Emperor's Kitchen is like a cheaper stripped down version of Panda Express. You can get a 3 entree combo with steamed rice for 5 dollars during happy hour (3-6pm M-F & all day Saturday) but like I said don't expect anything to appetizing. Only reason I go here is because I don't have a Panda Express in close range to be honest, but it is what is you know? If you're broke and hungry as hell it's one of the options out here (although you could get just as much food from Saigon Sandwich and it'll be better). read more

Was looking for Chinese food in the area and saw Emperor's Kitchen and decided to give it a try. Noticed its like a downgraded version of Panda Express. I would also say the portions are a bit small for Chinese food. The food here is a bit too greasy too like the chow mien and the generals chicken and there is way too much veggies in their food. I would say it good if those on a tight budget but if you want better food I would suggest going to Golden Kim Tar. read more

The 2 1/2 star rating on Yelp is about right, and that's what I'd give this place if I could. It's standard, cheap Chinese food. I go there for lunch every once in a while because it's close to work/school, and you get a lot of food for the money. Like most cheap Chinese food, the first bite is always delicious. It's an explosion of intense flavor! Of course, this place emphasizes quantity over quality, so you always get a huge plate of the stuff. After a few more bites, the magic is gone. If I manage to finish the whole plate, I feel like puking the rest of the day, vowing never to go there again. A week or two later, I'll find myself looking at an empty plate of cheap Chinese food, feeling like crap, and, once again, vowing never to go there again, thus completing the Circle of Life. read more

Good, cheap, AND FAST!!!! Who says you can't have all three! I gave this place a shot due to it's close proximity to Harrington's Pub. Prices were visible from the street, and a peek in the window showed portion sizes to be more than adequate. The Chow Mien is pretty good. Broccoli and Beef is on par with what you'd get at a sit-down restaurant. Curry chicken and kung-pao chicken are excellent, and everything else looks pretty good. Presentation consists of mass quantities being crammed into a 3-compartment deli tray and service is extremely curt, but lets face it.....this is steam-tray Chinese in the tenderloin, and not fillet mignon in Nob Hill I generally get my order to go and wash it down with a frosty pint at Harrington's, just half a block up Larkin. Service is minimal and ambiance is on par with that of a coin-operated laundromat, but your order comes lightning quick. It's an excellent bang-for-the-buck if your MO is pay-up-and-nosh-elsewhere. I've been back about half-a-dozen times.... read more

FINALLY a dimsum place close to work!!! i love how this place is always clean and bright. The owner and workers are always super friendly whenever I go by there to grab a bite. I dont usually eat a big portion during lunch, so i'm mainly getting a few dumplings here and there (potstickers are delicious, especially if it just came out of the kitchen). highly recommended! read more

Oh my god. Food this bad should be a crime. It is so depressing you can't get good Chinese food this side of town. But again it is the TL so standards are low. Us Chinese sometimes brace ourselves and eat at one of these 2-3 item express establishments because we're crazy. Then we feel like throwing up the food we just ate. Why the torture? I don't know. I give it one star for a small selection of dim sum they serve; I had the bbq pork bun and it was edible. One star for cleanliness and decent furniture; but they just opened. And for weeks this restaurant had no name; not on the awning, front window, nothing. Finally I went inside and picked up a business card and-Emperor's Kitchen! Of course! Kill me now. read more

I don't come to these "Chinese" fast food joints often unless desperate. Today I came here with a group and "dim sum happy hr" sign out in front just made me roll my eyes... However for a 2 entree combo for $4.89 it was pretty decent! There was a big variety of entrees to choose from: you got your chicken, pork, veggies, etc. - Chow mein (bland, but chewy in a good way) - Green beans and fried tofu - actually really yummy crispy green beans and savory tofu - Orange chicken - good flavor with good chunks of chicken not just fatty pieces. A few tables for dining in and they actually plate your food if you dine-in. (thumbs up for eco-friendly!) Had enough leftover for a lunch tomorrow! Decent Americanized- Chinese food for a wallet-friendly price. read more

The fried rice is on the dry side and the chow mein is greasy. The General Tsuo chicken is so-so (okay, no pun intended here). I don't stop by this place too often unless I happen to be low on funds (lunch money). I liked their turnip cake (part of the dim sum menu), which they served a few years back, but they don't serve it anymore. It was a deal - 3 pieces for $2.25. When I'm low on funds, I just get the har gow and chicken buns...less than $5.00. I had the egg rolls and pot stickers...2.5 stars. Egg rolls greasy as usual and the pot stickers...I don't think it's fresh...I mean part of the edges of the dough is hard & chewy. This is just one of those once a month visit or once every two months or so visit. read more

