We really wanted to like this place since it's such a Millbrae staple and everyone seems to recommend it, but our experience was pretty disappointing. We're staying at a hotel nearby and decided to drop in for dinner, big mistake. First off, the wait was over an hour. For an "old establishment" that's always packed, you'd expect the food to justify the time, but it just didn't. The prices here are sky-high for what you get. Most dishes are over $22, which is wild considering you can find the exact same quality in LA for about $12. The food itself was mediocre at best. We actually had to send the snow pea sprouts back because they were so tough and woody they were basically unchewable. When you're paying premium prices, you expect the kitchen to at least pick through the veggies. To top it off, parking is a total nightmare. Between the hour-long wait, the mid food, and the high bill, it's just not worth the hassle. There are definitely better ways to spend your time and money in Millbrae. read more

The Kitchen - Inside - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

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Friends of the restaurant management - go ahead and leave your 4/5 star reviews to support them. Regular folks who DON'T know restaurant management here: definitely go somewhere else, unless you want to experience any of the following: 1. Hunger 2. Bad service 3. Waiters just talking amongst themselves 4. Frustration 5. Waiters who don't know how to do their jobs They are not hurting for business and they don't give a crap about you. You can see from 2 attached photos: - food order was entered in at 6:12 - we asked for the check at 7:02 due to ONE dish coming out in 50 mins (meanwhile dishes were coming out to other tables around us), told them to cancel the rest Waiters didn't make any eye contact or even check up on us. Sooo...if you're into that kind of abuse, I guess you can eat here. (Restaurant, pls come for me if you want. I bringeth the actual receipts attached with your own timestamps.) read more

The Kitchen - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

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I'm writing to share feedback about my recent visits to The Kitchen. Unfortunately, my experiences have been consistently disappointing. The menu has remained unchanged since the restaurant first opened, which makes repeat visits feel stagnant and uninspired. A refreshed menu or seasonal updates would go a long way in improving the dining experience. Service has also been a major concern. On multiple occasions, plates were placed on the table carelessly, and the staff appeared inattentive and unresponsive. There were moments when interactions felt impolite, which made the overall experience uncomfortable. In addition, the dining area has felt overcrowded, with little attention to maintaining a pleasant atmosphere. Cleanliness is another issue--both the floors and restrooms were not kept to an acceptable standard during my visits. I hope management takes this feedback seriously. With improvements to service, cleanliness, and menu variety, the restaurant has the potential to offer a much better experience. read more

I used to love The Kitchen, but after returning for the first time in nearly a decade, I was shocked by the decline. It's a complete 180. The food is now overpriced, salty, overcooked and MSG-heavy with tiny portions that don't justify the cost. The dining room is chaotic and cramped, and the restrooms were disgusting. Beyond the food, the service was bizarre and felt discriminatory. We were lied to multiple times by different waiters about something as simple as complimentary peanuts, yet we saw every other table receiving them. It felt like the staff was judging us based on our appearance. The service is clearly "cliquey" and favors friends of the management. To make matters worse, the manager followed me into the restroom in a way that felt hostile and targeted. As a Vietnamese customer in a Chinese restaurant, I felt highly unwelcome. Between the rude staff, the nightmare parking, and the large non-service dog allowed inside, this place is riding on a reputation it no longer deserves. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

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Decided to try take out dim sum instead of dining there. Called in an order on a Sunday and was told 30 mins. When I got there it was ready. Tough to find parking so if you have a teammate who can drive you, it makes it easier. All the dim sum items like tripe, har gow, fried taro, chicken feet were warm and takes great. The beef chow fun was so so, not that much beef, though still tasty. read more

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My boyfriend picked this spot to have late dinner after I picked him up from SFO. I've been to the Kitchen once a very long time ago with my family, but I don't remember it much. I do like how they open so late. If you're craving Chinese food late at night, then this would be the place to go. I think we got there about 10:15pm on a Sunday night. We were seated right away. At that time, there were probably three tables there. We looked for the menu and waited. After waiting for quite some time, I waved at an employee to get their attention so that we can order. We ordered three dishes - Eggplant something, Fried Rice, and Mongolian Beef. All were pretty tasty. I liked tea that was given to us. It was pleasant and fragrant. The place was pretty nice looking. I don't like the constant smell of cigarette smoke because either the customers or employees were smoking right outside the place. read more

