Went on lunch time to this place. Been here several times and never had too wait long. So went for lunch get an hour break. Got there at 12:10 it took 35 mins for food to come. Didn't get the right order. Only had ten minutes to eat then had to walk back to work. So paid my check was not very happy with service. Did explain to the person that took my payment. Started walking out and the gentleman ran after me telling me I didn't leave a tip. Who does that so I did leave tip told him I didn't have to. He said if you want good service next time.... There's not going to be a next time... read more

OMG I LOVE KING YEN SO SO SO SO MUCH. It is by far the best Chinese food in Berkeley....I make everyone I know go there, bring visiting friends and family there, and go there myself at least every few weeks. I always get the Kung Pao chicken. it is so good. SO GOOD. Their fried rices are all good too, as is their Mu Shu Pork, their Chicken Lettuce Wraps, their pot stickers...EVERYTHING. They put Jasmine Tea at your table which is yummy, and the service is fast and friendly, without being overly present. They fill your water regularly. AND....I got 7 fortunes in my fortune cookie there last time I went. SEVEN. I really love this place. The food is fresh and yummy, the portions are very generous, and the price is right. AND it's near Ici...so there's always that. I also think I might like it a little more just because it is so close to Shen Hua, which is way more popular but SUCKS, and I feel really smart choosing King Yen over Shen Hua whenever I go. Also, I have never had to wait for a table at King Yen, and their dining areas are really nice; well-lit, clean, and with pretty place settings. read more

Walnut Prawns, sweet and sour chicken, mongolian beef (spicy). All very good with brown rice....Service is nice and the staff is friendly. Something you could have a taste for later. read more

I really enjoyed my meal at King Yen. Good Chinese food in Berkeley is harder to find than some other types, so I was very happy to find this place. We had 4 people eating family-style, and every dish we tried was very good. It was all fresh and hot, flavorful but not greasy. The green beans were especially memorable. The server was super nice and polite, and overall it was a great time! read more

I read some of the other reviews and their were more then a few comments about the food at King Yen being a bit Americanized. I have to agree to a point as given the upper class neighborhood and small percentage of actual Chinese that are usually in the joint it's most likely designed to be what it is. Clean great tasting food that doesn't leave you feeling you ate a MSG laced dish that sends you running to the bathroom as I've experienced in more so called "authentic" establishments. I think the won ton soup is probably the best I've had. I usually gauge a chinese restaurants worthiness by the quality of the won ton soup. Their signature king yen chicken dish is awesome and lies somewhere between orange and general tso's chicken in taste and sits on a bed og greens. I actually ordered it for our experimental mash up Christmas dinner this past year where we ordered food from different restaurants! King Yen is on a short list of fav Chinese spots in the East Bay. Perhaps I'm a poor excuse for an Asian for liking slightly Americanized Chinese food but the place rocks...Disclosure: I also love Panda Express! read more

I'm a really picky eater. I don't really like Chinese food so I don't know how helpful my review will be. On the other hand, I LOVE Kung Pao Chicken and find a hard time finding one I like because I don't like dark meat chicken. King Yen uses chicken breast in theirs! It's nice and spicy (though spicier would be great) and really yummy. So I'm really just reviewing their Kung Pao lol. The end. read more

King Yen, on a College Ave, has plummeted to the depths of culinary shame. My wife and I used to eat here regularly, when the food ranged from good to very good, and certainly always respectable. Tonight, our dishes were virtually inedible. When the waiter came to check on us, we were honest. The food was tasteless, the chicken was like sawdust, and the shrimp were also over cooked and tough. They remade the shrimp, but the replacement was no better! Needless to say, we won't return. I'd give King Yen zero stars if I could. read more

this place was great! I highly recommend it. their service is awesome and the food is delicious! right when we walked in, we were approached right away. the wait to order was not long at all. I'd love to come back! read more

The numbers tell the story: for four years, this has been the closest restaurant to my house. I've been here three times, which is two more times than I've been to Shen Hua. Though King Yen bills itself as "Szechwan Mandarin cuisine", you'll be hard-pressed to find a trace of Sichuan peppercorn. But with fresh ingredients and some wok skills, this place is actually pretty okay if you're satisfied by yuppified Chinese (though Da Lian, run by a former King Yen chef, IMO finds a better compromise between Americanisation and actually tasting good). If you want a tongue-numbing version of kung pao chicken, try China Village or Sichuan Fusion. But if you want a version with a bunch of vegetables for no good reason, King Yen should do fine. read more

Awesome Chinese in a beautiful setting and a super friendly staff! The hot and sour soup was sooo good! I'll definitely be eating here again when I come back to Berkeley. read more

Mmm this place reminds me more of the fancier Chinese dining places at home in Southern California, with the fancy napkins and tablecloths and the center revolving table. Food is good, but this place didn't really inspire me to become a repeat customer. read more

