Dumpling 85 has some of the best XLB in the Bay Area! I go here too often haha. The XLB are…read moreflavorful, packed with soup and filling and at an affordable price. I especially liked how the dumpling skin of the XLB was not too thick or thin. In addition, whether dining in or eating takeout, the XLB are so perfectly made that they never break. Beyond the XLB, I have tried numerous other dishes on their menu. From their Noodle Soup and Chow Mein to their pig ear and beef roll, you cannot go wrong with anything on their menu! I personally enjoy eating the beef roll with the XLB. The restaurant can get a bit crowded during lunch and dinner on the weekends, but the servers are very attentive. Great to eat outside on a nice sunny day. Strongly recommend!

Dumpling 85 opened where Sakiya Sushi was 4 years ago. Interior still has the sushi counter that's…read morebeen transformed into a food prep station. 10ish tables inside and a few tables outside in front. Interior is kinda cramped. Plenty of parking in lot. Vocals & instrumental music in background. Greeted quickly & seated promptly upon entering. Ordered. Food came in 15ish minutes. Offerings (Shanghainese, China): xiao long bao, steamed dumplings, appetizers, buns, fried rice, noodles. Soups, pan-fried entrees, soups. Slurps/bites: pork & crab meat xiao long bao (8/17.95) steaming hot with mist arising from basket. -dipping sauce of soy sauce & red vinegar w/ginger -small ball of steamed pork within wrapper with a small piece of crab meat atop pork. -soup wasn't too hot nor plentiful. Had sweet & meat flavas. -ate plenty decades ago. Not often during past years. Seating filled up with Mandarin & Cantonese speaking patrons. Staff also spoke English. 4 stars worthy! Service/quality/quantity 4ish stars. *May check out steamed dumplings or noodle soup next. May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Always quality udon. Great value. We must have arrived after the weekend lunch rush. There was no…read moreline for the first time for us and the dining areas weren't full. The person assisting us was super friendly and offered us samples of the broths. Happy we got to try the ginger clam udon. The broth was clean, flavorful and well balanced. There was a hearty serving of clams. I like that you can add your own green onions and red pepper flakes.

I absolutely loved marugame but went couple months ago to find that the tonkatsu flavored was…read moreremoved from the menu! I tried the creamy "most loved" udon dish and I was disappointed. I could not even finish it. Therefore, I will not be returning. Service is always quick and the udon is always made fresh everyday. Line moves quick too. Parking is plenty, as there's a parking structure-- free. The restaurant is always usually well kept and clean. I hope the tonkatsu returns!

CA noodle is a pretty small but good noodle restaurant…read more Pretty big portion sizes overall Noodles were very chewy and you can select what type of noodles Service was confusing cuz u needa go up to them to ask for a table instead of them finding one for you Overall not bad but quite heavy feeling after eating The time we went they were only accepting cash and venmo only

A nice little spot that took over what was previously a Taiwanese cafe style restaurant from some…read moreyears back. CA Noodle is as advertised, they are a beef noodle soup focused spot. The menu itself isn't extensive, but mostly just noodle focused based, with some of the variations of what the base and meats are, and of course the cold dishes that typically comes with a beef noodle eating experience. Price wise, it's not cheap, but for beef noodle places there's not too many of those places around, and if they are around they're usually not that great. The place isn't huge, but there are a fair number of tables in there all closeish together. Again, not a large place, so mostly smaller tables, but can certainly be pieced together for larger parties. Service here was good, no issues. Let's talk food! The cold dishes were good. Nothing out of the ordinary, but one thing that is good even though the cost of them are a bit high is that the quantity they give you is at least a decent amount. If you like the cold dishes, you will get plenty with each order. Now to the noodles. We got a chow mein style noodles and then of course the beef noodle soup. The chow mein noodles were not bad, but wasn't out of the ordinary. It was tasty and I would be happy to eat it again. The beef noodle soup was definitely tasty. The noodles here, in both the chow mein and in the noodle soup were nice quality and texture, just the right QQness to them. The beef in the beef noodle soup is where most restaurants tend to struggle with, particularly the chain dumpling places that offers beef noodle soup and when it arrives, they're just the beef slices from the appetizer dish. Not here, these were actual chunks of beef that have been cooked for awhile and actually stewed. They were good and plentiful in this soup. All-in-all, CA Noodles is a good option for some good beef noodles if you're ever in the mood. The place isn't big, so they may get filled pretty quickly depending on the time of day, and the actual day. Worth the visit.

