I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. I called in advance for a table for 10 on a Saturday…read moreat 8pm. The restaurant was about 80% full. I had also placed a few orders in advance so they came out shortly after we were seated. The service from all the staffs were wonderful. They were attentive and friendly. My group got to try fried soft shell turtle for the first time and they all liked it. Of coarse I didn't tell them what they were eating until after we finished dinner. In the end they brought out a display of red bean buns in the shape of a peach and I'm told this is complimentary for birthdays. This was in addition to the complimentary tofu dessert too.

Place is clean and with abundant services Food is ok…read more Dishes were over seasoned. The squad is flat, lack crispy; same as the salt and pepper crabs. Nothing really stood out except great services. The stir mixed vegetables is good with good crunch.

Authentic Chinese Food, but a Noisy Dining Experience…read more We waited over 40 minutes before being seated, which gives you an idea of just how popular The Kitchen in Millbrae has become! The restaurant was packed, with mostly Chinese diners, and the noise level was quite high. While the food has its merits, the crowded and noisy atmosphere made it difficult to relax and fully enjoy the dining experience. Pork Tripe and Chicken Soup (House Specialty) The chicken was tender and silky, and the dish had an authentic, traditional flavor. However, the pork tripe was a little dry. Perhaps I'm more accustomed to classic Cantonese favorites like honey-glazed BBQ pork and dim sum, so this dish felt a bit mild compared to what I usually enjoy. It's still a distinctive specialty worth trying, even if it wasn't my personal favorite. Pan-Fried Tofu with Teochew Preserved Vegetables This was one of my favorites! The combination of salty, tangy, savory, and aromatic flavors was well balanced, and the tofu had a very satisfying texture. Definitely a dish I'd order again. Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple A classic Cantonese favorite that was tangy, sweet, and appetizing. The dish is also known as gu lou yuk in Cantonese cuisine. Its origins are often associated with adaptations of traditional sweet-and-sour pork for Western tastes, making it a familiar staple in Chinese restaurants around the world. Overall: The Kitchen serves flavorful Chinese dishes with authentic touches, and I can see why it's so popular. However, good food isn't the only ingredient in an enjoyable meal. A comfortable atmosphere and a pleasant dining environment matter just as much. I'd give the food a solid four stars, but the long wait and noisy dining room took away from the overall experience. Next time, I'd seriously consider ordering takeout so I can enjoy the food in a more relaxing setting!

My family and I were curious about this place that we decided to come here for dinner on a Saturday…read morenight. We lined up about 20 mins before doors open at 5pm and there was a line out the door which made me more excited. I will agree with the reviews that if you don't speak Cantonese, you will very much be ignored. We were seated but they were hesitant as we didn't make reservations for much is strange considering they were seating everyone who were standby. I did have to flag someone to take our order. For a group of 6, we ordered: Peking duck: this was probably one of the best dishes we order. The duck was tender and came with steamed buns, onions and hoisin sauce to build a little bao. Mixed veggies: wanted something more plain for the palette and it hit the spot! I would just like them to add more asparagus and snow peas as there were a lot of mushrooms. Salt&pepper pork ribs: this was too sweet and very dry. By the time it came out, felt lukewarm and lackluster. Ribeye steak with pepper sauce: the flavors were so unique and came with broccoli and fried tofu which added a balance with all the sauce Beef chow fun: unfortunately, none of us enjoy this dish as it was so dry and was lacking in seasoning/flavor. Portions were big so I don't recommend order more than 5 dishes. I think we would've been fine with 4 dishes but wanted to try a variety.

We got off a cruise in New Orleans and flew to San Francisco to hop another one the next day so we…read morewere only in town overnight. Walked about a block and a half from the hotel and ended up here. Glad we did. Doesnt look like much from the outside and the inside is pretty simple and small. Not fancy at all. Food has big flavor though and the portions were decent. I got the Godfather hand rolled noodles. Wide noodles with the minced pork on top and green onion. Good chew and a little heat. My wife got the brocolli beef with white rice. Beef was tender and the broccoli wasnt mushy. We both had a soda and they kept the hot tea coming. Server I think was one of the owners. Super helpful and friendly. I told her it was our first time and she explained the menu so we could actually pick something. This is one of those hidden gems. True hole in the wall. Theyve got Michelin recognition on the wall which is pretty impressive for a little spot like this. Good food and great service. What more can you ask for. Just a heads up they dont take cash and they add a service charge instead of tips.

Aesthetic interior and great vibe in the middle of downtown Millbrae, but the food was just…read morealright. We ordered: - La Zi Ji: my friend, a La Zi Ji lover and expert, did not approve, and neither did I. It wasn't crispy on the outside, lacked that signature numbing sensation, and was barely spicy. - Smork: Very fragrant, but a bit too porky for my personal preference. - Green Onion Pancake: very very thick and soft - Godfather Noodles: perfectly cooked al dente, wish it was saucier It's worth a visit for the atmosphere, but the flavors are a bit underwhelming.