Ate there tonight and found that it is one of the better Chinese places in the East Bay. Service was average, but the food was above average and was flavored nicely. I would strongly suggest it when in this section of College Avenue. We happened in there by default tonight because we could not get anyone to greet us or seat us at the House of Curries across the street. Check out King Yen Restaurant. read more

the food is good every time. they have plumb wine, when I finished the glass they asked if I wanted another, one was enough for me. good service. very clean. when I ask for something normal, but not on the menu (like vegtable chow fun ) they don't question me at all. read more

solid chinese in the Elmwood district. Not too greasy, all 3 dishes were solid: Tea smoked duck cooked to perfection. Dry szechuan green beans were spicy and delicious, and the Hunan beef was fantastic. A bit sweet for me, but, I am not a huge "sweet" dish fan anywhere and Chinese is no different. A friend that was with me swears its the best hunan beef around. read more

I give King yen a 5....The best chinese near UC Berkeley Campus I'm sure...at least for the price range. Food comes pretty quickly and is always tasty. read more

This is my go-to Chinese restaurant in Oakland/Berkeley. Solid and delicious. The lemon chicken is generally my yardstick, and theirs is fantastic. Lightly fried, not overly sweet. Service is excellent. Top marks. read more

Fantastic food, great service. I have to agree that the calamari appetizer and the mu-shoo are both fabulous.

Same as I remembered it from college years ago. Decent Chinese food for a relatively good price. Their family dinner is a good value. Good if you need a fix. read more

I gave this place many chances, since I live close by, and I work just down the street. Simply subpar as far as flavor goes. Tried their won ton soup when I was pregnant and craving for it, and it was just ok. Tried their ho fun noodles, and it was just ok, and crazily expensive for the portion size. Noodles should not cost ten bucks. Ever. If they do, it should be a mound of noodles. The only good thing I can say about this place is that their food is not at all greasy. They use very little oil, which is great for the health conscious. Still wouldn't choose to eat I here when I am craving Chinese food. read more

Actually 3.5. Sizzling rice soup was pleasant and had some nice vegetables in it. Dry fried green beans were cooked well but were a bit bland in taste. Fried calamari was crisp but slightly fish/old oil tasting. The chopped scallion garlic on top was quite salty. The pork mushu was fine but the homemade pancakes were among the best I've had. Slightly thicker and a bit irregular in shape and delicious. read more

I was craving Chinese food for the past 4 weeks. Glad I came here for it to satisfy my craving.

We use to come here when we lived nearby. I had forgotten how good the pawns can be for lunch. Really enjoyed the food and service. We hope to get back here again during football season. read more

Why is this a 5-star vote. Let me explain because it has to do with a panoply of quality of food, consistency of taste, price, service, ambience and location. In the 90s, my family of 4 regularly visited a restaurant in downtown Berkeley called Sun Hong Kong...some of you may remember this place, especially if you were students at the time because it was open until 2 AM. Not that we were students, but it was students who introduced us to Chow Mein done Hong Kong style. So...my family is all-white, even pasty white, but we have developed (through our gracious Cantonese-American formerly students...now friends), a taste for chow mein noodles, done Hong Kong style...thin, crispy and fried. When Sun Hong Kong closed, our kids' favorite Chinese food was no longer an option. We searched, found a place in Oakland China town, but realized, we needed somewhere closer. We found our answer up the street at King Yen. So...how to order these noodles: Ask for Chow Mein, pan fried Hong Kong style (it's a little more in price, but worth it)...unfortunately, they do not have the bbq pork version, but King Yen has a delicious chicken version. (that's what we order now and it's all white chicken meat). We order this along with their "special fish fillet" and sometimes their green beans and for our vegetarian daughter, braised tofu and vegetables. It's always great, always fast, we've taken various friends and family members to King Yen and told them that this is what they need to eat. All of them (usually very white) have been blown away. The truth is...often white people don't know the secret menu items at Chinese Restaurants. Now we do know a few and we'll never go back...as for the prices and the ambience...King Yen's prices are extremely reasonable, the quality is consistent, the service is miraculously quick and the restaurant itself is very spacious and pleasant. Their semi-outdoor patio area is wonderful for lunch or early dinner. In short...it's one of our "go-to" places and now that our kids are in college, it's where they ask to eat when they return home on holiday. We love you, King Yen! (to go food is also extremely easy and efficient). read more

I enjoy King Yen on a pretty regular basis, their Chef's Special noodles are easily enough food for 2 to share and really yummy, crispy noodles with lots of veggie and seafood and chicken goodness on top. Their steamed dumplings are scrumptious. Shen Hua, just down the street, is fancier and designed, but loud and crowded and pricey. King Yen's quality, in my view, is just as deserving and you can hear your conversation! read more

service: good food: yum outdoor seating: why, yes, indeed try: shrimp chow mein, lemon chicken and/or the generals chicken (the perfect amount of spicy). each dish is about $10. not greasy and surprisingly not the same sick-to-my-stomach im-so-full but an hour later im-so-hungry feeling. menu: http://www.sporq.com/berkeley/kingyen/2995collegeave read more

4 stars for a job well done! I love this neighborhood spot so much I had my rehearsal dinner here! Even the snotty New Yorkers admitted the food was great. The service is swift and impersonal the way I like my Chinese restaurants to be. The food is flavorful and filling and arrives piping hot in ample portions. Good bang for your buck. Try the Mongolian chicken, chicken with green beans, mixed fried rice, juicy pot-stickers (even the veggie are good!) and the outstanding hunan beef. A note to the owners if you are reading this: The new color scheme sucks! Bright orange leather chairs? Ick. Go back to the muted tones ASAP so I don't have to shield my eyes every time I eat dinner. read more

