Da Lian is one of the better Chinese restaurants in Berkeley by our standards. My husband and I stopped by here when we wanted a quick bite and this place was packed and super busy. I ordered the mixed vegetables with tofu and my husband ordered vegetable chow mein. Both were excellent and had great flavor. Service was a bit slower but they were really busy so we can't really complain about that. read more

We place a lot of take out orders here for work and they are always ready for pickup when we arrive. The restaurant itself is clean and the food is tasty. The portion size is great for the price! Service is for the most part friendly but always slow (dining only). Love the cumin lamb dish!! read more

Workday lunch with my co-worker. After always walking pass this restaurant, my co-worker and I decided to eat here for lunch. Lucky for us, they have lunch specials. I had the Hong Kong style crispy noodles, hoping it would be like the cake noodles I am familiar with back in Hawaii. When the dish came out, the noodles were thin and crispy, especially on the outside, where none of the sauce touched. I wished it was cut up rather than served as a whole fried noodles. It came with shrimps, chicken, and vegetables, which they could a little more of. The flavor of the sauce was good. It didn't taste an leave me with MSG mouth. Overall, a good lunch dish, if you don't eat all the noodles. read more

consistently tasty and fresh. been here dozens of times. other chinese food in the east bay is good sometimes and then not others.

I recently dined here with a local friend, and we both enjoyed it very much. Highlights included the steamed spinach dumplings, vegetarian mu-shu, and garlic chicken. The price was extremely reasonable given the quality of the food. Good and courteous service. read more

As an Asian American who has had my fair share of Chinese food and frequently travels to China, I have high expectations for authentic Chinese food and am always looking for new restaurants to try. I am so glad that I finally tried Da Lian because the dishes were authentic and tasty. Food: 4/5 Lamb with Cumin ($13.95) - Shredded lamb stir-fried with cumin and red pepper. I love lamb and have tried this exact dish at various Bay Area Chinese restaurants. While it was not mind-blowing, the dish was flavorful enough and sufficiently satisfied my cravings. Sichuan Fish Fillets ($13.95) - This was surprisingly my favorite dish out of the three! The fish fillets are slightly battered, fried, and coated in a delicious sweet, sour, and slightly spicy sauce. Absolutely delicious and would definitely order this again the next time I come! Zhangcha Tea Smoked Duck ($17.95) - Would not order this again and wouldn't recommend. There were more fat and bones in the pieces of duck than meat, so I did not think this dish was worth it all. As for taste, the flavor of the small pieces of duck meat was merely okay, so I relied on the hoisin sauce (that all Chinese restaurants provide with their Peking duck dishes) to add flavor. Price: 3/5 As expected, the slightly overpriced dishes added up. Especially the white rice. The receipt does not list out the individual prices of the dishes (so I don't know if I was overcharged), but my grand total was around $55. Adding the prices of the three above dishes together, the total should have been around $45.85, and I don't see how white rice could have added up to around $10. Ambience & Service: 4/5 The lighting is very dim and yellow, which adds a calm ambiance to the environment. However, I prefer to have slightly brighter lighting when I'm eating because I would like to be able to visually enjoy the food that I am eating, in addition to actually eating it. Service was attentive, but nothing special. Overall: 3.5/5 I'm unhappy with how much I had to pay for yummy authentic, but given only a few options for authentic Chinese cuisine around the Berkeley area, Da Lian sufficiently satisfied my cravings. read more

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My dad and I came here today, on Father's Day, and both of us were not impressed. We ordered two items from the dim sum section: shrimp dumplings and sesame pancakes, plus the noodles with clams. The food was good, but the real problem lies with the service. First, the restaurant was almost empty. Second, the waitstaff was not very attentive. For example, nobody refilled our water glasses or gave my dad a pen to sign the bill. Also, we didn't get forks for our noodle dish, which was difficult to eat. We had to ask the waitress for my leftovers five minutes after we asked for them to be boxed up. Finally, we searched Yelp for "dim sum" and this restaurant came up, yet had so few dim sum offerings. Both of us were disappointed. Not coming back here again. read more

Got the black bean noodles with pork and zucchini. Delicious, huge portions, cheap prices ($10). Staff was very friendly, attentive, and efficient. Cash preferred. read more

Dalian - Black bean noodles - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Just didn't quite hit it home. I've been here thrice, and have yet to be impressed. I have no complaints though, except that it's a bit pricey for mediocre food. But Chinese food isn't that great around campus in general, so I guess this is comparatively good. I don't really have recommendations for what to get, as everything I've gotten has been just ok. read more

