Had take out tonight and out of one white container crawled a nice little round bug. Ugh! Kind of destroyed our appetite for dinner. My sister-in-law loves this place, but I'd never try them again. I wonder if the sanitation at some of these restaurants is at the level it needs to be. read more

Ok I am as amazed as you but ... if your not looking for anything special or authentic . And if you choose the right items .. this place ain't all that bad. Great hot and sour! Go "figger" Egg roll. Pretty acceptable. Nope it's no new China in Skokie Circa 1970s but really not bad (and the sweet and mustard are the good kind). Going alone is a bit costly if you want more than one item. But you will have "stuff" to take home and since you will be hungry in an hour any way - your all set. If you're looking for good Hunan (like Chang's Chicago circa 1970s ) - forget it. But for an Asian fix .... yep surprisingly yen yen will get it done read more

Ok, went there last week and found out they changed owners. The food was absolutely disgusting. Gone are the days of good egg rolls. Now they taste like fried dough, no flavor at all. The pork fried rice tasted like an artificial charcoal grill. A co-worker got the Mongolian Beef and it was three pieces of beef with a crap ton of onions. I love onions, but I would be hard pressed to call it a beef dish. If you want the good Yen Yen, go to the location in Arlington Heights which still has the same owners and food. Avoid the Buffalo Grove location at all costs. The grossest food I have ever tasted. read more

This place should bwe called Yum Yum! My office is right next door at Coldwell Banker which makes it easy to have Yen Yen anytime. They have the best lunch specials and the prices can't be beat! When you get an egg roll there is a sweet sauce that you can dip it in that is so incredibly delicious. It's one of my all time favs! The service is always great greeting you with a smile and a hello everytime you walk in the door. The atmosphere is clean and there is plenty of seating. If your in the Buffalo Grove Yen Yen's is a must try for lunch! read more

This place used to be so good, not anymore! The food is expensive for what you get, chewy beef, hard rice and over cooked chicken. I always order the Mongolian beef, the sauce is like jello it's so hard and gooey. This place has and is going down hill fast, will not be back. read more

Never had bad chinese before. I have had "not good" but this was horrible. I was traveling for work and the front desk clerk recommended because I wanted delivery to the room. The Almond duck was like airline meatloaf, the fried rice was good. I ordered a couple of other dishes to eat for lunch the next day and heck, its chinese so you order a few different ones. They were all so bad that I boxed them up and walked them to the dumpster. RUN AWAY!!!!! Called the owner to try and get some money back but he said they sell a lot of food. I guess that means it must be good...NOT......If you eat here don't say I did not warn you!!! read more

A nice good looking Chinese establishment! Lots of variety of food choices and my personal favorites are the Spicy Chicken and Crab Rangoon. It's kind of funny that some of the workers are just teenagers but I'm glad the restaurant is letting kids get some work experience! All in all, this seems like a nice place to go to if you want a quick meal. read more

I kept hearing about yen yen from my co-workers. It must have been meant for me because one of the co-workers called me "Yen" today just after she told others a group was going to yen yen!! In short, it was good. Broccoli and beef chow fun was tasty. $6.95 for lunch. Good deal!! Some of the noodles were crunchy, which was a nice surprise. :) flavor was fine, not too strong. Broccoli was cooked just right. Not bad...!!! I will definitely be going back. Can't recall which yelper mentioned chow fun. I will try this place again since it's near work. Thanks!! P.S. Their dessert cookie was a nice touch but it was too hard got me. Apparently my two co-workers loved it but it wasn't impressive. (I only took three bites and left it.) The fortune cookies were unwrapped served on the plate. P.P.S. It was strange seeing white women hosting and serving us. Strange.... I would expect that at p.f. Chang's but this was a surprise!!!! read more

I had the Cashew Chicken. My husband had the Shrimp Fried Rice. The vegetables were fresh. Both meals flavorful.

This is one of those casual chinese places that doesn't ever get too busy. We went with some family that lives out that way and this is their "go to" spot. It's a comfortable place when you are having a lot of folks. We had a baby with us and it was all just fine. The food is ok. Just what you would expect from this type of place. I did love the fried rice and the potstickers. The potstickers had a lot of good meaty stuffing. Service was fine and we all got our dishes at the same time. It's convenient. It's easy. and the food is fine. read more

Been going here for years. My biggest question is what is wrong with the picture when you walk in on a Saturday night and it is empty in the joint? I can't complain about the food. It's fine for what it is. But why the emptiness? Not a good sign. Something isn't adding up. read more

Ordered take-out on Christmas day. Vegetables and noodles were over-cooked and sauce was flavor-less on two of the dishes we tried. My daughter did enjoy the beef and shrimp fried rice. read more

