Always a great choice! We had to wait a bit long for the din in experience with being about 3 tables including us, so not that busy. Had to wait about 40 mins but what can I say it was most definitely well worth the wait! read more

Ok this is still my favorite Chinese food spot BUT I have to mark them down a star. They put chopped mushrooms in EVERYTHING to act as a filler. That's complete bull shit. So if you order hot and sour soup (which is delish) or cashew chicken ask for NO mushrooms. read more

Great Dim Sum, better than SF! I usually test Chinese Restaurants by trying Wor Won Ton Soup and Dim Sum. I usually try Hargow and Pork Shumai. I figure if they can make these well...they are worth another try... That being said, They had one of the tastiest Wor Won-Tons soups I have ever had. The wontons were perfect pillow fresh veggies and large Shrimp, chicken, and pork. Although there only have a limited selection of Dim Sum, it is one of the best I ever tasted. It tasted super fresh and perfectly cooked. And the size of the dumplings is bigger than normal. I usually go to Yank Sing in the City, but from now on I'm going to Petaluma! read more

Lily Kai is my favorite for Chinese. There are other good places of course, but this place has great balance: pine nuts in the small plate chicken salad, lots of mushrooms in the hot and sour soup, clean well cooked animal proteins, large generous prawns, cheerful people and environment. read more

Excellent authentic Chinese food and friendly service at fair prices. Missing 15 characters to allow to post

Use to be the best Chinese food about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, it is now absolutely disgusting. Ordered szechuan chicken (was dry and taste like fish), mongolian beef (could not swallow it no matter how much i chewed it), and some potstickers....Tasted old. Why run a restaurant if you are going to put out food that is fit for rats? read more

The best Chinese food that I have had in my life. Food is always fresh and hot and the portion size is huge. I usually go for lunch and get the generals chicken with chowmain. Price is always under $15 and takes around 10 minutes to get after ordering. The atmosphere of this place is great with nice interior and friendly staff. 100% recommend read more

Best in Petaluma!! I love everything there and it reheats amazing. The sweet and sour chicken, war wanton soup and the chicken chow main are amazing! We always have to get the potstickers they are huge and amazing. read more

Our favorite Sonoma County Chinese Restaurant. Their Won Ton soup is the best I ever had. The dumplings could be served on their own they are so good, plus the chicken, shrimp, and pork are all top quality and plentiful as are the mushrooms. This soup is really a meal so order the large bowl and share with all. Also the potstickers are the best I've had and we eat at Chinese restaurants quite often. The more I try pot stickers at other restaurants the more I appreciate Lily Kai's version. Just the right ratio of meat filling to fried dough wrapper. All the dishes are made with very fresh colorful veggies and high quality meats. Can't go wrong with any of them. We really like the Singapore noodles. read more

We have tried so many different dishes here. I've never had a bad meal here. Fresh ingredients, delicious dishes all at a good price.

So far haven't had a bad dish from Lily Kai! The barbecued pork appetizer is wondderful - we always get at least one order and then can add it to other dishes or use as a side. Eggplant one of my favorites, also. read more

