I have eaten here plenty of times before, but haven't been here in months so thought I would give it a try again. When I went inside and looked at their menu, I wasn't able to order because everything was written in Chinese, without any English anywhere. I stepped outside to look at the window menu, and it was the same, completely in Chinese. I remember before the menus were in both English and Chinese, and also had numbers which can make it even easier to order when a dish has a long name and people don't want to say it. Not anymore. Not sure if it was an error, and they simply forgot to print English menus when they updated them recently, or it's their sly way of only trying to get "specific" customers, which is really just losing business, but that's their call. When entering that day, there was definitely only a specific group of customers eating there. So instead of spending my money here, I just went next door to Yinji Changfen (which had menus in English) to eat dinner. I should add you can probably order through third-party apps, for delivery or pick-up, which displays items in English, but I usually don't use them since I know those apps take a nice cut from the sale and I want to make sure to support local restaurants and service workers as much as possible. read more

Having recently arrived at the States, the place defrauded me by triple billing me and than using my card details (used only once in the States) for a large scale credit fraud. Beware!! read more

I cant comment on the food but can they upgrade the staff. The whole time waiting they talking instead of sending off orders ya not getting paid to socialize read more

Probably the most authentic Asian place for dinner to go to in Berkeley. The inclusion of an iPad to order makes the process a lot simpler and reduces ordering issues from people writing down orders. Food has really good flavors all around with options for spicy and not spicy. Been back twice in 2 weeks. Definitely will go again in the future. read more

Long wait for the food, but nice family style portions and serving style. They took a long time to order and sporadically delivered our food but we all loved the chicken lo me in, beef and broccoli, orange chicken (not too sweet and lots of sauce!), general tso's chicken, and chicken fried rice (large portions) read more

Absolute highlight is the fish filet soup dish. So hearty,warm and perfectly savory. Makes for a killer broth to pair with rice. Lamb was a bit oily, but still really solid. Great service. No doubt Easterly is a top 3 Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. read more

Pros: Group was seated quickly, despite the restaurant being packed. Delicious cuisine was served promptly. Cons: Over-priced. read more

We order the eggplant, steam egg and the sticky rice with pork ribs. The eggplant was too salty and the pork rib was not so fresh. As my first Chinese meal at Berkeley, I expected more than this. Will not come again read more

I have been waiting to try this new place and finally had a chance to go outside of the lunch time (1:30ish....). First, the dumplings are frozen, not in-house made (ask the waiter, not the owner), not fresh. I can't say if the taste is authentic. Mine came semi-cold as if heated in a microwave, and it was tasteless as if not fresh. When asking the waiter, he confirmed my suspicion. I respectfully told him that in all my life, I had never eaten such tasteless dumplings. He reported to the owner (manager?). Hopefully next time, you may see an employee wrapping fresh dumplings. Of course, I was charged for my food and paid in full. Second, my broccoli and beef was a big dish, but the meat was hard to chew (I have good teeth!). Considering the large amount of meat (more than broccoli), I wonder about its quality. Since there are so many good reviews, I would like to return and order dishes outside of the "Asian Fusion" list. I will ask what is frozen, pre-cooked, or pre-packed. To be continued.... read more

If you love spicy food this is the place. Service was good but restaurant is not too clean and a bit smelly. Overall the food was yummy but salty but we love the spicy food. read more

Like the reviews say, this place has Authentic Chinese food which isn't very common in this area. I like that you could get both authentic and also more Americanized options which my kids really enjoyed. I wish the portions were bigger though because this place isn't the cheapest, but the flavor is worth the price. read more

I'm from Asia visiting and the pickled sour fish has always been my favorite dish. I came to Easterley to try this dish, it was excellent. Spice level is serious. Gets spicier as it's boiling on a stove which is also a nice touch. It hits the spot. Fish is fillet so no bones. Others might prefer fresh fish but I personally prefer fillet as I don't want to be dealing with bones. Will come back to try other dishes read more

