Food is meh. I've had better Chinese food..service was fast.

Yen's has been a well hidden secret for years but it looks like the word is spreading. I worked in the area and would visit for lunch. The lunch menu includes the obligatory combination meals with an entree, vegetable, rice and soup but don't be fooled by the American naming, the combos are packed with flavor and fresh! My last visit was for dinner. The restaurant is tiny so I was greeted and seated before the inner door closed. The restaurant was empty at 6p BUT a steady stream of take away customers walked in while I was eating. As I left, 4 of the 6 tables were occupied. As I looked thru the menu, a glass of ice water appeared. Be aware that Yen's offers a plethora of teas and as a result, tea isn't included. I settled on a plate of roast pork and Ma-Po tofu with ground pork. The dishes arrived quickly, the tofu coming straight from the wok. The flavors were excellent - ordered medium hot, it was spicy but still tasty. The sauce was excellent over rice to provide a nice treat for the end of the meal. The tofu was silky and there was no shortage of ground pork. The roast pork was a bit of a letdown. The meat was cooked well but the notorious red BBQ sauce was thin and it dyed the meat completely. While it had some charring, the consistency of the BBQ sauce likely kept it charring down. Having ordered 2 dishes, I anticipated leftovers. Rarely are leftovers as good as the fresh meal - this was an exception. Even after reheating, both the tofu and the roast pork were still excellent. It's worth the 45 minute drive, not just for the food but for the service. read more

Took 30 minutes longer then they said. One of our items came without a lid. Another item came completely wrong with shrimp instead of chicken. And on top of that we called to try and fix it and they told us there was nothing they could do. read more

So glad that our favorite place for Chinese (Taiwanese) food is once again open for indoor dining!! We had a great meal there a week ago - hot and sour soup, Taiwanese salt and pepper shrimp, Tofu with king oyster mushrooms...The food is as delicious as ever, and the hosts are wonderful. A real and rare family run gem of a place. read more

I have been coming to Yen's for several years and have enjoyed their cooking for the entire time. Today that changed. Under cooked dumplings, ( fried dumplings the color of steamed), fried rice without flavor, other main dishes were either over cooked or lacking flavor, what the what, did the head chef quit? Not an enjoyable experience. If I wanted Panda quality, I would go to the mall. Very disappointing. read more

Nice authentic Taiwanese Chinese food. What a wonderful surprise find! I highly recommend.

Ordered lettuce wraps. For four dollars and was given plain slices of iceberg lettuce. Spoke to the restaurant and they said order filling cost extra and I have to stipulate that I want my lettuce wraps with filling. Pretty sure they just scammed me out of four dollars. read more

Hands down chin chin cafe up the road is better. I had general tso chicken and shrimp lo mein. The lo mein had an awful "seafood" stink to it, and way more vegetables than noodles and the noodles were so light it seemed like rice flour and not very flavorful. The chicken was so sweet like it was poured through sugar like crazy and not savory at all. It absolutely needed soy sauce and hot mustard added to make it edible. I've heard great things about this place and was strongly disappointed. Maybe it was my order or the typical Chinese style I prefer is like what I'm used to getting back home in New York (Long Island). Not impressed. read more

I really liked this place, but the last time i got take out from here, the food was not very good. I decided to give it another try tonight and both my friend and I are up sick from the food. We won't be back read more

Love this place. Authentic Taiwanese cuisine!!! So many options for vegetarians, very flavorful and yummy! Staff is very friendly and make sure everyone leaves happy. Kids loved the noodles... this is a jewel in our neighborhood!!! read more

We love Yens Cafe. Best Chinese food in the area by far! We always receive great service from their amazing staff (especially Sue). I like the minced pork with the steamed rolls (made extra spicy for me) and the family likes the sweet & sour chicken and egg drop soup. We always order a fresh grapefruit juice, watermelon juice, and/or strawberry orange juice with our food. Slightly limited seating inside, but that has never been a problem for us because we just phone ahead. They also deliver. Make sure you are dressed when you place an order for delivery because they will be at your house in no time! Unfortunately... when you are really craving Yen's fantastic food on a Monday and you call to place an order, they will not answer. Then when you decide to just drive over there since they are not picking up the phone, the door will be locked. This will happen to you every Monday!! That is because they are closed on Mondays. You'll just have to settle for something else or wait to eat until Tuesday. Any other day of the week, Yens will be there for you! read more