Dalian - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

OMG This place is amazing. The sesame scallion bread will basically slay you and if you are not crawling around on the floor under the tables after that, dizzy with joy, get one of the homemade noodle dishes. They are very busy, so come in with a little patience and good spirit and enjoy the sincere welcome and funny asides as they rush past you. (My brother asked for more vinegar and the extremely elegant woman he flagged down paused and asked him if he had drunk it all.) The decor deserves a second look, they refinished the chairs in a wonderful fabric reminiscent of the Silk Road and picked out really nice elements from the greenery to the dishes their incredible food is served in and on. The staff seems to share the care of each table no matter which section they are in and they are genuinely proud of the food the kitchen turns out and they will help you negotiate this less common Chinese menu. It's really a pleasure to have access to regional dishes like these, especially from the north which is often underrepresented in American-Chinese cuisine. We had good luck feeding an omnivore, a vegetarian, and a whore-a-vore..I actually can't imagine anyone walking in here and walking out without a huge smile on their face and a sense of having been treated as an honored guest. This is a family style restaurant that accommodates a very large family. It's nice to sit at one of the tables they have set and know that you are sharing in a truly special experience. read more

The spicy pork soup was really flavorful and the portions are enormous! Had to take half of it home to finish later!

was craving hot and sour soup so ordered some for takeout. it was a but pricier than im used to but really bomb! if something simple like that is so good then everything else must be bomb. plus the whole restaurant smelled amazing. read more

great choice and serivce and consistency over the years.

Wow! I've been walking by this place on my way home for two years and I never went inside before yesterday. That was a huge mistake. This is probably the best Chinese food I've found since moving to the Bay Area. I got the Sichuan chicken, chicken fried rice, and their potstickers. The potstickers were perfectly crispy and deeply flavorful and juicy. Yum! The chicken fried rice was good, but nothing too special. The Sichuan chicken, though... this is just the best!! The spice level was perfect, the sauce was delicious, and the chicken was amazing quality white meat. So, so good. (My favorite Chinese dish is typically General Tso's chicken, and this dish was pretty much that.) I will definitely come back. Let it be noted that the service is not great, though. We were stuck waiting for our check for nearly fifteen minutes, which was annoying. They also were not at all attentive about water refills; they only noticed our glasses were empty while delivering the food. Perfectly friendly, though; just kind of absent. read more

Dalian - Sichuan chicken. So good!!! - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place has to be the most underrated Chinese restaurant in Berkeley, considering the quality of the food and the fact that it is never very crowded. The ambient won't be mistaken to a place like Great China but you can be assured your food (pick any one from the menu) is cooked properly using good ingredients. Our favorites are: 1. Every single one of the 6 home made noodle dishes, especially Ta Lu noodle. 2. MuShu chicken. 3. Crispy duck. 4. Salmon dumpling. 5 and more... This is an authentic Chinese restaurant that also caters to non-Asian perfectly... read more

This place is awesome! Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options for those of you that need it! We started with the sesame green onion bread which was phenomenal, followed by veggie fried noodles, Sichuan chicken, and king pao tofu. It was all excellent. The chicken was tender breast meat, and out of my whole plate, I had no weird grizzly bits! Hot tea comes straight to the table and is complimentary, as is the standard soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil. I can't wait to go back and try more menu items! I have a feeling this is going to be a new weekly spot. The ONLY downside is that they don't take AmEx, but it's an easy issue to resolve. read more

Ate lunch here. Street 2 hour parking. Chinese food lunch specials. Entrees eaten were average. Environment was clean for Chinese eatery. Service was slow and had to catch waitress to order, ask for bill, get tea refill. read more

