Hard to find decent Chinese food in Boise area. And this place has good food and place is clean and they have specials during the week. *And yes there are buffets in the area, but I don't care for buffets of any kind. read more

Would def recommend! I was so happy to find this place as I was dying to have some of my favorite dishes that you can't find around! read more

Yen Ching - Shu Mai - Chinese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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Yen Ching is pretty much a Boise institution, as its been at the same spot downtown pretty much forever, and one of the few Chinese restaurants offering Dim Sum. Everyone who has worked or socialized Downtown in Boise is guaranteed to have been here at least once. The food tends towards the Americanized Chinese food of yesteryear, with classics like shrimp egg foo young, hot & sour soup, potstickers, and orange pork being standouts. The Beef Chow Fun and Shrimp Har Gow are some standouts among the more authentic offerings. The dining room is clean, spacious, with comfortable booths. The service is warm, friendly, accommodating, and is good for large groups and hosted events. Portion sizes are generous, served family style, with tea service included. read more

We've eaten many times at Yen Ching. It's a comfortable restaurant and even on a Monday night, crowded. The food is good and the menu extensive. The dishes remind me of 1960's New York Chinese food. The prices are excellent, especially since their portions are huge. We determined the local national express Chinese food chain is at least double their food price. The receptionist and servers are polite and nice, but the manager? was changing out condiments at the end of our table while we were eating and didn't place the new ones he exchanged them for where the others came from instead put them at the edge of our table. He did this without saying anything to us and reached over with no smile or stating anything. My husband asked him for three much needed to go boxes and he gave us two with no bag without again, addressing us. We noticed the wait staff person had given the folks next to us three boxes and a bag. This may sound petty, but it was more his attitude that was off-putting. I can see people thinking "Are you sure it's not a misinterpretation of cultural differences or a language barrier?" Of course we can't say for sure no, but it's not typical restaurant staff behavior in our opinion. Let's put it this way, if this had happened at another restaurant we would have thought his behavior was rude. Will it affect whether or not we eat there again? No. The food is good enough. read more

Stopped in for lunch today. We were in the area running errands and Chinese always sounds like a win for lunch. The gentleman that's always working greeted us and got us sat. Our server dropped off water and took our orders. We pretty much knew what we wanted since it took her a minute to get to us. It gave us a hot minute to look over the menu. My daughter got shrimp egg foo young and I got some dim sum. It felt like our food took longer than normal today. But our food finally made it to the table. My dim sum looked fabulous! My daughter's egg foo young looked different. I'm so used to seeing the shrimp in the egg patty and sauce on top. Instead they put the shrimp in the sauce with a nice mixture of veggies. I was kinda jealous of not getting the same thing as my daughter, it looked so tasty! It was worth the wait for the dim sum. The shu mai were savory and chunky! The shrimp in the har gaw was firm and salty. I love the exterior wrapping of the ham gaw. You dip those babies in soy sauce and chili oil and you have the best combination of flavors! The shrimp egg foo young was some of the best I have ever had! The egg patty was fluffy and loaded with veggies. The sauce was tasty and had great texture by all the veggies. The bamboo shoots, baby corn, peas and carrots are so good in the sauce. Thai is a must get next time I'm there. As usual, we enjoyed every part of our meal. Service was ok today. I look forward to coming back and having another great meal here. read more

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I'd say it's a mediocre place to go for Chinese food. It has very basic decor and the food is average but not great. There are a lot of choices on the menu and would prefer a few really good items compared to a lot of mediocre items. The waitstaff were attentive and nice and I really enjoyed the service!! read more

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Staff were very kind and professional. We went here for a wedding reception today and thought they took really good care of the new couple. We were met with many different samples, many I wasn't familiar with but enjoyed majority of the items served. This food being in Boise was refreshing with a clean and cozy atmosphere. Their Orange Pork was probably my favorite next to their beef they served. Highly recommend coming here. read more

This place has delicious food, great service -- it's a great chinese food experience. The variety of stuff they serve is awesome. Takeout's delicious. Who doesn't like Chinese takeout? Highly recommend. You can tell the owner and the staff are all about helping and taking care of the customers. In fact, I asked if they had a certain dish on the menu. They said no, but "we can make it for you." read more

