We went back to King Yen, an old favorite, last night after not eaten there in years. We ordered Hunan Beef and Eggplant in garlic sauce. The beef had a hot pepper icon on the menu, but it had absolutely no heat. There were two slices of pepper next to the meat as a garnish, but nothing felt like it was fried with hot peppers. Likewise the Eggplant dish held a vague wisp of garlic but nowhere near the typical garlic taste this dish is known for. The preparation was good but the taste of both dishes was so bland we could have been eating in a hospital. The service was excellent. read more

I've been coming to this restaurant fairly regularly, and it has consistently been a good experience. I especially love the fried tofu, which is unlike any other version I've tried before. The food is very well prepared, the prices are fair, and the service is polite and attentive without being over the top. Definitely one of those places I keep coming back to. read more

We hosted our son's First Holy Communion luncheon at King Yen for over 30 guests, and everything was fantastic. Raymond was wonderful to work with--kind, professional, and made planning seamless. Charles took great care of us the day of and ensured everything was perfect. The food truly stood out. We started with potstickers and lettuce wraps, then enjoyed Seafood Delight, Tofu Special (my favorite!), Dry Green Beans, Mongolian Beef, Sweet and Sour Chicken, House Fried Rice, and House Chow Mein. Every dish was absolutely delicious, and our guests couldn't stop raving about it. If you're looking for a place to host a large group with amazing food and exceptional service, King Yen is the place! read more

We went there for a birthday celebration. We ordered a fish with noodles, a chicken dish & a sweet & sour tofu, steamed rice, & garlic string beans. The food was excellent. Service was spot on! read more

King Yen Restaurant - Fish & broccoli, noddles, garlic green beans, rice. - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

A bit steep in price for two take out entrees but worth it in my opinion. This is not your typical Chinese food restaurant it's a bit more swanky. We spent $48.50 for the Mongolian lamb and chicken fried rice takeout. Everything was piping hot made to order. The restaurant was really nice and full with customers, you can tell it's a local favorite. I've never seen Mongolian lamb on other Chinese food menus but they should consider it. The food was very delicious and flavorful. However, I do wish the meat entree was a bit more in portion size. Unlike the chicken fried rice which was packed to the brim in the to go box, the Mongolian lamb was a bit skimpy. Still worth the purchase. Will definitely come again. read more

King Yen Restaurant - Yum Mongolian lamb and chick fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Honestly I kinda knew even before we decided to eat here that the food was going to be meh but bc I was too lazy to drive out to Oakland for more authentic Chinese food we decided to eat here. Anyway we ordered their king yen special fish filet ($23 ), sizzling rice soup, and string beans w/ chicken in black bean sauce. Fish was OK, it had a sweet tangy taste to it but I felt a little creeped out bc it tasted slightly undercooked. String beans dish was prob the most bland dish I've ever had. Sizzling rice soup was also disappointing bc the broth had zero flavor. Since it's the first dish we tote it up because you were so hungry. I wouldn't recommend coming here if you want absolute delicious Chinese food. The service was great though. read more

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Best cuisine with best service. Highly recommend for dinner out or celebrating a party.

So fresh and delicious. It is a bit on the expensive side but the quality is so good that I feel like it's absolutely worth the splurge.

I moved to Berkeley when we first moved to California, this place has been here a long, long time. While the Elmwood Neighbourhood on College Avenue has changed quite a bit this place lives on. It's an institution. Welcoming on the outside and clean on the inside. Staff is professional quick and efficient. Pretty extensive menu and the food is fresh and good. I ordered the Szechuan chicken while my aunt ordered the sweet-and-sour shrimp. Lunch special came with a small salad and a small soup. read more