Pretty good Chinese restaurant. The food was so tasty and unique. Some dishes I've never seen from other Chinese restaurants before like Minced pork & diced string bean (p20 in the menu). Taiwan style fried chicken was my favorite one. However, The restaurant has limited area. There are just few tables. I went there in peak time and had to wait more than 10 mins even there was an available table because the servers didn't have time to clean it. So, it will be a great idea for to go orders. read more

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Not good at all. The money spent is just not proportional to the food you get. Presentation of the food is also dismal, it's no surprise why so many people stopped coming here. And the beef is just way too hard and chewy, harder then jerky. I thought my jaw would fall off after the meal! read more

This is one of the best Chinese places in the area. My cousins and I have ate and had carry out here on a number of occasions. The Szechuan crispy beef and Taiwanese fried chicken are heavenly. Service is above average for a Chinese takeout place. The restaurant itself is pretty small so not a good place if you have a large group but very clean. They give you large portions too. It is a bit pricey but you cannot expect it not to be given the area. read more

One of our favorite restaurants! This place has never let us down. The service is friendly and fast, and the food is always delicious. I love the tofu and pork and the Taiwanese fried chicken is a favorite as well. read more

I ordered take-out food for the 1st time and everything was delicious(Chicken Lo Mein; Hot and Sour Soup; Kung Po Chicken)!! I especially liked their Chicken Lo Mein. I loved the noodles they use; so light and not heavy like most Lo Mein. Also it wasn't so oily. It was light, tasty and perfect!! I will definitely be back!! read more

We found Yen's when we branched out during early Covid. We are are glad they survived. Meals are savory and produced with pride. We have tried many items on the menu and enjoyed them all. Last night we did a crispy beef Szechuan and the chicken and eggplant along with some spring rolls they smelled great in my truck driving home and were delicious on the table read more

This place is awful. The food was not palatable and it is crammed and badly lit (it is not cozy, it is crammed). I am highly skeptical of the 4 1/2 rating this place has here on yelp. Avoid . read more

Hidden behind one of the Giant's in Ashburn and next to the Home Depot is this little Chinese restaurant. When I first say their ad, I said to myself. Here's another boring old hole in the wall. I was very surprised but what I found. I've been to all the Chinese restaurants in Ashburn and this one is by far the best of all of them. I'm sort of strange when it comes to my Chinese food. I grew up on the stuff, having been brought on my parents, aunts, uncles, friends, eating in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong and so on. Three dishes I always tend to judge on are Hot and Sour soup, Kung Pao Chicken, and Ma Po Tofu. I'd also say Peking Duck, but that is in a totally different class on of its own. On our trip to Yen's, I was able to try the Kung Pao Chicken and the Hot and Sour soup. I couldn't convince anybody else for the tofu, I'll go back and try that myself next time. Of all other dishes we ordered I felt the Kung Pao was the star of the night. It's the 2nd best to get here in Loudon County. There are just the right amount of spices and I like how they don't throw in the celery and water chestnuts as others do. I like mine plane and simple. If you live in Ashburn, then go here if you like Kung Pao. The hot and sour soup was ok. I was a little disappointed. When it came out, it looked great. It wasn't too thick, wasn't loaded with corn starch like other places do. I was surprised to see that there was no pork in here. Maybe I just didn't get any in this bowl. Anyhow, like most places, it did have a watered down tasted. I can live with that because the Kung Pao more than made up for it =). Of the other dishes we had, they were fine. Nothing too fancy but not bad. The inside is small, there are 7 tables in all, but there is a bar you can sit at also. The décor is trying to be a little trendy but that is o.k.. The main thing is.....it's clean. The service is great, the people are nice. If you are in the mood for teas, they have a ton for you to try. While they are more expensive then the others in Ashburn. That's o.k. though, the service and the Kung Pao makes up for it. While I hate to be the one that ruins the perfect rating, I still cannot justify a perfect 5. Sorry, Yen....Just know this, you are my 2nd favorite Chinese joint in Loudoun County. read more

