Had Wednesday dinner around 7:15 PM and ended up waiting close to an hour, with 6 parties ahead of us even though they close at 8:30 PM. The restaurant is tiny, with only about 8-10 tables, so that definitely contributes to the wait. The staff was super friendly and efficient despite being so busy. They even gave us menus to order while we waited, so our food came out really quickly once we were seated! We ordered the Singapore Rice Noodles, House Special Chow Fun, Pepper Clay Pot, and Walnut Shrimp, and everything was delicious! Singapore Rice Noodles: My favorite! The noodles weren't dry, and the curry flavor wasn't overpowering. House Special Chow Fun: Huge portion, packed with meat, and not dry at all. Pepper Clay Pot: Super flavorful, and the crispy rice was AMAZING. They also give you soy sauce to pour over it. Walnut Shrimp: Huge shrimp, a light coating, and the perfect sauce!!! Not overly sweet or too thick. Overall, everything was flavorful, the portions were generous, and each dish had its own unique taste. The wait was long, but the food and friendly service made it worth it. Definitely recommend checking this place out, just be prepared to wait! read more

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*** U P D A T E *** It's been a few years since our first visit to this cozy and casual Chinese eatery, but we still think about Blue Sky every now and then. It's rare that we're in this area, but we made a point to come back from SSF and give them another try. Like our first visit, there was a waitlist! We got here on a weekday at lunchtime around 12:30, and there were 3 parties ahead of us. Thankfully, the wait was only about 15 minutes this time. The owner was friendly and welcoming. Once we sat down, it took us forever to decide what we wanted to order! We ended up placing our order with the owner, but you can also order through the QR code on the table. *** O U R P I C K S *** BEEF CHOW FUN ~ good flavor and wok hei. We really enjoyed this dish! So much so that we ate the rest for dinner too! 5/5 PUMPKIN WITH SALTED EGG YOLK ~ this was a memorable dish for me from our first visit, so I definitely wanted to have it again this time. Still very good! The pumpkin is mildly sweet, while the salted egg yolk adds a little saltiness that balances everything out. 5/5 SWEET AND SOUR PORK ~ something we almost never order, but my partner was craving something sweet and tangy. The meat was nicely fried, so it didn't get too soggy even after being coated in the sauce. Good dish that seems popular among their customers. 4/5 BAKED PORTUGUESE BEEF STEW WITH SPAGHETTI ~ out of all the dishes, this one was bland and our least favorite. The sauce had more of a mild yellow curry flavor with coconut milk. It also didn't really look baked, since there was no browning on top that you'd normally expect from a baked dish. The stew itself was good, but we probably wouldn't order this one again. 3/5 Generous portions for every dish! Two people could easily get away with ordering just one dish and be satisfied. But with so many tempting choices on the menu, it's hard to order just one! Now we have tons of leftovers that'll last us for a few days! Oh, and the owner gave us a sample of their homemade hot chili sauce. It was tasty and savory, but nothing too spicy. My partner enjoyed it so much that he wanted a jar to take home! So we bought one to go for $8. With so many good things on the menu, we'll definitely have to come back again sooner than later. Already thinking about what we'll order next! Can't wait!! read more

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Going to update my review here since I've now been here ~10 times. Let me say this place is an EASY five stars but since I've been a lot of times I have noticed some things that could be better. That said, I'll talk about the good things first. Pretty much everything on the menu is good here. If there's something that sounds interesting, get it. If you've been curious about spaghetti dishes at southern Chinese restaurants, get one. The General's Chicken is actually insanely good here, like the best lunch special I know anywhere, and it's General's Chicken. Hainan chicken, salt and pepper spare ribs, rice clay pots, eggplant dishes, and even Chinese curry are items I commonly see ordered around me. The tofu seafood claypot is fantastic. Pretty sure they have Peking spareribs and they were great iirc. The chow fun dishes are only good, not super exceptional, you rarely see people order them. Alright the few things I've noticed that could be improved have all happened when I come closer to closing than opening. I've had a couple times where the tea kettle was still soapy, so the tea tasted awful. Their kettles keep the tea piping hot for the whole meal, so maybe that makes them hard to clean. But I've also had the tea come not very hot. They don't like giving you water and tea, some Chinese service lol. And for some reason, the food has also been a bit worse when I came later too Space is small and it can be crowded, especially on weekends. Come early for the best experience read more