Eggplant with garlic and Cilantro was Ok... the noodles in broth with pork turned out to noodles in broth with pig skin 10+ pieces and a couple pieces of chewy pork meat. Quite sad... I've eaten pork meals all over Asia and no food loving Asian would try to gut this meal. it's a recommended no go ever again :( read more

The restaurant itself is clean and spotless with interesting and fancy aesthetics. There is a wonderful bar inside There are nice decorative photos and paintings on the wall such as pandas, rivers, etc). The tables and seats are traditional with extravagant designs of floral embroidery/patterns. Lazy susans are present at some tables. Restaurant definitely evokes "traditional" Chinese vibes. After walking by numerous times, I finally gave in and decided to order take-out from here. The prices are a bit expensive given the quality, though how generous the portions are will justify the price tag.The food is okay, mediocre in comparison to other authentic Hunan places I've been to. Tried the daily soup (seaweed with pork), steamed pork rib in sticky rice with corn special and the clams in black bean sauce. The soup itself is bland, with no seasoning whatsoever; I had to put salt and pepper in it . The rice is okay, lacked flavor, though the short ribs were juicy. Corn that came with the rice was sweet and complimented the dish, as it adds sweetness to a savory dish for contrast. The clams in black bean sauce, by far, was my favorite dish, as it was abundant in different textures and tastes. The black bean taste was strong and prominent, and clams were well marinated in the sauce. There was also a kick of spice that came along with the peppers that accompanied the clams. read more

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Excellent authentic Chinese food! What a gem to find within the states. Definitely visit again! And we did...

I was so excited to eat here and ended up leaving disappointed in this over priced eatery. Service was different; they handed me a menu and an iPad and I put in the order myself. I was excited to try the Mongolian beef with a side of steamed rice. I knew that the food wasn't going to be good the moment I noticed that the steamed rice was overdone and almost mushy. The beef itself was like chewing on a rubber band and tasted like something other than beef. I had high hopes in this place. Definitely wouldn't recommend. read more

This place is good! Highly recommend the griddled fried tofu, one of the house specials. There's only one waiter but the service was still great!! He only speaks Chinese, so it helps to speak a little or go with someone who does read more

Very authentic Hunan cuisine, Marinated spicy duck neck is my favorite! It's very spicy and delicious, just like what I had in China. In addition, Stir-fried beef with pepper and stir-fried lamb are very delicious too. If you love to eat spicy, please do not miss! read more

Easterly Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came here with a group of friends and I was surprised by the upbeat atmosphere in the restaurant. I guess I was expecting a hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop style restaurant that is dirty and dingy, but serves delicious food. Instead, what I found was a place that serves delicious food AND is clean and inviting. The food is pricey, but worth it. I'll definitely come back again. read more

Easterly Berkeley - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Not for english speakers-- kind cashier but not possible to communicate with any of the staff-- making ordering very difficult. One of the cooks had a horrible hacking cough. Multiple problems with the checking out. Food was appropriately spicy, but expensive and very greasy. read more

Horrible customer service. My friend and I went an hour and a half before closing time to have dinner since we ended class late and were starving. They sat us down and we waited 10 minutes as 3 workers passed by us multiple times without giving us water nor any menus. I raised my hand twice to try to get their attention and they said they'd be with us shortly but they took forever to take our orders so we just left. Do better, Easterly! read more

Bullshit guys. I ordered from doordash and the driver also waited 1:30 min. They are not friendly. They said only 5 10 min but it took 2 hour. So requested to all dont order or go to restaurent read more

Went there yesterday for a late lunch, the food is OK. But the service really sucks!!

Very good food, different from the regular chinese food. We ordered steamed chicken in chili sauce, excellent flavor except there's more bones than meat. you have to be extra careful with the bones. The mushu pork was very good you eat it with rice instead of wrapping in tortilla wrapper. read more

We had a group of five. All of us found dishes are salty. Overall experience was mediocre . However, if you want some spicy Chinese food in Berkeley, it may be a good choice. read more

Hands down the best Chinese takeout ever! It was delivered and it was as hot as if it had just come out of the kitchen. Variety of dishes and they were all tasty! read more

This is my favorite Hunan cuisine in Bay Area. It wakes up my old days in Hunan China, where I grew up and raised. Every dish works so hard to make itself authentic and congratulations that you made it. I would give it five stars if the price could be more reasonable, I understand that everything is in inflation right now though! read more

The worst. Just ate raw pork dumplings. my little 3 year olds just ate it too. Disgusting and the servers were so rude. Avoid!!