Terrible. Had a craving for dim sum and passed by this janky looking spot on the way home. There were only 4 pieces of har gow left of their dim sum selection and the lady had the nerve to up the price to $1 a piece. They typically charge $2 for 3. What a lame attempt to scam your own kind lady! read more

For cafeteria food the happy hour prices (3-6pm) is a good deal and less greasy than any comparably priced place in the entire downtown area. Bad reviewers probably aren't used to eating in cheap chinese restaurants. $6.50 for 4 items ($1.50 for each additional). Dim Sum is better and relatively cheap. Food taste=6 stars (out of ten) Food Quality=5 stars Food deal=9 stars read more

dam!! the food here is good . what you guys talking about!! price is cheap, good and convient. The place is very clean and very clost by my work place. good customer service, NOOO hassel. AAA+++ if you guys want to come and eat the food cheek out there daly speacial there awsome! read more

I love eating here whenever I'm craving Chinese food! Generous portions, always fresh and tasty.

If you're on a budget, but want a meal that will get you full, the two-plate combo here is the way to go. It's typical take-out Chinese food: chow mien, fried rice, general tso chicken, etc. They also have chow fun, about one to two veggie dishes, and some dim sum options. A two-plate combo is around $6, while a three-plate is $8. There are a few places to sit, but the restaurant is across from the 19 bus stop, which brings in some characters.. best to take it to go if you can. read more

There used to be a few places in my work neighborhood that served hot and sour soup that I liked... however, they have all closed. Since their closing, I have been searching for a place to go for hot and sour soup for lunch. I have been to numerous spots full of disappointment. Then finally... I have found the place - Emperor's Kitchen. The 5 stars I have given are based on the soup alone. It is made to order, and I had to wait for the gentleman to prepare the soup. It was not a problem for me; it was pretty quick. When I asked if it had pork, I was told no. It seemed vegetarian to me, but I cannot say for certain if it was made with chicken stock. (I didn't ask.) It was extremely fresh and hot with a lot of goodies and great flavor. It was a generous portion, and I will most certainly return on a day when I've got the hot and sour soup craving. read more

Emperor's Kitchen - Hot & Sour Soup - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Lunch for around $5?? Is that still possible? I was on my way to one of those little Vietnamese sandwich places since I had to make an appearance in court, so I was already in the area. I hadn't seen this place before, and what's this? Around $5 for two entrees and rice a la Panda Express? GREAT! I always like to eat Chinese food. And I always like cheap. So, cheap, fake Chinese food is good, too! The food is on par with other fast food "Chinese" places like Panda Express, and it's good and cheap. Five stars because next time I want so pretend Chinese food on the cheap, this is the place to go. read more

Delicious and clean seeming food that looked properly handled. 100% certain it gave me food poisoning. I'll spare you the certain details.

Been comming here at least once a week for the past month since I have a project going across the street at the Federal Building. As a matter of fact, came in twice this week! The food is good and the prices are too, General Chicken from the steam table is good and so are the pot stickers and sesame balls Mmmmm.., The dim sum is far from the best in town but it holds its own in my opinion. Especially for a place being in the TL (Tenderloin) and you dont have to go to China Town. The staff is super nice, place is kept clean, and most of all they have a good drink selection. Not just water and soda. I usually get a Pelligrino and my co-worker gets a Jarittos and the other always gets his damn grass jelly!!! read more

It's a decent meal for a good price! They have pretty good vegetarian options with several Tofu dishes. It's a good place to get a quick, filling meal! You may feel a little bad later though as the food does seem a little unhealthy haha. But then again I prioritize tasty food over healthy food whenever I eat out. read more

Great friendly family owned restaurant. Clean and tidy. Smells nice unlike some places. read more

Emperor's Kitchen - From the middle towards front view - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great place to get a lot of food for little money. For under 7 bucks you get a tummy full of yummy goodness. The chow mein is good, and their General Tso's chicken is amazing. Oh, and GET THE CHICKEN WINGS! Super crispy on the outside, deliciously juicy on the inside. Yum! The people are always friendly, too. Only too bad they close at 6pm. I really don't get the bad reviews, their English is not the best, perhaps that explains why people think they're rude? But no Chinese place is good without some English read more

If you're looking to grab something (especially to go) for lunch that offers great value, is quick, and has a good variety of items to choose from, Emperor's Kitchen fits the bill. The only drawback is if you go during the peak lunch hour, they may run out of certain items. read more

i guess it's popular 'round these parts because it's cheap. you can get a 2 or 3 item combo for less than $7. but you get what you pay for. the quality and taste of the food is pretty gross to me. the dim sum on a scale of 1-5 is about a 1.25. you know that weird feeling after you eat food that has lots of MSG in it? like you start getting drowsy and thirsty? that's what you'll feel like after eating here. read more

every time i come here to order a to-go lunch with curry chicken, they gave me curry potatoes, where are the chicken? read more