Dalian - Crispy Style chow mein - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Service is miserable. Absolutely no refills on water, no matter how wildly you wave, same for replacing your napkin, which fell on the ground. Bring your own canteen. Furthermore, the waitress carries your soup to you, with her thumb submerged in the soup. Steamed shrimp dumplings (from their Dim Sum section) are good and fresh. Dry-sauteed green beans are very good--no need to get the tofu added since it will be too chewy and overdone, anyway. Was a bit of a go-'round to get them to understand that we merely wanted the homemade garlic noodles, vegetarian, with fried tofu. She kept smiling back and saying we wanted it with the pork brisket. We did not! They were tasty, but the chef needs to do a better job of coating them with the garlic sauce and not relying on the minced garlic on top to flavor the noodles. The blanched spinach, which is really probably more a garnish, is not good or bad. Just meh! Wonton Soup is very good--nice wontons with NO grizzley pork, and the wrappers are delicate. Still, we asked for a new soup without her finger having taken a dip in it and then pantomimed how to carry the soup without her intrusive, dirty thumb in it. She got it, but we saw her bring soup to the table next to us, with her finger submerged in the soup, again! The food is much more enjoyable and tasty to-go so that you don't have to deal with no water refills or watch the breach in steriile technique. Really, the worst service in terms of getting noticed and communication we have ever experienced. It's gonna be fun to order take-out over the phone! read more

I'm giving this place a generous rating of 4 because the first time I came, I really enjoyed the shrimp and chive dumpling. Last night I got the potstickers as I was told these are even better than the dumplings. Really disappointed. Thick skin with hard bottoms. Filling was just ok tasting and not juicy. read more

Mary and I met here for lunch today. The restaurants takes up two storefronts on Shattuck. The walls are painted in softly citrus colors and small Chinese paintings hang on the walls. I just remembered that when we had tried to come here the last time they were closed for redecorating, so this was the result. They have a large menu of lunch specials, each one including soup, salad and rice along w/ the main. Prices are odd numbers, like $6.37, probably to make even numbers w/ tax. Mary ordered Kung Pao shrimp and I ordered garlic basic mixed seafood. The soup was a nicely balanced hot and sour. I didn't have to add vinegar, which is fairly unusual. The salad was fresh and crisp, w/ a light dressing that was slightly on the sweet side. We both requested brown rice. My dish came w/ prawns, calamari and scallops as well as broccoli. It was tasty. Mary was pleased w/ hers. After we finished our lunch Mary noticed some interesting dishes at the adjacent table and asked our waitress about them. She brought over a regular menu and showed us that dim sum was an option and the dish that Mary noticed was the fist thing on the menu, a sesame cake. We agreed we will return here next time and try the dim sum. read more

Da Lian: Proof that you should never judge a book by its cover! Quietly situated in the Gourmet Ghetto, Da Lian is a rare flower within a sea of European influences. There is no question that the Gourmet Ghetto is mostly European in its composition--think Chez Panisse, Bistro Liaison, and Gregoire, just to name a few. Given their location, I expected Da Lian to be expensive and cater to a predominantly non-Asian population. This, as you may predict, *usually* leads to a drop in authenticity of cooking. Boy was I in for a surprise!!! My bro and I ordered zha jiang mien (thick wheat noodles with ground pork and fermented soybean paste, 3.5/5 stars) and fire glazed tofu (4/5 stars) with a bowl each of brown and white rice. Both dishes were elegantly simple, yet highly flavorful and delicious. I really appreciated how clean the flavors were. Our dishes were not oily whatsoever, which is a mark of a good chef! :) As an added bonus, the dishes were reasonably priced, too. Both were between $10-$12. I would describe the ambiance of Da Lian as understated opulence. The interior is at once spacious, calming, and perfect for quiet conversation. Admittedly, the lighting is a little too dim for my liking around dinner time, but that's not a huge issue. The waitress was very attentive and refilled our water and tea often (5/5 service!) I am so glad that I gave Da Lian a chance. They may have a lot of non-Asian customers, but the quality and taste of their dishes have not suffered one bit. From here on out, I will remember Da Lian when recommending good Chinese restaurants in Berkeley. read more