I agree with the other commenters that this restaurant seems to have some consistency issues…read more Ordered the pork ribs clay pot rice and added lap cheung to it. The first thing I noticed was that there was really not many pieces of ribs, maybe they made the ribs portion smaller to make room for the lap cheung I ordered? The dish description also says that it includes taro, but I didn't have a single piece of taro in my pot. Strangely, although this place seems to share a kitchen with Social Eatery, the rice was cooked much more poorly here, which is obviously a shame for a place specializing in clay pot rice. It seems like the rice had too much water added, so it was a bit overcooked - you couldn't feel the "single grain" mouthfeel texture you should expect from well-cooked, high quality rice. Since the rice was too mushy, it obviously didn't crisp well either. Though it had some small amount of bits stuck to the edges of the metal (not clay!) pot, it was definitely not the super crispy, well browned "faan ziu" I expect, and not at all like the pictures featured in some earlier reviews of this restaurant.

Rice Monster used to be a go-to for claypot, because they were consistently flavorful, generous…read morewith meat, and worth the price. I also appreciate how thoughtfully they pack their claypot meals to go, which used to make ordering delivery feel like a safe bet. Unfortunately, the quality has really fallen off. The first few times I ordered, the bowls were packed with flavor and protein. This most recent delivery was a huge disappointment where the food had a laughably small amount of meat and mostly dry, bland rice. For what they charge, it felt like a total rip-off. Sad to see such a solid spot become so hit-or-miss, because the claypots used to be genuinely great.

Great northern chinese food in the peninsula! We went on a weekend during lunch and it was packed…read more We went again on a weekend during dinner and it was a lot better with no wait. So I recommend going for dinner. The must-get is the sweet and sour pork. It's perfectly evenly fried, super chewy and crispy outer layer, and a thin pork layer. The sauce is sweet and tangy. Another delicious dish is the BBQ green beans. The mushrooms are super juicy and the cumin goes surprisingly well with the green beans. Their other dishes that I like are: beef fried rice and the dumplings! They also have a frozen section for frozen buns and frozen dumplings. Overall I would come back!

I love the food options here! It's not often you find a spot serving this much Northern Chinese…read morecuisine and almost everything my party ordered was excellent. One of the biggest surprises was the sweet and sour pork, which ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the meal. I usually load up on carbs, but this visit was all about the protein and there was no shortage of options. The portion sizes are absolutely massive, which always wins me over. They have just about every organ meat you could ask for, and I liked that all the sides and meats are displayed clearly if you want to order by the pound instead of from the menu. Service was fast and friendly. Now I just need to recruit a bigger group so we can come back, order family style, and work our way through more of the menu.

Surprised on the number of 1 star reviews but after reading it was all service driven as the food…read moredefinitely deserves more than 1 star. Black Pepper beef Ribs- delish! tender pieces with grilled bell peppers and red onion made this dish pair really well with rice. Fried rice with Scallop & egg white- a little light on the seasoning but still a decent fired rice dish which with the beef ribs dish was a match made in heaven. Seafood clay pot- more tofu than seafood but still a tasty and well seasoned clay pot. Also ordered a couple of dim sum plates (Shrimp dumpling & beef Balls). Both were on par with other dim sum locales so nothing negative about their flavors. Overall service was fine; given it was the lunch hour but all the food came out relatively quickly and would definitely have a return visit.

We celebrated our baby's 100 day celebration here at peak weekend lunch time…read more The staff were so friendly in helping us get set up with the table and attending to our group. The dim sum here was excellent and reminded me of home. Not only did everything taste good but it was served piping hot and came out quickly. The breakdown of our dishes is below: Walnut Shrimp - Hot and plump shrimp that has a bounce in your mouth covered with tangy mayo. We enjoyed the light fry. Dried Scallop Egg White Fried Rice - Fragrant but oily and plenty of flavor. BBQ Pork & Egg Cheong Fun - Soft sheets of rice noodle roll with a generous amount of ingredients. Hargow - Very good with big shrimp and a sesame oil flavor. Shumai - Soft thin skin withmore seafood than pork taste. Chiu Chow dumpling & Beancurd roll were ok but had fresh ingredients. Chicken Feet - I liked the overall flavor but it didn't seep all the way in. Parking is challenging but the taste is well worth a visit!

Really enjoyed this place. The fish we had was very delicious and the fish and chives dumplings…read morewere great. I've never had fish and chive dumplings before. Service was prompt and there was no wait. Theres parallel parking in front but its usually filled. Theres a lot behind the store and parking in the next street. The surrounded area is residential so you should be able to find a spot after some hunting.

