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    Sam Woo Village BBQ

    4.0 (365 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Sam Woo Village BBQ Chinese Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    SAM WOO VILLAGE BBQ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Sam Woo Village BBQ

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    Dianna H.

    Sam Woo is the only authentic Cantonese spot in the valley my family has found so far. Even though they're known for their bbq meats, I would stay away from them as the ones we tried this time and in the past were pretty meh. Stick with ordering dishes off their menu instead. It's next to a Ranch, so there's plenty of parking available. We came by for lunch on Saturday around noon, and it was mostly filled up. It's not a big restaurant, and tables are placed pretty close to each other. That's how you know the place is going to be authentic lol They have a takeout area where you can get various bbq meats and some hot deli foods, but they also have a large menu you can order from. The four of us ordered the following dishes to try: #2 two item BBQ with roast pork and roast duck ($19.95 + $2 for roast pork) #78 chicken and veggie chow mein ($15.95) #85 beef chow fun ($16.95) #129 sauteed fish fillet ($18.95) #138 fresh squid in oyster sauce ($17.95) My favorite dish by far was the beef chow fun, which came as a huge platter and had really good wok hei flavor. The other noodle dish, the chow mein, was also good with huge portions. The fish and squid were both okay, but portions were small for the price, and to be honest, they were pretty similar down to the veggies used. We probably could've just ordered one. The most underwhelming was the bbq. The duck tasted okay but the cut they gave us was mostly bone and didn't have much meat. The roast pork was way too juicy and the skin, which is usually my favorite part due to the crisp, was tough and hard to chew.

    Outside the restaurant, adjacent to the Ranch Market at Victory & Sepulveda.
    Evan W.

    Sam Woo is the kind of restaurant craved by people who've had the privilege of eating authentic Chinese food and barbecued meats in nondescript storefronts and underground tea rooms run by people who barely speak English. The decor is simple and traditional, and though well-maintained, it's unchanged from decades ago. And that's what you want -- to walk into an atmosphere that feels lived-in rather than recently off-loaded from some nearby restaurant supply warehouse. It's always busy here at lunchtime, so be prepared to wait; though if you're willing to share a table with strangers, you may get seated sooner. And why not? The communal approach lightens the mood, and you can see what other people are eating so you can make plans for next time. The staff is friendly and fast, working hard to keep up with the crowds. They have a full menu of Chinese food here, with most of the expected dishes you'd find everywhere, but also quite a few options that are less familiar. No matter what you choose, the food is prepared quickly with care and arrives steaming hot. Flavors are deep, rich and layered, and portions are very generous -- no one leaves without a to-go bag. But the star of the show here is the Barbecued Meats, which (aside from pork & spare ribs) are not usually offered at most neighborhood places. Sweetly glistening pork shares space with a crispy-skinned "roasted" pork, along with roasted ducks and chickens, Chinese sausage, assorted fried chicken and pork chops, and a variety of sauces that add sweetness or spice as desired. Today I went for my favorite lunch: a combination plate of BBQ and Roasted Pork over Rice. The Roasted Pork is juicy, with a punch of allspice that pairs nicely with the slivers of crispy skin laid atop the slices of meat. The accompanying sauce is mild, with a slight tang that rounds out the bite. By contrast, the BBQ Pork has the familiar sweet glaze and semi-toughness, though here at Sam Woo the meat is nicely marbled and more melting than you'd get at other places. The flavor is pretty perfect as is, but I enjoy adding dabs of chili crisp to every other slice for an extra slap of heat. The bed of white rice is properly cooked and blends well with any or all of the sauces you're playing with. This is a no-cards place, so don't forget to bring your cash. Also bring your appetite and your sense of adventure -- it's a great idea to order at least one thing that's new to you, because when you're somewhere that actually offers you the opportunity, you should jump at it.

    Food to take out
    Regine S.