The Kitchen - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

Coming back to a consistently great restaurant. I would highly recommend that one comes before 6pm if you don't want to experience a long wait. Tonight's fantastic meal consisted of brisket and daikon in clear broth, roast goose and pea leaf with garlic. The brisket with daikon is one of my favorites when the restaurant has it on their menu. I don't think I've ever ordered it anywhere that has it on their menu that did a bad job on this dish. I've never ordered goose because I it prepared badly when I had it ages ago in Hong Kong, well I guess they never prepared it right, I'm growing very fond of roast goose. The final dish was a vegetable dish which was pea leaf saute in garlic, nothing wrong with that. read more

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Livelier and louder than your average Chinese restaurant, but that is easy to overlook given how tasty the food is. The dishes are packed with flavor and full of wok hei. The space is relatively small, and they fit in as many tables as possible, which makes it a bit of a maze getting to and from your table. I highly recommend coming with a group of family or friends so you can try more of the family-style dishes and make a reservation. Some of my favorites were the salted egg yolk shrimp, squab, pea shoots, and pig stomach. read more

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We came here on New Year's Day for dinner and luckily we made reservations for 5:30pm because the restaurant was packed with a line out the door! The food is excellent as always and even though it was super busy, the service was great! Love the energy of some of the servers! They were lively, super patient, and super helpful! read more

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Great service. Always full house on Saturday & Sunday . You can make reservation if you have table of eight or more. If you don't have a reservation, then you should arrive like 5:30 pm or before 6:00 pm . Tonight I was lucky enough to be able to order the large clay pot of soup . It as all sold out past 3 times I visited . read more

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Celebrated lunar new year with a Chinese dinner here! It was crowded but we got seated in 20 minutes. We ordered the pea shoots (4/5 - a little bit tough), duck with truffle sauce (5/5 - a bit weird at first but the taste grows on you) and just white rice (3/5 - I've eaten better rice). Overall, was a really good meal despite the rice quality and would come back again. I'll order the fried rice next time. They also give you a free dessert at the end! read more

The Kitchen - Duck Black Truffle Roasted Duck - Half - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

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Came out here to celebrate a friend's birthday, we had reservations already and you could tell it was a popular place, the place was already packed with people waiting to be seated, and there were about 20ish people waiting next. It's your typical Chinese-style restaurant with items to choose from or family set meals, we went with a variety of items picked from the menu, I was unable to take all of the photos since we had a hungry crowd but the food came out fairly quick and tasted good. My favorite would have to be the Salted egg yolk deep fried crab, as that's always a huge hit. I also enjoyed the Crispy Ham Hock, it was tender, crunchy, and the dipping sauce made it all come together. The geoduck we had was alright, had it better but also had it worse in other places, the duck came out pretty well. I wish I had taken a photo of the steamed fish we had because I also thought that was delicious! They also served us about 3 different types of desserts, with the mango pudding being the go-to! All and all, it's a great place to grab some Chinese food if you're in the area, I'd recommend getting reservations! read more

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Checked out this Michelline recommended restaurant this week and enjoyed our plates of sizzling hot dinner. We ordered a steak, mushroom, and string bean dish that stole the show! Strips of perfectly cooked rib eye and a variety of savory mushrooms stir fried together in a ginger scallion medley-so good! We also ordered a braised fish and tofu dish that was served piping hot. Definitely make a stop if you're looking for solid Chinese food. There is a parking lot off to the side but it got tricky at the peak of the Friday night rush! read more