Blue Sky Café - General's Chicken lunch special, I can't believe how much I crave it - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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We came to Blue Sky last night just for the salt and pepper spare ribs and pork chop, which are usually the dishes we crave. We also decided to try a couple of things we had never ordered before after seeing other tables enjoy them. The beef chow fun looked amazing when we saw someone else order it, so we gave it a try. Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing. The noodles were on the dry side and lacked the flavorful wok hei and savory taste that I usually look for in a good beef chow fun. It was just missing that something special. We also ordered the Chinese chicken salad because we wanted something lighter to balance out the meal. I was expecting the traditional shredded chicken with lettuce, but instead it came with thin tortilla-style chips underneath. That really changed the whole feel of the dish for me. I was hoping for a refreshing salad, but the chips made it feel more greasy, and the mustard oil dressing was not really my preference. The chicken was also a little dry. I probably would not order this again. The good news is the salt and pepper spare ribs were still delicious, just like we expected. They remain one of our favorites here. Overall, I would stick with the dishes we already know and love and skip the beef chow fun and chicken salad next time. read more

Blue Sky Café - Only Salt and Pepper Pork Chop is 5/5 - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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Craving Hainan Chicken. Placed an online order and picked up shortly after. Chicken was moist - good with the ginger scallion sauce. Just plain rice, though. HK Milk Tea good complement. read more

Blue Sky Café - Hainan Chicken Rice Plate & Milk Tea Hong Kong Style - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

The food here is delicious. The staff is very nice too. They're helpful and will tell you if you're over ordering. The decor and ambiance is typical of a mom and pop Chinese restaurant. My only complaint is the long wait. The place is very good and popular, but unfortunately it's small and has limited seating. We've gone and have waited almost an hour before giving up to eat at another place. In the future we will probably order take out in advance! read more

We walked in Tuesday around 7pm and had to wait about an hour. This place is sure busy! We ordered Eel clay pot, Clams, Sauteed Large Pea Spout with Egg Tofu, salt and pepper pork chops, and herbal grass jelly. Everything was good. Nothing was overly salty. read more

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This was the best restaurant we ate at while in the San Francisco area. A small family owned Chinese gem. We had about a 45 minute wait as the dining room is quite small. Maybe only 15 tables? Nothing fancy here but all the food I saw come out looked simply wonderful. We picked a couple basic dishes but they were certainly top notch. I'm no expert but everything seemed very authentic. Delicious. read more

Blue Sky Café - Chicken Chow Mein - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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It's our favorite take out place. In the weekends it's a long wait but they would tell you ahead of time to keep their customers from disappointment on wait time. Food is great overall, salt and pepper pork, Singaporean noodles, crispy egg noodles, duck egg yolk covered pumpkin, etc read more

My new comfort spot for claypot rice! Also loved the egg tofu w pea shoots. Wait can get up to 2 hours by 5pm on a weekend. Takes 30 minutes for claypot but so worth. Didn't find any bones in the eel claypot Easy to order for your table with QR code. Staff were really friendly and sweet, very obviously an appreciated spot in the community. read more

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I haven't been back to this place for a few years and thought I should give them a try again when I saw a huge line as I passed through the area. I was here around 5:15pm and the place was packed already. I ended up waiting over an hour for a table. Was it worth it? Not really to be honest. This is a neighborhood mom and pop restaurant. The owner used to be really friendly but I think over time, he's overworked and started to show signs of attitude. Their portion size remained to be large, so definitely expect left over. The price had gone up significantly but reasonably justified. The tofu dried scallop vegetable entree was about $28.95 if I recalled correctly. If you want to save a little, just order the bean sprouts without the toppings. read more

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I'm going to regret writing this review. This place is tiny but apparently very popular. 11:30 and it's packed with line out the door. Any positive review gonna... Oh well... Milk tea. Legit! Better than some HK style restaurant. Indonesian fried rice - Excellent wok air and huge portion. Bake pork chop rice - Be mindful this is not baked pork chop over rice like usual one. This one is pan fried pork chop over white rice. They add a little bit cheese and the sauce actually pretty good, like the better HK 茶餐廳 style. Suggestion? Go with fried rice and use 吉列豬扒 instead of pan fried. Big difference. read more

