Came by for lunch the other day and it was a decent experience. LiYin is located on a street with other Asian eateries and features indoor dining exclusively. The chain seems to focus on Canton rice noodle rolls. Opted for the beef brisket lo mien and it came out quick. The highlight was the generous portion of beef brisket that was tender and fatty. This was served with a generous amount of noodles along with a generous portion of iceberg lettuce. Opted for a Thai iced tea and it was a gigantic cup. This wasn't too sweet! ~$30/head after tax and gratuity for lunch. read more

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Walking to the St. Mary's St station to wait for the train, I looked up and saw Li Yin Rice Roll across the street! I instantly teleported to the shop to show my support. Both Cantonese and Mandarin were seamlessly spoken. Shrimp Rice Roll / Egg: It looked very appealing. However, the soy sauce was ridiculously sweet, much sweeter than in China, completely exceeding the standard "umami and sweet" of the authentic Cantonese cheung fun腸粉 (rice roll) soy sauce. The cheung fun skin was somehow overcooked, so some parts without egg at the bottom were soggy from soaking in the soy sauce, making the whole roll quite greasy. I have to admire my culinary acumen: I managed to preserve most of the skin's basic texture with the extra egg. Fortunately, the shrimp were fresh enough, six in a serving, with a crispy texture. Oh well, since I'm in America, it's tolerable. I must say, I would never have come here specifically for this, never in my life. Spending $10+ on a plate of cheung fun after traveling so far, will make me feel more like a sucker than ever before! read more

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Great Hong Kong dining experience! Located in Brookline on Beacon Street with abundant street parking, Liyin is a great walk-in option for breakfast lunch or dinner. They specialize in rice rolls with different fillings as well as porridge with a variety of toppings. We tried multiple items and I especially enjoyed the Shrimp Rice Roll! We also tried the Beef Chow Fun which was great and very flavorful. We also tried the Pineapple Fried Rice which was incredible! I don't usually like fried rice or pineapple but I really loved this dish--highly recommend. My friends also loved the Soybean Milk which comes out piping hot and sweet. Overall would definitely come back for a quick and yummy meal. read more

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Great spot for a quick, filling delicious meal. I was impressed with the quality of the food, especially the wok hei and soy sauce flavor in the beef chow fun. It's one of the better ones I've had in the last few years easily and will keep me coming back to try their other dishes.. Rice rolls were tasty but on the pricier side and I found them to be smooth but fell apart way too easily. Come for the beef chow fun, I don't think I need to order the rice rolls again unless I'm really craving it. They get really busy during meal times especially on weekends so take advantage of their waitlist system but there does not appear to be a way to join outside of heading to the restaurant in person. read more

This is a great spot for a quick and tasty meal, whether it's for the nostalgia of the dishes or for the chance to tasty Chinese comfort food. Food: The food had a homey taste. The dishes have a lighter flavor profile but the taste is very try clean. The fresh rice rolls had an amazing bouncy texture that went well with the fillings. The Liyin beef chow fun was also among the best I've had. The porridge was very nostalgic, but I understand if you're not impressed with your first taste. Service: The ordering system made things very easy but the staff was still very attentive and speedy. Atmosphere: The atmosphere is very casual with simple cohesive decor. The interior was also very clean read more

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I am a Cantonese, I miss the taste of the rice roll in my hometown, when I check on Liyin rice roll website, the food seems very authentic, so one day, stop there for lunch to try, we order beef rice roll and egg rice roll, and the beef chow fun, all the food wasn't the same as I had in Guangzhou China, I will never go back again, they make a big deal in the website. read more

