TLDR: We don't have a lot of good Chinese places near campus, but Easterly is super authentic and tasty! Definitely get A6 (Steamed pork rib in sticky rice with corn). I'm really excited to try the rest of their menu!! Food: 8/10 The food is SO authentic :) I usually don't expect much from Chinese restaurants around campus, but this was delicious and filling! I came here with a friend after finals and the food really reminded me of a home-cooked meal. We got A4 (Eggplant with minced garlic, pork, and cilantro) and A6 (Steamed pork rib in sticky rice with corn). A4 was really tasty, but a little TOO garlicky for me (I don't like when my food has large chunks of garlic as opposed to finely minced pieces). But, A6 was heavenly! I really recommend this dish, since the sticky rice is really filling and the corn and pork compliment each other well. Price & Portion: 8/10 Our food came with generous portions of meat and we were both stuffed for about $15 a person and leftovers! Not the cheapest Chinese food in Berkeley, but the food quantity and quality are well worth the price. Service: 7/10 We were seated right away and our servers were pretty attentive for the most part! Not stellar, but also no complaints. Ambience: 7/10 Everything about this place is so authentically Chinese including the decor! Overall, it's super clean and well lit. It can get kinda loud when there's a crowd, but it's still quiet enough for a conversation. Not a complaint (just something that made me laugh), but weirdly enough when I went there, the music playing was hardcore edm. read more

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100% authentic. I ordered stir fried little dry fish with 4-chilis badge. A+ Beef noodle with egg is also great, spicy and appetizing. The beef is made from the belly part. It has some fat layer to it. The way they braised it had the moist locked. A+ good. Smelly- tofu is...smelly, as expected. Great, A! read more

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Opening month of May 2019: hectic, expect waiting in line and 10% discount. Authentic Hunan Chinese food: Tastebuds happy, digestive system very very very unhappy. But nothing unusual after eating straight up spicy restaurant food. If you miss home, get your dose of home food here. Mao's braised pork was a sight to see...chef must have forgotten to cut the meat....was not bite size like the picture advertised outside. Similarly, for the rice noodle clay pot in sticky rice with corn order, chef must have forgotten to add shrimp and corn like the picture advertised outside. But the order on the menu doesn't include shrimp....so why add shrimp to the order picture? Service excellent: catch a waiter's eye and they'll come right over to give you what you need. No need for the tiresome waiving trick you pick up in China. Parking: check spot hero app. Payment: 支付宝 and get additional discount or credit card/cash. PS: a Pacific Film Archive is located right across the street from this restaurant. To sum, my favorite dish: Griddled bullfrog with pickled pepper. Expect to dig for the bullfrog because ratio of bullfrog to filler pickled pepper and edamame is 1:10. Not 5 star because inaccurate display of what to expect in an order and incongruent price to main food ingredient portion served! Happy eating! read more

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Came here because of all the 5 star reviews. But neglected to notice it was Hunan food. I'm not crazy about Hunan food. The place is filled with students from Mainland China who I assume is attending Berkeley. The place takes Alipay - like Apple Pay but in China. They don't take Apple Pay but do take Google Pay - slightly strange. They take credit cards and of course, cash. I didn't know what to order so I had a plate of dumplings. The 4 stars is for that. The place feels like today's (so modern) China so if you're into that, this could be the place. read more

Yeah this place is just ok. The food was mediocre, especially considering the high price point. Everything was REALLY salty. The lamb chops (A7) were straight trash, the lamb was deep fried and coated in a super salty spice mixture. The meat was tough, probably because it was deep fried. Also the pieces were tiny. The eggplant with minced pork & garlic (A4) was ok, definitely nice and garlicky. I don't want to be a meme, but my mom can make that dish at home, and better :) It definitely wasn't bad though and was probably the best thing here. The poached fish fillets (D5) was WAY too salty. Not only was it salty, it was also super spicy, enough to make me tear up, and also really sour, from all of the sour veggies that were in it. The fish was alright, but I wouldn't recommend this dish unless you want a knuckle sandwich to your taste buds for lunch. All of this considering the price (my family paid over $100 for a couple of dishes and rice), I definitely will not be coming back. The food's probably authentic Hunan stuff, but imo the flavors are not worth the price. read more

This might be my favorite Chinese Restaurant in Oakland/Berkeley/Albany area. I ordered one of the smoked tofu dishes (I forget the full name) and stir fried green beans. Both were very tasty, they had sharp and umami flavors, and good texture. They didn't taste like they had cheap ingredients; my stomach felt well afterward. Tasted authentic. I still like Great China, China Village, Shan Dong, Spices 3, and they are different Chinese cuisines understandably; but on the whole if I were to recommend one Chinese restaurant from the Berkeley/Albany/Richmond/Oakland area to someone who can tolerate some spiciness, this would be the one! At least that's where I am right now :) read more