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First things first - all the best and most authentic Chinese restaurants are between 3.0 and 3.8 star rating on Yelp. Because all the authentic ones are always packed with 99% people that grew up eating these dishes and either don't have Yelp accounts or don't bother to write reviews since they're always in their rotations. This place is one of them - extremely packed table to table, almost difficult to even get to your seat. Huge line even after 7pm on a Sunday evening - that's when you know they don't need your 5 star Yelp rating to be successful. But be sure to make a reservation. All the dishes are very authentic, the workers here work fast - they have people ready to clean a table within 2 seconds after the previous party leaves, and the wait staff do come around often to change plates. The sautéed ribeye with mushroom was likely my favorite dish - was also impressed by the pork belly pieces in the appetizer (the most crunchy and least fatty I've had in such a dish)! read more

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Food is good but portion sizes are small. The truffle ducks have a great smoky charred favors and juicy. All the dishes were equally consistent given the busies of the place. Service is a hit and miss. Hard to flag down the server. Rush, dine, and leave. No time to enjoy a good family dinner. Table settings are back to back with other diners. Noise level is high, it's difficult to carry out a conversation. read more

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The Kitchen is my dad's favorite Chinese restaurant and we come here often. The atmosphere is loud and lively, but the food is always amazing and comes out hot and fresh. Service is fast and the staff is very attentive. Our must-order dishes: golden fried rice, salted egg yolk shrimp, garlic dou miao, and Japanese tofu and shrimp. Everything is consistently delicious. Highly recommend! read more

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We've been here before and service was decent. But tonight was a different story. We sat down at the table and ordered food within some minutes. 6 dishes for a table of 4. We got our first dish almost right away. But after that, we waited and waited and waited. Two other smaller tables were sat after us and they started receiving dish after dish. After 30 minutes, we tried to wave our original waiter who took our order. He was chatting with a coworker about 5 ft away while my mom was trying to tell him loudly about our order. He didn't come over to the table, but pressed some buttons on the computer and went back talking to his coworker. Some minutes later, the waiter was behind me helping to clear a table and my mom tried again, this time loudly asking again about our food and how everyone else was receiving their food before us. Waiter's excuse was they were busy in the back. Yeah sure, buddy. We're not stupid. A lot of tables had cleared and the newer diners hadn't ordered yet. After this, I spotted him grabbing the manager(?) and as the manager passed by the table, we just told him that we wanted to know why we weren't getting our food because we're leaving. He heads in to the back and brings a dish to our table but we refused it. Too late, we lost our appetite after that. We paid for the one dish we ate and left. We would've been more understanding if the waiter had checked up on us and let us know they were busy and behind. But nope, we had to wave him down until he had to tell us. Will never go back. read more

Not a lot I can say about this location that hasn't already been said in other reviews. This is one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in this area and it definitely shows with the people waiting in the lobby and how packed it is inside. Food comes out in pretty large portions and it's family style. Their seasoning for their food is pretty good (not too salty nor bland) and they're affordable if you're coming here for a family meal. read more

5 star for the dim sum alone. We arrived 15 minutes before the place opens on a Thursday, and there is already a line outside. All the grannys and grampa are in the line already. We rushed to park the car, and jumped in line. And right on time, at 1100 hours, the doors open, and everyone is ushered in, and seated promptly. At about 1105.. the place is packed. Every seat, every table is taken, and my tea just hit the table. Its dim sum, but without carts. So get your pencil out and order it like you order sushi. We got the Truffle Duck, Chicken Feet, ChiuChow Dumpling, CheongFun with YuTiau, Hargow, SiuMai Truffle Duck is pricey , but worth it. Crispy, juicy, and somehow the truffle works. The truffle replaced the 5 spice dry rub, and it works. The other dim sum is also well made. Delicate, fresh, hot, and OG flavors. I think the dim sum here is legit. If you don;t believe me, check out the grampa, and grannys at the other tables. Pretty sure they agree with me. I forgot to bring my own tea, but was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of tea here. They do charge $2 per person for tea, but you get real , loose leaf, tea. Not tea dust, brown water. Service is fast, efficient, and automatic. They see , they do, you don;t even have to say anything. read more