I haven't been super impressed by the rice roll offerings from dim sum restaurants in Boston Chinatown, so I was very excited for this spot to open up. While the prices are more expensive than you'd expect for rice rolls, you could get a pretty affordable meal here compared to other restaurants in the Brookline/Fenway area. I stopped by for lunch on a Friday and the restaurant was filled with families and elderly customers speaking in Cantonese-- for a second I forgot that I was in Brookline! The staff was really kind about getting me a table even though I arrived a little earlier than the rest of my party. For 3 of us, we decided to try their Combo C (rice roll + porridge + beef chow fun + beverage) at $33.50. For the combo we picked the shrimp rice roll and sliced fish porridge. We also got an additional beef rice roll ($7.95) and a side of fried bread sticks ($3.50) to dip in the porridge. The food arrived very quickly, and contrary to what some other reviews have suggested, everything we ordered was extremely fresh (although it sounds like the pork might be more questionable, and we did not order anything with pork). The porridge was seasoned perfectly with a good portion of fish. It was lightly salty and paired deliciously with the fried bread! I liked how the rice rolls were not greasy. There was enough protein layered between the sheets of rice roll to have some protein with each bite, and I liked how the soy sauce was on the sweeter side. Lastly, the beef chow fun had a great balance of vegetables, beef, and rice noodles! This dish was greasier than the rest but full of soy sauce and scallion flavor. At the end, the Combo C with an additional rice roll and fried bread sticks ended up being too much food for 3 of us. We still would have been quite full if we ordered the Combo C alone, but I am glad that I tried other items from their menu. read more

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I've only ordered take out but never disappointed. Always ready on time and the rolls are the perfect texture for me. read more

My family tried Liyin Rice Roll Master for the first time yesterday. It was Saturday, around 2:00 PM, and the restaurant was bustling. There was a queue to add your name to the waitlist. After adding my name to the waitlist, our party of four was greeted by a waitress and seated right away. I would say that the restaurant offers a Hong Kong style brunch menu. There is a rice porridge menu, fried dough is a separate order. There is a rice roll menu and wok fried noodles menu. There is a short drinks menu, but most come for the hot soy milk or hot milk tea for a more traditional experience with the meal. The first item we were served was the Liyin signature porridge. Everyone shared this and really liked it, including my picky daughter. It does have a lot of protein in it so if you are looking for something more light, you can go with the other porridge options. Next up, we received the mixed rice roll. The rice roll was super tender. The center was filled with half ground beef and half ground pork. Unfortunately, the ground pork half had a very unpleasant pork taste so bad that I had to remove it all. Luckily the ground beef portion was good. I will probably avoid this dish next time since steamed ground pork can be concerning when not steamed through. I think ours tasted sour, as if the pork went bad. The pork and egg rice porridge was good but not memorable. The beef chow mein, was nothing spectacular, and was expensive for the small portion. The golden shrimp rice roll was one of my son's favorite dishes whenever we went go out to dim sums location in Massachusetts but I felt like the center was too greasy while the outer rice roll that wrapped the fried part was too soft here. I didn't try my husband's soy milk as I am allergic. My hot milk tea was steeped too long so the milk tea tasted bitter. The fried dough that we ordered for the rice porridge camped out a bit late and was also a tad greasy. The soy sauces for dipping the rice rolls were on the bland side. You can ask for chili oil as only soy sauce was readily available on the table. I recommend going for the combo, so you can get the rice porridge, rice roll, and a drink, which is combo B. Combo C has a fourth item, a rice noodle dish. It's really a lot of food for one person, probably enough for two. While we waited for our food, I noticed there were plenty of take-out and delivery orders. Although the wait staff and kitchen seemed highly efficient, I would say the wait time was slightly high, this despite the waiter saying that the food will come out quickly. The kitchen also forgot one of our orders, curry fish balls, which we didn't catch until the end of the meal. Overall, a tad pricey for the type of food we were being served. Atmosphere was typical of a Chinese breakfast joint, lots of loud conversations. This restaurant is part of a chain so I wonder how the other locations taste compared to this restaurant. This is only their first year of operation as they opened during the summer I want to say, so still fairly new to the area. I would come back to try other dishes but I am not rushing back. In my opinion, I feel like Quincy has better options for Hong Kong style breakfast. read more

