Quiet good, got delivery and they did nice things like send lemon chicken sauce in a separate container from the chicken so it didn't come all soggy. I think they make their own Mu-Shu wrappers, they were soft and plyable, unlike they crumbly type most places use, really tasty. read more

Found this place in 2000. WOW- taste sensational. Been coming here for years, and the only reason for 4 our of 5 is that I can't eat in the restaurant anymore. Too Busy, noisy and last time a 45 minute wait. I call and drive down from Pinole to get it. My favorites: Gwai Wer Noodles (used to be very salty - now much better), Ghan Shao Lamb and Prawns a la Ching Hua - always perfect. They'll be getting my business as long as I live anywhere in the area. read more

Oh my, ordering on December 25th is always a challenge. They were very accommodating and even called to discuss an issue with my special request. A very fine meal! read more

Extremely disappointed! Got the Mongolian Beef and it was in an oyster sauce and NOT spicy at all! Red peppers floating in the sauce but they certainly didn't cook it with the peppers. The Hunan peanut noodles were also not spicy and there were two tiny shrimp mixed into the shredded carrots and cabbage. Everything arrived cold. Will never order from them again! read more

They have a very weak understanding of what a reservation is. We had a reservation and still waited for 45 minutes, walk in customers who came in after us got seated before us. Was definitely a frustrating experience and the hostesses were not helpful at all. If you like getting seated on schedule this is probably not the restaurant for you. However, when we were eventually seated, table service was fine and food was OK. Dumplings seemed not to be steamed all the way through (were cold on the inside). Some of us enjoyed our meals more so than others, but worst case it was bland. Restaurant has nice ambience but also was a bit dirty (under the table was a bit scary). read more

For the actual Food, 5 stars.. for WHEN you get it, Bring an interesting date or a good book. Oh, and it is NOT Chinese. It's sushi.. in fact, I did not see anything Chinese on the menu. Maybe they bought the liquor license and had to keep the name?? read more

Love this place. I eat lunch here often. Delicious food and fast service. A little pricy but well worth the money. I've never been disappointed with a meal. Another perk is that there's a full bar. Lychee Martini is my fav! read more

I previously wrote a review for the worst "Chinese" food I've had in my life; this restaurant one-ups it with worse food, and much higher prices (It's actually the now the worst of all restaurant food I've had in my life). I stopped by for inner and ordered the Wonton Soup, Cumin Beef, Smoked Tea Duck, and Steamed Garlic Scallops, and unfortunately, the food was inedible, as well as ridiculously expensive. Most dishes are just under $20, and might feed half a normal adult; assuming said adult was able to stomach the horrible food. Service is average, but is wholly irrelevant, given the price and food quality. I also noticed a review saying that it was "at least better than PF Changs." It's not. The Wonton soup was actually a soy-sauce soup with wontons, shiitake mushrooms, and spinach; not inedible, but certainly not a wonton soup The Cumin Beef apparently only had garlic and soy sauce (really, was drowned in those two ingredients), was far too salty, and didn't have the red peppers, sichuan peppers, or even the cumin. Not even edible. The Smoked Tea Duck was unevenly cooked, with most parts being tough, dry and overcooked. Some of the less overdone parts were edible; most of it was not. The steamed garlic scallops were disgusting; I'm not even sure how they managed it... Fish stock maybe? read more

Pre-pandemic review: We picked it at random, driving by without even checking Yelp first, and were amazed at good it was. We sat next to the glassed-in kitchen, which was so clean that it was a pleasure to watch. And a superb tea selection! read more

Local eatery. Enjoyable atmosphere with freshly prepared Asian cuisine. Lots of fun, interesting menu choices. read more

Kirin Chinese Restaurant - Fresh Asian Fusion - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This place is so bomb. Like literally so tasty!!! It's amazing food. The Kung pao chicken is amazing, wontons and potstickers! And the fried prawns are to die for! You get your food quickly and the staff is friendly! read more

Kirin is an oldie but a goody! I've been a customer there for over 20 years, and their mushu is still my favorite in the Bay Area! The pancakes are made fresh in house, as well as their noodles. The chicken mushroom spinach noodle soup is the perfect light dish for a cold winter night. Zha Jiang noodles are my go to noodle dish when it's too hot out for soup. The prawns a la Ching hua are delicious and unique to Kirin. After all these years, Kirin is still my favorite Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. read more

