I've always passed by this place on my way to Bowl'd, and I finally visited last week when I was hungry enough to not want to wait for Bowl'd. Wasn't the best decision I made. Interior is very nice and clean, and service is good too. The only problem is, I didn't enjoy the food. I ordered the Shanghai duck and it was very dry, about 75% of each piece being fat or bone. Very salty on the outside, and the skin of the duck tasted rubbery and dry at the same time. Maybe that's how a Shanghai duck is supposed to taste like, in which case I guess this is just a matter of preference. The other dish we ordered was some kind of chicken dish, which was supposedly chicken pieces coated and fried(?) & mixed in an overall sauce. The sauce tasted too strong, and the coats were 95% of the dish. Honestly I had to dig for the chicken - which were in VERY flat and small pieces. We did order a Sizzling rice soup, which was the best-tasting item of the day. Although it did feel a little more Americanized than those offered at other places (judging by ingredients such as green pea). The total bill came up to around $50, because we ordered brown rice to share too. Despite the great service, I wouldn't go back. read more

I have been going to Renee's Place nearly half my life (about 15 years), and I am sorry to say, but the quality of food and service has gone down. I used to love the general's chicken, the Mongolian beef and the mushu pancakes; however, things have taken a turn for the worst. I mostly go for lunch and the service has been extremely slow. The waitress means well, but she is clearly overwhelmed. Why don't they hire another waitress?!! Usually she becomes so overwhelmed that her husband and son help her... Sorry, but this is unprofessional. Renee should hire another waitress. Oftentimes I will be at Renee's and will see people wait 10+ minutes to be seated when it isn't even that crowded. Bless their hearts, because I am not that patient. The food itself has not been so great, either. The lemon chicken and Szechuan prawns come DRENCHED in gloppy, sweet sauce that has very little flavor other than being sugar-y. I feel bad giving one of my ol' time favorite Chinese restaurants such a poor review, but after 2+ years of inattentive service and low-quality food, I have to warn y'all. read more

They used organic ingredients, so I could feel freshness. I ordered chicken with asparagus, and my husband ordered eggplant with garlic source. We really enjoyed and were satisfied. The waitress was very kind and responsed ud quickly. read more

Renee's Place - Chinese Near Me - Albany, California

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I'm from Kentucky, so I may not be the best critic of Chinese food, but everything I had was absolutely delicious! Awesome General Tsao's chicken with brown rice. It was a great environment. Good place for a dinner date. It was a bit pricey, but the food was so much better than anywhere else, plus it's all organic. The service was excellent and the owner came and had a nice conversation with us while we were waiting for our food. I definitely will be making my way back! read more

One of my favorite Chinese places in the East Bay. Renee's place is a very modern approach to Chinese food, but not totally on the fusion side; the organic meats and locally sourced ingredients are a huge plus for someone environmentally and health conscious like me. Some of my favorite dishes are the rolling lettuce chicken, which is ground chicken with a tasty sauce wrapped in lettuce, which lends a nice crunch. I also like the hot & sour soup, but people not used to spice, might find a little too hot. The Szechuan Prawns are my favorite on the menu because the sauce is delightfully spicy and the prawns end up quite flavorful. The other plusses include a nice wait staff and very accommodating service. I've ordered by phone and come in around closing time, and every time I feel well accommodated. The food is a little bit pricey, but it is a more up scale restaurant. This is a place where you enjoy your food with friends or a date, not really a fast food style restaurant. Sometimes the spice level is a little difficult to gage, but talking with your waiter makes this an easy fix. read more

Organic Chinese cuisine sounds like my cup of tea, so I had this on my to-try list for awhile now. I try my best to support restaurants that use organic and/or local ingredients, and especially if they're vegetarian-friendly. So the fact that Renee's follows those guidelines makes me wish I could give it five stars. Instead, it gets a solid 3-3.5 stars. I was not really wowed by the food or service. The food was not as spicy or flavorful as I like. It seemed way too watered down for the American palate. Also, by the time the food came to the table, the actual temperature of it was not that hot. All that said, I'd likely come back here and try it out again at some point. One big plus: the menu has a lot of the gluten, mock chicken dishes that I have a soft spot for. Overall, it's a small, clean, and nicely decorated restaurant (loved the hanging lights and peaceful atmosphere) and was full of happy diners. read more