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I wanted my dad to experience the Clay Pot Rice here so I dragged him over from the East Bay. I asked if he'd prefer the Eel or the Chinese Sausage with Preserved Meta and he asked, "why not both?". Because neither Clay Pots comes with very much in the way of vegetables, I also ordered a plate of Buddha's Delight. Additionally, he got a hot milk tea and I got an iced one. Perfect meal with plenty of leftovers! I have one suggestion that might help the restaurant. They have three rows of tables. The middle row consists of two four-tops. Get rid of those two tables and install four two-tops instead. That way, the tables can be pulled apart and single diners won't tie up a four-top and more diners can eat at the same time without having to share tables. Great service, great food. Get there early if you don't want to have to wait for a table. Blue Sky consistently rocks! read more

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Authentic Cantonese-style restaurant located on the border of San Mateo and Belmont/San Carlos. Very limited seating, so make sure to get there 10-15 minutes before they open (or you'll have to wait for a table). They also take to-go orders, but they do cut off orders once it gets busy. The parking lot is kinda of a nightmare (narrow, so you have to make 3+ point turns to get out). We ordered 6 dishes for a party of 5. We heard they're known for their Pumpkin w/ Salted Egg and Minced Pork w/ Salted Fish, so we started off with those. We also ordered Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce, Beef Chow Fun, Salt and Pepper Fish Fillet, and Egg Tofu. My favorites were the Minced Pork w/ Salted Fish (get bowls of rice to go with it, or just order the fried rice version) and the Salt and Pepper Fish Fillet. read more

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Ambiance: A small Cantonese restaurant with sit down tables and take out available. The tables are decently spaced out from one another but can be a little noisy and crowded during peak hours to eat. Wait time: Take out is roughly 30-40 minutes or slightly over depending on the food you order and could be longer if you attempt to sit down due to popularity and limited space available for dine in. Service: Extremely friendly staff who were both efficient and diligent with dine in guests and managing take out orders as they were ready. Food: Extremely good clay pot rice without feeling overly greasy or heavy on the palette. The chicken tasted fresh and the shiitake mushrooms provided an earthiness to the chicken along with Chinese sausage to bring a slightly sweet flavor balancing out the dish. They do offer two various styles of spicy sauce which both pair well with the clay pots and further compliment both the mushrooms and the Chinese sausage. I would definitely recommend checking out Blue Sky Cafe for good Cantonese food and friendly staff, but beware of potential wait times due to limited seating available if you are in a rush. read more

Blue Sky Café - Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Clay Pot - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

Delicious Hidden Gem! Food: - Salted fish minced pork clay pot rice: Star of the show! This specialty is hard to find, and it did not disappoint! The rice was perfectly crispy which added a multitude of textures. Good portion of tender meat which exploded with both meaty and salted fish flavors! - Salt and Pepper Fish Filet: tasted like asian fish sticks! large portion sizes and light flavoring - Sautéed green beans with tofu: crisp green beans! the cook knew what they were doing, paired well with the tofu Service/Ambiance: - Parking: there is a small parking lot in front, but more parking in the back lot - Service: polite cantonese employees - Seating: only a couple tables, so make sure you come early if you don't want to wait! read more

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Happened to be driving down El Camino Real and stumbled upon Blue Sky Cafe. I don't often seek Chinese food but when I do, I want Cantonese-style comfort food. Blue Sky Cafe offers a variety of dishes but popular for the crispy-bottomed Clay Pot Rice with a protein or other ingredient on top that melds into the rice as it cooks with a seasoned soy sauce mixture you drizzle over the top. I ordered the chicken, shiitake mushroom and Chinese sausage clay pot. Good flavors here and generous portion sizes and almost as good as the version my "sis" makes when she surprises me! *tear* Also, ordered the salt and pepper chicken wings that were lightly coated with a starch, fried and tossed with green onions and chopped jalapeño. Simple yet satisfying. Place is small and no nonsense with nautical pics with limited seating (2-round table: 8, 7- tables for 2-4 ppl) so you may be sharing a table. Service straightforward and menu/ordering done via your phone using a QR code or if you're an old timer can place your order with staff. Blue Sky Cafe is always bustling as it serves delicious food, generous portions with reasonable pricing in the Peninsula. Expect a wait at peak hours and definitely the weekend. Street and limited lot parking. read more