I called in an order and asked for Chicken Chow-main, dumplings, garlic chicken & RiceW/Shrimp Snow Peas. I was not given a total price over the phone...I should have asked but it should also be given. When I arrived I was surprised and the boxs ad asked about the orders and was shocked to see a bill for $68. The man at the front, a young guy, said that rice and snow peas were 2 different orders and the small box of shimp I orders was $18! I was visibly upset and even said I was upset but he rang me up and still shocked and not wishing to make much of a scene, left. I got to my car and decided to call and tell them again I was pretty upset. Explained I was upset that I was not given the total over the phone, etc. he just range me up and I was still upset. He offered to credit me the $2.75 rice....Now I left a $6 tip....he told me he woudl remember for future customers to try and do this.... not helpful to me. As a business owner myself, as soon as I knew there was confusion with the food in the restaurant I would have offered to remove the items, and if one of my guests had called me 1 minute after leaving my place of business I woudl have told them to come back and left figure it out. I never want a guest to leave unhappy or even angry. It's my commitment as a business owner to make sure my customers are happy. This did not happen and I am still upset by it the next morning but that is on me to get over. Also, the food is usually really good and tasty. We just ate here in December but the food seems to be more oily then before, granted it just might have been tainted due to my experience but the other member of my party that had no idea about the interaction made the same comment about the food. I am giving 2 stars because the food and service in teh past have been very good. I will try a different restaurant in the future before I make another take or or pop in order for dinner. read more

When we go out on Solano Avenue we usually pick the places to visit by the parking place we finally get. It can take a while to find a spot. Tonight we found a parking space right in front of Kirin so we went here for a quick dinner before the babysitter had to go home. I have been coming here for years and I always like it. This evening we got the window table and in a matter of minutes we had hot tea and water. We ordered a toasted rice tea that was fantastic. The pot stickers were nice and crunchy and very hot ... right out of the pot. My husband ordered the green beans and they were spicy and fantastic. Next we had the mu shu vegetable and it was delicious. My husband's favorite. The special tonight was lamb cooked in an orange sauce. I was not fond of it. It had lots of those really hot red peppers and plenty of spices ... but it tasted really bland. Very surprising and sort of a mystery. Oh well ... I was full at this time anyway. Next time I come back I will try the crab and corn soup. The people next to us had it and they said they liked it a lot. This is a nice place with good food and it is fun to watch the people cooking! read more

Best Chinese food in this entire area...you think I'm joking? Last year, my family and I decided to dine/try out 15 Chinese restaurants along San Pablo Ave (in both directions), El Cerrito and up Solano Ave. Well, to date, Kirin has held the number one spot for about 9 months now. Daimo is a close second, but it is pricey and I cannot handle the smell *shrug*. Anyhoo.... here's what I like about Kirin: - the food is piping hot, there's nothing worse than lukewarm food (unless its supposed to be served that way). - you get your appetizers in a snap - they have a full bar - they have vegetarian options (say what now?!) - they have brown rice (get outta here?!) - the portions are off the chaaah-zane - the food isn't loaded down with grease - the prices are reasonable (appetizers run around $8 and entrees are about $13) My favorite dish is the Sichuan dried fried prawns with brown rice. They are spicy and the portion is so large that I'm full for the rest of the evening! Kirin gets crowded, even on a Monday night, so get there early. It's very rare that a restaurant can satisfy all three of us! We, as a family unit, love this place! read more

I'll have to agree 100% with Toni. Company was 5, food was 3.25 or so. I had only been to Kirin once years ago for a coworkers going away party. I remember the food being quite good. I don't think I'll return to Kirin but I will definitely get together elsewhere with Susan and Toni! Sparse, elegant ambiance, service fine but on the cool side. Food was okay, not memorable. Seemed to be skimpy and a tad expensive. I had the Chicken Salad which was made with nice Spring mix and pine nuts. There was a small handful of chicken and a tiny pile of noodles (so few, I counted them --about 12) I asked for the dressing on the side. A very unmemorable sesame vinagrette. I make a much better salad-I call it Chinese Chickenless salad with tons of almonds, Mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, mixed greens, green onions, cilantro, and more. But the company was lovely and divine! It was greet seeing Susan and Toni again and helped remind me of one of the best aspects of Yelp-meeting wonderful people! read more