Dalian - Fire glazed tofu (dim lighting at dinnertime makes for a very saturated looking photo) - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'd always wanted to try this place, but never got around to it until tonight. I read the reviews and the east bay express just to make sure there wasn't a reason that the restaurant always seems so empty. Before I begin my review I would like to say that the waitresses were nice, the decor lovely and clean, and the ambiance quiet and good for a date. Two stars for those. As per the recommendation of the EBE and another review we ordered the pot stickers, the lamb and cabbage soup, and the chicken mu shu. I figured we'd throw in the special recommended dish along with some staples. The waitress wanted to make sure I knew it was lamb. Yes, I love lamb. I love lamb so much I'll take it on a spit. So I'm from a German/Irish/really really white people background and I LOVE cabbage and, as I said before I love lamb, so I thought wow this is going to be AMAZING, especially since it was so recommended. Well, the potsickers were so so, and the mu shu was good*, but the soup? Well, the soup was probably the worst tasting thing I've ever had in my life. Worse, even, than the cake I accidentally made with salt instead of sugar. No, my dear, it was not the lamb that you should have warned me about. It had a musky/putrid aftertaste that actually made me throw up a little bit when I first tasted it. I love sauerkraut and any form of pickled cabbage, but this was rotten rotten rotten. If gym shoes had been used to make the broth, I would not have been surprised, as the meat was like rubber, and the noodles like shoelaces. I also thought the smell was rather like the smell of a dead animal. Putrid, with the sweet smell of maggot. It reminded me of the smell my dogs bring back home, maggot coated, when they roll in dead things out in the brush. That, and the smell you smell in your own mouth after you've been vomiting for several hours. The most amusing part of this whole ordeal is as a white person I didn't want to send it back. I figured I was just not getting the "authentic" taste and was just a white philistine. My BF also had this same instinct, so while I ate the mu shu through my nausea from the smell, he ate the soup. (See how racism is bad!) He gathered up all the solid pieces out of the soup and smothered them in soy sauce so the broth was not as noticeable. I couldn't look at him for fear of feeling vommy again. As we went home we realized that perhaps there might have been something *really* wrong with the soup, and that he might die in his sleep tonight. Or, perhaps the reviewer is playing some sick joke on people. (Ha Ha just wait till you try this, it's AMAZING). Perhaps the east bay express was sending signals to terrorist groups by recommending that soup. Or perhaps there is a serial killer sending them coded messages and demanding a recommendation for that dish. Whatever the case, I just hope my BF isn't dead in the morning. Here lies -------, Don't eat the lamb and cabbage soup! *this is only a review of the soup. Please note I did say the mu shu was good. read more

For Americanised Chinese food, this might be the best restaurant in the East Bay. (Best in the West Bay: Dragon Well, though that's more Californiaised.) Though I prefer my food to be true to regional traditions, there are worse kinds of Americanisation, like neoliberalism or "Friends". Da Lian uses quality ingredients and their cooking is competent; concessions are made to the median local palate, but that's done with a relatively light touch. If you want a quick lunch and don't have time to trek to Oakland/Richmond/Albany, this is probably a better choice than Great China, though there's no way I'd choose this place over Great China for a banquet, or if I wanted duck. The smoked pork is good, maybe a little lean but served in enough juice to make up for that. It's still good the next day. I wouldn't recommend the Sichuan beef: the sweet & sour taste overwhelms the peppercorns, when it should be the other way around - if you served this in Chengdu, they'd run you out of town. It's not entirely unpleasant, just lame enough to send me scurrying back to the smoked pork next time. The hot and sour soup you get with lunch is fun for what it is. I expect I would like the lamb soup more than most people, though there are many Korean stews and soups I'm in more of a hurry to try. (For Michelle M.: This place gets a rare "V" for vegetarian-friendly.) read more

I violated my Mama's rule for judging Chinese Restaurants: Never, ever, ever go to a Chinese restaurant when the only patrons are white folk! But on Saturday, the hubby, my father in law, and I decided to check out this joint. It began poorly. The sizzling rice soup was okay, but nothing to write home about. The rice was not sizzling because it wasn't cooked long enough. Then we had some shrimp/chive dumplings. They were decent, but at $9.95/dish, it was might expensive! But then arrived the two dishes that saved the day: Mongolian lamb, and Mandarin tofu. Wow, these two dishes were delicious! Very, very flavorful! The service was so-so, but those two dishes were good enough for me to give a solid 4 stars. We will be back! read more