- A tad pricier than most Americanized Chinese restaurants - The extra money spent buys you a meal prepared with fresher ingredients and a superior level of service (in comparison to other sit-down "Chinese" establishments) I stopped by Lily Kai while wine tasting with the family around Petaluma; Dad was desperate to curb his nagging Chinese food craving (it's a legitimate biological condition for him), and so it comes as no surprise that we found ourselves promptly seated for dinner after spotting Lily Kai tucked away in a shopping plaza. Being from Los Angeles, I'd like to think that I've had the good fortune to dine on more than my fair share of superior Chinese food in my 21+ years of existence; with this being said, I didn't have any particularly high expectations for my meal at Lily Kai. There simply wasn't any way that I could have assumed that the city of Petaluma would provide the setting for one of the better Chinese dining experiences in my recent memory! Upon being seated and having our drink orders taken, my family and I quickly took note of just how fast the service at Lily Kai was - and when I say FAST, I mean that Lily Kai's servers must have been trained by Usain Bolt or something. Each of the entrees that our table ordered was brought out to us in less than five minutes - with the first dishes reaching our table in a span of as short as two minutes! While I had at first assumed that this lightning-fast efficiency would come at the expense of quality/flavor, my preconceptions were quickly dashed after digging into Lily Kai's tasty offerings. The ingredients used had a freshness in flavor not always found in all Americanized Chinese food (possibly due to the availability of superior quality local produce?), and in spite of the up-tempo pace of our meal service, the whole experience felt distinctly refined and upscale. The first entree served to my relatives and I was the Mango Chicken. The stir-fried chicken was juicy and complemented well by the bite-size pieces of juicy mango; this dish was good, but it didn't blow my mind in the same way that some of the other entrees did: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lily-kai-petaluma?select=YoH3pCKRtfud_KHOBCbMaw#YoH3pCKRtfud_KHOBCbMaw Our meal transcended being merely "good" into "greatness" after an order of Szechuan Eggplant was delivered to our table. Having had many renditions of this "Chinese" staple over the years, I can confidently say that the culinary minds at Lily Kai know what they're doing: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lily-kai-petaluma?select=YoH3pCKRtfud_KHOBCbMaw#PtK96Gwl5ePxI5t0b8cFHQ The mild, fork-tender eggplant was served in a tangy sauce that had a welcome hint of heat; the flavors were balanced well, and it should come as no surprise to know that my relatives and I devoured this dish in a manner comparable to that of a group of sharks gathering around a fresh kill. My relatives and I debated between ordering a serving of either the Mongolian Beef or the Manchurian Beef - and we ultimately decided on the latter, with the hope of discovering a new favorite dish: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lily-kai-petaluma?select=rq8nWyM8GttyZxYCmm_T4g#rq8nWyM8GttyZxYCmm_T4g Quite frankly, this was our best call of the night; the dish consisted of tender strips of flash-fried beef that were coated in a wonderfully crunchy batter before being tossed in a distinctly sweet (though not overbearingly so) sauce. The combination of textures and flavors was so delicious, in fact, that my family members and I ordered a second helping for ourselves - which was promptly devoured in a way not unlike the way a group of bears would consume food just before hibernating for the winter. In addition to these dishes, my family and I sampled some of the other entrees at Lily Kai - including the delicious Singapore Noodles and a well-made take on Szechuan Mapo Tofu; I would absolutely recommend both selections to others in a heartbeat. In short, my meal at Lily Kai reminded me of the importance of dining with an open mind. Quick and (extremely) speedy service (that's carried out by an attentive staff with a keen eye/ear for diners' needs) can, in the right settings, be perfectly paired up with memorable flavors and a culinary attention to detail. read more

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Best Chinese food I've ever eaten. Tried seven different things with seven of us. Everything was delicious. The pot stickers wow there huge. This is my go to Chinese restaurant. Everyone was also so nice. read more

I thought they were great to go eat at...had a great meal and will go back again for sure. The food was fast and hot...great pricing and they placed was packed...thats a great sign when many people come in the area. read more

There aren't a lot of Chinese restaurants in Petaluma. This one is the best of the 8 that I've tried here in "Butter n' eggs-ville". I had a large portion lunch special. There are 24 on the menu. I got prawns with deluxe vegetable mix in a mild clear glistening garlic sauce. Of course, egg drop soup, a fried imperial roll, and tea are included. Cantonese style. Tasty. Cost: $7.95 Staff is almost exclusively female. They work hard. Dining room is clean & bright. Located in a strip shopping center. Plenty of parking. Worth the 4 minute drive off Hwy 101, exit Lakeville hwy (a.k.a.: Route 116). read more

The best Chinese restaurant I've ever experienced, hands down. The food quality and consistency is unmatched by any other! Try the honey walnut shrimp, life changing! read more

We have eaten at Lily Kai multiple times, and we had pretty good experience. But this was the worst experience by far. My wife ordered the cashew chicken over rice for lunch, and when she got her food there was no cashews. My wife told the server and she came back with a bowl of cashew and threw it on top of the dish. We were taken back by how the server reacted. She didn't apologize or anything. I asked for water, and when I drank the water, I tasted detergent. Needless we will not come back!! read more

I must admit, I am not the biggest fan of Chinese cuisine. That being said....this is the place I will choose every time. The Pot Stickers (Chicken) oh yes, a must. Honey Walnut Prawns, Orange Chicken, Mongolian Beef, these are what I get and never a sour note to any of them. Lily Kai... keep up the good work, you might make me a fan of Chinese Food after all. read more