Still deciding between 3 1/2 and 4. Fresher, nice ingredients. Smaller portions with a bit more expensive prices ($10/entree) make it a bit of a splurge. Good service with many smiles. Vegetarian specific, it has several tofu dishes and about 5 fake chicken dishes on the last page, very easy to miss. Beware -- the hunan tofu says it has shredded pork in it! read more

After years of eating at the typical Chinese restaurants (Koi palace,Flower Lounge,Mayflower) in san francisco, its about time i found something new. Renee's has the same named dishes, but with higher quality selections and plates served with just the right amount of flavoring. Your taste buds will thank you and so will your tummy. No more greasy oily chinese food, Renee's will surprise and indulge you indeed. read more

We were there last night with friends visiting from the Peninsula. Everyone was very sweet and hospitable, as usual. We ordered all vegetarian, and everything was divine! I have been here once before and now feel determined to make this my regular place on Solano. I honestly don't understand why China Village is packed and Renee's is relatively quiet. The food tastes much healthier and less greasy by miles. Literally everything we ate was just amazing. We lived in Beijing a few years back and can honestly say when it comes to vegetarian dishes, they were pretty authentic. If I had one criticism it would be that they need to install baby changing tables in both bathrooms. I ended up changing my baby's diaper on the floor by our table. I shouldn't have to do that in a classy place like Renee's. Thank you for an amazing meal and I will see you again soon. read more

Took my Mom here today to celebrate Mother's Day. She has been craving Chinese food and has been watching what she takes in. So thanks to Yelp and to the reviews here, we found this restaurant. For starters, we tried their green onion pancake and soup dumplings. Yes, it's dumplings with meat and soup in it, delicious! Then we had their fillet fish with vegetables, mongolian beef, and eggplant with basil. We were actually surprised that their eggplant came out nicely cut and not mashed up. They also serve a pretty good organic green or black tea with their meals. So if you're in the mood for some Chinese food and want to dine in a reasonably priced place with great modern contemporary decor. Do check this place out. read more

I am not a huge fan of Chinese food, but I love eating at Renee's. The food here is always fresh, tasty and not your typical steam table Chinese restaurant. My husband and I like to dine here as well as order take out, and we are always happy with the result. The service is great and everyone is always friendly. Haven't personally met Renee, but everyone else's reviews say that she's just as nice. In terms of the food, the specials are always a hit. My husband and I are personally fans of both the wonton soup and the hot and sour soup. Both are light and refreshing and not drowning in salt. The wonton soup has tasty wontons and a shrimp and chicken based broth so it's packed with protein and can keep you pretty full. We split a medium soup and it took us two days to finish it. Other appetizers we've enjoyed are the spicy wonton (taste really good when you eat them there) and the spring rolls. For entrees, I am personally a fan of the orange chicken. The orange glaze is not overkill and goes well with the fried rice. The chicken is all free-range and organic... you can really taste the difference with their cooking. We've also tried the general chicken here with its nice big pieces of red and green bell peppers. Overall, if we feel like Chinese, Renee's is the first place that comes to mind. Our only complaint, as many have stated is that it's on the pricier side. Always a good treat! read more

Never order the fish with black bean sauce. The smell was overly fishy and inedible. I arrived shaking with hunger, was able to consume the egg flower soup before the lunch arrived. when the platter was placed before me the smell was nauseating. The portions were small sort of like chinese portioned out like japanese food the veggies were good though. read more

