If you are a local to the area then you know San Wok Express really was the best chinese in town. With friendly owners, the happy and giddy welcome and goodbyes as you come and go. That is no more. Sadly after going back recently I realized these are new owners and no longer the San Wok we are used to. Food was decent, but I could tell the difference especially with the orange chicken which was always a hit. Food overall is good for chinese, but doesn't wow me like before. New improvements inside, the restaurant now has dine in, and new decor, but prices have an increased, and ultimately just feels like another chinese restaurant in the area. read more

I started coming here about 15 years ago. At the time it was called Rice Garden, if I recall. The food was tasty and the guy that ran the place, we knew from the Golden Phoenix restaurants. I think he was either a nephew or son in law. He sold the place to the previous owner who rebranded as Sans Wok Express. When the place opened the flavor, price and portion were all unbelievable and unbeatable. For years this was the case, then the price would go up about 10% at least twice a year, then the portions got smaller and post covid, the flavor also suffered like they were cutting corners. They would skimp on sauces and dishes that were generous with protein because heavy with vegetables, so instead of Mongolian Beef, it was Mongolian Onion. Really nice people, but after my last visit, I said I most likely wouldn't be back because it just wasn't worth the money. Ironically, I gave them another chance today and was surprised. When I pulled into the lot I knew something was different as I saw someone sitting inside and the place had been takeout only since Covid. The décor was also modern and warm and when I didn't see the original chef or server, I assumed there was a new owner. The menu was exactly the same, but it was a new owner and she told me she had owned the place since New Years Day. So, it's obviously been more than a year since I decided not to come back. I had the Mongolian Beef and it was pretty good. I'm sure you would love it, but I actually like mine sugar free. That said, it wasn't as sweet as most places, so respect to the chef. The lunch combo was entree, rice and soup. No more spring roll. The hot and sour was ok, but it wasn't thickened and lacked chicken stock. The new owner is really nice and I'm hoping the business comes back. This place used to always be nearly full. I think after 4-5 years of take out only, people stopped coming here. Take out is great, but I prefer dine in. It hotter, fresher and I don't have any trash. Again, when you keep the same name as the previous business, there is no flag to the community that you changed the recipes and possibly have a better menu. Either way, come back, I think you'll be pleased. read more

No frills frills about this place, but the couple that runs it are very nice, and the food is consistently good. Services is quick. read more

See all

Service was 10/10. Food is great and has large portions. Can easily get two meals out of one dish, or one meal and a late night snack for big eaters. It doesn't look like much from the outside but it's nice, clean, and quiet inside. Eat in or take out. Prices are quite reasonable for the portion size. read more

This is my favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Owners are super sweet and food is delicious and quick. I always get takeout but the updates to the interior looks beautiful! Great place for a nice quiet date night! The fried string beans is my typical go to, and today I tried the Taiwanese fried rice noodle and it's my new favorite! I'd share pictures but there's nothing left . read more

This use to be my favorite Chinese spot before they switched ownership. Now they're food has a funny taste.

Genuine delicious Chinese food, they give alot of food for the price, pretty interior nice owners and just a underrated hidden restaurant in Kent. read more

Has anyone else had San Wok recently? It had been maybe a month or so since my routine visit. I typically call in my order and am used to hearing a same familiar voice. Different person on the phone. When I went to pick up my order, the whole space was remodeled to now accommodate in-person dining. The familiar face/voice I would always be greeted with was replaced with another. All fine, I guess. But when I took the food home and opened the boxes, I knew immediately. New ownership. I knew the previous owners had been struggling for some time. Local layoffs impacted business. The food was always so good and the service was even greater. Unfortunately I have to find a new Chinese food spot as San Wok now blends in with the rest of the mediocre Chinese fare in the Renton/Kent area. Wishing all the best for the previous owners! read more

Great food, service was quick, and was able to have it ordered to be delivered and still be hot when it arrived. We got two special fried rice, a almond chicken, and a coconut boba tea (for me). All were really good. Though word for the wise: One special fried rice is enough to feed at least two people. read more

See all

Food was delicious, exactly what we were looking for! The staff are lovely and very nice. Will be returning!