Decided to try this out on a Friday night, and we had to wait around 5 minutes for our table. The service was alright, basically what you would expect at a Chinese restaurant. Their menu was pretty big, with a wide variety of dishes you could try. We opted for [A-4] Eggplant with Minced Pork, Garlic and Cilantro and Braised Pork Feet with Red and Green Peppers. The eggplant was really good. I would recommend it if you're a fan of garlic, because it's super strong. We ended up mixing it all up because we weren't sure how to eat it, so if you're not that huge on garlic, then you could mix part of the garlic and leave the rest on the side. But overall, the eggplant was cooked nicely and seasoned nicely. Went really well with the meat and was great over rice. The pork feet was amazing. It does have a slight kick to it, so if you're not that huge on spice, you may have some trouble dealing with the heat. But regardless, the meat was super tender and well seasoned. The sauce went really well on the rice, but again, if you're not that big on spice, just have the pork feet, but beware, there are loads of peppers in the dish. It also isn't overly oily, so that's a plus. Overall good experience at the restaurant, but I will say the service isn't that great. They never really checked up on us and we had to flag them down for water refills a couple times. read more

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Don't go here if you value your health and tastebuds. My dear husband and I ordered several dishes. They were all horrifyingly salty, drenched in oil, and filled with hot chilies. (My favorite condiments are sri racha and chili crunch sauce, so I don't shy away from hot & spicy food if it doesn't hurt to eat and lets me taste the food.) There are many casual restaurants in Berkeley that offer interesting food that you can actually taste through the spice, and that won't raise your blood pressure from high salt content. This isn't one of them. read more

Ordered 3 dishes for 2 people and was super filing and still had a lot of left overs. Loved all of the dishes ordered and would come back again. Only regret is I didn't find out about this place sooner. You can also call in and reserve a table for group events/ functions. Dishes are spicy so even if you ask for little spice be warned. read more

Easterly Berkeley - F3Stir-Fried Lotus Root with Black Fungus - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food was very authentic, the service and ambiance was mediocre. We got our food five minutes after ordering it. I would definitely recommend this place for a true foodie. Be prepared for the spicy dishes. read more

The best hunan cuisine in Bay Area! The service were great and friendly, food are way over delicious! Thanks a lot for providing those fresh and tasty food. Grand opening has 15% off discount which is great deal. Will definitely come back again. BTW, I had some switch in my order, they changed for me and I was very satisfied with everything I had here. Highly recommended! read more

Easterly Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food itself wasn't bad. However, they wanted me to tip (and the tip wasn't part of the bill). I don't appreciate being made to tip via social pressure. Either make it optional or put it in the bill. No, I'm not against restaurant workers; I'm against being made to tip as opposed to making it optional. read more

I've eaten here and had too-go food several times but most times the food was gone too fast to take pictures of. Love their glutinous rice with pork ribs and corn and because my most recent visit wAs without the kids, my friend and I went all out with the spicies. We had a fish tofu seaweed stew (spicy) and a beef stirfry (also spicy). Both were delicious, not too salty and even worth packing up to bring home. So good, you should definitely come if you like good food. Not cheap though. Fish stew serving two was $30 but we got it as a special and cost just about $18. read more

Easterly Berkeley - Stir-Fried Smoked Beef with Garlic and Pepper - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Just opened and unlike the short-lived American-Chinese restaurant it replaces, it's packed every night. Absolutely the best Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. The outdoor seating is perfect for dogs as well. Especially with the 15% discount openings deal makes is super affordable as well Edit: we had dinner tonight, and clearly the old chef was either off or gone. I don't think I've ever returned food, but the two dishes served were inedible. The amount of salt made it impossible to eat. The replaced dishes were slightly better but still way too salty, we didn't finish. Can't recommend Easterly anymore. I suggest to drive a few blocks further to Wajio on San Pablo instead. read more

Easterly Berkeley - Griddled squid and leek - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came for first time. Service was good, friendly service. * Steamed Duck, Pork, Fish and Tofu taste weird!!!! Like chinese medicine, very very salty. The menu was not clear enough, it should be mentioned that its come with Smoked Duck and Salty Fish. If I knew it would be smoked duck and salty fish, I would not order this, I could imagine what the taste would be. And there were no tofu at all. When we asked the server, he said for this location the dish did not come with Tofu. ???? Well, then make it clear on the menu. * Grilled Squid Tentacles with Leek was tasty. Its served on the portable stove, I leave it with medium heat. * General Tso'Chicken too sweet, It would taste better if there is a bit chilli (it's Hunan after all). At the end, we cooked the "steamed (smoked) duck, pork, and (salty) fish" on the stove using the left over sauce from squid, taste so much better. read more

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Great, authentic Chinese food. The service was a bit on the slower side but servers are very sweet and friendly! The food was great and I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for some dim sum and whatnot. read more

Easterly Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was really delightful. I especially loved the intestines fried in a wok. Eating outside is enjoyable at the sunset.