    This is truly my very favorite authentic Chinese place in the San Fernando valley When I am on the west side in Los Angeles, I go to Hop Woo, so good! I usually take duck lo mein with a broth: oh my God, it's so light and very delish Usually i order also a half duck to go The only problem with that place and the 99 Ranch supermarket is that the parking lot is overwhelmingly crowded, and the wait is 10 to 20 minutes for a parking space! Otherwise, that place is very good and delicious and I love going to eat there... even alone!

    Whole ducks, steamed rice
    Raina P.

    I had a dinner party to host and wanted duck on the menu, but honestly--I just didn't have the time to make it myself. Funny enough, I remembered my nail tech had brought me duck one day while I was at the salon, and it was SO good--super fragrant, well-seasoned (almost like a subtle clove spice), juicy, and especially flavorful around the bone. I couldn't stop thinking about it. So the next time I saw him, I asked where it was from, and after a little thinking he said Sam Woo. He mentioned the San Gabriel location, but told me to just look it up. Turns out... there was one right next to 99 Ranch, which I go to all the time--and somehow I had never gone in before. I walked in, placed an order for three whole ducks and two large trays of rice for my dinner party, and the staff was incredibly helpful in guiding me on portions. Everything was ready within about an hour (perfect timing while I grabbed groceries next door), neatly packed, and one of the staff members even helped load everything into my car--which I really appreciated. And the duck? Just as amazing as I remembered. Juicy, flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and a total hit at my dinner. Super clean establishment, kind staff, efficient service--I will absolutely be back. Next time, I'm actually sitting down and exploring more of the menu.

    Fish w black bean sauce, chao ho noodles with shrimp, fish porridge :)
    Trin H.

    |[ c o m f o r t ] I'll always have a soft spot for my fav Cantonese foods and this place is my place in the valley for it! Prices a bit higher than what I'm used to for this but it's filling and hits the cravings just fine. |[ t h e g o o d z ]| Fish congee 4.5/5: so so good I eat this when I'm sick or just need some comfort in my life and it's always as good as I remember from my childhood. Chao ho noodles (we subbed shrimp in place of beef) 4/5: love the egg gravy on top, this is such a guilty pleasure item, my only wish is that they'd add more veggies to this. Fish fillet in black bean sauce 3.75/5: flavor was amazing but there was too much oil! Will prob ask for less oil in this next time. Egg plant dish (we asked for no pork in ours) 3.5/5: not bad but again way too much oil, it overpowered the dish for me. |[ o v e r a l l ]| Service is quick and efficient, parking is easy, ambiance is your typical loud Asian restaurant but that's part of the experience. xD perfect lunar new year eve dinner :3

    Garlic stir fried  water spinach
    David L.

    If you are looking for a casual old school Cantonese BBQ spot, hard to go wrong with Sam Woo. The restaurant doesn't try to compete with the newer style Chinese restaurants. It is perfectly happy to do their way of Chinese cooking, which has been consistent since 1979. I've been enjoying Sam Woo since the early 80's. My guilty pleasures are the three BBQ meat rice plate and fried pork chop with scallions. Huge portion of three different succulent BBQ meats with plenty of left overs. Another one of my favorites is the deep fried house noodles. There are a variety of rice and noodle dishes to try here. Enjoy

    BBQ menu, meat by the pound
    Kiona V.

    This is next to the 99 Ranch Market, so I popped over to check it out. In the to-go area, the variety of BBQ meat looked tantalizing, so I got a pound of roast pork for less than $18 after tax. The skin was thin and crispy. The meat tasted clean with just the right amount of seasoning. My portion was very lean yet not dry at all. It hit all the important criteria and earned a top spot on my list for roast pork going forward.

    Mongolian beef with rice
    Peter X.

    My sister was nice enough to grab me food from here when she stopped by there. I never been to Sam Woo so I looked at their menu online. The menu is almost like any other Asian restaurant, so they'll have their noodle soup, bbq dish, fried noodles and more. I saw that they had Mongolian beef here so I wanted to try that. Since I had rice at home, I asked for it to be la carte. I like the container they used for the beef because it has little holes so the steam won't stay in the container and continue to cook the beef. You get a good portion of beef and I thought it was delicious. The Mongolian beef was tender and marinated great. I would order it again from here. I been to the plaza where this restaurant is in before and parking can be difficult because of the market that is here.