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3 words - CLAY POT RICE Get it! It's a more casual dining chinese restaurant, so the service and ambience is in line. The food has good sized portions and everything is pretty good and their drinks as well! I love their hk milk tea and honey tea. The restaurant sits in a small plaza so parking is generally a non issue. read more

"Everything was delicious! I will be back" not greasy at all Thanks to my friend, Anna for introducing me to this place! read more

Blue Sky Café - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

I'm so glad we finally stopped by to try this place. Food was just very delicious Definitely recommend, we look forward to trying more plates next time . Clay pots take 30 mins to make so send that order in as soon as you sit down. We loved everything we tried, it was very flavorful and fresh ! They have some great delicious hot tea. They are very busy here, orders don't stop, they definitely know how to manage. Food is great portions, come hungry and enjoy ! My family and I will definitely be back to try other plates and will update soon! read more

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This might be our new favorite Chinese restaurant in the area. There's a reason why I've always seen people waiting outside! It's a small and cozy cafe with very well made Hong Kong Chinese dishes. The workers all spoke Cantonese of course and were very friendly. We were seated pretty quickly (it was an hour before closing on a weekday). The clay pot rice is well priced and a very good portion size for the small. My only complaint is that the soy sauce on the side needed to be dark soy (for some sweetness)! The ginger chicken was cooked well and had good flavor. The salted egg pumpkin was not what we expected but very good too!! I do wish they had chili OIL on the tables (instead of the sambal stuff)! Overall, solid place for comfort food and vibes. We will be back with friends and family! read more

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Definitely a hopping spot, very small but we went early so able to snag a table. Food was good and traditional--so there was a ton of chicken skin and bones in the chicken salad which I don't care for at all. But past that it was very good. Potstickers, beef noodles, excellent walnut prawns, and combo rice. You have to order off the app and food came staggered. Someone did walk around with water occasionally and workers were super friendly. Ambience was a 3 but food made up for it. read more

Decided to stop for some Chinese cuisine with gramps and fam this Monday. We ordered: Chinese sausage claypot rice - Honestly, I think this is the best dish out of all we ordered, even though the rice is not seasoned enough and there wasn't enough Chinese sausage. The rice is not your usual claypot rice, but almost just WHITE rice. The sausage to rice ratio was like 2:5. Total bummer. Sauteed Large Pea Sprout w/ Egg tofu - Great portion, and the pea sprouts were flavorful. Sweet and Sour Spareribs Hong Kong style - Average hahah, no literally, you can't go wrong with sweet and sour. Salted Fish Minced Pork Clay Pot Rice - Again, nothing special about this dish. Again, there wasn't enough salted fish to go with the rice. Once more, the ratio of fish to rice is like 2:5. Chicken Ginger Green onion (Half) - Would not order again.. very bland and they used soy sauce like lee kum kee for the chicken.. (lee kum kee is soy sauce used for steaming fish!!!) Pass this dish when you're looking at the menu.. Honey Walnut Prawns - The batter was veryyy thick and there was so much mayo.. I wouldn't even grab a second one. Deep fried Fish Filets with Sweet Corn - Again, the batter for the filet was very thick and the filet was really mushy. May be good as western-style, but not authentic Hong Kong. Sauteed Squid Black Bean sauce - Squid was very chewy, but it was a bit fishy to me. We order through QR code, so it's pretty much self service. There was only ONE server, which is the boss. Can you believe that! And they even mandate 18% for tips! They didn't even tell us, not even on the menu! Sheesh! Also, the restaurant is pretty small, so it felt really cramped while eating. Wellll, we've got to take into account that the portions are huge and for a great value. You can see the prices for each dish in my photo below. Worth a try, but wouldn't come again. read more