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Great authentic canton style rice rolls. The rice roll plates do fill and definitely better than what you get at a typical dim sum restaurant. The fillings are plenty and the portions are just right. The layers been the rice roll is thin and the fillings are spread out through out the roll. I also got the chow fun, that came out hot and fresh. It was tasty but also oily. The team speaks Cantonese and service is quick. The tables are fairly spread out and casual. Typically this gets busy on a weekend afternoon. I came while the college crowd was gone, so I got seated right away. They do have an online wait list. Which makes it convenient to check in and get notified. I would be a frequent customer, if not for the peanut oil in their cooking. Overall good spot. read more

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Find your authentic Cantonese cuisine here! LOCATION: Street parking but off of St. Mary's on the green line so pretty convenient. The vibes were great and space itself was spacious! MENU: Their main draw are the rice rolls but they have classic Cantonese noodle dishes and congee. They also have a few set menu items for you to choose from which is a good deal! FOOD: We tried the special rice roll, beef brisket, and beef chow fun. The special rice was pretty delicious and highly recommend! The beef was so soft and the noodles itself was silky. The beef chow fun was good but it didn't have the wok hei (iykyk). SERVICE: Quick and friendly! read more

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Delicious, delicate, and fresh tasting rice rolls. This spot is pretty casual and near some other tasty spots. Tried the beef (5/5) and shrimp (4/5) rice rolls, beef and bitter melon (5/5 allegedly, I'm not a huge fan of bitter melon but others said it was good melon), and stir fry bok choy (4/5). Overall yummy! read more

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Great place for someone who enjoys a variety of carby food! I came on a Thursday evening and there was one table left for our party before the whole place was full! It's a very clean, red, and wooden atmosphere here. We ordered mainly rice rolls and a noodle dish: * Pork Rice Roll * Beef Rice Roll * Chashu Rice Roll * Golden Shrimp Red Rice Roll * LiYin Beef Chow Fun The rice rolls have a good amount of rice layers, which makes it interesting since the rice rolls I've had in the area are usually less layers and thick. The tradeoff of that is having less meat inside (so heads up to the meat lovers). The red rice roll is pretty interesting - definitely something I've seen more recently for dim sum. There's the soft rice roll texture and a crunchy filling texture. Worth trying! Even though the restaurant name has the word "Rice Roll" on it, I thought the LiYin Beef Chow Fun was the best! Every bite has a good stir-fried, smokey taste. I would get this again! Service was okay since the place was crowded and it was hard to get their attention to order, ask for scissors to cut the rice rolls, and pay. It's hard to recommend LiYin to all since not a lot of dishes have meat, so definitely recommending it to those who love carbs, or those who are down to grab a small meal for breakfast! read more

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Service was very friendly. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and the wait wasn't too long. The food was great - I would have given 5 stars for the entire food experience. However, the 3 star rating is specifically for the rice roll itself. First, let me talk about the 5 star experience - the food was very, very YUMMY. The menu offered these really great combo choices at a very reasonable price. The amount of food that was served was beyond expectation. We ordered: Chasu Rice Roll, $7.95 + COMBO C for an additional $24.99 Combo C comes with - beef chow fun - your choice between 2 porridge (congee) options) - your choice between 3 beverage options (soybean milk, milk tea, or lemon ice tea) The beef chow fun was AMAZING. It was fresh, and beef slices were so tender. Hands down my favorite. We chose the Liyin Signature Porridge - which was delicious and flavorful. I can't remember everything that was in it, but it had slices of tender fish, crisp peanuts, and I think shrimp. We ordered a side of fried bread sticks (you tiao) to go with - chef's kiss! We chose the lemon ice tea as the beverage - not bad, but could be better (more lemony). Now - the rice roll. The thin texture is to be expected. However, I was surprised by how everything stuck together that it became one giant rice roll (for lack of a better word, blob). This didn't stop it from tasting good - but because the rice rolls all stuck together, it made the filling ingredient (in this case, the chasu) seem lacking and unevenly distributed. Overall, I would definitely come again. read more