Looking for authentic and flavorful Chinese in Berkeley? Yes, there are many and many that have been favorites for ages. Break the mold, expand your palette. Skip the lemon chicken or bbq pork chow mein and go to Easterly. read more

Order from there on weekly basis since pandemic. Food is super Authentic. The stuff best! read more

Great food and good service. I'm not a fan of using iPads to order but that is a personal thing and not a reflection on the restaurant.

Authentic'ish HUNANESE Chinese Food. If you're looking for beef and broccoli orange chicken, this is not the spot for you. Maybe they have those dishes and maybe they make them tasty but this place is known for spicy Hunanese dishes, which most folks are probably not familiar with (including most Asian Americans). Don't be shy and get some chicken gizzard and frog leg and get ready to burn your digestive system cuz that's what Hunan food is all about. It's helpful but not necessary if you bring a Mandarin speaker, and even better if you bring a Hunanese person. read more

Yes, the price is slightly high, but it's worth it for its deliciousness and authenticity. It's challenging to find a Chinese restaurant in the bay area that serves Hunanese dishes and be able to portray a vast spectrum of spicy flavor profiles. Most places take the shortcut with an overwhelming amount of pepper that masks the original flavor of the ingredient. I recommend their stinky tofu, fried lamb, and the stirfried cow throat and pig stomach. All the dishes were seasoned perfectly, with the spices complementing the natural flavor of the ingredients seamlessly. The execution of the lamb was flawless; the fried lamb is crunchy but not greasy and is bathed in an aromatic army of spices that removes the gaminess of the lamb and gives it depth in flavor. The stirfried dish contains a perfect selection of protein and veggies that gives it a multitude of textures. Each bite of this dish is a new experience. read more

I've heard a lot about Easterly so I figured it was finally to try this place out! Maybe I went in with too high of expectations, but I felt that the food was just alright. My friend and I ordered the Poached Fish in Sour Soup, Orange Chicken, and Garlic Stir fried Chinese Cabbage. The chicken and cabbage were pretty good, but the soup with the poached fish was WAY spicier than I expected and there were some flavors that were a bit off-putting at first. However, the fish itself was flavorful and delicious especially with the bean sprouts. The portion sizes were no joke--truly family style! read more

Easterly Berkeley - F9 Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage with Minced Garlic, D5Poached Fish Fillets in Sour Soup, Orange Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

这里的服务非常出色，工作人员热情周到，让人感到宾至如归。餐厅的卫生状况也非常良好，整洁干净，给人舒适的就餐环境。菜品口味地道正宗，辣味浓郁，配料新鲜，让人回味无穷。推荐他们的经典辣椒炒肉和口水鸡，绝对是湖南菜的代表之一。菜肴的呈现也非常精美，展示了湖南菜的独特风味。总之，湘菜馆是一家值得五星好评的湖南菜餐厅，绝对不容错过！ read more

I got to Easterly at 6:45 on a Thursday and there was a small wait. We weren't seated until all of the members of our party were present. The menu itself was made of paper material and was all marked up and torn. The service was pretty good considering the restaurant was pretty busy. We ordered the orange chicken, braised pork, smoked tofu, Kung Pap chicken, and the stir fried beef. All of the dishes were good and came in reasonably big portions. They all had good flavors. The only thing bad about the place is all the mosquitoes that kept bothering our food. Overall, it was a great experience with great food. read more

Easterly Berkeley - Kung Pao Chicken Orange Chicken F2. Stir-Fried Smoked Tofu with Leek E9. Stir-Fried Beef with Pepper - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I am sad that I don't live in Berkeley, because this restaurant is the real deal. Like others said, this place doesn't *just claim* to do Hunan food, they actually do! That means intense spicy without the numbing that Sichuan food carries. We came on a busy weekend and sat at the bar for lunch. Pro: no wait time, con: ambiance isn't great when the staff leaves a cart of dirty dishes right behind the bar, in full view. We ordered D13 (a shrimp dish) and E13 (a chicken gizzard stirfry). The shrimp was prepared in a way that reminded me of the classic Chinese style spicy crayfish. The shrimp was fried, and just exploding with flavor. The chicken gizzard is what earned the 5-star review (despite the poor ambiance note in paragraph 2). How gutsy (pun intended) do you have to be to put this on the menu? My husband, who normally wouldn't eat such things, even loved it. They definitely took great care to prepare the gizzard well enough by slicing it paper thin (maximize absorption of flavor and minimize the gizzardiness). It was stirfried with some pickled peppers and young garlic/leek. I only hope I can find this dish somewhere else closer to home... it would take me at least 2 hours to pre-clean/chop the gizzards this finely at home! read more