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We got delivery from King Yen and will definitely order again. It's a bit on the expensive side but on the other hand they include really hearty amounts of meat in the meat dishes. The sauces were delicious but mostly not particularly thickened, just soupy, something to be aware of, we didn't mind it. Things we would not order again: Spinach with garlic was a bit bland with hardly any garlic. Braised Tofu with vegetables: the tofu was great with a wonderful texture but the sauce was disappointingly flavorless broth. Green onion lamb: the lamb tasted great but was a bit overly chewy. Sauteed green beans with pork: this is a very hearty dish with a lot of pork, so it would make a good entree, but the big chunks of pork almost seemed to outweigh the beans and we were hoping for it to be a vegetable side dish. Things we would order again: Mu shu chicken: delicious! Well seasoned, generous in large chicken chunks, very hearty Broccoli chicken and Garlic chicken were both very tasty and the chicken tender. My spouse liked the pot stickers, came with one fewer than we expect usually in the container, but very good. All in all, it won't replace our regular Chinese restaurant (Da Lian) but will make a nice change next time we want something different. read more

Ordered King Yen Special Tofu and the Vegetable Chow Fun for a shared dinner. Would recommend the special tofu--inside was super silky soft whilst the exterior was coated in flavor. Chow Fun was decent as well and not too salty. Good choice for a quick dinner! read more

King Yen Restaurant - Vegetable Chow Fun - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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King Yen had ample seating with friendly typical Chinese staff eager to assist. We ordered Mongolian beef, fried rice, lemon chicken and green beans. Everything was very fresh and perfectly seasoned. Lots of flavor and portion sizes were very generous. It's typical Chinese American food, but made very well. Highly recommend!! read more

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Kung Pao chicken is packed with crunchy peanuts and exactly the right amount of spicy chili heat. It is a wonderfully filling meal to enjoy after a long day of studying. read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for years now and it never fails the food is amazing and it comes out super fast! The service is friendly and welcoming they have always treated me very nice and thats what keeps me coming back besides the bomb food. The prices are a bit high compared to other places but this is like a luxurious Chinese restaurant its a bit cheaper during lunch just saying lol super cute restaurant in a good location. read more

King Yen Restaurant - Beef and broccoli with white rice - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The best part of King Yen would be the huge space right on College Ave in Elmwood. Parking is hard, but if you're looking for a large group dining option, they have the room. I recently ordered takeout for the first time and it left me less than impressed. (Maybe even 2 stars?) While prices were high, portions were large, but sadly I wasn't that into the food. The highlight were the dumplings which were super meaty and tasty. However the beef and broccoli was a gooey mess and the healthy diet chicken and broccoli was literally chunks of steamed chicken and broccoli with no seasoning... none. It was sadly inedible. I think I wrong ordered here. Maybe stick with the general tso's and those homerun staples? Overall, I live close to Great China, and with similar prices to King Yen, the quality of fare is way better. read more

King Yen Restaurant - Steamed chicken and broccoli - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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delicious always fresh big portions. Great service big open space grateful for large groups.

Consistent, outstanding takeout! This is our go to now for pickup. Reasonable priced.

Great, prompt service, broad menu, food always good, both take out and eat in. Dining room not noisy, tables spread out, seating comfortable. read more

Very impressed, I've tried this place twice and both times I loved the food. Food: Fresh and flavorful, veggies are cooked just right, perfect balance of meat and veggies. Loved the way chicken is cooked- don't change a thing! Service: Polite and cordial Ambiance: Nice, clean, pretty, and roomy. Dog friendly patio read more

Service was terrible. Food was average. A no winner. Had to get own chopsticks and napkins and tea refill. Restaurant was practically empty. Food took a long time to arrive. Waiters were using their cell phone constantly, ignoring our table and another table. And yet, silly us, we still left a tip. With so many good Chinese restaurants why choose this one? read more

Servings were large, food was tasty, service was very friendly! We had pork fried rice, chicken and green beans, and chicken chow mein.

A long time favorite... reliable tasty food, best service ever, nice low key atmosphere. Never a disappointment.

Zero customer service. Rude. Unprofessional. I walked in Sunday afternoon 5pm after getting a haircut nearby. There was only one table with customers in the entire place. My rice cooker had just broken down so I thought I could easily purchase a few orders of steamed rice to go. Unbelievably, the front of restaurant person told me rather curtly "No. we don't accept orders like that. Only rice? No." And shooed me away! Not even an apology or explanation. I am a former customer, but no more. This experience tells me exactly how they short-sightedly they view their customer$. They have virtually no understanding of a basic business principle: building good will with all customers. For all they know, they just lost out on our upcoming rehearsal dinner (for 20 family members). Because of their rudeness and refusal to take my simple order, I will not be giving them future business. If you also have a simple order, stay away from this place since they can't be bothered with you & have no problem telling that to your face. read more