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The Kitchen continues to deliver the goods. Came here fresh off an airport pickup run with my brothers in tow. We were running on airport snacks and nostalgia and craving that classic dim sum vibe from our childhood days in New York City. The kind with the clatter of plates the steady hum of conversations and servers weaving through tables like pros. And here we are again full happy and already talking about our next visit. The food is still top notch. The dumplings were plump and juicy, the salted egg yolk crusted shrimps had that perfect crispy edge and the har gow came out steaming hot with that nice chewy snap. Everything was fresh, fast, and came in generous portions. We kept ordering more than we planned because everything looked too good to ignore and let's be real we have no self control when it comes to dim sum. Service was fast and just the right amount of feisty. One of the servers practically told us what tea we were having instead of asking what we wanted and honestly it cracked us up. That kind of no-nonsense attitude is exactly part of the charm here and made the whole meal even more memorable. It reminded us of those classic Chinatown moments where everything is moving a mile a minute but the food still lands perfectly on your table. It's that kind of energy that makes the place feel authentic and full of life. The Kitchen still nails that old school Cantonese dining experience that's getting harder to find these days. It is loud, it is bustling, and it is exactly what we wanted. This place hits all the marks for comfort food tradition and pure dim sum joy. We will definitely be back again probably with more family next time and definitely with even bigger appetites. read more

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It was packed on a Friday night and they don't take reservation for a party of 5. As a result, we had to get there around 6pm and wait almost an hour before we were seated. Had a great experience here over a month ago but the food was lacking this time around. We got the truffle duck and this was the highlight of the night. The Squab was dry and lack flavor. We also picked their basil tiger prawn but it was not very fresh. The fish is decent despite a lot of ginger which is the style. I would have preferred garlic. Their crab roasted with salted egg was on the small size and also kinda dry. Veggie was serviceable but nothing out of the ordinary. Service was good and they cleared our plates two times but we had to chase them down a few times for more hot water and missing cup. Previous rating deserved a 5 but current meal was a 3 so I settle on 4 stars. Need to be more consistent if they want repeat business especially since they don't take reservation. read more

Surprisingly packed for a Wednesday night. Everything we ordered was solid. Service was prompt and fast. Our favorites were the beef - super tender and moist - and the pork stomach with chicken. Prices are reasonable, food comes out quickly. read more

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People must be trying to gatekeep this spot to keep it at a 3.5-star average, and I don't blame them because this place is incredible. It gets packed within 30 minutes of opening. The staff are quick and efficient, just like a traditional Asian restaurant. Two dishes I highly recommend are the Black Truffle Roasted Duck and the daily soup. The duck has an amazing truffle aroma, with crispy skin and juicy, tender meat. It's so good that I can't stop thinking about it. The daily soup is made with Chinese herbs and a mix of meats. The server brings the soup to your table, removes the herbs and meats, and serves the clear broth separately. It tastes fresh, clean, and deeply flavorful. We also ordered the Sautéed Mixed Vegetables and the Beef Short Ribs with Honey Pepper, both excellent choices. Overall, this is a hidden gem that absolutely deserves more recognition. read more

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The Kitchen in Millbrae had lively vibes, loud in a way that adds to the fun and makes it a great spot for a night out with friends or family. We came to celebrate a birthday and my friend treated us, which made the night feel even more special, filled with great food, great company, and lots of laughs. Parking can be a bit tricky since the lot fills up fast, but there's street parking within few blocks distance. The food seriously delivers, with bold wok hei flavors that make Cantonese stir-fries so satisfying. The salted egg yolk dishes were rich and addictive, and the black truffle roasted duck stoodout. I could honestly keep eating it. Portions were generous and perfect for sharing, and the menu has a great mix of classics and specialty plates, so there's something new to try. Service was decent overall. If you love group dinners, bold flavors, and don't mind a lively atmosphere, this spot definitely hits the mark. read more