My first time here, and we went because everyone's good reviews. We ordered kung pao chicken, General tso, and green beans with Beef. Also had 2 egg rolls. The Mrs out front was happy cheerful, and the place clean.... Spiffy clean. And the area was filled with wonderful Christmas Cactuses. Any one who care enough to grow these specimens will surely turn a nice meal. All of our food was yummy.... However, my king pao chicken had zucchini, and a few grated/slivered carrots... and I missed the crunchy carrots and celery that usually is in this dish. It was yummy, and well presented, but I missed the crunchiest. Oh, and it was spicey! And No rice. The general tso was again yummy. Meat was cut in nice sizes, and I found no clumps of fat.... The sauce on this was ... ummmmm...... good, but tasted like it had some tomato in the sauce. It was good.... Not greasy.... Good. The green Beans with Beef were preem-o! Best we have had-ever. These had some slivers a carrots, just enough to accent the color. Soooo yummy. Not greasy, and cooked just right. Egg Rolls.... Well, I'm still looking for a good egg Roll. This one's shell was hard and overcooked... and... greasy. The inside was overcooked and soggy cabbage... not my thing. We had to wait 10-15 minutes for our meal to cook.... And it smelled heavenly. Service was personable, quick, and with a smile. I'm going to give a 4-star.... Food was yummy, but a bit unconventional.....place squeaky clean. I wouldn't be opposed to going back! But I wont go out of my way. read more

See all

Excellent food, amazing service, beautiful plants inside the restaurant. We ordered food for our family of 6 on our way home from football practice. The egg rolls were crispy and filled with veggies. The Mongolian Beef and Singapore Rice Noodles were packed with flavor. Servings were huge! The kids loved the dumplings and steamed rice. We also ordered fried shrimp that they liked but they preferred the dumplings. The wonderful lady that rang us up was so sweet and gave my daughter candies and fortune cookies while we waited for our order to finish cooking. Store is to-go only and is filled with beautiful plants. It is super clean inside. We will definitely order from here again! read more

See all

Someone used my credit card at this location. I called my bank first to get a new card. I then called san wok to see how and why my card was used when my card is literally in my hand right now. The worker was zero help. And told me that they only accept cash, which is very suspicious. Makes it seem like one of the workers or even the guy I talked to was to blame for the fraud. Stay away from this establishment.. read more

First off idk why I ordered curry chicken at a Chinese restaurant. It wasn't even curry or tasted like curry (maybe change the name to this dish?). Although it didn't taste like curry it was still good. I would've gave it at least a 4 if there was more chicken, especially for an $18 dish (with tax). Not worth it in my opinion. read more

San Wok Express - Curry Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

Customer service sets them apart for sure. From the initial phone call to place my order, the woman on the line was so pleasant and warm. She didn't rush, she was efficient and repeated back my order. She greeted me with the same enthusiastic energy upon entering the restaurant. After I paid for our meal she offered to bring it to the car because it was in the low 20s on this night and she wanted me to stay warm . They are located right off the 167 in Kent just a mile down the road from the S. 212th St. exit on the corner of SE 208 St. and 108 Ave. SE. They're in a small shopping center behind Jack in the Box and share their parking lot with Benson mart and a salon. They currently only offer Take-away orders. The interior is spacious and clean and the tables and chairs are stored to one side of the restaurant. Now for the food. The beef and broccoli was on hit! The beef was tender, the broccoli was cooked to perfection (not over cooked but not super crunchy) I just wish I had more of the sauce to drizzle over my steamed rice because the flavor was *chef's kiss*. The beef chow fun needed a little bit of salt so we added a little soy sauce and it was great. The fried rice had a great aroma from the spring onion and decent flavor. The fried spring rolls had fresh veggies inside, they were a tad big soggy but the outside of the spring roll was perfectly fried. read more

See all

I was very hungry and didn't want to cook so google "Chinese restaurant" nearby and this place popped up. It has good reviews on google so I gave it a try. Oh boy ain't I glad I found this gem! The people are friendly, the foods were made fast and the taste was exactly what I like. Not too salty or oily and all dishes were delicious! Price is decent too. The restaurant only serves take-out which is totally fine. I surely will go back again! read more

San Wok Express - Beef Chow Fun, mixed veggie stir-fry and orange chicken - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