I ordered take out for lunch special for honey walnut prawns and chow fun. King Yen gave me chow mein instead. I called them and told them and they said they ran out of chow fun. No explanation in delivery. They said it was not their fault but I hold them responsible for wrong order. There was no utensils in delivery. I want my refund! No excuse!!!!! Lousy service read more

For many years this has been my favorite Chinese restaurant in the Bay Area. We had dinner here again a few nights ago. The food was excellent and reasonably priced, as always. An order of salmon turned out to be two large steaks, moist and perfectly cooked, for under $30.00. You can't get this kind of deal in most restaurants. As always I ordered my favorite, honey walnut prawns, also for under $30.00 As always they were perfect. They serve a generous portion of large prawns which are crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and studded with honey-sesame seed glazed walnuts. I've had this at other restaurants; they even have it in the freezer section at Trader Joe's. It never holds a candle to the dish they serve here. We also ordered the Chow fun noodles which are delicious: slightly chewy, with a smoky-umami flavored sauce, accompanied by perfectly cooked vegetables. The service was great. Our waiter was very kind and attentive, and came back to our table several times to make sure everything was fine. Even in much more expensive restaurants, this is something that rarely happens in the Bay Area, read more

This is the best Chinese food restaurant in the Bay Area! Family run and operated for decades! High quality food, big portions, and great service. I will be coming back for the rest of my life. read more

very fresh, great ingredients that shine, and the location is nice though we always do take-out/delivery.

King Yen has been a neighborhood go to restaurant for a very long time. Sometime in the last couple of years the food became not very good however we just tried the restaurant again a few months ago and again just recently and found the food delicious. The service was fine and friendly. They are back on my go to list. The king Yen is a great family and large group place as well as small tables. Looking forward to my next visit for more Chinese food. M Ryce read more

Door Dashed this evening, food arrived hot, with great presentation. I will continue to support this establishment in the future.

One of the front of the house staff members (waiter) is disgusting. He's sneezing very hard and handling the food. It is a health hazard. If he is sick, he should stay home. If you do decide to eat there, please proceed with caution and know that your health is at risk. They should be more sanitary working with food. read more

Soooo yummy. We celebrated my brothers bday here. All the food was delicious and fresh. Loved the pork potstickers and chow mein, and the servers were very kind and attentive read more

This has been the first choice meeting place for our family and friends since the late 1980s. The food is consistently wonderful. Our favorites are the crispy smoked tea duck, dry-cooked green beans, braised eggplant in garlic sauce, beef with fresh broccoli, sizzling rice soup, king yen special tofu, and vegetarian pot stickers. read more

There are those who complain that King Yen is not for the adventurist types. They whine about it being inauthentic. Don't listen! Notice that those restaurants are all closed. King Yen sticks with the Hot 85! The 85 most popular dishes among the local crowd...and they do them well, with fresh ingredients, skillfully cooked and excellent service. It can be appreciated equally by your Aunt from Wichita and the UC faculty that live in the neighborhood. If your friend gets the flu, deliver two xl won ton soup. read more

Overall a good buy. Food is decent, they try to see that customers need are happy. I like the soup and salad with lunch special, though rice is apparently extra. read more

King Yen Restaurant - All items on lunch menu come with soup, salad, rice (or chow mein/chow fun for up charge). - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. It's as good as Chinese food I've eaten in Asia. The service is fine, the place is clean and unassuming. Not noisy at all. on a nice day, sit in the outdoor area, or sit inside but by the windows that open up to allow you to watch the whole Berkeley scene walking by. It's also in a very nice neighborhood. It's about 50 feet from Berkeley's last movie theater. A prefect evening is to walk around the neighborhood, have dinner at King Yen, then go see a movie. read more

My mom and I came here after not having been for years. When we arrived around 6:15 pm, the restaurant was empty and we got one of the few tables outside. More people came around 6:45-7 pm so we were lucky to have arrived when we did. We shared the veggie potstickers, shrimp dumplings, and Mongolian prawns with a side of white rice. Of the two dumplings, we liked the shrimp better than the veggie. The veggie potstickers seemed to fall apart easily while the shrimp ones held together. Mongolian prawns were tasty. This amount of food was perfect for the two of us and I even took some home for leftovers. Service was friendly and efficient. Would come back to try some of their other dishes! read more

