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    Ypbor Yan

    3.4 (143 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Seafood
    Open 11:00 am - 9:40 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Ypbor Yan Photos

    Business Info

    YPBOR YAN ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Very nice and clean interior.
    Ron W.

    Anyone who has grown up in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area over the past few decades and loves Chinese food like I do, is sure to know all the local restaurants that specialize in delicious cuisine from the Far East. There was a time when Washtenaw County had only one Chinese restaurant, located on West Liberty Street in Ann Arbor, which was known as "Leo Ping's." This place was really into Asian fusion food long before it came thing. In those bygone days, as far as Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti was concerned, spicy Chinese food from Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces didn't exist. You could order Americanized Cantonese Chinese food, duck, steak, and turkey dinners. So if your Christmas feast was a bust just like in the 1983 motion picture "A Christmas Story," Leo had you covered, but I digress. Starting in the late 1960s the area around the intersection of Golfside and Washtenaw Ave. (M-17) became the new home to what would become Ypbor Ann's predecessor the "Forbidden City." For many years this place was ideal for lunch, dinner, and group parties in the basement. Then it was renamed to the "Forbidden City East," and finally the "Emerald City" before becoming the Ypbor Ann. As good fortune would have it, this area became a hotspot for other Asian restaurants to pop-up in the coming decades. Today, Ypbor Ann is located in the building where the old Big Boy restaurant was located at on Washtenaw Ave (M-17) east of Golfside Road. It's owned and operated by Frank Zhong, who owns other similar themed Chinese restaurants in the state of Michigan. They have a really nice small museum inside the entrance that examines Chinese history, and has some very nice artifacts to go with it, which is well worth viewing. With that being said, I really liked the food they serve at this restaurant. Ypbor Ann, serves gourmet Sichuan style food, and they can prepare your dish anyway you want it. They can serve it mild, or extra spicy if you so desire. The best part is they also have a separate Chinese menu that is packed with some very delicious entrées, which I highly recommend. However, I decided to play it safe and order something more Americanized like Kung Pao Chicken for a quick lunch. So if you love Asian food and history, this is the best place to visit that won't break your bank account in the area.

    P12. Kung Pao Chicken
    Kevin Z.

    This is the most authentic, best tasting Chinese restaurant in AA area. From the decor, I knew instantly that it was going to be good. There is the American Chinese menu and Chinese menu, so be sure to note the difference. I got the squirrel fish, colds noodles, and kun pao chicken, and they were all so good. The squirrel fish could have been crispier but it tasted super good still. They were out of a few cold dishes because they've been super busy. Anytime I'm craving Chinese food I'll be coming back here for sure and only here.

    Beige nothing (garlic chicken) my mother was served.
    Matthew H.

    About a decade ago we were Ypbor Yan regulars, but prior to the pandemic, there was a steep decline in their quality. Since they had moved,, we decided to give them another chance. Ordered Kung Pao Chicken and was given a plate of absolutely flavorless food-- when Ypbor was at its peak, it would be spicy, rich with garlic and flavor. Now? No heat, no seasoning, no peanuts, swimming in an anemic orange sauce. "Everyone loves our dishes." We didn't. Possibly the worst NY-Style Chinese food I've ever had in my life. Staff borderline nonverbal (weak English) and argued in Chinese in front of us. In their defense, they did their best to make things right, even through the obvious language barrier. I give the waitress credit. Replacement dish was better, but still not up to the standards of any other hole-in-the-wall, or even the buffet across the street. Atmosphere is fine. It breaks my heart to tell folks to avoid Ypbor Yan (now Ypbor Foods Museum). You're better off getting Chinese anywhere else, and god knows the area has a saturated market.

    Joyce L.