    Pork Chop with Spicy Salt - Crispy and loaded with green onions and garlic.
    Athena K.

    The closest thing you'll get to classic Cantonese food in the San Fernando Valley and perhaps all of West LA (aside from Hop Woo and newly-opened Mama Lu's Dumpling House). They were busy for CNY Eve, but the service was still impeccable. We ordered an abundant amount of food to celebrate: 5/5 I'm going to save myself some time by giving an all-around 5/5 for all the dishes. Everything was hot, delicious, and served in generous portions: - Pork Chop with Spicy Salt - Fish Fillet with Spicy Salt - Peking Duck (Whole) served with prawn chips, buns, and condiments - Sautéed Spinach - Beef Chow Fun with Soy Sauce As long as they're open, I will always come back to Sam Woo with my family.

    Seafood pot
    Rebecca X.

    Usually I have to wait around an hour for a table here, but came in and got seated pretty fast before a huge wave of people came and had to wait a while, the highs of being a victor make food only taste oh so much better (joking). Unfortunately had to wait then maybe 15 minutes to actually get a waiter to look at us and put our order in, but there were like 2 people manning the whole restaurant trying to flip tables. Got the (these are butchered names, I don't remember it in English) French beef, shrimp noodles, and seafood pot. All absolutely delicious. The French beef is so peppery and savory, the heat from the meat slowly cooks the cabbage on the bottom in its sauce and it's so good. Noodles are bomb, amazing texture, amount of shrimp, just great. And then the seafood pot has an amazing variety of things, the shrimp is so sweet and juicy, tofu so soft, standing ovation. Food comes out pretty fast once you order it, and it was staggered perfectly that we could enjoy each dish in its full glory before the next came out. The hot food counter also is spectacular in everything, always love taking even more home for later.

    Kiki T.

    We're baaack!! Food is still delicious!! This review here is not about the restaurant per se, it's about the parking lot on Sundays now, we got here about 11:30am give or take 5 or 10 minutes, well...there used to be an Office Depot store here, if not Office Depot, it's one of those office supply stores and they closed down, so now on Sunday mornings there is church service and apparently when we arrived there is no parking AND for some reason there was a section that was chained off with sign NO PARKING!!! Anyways we left to go get Boba and waited there till 12:20pm, when we got back, the chains were down, so we think that is when it goes down. I just wanted to share this. As for the restaurant service, it was good today and we got our food at reasonable time which is awesome because they were busy. For those who are new to this place, this is a casual place and also when you come in, just fill in how many are in your party on the clipboard with numbers next to it. Also write down the number you are at on the blank paper next to clipboard so when you hear your number called, it's your turn to be seated.

    Salt n pepper fried shrimp
    Janice A.

    We order the same dishes all the time and it' always tastes good. Service is fantastic. Once the first dish comes out the rest follow one after the other. Seating is not bad feels welcoming could be a bit more updated but it's a casual vibe. I used to travel to Chinatown for Chinese food I'm glad they have Sam Woo close by.

    Harrison W.

    This is OG Chinese restaurant that was famous for roasted duck. I used to like their roasted ducks but recently I found a few other places that can do better. The skin has less fat. My favorite roasted duck spots are not around here so this time it just need to Seattle with this one. I went into to-go section and greeted by employees and got help immediately. To go section has no seating area. I ordered a whole roasted duck to go. They chopped it up quick and packed it for me.

    Duck and egg noodles

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    Sam Woo Village BBQ Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sam Woo Village BBQ

    Any lunch specials?

    No lunch specials

    Do they accept card?

    Yes

    Is this restaurant related to joe woo's in north Hollywood that closed some years ago?

    No. Different chain entirely.

    Do they have wine?

    No, they do not.

    Do you have whole turkey?