This place is really legit. Some very spicy northern style food, simple no nonsense place for authentic Chinese.

Freaking Low Efficiency. The food itself is not bad, middle-south Chinese style and spicy enough. But, not recommended if you are hungry or have something else to do after the meal. I've been there several times and the average waiting time is over 30mins. I also believe they think little of single customer. Last time I walked in alone and directly made my order. After 45 mins I found out that they forgot to take it at all! Such a waste of time. They don't have wifi (correction, they have wifi but not for customer use). Again, the food is good but they got so so so much to improve! read more

Authentic Chinese food. I enjoyed the style of food they serve. It wasn't fusion nor did they cater an American taste. I liked the chef specials. read more

They charged much more tips than what I wrote in the bill. I found out when I was checking my bank statement. For sure I gave decent tips for lunch, but they still charge more. Also, they refuse to refund directly but offering me discount for my next visit. I think this is also inappropriate. read more

I really shouldn't be writing this review because I don't think I'm the kind of person who should be going to this restaurant. Most of the patrons, and most of the menu, were Chinese, animals or parts of animals I don't normally eat. The decibel reading averaged 84, and I don't think the waiters heard us, and maybe their English wasn't that good. For example, my wife asked whether they had brown rice, but when they brought white rice and she tried to exchange it, they told her they don't have brown rice. She also thought her dish was supposed to have chicken, but it didn't, just mostly vegetables. I had to ask for silverware 3 times before they brought a couple of forks. By the time we were ready for the check, I just walked up to the register and paid, because service had not been as fast as we are accustomed to. My beef and broccoli (from the "American Chinese" corner of the menu) was just OK. On the plus side, the portions were large; I could have made two meals out of my dinner. The staff was friendly or at least courteous, and the prices were pretty good (less than $30 for the two of us, total). read more

Went In to check out their Americanized cuisine as a Togo order. Got the kung pao chicken off the "fusion" menu. The cashier was friendly and professional. No perceived judgment at my ordering an Americanized dish at a decidedly "authentic Chinese" eatery. Super flavorful, juicy and delicious. A bit sweeter than I am used to for that dish but it was super good. Was served cool water while I waited. $12 bucks but easily 2 meals. I'll be back. Maybe I'll even have the balls to order outside of my super-white-uncultured-pallet comfort zone. read more

Very good food. The only thing I would say, and is really insignificant is that I couldnt substitute fried rice for the steamed rice. Not a big deal. It was still delicious and very filling read more

Best place to bring your family to. Authentic, yummy, and the workers are super super nice and down to earth. Overall, great experience and would highly recommend anyone who wants to experience authentic Hunan cuisine read more

Well, despite my promise to not go here, still went (Berkeley should have more good foods!) Food is amazing, one of the best Chinese places in the Bay area. I went with my Chinese friends so don't have to talk to the waiters and no problem. read more

Had the claypot vermicelli, eggplant with garlic and miced meat and the pork with spicy peppers. Food was great, definitely authentic and not Americanised Chinese crap. But operations need time to be sorted out. Sat at the bar counter, facing trolleys and trays of dirty dishes- the area behind the bar has become a point of collection for dirty dishes. Spotted kitchen staff loading a bucket of raw meat from the kitchen into the fridge behind the bar counter- sharing the same chiller with bottled tea and beer. Also noticed a staff member fill a jug filled with what one can only assume to be dirty chopsticks with hot water from a dispenser at the bar- hey at least he is attempting to sterilise utensils. But, gross. Staff also don't seem to have clear work divisions. So in conclusions: great food, but back and front of house service needs time to sort themselves out. Hopefully this won't result in hygeine and cross contamination issues in the meantime. read more