Once again I have been underwhelmed by Yen Yen. Went here on Christmas Eve to a half full restaurant. My family was first in line to be seated, but there were no employees to be found. Finally a bus boy( the only one who actually said hello) seated us. We waited 20 minutes and no one every came by our table and when they passed by, they made sure to look the other way. After 20 minutes of being ignored we went to Royal Cantonese on route 45 in Mundelin. Immediately greeted at the door with a smiling face!! They wanted my business. Let's face it, Yen Yen is just ok. Royal Cantonese was delicious and was eaten in a friendly atmosphere where my business was wanted. No more Yik Yuk for my family!! read more

I grew up in Chicago and having lunch in Chinatown was a staple growing up there are so many great places there. Now as a suburbanite, I have searched high and low for a Chinese restaurant that was not only good, but reasonable in price, and bathrooms that weren't gross. Enter Yen Yen. This place is great...it's tucked away in Buffalo Grove (Rt 22 & Buffalo Grove Rd). The service has always been great, the food is tasty, and prices won't leave your wallet empty. And yes, like everyone else has mentioned, the Egg Rolls are delish! They have decent lunch specials (I think daily including weekends) and I always have so much food, I can get about 2 to 3 meals out of what I order. And best of all, it's clean! I recommend giving it a try, (They also have a location in Arlington Heights, although I have not been to that location). Note I think the restaurant is closed one day during the week, best to call for hours. read more

Have been a customer for at least 20 years at the Buffalo Grove location. However have not been in a couple of years. Tonight we joined two friends for dinner and was very disappointed. I found out that there are new owners. The food didn't resemble what we had grown to love. Spicy Shrimp and Scallops - Not very spicy and the scallops were kind of spongy. Wife had Kung Poa Chicken - Very bland, no vegetables except for a bunch of green pepper. In the past, this restaurant was quite a busy place. However, tonight we were the only patrons and there were very few take-out customers. I think people are voting with their feet. I must say that the service was excellent, hence the two stars. One for the food and one for the service. read more

We just ordered in for the first time and the food was delicious! We had the orange chicken and the sweet and sour chicken. Yummy! Fast delivery and great food! read more

Best egg rolls ever!! Fried rice and fried won tons are incredible too!! I have always loved Yen yen!!

Yummy, affordable and good quantity. Wanted more rice but the egg foo young sauce and patty sizes was delicious!

good takeout, sweet and sour chicken is very good so is. the spicy chicken. the egg roll tastes delicious, they're made with peanut butter which i think makes it so good. half the smaller size fried rice was very filling on its own. entrees are reasonable sized. Lunch specials are very affordable with a good variety read more

YEN YEN...WHATS UP?? This was our last time giving Yen Yen a try. We have been going to Yen Yen for many many years and it is sad to say that it has been a slow decline in quality of food and service. We have gone to both the Arlington Heights location and this one in Buffalo Grove and both have just gone downhill. I'll share that the texture of the beef that was in our entree was a chewy, slimy and undercooked "beef". Back in the day, this same entree was indeed "beef". It was sirloin...not exactly sure what type of beef Yen Yen is using these days...not to mention the lack of that they actually do serve you now for the price. After letting the server know about the consistency of our meal and after getting the same entree "cooked" again, nothing had really changed. Same texture, still undercooked and saltier than ever. At this point you would think that the server would have suggested something different or simply taken something off the check...but again, neither happened. Just goes to show the lack of service and the lack of quality in this place. We will not come here again or recommend it! We've given this place one too many tries only to get disappointed. Maybe the owners should listen to their customers and make some changes. Best of luck. read more

The one thing I dislike about living in the 'burbs is the dumbed-down cuisine. Yen Yen is the poster child. It could be so much more, but the local palate demands much less. That said, Yen Yen is great... if you've never been to Chinatown. Understanding that most Chinese cuisine in America has already been Americanized for the most part (chop suey, for instance, is not even a Chinese dish... it was invented in America), I would expect a little more from a Chinese restaurant in the metro Chicago area. The offerings are generally the same as you would find in your run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant and the taste is comparable to something you buy out of the freezer at Sam's Club - in other words, nothing special here. Items like Crab Rangoon and Hot & Sour Soup, that should have multiple, distinct flavors, were boring, and the entrees resembled re-heated leftovers in both taste and texture. Everything was prepared with generous amounts of [read: too much] oil. Bottom line -- I just didn't get the feeling that anything was fresh. I've had Chinese at buffets and in mall food courts before - but at least there, I know what to expect. It's not as though the food is intolerable at Yen Yen, quite the opposite in fact. If I was in the mood, I would certainly go back to Yen Yen if not for the price. Over $30 for a single entree, two appetizers and soup is ridiculous for mediocre "Chinese" food. If you prefer the taste and authenticity of Chinatown, take a pass on Yen Yen. However, If Panda Express is your idea of Chinese, Yen Yen will be an enjoyable meal. read more