He may have had his asian card revoked a while ago, but Kevin L is spot on with this place! I came here recently and absolutely loved the entire experience. Many asian restaurants I find tend to look down on white patrons and I think get annoyed expecting us all to order general tso's chicken, say "eww" when we see meats other than beef or white meat chicken, and then bother them with requests for forks. But at Yen's, I felt like the proprietors were eager to share their culture and cuisine with us which I loved. Friendly as can be, attentive, and we even got a few unexpected freebees, like a sampler of their taiwanese style edamame, and complimentary chinese doughnuts after we had finished. The menu has an assortment of classic eastern dishes and western dishes. We started with the spring rolls which I'll say right now are the best I've ever had. Chocked full of substance and flavor with an abundance of mustard greens and other veggies. Perfectly crispy on the outside without a hint of oil. Absolute perfection. I'd come here just for the spring rolls. For entrees we had an order of ma po tofu (extra spicy), some sort of shrimp noodle dish, chicken and vegetables in white sauce, and sesame chicken. All of it was great and throughout the meal all my dining companions kept raving and sharing excitedly. And to top it all off, they also have an excellent tea selection. With such friendly service and wonderful food I will most definitely be back. If I lived or worked in Ashburn I'd be here on a weekly basis. read more

Their vast drink menu excites me. Especially because it specifies why exactly the ingredients inside the drink is good for you. It's VERY interesting to read! I ordered the minced pork and string bean with black bean (that came with buns). Personally I found it to be a bit too salty, but I prefer my food to be more on the bland side. Maybe to another person, eating the filling with the buns would be just right. Just not for me; but I still liked it! It's something different! You don't typically find this in Chinese restaurants. My friends chose the chicken noodle soup. It looked like typical chicken noodle soup, but instead, they used long noodles instead and had a lot more vegetables. Really basic, but good; light flavored. read more

Shocked of the rating of this place. I ordered takeout based on yelp reviews and was not impressed. General tso's chicken lunch combo, my usual at any Chinese spot, tasted like mall food court Chinese mixed with lean cuisine. The salad dressing was too sweet, and the salad was not even necessary, would of much rather had more meat or rice. The egg drop soup tasted much more like miso soup from a Korean spot, very salty. I am definitely going back to my favorite Chinese spot in Ashburn, Asia Cafe. Oh well... read more

Yen's Cafe - General Tso's takeout. Not very good. - Taiwanese Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

As a native from Taiwan, I would say that I wasn't impressed with the food at all. I have been to Yen's Cafe twice so far. The first time I was hoping to taste some authentic Taiwanese food, but then I didn't get what I was expecting. The second time around I thought maybe I would give it another try, still no. So I am pretty sure the food taste is consistent. I am just picky because I know what good Taiwanese or Chinese food tastes like. I would say that Yen's is better than many usual and ordinary Chinese take out that's for sure, and if you want to try something different, Yen's is the place for you. But if you are looking for authentic food and you've had them before, you will be disappointed. For me, the best Chinese food in the area is still in Rockville. By the way I find this place very expensive. I just cannot justify the food I receive with the price tag. Sorry. read more

We got take out from Yen's last night.. it was good! Not Sino's good, but really good! Nice quality meat, pretty sure the people who made it washed their hands... the inside of the cafe was tiny and adorable. My boyfriend wanted to "wrap the place up and put it in his pocket". He's weird.. but we got a really good vibe from this place. It's the little touches that matter sometimes; like the white rice came with little sesame seed thingys sprinkled on top of it. My chicken and broccoli was also sporting cauliflower; which is awesome. My boyfriend got the Kung Pao, also yummy, but could've been spicier... then again, we're gluttons for punishment. They had an interesting and eclectic menu, which is nice to see at a restaurant. Their dishes run a bit higher than most of your average run-of-the-mill chinese joints, but it's because you get the equivalent of a trough of food. And it's like 95% meat, no filler- who wants to sully their meat with vegetables, anyway?! Plus I'm pretty sure their Shanghai rolls (an egg roll with chicken, shrimp, etc.) were handmade- they had fresh mushrooms and the like inside, so that was a nice surprise. I'll be back to try the Ma Po Tofu-- if they can do tofu right, consider me a regular. I'm not a hippy... just like eating lighter when the mood strikes. read more