Really don't understand the positive reviews. I got the "Seafood Combination" soup ($11.55) and the pork slices appetizer ($11.85). The soup was basically a large portion of cornstarch and water, a bit of egg white, a couple of shrimp and what was possibly an octopus tentacle (or maybe a rubber band, I'm not sure!) It was completely bland, with the most flavor coming from a couple of asparagus stems that tasted fairly fresh. The description said it was supposed to have noodles but there were none (0, zip, nada) in mine. The pork slices were practically pork jerky, so dry they were hard and felt like bits of plastic. I bought them to feed a dog. He was hungry, so he ate a few but was not interested later, nor was I. read more

We love lilly Kai. Ordered a huge family size meal here for 7 of us mad we had left overs.. not from a lack of trying...! We loved everything! Our favorite was the eggplant with added beef...sooooo tasty! Loved the schezuan noodles oh and the walnut shrimp of course! read more

We are so lucky to live near Lily Kai! Delicious, homemade tasting dishes with a great selection on the menu. They have fast, friendly service for pickup and delivery too! read more

I used to go here at least once or twice a month when I lived in petaluma. Today I ordered 2 lunch specials. She took the order in a hurry like I was disturbing her I had to constantly ask questions for her to tell me price, what comes with what and so on. Once I picked up my order she didn't pay attention was still in A STILL WAS IN A hurry and did not make sure it was the correct order. I left to find out that they didn't put fried rice in my order I called, they said oh you want to change it I said no I ordered this item and was charged for it. The man kept giving my the run around and did not offer to fix the issue, did not offer me to come back etc. Horrible will never go back again so dissapointed because this used to be such a good treat. ...LAME! read more

If in the area and you're craving Chinese food, this place has you covered. Delicious, and traditional offerings without the grease or upset stomach. No MSG used. Quality food and great service. Solid 4 stars! read more

Lily Kai - So much tofu! - Chinese Near Me - Petaluma, California

I've been going to this place for over 10 years now. I used to live in the North Bay, I feel like most of the restaurants in the North Bay are good. Less crowd too! Anyway, I always get the honey walnut prawn and salt and pepper pork. read more

I've ate at this restaurant a few times. They have excellent food. I ordered lemon chicken the first time I went they brought two huge breast cut in strips. That was shocking, but when they brought out the vegetable fried rice my chin dropped. There was a heaping platter of fried rice, and it was great. Moist, not like any other Chinese restaurant. I'm so glad o discovered this great food! Thank you, Debby V. read more

The best Chinese food in town! We get takeout and anyone we talk to at the restaurant is kind and helpful. They readily and cheerfully accommodate food intolerances. Ingredients are fresh and well prepared, meaning the flavors are bright and oh, so yummy! read more

I have eaten here quite a few times in the years it's been around, it's always been a pretty good place for Chinese food. With the shelter in place we're trying our best to support local establishments who aren't chains.. but this food was not good. We ordered pork shu Mai (didn't get it, and was replaced without our knowing with a shrimp version that smelt and tasted bad) the general chicken was suppose to come with broccoli and I think we got three pieces? Oh and it was cold.. we also got pork buns, they weren't horrible but we're nothing to write about. Don't think I'll be ordering from here again any time soon. read more

Wow! Excellent service, good food, and very reasonable prices. The lunch portion of Mango chicken that I received was enough for two meals, and I'm a 200 pound fella. All that for $8.95! The hot tea I drank was complimentary and I still can't believe how fast my food came out. I can see why the mango chicken is popular, but next time I come I'll try the fried rice instead of the brown. I was trying to be healthy but I'm not sure it was worth it. Also, I'm not a hot and sour soup kind of guy, but I'm sure they'd substitute the complimentary soup upon request. I will definitely be back! read more

Lily Kai - Teapot from the back corner of the restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Petaluma, California

The lady working and the person answering the phone were friendly and quick but I wasn't a fan of the food. I found it bland and a little oily. Nothing really special to it. I probably won't be back. read more

Wow! One of the worst Chinese food experiences I have ever had. I cannot recommend them especially given there are so many others around to try. I did Take Out but what I could see of the place and my experience with the staff, it seemed nice until I got home with my food. I started with BBQ Pork Buns which were very small and had only a dollop of a red sweet and sour sauce with no meat that I could find only a chewy fat filler substance. It tasted canned and not freshly made at all. How hard is it to make BBQ Pork sauce? Then I went to my order of the Duck Salad which again had NO meat in it. It was all strips of duck fat! I love duck but do not like duck fat. It was unedible. Both of these cost me $30. I just don't get how they get the positive reviews that got me to try them out. Maybe some of their other dishes are better but if you can't make all your dishes tasty and worth the money, take them off the menu. Yuck went the duck! read more

