! read more

I always have something togo here. Their special tofu is really good. it's almost a comfort food. read more

I am a King yen regular and really like this place. The environment is very nice and never too crowded. Service is prompt and mostly pleasant. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike must try the King Yen special tofu-it is the best tofu dish I have ever had. The mo shu is pretty good too and the homemade pancakes are a nice touch. Prices are very fair, considering the portion sizes and environment/location. Anotherplus, this is a very kid friendly place. They give my son a paper plate and are helpful with booster seats etc. read more

Who is King Yen and does he know how to cook? Not really. Standard chinese/chinese american fare all made kinda meh in a part of the country where the options abound in nearly every direction. read more

The food wasn't overly Americanized, but wasn't terribly authentic either. None of the food was particularly bad, or particularly good either. Service was fairly efficient (though the person greeting us seemed horrified that he'd have to seat a party of 5 without a reservation, despite several empty tables). I just have nothing amazing to say about the place. There was nothing remarkable about this dining experience unless you include the bevy of wonderfully multicultural brats sitting at the table behind us, chanting "The Wheels on the bus" between bouts of jumping, pushing and sneezing. read more

The food is ok, not my favorite. They are very kind. The only thing was at the moment we payed we payed cash and left it on the table as we walk out he started yelling hay! We turn around and he literally said "that's it? You forgot to tip!" I was shook. We left like 3 bucks cause that's all we had in cash left. read more

This review is not quite fair. I am Yelping by proxy. I'm too afraid to step inside this place. It wreaks of overly-anglicized cuisine, and while I as a Rockridge resident want my local businesses to succeed, I as a daughter of a former Chinese restaurant owner am loath to support inauthentic examples of the cuisine. Enter above referenced dad. Said dad, on a long stop between Boston and Hong Kong, takes my sister out for lunch and they decide to go to King Yen. If they had told me, I would have shoved them gently in the direction of Manpuku. (Daughters of authentic Japanese restaurant owners, feel free to castigate my hypocrisy). However, in blissful ignorance and in appreciation of the decor, they dined here. And regretted it sorely. I could barely pry from my dad--a sweet benign man--what dishes he ordered. I believe the won ton soup was one of the items. He said he would've been better off going to Shen Hua (which did not excite, but neither did it offend). I'm sure he has made up for his meal in Hong Kong. Dad, I miss you. Sorry about the bad lunch experience. read more