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I love getting rice rolls when I eat dim sum, so I was super excited for Liyin to finally open. We came on a Monday evening and it wasn't that busy. There are both table and booth seating options. The two of us shared Combo B consisting of the signature rice rolls, signature congee, and lemon iced tea. We also ordered the shrimp rice rolls and a second iced tea. This was definitely a good amount of food, and the flavors and textures were perfect. The service was quick and friendly. The price wasn't too bad, especially considering the location and the fact that there aren't other rice roll specific restaurants in the immediate area. I would definitely come back to try more of the menu. read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Life is short. F.....it up! Family, Flavor, Friends Finally got to try this place as it's new to the Boston area. Very modern clean and good service. Got the congee w preserved egg and pork and 2 rice rolls. There special pork, beef and shrimp and a beef egg. Everything was freshly made and came out quick and Hot. But there was something missing there shot sauce was bland and needs to be sweeter. The ingredients for the congee and rice rolls although was fresh lacked flavor. Small fix can go a long way. But this was my impression. read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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St. Mary's before and after covid are completely different. Once a Whole foods and just some shops is now an asian food hub with a hmart, japonaise bakery back and a food hall of new asian restaurants. One of those restaurants that recently opened is Liyin rice roll master. Rice noodle rolls are pretty recent for me as I tried it for the first time in chinatown this year and absolutely loved it. The inside space is small and likely can fit about 30+ people and is cozy with similar light fixture designs like kyoto matcha next door and An nam in Somerville. The staff were very chill and made sure to give us time to order. The food came out in a good amount of time and the restaurant wasn't too busy at 7pm. The shrimp rice roll was yummy and one of my favorites. The fried rice was a little plain but not bad but I think it could have used just a LIL more flavor. We paid only $50 for the two of us with two rolls, a big fried rice and two drinks, not bad at all. A good chill spot to order some food to share and relax. Apparently there is one also opening up in Chinatown so you will not have to come all the way over to Fenway or technically brookline since it's right at the spot where the two meet. What i got Shrimp Rice Roll 3 treasure rice roll Beef fried rice Classic lemon ice tea $ Food 7 Atmosphere 7 Service 7 read more

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Arrived during lunchtime on a weekday and we were able to get a table fairly quick. Waitstaff pretty quick off mark, got our orders, moved the giant chopstick tray to give space. The guy that served us spoke English canto and mandarin so it was actually pretty convenient. I really like how the menus were colorful, descriptive and convenient to review. We were given our own water carafe with a lemon slice inside. Ordered the C combo for $33.50 since it seemed like a good deal and gave us a chance to try more of the menu. 3/5 - Signature Rice Roll - surprisingly their signature role was not as good as I'd expected. This is probably because it felt overstuffed since it had beef, shrimp, and pork in it. I would've preferred it if it was only a single ingredient and single layered so that it doesn't feel so for stuffed and you can appreciate the simple ingredient and the silky rice noodle. 4/5 - Signature porridge - the porridge was really good. It came nice and hot and had a plethora of ingredients like beef, shrimp, cow, stomach, etc. the rice was nice and fluffy. 4.5/5 - Beef chow foon - this is actually by far my most favorite dish. The wide rice noodle was very well cooked and had a lot of wok air. The beef was nice and tender, and had a peppery taste to it. 3/5 - Hot Milk tea is average, not super smooth or anything. Will try soybean next time. The food was cooked to orders so I actually took a little bit longer than I'm used to, but definitely worth it. For a party of two people I think the C combo is more than enough and for a decent price. If you choose the à la cart options, I noticed in the next table that they are actually a lot larger portions so if you're still feeling hungry choose the à la cart options. This place is brand new so all the furniture and furnishings and the decorations are fairly new. Overall, a great place to try again next time. read more

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Overall: Take it from my friend from HK when I illustrate the authenticity of the rice rolls. Food: contrary to run of the mill dim sum, liyin rice rolls are slightly drier and stickier. If you sneak a peek into the kitchen you'll find the large metal sheets that the rice rolls are steamed in and begin to understand the authenticity. The fillings (beef, chashu, shrimp) were very normal. The unique add on fillings turned them into quite a meal. The red shrimp rice roll was a fun atypical dish as well. Ambience/Decor/Service: in keeping up with the competition, the restaurant inside was very clean, neatly organized, and upscale decorations. Service was quick and nothing to complain about. Would recommend trying! read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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I'm really glad there's a rice roll place in Brookline! The rice rolls here are really good, very thin, and nicely rolled. If you've never tried it before, I highly recommend adding an egg! read more