I was debating whether or not to give Kirin 4 or 5 stars, and I really couldn't think of a reason not to give it 5. Some of the Yelpers here have not come away as satisfied as I always do, but some of their reasoning seems a bit specious. The food at Kirin meets all my criteria for serious goodness: fresh, tasty, well-cut, consistent. When I say "well-cut," I'm referring to the chicken. Too often, the chicken in less-expensive Chinese food isn't cut into fresh, clean, fat/gristle-free bites, and/or it's rubbery, chewy, etc. I have never had this problem at Kirin. Not ever. The sauces are tasty with the proper amount of spice, and everything is cooked to perfection. The decor at Kirin, a fusion of lush minimalism, is certainly a vital factor in enjoying one's meal, and the large space with high ceilings keeps the noise level down, making it easy to converse. Some of the reviews have called the wait staff "cold," but I find them to be friendly and attentive without being overbearing. This seems like a borderline racist remark, IMO, as does the comment about the "Hispanic guys" working in the kitchen. Whoever is in the kitchen -- and yes, you can see them -- knows how to make clean-your-plate Chinese food. My only complaint might be that the rice serving seemed a tad skimpy on my last visit, but if that's the worst one can say about any restaurant, they're really looking for something to bitch about. The prices at Kirin aren't as outrageous as some would have you believe, and the number of people dining there, whether or not they're Asian (another racist observation made here), should be all the indication one needs. There are many excellent restaurants on Solano Avenue, and Kirin is one of them. read more

I've been here a couple of times and, for the most part, I kinda like this place. The food is very good, and it's kinda cool to be able to look into the kitchen. My step-son (who has the pallete of an 8-year-old) was bummed when we ran out of the crab-filled appetizers (whatever the hell they're called), which I saw as a certain badge of grooviness for this place. Their kung-pao is on the manageable end of spicy, which is great for when family from Iowa come to visit. The decor/atmosphere is very P.F. Chang's in its feel -- very sanitized with a hint of Chinese country flavor. The wait staff is downright fucking bizzare in my opinion. Now, I am used to hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurants that have some personality. Sometimes these smaller places have a personality of an angry drunk aunt, some have the personality of your favorite uncle, but they all have some form of a mood/feeling attached to them. Kirin on Solano is the Chinese restaurant equivalent of the German rail service: They get you in. They get you where you want to go. They get you out. Even the greeter is almost null-emotional when saying "hello" or "thank you - come again." (remember sweetheart, I'm here to spend money on food, not to obtain passage to Stuttgart) Not to harp on the P.F. Chang's similarities (black uniform -- all the wait staff look like Dietr from "Schprockets"), but it's as if this place SAW P.F. Chang's and decided, "Ah HAH! We shall be cool like P.F. Chang, but with none of that trying to make the customer feel comfortable crap." I mean, it's a way to be different, and if I want a very process-oriented Chinese meal, I know where to go. For service that makes you feel like you want to come back...I'd go elsewhere. read more

We entered the door to find an Asian inspired restaurant with a glass-enclosed kitchen where you can watch the hustle and bustle of the staff. We were seated in the back of the restaurant and took our time to study the menu. There were so many choices it was hard to decide; everything sounded great. We ordered the following: Potstickers--They were good but I have had better. Spicy Sichuan Seafood Noodles--A generous portion of hand-made noodles arrived with seafood swimming in a spicy five spice sauce. It was a tad salty but I enjoyed the dish, especially the hand made noodles. Sichuan Spicy Scallops--Lightly breaded scallops were served in a spicy sauce. The outer coating was crispy and inside the scallops were moist and tender. An excellent dish! Spicy Dried Fried Chicken--Crispy nuggets of chicken were tossed in an addictive pepper sauce. I really liked this dish and would order it again. I enjoyed my dining experience at Kirin and I am anxious to try more dishes on the menu. read more