I've been living in Idaho now for almost a year. I came from a city in a state that had many wonderful Chinese restaurants. I had given hope I would find an amazing Chinese restaurant here in Idaho until my coworkers introduced me to this place. The food is absolutely delicious!!!! I met the owner today he said he's been in business for 40 years. There's awards all over the wall for top restaurant in Boise. I highly recommend this place. The food is absolutely amazing. read more

As a person that was born and raised in China, this place is amazing! My absolutely top 3 favorite restaurant in Boise. Whenever I'm hungry, this restaurant always pops up in my head immediately. And the service is really good here too. read more

Had a great dinner. I had the Hunan beef and steamed rice. My wife had the beef broccoli and steamed rice spicy. Fresh and flavorful. I had a Tsingtao and my wife a glass of cab. Large portions and very good. Best Chinese around IMO. Very efficient service and super clean restaurant. read more

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I'll be honest: Passing by Yen Ching on the street, I didn't expect much. But, we had a hankering for Chinese takeout so we decided to give it a try. The menu had way more variety than I expected, with offerings from both Cantonese and Mainland cuisine and even some Thai-inspired plates. We ordered three dishes and some egg rolls, and everything we got was terrific. Portions were reasonably sized, the price point wasn't too bad, and the food came out very quickly. Bonus: The lady who took our order was nice enough to let me order in Mandarin -- so gracious! read more

Had a lovely dinner there last night. Partly Dim Sum, and partly Chinese stir-fry. We had good, attentive service, and the place wasn't crowded. Happy Hour ends at 6:30, so beat that if it matters. The place is a block away from the 8th Street pedestrian eateries, so less impacted. We will be back! read more

After looking for Chinese restaurants in Boise on our trip there it appeared that Yen Ching would be a good choice - NOT! The food was tasteless, the waitress was pathetic unfortunately and it wasn't worth it in the end. One of the worst meals we've had in a very long time. read more

I have eaten at Yen Ching many times over forty or so years. I love the shrimp and vegetables. Lately, I've had to begin to watch my salt intake, so I have to request a light touch on the salt on food coming from the kitchen. It's nice that the cooks are accommodating so I can continue to enjoy my favorite. read more

"When I ordered my food, it said spicy, cause I had a picture of a pepper on it, but when it was delivered to my table, it was literally the most lame thing I've ever eaten in my entire life! How is the ambience? Horrible, SEEVICE WAS GOOD THO" - my friend read more

One of the better Chinese restaurants I have found so far. Food was fresh and hot, service was good and place was clean. I will be back to try a few other items. Had the spicy chicken and Egg Rolls. read more

I've been living in Boise since 1979, and Yen Ching has been my favorite Chinese restaurant for all those many years. Varied and very tasty Chinese dishes can be had here for a moderate price. Vibrant downtown Boise location is perfect for lunch or dinners. read more

I see you, Yen Ching! After trying other Chinese restaurants after moving to the Boise area I gave up on finding good Chinese food. What a pleasant surprise! Every dish reminded me of the classic Chinese restaurants in the 80s and 90s. You know the ones-decor mostly in red-large round glass tables with red tablecloths with a lazy Susan on the table (Yen Ching didn't have this but it had it's essence) We ordered Mongolian beef, Mu Shu Pork, and the black bean noodles. Mongolian Beef-classic dish-meat was tender and flavorful, perfect ratio of white onions and green onions placed over crispy rice noodles Mu Shu Pork-had that flamed flavor I love-pork was tender and loved all the veggies in this dish Black Bean sauce Noodles-rich flavor-classic taste Will be returning very soon! read more

We heard some good things about this restaurant and it is a staple of Boise but it was very disappointing. First, we were barely greeted by a less than warm older Asian gentleman that seemed less than happy to see and seat us. We ordered an appetizer and won ton soup and were told that the appetizer would take 15-20 minutes and that was fine. Well, the won ton soup also took 15-20 minutes after we ordered it. I would think that Chinese restaurants always have the staple of won ton soup on hand to serve it immediately? My wife asked for another soda and the server brought a glass full of fresh soda and poured into her previous glass of watered down soda. Weird! Our server was missing every 10-15 minutes while we saw other servers attending to their guests every five minutes or so. The server also took my empty plate that was supposed to be used for my meal so I had to eat directly from the serving dish. After being at the restaurant for longer than necessary, the server finally brought us our bill and we sat there for another 10-15 minutes waiting for her to process our bill when she finally came back and told us that we had to take the bill up front to finalize the transaction. All of that said....the food was just ok and not anything outstanding to cause us to come back. Not sure how they're still in business. read more