Authentic rice rolls with different flavors and options. in addition to rice rolls, there are also some other common breakfast food offered at this restaurant, including, but not limited to fried noodles and steamed noodles. Environment was very clean and nice with powerful AC, service was very friendly and attentive. Flavor was OK nothing special and some items were a little overpriced. read more

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I had a good experience here, not sure why the overall reviews are kind of low. We thought the rice rolls were delicious and a larger than we expected. It was super soft and Q, definitely one of the better options in the Boston area. The filling could be better quality but it was still a yummy meal nonetheless. The beef chow fun, though a bit greasy, had lots of wok hay and was cooked/seasoned well! I would 100% come back. The only thing I would be weary of is the wait time (which is why I dropped to a 4 star). We went on a Sunday at 11 am and we had to wait just over 30 minutes. It got significantly busier after we were seated so it's important to get your name on the waitlist asap! They have an iPad at the front. read more

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We came on Sat, early evening, so it wasn't crowded. The server was accommodating with our seating as we had a stroller with us. Inside had about 4 booth seatings and about 4-5 tables along the other side of the wall. Decor was very clean and simple. We ordered the shrimp rice roll (plenty of decent size shrimp, the rice noodle itself was a little dry and stuck together), the beef Chow foon was tasty, noodles tasted fresh but the beef were too salty, less oily compared to most other Chinese restaurants, the liyin special congee was very light, right amount of water for my preference but the meat and seafood inside didn't have much taste, the fried dough is a must add in into the congee (I like ripping them into small pieces and throw it into the congee, let it soak a little and eat it together). Everything came out fairly quickly. If you're looking for a quick bite or snack, this would be a good spot read more

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Standard Cantonese food. Their rice roll is slightly dry and we had to add a lot of soy sauce to make it tasty. And their Chinese broccoli and porridge were alright too, not too flavorful and nothing too special. They have a good amount of indoor seatings but the wait isn't too long like 5-10 minutes. Staff are friendly and the interior is clean. Food: 7/10 Value: 7/10 Service: 8/10 Experience:7.5/10 read more

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Came here for take out during soft opening. They opened five days ago. Review for take out only. Ordered combo a ( add either Sampan or pork and thousand year old egg congee) for additional $6.99 with any rice roll. Silky rice rolls but missing the chew. Huge order but with minimal fillings. I got the shrimp, pork and beef for $9.95. Not overly seasoned and it's a good thing so that we can add own condiments. Sampan congee is very smooth and creamy-like texture so they definitely soaked their rice before cooking over stovetop. During soft opening, their opening hours are daily from 1pm -9pm. Cute take out packages. read more

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Comment on the service is just OK but the low Main hair is excellent authentic Chinese lo mein the way it's supposed to taste not too greasy perfect read more

Finally got around to trying this place and it did not disappoint! This is the best rice roll of this style I've had in this state. I usually go out of state to fulfill my craving for this type of rice roll. This is acceptable for Boston standards. The beef chow foon had nice "wok hay". The beef would be perfect if they tenderize it more. Rice rolls a bit pricy to be on routine eat out list. Once in a while is okay. read more

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Standard comfort food can be a hit or miss depending on the rice roll's batter. We ordered a Golden Shrimp Red Rice Roll ($13.85) and a Combo ($15.50) of Mixed Rice Roll and Liyin Signature Porridge. The rice roll was thin and smooth, but the ingredients needed improvement. The shrimp red rice roll's shrimp was not bouncy and lacked a shrimp taste. It was bland (usually, in a dim sum restaurant, they would add some celery, similar to a fried shrimp roll). The mixed rice roll was beef and pork. There was no seasoning, and the meat was not soft; it was chewy. It makes it miss Yin Ji Chang Fen Rice Roll in NY. The soy sauce was bland and not salty, no matter how much you dipped. That's why they give you more sauce when you order takeout than any other rice roll restaurant. Their signature porridge is Sampan congee, which they changed a little ingredient. They used char-siu instead of sliced pork and no shrimp. The porridge base was thick. I probably won'ton't come back again, but I will try the Chinatown location when they open. read more