Came here on a Tuesday morning to get dim sum and was surprised to find it filled with patrons! As most restaurants in Millbrae this place is the real deal with noisy customers and waitstaff that ignore you for the most part. Granted it's a bit noisy so if you want service you need to speak up loudly! We ordered: Deep fried pork dumpling 5/5: The dumpling had a great outer shell crunch with a nice mochi type center and a good ratio of pork inside. Pork Spareribs with black bean sauce 3/5: Hubs liked the huge black beans (?) which he claimed make it authentic but the pork was too chunky and fatty to be enjoyed. The flavor was a bit salty but the portion was large. Prolly cuz the pork pieces were so large! Steamed black bean chicken feet (phoenix claws) 4/5: Generous sized portions and good flavor. Slightly salty but still delish. Steamed beef meat balls 3/5: This was just okay. Would have preferred it with the bean curd (foo jook) on the bottom but it was okay. Maybe I'm biased cuz this is not my favorite dish but my family likes it. Steamed pork bun 4/5: I didn't try this but my family enjoyed it. They said the buns were soft and the meat ratio was good. Pork sui mai 5/5: This was good because the pork had just the right amount of fat to make it flavorful. It was also packed tightly so it didn't just fall apart when you bit into it. Pan fried taro root (low bak go) 4/5: This had good flavor to it and was pan fried well for a nice crisp. Not too salty either. Beef rolled noodle 3/5: There wasn't enough soy sauce and the meat was not very smooth. If you like the water chestnut/cilantro flavor with your cheung fun then it will hit the right spot for you. Just wish it had more of the special sauce. Overall it wasn't bad but it seemed the food was salty and I was expecting to be dying of thirst later in the day but was surprisingly fine. read more

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Very nice restaurant. Good service, nice food, and fancy decor. The service was nice, very kind staff. I ordered steam rice, Mongolian beef and seafood chow mein. It was all delicious! The waited gave us some tea at the start which was delicious. The decor was very fancy and the restaurant get's very packed! read more

I came to the kitchen for a work lunch outing and it was a very homey and nice restaurant with solid dim sum. Once seated you are given a menu that you can write on and select your options for dim sum and the waiters are very attentive and friendly. My team and I decided to order the soup dumplings, turnip cake, chinese doughnut, pork buns, custard buns, and shrimp dumplings, all of which were very tasty and were served with a side of vinegar and hot sauce . We also decided to order the chicken feet which ended up being my favorite since it was very savory and had a tangy kick to the sauce that marinated the crispy chicken. My second favorite was the pork buns which had a sweet crunchy top layer. All in all, I definitely recommend checking out this dim sum spot if you're in the Millbrae area ! read more

The Kitchen - Pork & custard buns - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

Yes before a long time ago its was really good the roast duck there is very delicious you should try it

Legit dim sum with the fam reminiscent of flavors I grew up with in SF. Got the staples and was happy with everything. Teapot kept the tea at the right temp throughout the meal. I love that they still push the food carts around since lots of places don't have this feature anymore. Service is fast and efficient and the place was packed but didn't feel crowded. I enjoyed the communal atmosphere. I left satisfied and would def come back again. read more

The Kitchen - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

Came at 1pm on a Sunday with 4 ppl, waited abt 20 min to be seated. Very standard yum cha/dim sum menu with all the classics for well sized pieces. You can mark on the paper menu for items to be brought to your table or wait for cart service to come around. we were able to get most of our favorites through the carts: sui mai, sticky rice, chicken feet, soup dumplings satisfied our dimsum cravings in a classic way that reminds me of going out with my grandma, but nothing crazy special that blew us away. Will come back here, but also want to explore more places around the peninsula read more

The Kitchen - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

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Came here on Christmas evening for family dinner. Had a reservation 10 of us. Slightly upscale for a Chinese restaurant which of course means slight higher prices than the norm. Service was good, place was clean. Food was pleasant to the eye and satisfying to the tummy. We had zero complaints. Will come back and do recommend. read more