We came here after a quick stop at Ikea. Yelp reviews were on spot. Great food, good prices and big portions. Sweet & sour pork was superb, the house special fried rice was well made too. Definitely, we will come back next time we are in the region. read more

Stopped by on a Friday early afternoon. Charming lady behind the counter patiently waited while I made up my mind. The dining room was far too cold to eat on site, so I ordered to go. Kung Pao chicken and Mixed Vegetables. Nice portions, very fresh food. Could have been a bit spicier but overall it was good. And they threw in an egg roll! read more

I have been coming here for at least 10 years now and it has always been my absolute favorite Chinese spot. I was initially worried the first time I came here recently after it's been under new ownership. There are a few changes that have been made that I am a little sad about, the lunch special fried rice to name one. It used to be a rather plain looking white rice with some egg bits in it but I loved it and it had great flavor. That has been replaced with a traditional fried rice which was disappointing to see at first BUT it is actually still really good. I hope the old owners are doing well, it was always nice to see the same familiar face of the super nice lady that used to be behind the counter. However, the new lady that I now always see in there is also super nice and has great customer service skills as well. Overall the food is a bit different now, but in my opinion it is still amazing. I still believe it is the best Chinese food in Kent by far, and I wish the best of luck to the new owners. I will keep coming back! Also, they have put in seating so it seems they now offer dine in service again. read more

I adore this place. The food is AMAZING. The owner is the sweetest and I've not had Chinese on par with my favorite spot 3 hours away in ages. I'm thrilled to gave found these great eats at a random strip mall location (do not be fooled by the cover, this book is the tops). Resonance prices, solid/friendly service, delicious food, and breathtaking paintings  (yep, just came for Chinese food and left with a Tuscan painting). The plaza itself needs love but that's an aside and irrelevant to the business itself. Highly recommend. I lost access to my Brittany K. account with an email change gone wrong. This is a repost. read more

See all

Customer service was amazing. The food was fresh I moved from California so it's really my first time going out I came around 12:30 pm it was a full establishment the food came out perfect time. Only problem I had was I'm bound to a wheelchair and there was 3 steps so my caregiver had to work for her money I'm not a small man but the $100 I spent was well worth it and I would do it again. Will be back in my wheelchair. read more

Ordered delivery. Showed up in a reasonable amount of time, still piping hot. Food tasted great. My only complaint is they forgot my straw, but luckily I found one lying around. read more

San Wok Express - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

See all

The house special chow mein here is a very good perfectly average chow mein. It had generous portions of cabbage, onions, beef, chicken, and shrimp. The meat was well-cooked and good quality. The flavor wasn't magical or anything, but it was good. The texture of the noodles was satisfying, and they weren't overly greasy. The person who took my order was very friendly, and even offered to bring the carryout to my car. I do wish that restaurants here offered half orders, though. read more

San Wok Express - House special chow mein: pretty good. 4/5 - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

This is pretty decent Chinese food, for taste probably around 4 stars but I am giving 5 because the service is so great. What we've tried: sweet and sour pork, general Tso, BBQ pork fried rice and beef with broccoli. The fried rice is the best thing we've had. The service is what makes this place, the nicest people ever! read more

This is my number 2 choice when my favorite restaurant is closed down n Monday. Great Mongolian beef and pretty decent hot and sour soup. I would strongly recommend this place if you are in Kent and my favorite Chinese restaurant is closed. These guys can cook! read more

See all

I live around the area and was searching for good Chinese food. I've always drove past this place and finally decided to give it a try, I've got to say this place is definitely a hidden gem. So delicious, reasonable prices and the staff is absolutely fantastic so friendly and knowledgeable. 10/10 would recommend! They only do takeout at the moment which for me & family works out great the place is spotless on the inside and flavors are definitely there! Will for sure be coming back. (: read more

Thanks to my nephew who introduced me to this restaurant. I must say this is the best place if you're wanting to compare to fast food.

Super friendly people and *huge* portions. The food was tasty and we'll definitely be back!

My favorite hole in the wall Chinese food. Delicious fare, friendly service, kitschy ambiance. Don't skip!