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My partner and I got the 3 treasure rice roll (beef, pork, char siu), beef rice roll, fried bread rice roll, golden shrimp red rice roll, and Liyin beef chow fun - TASTE: 4/5 - the beef chow fun tasted homemade! Enjoyed the mayo sauce w my golden shrimp red rice roll. Otherwise, the meat in the remaining rice rolls could've been more seasoned TEXTURE: 4/5 - fried dough rice roll is always my favorite, and the crunch of this one was satisfying, though have never had it wrapped w egg before. The noodle in the rice roll was thinner than I expected and the rice rolls itself were more bulgy w its fillings, given they were one large roll vs multiple, cut rolls in a serving at dim sum PRICE: 3/5 - total came to $70, more than we were expecting SERVING SIZE: 4/5 - satisfied w the amount we ordered for dinner SERVICE: 4/5 - walked in at 5pm on a Saturday to a mostly empty space. The waitress was helpful in confirming fried dough rice rolls were available, despite not being shown on the menu. Food started coming out 10min after ordering ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 - simple, modern decor in their long, narrow space TAKEOUT: 4/5 - never had takeout boxes like theirs w multiple tabs PARKING: 4/5 - got a metered street spot right on Beacon St read more

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Obsessed. Southern Chinese comfort food just hits! The place was packed with only Chinese people on a Sat night so you know it's good. Great portion sizes for reasonable prices and very fast service. Combo C with another appetizer or main dish was enough for two people. Table comes with white pepper and soy sauce for additional flavoring! New and clean facilities as well. I will definitely be back and will bring my family whenever they're in town! read more

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Got shrimp rice roll and beef/broccoli stir fry. They are very very average. Sort of flavorless. Honestly v disappointing. Service is otherwise great and the waiter was very attentive. Ambiance is what you can imagine from a Chinese restaurant - intimate, loud, but also social enough that it's good for a friends get-together. Probably not a date spot. Not coming back unfortunately. There's way better Cantonese food out there. read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Shrimp Rice Roll - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

A pretty decent rice roll place. So rice-glutenous, you'll nap! :D The insides of the rice roll were pretty decent; the shrimp was tender, the beef was tasty, and they give you a pretty large portion. The stir-fried beef chow foon left a bit to be desired; I think it could have been less greasy. Service was quick and efficient. read more

Very bold and authentic Cantonese food that did not disappoint! Among some of the menu items I tried during my first time at this restaurant included the saucy LiYin Beef Chow Fun and the crispy Golden Shrimp Red Rice Roll - both of which I would highly recommend trying! I also ordered a Pork and Beef Noodle Soup in which I generally enjoyed the savory flavors, although I felt that the meat could be a little more tender. The service at this restaurant is very good. I came here just under an hour before closure, and during my visit the staff made sure to come out with the food that we ordered right on time. Additionally, the environment inside this restaurant is very peaceful and not noisy at all, particularly given the time of day that we came. Overall, I would certainly recommend this place to others who are curious to give it a try! read more

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Maybe it is because we did a take out order of the beef rice roll but when we got home and we tried it. It was ok, for sure fresh beef and rice roll was silky but in my opinion lacked flavor and salt. Service was very kind, accommodating, and efficient while we waited for our order. read more

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Authentic Chinese comfort food. Loved the beef/egg and signature porridges, soybean milk, and especially loved the fried breadsticks. Affordable and fast! read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Porridge and rice rolls - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Came on a weeknight for some central Cantonese food and there wasn't a line. The food came very quickly as well. I got the congee and shrimp rice roll combo and it was a lot of food. However, I do wish the congee was cooked a little bit longer but the rice roll is fantastic! read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Spotless! First time trying rice rolls. The restaurant is very clean. We tried 2 rice rolls. Fried rice & spring rolls. Would definitely return. read more