Da Lian used to be excellent. I think that's largely the reason why some people try it and discover it doesn't live up to its reputation. It's unfortunate that I didn't write this review earlier, as I would have waxed poetic about its vegetarian hot and sour soup, its kung pao tofu, its mu shu vegetable, and its tofu and lettuce wrap. The one item that has survived intact is the hot and sour soup . . . I think . . . I haven't been in quite some time, so I don't want to represent something as good when it might not be anymore. The key to Da Lian's success in the past, I believe, is that the owner was the chef, and he cooked with an excellent hand, delicately directing spice and flavor where it was needed. Indeed, Da Lian's brilliance was its delicate preparation. This was not greasy, sloppy, gloppy, corn-starchy Americanized crap; this was real hot-to-trot culinary sophistication brought to mundane Americanized classics while introducing honest and authentic new dishes from Da Lian province and raised the bar for every other Chinese wannabe in the area. For me, there was no comparison. I had only wished that, as a vegetarian, they also served veggie chicken dishes. Given its commitment to authenticity and excellence, I couldn't fault them for not. A couple of years ago, I noted a significant decline in quality. I'm not talking about a little bit off here or there; I'm talking jump off of the cliff decline. The kung pao tofu was pasty. The mu shu suddenly was oily. The balance among flavors and spices collapsed into a muddle of confused cooking. It wasn't horrible, per se. Most Chinese restaurants are god-awful, and I can't saw that Da Lian ever sunk to those depths, but given its previous ascension to the Nobel Prize, it was disconcerting to see it now cooking at the level of a chemistry lab intern. My suspicion is that the owner was cooking seven days per week for both lunch and dinner and simply burned out. Eventually he had to hire help, and eventually he needed time off. After hiring and training new people, his oversight lapsed. I remember one time asking the owner's wife -- who sometimes also takes the orders -- why there were no peppers in my kung pao. It was clearly a different person cooking. Meanwhile, I always ask if the husband/owner is cooking. I am always told that he is. Nonsense. Maybe he always cooks the Peking Duck or maybe he always cooks some Da Lian specialties. He hasn't cooked my main entrees, however, in years. That's why I stopped coming. Some things that Da Lian does were never good. The spring rolls suck ass. Always have, and I can't fault the decline for that. Their streamed/fried vegetable potstickers were heavy and uninspired. I can't imagine that's changed. In the hey day -- and even after -- the vegetarian hot and sour soup (not on the menu, but they'll make it if you ask) was unusual. It's more peppery and has a different broth than the reddish, corn-starchy broth that is typically attributed to hot and sour soup. Of course, as a vegetarian, I cannot comment on any of the meat or seafood dishes. I give Da Lian three stars out of respect for its wonderful past. I should have reviewed this restaurant long ago, and I had I done so, it would have gotten at least four stars, possibly five. Well, three stars is probably a fair rating for what it is now -- nothing special, just okay -- but still better than most crappy, MSG laden bullshit that is typically passed off as Chinese in this country. On a curve, Da Lian makes the grade, but we all know that the standards in the United States are falling. On its own, it passes, but not with flying colors. read more

Service: 4 stars especially compared to typical Chinese restaurants Ambiance: 4 stars, very nice atmosphere (see interior photos on Yelp and Google Maps), almost romantic, instrumental Chinese music in the background Speed: 4 stars, food came out fairly quickly Bathrooms: 3 stars, very clean, especially compared to typical Chinese restaurants Price: Reasonable, pricier than Chinese restaurants in Oakland Chinatown but in line with Gourmet Ghetto restaurants, and you're definitely paying more for the better service and better environment Now for the moment you've all been waiting for...and the actual basis of my overall star rating: Food Quality: 2 stars Food Ordered: Sizzling Rice Soup - pretty good, didn't sizzle as much as really authentic restaurants, but the flavors were mostly there (4/5) Smoked Duck - came with over-steamed and dried out buns that I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't freshly made, they had sort of a previously-frozen texture/taste. The steamed duck itself was missing its breast, making the dish rather small and over-priced. It was also too dry. Eating this made me long for authentic smoked duck. (2/5) Za Jiang Mien (black bean noodles) - was not even close to authentic, which was extremely disappointing because this is one of my favorite noodle dishes. No black bean flavor at all, tasted like the sauce was mostly soy sauce. Overly salty, noodles were not al dente. (1/5) Jasmine Rice - good. If they messed this one up I would've given them a 1 star. It's hard to mess up rice. (4/5) Not to be racist or anything, but if you are looking for authentic Chinese food and you walk into a Chinese restaurant and you are literally the ONLY customer of any Asian descent in the entire fairly busy restaurant, you're probably at the wrong place. This is catered towards the typical American tastebud that doesn't know what its missing and likes its food over-salted and over-cooked. I ALWAYS feel bad writing a negative review like this, especially for Da Lian because I wanted to like it so much (the service and atmosphere are excellent), but I have high standards for Chinese restaurants. I've discovered I can't trust Yelp ratings on Chinese restaurants. If you want authentic Chinese food, start with the 1 or 2 star restaurants first, and the ones that have the most complaints about rude service and questionable cleanliness. ;) read more