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There's a little wait even when we went there just before 2pm. We ordered two dishes and was last call because they close at 230pm. Both dishes were so tasty and delicious. I wanted to order more to try different dishes but portions were big. Service was fast and good. I will definitely go back for more. read more

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Always good eat there or to go! Need to try the fresh made wonton, must order! Also their house made spicy sauce Best food in town come and try now. read more

Blue Sky Café - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

Wait was pretty bad, went on Saturday afternoon, waited around 1 hour 15 min. The restaurant is relatively small, so its expected. Likely hard to dine in with 4+ people. Food was solid, ordered Sauteed bean sprouts, Salt/pepper pork chops, scallion fried rice, and black pepper beef. Portions were very large, no complaints about the food. Service was excellent, easy to order and put your name on the waitlist. Messaged when the table was available. If not for the wait times, well worth the trip. read more

This is a tiny restaurant that packs a big punch! The key to their success? Consistently high quality food, freshest ingredients and the owner's attention to customer service in areas that matter. Is it the fastest service? No. But they are slammed from the moment they open until they close. This is take out orders along with dine-in. Food quality is always on point. We've had their clay pot dishes along with my daughter's favorite salt and pepper pork chop with no pepper and less salt. We also had their pumpkin and tofu dishes and they are all great. When we have visitors from out of state visiting, or family gatherings, this is one of our top spots and a favorite among everyone. read more

Blue Sky Café - Clay pot rice - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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Legit Chinese food. I had no idea this was here. It was raining and we waited quite a long time but it was worth it. We had sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and green beans. Green beans were so crunchy and not soggy like a lot of other Chinese restaurants. Will I go back? Yes! read more

Have been here 3 times now and can still say this is my favorite clay pot rice spot and Hong Kong style food. Every dish I've had I've enjoyed although the sweet and sour spare ribs are my least favorite mainly because it reminds me of Panda and isn't special. Small restaurant and wait time can get long for a table. Not great for big groups and the only have 2 tables that can fit more than 5 people. read more

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Great Chinese cuisine in Belmont. Pretty tight spot though so you have to be mindful of how long you're seated there during busy times but so yum and fresh. read more

Blue Sky Restaurant in Belmont is very good for authentic Chinese food. Really enjoyed the meal. The sautéed green beans with minced pork and spicy sauce were especially delicious -- full of flavor with just the right amount of heat. The curry beef with gravy was also very good, rich and comforting, and the chicken clay pot was another standout dish. It's a smaller shop with only about 9 tables, so there might be a wait during busy times. They use a queue system where you can put your name down, and once seated, orders are placed through your phone using a QR code, which makes the process quick and convenient. read more

Blue Sky Café - Sauteed String Bean with minced pork and spicy sauce - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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Affordable and delicious! We ordered a lot of food and were so full after with a bunch of leftovers. If you are a large group, you can call and make a reservation ahead of time, otherwise for small groups you will have to waitlist on their tablet. There's a cutoff time but if you already on the waitlist they will seat you. Pretty much everything we ate was good. Our favorites were the salted egg yolk shrimp, hainan chicken. The spare rib rice could use more flavor - this was probably our least favorite dish. Service is okay - seems one person is essentially running the entire front of the house but he is definitely a little too rushed in his actions lol. But I guess that helps with table turnover. Would definitely come again! read more

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FOOD: 4 SERVICE: 4 AMBIANCE: 3 VALUE: 4 We have been waiting to try this restaurant for sometime now. Since they close their lunch at 2:30, we have missed their lunch cutoff (around 2:10PM) before. We arrived for lunch around 2PM and the restaurant was still full. So, we were afraid we would miss the cutoff again! So, we talk to the host and tried to order as we see several tables were ready to pay and leave. The host assured us that we will make it to eat. Having looked at the menu already, when we sat down, we were prepared to order from the QR code on the table. We ordered: Wonton soup- generous shrimp portion in a thin wonton wrapper in a soup with lots of cabbage. Really tasty morsels of shrimp with some crunchiness. Runny Egg and Shrimp Chow Fun - one of the classic Canto chow fun dishes. Plenty of "wok air" with lots of shrimp and the egg running all over. Egg Yok pumpkin - I think it was really Kombucha Squash with shrimp in two kind of egg batter (regular and salted egg). Crispy, salty and sweet. Sweet and Sour Pork - my wife is the connoisseur of this dish. She said this is probably the best right now in the Bay Area. Sweet and tangy with pork ribs, and the pineapple and veggies were not overcooked. We will be back to try their dinner service soon. Can't miss HK/Canto style restaurant! read more