This is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've been to. I come here from the East Bay to eat their food. The chicken is always delicious and not a cheap chewy chicken. I've ordered many other things on their menu and it's always good. The service is fast and friendly. The ambiance seems formal but is casual. read more

Great food. Be prepared for food for 4 with wach dish. Very nice people in the elmwood district

Simply the BEST! I've worked my way around their menu, and EVERYTHING that I've had thus far has been absolutely scrumptious! This review update is looooong overdue, but baby... King Yen has rightfully earned these shiny 5 stars!!! I'm OBSESSED! The food is f*cking incredible here! I've turned about 4 other people onto this place and they've become obsessed too. I've been coming here weekly during quarantine and they've been showing out each and every damn time. I cannot... CANNOT get enough. Literally just finished my delicious leftovers from yesterday and thought "Damn... I really need to update my review". So here we are. Giving King Yen the props that they so rightfully deserve. So, what makes King Yen better than the other Chinese food restaurants that I've tried in Berkeley? The quality. The consistency. The value. The SERVICE. Ev-er-y-thang!!! The food is sooooo FRESH that it's ridiculous. The meat. The vegetables. The noodles. The RICE. It's perfect. Forreal. This is one of those places where if you ask me what my favorite dish is, I honestly couldn't tell you. I struggle to choose what I want to eat here every single time because every dish has been so damn delicious. Their beef and lamb dishes are always so tender. Their shrimp dishes are always amazingly plump. And anything with chicken gets marinated for the GAWDS. Wonton soup is addictive. Egg rolls are crispier than a mug. Noodles are always thick and chewy. Vegetables are hearty and fresh. And that RICE is always so damn fluffy. I can't choose PERIOD. Everything is good. But I must say.... if they have asparagus in season..... GET IT!!! You MUST! It's SOOOOO amazing! So fresh!!! I've never had asparagus this good at any other Chinese food restaurant period. I will live and die by anything that they make with asparagus. It's the best EVER. Their lunch specials are the best value that I've ever seen. They truly load up on everything! I've never been able to finish an entire lunch in one sitting. Never. For about $11-13, you will get at least two meals out of their lunch specials. Let me tell you something else; the service here is always impeccable. The guys work so hard. They're so friendly. They always remember me. They know what I like. They earn their tips and I always tip them well because they truly deserve it. There has always been this stigma about Chinese food restaurants having bad service, but King Yen will make you throw that notion completely out the window. I've never received anything less than great service here. You guys... King Yen is the truth. I'm so happy to be supporting them during quarantine because they always support me during my time of craving. My favorite Chinese restaurant, and now it'll be your favorite too. Give these guys a try! I promise that you won't be disappointed. I love you, King Yen! :) read more

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April 10th around 12pm went to have lunch at this establishment placed my order and gave the gentleman my credit card and he seem to have ran it like 4 times so I look at my mobile app and see that indeed he's ran it and the money has been taken out of my account. The older gentleman walks over to my table and tells me that my transaction has been declined. I proceeded to show him my mobile app that it has been deducted from my account, he's still saying declined, declined, declined, so I called Bank of America and the customer service representative let the gentleman know that it has not been declined that it has been deducted out of my account. He still proceeds to say declined, declined so I asked the gentleman what do you want me to do? He says pay with another card, I then let him know that I'm not going to pay twice for some food that I've already paid for. Then he says to me , well leave your ID. I told him I can't leave my ID he says use another card. I tell him I will not pay twice for some food, so then he huffs n puffs and walks away. Then he comes back and I ask him may I speak with Management ?He says call them later so now I'm wondering what do I do? I've already paid for the food and so I once again ask him what do you want me to do? He says pay with another card and I told him I refuse to do that because I've already paid. Well, long story short I just left but I felt humiliated. I left the food there which I paid for and now I'm reaching out to Management so that I can discuss with them about this horrible interaction that I had in their establishment . The gentleman was rude And disrespectful. Donna read more

King Yen Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California