Yen's Cafe provides exotic and very delicious Taiwanese specialties. Unlike Bob's Noodle 66, they don't feature as many "night market" type dishes, but rather more home-style plates. As another reviewer has mentioned, look out for the little "flags" on their baby blue or baby pink menus if you want to try something more authentic. Per Yaka' H's review, we ordered the pipa tofu. Due to my love of eggs, I was intrigued by the string beans with salty duck egg, so I ordered that, too. To wash it all down, we shared a pot of rose tea. Pipa tofu: Football-shaped pouches that are fried golden on the outside and creamy on the inside. These nuggets are stuffed with minced scallop and shrimp. The custard-like tofu innards combined with the bites of seafood alone is already awesome, but they don't stop there. These little "purses" are then served on a bed of bok choy and lobster sauce, like shrimp with lobster sauce. The overall effect was nothing short of divine. String beans with salty duck egg: Skinny green beans tossed with hard-boiled salty duck egg. The richness of the egg really complemented the beans. This is quite an addictive dish, and I would highly recommend it if you want something salty and decadent. Rose tea: The rose tea served was very fragrant and soothing. (They have signs everywhere that if you break, you pay for their delicate tea pots. The compensation required could be up to $150! I had no idea those tea pots were so expensive.) Yen's Cafe and 88 China are probably my favorite eats for authentic Chinese in the Dulles area, and possibly even NOVA, Yen's specializing in Taiwanese cuisine and 88 focusing on Sichuan foods. Both restaurants offer really fresh, really flavorful food. Yen's Cafe also does something I've never seen in more "authentic" Chinese places--their presentation is really pretty. 88 China's presentation is very clean, too, but they don't do what Yen's does. Yen's embellishes serving plates with orchids and carved vegetables and uses Japanese-style plates. Their tea pots, as mentioned earlier, are really lovely, clear glass things (kinda remind me of the glass thing on the bottom of hookah pipes haha). While I don't go to these places for pretty, it certainly is a nice added touch. First and foremost, I come for the food and both Yen's and 88 are perfect 10s in that department. Service is mostly friendly, save for one gentleman who looked to be in his late 40s or early 50s. My hubby reminded me that every family has that weird uncle...he must be it. The ladies, including the granny seated at the bar, were very sweet. Northern Virginia keeps getting more and more authentic Chinese restaurants, and that's a great thing. I feel like I don't have to venture to Rockville anymore for some delicious Chinese cuisine. read more

Tried Chinese from Yen's Cafe this evening. After reading many reviews I had high expectations, but I was so disappointed. They were kind enough to deliver even though we were out of their delivery area. But the food was way too oily ,we didn't like it at all. :( Wouldn't recommend it at all!!! read more

Personally, not a fan of this restaurant. I used to order here because of the convenience to my home and job. 1st time was okay. 2nd time-meh. 3rd try-never again. The good thing about Yen's Cafe is you get a lot for your money. Downside is you will be waiting forever for delivery. Granted, I can see the restaurant from my house and could just walk there BUT if I can see them wouldn't you think the food would be here faster than an hour? Also, the last time I ordered my food tasted like someone literally put there cigarette out in my rice. Despite the convenience, this place is not worth the vivid thoughts of what is happening to my food before I get it. read more

