When I first heard of Great China, I assumed it would be more of a casual neighborhood mom-and-pop…read morespot, but I was definitely wrong. It's actually a popular, higher-end Chinese restaurant in downtown Berkeley, and judging by the number of people waiting to be seated on a weekend only 30 minutes after opening, it clearly does very well. One note: I often see long weekend lines forming even before opening, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation or arriving early. We came here with one thing in mind: Peking duck. It was prepared beautifully, with the exact nostalgic flavor and crispy skin I was hoping for. I also loved the way they presented the thin pancakes--half-folded and slightly overlapping each other--so you didn't have to worry about peeling each layer apart and accidentally ripping them. The dipping sauce and green onions were provided on the side, though I do wish they included thinly sliced cucumber to complete the experience. My husband also ordered the fish, which turned out soft, delicate, and delicious. It was a nice complement to the duck and rounded out the meal really well. My only real critique of Great China is the pricing. You're definitely paying a premium here, but the food does taste authentic and well-executed. Given the limited competition in the area, I can see why it feels justifiable if you live nearby. That said, it may not be as worth the splurge for people who already have easy access to more traditional, old-school Chinese restaurants.

Recently rediscovered this spot when we had a college reunion dinner here, and then took myself for…read morea Lunar New Year-ish dinner soon afterwards. Peking duck and potstickers remain among my favorites, and the egg fried rice is a sleeper hit. Sad to see they no longer open for lunch, but I don't blame them considering how packed the dinner service is.

This place can do no wrong in my eyes--or stomach. I've been coming here since 2018, and the…read morequality hasn't skipped a beat. I usually come with my family, and we order damn near everything on the menu. The aunties serving dishes actually laugh when they see how much food they're dropping off at the table. My favorites are the chili oil wontons, hot and dry noodles, bok choy, and General Tso's chicken. The wontons have just the right amount of heat, the noodles are thicccc and chewy, and every dish somehow manages to disappear before we can even think about leftovers. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything you order. One of my favorite parts is watching them make the noodles by hand. Half the restaurant is dedicated to the noodle-making station, while the other half is for seating. It's not a huge dining room, but they do offer the Yelp Waitlist, so you can check the live wait before heading over. The vibe is very, get your food and head out so they can keep up with table space for incoming guests. Always a hit, never a miss.

Very tasty!! Everything was delicious - definitely recommend the Shan Dong chicken and the Sesame…read morepaste noodles. Highly recommend upgrading to the hand made noodle The staff are all friendly and the food comes out very quickly. Portion sizes are also very generous. Restaurant is on the smaller side so there was a wait for a party of 4.

Special Noodle is located in Pacific East Mall towards the back. Ordered a pretty big spread that…read moreconsisted of beef rolls, dumplings, fried rice, and salt and pepper chicken bites. The dumplings were delicious and even better with some chili oil. The chicken fried rice had huge chunks of egg and chicken which I loved with a deep soy flavor. The salt and pepper chicken was decent, I think I prefer salt and pepper wings/fish/shrimp. The beef rolls weren't for me, though. It's typically one of my favorite dishes but it seemed to be lacking beef & I wasn't a fan of the lettuce filling or the roll itself being a bit too soft and doughy. Overall, a good experience. Our server was nice and everything came out quick!

The soup pan fried buns...the soup pan fried buns..the soup pan fried buns..saying this three times…read moremay stick ;) Wow, will definitely be back for these! So delicious..plump/juicy/crispy and golden brown..chef's kiss. Special Noodle in the Pacific East Mall has delicious noodle dishes, small bites/dim sum, and a pretty extensive and unique dining menu. We ordered a combination chow mein and pan fried buns. FYI, the pan fried buns take a bit of additional time and come piping hot. I would wait a few minutes before eating, or check out a video on @yelpbayarea of how to eat soup dumplings! Another note, you order from an iPad that's handed to you upon arrival once seated. Make sure after you 'add items to cart' you submit your order. We left that step out and didn't realize until a few minutes later. Staff is friendly and make sure to ask if anything additional is needed like napkins, etc. Overall a fun experience, fair pricing, located in the hustle and bustle of the mall, and cool digs if you're looking for a comfortable dining experience without the frills.

