Nice everyday Szechwan food, priced affordably near UC Berkeley campus…read more Will come back ro try more options

I have NEVER written a Yelp review, and it is unfortunate that this experience is what finally made…read moreme take the time to do so. I have also never felt the need to publicly speak on racism in my life, but what happened here was too blatant to ignore. For context, I am a student at University of California, Berkeley and a PM at a Fortune 500 company. I say that only to make clear that I am a professional person who understands how to treat others with respect and how basic customer service should work. I came in for a pickup order and stood there attempting multiple times to get the employee's attention. She ignored me repeatedly, even looking directly in my direction without acknowledging me. Then I heard her say hello, and for a moment assumed she was finally speaking to me. Instead, she intentionally greeted and assisted a couple who had just walked in behind me. After helping them, she again looked my way and continued to avoid acknowledging me. In that moment, the treatment felt deliberate and discriminatory. When she finally addressed me, the interaction remained hostile. She appeared suspicious of whether the pickup order was actually mine, despite me giving the correct name that was already listed on the receipt and not visible to me beforehand. Beyond the service, the food itself was equally disappointing. I ordered the orange chicken, and it was some of the driest, lowest-quality chicken I have had anywhere. I have traveled extensively and eaten food all over the world, and it is rare to experience food this poor combined with service this disrespectful. This was an embarrassing experience for a business located near University of California, Berkeley. There are many better options nearby, and I would strongly recommend spending your money elsewhere. No one should have to deal with treatment like this or pay for a meal like this.

I shjt you not this is the best Thai spot in NorCal. The second is Krung Thai in Santa Clara…read more This place is insanely good. Insane. Don't list to the other reviews, they do not know real flavor the way I do! This review has been in my drafts for who knows how long but I'll tell you now this is still my #1 Thai spot. 7 years running!!!!!!!!! THE BOMB DOT COM!!!!! I will ask them to cater my wedding lol

Pad se ew had so much oil but so little flavor! Quite peculiar…read more.. Price was moderate as well as portions.

Absolutely amazing food. I was surprised at the portion of meat that comes with the bowls of…read morenoodles! Order one cold noodle to try and the beef soup noodle, both were amazing. I typically don't like sesame paste, but for thie cold noodle dish, they did a fantastic job with mellowing the sesame paste into the dish making the broth milky and savory. I will say, the cold noodle has broth in it that surprise me as i thought it was just going to be a paste. Despite it being a cold day, it was still really refreshing. The beef noodle soup was what i was hoping for on this cold day. The soup came out piping hot. The noodles, you get to chose the size you want, i chose thick round strings and they gave THREE beef rib bone full of meat! Now a days, places just gives you 1. Through the time i was there, ive seen a variety of patrons, small groups of 4-5 people, singles, families, families with young kids, college kids, couples etc. they have bar style counter seating for single seats kf you chose or you can ask for a table. You can see the noodles being made and your dish as it's made to order and they have an open kitchen. They stay true to their spice levels from mild to spicy. Overall, i am really looking forward to coming back here

4- stars $15.99 Lanzhou Pulled Noodle (beef) soup: the…read moreclassic 100 year old staple of Lanzhou Province. Picked the regular thin noodles. Going forward, I'll pick the thick round style. Pretty good, certainly worth the $, but it lacked enough of the umami that I've experienced in (2) other spots I've tried.

Started off with the fresh rolls and corn cakes. The fresh rolls lived up to their name of being…read morefresh and they were a good size with a perfect crunch. The corn cakes were fried just right so they were golden on the outside but soft on the inside and the slaw and sweet sauce elevated it. I would get both appetizers again. For entrees we had: Mama Pad Kee Moa (3.5/5) - instant noodles with fresh veggies and very thin beef. Flavor was good, but the beef missed the mark because it was lacking. Massaman Gai Curry (5/5) - the curry was so flavorful in this dish and the soft potato complimented it very well. Definitely the winner of the night. Chicken Khao Pad (Fried Rice) (3/5) - rice was a little too dry and the thinly cut chicken again did not pop out in the dish. Overall, very fresh and authentic Thai dishes. Service was fast and attentive. There are plenty of seating options to dine in, but I also saw a lot of take out orders. Street parking can be difficult on Shattuck but easier to find on the side streets.

No complaints about the service; they were quick and very friendly…read more Unfortunately, I was not the biggest fan of the food. The green curry noodles came with vermicelli, and I wanted to try it since it's what they recommend, but it just was not the right texture for the curry I felt. The flavor of the curry itself was not super flavorful. I felt like more coconut milk could have been added to coat the noodles more. The spring rolls were good. I enjoyed the peanut sauce. We also sat at the front by the door, and it was rather cold in that seat.

Yummy dumplings! Made fresh in front of you. Great service…read more Had the Shanghai pork soup dumplings.