Going to be a little harsh on this one because of the high expectations drummed up by other reviews. Don't care so much for the location - it's out in the burbs of Ashburn, with ample parking and whatnot. Part of the suburban landscape and office/retail big boxes that surround it. Nothing special. The inside is kind of lost on me. The bar area is taken up by service staff, and there's a lot of trinket stuff everywhere in that area. It's definitely trying to be Chinese/Taiwanese, but the booths in the actual dining are not what I'd imagine for a cafe this small. The decor is Asian-ish I guess. Staff is definitely very friendly and decidedly Taiwanese (at least FOH), so that's all good. They've got a bunch of fruit smoothies and juices posted all over the walls to choose from, as well as a huge tea selection. These are decidedly Taiwanese, and we even discussed this with the owner/manager. Don't be afraid to order up a pot of specialty tea - they're from Taiwan (one of the premier tea-producing nations) and you'll have enough for your meal AND for cups to take back home. The serving sets are glass, and it's all somewhat delicate - another decidedly Taiwanese touch to service. Now, onto the dishes and plating. The menu itself is decently sized with lots of your typical Chinese takeout offerings, but that's not why you're here is it? Or maybe it is, given that this is the sole Chinese option in a decently wide radius. In any case, you should be here to try the Taiwanese-style food. I ordered a mainstay dish - Lu Rou Fan (Braised Ground Pork over Rice), while my friends ordered a Taiwanese vegetable, Xiang Gan Rou Si, and Zha Jiang Mian. First, the portions for all were pretty large, so you definitely get your value for money there in quantity. The plates themselves are large and kind of bulky, so they lend themselves to that - a point that I actually do not like. Given that it's a cafe and Taiwanese-style, the plate choices are too big for the tables and for the way that dishes are supposed to be served up. The Lu Rou Fan actually tasted good, if not a bit greasy. Lots of rice, and lots of Lu Rou. It came with broccoli instead of suan cai or some other vegetable that is more Chinese. Also missing was a tea egg. I didn't taste my friends' dishes, but the vegetable and Xiang Gan Rou Si looked well enough. The Zha Jiang Mian was an anomaly though. It looked like they used thin Chinese noodles (which is fine) or Italian pasta (which is not fine) - I couldn't tell just from looking. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it was the former. Now, there were shaved vegetables and ground pork or beef also mixed into the noodles, so that was good as well. However, it looked a bit bland and dry-ish - this dish needs a deep, wet sauce to cling to the noodles. After all, that's what the name of the dish means. If the sauce was sorted out, it could definitely become a better dish here. We were treated to some nice, hot Nai You Bao (creme buns) as a dessert, so that was a kind gesture. Overall, I found the service to be attentive and friendly. The interior could be better spaced with small cafe tables rather than large booths. The menu has a large variety of items to satisfy everyone, but I think they should really focus on making their Taiwanese dishes just that much more authentic. I know they can do it. Maybe next time I'll even try their bubble tea. read more

I called to try to get delivery. The woman on the phone was very difficult. First, she said several items on the menu could not be provided - no lobster or crab - very disappointing. then, when I reconsidered my order, she told me that we were not able to get the deal advertised. We didn't get a chance to deal with this place given the service issues read more

Love this place , so sad that we had to move away and now we cant use their delivery service. But its ok, it hasnt stopped us from driving there. Hahah Their taiwanese chicken is amaaazing. Always have to get it everytime we're here. Actually to be honest with you thats all i get from here and some vegetables. Always happy, saitsified and full when i leave here. read more

Officially, my second favorite Chinese restaurant. Every time I have visited I have gotten a different plate, and each time I am happy with the quality. The pricing might seem expensive at first. But if you order two plates for two people, you will most likely have leftovers. Try the Mango beef (the beef is not breaded!) and the orange eucalyptus tea. read more