June 2026 -- Berkeley, CA Dumplings for the Deadline Damned…read more Dumpling Express, not far from UC Berkeley, has the kind of facade that says: we are not here to seduce you with ambiance; we are here to prevent your blood sugar from collapsing during midterms. The exterior is a pale green, low-drama storefront with a metal roofline, a modest hanging sign, a couple of sidewalk tables, and a general visual philosophy best described as "handmade dumplings, not handmade branding strategy." It looks less like a restaurant trying to be discovered and more like a temporary work-in-progress bungalow that decided to become permanent, with the rust swirling in like Berkeley's unofficial architectural signature. Naturally, this makes it more trustworthy. My review is based on an Uber Eats pickup order, which feels like the correct way to encounter this place. Dumpling Express appears mostly built for takeout: fast, practical, compact, and run by one kind master behind the counter surrounded by enough BTU's, condiments, steam, and ingredients to power a graduate seminar and three emotionally unstable group projects. Service was reliable. The food came packed in plastic containers that held heat well but were still easy to open and close, meaning you could theoretically eat this while driving. Should you? No. Could you? Tragically, yes. Berkeley has witnessed worse experiments in applied ethics. We ordered four items. The egg rolls were shockingly generous. One order could probably feed a four-person study group, or one economics major after discovering rent is not a theoretical construct. They were pretty good: crisp, not overly greasy, almost light. Flavor-wise, they were not exactly writing a dissertation, but they showed up to class. 3/5. The XLB tasted good, but they were not classic soup dumplings in the strict "I have traveled, I own opinions, and I have been hurt before" sense. The wrapper was not especially thin, and there was not enough of that dangerous, piping-hot broth that makes you question your dental insurance. Still, the flavor was pleasant. I did not feel betrayed. Merely academically unconvinced. 3/5. The chicken and cabbage dumplings were fine. A little bland, yes, but not bad, especially for cheap eats near campus. They are the dumpling equivalent of a decent discussion section: not life-changing, not offensive, and useful if you are hungry and trying to survive the week. 3/5. The clear star was the sesame ball with red bean filling. Crispy, warm, gooey, sweet, and deeply correct. This was the one item that stood up, adjusted its tiny sesame-covered blazer, and delivered an argument worthy of tenure. Excellent. 5/5. Overall, Dumpling Express is an excellent value spot for students, quick lunches, late study nights, and anyone needing hot food without emotional paperwork. For well-traveled adults chasing transcendent dumpling enlightenment, this is probably more of a "good in a pinch" situation than a destination pilgrimage. But for Berkeley? Near campus? For the broke, busy, brilliant, sleep-deprived, caffeine-haunted scholars of tomorrow? It makes sense. It feeds the machine. It keeps the little academic hamsters running. And the sesame balls deserve a fellowship.

We came in a while ago and there was only one man working and making all the orders. We ordered…read morepork and shrimp siu mai (4 pieces), sesame seaweed salad, and the house special combo which comes with 6 soup dumplings and 1 bbq pork bun. Everything tastes good, but I feel like the portions/sizes were on the smaller side than the dim sum I'm used to getting. Still, I would definitely come back when I get the cravings for quick dim sum again. Also, it was so sweet that the guy working that day, gave us an extra bbq pork bun seeing that my boyfriend and I were going to share the food. He told us he didnt want us fighting over the 1 bun that comes with the house special combo. How cute!

Me and the wifey couldn't decide on a place to eat and wound up in Solano Avenue. We looked up a…read morecouple of Yelp spots and decided to give this place a try. I am glad we did because I was not disappointed. The place was busy but the service was prompt and excellent. We had ordered three dishes to share family style with rice. First off let me start by saying the portions are generous. All three of the dishes were a hit but to me the star of the show was the garlic chicken. The sauce was excellent! If spicy is your thing then order the beef, it was loaded with peppers! Finally the walnut prawns were nice counter to the garlic and peppers. We also ordered steamed rice to go with the meal. This was an excellent choice and we will most definitely be back.

What a surprise! I stopped going to this restaurant before…read morethe pandemic hit. I had disappointment after disappointment, both in house and to go. Tonight I was craving good local chinese food and decided to give this place another try. I don't know why. I always felt bad with each previous sad serving. It was terrific! The order was ready on time. The containers were bulging with food when before the servings were getting skimpier and skimpier. The chow fun was not swimming in oil. The cumin lamb was no longer 90% peppers but a generous portion of lamb and a good ratio of peppers. The crispy chicken appetizer was delightful. The dry green beans had a snap. It was such a complete reversal from the last experiences that I'm glad I went back and we will certainly continue to satisfy our Szechuan cravings with this place. I had braced myself expecting in these dire times with many food places closing or gasping with high costs, a less than stellar experience. What a wonderful surprise!