I have to start by saying that generally I have enjoyed the food at Kirin over the years. It looks like the place is getting a big overhaul -- a new bar and some new decorations seem to be going up to compliment the open, glassed in kitchen. However, on my last visit, my family was given the magical clue of what makes Kirin's food so tasty -- a ton of friggin MSG. My cousin has an MSG allergy and no where on the menu does it suggest they use MSG, or even suggest people with food allergies talk to their server for adjustments. Kirin has basically put lipstick on a pig by taking a very upscale Chinese restaurant and then serving up food that's equivalent to a $1 chinese buffet on the corner. My poor cousin stopped halfway through her meal and, while turning bright red, asked if they used MSG. "We do." Crud. There went the meal! My other cousin had to run out and get benydryl and zantac while she suffered very politely in this supposedly nice restaurant. After she made her displeasure clear we pretty much vacated. I was hoping to find a replacement to the now closed Tsing Tao on Solano, but Kirin is serving up cheap food for expensive prices and not taking into account allergy sufferers and the many people who do not enjoy having additives snuck into their pricey meals. So skip it! read more

I am a fan of Chinese food in general and while my friends were working at McDonald's growing up, I was working in Chinese restaurants so am familiar with how dirty the kitchen in a Chinese (and I am sure any) restaurant can be. It is for this reason that I really like Kirin. The open kitchen forces the kitchen staff to be cleaner than they otherwise might be if they were cooking that volume of food behind closed doors. An additional benefit is that the kitchen activity is a good source of entertainment and actually education for your kids which can give you and your partner a brief moment with each other while the kids are in awe of the fire behind the window. Sure, the Chinese food is pretty Americanized, but it is of consistently high quality and Kirin is definitely worth a repeat visit. read more

I have eaten dozens of meals at Kirin and will probably come back, but it won't be for dinner. The food is consistently quite good; the service is friendly, knowledgeable and fast, and the menu is good. So why won't I come back for dinner? Because it's so, so loud in the place. There isn't a square inch of sound absorbing material in Kirin, so every conversation fights for audibility. My wife and I found ourselves having to lean halfway over the table last night to hear our dinner companion, and she isn't a quiet talker. I don't know if the owners are too cheap to do something about the acoustics or what their reasoning might be for such an unacceptable environment. All I know is that it's anything but relaxing to eat there when it's busy. Why put up with it - there are plenty of other places. read more

Couldn't have been happier with tonight's family dinner. Great vegetarian options with real flavor and taste. Portions were more than reasonable. Everyone (ages 4-68) was pleased. Perhaps most important in these times, everything was taken care of safely. Pick up was super easy, and social distancing was obviously of utmost concern to the restaurant. Glad to support a local business right now, especially when they make it so easy. read more

I found a very jagged sharp large piece of shell in my noodles. Luckily I didn't swallow it! I used to like this place, but that is just not being careful in the kitchen. read more

$5 for a pot of tea? Me thinks not.. but oh, it comes in a cutesy little tea pot and ity bity little cups. The curry chicken didn't taste like it has curry sauce in it. The prawns with snow peas dish was delice! Somewhat highend place with more ambience than your average Chinese restaurant. Mainly tends to caucasian customers and the open kitchen area is a nice touch but as you can see, no Chinese cooks in there. Not sure I'd come back again.. wait.. maybe with my ABC friends but definitely not with my folks. read more

You want authentic Chinese food? Head to El cerrito Far East center about 5 minutes away. This place is all about being PF Changs minus the name. They did have some interesting noodle dishes and they were ok. I suggested this place to my parents since it was my mom's birthday. Started the night out right with an order of the lettuce wraps and sizzling rice soup. The chicken lettuce wraps were pretty good and usually a safe bet at any restaurant. We asked for another piece of lettuce and got charge an additional $.80. Not a big deal but seems very cheap. The sizzling rice soup had very little taste and a whole lot of sodium. For our main course, we had the gwai wer chicken noodles, happy family (seafood dish) and the spicy eggplant. The gwai wer chicken noodles were very salty and the sauce was super dark. It seemed like they were trying to hide something that wasn't so fresh... until we got the other dishes. They were all very dark and very salty. It was like they had a huge pot of dark salty sauce in the back and just tossed that into every dish they made. Maybe we ordered the wrong dishes but I'm a bit disappointed in the flavor. To be brutally honest, I've had a better and cheaper meal at panda express. read more