Had a Chinese New Year's dinner here with a large group of friends. The did a great job serving our large group, and the food came out quickly. We ordered a variety of dishes, and each was flavorful and delicious. The food is quite authentic, and many of the workers here are Chinese. Overall we left the restaurant very satisfied with our meal! read more

Huge mistake going here. Terrible food. We could not eat it. It was all bones, no meat. We were sick afterwards. We could not wait to get home to brush our teeth to get the horrible tastes out of our months. Plus, it was sooooo expensive. And even the tea was bad. Just walk away and eat anyplace else. read more

Yes! Yes! And more yes! I was born in Hunan and was raised on a steady diet of authentic Hunan cuisine from my mother's kitchen. Easterly certainly checks the authenticity box. If you know what to order (which is a bit more nuanced than it sounds) you're in for an absolutely treat. The staff is almost entirely Hunanese (mostly from Changsha) and the result is something that other "Hunan" restaurants will have trouble recreating. Stick to the simple stuff - beef slices with hot peppers for example - and you can just close your eyes and pretend you're eating out of a hole in the wall in Hunan. read more

I would never go to this restaurant again. It's my birthday so we went to it yesterday, We ordered a chicken soup, found a big stone and clam shells inside the soup, how did that happen!? Ordered another beef noodles, the beef belly are not blocks but smashed! So sad because it was a good restaurant before. read more

p good food a little oilier and saltier than i would've liked but i feel like that's j the cuisine. i do think it's a little expensive for what it is but maybe i'm just a college student. ppl were rly nice let me stay overtime and environment was just like china read more

Got the fried lamb chops and three flavor eggplants. Fried lamb chops had decent seasoning but the meat was dry. Maybe they thawed it a little too quickly? The eggplant was better than the lamb but the minced polk on it was mediocre. Rice was also sub-par. Tasted like it was lunch rice kept warm until dinner. One redeeming factor was the relatively low price point. There are better options in the south bay. read more

Easterly Berkeley - 香炸羊排 fried lamb chops - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This new Szechuan restaurant has a large selection of authentic Chinese dishes. The staff is very polite, albeit most of them speak Mandarin Chinese, but can understand English. The food comes in large serving sizes, and the dishes are flavorful. Rice is an extra order if you want it with your side dishes. The establish is very clean, but can also get pretty noisy when there is a lot of people. Tends to get pretty crowded around dinner time and there's a wait list. They only take reservations for groups larger than 2 people. The atmosphere is causal. Despite the spacious room, there are a lot of chairs and tables set up so that everyone is kind of close to each other. Great place overall! read more

Easterly Berkeley - Stir fried fish filet with chopped pepper - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The flavor is good. It is genuine, authentic Chinese food. But the portion is very small especially considering the price. I guess the location is in downtown berkeley, so they have to raise the price to cover the expensive rent. be very careful when you walk in. the floor is very slippery. read more

one of the best taste Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. Service and time management needs improvement. read more

Easterly Berkeley - Fish with Sour Soup - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was excited to try some new Chinese restaurants here and this place seemed like an exciting new place to try. When I got their menu, I felt that they had a lot of choices but were not labeled correctly. There was one pork dish that on the menu that said beef. That was a bit confusing. But they did have many different options. If you are not familiar with many of the Hunan food options, they also have more of the fusion dishes including beef and broccoli or orange chicken or Kung pao chicken. I personally would recommend trying the other foods instead. I ordered some a-Choy as well as the hunan beef and egg noodles. When we got the food, we were surprised by how oily the food was. It had a lot of grease dripping from it and I had to drink so much water just to get it to go down. Since it was a lot of food, I decided to bring it back and it just got even greasier as left overs. The beef tasted fine but not as spicy as I was hoping and also the choy was just average in tasting. The egg noodles tasted average as well but each dish just had too much grease in each plate for me to fully enjoy the meal. If they tone down the grease within each dish, the flavor could have been better and would have even been more enhanced. I hope they can change that, and then I'll go back. 2/5 just for food alone. read more

Food was not as expected and salty ! Will not try again ! Feel greasy when you walk in the restaurant!

Best Chinese cuisine in Berkeley!!! Love it so much. The downside is that there were not enough servants. But I'll forgive it for the food! Ps: the eggplant is the best you have to try it! read more

Easterly Berkeley - Lamb, eggplant - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

One of the best Chinese Hunan restaurants in Bay Area. Strongly recommend. A little bit spicy but that's the most important part of Hunan food. read more

My fiancé like the chili calamari. I tried the chili lamb; the lamb was dry as hell. I'm not sure if that's who the dish is supposed to be. But it was like jerky. If you try this dish; be sure to have floss on hand. Lol read more