    No, they do not.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Noodles Kitchen - Crispy Orange Chicken

    Noodles Kitchen

    4.7(33 reviews)
    0.9 miVan Nuys

    This review is only regarding the posted hours versus what I experienced upon arrival…read more I had a long day at work and was really looking forward to treating myself to what's rated as the best Chinese food in the area. I even drove a bit out of my way to come here, only to find a "closed" sign on the door. I truly hope everything is okay with the owners and staff, but it was disappointing that there wasn't any notice or backup plan for unexpected closures. From what I could see through the window, the restaurant looked very clean and well-kept. I'll definitely want to try again another time but will certainly call first!!!!

    It is not Frankensteins intention to be negative here today. But wholly Yelp hype Batman! Yes,…read moreFrankenstein can buy into a good hype every so often which the Bride of Frankenstein enjoys pointing out. Especially when Frankenstein is wrong. Frankenstein enjoys braised beef noodle soup. A lot. Frankenstein's heart was yanked out of his huge body and crushed when Mandarin Deli went out of business during Covid. A pain he still feels even today. They had the best Braised Beef Noodle Soup ever! Frankenstein went hook, line, and sinker when he read the Yelp hype about this place. Bottom line, nice people, not as awesome as was described. Braised Beef Noodle Soup- Sorry Noodles Kitchen but it's too chili hot. About a 8.5 to 9 on Frankensteins too hot scale. Beef was okay, not great. Noodles were good. Bride of Frankenstein had one taste and pushed it away. "Mucho Caliente" Orange Chicken, fine. Let's not go overboard everyone. Pan Fried Dumplings, good. Check it out for yourself. 10/11/2025 Update- It saddens Frankenstein to see so many fake reviews over and over again. Really Noodles Kitchen? Please.

    Photos
    Noodles Kitchen - Beef and Broccoli

    Beef and Broccoli

    Noodles Kitchen - Kung Pao Chicken

    Kung Pao Chicken

    Noodles Kitchen - Beef Broccoli

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    Beef Broccoli

    Ras Noodle - Crispy pork broccoli,Pad Thai & Som tum

    Ras Noodle

    4.4(497 reviews)
    2.9 miPanorama City
    $$

    I came here yesterday to grab lunch for my family after my sister landed from Sacramento. She loves…read morethe duck noodle here and my mom loves their boat noodle. So I placed the order over the phone, I also got chicken fried rice for my wife, chicken basil for my nephew with no rice and my dad wanted the Suki Yaki noodles. Everything was at medium spicy except my nephew chicken basil since he can't eat spicy. I was told it would take about 20 minutes and I live close to this place. When we arrived in the afternoon, we got the parking in the front of the restaurant. I say they accept credit card now because before it was cash only. You just have to spend at least $10 minimum to pay with a card. They made our order quick because we arrived early but it was ready. They packaged the food great and there was no leak. My sister loved her duck noodle, my mom loved her boat noodle, my dad loved his Suki Yaki, my wife enjoyed her chicken fried rice and my nephew like his chicken basil. I would come back here again since my family loves this place.

    Very disappointing!!!! I was excited to eat my meal and then I opened my to go order and saw this !…read more$20 for a a bowl of rice because the beef with basil on rice came with 5 pieces of small beef. For anything other than soups don't bother ! I know the economy is bad but ripping people off should sit wrong with them! Just go to little ocha down the street ! They give a plentiful amount.

    Photos
    Ras Noodle - Environment and wall menus

    Environment and wall menus

    Ras Noodle - Fried Beef balls

    Fried Beef balls

    Ras Noodle - The sign

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    The sign

    Northern Cafe - House Special Beef Noodle

    Northern Cafe

    3.9(429 reviews)
    5.4 miNorthridge
    $$

    Stopped by Northern Cafe Bar & Grill for lunch sometime on a weekday. Plenty of parking spots…read moreavailable to park. Inside the eatery was bright and plenty of tables available for dining. We were greeted right away by the hostess and she also sat us down. Excellent customer service from the moment we came into the establishment until we left. We tried their famous Chongquing Crispy Chicken along with the Beef, Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice. It was yummy. Definitely glad we stopped by to try their food. The servings for both the entree and mixed fried rice were plentiful. We can't wait to comeback to try other food items on the menu. Another eatery worth frequenting in the San Fernando Valley.

