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    Yan Zi Lou

    3.9 (55 reviews)
    ModerateChinese
    Closed • 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Yan Zi Lou Photos

    Business Info

    YAN ZI LOU ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Yan Zi Lou

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    So good. Couldn't finish Sechuan beef noodle soup. Get Some!!!
    Bento B.

    Excellent...Authentic... Accommodating... and outstanding food. Family style and super friendly staff. My go-to place in PDX for Cantonese food.

    Broccoli chicken  Chow

    Man the broccoli and beef was good put the chow main was dry the customer service was bad the lady's were being very rude never asked us if we wanted water or anything ignored us when we tried to ask for something other from that these 2 plates and spring roles were 45 they were being very racist to us because we're Mexican. Only the two Mexicans in a restaurant the rest were like Chinese people and white people in their are treating them really good except for us. I did not feel comfortable eating here or felt like they wanted us to be there at all because they just brushed us off. Very poor service

    Curry Chicken
    Kurt P.

    What makes a good Chinese restaurant- Round tables. Most tables in this restaurant are round, this allows those seated at the same table to share food family style. I don't understand why so many Americans are so against sharing food, or that matter trying different foods. Round tables allow just that especially since there table all have lazy susans incorporated in the middle. I have been to this restaurant twice now. Did not write the address down the first time I went and was distracted as I arrived late in the evening and was rather tired. The first time I dined, I had Singapore noodles and they nicely spiced and had a great variety of meats and seafood. The second time I dines I had a simpler dish: Curry chicken. Curry chicken is not always offered at Chinese restaurants since they are tailored to American tastes. As Americans are eating hotter foods this dish should become more popular. I have had curry chicken since the 80s and I loved it then and love it now. Its hard to find good curry however, they do it right, though I would like to see more chinese vegetable than green peppers and onions do most of the population of this dish. The servers are very happy and the service is good. I will be back soon!

    Menu (Dec 2024)
    Charlie T.

    This is a solid place to get some authentic Cantonese style food. We ordered a good amount of food to share among the table. Some of the standout dishes to me were the beef chow fun as it had a good charred/smoked flavor on the noodles, the pork rib sizzling pot had really good flavors, roast pork, and the sizzling beef. The veggie dishes were a good balance to the meat dishes (it was sad that they ran out of the seasonal veggies). My friends enjoyed the fish and the egg flower soup. The only dish that was mediocre to them was the calamari.

    Joe B.

    First thing it DO NOT get the egg rolls. They are horrible and pre made. It always amazing me that places like this make everything from in house including roasting the duck and pork but take shortcuts on egg rolls. What a shame. Well that being said this place is the real deal. Everything in the main dish category we ordered was fabulous, we probably should have ordered one less dish. Clay pot was very hot, those things keep temp and very filing and the noodles dishes were also just what we wanted. We got there at end of lunch and while eating it must have been staff meal time, just watching what they got to eat for lunch make me want to come back and try those other dishes. As others probably have mentioned its a small parking lot and also easy to miss.

    BBQ Pork
    Johnny L.

    Finally found the Best Chinese (Cantonese) food here in Portland! YES! had and absolutely recommend their (1) Beef Chow Fun - full of smoky wok flavor.. should have been listed as Chef Special.. full of scallions; (2) Honey Walnut Prawns - perfectly executed.. big, quality, crispy prawns over perfect honey mayo glaze with walnuts; (3) Salted Fish dish.. freaking good and delicious..; (4) Garlic Spare Ribs - full bulbs of garlic.. tasty and tender as hell clean restrooms quite a bit of seating they have great, personable service

    Calamari was tasty and hot coming out !

    Small restaurant - Food very good ! Everything we orders was good ! Parking a little challenging !

    Roast BBQ Pork.
    Eric S.

    I had an incredible no-holds-barred feast at Yan Zi Lou today and am excited to post a 5 star review. That said, you do need to know what you are doing (as with all Asian cuisines) and order the right thing as even the best restaurants can't turn a cream cheese ragoon into something a lot more promising then it is. Yan Zi Lou's secret is that they will cook any seafood you bring to them to order. It's not cheap but great food isn't cheap. Today I wanted seafood I can't enjoy (because I live in Colorado, a land-locked state where fresh seafood is challenging to obtain) and that meant a trip first to ABC Seafood Company (on Powell Blvd) where they have incredibly fresh (live) seafood. I picked out a salt water fish (they taste way better than fresh water fish) and a dozen razor clams and headed over to Yan Zi Lou. It helps to speak Cantonese at a Cantonese restaurant but I stuffed my face. The razor clams were prepared (at my request) stir-fried with an XO sauce; the fish was steamed. There is a service charge to bring your own seafood but that's expected (the restaurant still has to clean, prepare, cook and pay its staff). Also enjoyed very properly roasted (Chinese style) pork, pork shoulder meat (also roasted), seasonal vegetable (Chinese cauliflower). It was more than we (5 people) could eat and we had plenty to take home to enjoy later. If you want amazing seafood (remember, that has a price tag to it) bring something live here and enjoy it. I always recommend fish steamed and crabs sampan style. I like clams wok'd (stir-fried) with XO sauce. I didn't have to eat the rest of the day. Totally enjoyed the experience.