We had a fairly large group (with a reservation) We were seated promptly, the server was efficient and nice. The food arrived quickly and was hot and fresh. It all made for an enjoyable evening! read more

Waitress took our drink order but forgot to bring it. Took our food order and when she brought it out two of the three dishes were cold and we sent them back. Brought the second dishes out and they were not hot but more warm. First ones were COLD! Never offered to bring refills on drinks and when she brought water around it did not have ice and was close to room temp. Over all not a good experience and will not come back. Also when the place filled up it was extremely noisy. Could use some sound deadening to absorb some of the noise. read more

Had to leave a review after eating there and seeing the 3.5 stars. It was definitely not 3.5 stars. The atmosphere was like a boring cafeteria style. The food was atrocious. We had soup, an appetizer and entree. They were all bad. How do you mess up hot and sour soup - they figured out a way. Would not recommend and would not go back (even if it was free). read more

Yen Ching - Chinese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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First time here. Ordered take out. Soon as I walked in realized it was very busy but the hostess greeted and helped me right away. The wait was longer than expected but once I tasted the food, it was worth the wait. Their menu is expansive and I can't wait to go back and try other dishes. My tip is be prepared to wait, don't show up hangry, there's a reason why this place is so popular! read more

Yen Ching is my favorite restaurant to go to hands down! Me and my dad go there for our birthdays and I'm still craving more!

Yen Ching best Chinese Food in Boise, always delicious never disappoints, a seat by the window always fun.

The Food Was Very Good! The Service Was Very Fast! And Last But Not Least, the Ambiance was good theming to its name and food. read more

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we've been going here for years and it best Chinese food in Boise, live in the San Francisco Bay

My wife and I have been trying to find a good Chinese restaurant and so far Yen Chimg is the best. The staff is always very nice and food comes out fast and fresh. Highly recommend. read more

Wow! Everything is so fresh and delicious. First time visiting and will be back. Most entries is enough for several people. We ordered way too much but they were good leftovers! read more

Yen Ching - Orange Chicken was top notch! - Chinese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

The food is good (been here before), but I've been sitting here for ten minutes, and nobody has shown up to take my order. And somebody's vacuuming. Closing time is not till 9. Weird. read more

My dad and I went in today to dine we were greeted promptly and seated the waitress said just a heads up I'm getting a 25 top so you know sooner than later for your order... Really appreciated that heads up. Then my dining companion who I will not name, knocked over his drink and they cleaned it up and replaced the drink... In the middle of an early dinner rush. Our food came out quite quickly for as busy as they were. It was very very tasty. My Ginger beef was absolutely the best ginger beef I've ever had usually the ginger is an afterthought not this time THANK YOU read more

Yen Ching is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in Boise and one of the only places to find Dim Sum in the treasure valley. I love that they offer hot tea complimentary along with water. There is a large dining area which is rarely packed, so I feel very comfortable both eating in and taking out food. There is also a bar area of this restaurant that offers inventive cocktails-- I've tried their passionfruit mojito and it was very good! Now for the food, I usually order dim sum, a noodle dish, and a vegetable dish. For dim sum I really like their: Sticky rice and lotus leaf which is sweet rice and chicken steamed in a lotus leaf. The aromatics of this dish are amazing. Turnip Cakes- two fried turnip cakes cooked with pork. It's savory and delicious. Shrimp Dumpling with leek- this is my favorite dumpling here but you can't go wrong with any other of their dumplings, I just love Leek! Get the beef chow fun, just do it- it's amazing and tastes authentic. It's enough noodles to feed two people, so I'd recommend sharing family-style. For vegetables, I usually go with the vegetable deluxe, which usually has Chinese broccoli, carrots, baby bok choy, and tons of other greens. Vegetables really complete the meal, do your grandma proud and eat some veggies! read more

The hot and sour soup tasted burnt. The spicy noodles had no flavor or maybe the burnt hot sour soup affected my taste.