It's too bad, but it seems since the remodel the quality of the food has really slipped. I used to like the food here even though it is one of the more expensive East Bay Chinese restaurants. My recent to go order was partially inedible. The Pot Stickers tasted like they were fried in old oil. The Mongolian Beef was a whole other story -- there was something wrong with the beef. It had a strange gritty texture. I couldn't even eat the meat. The rice was good and the service was good, otherwise it would have been one star. read more

For the food in Berkeley, Kirin is pretty decent for Chinese food. I usually don't get to try much Northern Chinese food most of the time, simply because I never seem to be able to find them! I'm more accustomed to Southern Chinese food, which is a little more salty rather than spicy. If you've ever taken CS61A with Brian Harvey at UC Berkeley, you'll know about the infamous Adventure Game project where you instruct Brian to travel to Kirin and pick up some potstickers. So I decided to make that a reality and try it for myself - and yes, the potstickers really are that good! A little bit on the salty side, but the meat is perfect, and the dough wrap is fried just the right amount to not be too oily but still have that crispy/soft texture. The noodles surprised me - they weren't as oily as Southern Chinese food, but still had a good sauce taste! Although there was a little bit more sauce at the bottom which made the bottom part of the noodles a little soggy, overall the noodles were above average. Now for the Manchurian beef - I didn't even know a dish like this existed, but it was amazing! It's pretty much Mongolian beef (a spicy sauteed beef dish) crossed with kung-pao anything - a crispy fried beef with a little more sauce than in Mongolian beef. Holy cow, I could eat this for days! As for the prices, Kirin is a little expensive, although you could just drop by and get the $8 potstickers for lunch! More Manchurian beef please! read more

Awesome food! Best in the area. Great service and staff. Menu has plenty items that all taste great. Have tried almost everything there and haven't had a bad dish yet. Recommend this place to anyone looking for a great place to go eat. read more

We came here for my boyfriends bday dinner with a few friends and family. I have to say it wasn't all that I was hoping to be. The food was ok, I had better actually. The portions were ok as well. The taste was kind of bland like the spinach garlic noodles. The spicy crab corn soup was also mediocre, I was actually looking for more flavor and it wasn't there. The service was slow. granted the place wasn't even packed but served us like it was. The price was a bit expensive for my taste especially when my Taste buds weren't really satisfied. I give this place an ok. Would I come back? Probably not. What would I recommend ? Another place to eat lol .. Nice decor but honestly it wasn't what I was hoping for. On the other hand my boyfriend enjoyed and loved it .. For me it was ehh ok. read more

Kirin Chinese Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Wow this is still here! I used to come here all the time on the way home from work every Thursday when I worked in Berkeley. I don't get to come here very often anymore but happy to see it still doing good. It's food is really good chinese food. The tofu clay bot spicy dish that I cannot remember how to say is really spicy. And good. Service is top of the mark and I like to see my food prepared by migrant workers very much through the glass thank you. Its a strange thing to see for some people that few asians work here but who cares about the staff? ITS A RESTAURANT! haheha eat the food! I need to come back and take pictures because this is good chinese in a city with many bad options for it. The hostess was cute !! read more

Wow. This one is going to be short. Service was horrendous. My food was not that great - had the beef. Alcohol was good. Eek. This is not my best review, but I was so un-impressed by this place, I won't be coming back. At all. read more

This place reminds me of Eliza's in San Francisco. I like Eliza's and I like this place. I think I am reminded because both are slightly upscale Chinese restaurants that have people in the "hell yes" and "hell naw" camp... What I like about this place is that the wait staff is no nonsense and efficient. The food is yummy, right amount of spicy, and yet not too heavy. The decor is nice, modern, and the place itself is clean. Edited to add: I've been back on multiple occasions and I find the food here to be super-yummy, not-too-greasy, and the service still is reliably efficient and good. read more

If California was going through a drought you wouldn't know it by dining here. Seriously, my glass of water was never less than 3/4 full. The waterboy was relentless, dashing to my table seconds after i took a sip to refill my glass. The rest of the staff was just as attentive, for better or for worse. We were seated right away and our food arrived quickly, but all of them had the personality of robots. I think we at least deserve a fake smile for slightly overpriced food that's slightly above Panda Express quality. So... come here for the clean atmosphere, no BS service and if you're thirsty for water. read more