I have been a long-time customer of Renee's but unfortunately, I no longer will be. The prices have gone up considerably while the quality has diminished. I used to have a favorite meal and the last time I had it, it was not enjoyable at all; too much soy sauce which overwhelmed the other flavors. Today, I tried the same dish from another restaurant further down Solano and it was excellent, like the way I remember it to be at Renee's and it was $3.00 cheaper! I am not going to mention the name of the other restaurant here as it is not my intention to endorse that particular restaurant in the same review I critique Renee's. read more

White tablecloth kinda place with Chinese food that's double the price of dives. The food's sorta hit or miss, but maybe it's because my standards rose between visits. read more

Pleasant and serene, great organic Chinese food. This is one of our favorite restaurants - always great food, friendly service ... and classical music in the background (I think Renee is a musician) read more

Renee's Place - Pan fried noodles - Chinese Near Me - Albany, California

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Pretty decent little place in terms of Chinese food--It wasn't too Chinese, but then again, it wasn't too Americanized either. Came with a friend who doesn't normally eat Asian food, but had a craving for it. We ordered the Shanghai Soup Dumplings, Lion's Head, and also Szechuan Prawns. In addition, I also ordered a Samuel Smith Organic Pale Ale. The idea that everything was organic was awesome! I am a definite proponent. Our server was nice--per se. She wasn't incredibly friendly, nor was she incredibly attentive. She seemed to pay more attention to the other tables around us...which is okay...at least she's paying attention to others! :) I was very very disappointed--and should have probably said something--about the Shanghai Soup Dumplings when the arrived as an appetizer. For $6, I did not expect to get only 4 basically what is a literal translation "water dumplings"--in chinese. Or rather, STEAMED DUMPLINGS! In retrospect, I should have said something right away--when you could get a bag of 20 of them at 99 ranch for $3. Despite this hiccup, the rest of dinner went along quite swimmingly. The Lion's Head was admist a bed of a spinach. It was a bit on the salty side (but then my friend enjoyed it a lot, so it must be a palette difference). It was pretty good, except that one piece seemed to be undercooked in the sense that a part of it still seemed to be frozen (?) Or I may have been mistaken. The Szechuan Prawns were SIMPLY AMAZING! Could not get enough of them! They weren't overpowerinly spicy that my friend (who is a wimp) could not eat, but they did provide quite a nice kick. Washing everything down with the beer was delicious. In addition, the tea that is provided by the restaurant is actually pretty good and not cheap tasting like most other places. The decor is very beautiful. I would have given this 4 stars had it not been for the previous mentioned hiccups (then again, I should also have probably said something). Regardless, this place is a really nice little place to go. It isn't too expensive, and is good for a filling yummy nice meal! read more

A Chinese place I can feel good about eating meat at!!!! After reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer I vowed never to eat meat if I wasn't sure where it came from and how it was treated, which in my mind meant never getting to eat meat at most restaurants ever again, particularly many Asian restaurants. I was soooo thrilled to see that Renee's Place only sources its meat from local, non-factory, humane farms (well as humane as any meat production can be)!. Despite the food being healthy (less oil/fat, etc), it tasted great! The shredded spicy chicken was delish. Highly highly recommend!! read more

This is an excellent place to eat great food with wonderful service when you want to talk to the person ( people ) with whom you are eating. The atmosphere is relaxing and the noise level in low because they have noise canceling carpets on the floors. They play classical music in the background which rounds out the experience. I have liked everything I have eaten there.Portions are generous and easily shared. They have beer and wine. I had a https://www.facebook.com/split of champagne which was just right for my tastes. I cannot wait to go back. Anointing it as my favorite Chinese restaurant. But then i love good food and appreciate being able to hear my companion(s). read more

Just reminding people to order takeout from your fav places and help them to continue thru the covid changes. We try to get takeout several times a month from Renee's. The hours are usually dinner times now, call ahead. Our favs are Orange Chicken ( like the beef but with chicken), Vegetable Mushu, Szechwan Prawns, Hot and Sour Soup, and Vegetable Chow Mein. I know there are many good Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area, but even after trying many with friends, we miss Renee's , no others really compare. Support local! read more