    I had high expectations for this place because I enjoyed the food in the Northern Cafe restaurant…read moreat Downtown LA. But sadly, I was disappointed by this branch on Reseda. The menu was on laminated paper which must be a few years old and felt disgusting to touch. I started with hot tea and it was served in a metal cup. I wish they served it in a nice ceramic container for customer's enjoyment. For lunch, we ordered chicken chow mein and their pork and crab dumpling (like a xiao long bao). The chicken chow mein had a boatload of cabbage and probably 10 strips of chow mein noodles. It should have been called cabbage noodles (lol). The pork and crab dumplings would have been a hit, but the dumpling shell had a "soapy" smell. The meat inside was soft and tasted good, but I couldn't get over the smell of the shell. We would have also wanted to try seaweed salad, but it was unavailable on this day. The parking at Northern Cafe is plenty. The staff is also courteous. But given the state of the food and overall feel, I give it only two stars. Truthfully, you can find better Chinese food close by this area. There's Maru Ramen on Reseda and Nordhoff, or Silverlake Ramen on Rinaldi. And no, I don't work for either of those places. All of this feedback is based on customer experience.

    Photos
    Northern Cafe - Dining area

    Dining area

    Northern Cafe - Chongqing Crispy Chicken

    Chongqing Crispy Chicken

    Northern Cafe - Angus Beef Fried Rice

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    Angus Beef Fried Rice

    Master Gan Noodle and Dumplings - N2- Braised Beef Noodle Soup

    Master Gan Noodle and Dumplings

    4.3(103 reviews)
    6.2 miNorthridge
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Kid friendly

    Very honest opinion: Not sure if I'm eating the same food as everyone else leaving reviews here,…read morebut I got the signature beef (Lanzhou) noodle soup combo and it was incredibly disappointing~mediocre. Server guy was chill. The food is served in a paper bowl, unlike the nice bowls you see in their pics. Tl;dr: if you're curious, don't waste your time, bafang is open 5min away Preface: I KNOW it's mall food, but for a restaurant that continuously pops up as #1 on Yelp whenever I search for food around the northridge/chatsworth area, I'm going to treat it as if it were a #1 spot. Beef noodle soup: to be very blunt, this was quite flavorless. The beef was dry as bones and looked like it was sliced with a mandoline. The noodles seemed undercooked and it felt like I was eating al dente spaghetti noodles. I got a medium spice level which didn't even seem that spicy, just a lot of cough inducing chili oil with no burn. Pan fried dumplings were ok. It honestly tasted like it was deep fried and not pan fried. Unsweetened black tea: hands down the best of the 3 things in the combo, which is quite telling. Honestly you get a decent amount of food for $15. But to constantly take the top 5 for recommended on Yelp in this area and waste my time to even look at it, it definitely doesn't belong remotely close to top 10.

    Finally popped in after constantly seeing it on my FYP and it did not disappoint. I ordered the…read morespicy beef noodle soup combo which came with 4 dumplings and a beverage. The service was friendly and the wait was reasonable. Its located in the mall which means that you don't really get much of a vibe from this place alone but of everything surrounding. The soup was not spicy imo, I have a high tolerance, but it did have a good flavor. The noodles were thick and soft but they lacked a bit of flavor. The beef was soft and flavorful with the smaller bits of beef, which resembled ground beef, were very tasty. The soup was good overall but felt a bit too oily. The dumplings had a light crunchy exterior and the inside was juicy but it felt just a bit too mushy for me. Overall a good place and I would return to try something else.

    Photos
    Master Gan Noodle and Dumplings - Their menu

    Their menu

    Master Gan Noodle and Dumplings - Unsweetened Iced Tea IG: @ammysalamii

    Unsweetened Iced Tea IG: @ammysalamii

    Master Gan Noodle and Dumplings

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    Sam Woo Village BBQ - chinese - Updated June 2026

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