I've started coming here fairly often. It's not that the food is amazing -- it's decent, and a little overpriced, but it's really just a nice, big quiet space. I really like the atmosphere. The servers are nice, and I often come craving a huge serving of hot and sour soup. The BF and I split the pan fried noodle (we get it without the seafood, which I normally like, but ick, not on these noodles) which is pretty tasty. It's just an easy and convenient choice. They have lunch specials, but they usually leave me wanting more soup and less entree. That's just me though. read more

I used to like this place when I was 17, but now I went back and it was just plain not so great, and I felt it was overpriced. It tasted a lot like oversalted PF Chang's food to me. The service was slow, and they failed to refill waters. We had ordered some crab, which was deep fried shells with basically no meat. We ordered a very greasy, salty vegetable rice dish. Not a great selection of wine. One place on College Avenue that can go ahead and be replaced. read more

Best Chinese food I've found in the East Bay - mu shu pancakes are actually the best I've had anywhere. Food not overbearing (doesn't taste like MSG unlike what a couple others have said in these reviews). Not super cheap but not a $$$$ restaurant by any means. read more

Ughhh its okay. I only came here because my favorite Chinese place shen hua down the street was closed. Overall the place just kinds three me off and the lemon chicken isn't really lemon chicken. Also they're pretty stingy with the hot sauce. I won't be back! read more

Thee best ever, my favorite is the fried rice with their chili sauce. Everything is literally fresh now my whole family is hooked.

Favorite Chinese spot in Berkeley! The staff is wonderful and extremely kind. Place itself could do some remodeling, however the food is amazing! Doesn't take too long to arrive at your table. I wish more people knew about this place! Definitely beats Great China on Bancroft to me. read more

What a treat! I stayed with a dear friend and we walked to this great restaurant from her lovely home in Berkeley. We loved the eggplant and tofu dish, green beans, shrimp and snow peas and brown rice. Wine selection could have been better, but okay. We had lots of left-overs. Nice, friendly service. read more

We have been going to King Yen since our children were toddlers, and are still coming here with our teenagers. It's traditional Chinese/American food at its best. It's very kid friendly, so perhaps not the place for an intimate date. My favorite is the hot and sour soup which seems to achieve the perfect balance of hot and sour. The long green beans are wonderfully crunchy, and the moo-shoo pork is great (just a little sweet which is perhaps why kids love it). The pot stickers and egg rolls are crispy and delicious. The service is good and very quick. My only objection is that the clean-up person, who is well intentioned, especially after a table with toddlers, will start to spray Windex on the table next to you. The cleaning agent smell does not mix well with the aroma of my hot and sour soup! read more

Great place. My favorite dish: the spice Szechuan shrimps. Only con: No dessert! read more

Great portions for food their small soup is enough to feed four. Very affordable and the food is fantastic. Definitely coming back.

Even though this is higher price food kinda it's still the best Chinese food in that area it's good and the service is great. Me and my family are always greeted and very known cause we come there a lot eating lunch or dinner the food and service are always the best thing. read more

This is a very comfortable restaurant. Went for an early dinner with my niece visiting from NY. We were shown to a table by the windows in a well lit, quiet sun room and given time to enjoy drinks and talking before ordering dinner. The crab cheese puffs were delicious... hot, crispy and filled with delicious creamy crab and cheese. The braised eggplant in garlic sauce was slightly spicy at our request and very tasty over brown rice. The prawns in black bean sauce were cooked perfectly...juicy with crisp vegetables. The combination chow mein was good, but not remarkable. Will eat here again and plan to try spicy items as well. read more

I'm shocked to see any 1 star reviews for this place! This Elmwood gem has been satisfying our Chinese food cravings for years! The staff and owners who are often behind the counter are always welcoming and accommodating of our special dietary needs. My long time favorites are the Crispy Tea Duck, King Yen Special Anything - Tofu, calamari or crab (if you're lucky enough to come in before it sells out!). The won ton soup is not the traditional style that I would get in Chinatown but worth a try. My only complaint is that parking is tough in this area and the restaurant does not have a designated parking lot. Overall this place holds a special place in my heart and I plan on eating here for years to come! read more

God. Damn. It! Why. Doesn't. Berkeley. Have. Any. Good. Ethnic. Restaurants?!?!?!!? Is it that difficult, Berkeley? Does everything here food-related have to be either fabulous and terribly expensive, normally good and terribly expensive, or HORRRIBLE & MEDIOCRE?!!?!? W. T. F. Everything we ever get here is blandtown. Blandtown USA. Ugh. Veggie spring rolls. Bland. Chicken chow mein. Bland as hell. Pork fried rice. Blander than bland. Mongolian beef. Oh what, that's a taste? Bleah. Nice servers. I think. The Italian looking guys keep checking me out and I don't think that's cool. Either that or they're retarded. read more