There's kind of a standard American Chinese restaurant that might as well be a franchise, ordering gallons of "Kung Pao" sauce from restaurant supply warehouses, cooking saucy gloopy classics made to be served over copious amounts of steamed rice, catering to some 1960s idea of what "American Chinese Food" should be. Da Lian is not one of those restaurants. Everything here is fresh and flavorful, the kung pao fish wasn't served in a tureen of sauce, it was perfectly cooked fish, perfectly cooked vegetables, served in a light sauce that's obviously made in house. The Hunan Beef wasn't some overbreaded chewy disaster, it was slices of perfectly tender beef, served in a lightly sweet and decently spicy sauce. The chow mein was delicious as well, the noodles cooked perfectly so that they still had some bite to them. They weren't boiled down to a paste as you see so often in more typical Chinese restaurants. I really enjoyed the freshness of the vegetables in the sizzling rice soup even if the broth was a little light for my taste (my fault totally, I usually turn my soups into like 25% soy sauce by the time I consider them seasoned enough, they're noticeably darker at any rate...), and actually the vegetables all around were perfectly done, which isn't something you see too often. Someone obviously put time and effort into doing things properly and they didn't just hurl a pile of onions or bell peppers at whatever they were cooking at the time. Really, thinking back about it, the difference between Da Lian and a more typical Chinese restaurant is that someone at Da Lian obviously gives a shit, and that counts for a lot. read more

Best Chinese food in Berkeley! We used to go to this place when it was Yangtze River. It was kinda rundown, but cozy and the food was really good...the waiters were cool and always took care of us. We'd always stop by for dinner when in the neighborhood and in the mood for Chinese. Without warning, the good times abruptly ended when they seemingly changed ownership (under the same name) and the familiar servers were replaced...almost every time we were waited on by an angry woman who always got our order wrong. They changed the menu, the food went downhill with the service and so we bid Yangtze farewell. To our surprise about a year ago, we saw the place re-opened as Da Lian. We decided to stop in for lunch and were completely amazed by what we found. The interior was nicely redone, friendly people worked there again, and the food was mouth-watering delicious. I can't emphasize how fresh and flavorful the food tastes here. No MSG, no weird overpowering flavors. The veggies are crisp and the entrees are well balanced. The best part of all this is we've come back many times for lunch and dinner and the experience has been consistently very good! As others mentioned, the place tends to be rather empty (at least when we've been there). Not sure why...the food is amazing, the service is prompt and friendly, and it's a great value. When the place was Yangtze, I used to be addicted to their "succulent steamed bread" (served steaming hot with plum dipping sauce on the side). My new addiction is their sesame bread...try it, you'll like it! Oh...and I would give them an extra star for not automatically assuming I need a fork! read more

I had wandered into this place a couple years ago, and didn't even notice how good it was afterwards. A combination of plates ordered, plus nervousness over the company probably contributed to that. Now fast forward two years later and here I am again at Da Lian. In search of good Chinese food ever since great china closed down. Well here I was just expecting an okay meal, and what ensues is nothing short of cloud 9. We ordered a variety of dishes, but I'm going to constrain this to one thing and one thing only. The pot stickers. They were simply amazing. The outsides were crisped to perfection, and when you bit into them. What came next was the most mind blowing event. Liquid akin to that of xiao long Bao came gushing out of the pot stickers. Yes, these were pot stickers, yet they had the same mouth watering appeal of the coveted xlb. Whoever thought of doing that, must have been a genius. I could rant on and on about the pot stickers but alas I'll leave you guys with the fact that it is an experience you have to, well, experience. Service itself was only okay, but for those pot stickers I would definitely go back. Over and over again read more

We came to visit Berkeley and were really looking forward to Cheese Board Pizza, but it was closed on Sunday. Boo! Da Lian was an unexpectedly great alternative, considering we were more hungry than picky. The noodles looked like the star of the show. First up was the Garlic Noodles with Pork Brisket - really excellent and packing a ton of flavor. The noodles taste incredibly fresh as advertised, and the semi-crispy pork is pretty addictive. The sauce is a little salty without noodles, so definitely mix well. Next was the spicy pork noodle soup. It's like a beef noodle soup with a little vinegar kick, which might sound weird but is pretty great. I don't have a ton of exposure to Northern Chinese food, but I believe this dish maybe unfamiliar for the uninitiated like myself. Anyway, highly recommended on a rainy day. Service was a little slow on an uncrowded Sunday afternoon, but don't let that stop you from checking out Da Lian. read more