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A small unassuming spot in Belmont! Located in a small plaza, plaza parking is available along with street parking. If I were to recommend a Chinese spot in Belmont, this is the best pick! The cafe has a limited number of tables, but they are quickly able to turn tables around. There is a kiosk to enter the waitlist. There was a wait to get seated, for a party of two we waited about 40 minutes. The host was very kind and very attentive. Food came out quick, and service was fast as well! 10/10 Large Peasprouts with Egg Tofu A great shareable plate for a family! They don't have a smaller portion, only a large serving. 10/10 Chinese Sausage Claypot Rice What makes Claypot rice special is how they cook the rice, they definitely got the texture and firmness just right and their sweet soy is a perfect pairing! read more

Blue Sky Café - Sauteed Large Pea Spout with Egg Tofu - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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This Cantonese restaurant was highly recommended by many of our friends, and we definitely understand why. Quality food at affordable prices, we couldn't go wrong! The restaurant only has a couple tables which is why there's usually a line waiting outside. They're famous for their clay pot rice and we finally gave it a try. It was perfection, crispy and flavorful, the eel clay pot rice was delicious! I was also pleasantly surprised with their eggplant, it was so soft and the spicy garlic sauce was spot on! The fried shrimp and pumpkin was so delicious, definitely give it a try! The shrimp is coated in a salted egg batter which was a really nice touch. The chicken with green onions was also one of my favorites! read more

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Back here again Best claypot in the bay area , this time we tried the eel with chinese sausage and it's my fav so far ! Every dish fresh , hot , large potion and so much flavor ! Customer service always us superb and attentive ! read more

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Very small place but delivers good food. Service is typical of a small and fast Chinese place. Can be slow at times and servers moving quickly to deliver plates and tend to takeout orders. Luckily, they do take reservations for parties of 5 or more. If you come during peak hours, there will be a wait (I wouldn't necessarily wait for a table here - maybe max 20 minutes)? It is in a small plaza but the parking lot spaces are somewhat tight. There was a QR code on the table for the menu as well, which was nice. You can also order takeout, but there was almost an hour wait for that as well. I believe they may have stopped taking take out orders too at one point in the evening around 7:30-8pm on a Saturday. All the food was good. Not the absolute best in the Bay/other Chinese places, but they do have generous portions for the price you pay. I didn't take a picture of the clay pot rice, but a medium could be shared among at least 4-5 people with leftovers. Beef stew was tasty and soft - what you'd like and expect in a good beef noodle soup. Fried pork chops were fried well and crispy, and a good amount of green onion sprinkled over - these were definitely not as salty as some other places, which is nice if you're into that. Sweet & sour was good too, with some pieces of cartilage or bone in some pieces so be a little cautious. read more

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Came back for a dinner with coworkers. Same experience - fast, friendly and yummy. This spot has some of my favorite string beans. They are cooked to perfection - crunchy and tasty. read more

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I came at 5:45pm on a weekday and got the very last table before a consistent queue formed until at least 7pm. The food here is great! I tried the clay pot rice which had great flavor and nicely crispy rice on the edges. The chicken wings were crispy and flavorful without being dry or overly saucy. Service is also super nice and fast. I would definitely come again! read more

Blue Sky Café - Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings - Chinese Near Me - Belmont, California

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Went with friends from San Carlos, who love to do take out here, for a Chinese New Year dinner. Prices were pretty reasonable as it came out to just a little over $300 for 8 of us. However, the food was pretty average and left something to be desired for me. We had a variety of clay pot rice dishes, veggies, chow fun, plus salted egg pumpkin with prawns and steamed fish. It was very popular with locals, with people still waiting for tables when we left around 8pm on Saturday (but it is still Chinese New Year, so need to consider that). I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come back but I'm glad that the locals in the area like it, as it's doing well for what feels like a small mom and pop restaurant. read more