June 2026 -- Berkeley, CA Dumplings for the Deadline Damned…read more Dumpling Express, not far from UC Berkeley, has the kind of facade that says: we are not here to seduce you with ambiance; we are here to prevent your blood sugar from collapsing during midterms. The exterior is a pale green, low-drama storefront with a metal roofline, a modest hanging sign, a couple of sidewalk tables, and a general visual philosophy best described as "handmade dumplings, not handmade branding strategy." It looks less like a restaurant trying to be discovered and more like a temporary work-in-progress bungalow that decided to become permanent, with the rust swirling in like Berkeley's unofficial architectural signature. Naturally, this makes it more trustworthy. My review is based on an Uber Eats pickup order, which feels like the correct way to encounter this place. Dumpling Express appears mostly built for takeout: fast, practical, compact, and run by one kind master behind the counter surrounded by enough BTU's, condiments, steam, and ingredients to power a graduate seminar and three emotionally unstable group projects. Service was reliable. The food came packed in plastic containers that held heat well but were still easy to open and close, meaning you could theoretically eat this while driving. Should you? No. Could you? Tragically, yes. Berkeley has witnessed worse experiments in applied ethics. We ordered four items. The egg rolls were shockingly generous. One order could probably feed a four-person study group, or one economics major after discovering rent is not a theoretical construct. They were pretty good: crisp, not overly greasy, almost light. Flavor-wise, they were not exactly writing a dissertation, but they showed up to class. 3/5. The XLB tasted good, but they were not classic soup dumplings in the strict "I have traveled, I own opinions, and I have been hurt before" sense. The wrapper was not especially thin, and there was not enough of that dangerous, piping-hot broth that makes you question your dental insurance. Still, the flavor was pleasant. I did not feel betrayed. Merely academically unconvinced. 3/5. The chicken and cabbage dumplings were fine. A little bland, yes, but not bad, especially for cheap eats near campus. They are the dumpling equivalent of a decent discussion section: not life-changing, not offensive, and useful if you are hungry and trying to survive the week. 3/5. The clear star was the sesame ball with red bean filling. Crispy, warm, gooey, sweet, and deeply correct. This was the one item that stood up, adjusted its tiny sesame-covered blazer, and delivered an argument worthy of tenure. Excellent. 5/5. Overall, Dumpling Express is an excellent value spot for students, quick lunches, late study nights, and anyone needing hot food without emotional paperwork. For well-traveled adults chasing transcendent dumpling enlightenment, this is probably more of a "good in a pinch" situation than a destination pilgrimage. But for Berkeley? Near campus? For the broke, busy, brilliant, sleep-deprived, caffeine-haunted scholars of tomorrow? It makes sense. It feeds the machine. It keeps the little academic hamsters running. And the sesame balls deserve a fellowship.

Some of the most authentic nothern Chinese food in Berkeley. I thought the guo bai rou was a little…read moretough but other than that the pork was really fragrant and the flavors were great. Do not come here for service- the cook kind of if he wants to cook your dish or not, and place was almost empty. But flavors are great.!

3.5 stars! Chang…read moreLuong is actually a hidden gem--so hidden that I never knew about it until after I graduated from Berkeley. Service is interesting. Food is AMAZING. Ambiance is a little weird. FOOD [4.5/5] ========= + Twice Cooked Pork [5/5] A bit different than how I was expecting but in a good way! It's more tender and saucy, and less spicy than it's traditionally done. The portion size is great! + Pork & shrimp dumplings [5/5] I could eat these all day. They're made super well and are flavorful. They come with a generous portion of meat! Sauce provided is good as well. + House special fried rice [3.5/5] A typical fried rice, nothing too special about it. It was a bit dry. AMBIANCE & SERVICE [3/5] ====================== The restaurant is not in the cleanest of states and has a few flies + bad lighting. Service from the one-man show is not very friendly and he will give the bare minimum, even if you try to be friendly. But damn his food is good so...

Came on a Thursday for lunch with a group of about 12, since we were across the street for a school…read moreevent. They have 10% off discount on your order with a student ID. The server was very nice. Our food did take more than 15-20 minutes to come out, so we were a bit antsy at the end as we were running a bit late. But the food was great. The portions are smaller than expected, but the xiaolongbao were delicious and juicy. Just wish they had more vegetable dish options such as cabbage. At the end, there was a minor mixup with our receipt being charged with another table's order, but the server was quick to correct it. Will definitely come again!

We stopped by for a quick lunch and were greeted by friendly servers who were very considerate of…read moreour time crunch. You can order either by scanning the QR code or through a traditional paper menu, which was convenient. The xiao long bao seemed to be one of their most popular dishes, so we ordered a basket and really enjoyed it. Each table is already stocked with soy sauce and black vinegar so you can mix your own dipping sauce. My only wish is that they offered fresh ginger slices to complete the traditional xiao long bao experience. The beef pancake roll had a subtle mala flavor that added a nice kick without being overly spicy or numbing. The pancake itself was delicious--I loved both the taste and the texture. It is a bit oily though, so be prepared to use your chopsticks carefully or wash your hands afterward. The beef dumplings were probably the only item I wouldn't order again. They tasted pretty similar to the frozen dumplings you can find at most Asian grocery stores, so they didn't really stand out. Overall, it's a decent spot with friendly service and some tasty dishes. I just wish the prices were a little more reasonable. Our bill came to almost $40 for items that I personally think of as more snack- or appetizer-sized portions.

I stopped here for Lunch it's inside the Hearst food court. they had a promotion on a new item on…read moretheir menu. I had their Guilin Rice Noodles today. It was my first time trying this dish ever and it was delicious. Very large portion for just $13. The service was very fast. I have eaten here before but this by far is my new favorite dish. Will definitely be back.

Delicious! Very kind duo working the kitchen, they treated my girlfriend and I very well. I ordered…read moresomething off menu and they were able to accommodate me perfectly. The noodles were fantastically made and my tofu and vegetables were extremely flavorful! One of the best meals I had during my trip to The Bay Area. They are located inside Hearst Food Court.