Last visit our crab Rangoon was hard & rewarmed, fried pork rice completely burnt & sauce bad in General chicken very disappointing. Only salvation was the coconut shrimp which was still to die for which is why the 3 stars! read more

Today was my first day buying food from there. Food is very bland. I told them to make it spicy but nothing. Quantity is very low. Their lunch specials cannot feed one adult. Very disappointed. The girls working there were on personal phone call while taking take out order and they are pretty rude. I will not be back. We have had better Chinese food in California. Panda Express food is tastier than Yen Yen.. read more

We usually order in at least once a month. Tonight wasn't their best, Unfriendly pick up service , our shrimp in lobster sauce was watery, and the fortune cookie was stale. Usually a better meal , tonight was off. read more

The foods pretty good, but if you order pick up DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ORDER. The past 3/4 times I've ordered for pick up they've messed it up. Ordered this evening, called to confirm because I thought I might have forgotten something and they still managed to mess things up. Unfortunately, this time I forgot to check my receipt when I got my food. The foods not good enough for me to have to go out of my way to return to the restaurant to receive my correct food that I shouldn't have gotten in the first place. read more

My boyfriend and I went here on a monday night and it wasn't too busy.. That should've been a sign to walk out right then, but we didn't listen to it. We got sat right away and our waiter was very good. He gave us some complimentary green tea which was pretty tasty. We ordered two appetizers and one entree and wow was it a lot of food. We started off with the empress chicken and the "crab" rangoons. The Chicken had a very nice fried crust on it, but it was horribly over cooked and dry. It was eatable if you put enough sauce on it, but plain it was kind of tough. The Rangoons were very well cooked and crispy but there was nothing inside of them besides a big glob of cream cheese. I love rangoons but it was a little unappetizing with the amount of plain cream cheese in them. For our entree we split the wind dry beef chow fun, and we asked for the noodles a little crispy. A little crispy... they literally stuck them in a deep fryer and fried them until they were rock hard. We kind of just avoided the noodles and solely ate the beef. The beef had a nice flavor but you could definitely tell that it was not the best beef. It made both of our stomachs upset later than night. Then the bill came, and it was fairly cheap for the amount of food we received, but i noticed they charged me $3.50 for the crispy noodles which confused me. I didn't say anything because its a small amount and not the end of the world but its the first time I've been charged extra for asking for something a little well done. Overall you get what you pay for. Alright service, low quality ingredients at a fairly low cost. We will definitely be trying alternatives before returning here again. read more

Yan Yan - Beef is low quality :| - Chinese Near Me - Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Terrible! This is the WORST Chinese food we have ever had! Really, the worst food period. That's saying a lot because I've made some nasty meals before, but nothing like this! We ordered the curry, egg rolls, and lo mein. Everything was so gross. I took one bite, spit it out, and threw the rest in the trash. I really hate wasting food and money, but this stuff was inedible. The noodles were the cheap ramen noodles that you get at the store for .25 each and they were under cooked. The curry tasted like vomit and came with a nearly rotten tomato. The egg rolls were bland and under cooked. Every egg roll I've eaten has been crispy, yet these were chewy and cold. I get sick just thinking about how bad it tasted. If you've ever had authentic Chinese food, you're going to HATE place. You're better off getting a frozen Chinese meal from the grocery store. read more

This place is sub par. The food is edible, but there is definitely better Chinese food around. Avoid this restaurant if possible. read more

Yen Yen is my favorite Chinese restaurant. I grew up near here, and I have yet to find one that compares. I know, it sounds odd, but it's true! I am the type of person who likes to have a bunch of appetizers for my meal. My favorites at Yen Yen include the egg rolls, pot stickers, and won ton soup. The fried rice is also very good. If you are going for real meals, the sweet and sour chicken is good. They don't use that gross bright red sauce like some of the other places, it is a nice yellow-ish sauce. I seriously crave food from this place, I don't know what it is. read more

Ordered general tso chicken. It was McDonald's chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce on it. Easily the worst Chinese food I've ever had.