The interior was very well furnished and we were seated quickly. The service was also fairly quick…read moreand the food was excellent. Would definitely come again!

Special Noodle is a great spot for fuel especially after a long day of shopping! The staff were…read moreincredibly kind and the restaurant was nice and cool (not super common for Asian restaurants!). The cucumber side dish, pan fried pork buns, and clear beef noodle soup are our favorites!

I was in town because of a family photoshoot and afterwards we wanted to eat! This place was…read morerecommended by our photographer and it did not disappoint! It was early dinner time on a Friday evening and it wasn't overly crowded. All 6 of us got different items and overall it's a matter of preference for what kind of broth and protein you'd like that depicts the meal, the toppings are generally all the same. Consider this place to almost be a "make your own ramen" type of thing, in that you're given a platter of toppings to add to your bowl of steaming hot broth, mix it and let it sit, then voila! It's ready to eat. For a rainy winter evening, it was perfect to have some tasty noodle soup!

Loved this place and was so excited to try it out! I really love the environment inside as well…read moreit's super laid back but also looks pretty well kept for a nice outing with loved ones. The service was really good, they are super on top of cleaning and serving so my food came out in about 15-20 minutes. I got the combo with an appetizer, drink, and noodle soup. The portions were pretty generous. -grapefruit tea: thought it was pretty yummy! I also tried out the super fruit tea and i really liked it but personally found it to be a little too sweet. Not too much to displease though! I mixed some water and it was perfect for me. -tomato beef brisket noodle soup: i was surprised by how tender the meat was and how much they actually give you. If you love tomato soups as much as i do then it's definitely a great option! -takoyaki & lamb skewers: my sister had one dish from her combo order and i has my own but was able to try both! The lamb skewers were a bit smaller than expected but were flavorful with a fragrant aroma. The takoyaki came in about 5 balls and while they didn't include all typical takoyaki toppings it was still pretty good considering it came as a combo! Overall, i really loved coming by this place, my main concern is that it's actually in a pretty busy plaza so parking can be a little difficult during peak business hours. Otherwise it's located in a really great area relatively close to some shopping areas such as the Livermore outlets or even other smaller shopping plazas. Give this place a try if you're in the area and looking for a good eat without breaking the wallet!

Good, Service, Ambiance : All great!…read more We came here for lunch to celebrate one of my close friend's birthdays, and it definitely did not disappoint! The place was packed, but the service was still great. Everything we ordered tasted wonderful, and the food presentation was spot on. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with such a fun, aesthetic atmosphere--definitely Instagram-worthy! Great food, great service, and beautiful ambiance. We had such a nice birthday lunch and I will definitely be coming back!

This restaurant is super cute! Love the theme inside! The staff are very nice and patient…read more My friends and I ordered the Crab benny, Pork pad thai, Chicken pad see ew, and Chicken yellow curry. I loved the pad thai, pad see ew and yellow curry. The flavors were perfect! I would order them again! I wasn't a big fan of the crab benny. I thought it lacked flavor. I think I'm going to try the fried chicken benny next time because that looked amazing.

I used Mama Lee Kitchen catering for a Lunar New Year dinner for 28 people, and it was highly…read moresuccessful!! I wanted to showcase my Taiwanese heritage for the dinner and was excited that Mama Lee's was available to cater. It was hard to decide from the variety of their catering menu because so much of it reminded me of my childhood favorites. I ordered the following, and of course it was way too much, but folks were excited to take home leftovers: - Popcorn Chicken - Pork chop egg fried rice - Chicken cutlet egg fried rice - Qua Bao - Veggie Chow Mein - Crispy Fried Tofu Sticks (with garlic dipping sauce and pickled cabbage) - Seasonal Veggie & Mushroom The popcorn chicken, egg fried rice, and veggie chow mein was the kids' favorites, along with the winter melon lemon tea, which David and Marysa threw in for being their first customer in Pleasant Hill. The adults enjoyed everything that was offered, and were excited to try many new dishes for the first time. Overall, the flavors were reminiscent of my memories of eating in Taiwan, and that was a huge plus! Communication was easy, and the day of the event, they sent pics of the food. Not only did they include delivery over $350, the food was brought in piping hot & they helped set up the food. I am excited to work with David and Marysa again for next year's dinner, and I would highly recommend Mama Lee's catering for your next event!!

Just Love Mama Lee's Signature "Light Salad" Bentos!! The restaurant even upgraded the Bento…read morepackage with more portion!!