As I was driving back from Fresno (Yes, it truly is the armpit of California), I passed at least 6 Panda Express locations and developed a serious hankering for the orange chicken and fried rice bowls that helped me through high school. As I have become more of a food jerk, I can no longer justify eating something this full of chemicals and mystery meat -- DAMN! When I arrived in Berkely it was 2 so i figured most places would be closed but I remembered Renee's and decided to try. Not only does their lunch last from 11:30-3 but they have $8 plates with soup, salad, an appetizer, entrée and white or brown rice/chow meinor fried rice. And tea :) I walked in to a completely empty restaurant, cool and quiet with clean paper on the tables and a friendly waitress quick to seat and help me. I knew immediately what I wanted, the most embarrassingly American combination of "Chinese" foods one could imagine -- hey we all have those days. First came a super flavorful (i.e. not numbingly salty) eggdrop soup with corn and chives. Next came my bento box of a little salad, vegetable eggroll, orange chicken and 1/2 chow mein and 1/2 fried rice (told you I knew EXACTLY what I wanted) The salad was watery and dressed in Italian, oh well. The fried rice was beyond simple, with no veggies or meat but nicely seasoned and flecked with egg. The chow mein was true to form, noodles still chewy and cabbage nicely browned. But all of these things were just precursors to what was hands down the best orange chicken I have ever eaten (and there was previously some decent competition) It is all white meat Mary's free range chicken, lightly breaded and fried. The sauce is noticeably fresh, made with a lot of real orange juice and delightful pieces of orange rind. It was spicy and not overly sweet AT ALL. I lapped up the sauce while I waited for the chicken to cool down and could have simply bathed in it and been happy. This little Berkeley spot hit the spot in every way possible and I will be back soon. Organic vegetables, Prather beef and heritage pork are wonderful additions to some seriously delicious interpretations of American Chinese food! read more

Have wanted to eat here for awhile but haven't made it to Albany/Berkeley much recently. Today was the day and I was very pleased. Clean and I loved the decor and ambiance. It is what I'd imagine I would find in Shanghai(haven't been there yet). Not set-up as a traditional/touristy Chinese restaurant. The tofu was delicious- marinated and firmed in a five spice sauce. The green beans are delicious. A little crispy and spicy. Chicken was breast meat, but very tender. The decor is simple- Kinda Japanese Zen style. Real Bamboo chopsticks too! White napkins and a cool green/grey background on walls. Very quiet and relaxing Mozart playing in the background of the background. So quiet you could almost consciously miss the music. read more

This resturant IS AMAZING!! Great cutomer service, the place is super welcoming, and the staff is so attentive. Most chinese foods make my stomach upset. This was one of a kind chinese food. It was ABSOLUTLEY DELICIOUS. I would recommend Renee's Place to anyone who needs AWESOME service and AWESOME FOOD!! THANK YOU! read more

Disappointing lunch menu. Lunch special comes with your choice of appetizer, soup, "salad", and your choice of steamed white or brown rice, fried rice, or vegetable chow mein. The hot & sour soup was pretty bland, I ordered the vegetable spring roll since it was the only appetizer not listed as "fried" (it actually was fried, unfortunately), the "salad" is a garnish-sized portion of shredded iceberg lettuce with a sugary dressing, and the steamed veggies with prawns were overcooked and in a cornstarchy sauce. The Mongolian beef was pretty tasty, though I didn't expect that sauce to be so sweet. I was drawn to the restaurant by their advertising of organic, locally sourced ingredients so I expected the food to be fresh and healthy. Twas not. On a positive note, the servers were nice. read more

Wow. The bad taste of the food totally ruined the nice decorations. It's not just bad, it's terribly and unbelievably disgusting. Literally all dishes are like they've been salt bathed and the chef must've put another ton of salt before you get to eat them. It's just unbelievable that this place can even survive on Solano, given there're so many other better choices. I don't care so much about service, you come to a restaurant not to say hi to some strangers. It's the food that matters. Overall this is an extremely disappointing experiences. All dishes taste same, probably because of too much MSG they put in there? read more