Da Lian has improved again - their quality went down for a while, due to mismanaging their sudden popularity.... but now they've got the cooking under tighter control. Their menu is stellar, and they've added regional specials like pork buns (not the kind I'm used to, but super good) and Cumin lamb (so weird, but delicious). Fresh ingredients, excellent preparations. It's worth it to put up with the horrible music and the North Berkeley people who talk really loudly about how smart/PC/important/awesome they are. If you don't know what to order, the eggplant anything and green bean anything are stellar. read more

Apparently this place used to be a lot better back in its prime-- and by better I mean more authentic. ATMOSPHERE It's definitely one of the cleanest Chinese restaurants I've ever been to... However, its cleanliness made me question its authenticity (however, I did notice a cluster of flies buzzing around a nearby table...). The restaurant itself is pretty spacious and the clientile is pretty white, which I think says a lot about the food. The service was spotty. My friend and I are clearly Chinese, and I even spoke to the waitress in Chinese, yet she continued to speak to us in English. How annoying. It also took many tries to flag her down. FOOD We ordered lunch specials, which came with salad, hot and sour soup, and rice. We ordered the Hunan beef and honey walnut prawns. The food was mediocre at best and the tastes were definitely tailored to non-Asians. The food was also pretty expensive for what it was. The highlight of the meal was probably the sweet and sour soup, but then again, you can't realy mess up sweet and sour soup... especially if it comes in a package. Honestly, the food was forgettable. Avoid this place if you can. You can definitely find "better" Chinese food at a much lower price. I have yet to find a good Chinese restaurant in Berkeley, and I can safely say that Da Lian hasn't gotten me anywhere closer to finding that crown jewel. It was disappointing, to say the least. read more

Da Lian is the best Chinese food I've had in the East Bay, possibly in the whole Bay Area. Not that I'm some Chinese food expert. I'm just saying. The flavors are simple and light, and not greasy or overpowering. Here's a breakdown of what I had: Sesame Bread - Simple bread filled with green onions. Nothing spectacular, but if you are a carb lover, you'll enjoy this. Reminded me of a savory chinese donut. Spinach Dumplings - Very simple yet flavorful, served with a hot mustard sauce. (Vegan friendly) Fire Glazed Tofu - Holy moly. BEST TOFU EVER! Lightly fried cubes of tofu in a sweet & spicy sauce served on a bed of spinach. The tofu is crispy on the outside and the inside is soft. Great texture and I love how it just explodes in your mouth. Vegetable Fried Rice - What surprised me is that their fried rice isn't brown like most Chinese restaurants. This means that it's not covered in soy sauce yet it was very flavorful. Overall, I think Da Lian has managed to serve up great Chinese food, using fresh ingredients and simple seasoning. I just love their flavor profiles because they don't cover up their ingredients with soy sauce or overpowering flavors. You taste all the ingredients individually and as a whole dish. Their prices are very reasonable. For the 4 dishes mentioned above, plus another I didn't eat (noodles in an egg flower broth with clams) it costs us about $40 for two people with plenty of leftovers. Thanks to "Check, Please! Bay Area" I will never go to any other Chinese restaurant in the East Bay. read more

My NEW favorite for chinese in Berkeley. Too far away for a walk while I was a student at Cal, but now that I have a car . . . This place has really really delicious food. Our kids are pretty easy to please, wife... not so much. This is the best chinese she's ever had. Everything wonderful: - honey walnut prawns (for the kids ... yeah) - garlic eggplant - dry sautéed green beans - black bean asparagus - beef chow fun (easy to get right, but still) - sweet and sour chicken (sooo good, all breast, so moist and soft) AND - the best szechuan beef I've ever tasted (I've tasted a lot) Plus: - pricing is really good - service was nice, never hovering but we never had to wait for anything - restaurant clean, well decorated, comfortable - the bathroom is the cleanest restaurant bathroom I can remember Super food and restaurant. read more

Just went here for lunch after touring Berkeley. Spicy Chicken with Eggplant-- delicious tender chicken (I don't usually like white meat chicken ) with non greasy eggplant. Highly recommend. My son and our cousin both got the spicy pork noodle soup. They thought it was delicious but both agree they would ask for less spicy next time (btw they both eat spicy foods). Can't ask for a better lunchtime meal. read more