I was disappointed to say the least. I had 2 positive recommendations to this place. Service was mediocre at best. My dish(orange beef) was good, not great. The same was true of another beef dish my other son had. The mai tai was good, and needed to console my disappointment regarding the service. One of my son's is a vegetarian, and they had a minimal vegetarian options - even when I asked. When I asked the waiter regarding baked tofu, he did not know what I was talking about. His dish came 20 minutes after everyone else had eaten. We were waiting for the dish so he could eat. I would not go here again as this is not acceptable in my eyes. read more

Literally DISGUSTING. Got take out from here a while ago, and the fortune cookie was moldy. The rest of the food was also just gross with no taste. read more

Being a first timer here, I was impressed and surprised to see all white 18 yr olds working here. (Maybe friends of the owners kids) three females when you walk in all taking orders on the phone. We were greeted by a gentleman upon our arrival and seated very promptly. With all of the staff there I did expect the floor to look a little bit cleaner than it was. After you clean a table, you should maybe clean the floor where the customer who could not find there mouth left there drippings. We ordered the dinner for 2 and they allowed us to make a substitute for one dish. The food all arrived in a timely manner and it was an 8 of 10. The only complaint I have is the Pepper Beef w/tomato. The sauce was just a little to thick. But it was good. I am not a big fan of beef dishes in Chinese places, because it is a cut below and tenderized to hell. Normally when you eat Chinese you drink tons of water. I did not here. I will return, and I am a fan. read more

As my visit to the Buffalo Grove area winds down, I got the craving for some Chinese. Sure enough, Yen-Yen, which I retain positive memories eating there as a kid 10+years ago was surprisingly still around and still tastes just like it used to. Food for 3.5 ran us nearly 60$. Granted this included a large soup, large fried rice, and an order of steamed pot stickers for take out. This was far from a good value, considering the quality of the meat. For a bigger order, we only received 1 small container of spicy sauce and 2 packets of soy! The steamed pot stickers and dumpling soup were the highlight. These dumplings had a basic filling, but perfectly tender exterior. Fried rice didn't blow me away, but wasn't grease or overly sweet. The pork bits were actually on the lean side and added a nice savory underlying flavor. Sadly the main dishes just played it too safe to really be memorable and worth a higher end price point. Chicken-broccoli had a 1-note sauce. It was oddly gelatinous absent were notes of garlic and ginger. The chow fun noodles were nicely executed and home made but again were taken down a few notes by a bland sauce. After doctoring it with some of my own soy and sirachia, things were much better.One goofy note on the chow-fun was I asked to make it extra spicy, but the kitchen got the message as extra green peppers. This dish had nearly as many peppers as it did noodles. Beef was lower end, but sliced thinly enough and was fairly lean. Yen Yen knows that their customers like things more on the basic side, so if this fits your palate it's worth checking out. Prices do look a bit better on the lunch menu. read more

This is a hidden gem. I love Chinese food and it is difficult for me to find a Chinese restaurant that cooks authentic food well. This place is all that and more. First the service: friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The server I have had the two times I have been there had eaten everything on the menu and could describe dishes that I was unfamiliar with. Now for the chefs?): Not only do they serve the traditional favorites (I recently had an outstanding shrimp in black bean sauce), but they have an amazing flair for taking unlikely ingredients and making Chinese dishes out of them. I had a pork sausage fried rice that took me 10 minutes to work up the courage to order and it was amazing. Finally, portion sizes are larger than usual for Chinese restaurants. The pot stickers I ordered were half again the size of those at previously favorite restaurants. Entrée portions are also very generous. Thus is now my Go-to Chinese restaurant in Buffalo Grove. P. S. They would have gotten 5 stars if I had room to try a dessert ;) read more

Love to give a yelp 5 star review here. I have been coming here for about 20 years and I have never been disappointed. Definitely start with egg rolls. All items are made to order so plan on a leisurely meal. read more

Yen Yen Restaurant in Buffalo Grove has really changed since Mr. Moy sold the business. We have been happy clients of Yen Yen in Buffalo Grove for over 30 years. We have tried pick up and eat-in. The quality is now spotty and what use to be great chicken egg foo young is now horrible. Dried out and tough. Vegetables in a second dish were over cooked and mushy. Sorry Yen Yen, Golden Dragon in Buffalo Grove is GREATLY superior to you guys and you have lost my family (and many others) to your competition. I recommend to hire people that can cook! read more

Omg it's been over ten years since I've had Yen Yen and nothing has changed! They still have the worlds best fried rice! Their pod stickers are also quite good and after trying some other dishes we ordered I can't find a fault. Do yourself a favor and order for pick up today! read more

I typically really enjoy Yen Yen. The food is always delicious. I am not even complaining about the food today...what I am complaining is that when I came in this Monday evening 2/8 at 8:30 that they were closed for the restaurant seating. They did offer if I wanted take out but I wanted to sit and eat. It wasn't even so much that they closed early it was the way it the lady at the front said it all sneaky like to the nice young man who was about to seat us. Basically, if you are open til 9 then you should be open for take out and eating in... read more

This 4 stars is for the potstickers alone. I ADORED those potstickers and I don't normally like potstickers. You have to order them if you come here otherwise you are missing out on some hefty, quality potstickers. Other than that, I regularly enjoyed everything else I tried so 4 stars :) read more