Been on the hunt for best Chinese in town, as Boise Asian food can be lacking. So far this is the best I've tried in town! Had fried rice, beef Cho fun, pork buns, egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken and enjoyed it all! Will be back! read more

When we got the food the orange chicken was dry and tasteless and i'm not picky when it comes to Chinese food. The crab rangoon were stale and cold (after a 15 min drive home). And the egg roles just didn't taste very good. The restaurant did comp everything that we weren't happy with so at least there is that. Update: The few bites i did eat made me sick, i'm on the toilet regretting life read more

I have not been able give a 5 star rating to any Asian food in Idaho until now. Thank goodness for Yen Ching. It looks like an old school Chinese food place should- and more importantly TASTES LIKE IT! This is actually the only Chinese food in all of the Treasure Valley we will come back for. And- they have soup dumplings. We played it safe this round, and ate too fast for Yelp photos, but we got potstickers (very much a yes), soup dumplings (I'm not telling you what the menu calls them cause I don't want to lose out and cause a sell out) combo chowmein and beef broccoli. Today's leftovers were still good, and even if it means I have to deal with parking downtown- I am 100% coming back. It's exactly the Americanized but not too Americanized Chinese food people from the Bay Area expect to get- and exactly what we need more of on Idaho. Great job to the owners. I truly appreciate it! read more

Last February a member in one of my FB local food groups mentioned how good their soup dumplings were and another member recommended their dim sum, too. Wanted dim sum for New Year's Day, but they weren't available on Eve day, except for the BBQ bun. Ordered Yen Ching Chow Mein (beef, chicken & shrimp), Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, Sweet & Sour Pork, Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Black Mushroom, Bamboo Shoot & Snow Peas. Used their online take-out menu. Really wanted to order their Peking or Roast Duck, but was too much food. Next time. Everything, but the BBQ bun was excellent. Been ages since I had such wonderful Chinese food (hey, I'm in ID). I like a lot of veggies in my noodle dish, so mixed the Black Mushroom, Bamboo Shoot & Snow Peas into it - was perfect. Depending on the time/day you go there, the traffic and parking could be an issue - just plan for it. Don't mind if I have to wait as I like the store, Mixed Greens Modern Gift Shop, just a block down 9th St. Or grab a beer at 10 Barrel Brewing across the street. Not a very big dining area, would think lunch/dinner hours would require a bit of a wait. If you like dim sum, they have a limited menu and it's a little on the pricey side (compared to Monterey Park and Little Saigon). Won't deter me though when I get a craving for it. read more

I read something online that said if you want to find the best chinese food places in town, look for ones that are 3.5 stars. the reason being is that the service likely sucks, which is why the stars are lower, but the food is solid and that's what matters. I would say in this case, that's about on point. the service here was whatever. the hostess was nice and easy going and friendly but the one server they had for the entire restaurant during rush hour looked like she literally wanted to quit. so they lose a star for service. the menu is huge. it's all the chinese favorites. I think the prices are fair. I love all the photos of everything so you get a real idea of what you are ordering. I ordered: cashew chicken mom: shrimp with lobster sauce friend 1: sweet and sour chicken friend 2: general tsos chicken I like me mine but the chicken was the part I didn't like. it was kind of grizzly and oddly cut. I loved the cashews though- yum! the shrimp with lobster sauce I didn't like at all. my mom said it was good though. I have never had that dish so i'm not a good judge. the sweet and sour chicken was the best thing on the table. I would order that again. I didn't get to try the other friends but it looked really good. they also have a salad bar so you go and make your own salad. it has lettuce, noodles, and crispy wonton skins and 2 dressings. my son ended up just eating the noodles from that as his meal. it had peas, carrots, ham, and noodles. he loved it! good thing, because they do not have a kids menu that we saw. overall, I would like to come back. chinese food just doesn't compare to thai food, but I won't count it out. also, they lost a star for offering egg drop soup but then never delivering it and when we asked the grouchy server said they were "all out". ok. read more

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After waiting 20 mins for someone to come take our order at 10 Barrel we crossed the street and we are so glad we did. Some of the best Chinese food I've had in a long time. The sweet and sour chicken was cooked perfectly with the perfect sauce. The fried rice was yummy and the ribs were delectable! Just passing through town but wish they were closer, so hard to find good Chinese food like this. Highly recommend. read more