Quality Chinese food is SO hard to find. Renee's offers a variety of fresh vegetables, hearty flavored sauces, a tasteful, pleasing atmosphere, vegan 'meat' options & brown rice! The dishes were colorful, not greasy. And the service was friendly. I went here for the lunch special ($6.75) and the options were unique, freshly prepared, very flavorful and when I asked for spicy, I got spicy! Comes with a lovely soup and a pot of tea. I have already rec'mnd to several friends... because we all know how hard it is to find GOOD chinese. Update: I took my family here for dinner and was so pleased with the large plate portion sizes, the variety of dishes, the colors... I really dig this place! read more

I love Renee's Place. My family has been going here for years. The décor and ambience are lovely, with the beautiful variety of (silk?) lamps, bamboo details, water fountain at entrance, and swaying overhead fans. It's nice and quiet inside, with soft classical music in the background, so it makes conversation possible. (Side note: I love tapas, and Cesar's has some delicious ones, so I swear I would go to there if I could hear a thing other than a loud cacophony in that place!) My favorite dishes are the orange beef, kung pao chicken or shrimp, mu shu anything, as well as the soups (especially the sizzling rice and hot and sour soups). I'm not a big fan of eggplant in general, but my sister and her husband love the eggplant with basil. Renee is very sweet, and she always comes by our table to say hi to us. For attire, I put casual, but I think nice casual or even slightly dressy would be most fitting with the style of the restaurant. For kids, I'd say it's fine (my twin niece and nephew have come since they were like 6 years old), as long as they are rather well behaved and not noisy. For price, I put moderate, but they do have a cheap deal for lunch. I believe you get a choice of soup, appetizer, and main course. That said, it doesn't include most of my favorite dishes, so I'm not too enticed to take advantage of it. read more

I usually don't review a place I haven't been to multiple times, but I realize that there is no way I'll be coming here multiple times, so what the hell. Our food was bad. And expensive for what it was. While the use of local organic produce is a good idea in theory, I still would be happier with equally overcooked conventional vegetables and a smaller bill. And while our shrimp and vegetable dish was bad, our Hunan tofu was borderline inedible (something in there was way off). Honestly, it was one of the worst meals I've had in Berkeley in three years. Good restaurants simply don't screw up food this badly even once. Again, I've only been here once, but I'm guessing that the yelp reviews are a bit skewed by the North Berkeley yuppie crowd. read more

We had a wonderful take out dinner last night, extremely tasty! Our only request is for the restaurant to adapt a little more to a take out only world. I'd rather not have to go into the restaurant to get my order or pay inside using a pen handed to be from the register. Little things would make me feel more comfortable coming back during COVID. read more

I'm not sure I knew Chinese food could be so wonderful. Every bite was a revelation. As we emerge from the pandemic, do not forget Renee's Place in Albany. We drove 40 minutes to get here, and what a great decision. read more

This is a 3.5 star, but just couldn't give it a 4 rating. I was there with a friend yesterday for lunch. Cute place, very nice atmosphere. The soup of the day was amazing, as was the fried veggie roll appetizer. But, the "snow chicken" entree was as bland as bland can be. I really wanted to like it more. Oh well. read more

This place gets 4 stars for the concept itself... Fresh, organic, locally sourced Chinese food? No way! As for the food itself, we had the lunch specials and for the price, thought we should have gotten more food than we did. read more

Another great Chinese restaurant that uses great ingredients and no MSG. The food was light but still flavorful. The best one on the block. Adding a star for use of Niman Rach beef, pork, and lamb; hormone-free poultry; and wild salmon. That rocks. read more