China Village has Kirin beat, but this is a great stop for a serious Szechwan craving. The amabiance, service, and overall vibe is nice and mildly upscale without being cheesy or PF Chang silly. The decor is dark and woodsy, and the ninja-like wait staff silently whisk water and dishes to and fro with ease. A small detail: having spent a few months in mainland China, I liked that a) the wait staff served water in a similar fashion to the classic tea houses - with a long spout and far pour that almost resembles a gung-fu move, and b) the tea selection is pleasant, and served with class "Masters Tea" small shot cups. Nice! Food: Pretty darned good! This last go around was excellent (despite our rather pedestrian ordering), with good potstickers, yummy wonton soup, and great Red Pepper Chicken and Kirin Beef. The dishes had an awesome 85%-15% meat to bits ratio, which means lots of what you grave without soggy celery filler. The beef was tender, spinkled lightly with sesame seeds, and had a flavorful consistancy. So, for the Solano Szechwan fix - Kirin is great on ambiance, and while it doesn't quite match the hardcore depth of China Village - its a nice stop with good service, good food, and good location. read more

Good food and great service. I tried the fried scallops and it was to die for. The scallops were breaded which makes me wonder how they can cook a good scallop without making it taste like rubber. I also tasted their spicy crab and corn soup. DELICIOUS! I'm yet to return to Kirin's to taste the rest of their menu. FYI - I found it ridiculous that you had to pay $5 for tea that you can buy at the grocery store. But hey.. anything to make a buck, right? read more

*no relation to the kirin chinese restaurant in san francisco* (i would suggest checking out that one) after working for six hours straight yesterday, my friend and i decided to go eat some food. kirin's bright red sign stood out, so like a moth to the flame, we were enticed to eat there. the place reminds me of a P.F. Chang's, which really isn't chinese food, when you are in the mood for chinese food. and while the food did cure some hunger pains, it was just "aight". nothing spectacular. the service was eh, and the prices were kinda up there for something you can find at other restaurants for a few bucks cheaper. i shoulda stuck to my general rule of thumb when eating at a chinese restaurant: the dirtier the bathroom, the better the food. kirin's bathroom was spotless. nuff said. so if you are in the mood for some real chinese food, this is definately not the place to eat, but if you want a somewhat decent overpriced food w/ a very nice and clean environment, this place is for you. or i could be totally wrong, and maybe this place is awesome! but i'll never know, because once mr. hypoglycemia kicks in, i just want the quickest, cheapest, tastiest thing to eat... and this wasn't it. read more

I love Kirin, and I come here often. Sure, it's a bit chilly inside; but the food is great. I've tried most things of the menu, I think. But some of my favorites are the sizzling rice soup, braised fish, and spicy garlic eggplant. Their house noodles are worth a try too. On the weekends they can get pretty crowded and loud (hey, who can blame people for wanting good Chinese?), so usually I prefer to go during the week. Either way, quality of food always top notch. Service is good. You never run out of water, that's for sure. They're not always the most friendly, but they're professional and courteous. Other positives: You can see into the kitchen--always fun. My brother thinks some of the hostesses are sexy, so this is one way to get him to have dinner with me. Also, they offer brown rice. read more

Whatever happened to Kirin? We'd been to Kirin a few times in late 2007, and found the food to be in line with all the positive reviews here - interesting, flavorful, and fun. But in the last several months, something seems to have gone off track. We've eaten both seated at the restaurant and with takeout, and the food quality is just way off. No matter what we order, there seem to be only two taste options - flavorless, and salty-as-all-heck. Gone is any substantial taste of ginger, hoisin, chili, or anything else. All that's left is salt, soy sauce and maybe a hint of fish sauce. Definitely not worth the trip any longer, I'm sad to say. read more

One of Kirin's great dishes has been the green beans. Tonite they were soggy and tasteless. The other dish we got was okay, but not the food we have come to expect over the years from Kirin. I know staffing is a big problem in restaurants now--finding and keeping competent people. You might have to pay more to keep competent cooks, but it will be worth it. read more