    Egg whites fried rice
    Wendy S.

    This is a restaurant my family goes to at least once a week. It's an average Chinese restaurant. They are very accommodating but the food is hit or miss. I feel like 9/10 times, their vegetable dishes are always too soggy for me. If you like your veggies tender, this is definitely the place to go. We have big family lunches here and order a lot of food. Not everything we order is from the menu so don't be alarmed at some of the photos I post. The servers are great. They fill our tea constantly and change our plates whenever they need to be changed. The parking in this little plaza can be pretty horrid when the other restaurants are open too. There's also a little alley next to it where you can park, but don't put too much hope into that either.

    My pretty wife enjoying the tea

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    3 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Outstanding food! Fantastic service! We loved the home feel and were surprise at such a fair price for the serving sizes

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    10 months ago

    Friendly service with delicious food. My favorite was the duck and seafood soup. I can't wait to go back.

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    4 years ago

    Their menu has changed. I used to get the enoki mushrooms with tofu but it's no longer in the menu. The roast duck is still good.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent and authentic Cantonese food. Fresh ingredients and very good service. Prices are reasonable.

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    3 years ago

    Lots of tasty food for the price. Roast Duck, chicken chow mien, spicy rice noodles Singapore style was very good.

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    Tasty Corner - Combination Fried Rice, Egg Flower Soup, and Thai Ice Tea

    Tasty Corner

    4.4(274 reviews)
    5.1 mi•Downtown, Southwest Portland
    •$$

    4.5 excellent prices for lunch specials. Super fast. Egg deep soup was so so good…read more Mongolian beef was spicy, not what I expected but good. Orange chicken good flavor- too much breading. Nice service. Lots of food. We took some home and feel very full.

    We had a yummy dinner here. We aren't from Oregon so I can't write a comparative review to other…read moreChinese restaurants in Portland. Measured against San Francisco Chinese I give it 4 stars. Measuring it against Chinese in towns like my own Sacramento, I give it 4.5 stars. Love that they offer a Mu Shu chicken option because I don't eat pork - it was really good. A little too heavy on the onion (and the onion was in large pieces instead of blending in more with the dish as I'm used to), but it was still fabulous. The hand cut noodles were as great as advertised - definitely get at least mild spice to get more flavor than the no spicy (that's on me, I'm scared of what Asian restaurants think is "hot," especially Thai and Indian, so I will wasn't taking any chances with it and said no spice). Hubby said bathroom needs a deep clean and maybe a refresh so deducted a bit from that. Service was prompt and nice and not lurking which I appreciate. Lots of tables with Chinese people eating which is always a good sign in my book.

    Photos
    Tasty Corner
    Tasty Corner - Crispy Noodles!

    Crispy Noodles!

    Tasty Corner - L20. Sweet & Sour Chicken Lunch (sauce on the side) was yummy and hit the spot!

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    L20. Sweet & Sour Chicken Lunch (sauce on the side) was yummy and hit the spot!

    Xin Ding Dumpling House - Pork Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumplings

    Xin Ding Dumpling House

    4.2(425 reviews)
    4.8 mi•Old Town - Chinatown, Southwest Portland
    •$$

    a/c broken, not going back. Hot and uncomfortable. Good was ok. Sweating like a pig. Miserable…read moreexperience