been here a few times, and while I really really want to like it, it's just okay. First, let me say that the staff is very friendly... everyone in the place greets you. It's like a big happy Taiwanese family in there.. even Grandma at the bar is all smiles. First time, I had the Taiwanese spaghetti noodles in the black bean sauce (jia jia ming, i think?) -- they were not for me. I think it's probably just a cultural taste barrier I couldn't overcome, since it seems like a lot of people like them. On the most recent visit I tried their lunch special; Bourbon chicken. It came with Wonton soup -- which was very salty, although they did use the thin wonton wrappers like I like, and there were extra things in it like those fried onion things you may put on top of your green bean casserole. All in all, it was okay, better than a lot of Wonton soup, but wow was it salty. It would have been really good if they could tone down the salt. In retrospect, I probably should have poured some of my water from my glass into the soup to cut the salt. The bourbon chicken was kind of a let down. It was just a single flattened out marinated boneless chicken thigh. I was hoping for something a little more I guess. Maybe some vegetables or something to make me feel like I'm getting more than a single chicken thigh... Call me crazy, but I prefer Bourbon chicken at the mall. I was hoping that at a restaurant it was going to be better than the mall's version, but sorry to say for me it was not. The lunch special salad has like a sweetish, mayonaissey, ketchupy tasting salad dressing. I'm not sure what it is, maybe like if you imagine French dressing mixed with Thousand Island or something? Anyhow. I really wish they would take a hint from a Japanese restaurant and use a dressing you would get at a place like that.... those dressings are awesome. The dressing they use -- not a fan. The egg roll was crispy on the outside, but kind of slimy in the middle, which was weird and unfortunate, since the outside was nice and crispy. Their spicy mustard was indeed spicy though, which put a smile on my face. The Mongolian beef was pretty tasty, tasted like beef and onions marinated in a mainly soy sauce sauce. It was simple tasting, but good. Unfortunately, again, this dish tasted very salty, but it was good and not too oily or swimming in sauce. The custard donuts they give you with the check were actually really good. I wasn't expecting it and it was a nice treat. Fried hot and ready, it was really a great donut. One thing that may or may not be related, so take it with a grain of salt... shortly after eating the lunch special, both my fiance and I had bad headaches that came about unusually at the same time. It seemed out of the ordinary, so I'm wondering if the combination of salty Mongolian beef combined with the souper salty Wonton soup gave us a one-two sodium punch in the head?? Makes me wonder if they use MSG (not sure if MSG causes headaches or not, just wondering) or if maybe it was just completely unrelated? It was weird and coincidental though... All that being said, I did go one time awhile back and got kung pao chicken and I recall it being retty good... so I'll be back to maybe try something else off the dinner menu because of the good reviews, and the staff really is inviting and I do really want to like this place. I give them credit for having a lot of options not available elsewhere. I think I'll try the Pipa tofu next time... crossing my fingers. read more

I rarely ever enjoy Chinese food.... Why? Most Chinese food taste like they throw all the ingredients together in a wok, and wait until everything is cooked, then serve. Yen's cafe is different. I feel as if they put more thoughts into the food. The General Tso's Chicken is not just some greasy fried chicken with sauce. It is mostly chicken instead of breading like most other places. Kung Pao Chicken is just outstanding. I went back and order it two days in a row. Thanks Jesse C., your review was very helpful. As for the Braise Meatball, although I am not Chinese, but it reminds me of the cooking of my grandmother. It truly is a great dish. Overall, Yen's Cafe is so much more than what I had in mind. When I think Chinese food in Ashburn, I think of Yens' Cafe. read more

I'm glad everyone else seems to have liked this place so much. I've tried it twice now and been twice underwhelmed. I really wanted to like it but no... Its a tiny, authentic Taiwanese style place with a lot of menu options that seem good. The first time, it was standard chinese food, nothing really memorable. This time- Since it was pouring out and chilly, I was craving soup. I got soup alright! She asked if we were splitting it and I said no. She should have said it was family size! A humungous size steaming bowl of soup it was. Way bigger than a Pho-sized bowl even! The waitress asked us if we wanted water and then never brought it. Eventually, another waitress asked my bf if he wanted water and brought him a glass but didnt think to ask me if I wanted any :( We did order just one fresh pear orange juice which we wanted to split but we were served one each- at least it was really good. The chicken noodle soup, however, had super bland broth that wasn't worth filling up on. When ordering it, I asked if it came with all the veggies listed from the veg soup menu (carrots, celery, baby carrots, etc) and specifically asked if it had the baby corn in it. She said yes, but then, the soup, when I got it, only had a lot of cabbage, noodles and bland chicken. Cabbage always seems to be the Chinese cheap way of getting out of the better vegetables. I mentioned that I had asked about the baby corn when ordering and the waitress nodded, and then disappeared. Perhaps a language barrier disconnect? I was then stuck with about 4-5 portions of not-so-great blah soup, which I kept eating only to not be wasteful. The bf ordered taiwanese-style noodles (similar to Singapore noodles). It was better than mine, but also below average for flavor. We easily could have split the one dish it was so many noodles. I got my soup packaged up to go, wondering how on earth they would fit all of that into a container. They must have just thrown away whatever didn't fit into a quart-size plastic container. Sigh... We did get a complimentary hot bun with a custard filling at the end of the meal. I didn't care for it but based on the reviews, for most people, anything free always seems to taste better. read more

I would give this 4 or 5 stars but if I give it only 4, it will lower the average score and I thing Yen's deserves a great score. We went starving and left full. The food presentation was very nice and the service was 1st class. A nice meal for two people including tip was about $22 at lunchtime. At the end of the meal, the hostess brought us some kind of steamed creme dumpling that I'm pretty sure was complimentary. I like places that do that occasionally. read more