We had not planned on eating here but last-minute decided to dine here given this was our only…read moreoption in the vicinity. But I'm not upset at all about this impromptu decision as we had a great meal here. Our table of 6 ordered a variety of dishes and everything was delicious. the most notable items for me were the spicy wontons and fish in chili oil. The dishes were spicy but not so much so that you couldn't enjoy the actual flavors of the dish. For those that like the Szechuan tingling feeling, the chicken in explosive chilis was also quite good. We had also given the string beans, green onion pancake, and pork and shrimp dumplings a shot and all of them hit the spot. I'm usually a huge fan of braised beef noodle soup so decided to get that here too. It wasn't the same as if I had gotten this dish at a Taiwanese restaurant; compared to the strong flavors of the other dishes, this one was pretty mild. So it's something I would skip next time I come, but every other dish was on point. Our waitress was also great at taking care of us, bring out our food quickly and helping us to clear the other plates. Even after we finished our meal and overstayed our welcome by continuing to chat, the staff didn't make us feel rushed to leave.

Excellent choice for dim sum or dinner. High quality food with fresh ingredients. Service is…read morecourteous and efficient. Will definitely try again!

Though this business, visually looks the same, the ownership, management, and chef changed on July…read more1, 2025. The name change (signage) and menu will change when the business license is approved and new menus bearing the new business name are printed. They did add the 'New SF' prefix the name to distance themselves. Coming here on a Saturday after making dinner reservations on a late Saturday afternoon, I saw a number of familiar faces immediately. Half of their staff are from the Monterey Blvd. Won Kok Restaurant. This was my 1st time dining here in likely close to thirty years when it was another restaurant. Back to our meal, we were seated at the far end corner of the restaurant, prime location for spacing and restroom access. In crafting our menu, my friend chose several staple dishes from their original location; besides those, my friend was gifted a Bay-caught halibut so I asked the restaurant for suggestions in cooking it. The chef suggested cooking it two-ways. I knew the captain from his two previous restaurants (20+ years) and he guided us. Here's what we ate (family style): 1. Steamed surf clams with garlic and vermicelli noodles (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=lPyTuWkX4RoUtP-3fZ2UiA) - These were served in two halves on each plate (four plates for eight shells) for our party of eight. Tasty, flavorful, and fresh as their flagship location in San Francisco. 2. Soy sauce supreme seasoned prawns, 2.5 lbs (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=wYtIFMiiYTuhOa_CmggLrQ) - I actually requested "West Lake" shrimp but was subbed out by this. This was good, just not what we wanted and expected and definitely pricier. 3. Salt and pepper halibut (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=9scLPxW30ktLJK72UIrSBw) - Half of our provided fish was cooked this style. It was done well as you'd expect from the most famous R&G chef to go through their kitchen. 4. Sauteed pea sprouts with garlic (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=GDqjVZCqWnGvZ68sbHjqCw) - Pretty standard version and the pea sprouts were cleaned and trimmed well without any inedible or chewy pieces. 5. Pan fried pork spare ribs with soy sauce (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=x3xQew_Es07lW2dPJwB7BA) - This was the captain's recommendation and it was good but didn't stand out in any particular way. The ribs are cut into bite sized pieces and flash fried. 6. Simmered beef stew & turnip with pepper in broth (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=CAg60fXr0CfXtrcPVm2kEQ) - One of the signature dishes from the chef's days on Kearny Street that he continued at his Monterey Blvd. location. The portions are certainly enough for our large party as a family style dish. The broth is definitely the star and, for me, the radish (daikon). 7. Steamed halibut with black bean sauce (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=amzaLddp_H2vdSGzrKyYfQ) - The size of the fish made this tricky as, when the captain tried to remove the bones in serving, we learned that the fish was not fully cooked. He brought it back to the kitchen and they cooked this to a perfect cooking temperature. The flavors were nice and the black bean sauce didn't overpower the fish. 8. Golden fried rice with a touch of egg white (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=CZdyzi720mOckNXxHulS4g) - Another restaurant recommended dish, we were amazed at how tasty this was, given the simplicity of its description. Apologies for not having a full serving photo as the captain offered and agreed to him apportioning it in bowls for each diner. 9. Crispy skin roast chicken with garlic (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=TspHX9eknS496I3zXwVwlQ) - This is their innovative twist on the Cantonese favorite jia zhi chicken with a strong garlic flavor. The carving of the decorative chicken head (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=DaywI5br-WQb9hh0a5sgng) was impressive. 10. Green bean tapioca soup (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=12ljEfFOj8tqwIaBXHvTVw) - Complimentary, a nice ending. 11. Red bean paste pastries (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&start=24&select=MwjmcyVoyHVXnmPRWYuM8w) - Complimentary and okay. The theme here, given the restaurant size, is for banquet style meals and prices reflect it. By the time we left, the dining room and the staff were swamped. Highly recommend making reservations especially weekends. More likely to dine at their flagship but will come for special occasions or with South Bay friends.