    Place: This place is pretty authentic and has the best the Sichuan food near where I live. You don't have to do any reservations I mainly just walk in and they have tables. The space is pretty big. Service: The service is good and the portions are big. They are helpful and will tell you what is good if it is your first time. Food $$: The food is amazing and my favorite is mayo tofu, Sichuan hot and sour soup, sichuan style poached fish, and MY FAVORITE PEA TIPS haha. Audience: Great to go by yourself or do a big gathering. A lot of people come here during their lunch breaks. Solo Trip [X] 21+ [ ] Family Friendly [X] Friends [X] Date Spot [X] Recommendations/tips: The portions are so big you will have left overs and it is perfect to eat the next day.

    Hunan Chicken

    Walked in, and there was absolutely nobody but instantly greeted, the large TVs playing and Chinese decor. Definitely authentic food, but they also offer American Chinese dishes. There might be a language/patience barrier for non-speakers. The numbing/spice is toned down in most dishes, but they all leave you feeling warm and tingly. The salt and pepper eggplant was delicious--crispy with the perfect amount of salt and sweetness. (Basically salt and pepper shrimp, but vegetarian.) The Hunan chicken was fried like Kung Pao chicken, but the seasoning was soy sauce, dry hot, with a hint of Sichuan peppers and cumin, not numbing. The spicy cumin lamb wasn't spicy but was tender and flavorful. The mixed pot included radishes, fish balls, tofu skin and tofu, pork blood/intestines, and spam. The flavors were warm and numbing, with a variety of different ingredients but not overly numbing.

    Sichuan style poached fish slices (水煮鱼片) ($14.99) - pretty good. Kind of sticky texture though.
    Lena J.

    Authentic Sichuan restaurant, with ample seating inside and old style decor. I recommend ordering from the authentic Chinese menu, rather than the Americanized one. However, I personally prefer the food at Chia Shiang in Ann Arbor or the newly-opened YP Sichuan near downtown Ypsi. They are allergy friendly by the way - someone in my party had a peanut allergy and they were very accommodating. Recommended: -Yibin-style spicy noodles ($7.99) - good. Cold noodles with a variety of seasonings and ground pork. The portion size was also good. -Sichuan style poached fish slices ($14.99) - pretty good. However the texture was sticky, and the dish didn't seem super fresh. It was one of the better items I've tried here, but I prefer the renditions at Chia Shiang and YP Sichuan. Wouldn't get again: -Zigong salt merchants' chicken ($13.99) - was looking forward to trying this after reading other reviews but I just found it ok. It kind of fast-food-tasting and too salty. -Mapo tofu ($11.99) - not great. The tofu texture was nice but there wasn't much flavor, maybe in part since it's vegetarian.

    This restaurant is my home taste, the food is gorgeous, definitely would like to visit again.

    Tea Smoked Duck
    Stephanie S.

    My friend and I just visited this place at its new location. We were expecting Crazy Crab but were told that it no longer exists. Either way, the food here is amazing. We loved every dish that we got. The service was excellent as well. I had my toddler with me and the staff was super friendly with her.

    Scallions Pancakes, Eggplant w/ FIsh-Fragrant Sauce, Green Beans w/ Vegetarian Pork, Mapo Tofu, braised Pork Belly

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    The foods and services are pretty good. All these vegetables are very fresh and meats are delicious!

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    Oh hell yeah, I came here last Friday by high recommendation from my friend who is a local here and…read moreshe told me this was the original location and just better. Their online menu does not have the pictures that the in store one has and woowee it is a lot of choices of noodles! Amongst the 4 of us, we ordered the pork tip noodle, the Peking pork (zhajiangmian), hot oil wide noodle, beef tendon knife noodle. YUM! The noodles are handmade, handpulled and you can customize the shape and thickness you want! The portions as you can see are massive and the prices are very reasonable! $14/$15 a bowl! My pork rib tips were too tough but still seasoned. I would say their Peking style zhajiangmian is pleasantly less authentic and I liked this version better than the original! It included a braised full egg, and not too much of the cloyingly sweet and intense sauce. We ordered and within 2 minutes we were served fresh bowls of piping hot noods. Our server was efficient, warm, knowledgeable and bilingual. She said I looked like a popular Hong Kong singer, like OMG what a cute compliment! There was convenient parking and it was really close to my friend's house. Highly recommend!

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