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Wonderful food, large portions and fast service. There is a lunch seating... then a break then dinner service starts. A large space, pretty, smaller tables for lunch, that makes sense - usually 4 people at one table. Dinner is 6-8 per table. We had many taste treats, seafood was fresh, tasty and well-prepared. The surprise was potato leaves, sautéed with garlic- so good!! We loved it so much we took some home. Big rush at lunch, arrive a few minutes early! Parking is next to restaurant or on side street, just off El Camino read more

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Quality: slightly above average Service: well it's a Chinese spot, and considering that, it's pretty good Price/portion: could be a bit better Menu variety is exceptional So if you want Chinese food, especially of the southern variety, I'd say this place gets the job done nicely, and it's often the most convenient option in the area. read more

The Kitchen - Tofu, squaw, giant clam, and Goose feet. We were being adventurous - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

I've been to The Kitchen several times before, and it's always super packed with long wait times. Since I was in a bit of a rush today, I decided to get takeout instead. We placed our order 30 minutes before arriving and got two dishes: the wasabi chicken and pork stomach, along with two orders of the baked BBQ pork puff. The wasabi chicken is a staple for us, it's a popular dish and never disappoints. The baked BBQ pork puff was incredibly light and airy, probably the best BBQ bun I've ever had. These are my go to dishes, though the other dim sum items I've tried were just alright. Service was decent, and the ambiance was pretty standard for a dim sum spot--nothing particularly outstanding. read more

The Kitchen - Tossed Half Chicken with Pork Maw - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

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I dare say this is the best Cantonese restaurant in Millbrae and there is a lot of stiff competition for the title. My parents & in laws love this restaurant for authentic, high quality food. We come for dimsum & for dinner, and there is always a wait - so be prepared. Everything is delicious but the congee is a personal fan favorite. Expect a busy, no-frills, authentic Cantonese dining experience with good eats! read more

There is always a long wait at the restaurant and for good reason. They have some of the best Chinese food options and the service is efficient and helpful. Some of my favorite dishes include the chicken and fish maw soup, the crispy pork leg, the lamb stew, and the mixed mushroom and chicken stir fry. Their dishes are all reasonably priced and they are so good with so much umami and consistency every time we visit. Definitely a family favorite here. Parking upfront is tight but there is a lot 1 block behind the restaurant that customers could try. The restaurant itself is well lit. read more

The Kitchen - Chicken Fish Maw Soup, lamb, pork knuckle, stir fry chicken and mushrooms - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

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If you come here while there are late night "partying" tables, please expect your food to arrive in 35-40 mins for one entree. Ordered 4 entrees at 11:13pm, it is 12:01am now and only two plates arrived (one plate the veggies are room temperature/cold - not worth the hassle of having them fix it). While typing this, the fried rice finally arrived! So if you wonder why you're getting hangry, now you know. Still waiting for one more dish at 12:05am. read more

We had a wonderful celebratory dinner here! The cold tofu skin appetizer was a great starter. I loved their salted fish and diced chicken fried rice. We tried a number of different dishes including fish and tofu clay pots and eggplant and chicken clay pots, both of which were great. It was definitely packed on the weekday night we went (though it was during the holidays). One of the fewer stores in the area that opens late! read more

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Visited on a Sunday for lunch with family, and the place was packed with people waiting for a table. Upon arrival, you're given a number, and they call parties based on table availability for their group size. We waited about 25-30 minutes, which wasn't too bad. We ordered a variety of dim sum, but the standout items were the baked BBQ bun and the wasabi chicken combo. The wasabi chicken, in particular, is a must-try and easily one of the highlights of the restaurant. Service was fast, and the staff were attentive, making the overall experience enjoyable. read more

The Kitchen - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California

The food is okay overall. The har gow wasn't very good, and the siu mai was ok. I was disappointed that they don't serve fried tofu skin rolls. I also didn't appreciate that the waiters asked customers for tips, since tipping should be optional. The service is poor, and they seem more focused on collecting tips than serving good food. Asking for tips this way unprofessional and inappropriate. read more

The Kitchen - menu - Dim Sum Near Me - Millbrae, California