I came here with my Mom for lunch today. She wanted to get the Lamb with Pickled Cabbage (which she's had before) but had a cough so went with the Seafood and Tofu Clay Pot (don't try to understand her Chinese Mom logic on this). It was tasty and decent; there was a good variety of seafood (mussels, squid, shrimp, scallops), it wasn't overcooked and the black bean sauce complemented rather than overpower the seafood. I would say this is a 3-star dish because it did the job and was fun to eat. The 4-star ratings are due to the other dishes we ordered (keep reading). We also ordered the Sesame Bread with Green Onions, which are apparently a specialty of the house. It's a plate-sized bread covered in sesame seeds with a nice crust all around, fluffy bread on the inside with a moist center of lightly salted green onions. Delicious! My Mom and the waitress there chatted after our meal about how the Sesame Bread here was much better than others in the area. While the waitress may have been biased, my Mom has very discriminating tastes, so I am going with their vote on this! My Mom also took 2 orders of this bread "to go" for a friend and for us to take home. I love me some fried bananas! Whenever I go to a Thai, Lao, Cambodian, or Vietnamese restaurant, I always order the Fried Bananas and compare them. My favorite in the Bay Area has been the one from Phnom Penh in Oakland (either location) but the one served at Da Lian definitely ties for the top spot now. They slice up a generous plate of bananas with a crunchy batter (so that they're the size of donut holes) and it's lightly drizzled in honey. I really appreciated the portion size, the fact that you can distinguish between the textures of the batter and the sweetness of the banana inside, and that it's not drowned in honey or some other sauce (like at Le Cheval). At other restaurants I always debate whether I want to share an order or get one for myself and leave my friends to fend for themselves, but here, you can definitely share. Another thing to note is that they close between 3:00-5:00pm so you better not have a Fried Banana or Sesame Bread craving during this time. Also there are lunch specials priced at $6 which I thought was a great deal for students. read more

I really don't each Chinese food that often, in large part because so much of what you find for Chinese food int he US makes you feel terrible for hours after eating it...all the salt, oil, fat, etc tastes good but makes me feel really sluggish. That's why a place like this is a real find...they have all the classic options but prepared in a way that is tasty and delicious without relying too heavily on grease and salt to make it taste good. I came here with my wife for a late dinner....all the options looked great but we were both in the mood for soup. She had the clam noodle soup and I had the spicy lamb and pickled cabbage soup. The noodles were fresh and the broth tasty...we were both pretty happy with our portions and with the quality of the ingredients. We rounded it out with the unique sesame bread stuffed with onions and spinach (apparently a North China classic) and spinach dumplings. The dumplings were good, did not have that sort of toughened skin so common in mass produced dumplings. The sesame bread was also good but sort of a large order for just two people, probably best for a group of at least 3. It was all very good and most importantly I felt okay after eating it. I'm excited to have discovered a Chinese restaurant that I can enjoy so I'll look forward to going back to sample some of their entrees. read more

Had the Spicy Pork Brisket noodle soup! The handmade noodles were chewy, if a tad overcooked. The pork was very tender, chewy and tasty, seasoned really well with delicious spices. However, is it the best Chinese noodle soup place? Maybe not. Also have to dock off one star for clearing my dish before I was even done while I went to the restroom. Had to ask for some more, on which they gave me a really tiny bit of noodle :( If the place was super busy I'd understand, but it was early in the evening and the place was half empty. read more

I came here for dinner tonight with my parents and I really love this place! I can't believe I haven't been here before. We were silly and ordered two soups. we also got brown rice. we got the wonton soup and the lamb with pickled Chinese cabbage clay pot. The wonton soup was really yummy. There were slices of chicken breasts floating in the chicken broth as well as sliced zuchinni, shrimp and spinach. The wontons were pretty darn good. The lamb clay pot was super delicious. I am now a huge fan of the dish. Our server was good and I liked the restaurant. The prices were reasonable and the food tasted really delicious. I can't believe I haven't been here before... I am now a huge fan! This place is awesome. read more

I was surprised how flavorful the dishes were. Judging by the lack of people in this restaurant, I thought it was going to be horrible, but was pleasantly surprised. We had the vegetarian spring rolls which didn't wow me. They were just like any other fried egg roll. There was also a special of skewered, sauteed tofu which came with a really tangy (not in a bad way though) sauce. And lastly we had the spicy hot braised bean curd. It was spicy, but not hot and it came with plenty of shitake mushrooms. Yum. The only thing negative I would say is that the music they play in the restuarant doesn't go with the neutral, wooden decor. The music is all dance dance revolution type. Maybe, it helps the staff get through the day, but all it gave me was a slight headache. read more