I was looking for a late night option in the area, and Shanghai Dumpling King stood out to me!! My…read moreboyfriend and I got the chicken corn soup, the cha siu bao, siu mai, and liu sha bao. The chicken corn soup was delicious and hearty- definitely filled me up and was what I was looking for. The cha siu bao was fluffy and came packed with meat inside, definitely a good ratio and very warm and yummy. The liu sha bao was similar, the bao was so soft and fresh. We had a very good experience dining here. The front desk guy/server was also really nice. I would definitely come back here if I was craving an authentic Chinese meal.

[Takeout Order] What an absolute bummer. An old colleague of mine and I loved going to their…read morerestaurant on Monterey Blvd and it was always so delicious. Naturally, I thought the same would be for this location, ordering for delivery. Sadly, I was proved very very wrong. I got a total of 3 items and paid a little over $50 not including tip.First plate, stir fry noodle Shanghai style 0/5. Noodles were stiff, entire plate lacked flavor, it was really dry. The cabbage was just sort of thrown in there and to my surprise, there was chicken (I didn't think it came with meat) and it was so suspicious, one bite and I immediately had to spit it out. It was chewy and tasted uncooked. I began to lose my appetite... Sesame Chicken 0/5 - it was all batter, little to NO meat inside whatsoever. Saucy but it was very clumpy. I was so disappointed with this one. It was literally just eating fried batter in sesame sauce with sesame seeds thrown on top. Braised String Beans - 2.5/5. They were fine, flavored enough with the grilled onions and garlic other than that, not impressive at all. I had really high hopes for this place/order. I had been craving Chinese food for so long and was going to order from my typical place but decided to give this one a try. I definitely should have stuck to what I know would have hit the spot. An absolute waste of $50, so frustrating.

Normally, I would write this in the "Tips" section but it's no longer available…read more I am sad to share that this restaurant will close on 6/15/25, final day of service. The owners, the Shen family, are retiring. When they opened in 2008, replacing two popular Chinese western food restaurants, they were a refreshing addition to the mainly Cantonese cuisine Chinatown community. There was only a small Shanghai literal hole in the wall spot across the street that closed many years ago. The mom did the cooking while the daughter ran the front of the house, literally producing home style Shanghainese cuisine. They have regular normal northern cuisine favorites like hot & sour soup and mapo tofu, small bites like XLB (soup dumplings), green onion pancakes, and Sheng jian bao (pan fried dumplings). I often had family style dinners here enjoying Shanghai staples like Lion's head meatballs, Shanghai stir fried shrimp (use that blank vinegar), braised pork shank, and stir-fried eel. Never had the pleasure in trying their Dong Po pork. Get their steamed rice with bacon and vegetable to accompany those saucy dishes. With their departure, I do not know of any authentic Shanghai restaurants in San Francisco... clue me in if you think of one. The closest that comes to mind now is in San Mateo off the top of my head. Thank you, Bund Shanghai and Shen Family for providing my family, my coworkers, and me many meals over the years. You will be sorely missed but enjoy your retirement.

An institution is going away! If you're reading this then I want you to know that the last day of…read moreoperation is June 15, 2025. The chef is retiring, so wish them a congrats and farewell if you're stopping by soon. I can definitely taste the authenticity behind the dishes. While I thought the crab sauce tofu was a bit too sweet and the rice cakes too salty, there wasn't a single bad dish. It's hard to find Shanghainese food in DTSF and I'm sad to see this one go. If you find yourself here, do order the stir-fried eel, XLB, pickle and ham steamed rice, and the Sheng Jian Bao. Overall, it was worth a visit and hope the area gets more Shanghai cuisine in the near future.

I love the egg drop and seaweed soup, and the long baos. The sautéed green beans are some of the…read morebest in the neighborhood. Lots of well maintained seating and an attentive and efficient staff. Well balanced background music. They have both physical and QR code menus.

I came here on a Saturday night dinner with my bestie. We came in and were seated immediately. Our…read morewaiter informed us to scan the qr code to view the menu + order. The space is very open, and you can watch the person hand wrapping the dumplings right outside their kitchen. We ordered soup dumplings, pan fried buns/soup dumplings, dan dan noodles, scallion ginger noodles, garlic green beans and chili wontons. All the dumplings and buns were done really well - seasoned great, perfect amount of soup in the right dumplings. The chili wontons were something new; it was dressed with a peanut sauce, which paired perfectly with the chili oil. Both noodle dishes were good, but not spectacular. The dan dan noodles were a bit soft in texture, and I enjoyed the peanut sauce in that again. The scallion ginger noodles had a bit more chew to them but they were still very good. The garlic string beans were a classic, no notes there. Very much a no-frills spot with good food, 10/10 would return!