The Matcha Mango was pretty unique and tasted good. I wished there was less ice more drink…read more The spring and the egg rolls were both quite tasty, especially very fresh. Parking wa plentiful, and was not busy at all. Bright, clean and booths were clean. Tables were neatly arranged and very spacious. I also signed up the app, so can accumulate points (for rewards) every time I come. I am new to the app, so cannot share what rewards would be yet. Will report back in the future in my next review. Server was very friendly. Will come again.

I like the changes that Pho Hoa has made. You can still order using the QR code at the table but I…read morewas really happy that someone came and gave us real menus and took our order. We ordered: Pork Vietnamese Banh Mi Dip - loaded with meat and came with a fried egg. Delicious! I preferred eating the dip like soup. It was warm and flavorful. Popcorn Chicken Bowl - nice serving of seasoned chicken over rice. We had asked for hot sauce and a robot came to deliver it. Cool! Restaurant is clean. I saw that tables were bussed as soon as parties leave. Well done.

After our group's morning hike, we headed to Paik's, which I had picked out for our lunch. Paik's…read moreis a Korean-Chinese restaurant that started in Seoul in 2006 and has since expanded globally with four locations in the Bay Area. This location is in a strip mall with plenty of parking. We arrived a little after they opened at 11am and there were two tables of customers. Checking out the menu, it's limited to Jajangmyeon, jjamppong, stir-fried noodles and rice, pork, chicken and shrimp dishes, mandu and Korean chicken wings. I love jajangmyeon and ordered it with extra noodles. The bowl of noodles came with a thick savory black bean sauce with some pork and vegetables. The taste was spot-on and it's comparable to my favorite Jajangmyeon that I get in the City. You get pickled radish with your food with refills. Now I can get closer to home. Jajangmyeon is a Korean-Chinese dish and they do it well here. Four of the five of us had the jajangmyeon and one at the vegetable stir-fried noodles. Everyone was happy with their food. There's good amount of seating here and the waitresses are friendly and service was fast. If you like jajangmyeon, check out Paik's. I'll be back when I have a craving. Gamsahamnida!

The jajang sauce was so bland, almost tasteless. It used to…read morebe really good so I'm not sure what happened. I was shocked to see the customer at the next table pouring a ton of soy sauce into their jajangmyeon. Such a shame.

Amazing Hainan chicken, sauce, and service…read more Hainan chicken soup- my little boys favorite- comes with a simple white broth chicken soup with Napa cabbage and white rice noodles. 1/4 of a Hainan chicken with peanuts and sauce. $15 5/5 Fried capelin (whole fish) $10 5/5. Nice crisp fish not too greasy, can eat the whole fish no bone issues. Very pleasant and easy to eat. Marinated duck $18 4/5 not sure if I just prefer roasted duck, but it is as advertised. Hainan chicken like duck, complete with firm skin with a tinge of sweet soy marinade. Comes with sweet white vinegar Waitress was very nice for Chinese restaurant- came and offered hot tea and water with straw for my boy even though we were just eating in a little after ordering to go. Bathroom is very clean for Chinese restaurant 5/5

3.25 stars, reluctantly rounded down to 3 stars. Has one of the best dishes I am currently obsessed…read morewith but also some dishes I am indifferent to. Been to Yummy Hainan Chicken a few times. Slowly finding a few favorites on the menu but like other restaurants, not everything I've ordered has been to my taste. K15. Knife Cut Noodle with Minced Meat a little too soft & bland. Wish the egg was less hard boiled. Yolk was chalky. Tried this years ago, soon after they opened so it may have improved since then. May give it another try in the future. K10. Chiu Chow Marinated Duck over Rice Plate was meaty. The rice plate was the perfect portion for 1 person or 2 people with light appetites. My dining companion didn't like it much as she prefers Peking duck. I thought it was OK. K12. Braised Beef Brisket and Tendon over Rice wasn't my fave. Brisket a bit too tough and dry. Also, didn't care for the flavor being more sweet than savory. K35. Salt & Pepper Capelin (smelt) was perfectly fried and salted fish. My absolute favorite item on the menu. Always order whenever I dine-in. The squeeze of lemon is essential. Took it over the top. Ate them like fries. Must try! Half Roast Duck was super yummy but really salty. Do not eat on its own. Must eat with rice or their noodle soup to dilute salt. Always seemed to dine here in the height of the summer heat so didn't really touch the complimentary cup of soup. Will probably appreciate it more when the temps aren't consistently hovering over 100 degrees. Will definitely want to explore more of the menu to hopefully find additional favorites.