Thank you Yelp for finding this hidden gem! Food=Yum! Ordered: -Roast pork lo mien..delicious, non greasy. Their noodles are different then what I normally see. Yen's is flat and thinner.. doesn't matter because it went in my belly and it was awesome! -Crispy sesame beef...you can hear the crisp and crunch when you bite into it! Need I say more? -Mo Po Tofu.. not overly spicy (just the way we ordered because we have a baby spice at the table ;-) ) Yen's uses soft silken tofu and the sauce is on point and delicious with steamed white rice. -Steamed dumplings with shrimp and leek...I think the filling is homemade but the skin is not.. the filling had lots of flavor and filled with leek with a huge chunk of half a shrimp. Tasty with the sauce on the side -Taiwanese Style Potstickers with Pork Fillings..lightly fried.. sizes were a bit uneven some longer and smaller.. didn't care for these as much. -Complimentary dessert... so delicious... sweet bun filled with yellow custard. Money! Service=Very tentative, friendly, and makes great recommendations The place is small and cozy.. about six tables or so. Yen's got busy around dinner time but they do take reservations if you plan to eat in. Can't wait to try the different juries and tea's next time! read more

Took my parents here during the Chinese New Year when they were visiting, and we were pleasantly surprised. I mean who would expect to find a place that instantly made you feel like home when you're in the middle of nowhere in Ashburn? We got fried shrimp, ribs, soup, and veggies. They have a separate menu for their Chinese customers (no, General Tsao's chicken and beef and broccoli are not authentic Chinese cuisine), and their wide tea selection is decent. Since it was the Spring Festival season, their interior was decorated in warm colors and had signs that said Happy New Year. Think my parents felt at home there :) The food was really good, and we were extremely grateful it wasn't the typical American Chinese food which is an insult on Chinese cuisine. I brought the leftovers to work for lunch the next day and my colleagues were jealous. We also chatted with the owner and his wife for a while. They were friendly and willing to share their experience of coming here and starting the business. Good food, good ambiance, good conversations. Thanks for a great night! read more

After wandering around the Smithsonian near the airport for a few hours, my dad and I worked up an appetite. I decided to give this place a go since I'd heard so much about it. I plopped myself in the booth and immediately asked for the special menu---and when you walk in, you should do the same. Don't worry, this special menu actually has English too! Let me just say, I've had dreams about that pork belly with tofu in special sauce since our visit. Too bad it's 3000 miles to go back to Yen's. You better believe, I'm asking friends to hand carry orders out here when they visit. Order it--you won't regret it. The Tawainese spaghetti was pretty good too. My mango grapefruit smoothie was also delicious, but a bit expensive. At the end of the day, we splurged a bit for lunch, but it was soo worth it. I'm adding Yen's to my list of must eats for all my future VA/DC visits. read more

The real deal here Order the authentic dishes which are marked on menu with a little flag. The tastes and the presentation of the dishes are amazing. Service was so friendly we didn't want to leave. The food was so tasty we surprised the waitress how fast we ate 6 dishes. There are only a few tables so come early or get take out. I don't leave 5 stars and this place deserves it. read more

It is an absolute pleasure for me to give this friendly, delicious establishment five stars. When we showed up at this tiny place this evening, all the tables were full, but there were some open spots at the small bar, so we took a seat. We enjoyed our entire meal from right there. I could see that sort of thing bothering some people, but we had a blast! Firstly, the waitress/bartender/owner's daughter kept giving us samples of smoothies, which were tasty and refreshing. The food was great. We got pot-stickers, soup, and sweet and sour pork. It was only after we ate that we were informed that there is a menu of more traditional food, but I wasn't upset. I was happy with the food I had ordered. But I do intend on ordering from their other menu next time (especially the steamed dumplings) I can't wait! My wife and I had been looking for a good Chinese restaurant in the area for a long time, and for whatever reason we hadn't thought to look west (we live in Sterling). I am incredibly glad we did. The food is good, and the service is friendly. When we finished our dinner the waitress talked to us for a while about the other menu, and then gave us these little fried desserts. Anyway, check it out! You won't be disappointed. read more