Emperor's Kitchen - curry chicken has no chicken but potatoes - Chinese Near Me - San Francisco, California

desperate times come for desperate measures. when i can't wait for Golden Kim Tar, i'm stuck here. read more

the food was very fresh, they had all the typical Chinese take out dishes, like the brocolli with beef, dim sum , egg rolls, sweet & sour, fried rice, pot stickers, soups, seafood & popular meat & vegetables dishes,much better quality than Panda Express they make excellent Salt & pepper prawns, one of my favorites. prices were very reasonable, it's kind of like a cafeteria style cafe very good Chinese American cuisine. read more

OMG, I got a couple of their batter-fried chicken thighs, and it was out of this world! The batter was crispy and light, and the chicken was so juicy! They're only $1 a piece, too. However, they don't seem to have them all the time. Looks like they fry them up towards the end of the day. read more

I've only had dim sum (sfeamed dumplings only). 3 pieces for $2, and it's pretty okay. Hits the spot on those busy mornings when you missed breakfast and dim sum can be breakfast and lunch. read more

I stopped here after eating lunch at Burmese kitchen. All we had was thai iced tea and some sesame balls. It was all good

This sh*t gave me cancer. Well, maybe only metaphorically, but still...cancer.

A decent cheap Chinese fast food place in San Francisco. I go here about once a week. Not the best, not the worst either. Their food is consistently fresh. I have yet to have a subpar experience. 2 item combo is less than $7, and they pile it high. read more

Food was average, service was HORRIBLE. EVERYTHING we asked was an immediate "NO." Can we sample something? "No." Can we have a little more veggies/meat on the on the entree? "No." Are you going to make more of the item? "No, we're not making anymore for the day." Not even a "sorry" or sound of interest. My friend even went up and said something about how rudely we were treated and she just said "oh, okay." Totally horrible service, would not recommend. Even if the food was amazing, the service made the food unsatisfying. If I could give lower than a 0 I would, but I HAD to write a review about this place, so this will do. read more

It's just like Panda Express without parent company franchising controls.

The absolute worst Chow Mein I've ever had. In fact, the noodles are spaghetti noodles!!! Don't believe me, try it?

I haven't been here in a while even though it's just around the corner from the office. I went today and it reminded me of why I don't come here as often as I'd like. Cheap Chinese food. It's ok. Edible enough. But...the WORST service. EVER. As soon as she the server makes eye contact, she looks at you with such contempt. It's almost as if you're a burden to her. I'd rather pay good money for good food and decent service. I'm staying as far away as possible. read more

Serviceable chinese food. Maybe even greasier than Panda Express, but dirt-cheap. Not the cleanest in appearance, but I've never had any problems. The tofu dish is quite good. Cash only for the two-item combo. Friendly-enough staff. read more

The two people working in the front are very friendly. I got the two entree meal, a LOT of chow mein, beef and broccoli, and chicken. All of this for 5 something! I REALLY LOVE THE CHOW MEIN! Its so awesome! The beef was much better than I expected it to be when I first came here. This is a really awesome place to get some really good tasting food, quickly and very cheap! =D read more

The food here is on par with Panda Express. It's ok if you want a quick, cheap meal--"quick" being the key word. I only come here if I haven't brought a lunch to work, want Chinese food, and don't have time to wait at Golden Kim Tar. read more

Idk about authentic or healthy but this is the BEST CHEAP GREASY CHINESE food you can get. They really fill up the plate, i never finish it all.. They have plenty of vegetarian options. It is also very clean and they are very friendly. Best hangover food!!! :) read more

I've been coming here at least three times a week since i moved to a new job site. The food is great and everything looks super fresh not like other steam table restaurants where food looks like it has been sitting there for a very long time. I just recently found out that they do cook to order and deliveries now. So whenever i get my lazy days me and some coworkers would get our food delivered.Thier Chicken Katsu is delicious!I guess some people always like to share thoughts of bad things whether then good. highly recommended..........check out their party trays(great deals) we order from them all the time. read more

Bleargh, mystery meat. This cannot be fairly called the chinese version of mcdonalds, because mcdonalds makes an effort to keep its "chicken products" tasting like chicken regardless of their actual origin. Emperor's Kitchen doesn't bother trying. They get an extra star for giving you the garbage practically for free though. read more