Haven't ate out since being in self isolation. We checked the internet on Sunday, for Chinese food and organic and hit upon Renee's Place! We were wary about getting anything to go but we went with it. I have to say we were not disappointed! The food was amazing! My daughter went in to pick it up, and I am assuming the lady who gave her our order was Renee! She was so nice, asking my daughter how she is doing during this time and said she hope she will stay safe! We were so happy with our order and the portions were big! We had the House Chow Mein, Mu Shu Pork, Spicy Prawns, Black Bean Sauce Chicken, and their delicious dumplings. I forgot, we had the Mongolian Beef and the beef was so tender! I can't wait to go back! What we had was so delicious and flavorful. The place was clean, and it will be one of the first places I go to when this world gets back to normal! I recommend them highly! read more

My favorite Chinese restaurant in the area! I'm a fiend for chow mein but very picky about it, and this place always delivers. And make sure to try their homemade pork dumplings - absolutely to die for!!! The restaurant itself is beautiful and the staff is so nice! Whenever I drop in to pick up my takeout, they always ask me how work was. I honestly can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. If they ever close, I'll be heartbroken. read more

Finally! An organic Chinese restaurant that delivers: calm environment, elegant decor, amazing waitstaff (actually plates out our dishes), and most crucial, food. Also the prices felt comparable to any other Bay Area Chinese place. The food: everything felt fresh, light, and nourishing. Clear favors, great pairing, solid portions. Specifics: -Mu shu veggie was excellent, the plum sauce was light and actually home-made -Rock cod soup was light and flavorful, with just the fair amount of heat -Sautéed chicken with peppers and wontons was bright and delicious -Green beans and tofu in garlic sauce: the tofu was amazing, crispy yet soft, with just the right amount of sauce Oh and Renee came by during our dinner to check in on our experience and she was delightful; she checked in with each table in turn. Often Chinese ends up being heavy, both in the oils and in the sauces, covering for a lack of basic high quality ingredients. Renee's flips the equation with freshness built in from the ground up, with oils and sauces simply complimenting and enhancing what's already there. Bottom line: we ate every morsel on our plate, can't wait for our next visit, and are excited to bring our friends and family with us. read more

Renee's Place - Amazing special: sautéed chicken with peppers - Chinese Near Me - Albany, California

I've come here many times, for some reason it's always delicious... Tonight I ordered the lemon chicken (5*) dried sautéed string beans (5*) and the filler was fried rice, also as good as it gets. Renee does a good job with creating a relaxing atmosphere, nice service and serving delicious food!!! Keep it up... read more

I was a regular customer here for years but can't eat here anymore. The food has become bland, The lunch menu hasn't changed in a long time. It's such a shame. The quality has gone away. read more

I eat at Renee's a lot. As I work almost across the street, it is my lunch place of choice. I like that for around $7 I can have a whole relaxing wholesome meal in a beautiful environment. You get tea, soup, an entree and appetizer along with a choice of brown rice for no extra charge. They even have fortune cookies with real fortunes that I look forward to opening, not just those moralistic ones that are becoming increasingly popular. Renee herself often is there and comes by to see how things are going. She always remembers me. Everything is perfect at Renee's - the food is fresh, the meat is even organic and the price is reasonable. My only wish, being that I eat there so regularly, would be a few new introductions to the menu now and then, especially vegetable appetizers. The menu they do have is wonderful though. I will continue to relax at Renee's for many a lunch. read more

Albany has really great Asian food, like China village. But the freshness of this place for vegetarians make it 5 star! They make any dish on the menu vegetarian!!! Try the kung pao and orange "chicken"! Oh if only I could afford to eat all my meals here! read more

Renee's is very good Chinese food. I'm not sure if its authentic (I'm not Chinese), but I do know that they use higher quality meat and vegetables than most other Chinese places. In most of the dishes I've tried, the flavor is outstanding as well. The orange beef is a big winner, as is the chicken with crispy noodles. Chicken lettuce cups are solid, but I've had better at other restaurants. Hot & Sour soup is also just OK. The service is fast and attentive. The owner is super nice, and almost always stops by to ensure that you enjoy your meal. The decor is nice and classy. Overall it is a good experience. read more