    I've had Xin Ding Dumpling House bookmarked for over a year, so I was excited to finally cross it…read moreoff my list while visiting family. Since we had our dog with us, we ordered everything to go and enjoyed it back at our hotel just down the street. Just a heads up if you're planning the same, there wasn't any outdoor dining available. Being from the SF Bay Area, one of the first things we looked for was Har Gow and Siu Mai, but they weren't labeled the way we're used to. After asking, we found out the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings are their Har Gow, and the Shrimp Siu Mai contains pork, which was exactly what we were looking for. We ordered two of each. We also ordered two Beef Chow Fun, Combination Fried Rice, Eggplant with Minced Pork, Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs, and three pear sodas. The dim sum absolutely hit the spot. The Har Gow and Siu Mai were well seasoned, nicely prepared, and exactly what we had been craving. The Beef Chow Fun was another winner. We were glad we ordered two because we found ourselves reaching for it more than the fried rice. The Eggplant with Minced Pork was also delicious. The eggplant was cooked perfectly -- tender without becoming mushy -- and the seasoning was right on point. I'm also glad we changed our order from the House Special Spare Ribs to the Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs. Unlike many versions, these weren't battered and fried, so the pork maintained a great texture while still being coated in a flavorful sweet and sour sauce. One unexpected favorite was the pear soda. It's made with Asian pear, so the flavor is much lighter and more refreshing than the sweeter pear sodas we're used to. The only hiccup? They're bottled with a traditional cap, and since we were staying in a hotel, we quickly realized we didn't have a bottle opener. Let's just say we got a little creative. One thing I really appreciated was that the staff noticed our large takeout order and packed it thoughtfully. They included six extra takeout containers, plenty of forks, chopsticks, and napkins, which ended up being incredibly helpful since we were eating in a hotel room with no paper plates or utensils. It's a small gesture, but one that definitely didn't go unnoticed. Overall, we were really happy with our meal. This place lived up to being on my bookmark list for over a year, and I'd happily come back the next time we're staying in downtown Portland.

    Photos
    Xin Ding Dumpling House - Interior

    Interior

    Xin Ding Dumpling House - Chao fan

    Chao fan

    Xin Ding Dumpling House - Old Fashioned

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    Old Fashioned

    Northern Flavors - You can scan the QR code to order from our website

    Northern Flavors

    4.6(22 reviews)
    5.1 mi•Downtown, Southwest Portland

    Under rated and hidden! Came here for a couple days and…read moretried the spicy wontons, came back 2 more times. Very clean facility, peaceful and great food!

    We stopped by Northern Flavors to satisfy a serious craving for some comforting, flavorful dishes,…read moreand they delivered on some great flavors! The service was good and the staff was attentive during our visit. Here is a breakdown of what we ordered: Hand-Ripped Youpoo Noodle: The absolute star of the meal. The wide, hand-ripped noodles had the perfect chewy texture you look for. They were tossed in a deeply savory, slightly spicy chili oil sauce and topped with a generous amount of perfectly seasoned minced beef and fresh bok choy. It was incredibly satisfying and a must-order. Popcorn Chicken: This was a bit of a letdown. While it looked golden brown and came with a sweet chili dipping sauce, it was not special at all and lacked any unique flavor or punch compared to the other dishes. Spicy Chili Oil Wontons: These were packed with flavor! The wonton wrappers were delicate, and the filling was juicy. They were swimming in a robust, aromatic chili oil that had a nice kick and a touch of vinegar sharpness. Why 4 stars instead of 5? While the noodles and wontons were excellent and the service was good, the atmosphere was a bit uncomfortable. The restaurant was completely empty when we went, but it was super cold inside because the window was wide open. Between the chilly draft and the fairly generic popcorn chicken, it misses out on a full 5 stars.

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    Northern Flavors
    Northern Flavors
    Northern Flavors

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    Silk Road - Mandarin wings

    Silk Road

    4.5(149 reviews)
    5.4 mi•Pearl District

    Service: Super friendly and accommodating host and bartenders! Food comes out fast!…read more Ambiance: very dim and dark in here. Great for a chill night (or for a date night) Food: dumplings were super juicy and delicious. The scallions definitely add a freshness to the umami taste as well. The salt and pepper calamari is not your typical calamari - it's delicious in the sense that the batter tasted fresh. It's has sautéed onions over it as well for that extra umami flavor.

    Panda Express could NEVA! I had just flown into Portland and was ready to eat. After rummaging…read morethrough my bookmarks on Yelp, my friend and I decided on Silk Road in the Pearl District, and it did not disappoint. The vibe is very modern and swanky. We didn't have a reservation, so we had the choice to sit at the bar or on these cool couches, and of course we chose the couches. The food here is tapas style. We ordered the classic General Tso's, and at the recommendation of the host, we also got the salt and pepper calamari and the honey walnut shrimp. BAYBAAAY, everything was delicious, especially the shrimp. With some rice and chili oil, easily the best meal I had in Portland. My friend and I were debating going back for a second meal, and we should've gone back for a second meal during our trip. I'm not even exaggerating when I say this was some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. It should also be noted that they make a mean cocktail. I will definitely be back on my next trip to Portland.

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    Silk Road - Inside

    Inside

    Silk Road - Cucumber salad

    Cucumber salad

    Silk Road - Salt and pepper calamari

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    Salt and pepper calamari

    Yan Zi Lou - chinese - Updated September 2026

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