LiYin Rice Roll Master - Chicken fried rice - Cantonese Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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We decided to try this place on a whim and it turned out amazing! After work, there was a lot of space to sit and no wait. Our server was prompt and collected our orders as soon as we were ready. The food came one by one, and we finished them one at a time which filled me up very quickly by the time our last dish came. My favorite was definitely the three treasures roll, it was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. The sauce was not overpowering and I was really able to taste the individual meats. I would also say that one of these rice roll portions is enough to fill me up, which is pretty great considering the low price! I really enjoyed this new restaurant near the Fenway area and can't wait to try more. read more

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If I'm ever in the mood for congee, I know to go to LiYin! I also do enjoy going to Chinatown for some good congee and similar food of the sorts, but LiYin is just a lot more convenient to get to if you're on the outskirts/west of downtown. I love their fish congee as it's comforting and satisfying to have when you're having a hangover or are sick or just want something simple to eat. Their rice rolls are also satisfying to have with the congee. We also enjoyed how strong the milk tea is. Service was quick and love the space -- great to bring friends together to chill at. read more

I'm surprised both reviews for Liyin are at 3 right now, as I had a fairly positive experience here. My 4/5 is actually more of a 4.5/5 with the only negative being the price of the chow fun being a little bit too steep for me to order again and the filling in the rice rolls being a bit sparse. Aside from that, the service was great and the food was surprisingly good! Our waiter came by a few times to ask us how things were, and the food came out pretty quickly from when we first ordered. I also liked how when you dine in, they have a nice full bottle of extra soy sauce on the table for you to spray over your rice rolls since they come very lightly sauced. The soy sauce isn't the normal salty sauce as well - it's the special kind you use on rice rolls that's a little less concentrated flavor with a sweet taste to it. Normally my big issue at any place with rice rolls is not enough sauce, so having the big bottle right by me was a huge win. As for the dishes: Shrimp rice roll ($7.95) - This was the best of the two rice rolls I ordered. I do want to note that the texture is not as thick and chewy as most dim sum places you go to in Chinatown - instead, it's extremely thin and silky, which I happened to like, but it is different from the norm. The shrimp itself was very flavorful which was a nice surprise - it was nicely seasoned and added some good taste to the otherwise bland rice sheets. Like I said above, with a few squirts of the soy sauce readily available at the table, this easily became my favorite of the dishes I ordered. Pork rice roll ($7.50) - This one wasn't exactly bad, but there was very little pork in the rice roll, and it didn't feel very seasoned. Maybe some cilantro or something would have been nice, but the mixture of not a lot of pork plus not a lot of seasoning made this one a bit more bland. Still, with a few squirts of the sauce, it became okay, and as the cheaper of the rolls, I still enjoyed it. I think in general it's a little more pricey than getting rice rolls at dim sum, but I do like the thin silky texture and being local to the area, I love that a restaurant like this is available and I don't have to venture into Chinatown in the morning/early afternoon to get some dim sum. Beef chow fun ($15.50) - This actually tasted quite nice but the price felt a little high for what it was. The noodle in this dish was a little thicker and had that nice bounciness that chow fun needs, and the beef had good flavor. The beef also was soft but still had some nice chew - it was a bit different from the really really soft beef that a lot of Chinese restaurants have which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The portion size was good and is definitely too much for one person to eat, but like I said I think you can get a similar dish for a cheaper price at other places. All in all, I'm giving this a 4.5/5 because I normally have to travel very far to get this type of food, and I'm very grateful for it being easily accessible and not enormously inflated prices. The rice roll texture is a bit different, but I quite like the silkiness and thinness of the roll, but they could use extra fillings. I did see a table next to me get a rice roll with a bunch of beef and sauce on top of it, so maybe adding an add-on is something I'd try in the future. For two people, three dishes filled us up and cost us only about $40 total after a 20% tip, which definitely felt decent given the recent price hikes in eating out. I'll definitely come back here again, though I may only order rice rolls next time (and one with add-ons at least)! read more

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