I stopped by this past weekend to grab dinner to-go for the first time from Lily Kai because I received a coupon in the mail for a free walnut prawn dish and have to say I'm pretty impressed with the food here. I ordered all the Chinese classics one might order -- hot and sour soup, sweet and sour pork, mu shu pork, kung pao chicken, and and walnut shrimp, and everything tasted exactly how I expected things should taste. Though Panda Express likely offers the aforementioned dishes at a lower price, the food here is better by leaps and bounds. No dish was too oily, none of the sauces were too heavy with corn starch, nothing tasted too salty, portions were generous, and the meal didn't break the bank. Wait time was not terribly long either as far as ordering ahead: my order of 5 or 6 dishes was ready in about 20-30 minutes. I haven't tried out a ton of Chinese restaurants in Petaluma, but compared to the Chinese restaurants I've been to in San Francisco, Lily Kai holds its ground. read more

I've only ever had take out but the sushi quality is exceptional. Super fresh and my #1 go to for sushi! I've also had several noodle dishes and they never fail to impress. Quality ingredients, quickly made, and just tasty tasty! read more

I have done thousands of dollars in business with Lily Kai since they opened in Petaluma but I'm done...I understand prices going up with inflation as it takes a toll on all of us but on the last couple of times I have felt ripped off...last night...6 pieces of roast duck for $25...food is great but gimme a break read more

This place is the bomb! All their Chinese food is delicious! The restaurant is nice and clean although it's a tad dark looking from the outside. We got the fried won tons, orange peel chicken, sweet and sour chicken, vegetarian chow mein and steamed rice. I hope this place never closes, it's my favorite Chinese place in Sonoma county! read more

Love this place. Our family meets here often and we always enjoy our food, the staff, atmosphere and decor.The food is always fresh and delicious. We typically order the lettuce wraps, chow mein, hot and sour soup, and my daughter loves the honey walnut shrimp. I love their kung pao and moo shu and their pot stickers. read more

My best friend introduce me to this place about eight years ago ... maybe longer. Since than my husband and I been coming to this place and now we bring our daughter too. The food is great and staff is wonderful. Great service and as my four year old daughter says "yummy" one of her favorites is the sizzling rice soup. We love it! read more

Lily Kai - Sizzling rice soup!! - Chinese Near Me - Petaluma, California

Love this place! I use to always go when I lived in town and now when I visit I always have to try and eat there. The pork pot stickers and orange chicken are my favorite, always on point. Always great service and delicious food. read more

My first visit to this restaurant. Lovely setting, extremely good service and good food. I have a few "misses" for me. I love crab/cream cheese wontons (which I'm sure NOBODY in China has ever eaten!) and these are OK, but they are not folded like wontons, and more like Samosas and the filling is more liquidy than I'd expected, and VERY HOT, so I burned my tongue. Also, they were a bit overcooked and crunchy to bite into. The honey walnut shrimp was delicious but came with chunks of pineapple which were COLD, like they'd come out of the refrigerator, a stark contrast to the warm shrimp. Lots of walnuts, which was a real plus. I'm also not a fan of moo shu pork so I don't know what it's supposed to look like, but the pancakes were barely warm and I have to say that the plate of pork looked like a pile of garbage--like the leftovers from several plates were combined into one pile on one plate. Maybe that's what it's supposed to look like--and it tasted fine (still not a favorite for ME), but not aesthetically pleasing. We do not live in Petaluma, but if we are there again, I would enjoy going back to Lily Kai. read more

The food is amazing but I come here because that gentleman (maybe owner?) usually manning the podium makes my entire life. He's always so happy to see you. Even when I'm ordering take out I can tell he's smiling over the phone. I don't even think he would even recognize me but he's a mood lift. Food is good too. Especially the mushu dishes. It's like a freakin Chinese taco! I would also like to mention I work for Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue and he has donated to our cause several times and is always so happy to " help the animals" as he says. I wanna put him in my pocket. He's adorable. read more

Best Chinese food I have had. Fresh crispy vegetables and food isn't slathered in corn starch. Fresh and delicious! Super nice staff too!