Good varieties, delicious Chinese cuisines. Owners are only open for to go orders right now. Best salt and pepper chicken wings! read more

San Wok Express - Menu - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

See all

10/14/2020 Update: I haven't ordered takeout in a long time but as usual, the owner was incredibly nice and even remembered me (despite the new hairdo and mask)! Food is still great, the lunch special is still a great deal, the owners are still great, this place is still great! Times are tough on everyone and things are constantly changing, but one thing that's remained constant is the quality of San Wok Express! read more

Our new go-to Chinese take out. Good food, generous portions and reasonably priced. Take-out only at the moment.

Good Mongolian beef and good hut and sour soup. Nice place!!! I recommend and advice to try this place read more

San Wok Express - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

Best chow fun in the area. Takeout only. Extensive Chinese menu. Nice people run the place.

We have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant for awhile. WE ARE NO LONGER LOOKING. Great food, very fresh, very tasty. It is take out only but that is our favorite way anyway. Nice people, make you smile. We highly recommend. read more

Couldn't recommend them more. Absolutely incredible food & such unbelievably friendly employees. You're guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face. You just can't help it. They're just that sweet of people & the food is just that good. read more

I adore this place. The food is AMAZING. The owner is the sweetest and I've not had Chinese on par with my favorite spot 3 hours away in ages. I'm thrilled to gave found these great eats at a random strip mall location (do not be fooled by the cover, this book is the tops). Resonance prices, solid/friendly service, delicious food, and breathtaking paintings (yep, just came for Chinese food and left with a Tuscan painting). The plaza itself needs love but that's an aside and irrelevant to the business itself. Highly recommend. read more

See all

I made a trip last night to pick up chicken fried rice, sans egg and Kung Pao Chicken. A bit out of my way but worth the trip. My take out on a Friday night took 45 min. I called and ordered ahead. It was well worth the wait. Lots of veggies in both dishes and my take out container was filled to the rim. Both dishes was seasoned nicely and cooked to perfection. The veggies were crunchy and the peas tasted very fresh. Not oily nor greasy. No extra soy sauce needed. It was ready when I arrived. Although they do not have any inside seating, yet. The dining area was very clean. It's in a very little strip mall but don't let that scare you away. Head on over, be kind and leave a generous tip. They are wok-ing and roll-big over in Kent. read more

This place was awesome! We had one of their long time customer's bring down dinner and the food was fantastic, very flavorful and fresh. My favorite was putting the gravy on top of their bbq pork fried rice. Can't wait to try more of their food! read more

San Wok Express - Almond chicken, green beans, beef chow fun and an egg roll - Chinese Near Me - Kent, Washington

For those Americanized Chinese cravings, San Wok has got me covered. I think San Wok is one of those little holes in the wall that can be easily overlooked (and driven past). It's located right next to Benson Mart (right by the Jack in the Box). It's a quaint little place, but they do serve up some killer Americanized Chinese dishes. The menu is pretty simple and straight forward. They'll have all your favorites like orange chicken, fried rice, general Tsao's chicken, etc. Now most Americanized Chinese places sell their food for pretty cheap so you might think San Wok is a bit on the higher end ($10-$12 on average). However, the portion size here is out of this world. They give you huge, shareable servings. My S/O was craving Americanized Chinese, and since it was his birthday, I decided to let him have everything he wanted. We ordered orange chicken, string beans, fried rice and kung pao chicken. Woo, we definitely had a feast in our hand and we barely even made a dent in the food. With those four dishes, we probably could have fed an entire family (and in fact the leftovers went straight to family!). The orange chicken is flavored with real orange; none of that artificial stuff. You get giant pieces of juicy chicken. You don't have to worry about there being too much breading and not enough meat because this place definitely does it right. The fried rice was pretty flavorful and once again, you get so much for one order. I liked the amount of meat in it as well as the veggies. I am a sucker for green beans and these were cooked to perfection. Not overly cooked and soggy, and not underdone and too hard. These were right in the middle and then stir fried with just the right amount of seasoning and spice. Surprisingly I liked the kung pao chicken a lot as well because it had a ton of veggies in the dish itself. There was plenty of chicken for all you meat lovers and I love the addition of the nuts! We went inside to order take-out and the lady there was very nice. She let us take a seat anywhere while we waited and offered us some water/tea. The bill was roughly $45, which in my opinion, is well worth the cost for the amount of servings you get from each dish. Will be back when craving this again! read more

See all