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    Yan's Garden

    3.9 (521 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Noodles, Soup
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM

    Order Yan's Garden Takeout or Delivery

    Yan's Garden Photos

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    YAN'S GARDEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Yan's Garden

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    house special chow mein
    Wing Y.

    Growing up in Arcadia, before 99 Ranch and lots of Chinese restaurants arrived in the area, my family used to go to Spring Garden in Pasadena, and I remember loving the mu shu pork there. Yan's brings me back to those days. We've been eating here more often over the past few years, and we have our regular dishes: chicken and corn soup, pork chops with Peking sauce, green beans, potstickers, and of course mu shu pork. Not sure who came up with the idea of a tortilla with hoisin sauce wrapped around cabbage, pork, and wood ear, but somehow it works. We usually have leftovers since the portions are quite large. There's other interesting stuff on the menu too (especially the Szechuan dishes) but most of the time we don't have enough room to order them. They also do drinks, and I like the lychee slushee. The staff is super friendly. Happy to have this place within a few blocks of home for some Chinese comfort food.

    Very very good food. They make it fresh and hot. The restaurant is family owned and I think mom makes the food which is very very good. The serve is also excellent and very small homely atmosphere. Indians will also love this Chinese food.

    Pork Mu Shu Beef
    Harshika J.

    IMO the best chinese food place in downtown San Carlos - their sizzling rice soup, and sizzling eggplant vegetables are . You can also do a Bubble tea takeout - do try their Mango yakult (no caffeine) and Thai iced tea. Staff is friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute ambience with unique elements - like a fish tank, bamboo, interesting lights, an energy stone, a little kid sized table[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    6. Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice 菠萝鸡炒饭
    Kevin F.

    The service was good and usual as any other restaurant. The sizzling rice soup, pineapple fried rice and vegetable chow mein are really good and tasty. The chicken soup dumplings could use more flavor but overall good for what it is. The snow peas beef and crispy chicken were just as good but nothing to really write home about. Overall the food is good and tasty with decent family size portions. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself is nice and dope especially since the last time I was here they were doing renovations.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Check out this overflowing goodness, Chicken Salad
    Neo Naomi T.

    We love Yan's. We take out monthly because their flavoring is delicious and reliable! We usually order for a family of 7 based on the fortune cookies because we love so many dishes on the menu -- any permutation of beef/chicken/shrimp and string beans or broccoli. The fried rice, Singapore mifun, and potstickers always hit the spot! I just got the Chicken Salad to go for lunch with fried rice and Spicy Cucumbers and I couldn't be happier. Highly recommend no matter how many people you're feeding! I also appreciate that you can rack points when you order from their website (just be sure to log in).

    Orange Chicken
    Amanda M.

    Yan's Garden is definitely a one-stop shop for all your asian cuisine needs. From boba tea and pot stickers to Mu Shu pork and Pineapple Chicken fried rice, this place has truly got you and your taste buds covered from beginning to end. I stopped in recently with my boyfriend for dinner and we had such an excellent experience. I love the family-run dynamic of this place... They're a fast-paced bunch and very efficient! The food here is not only prepared with the freshest of ingredients, but its also bountiful in portion and you can't beat the homemade taste! We shared between the two of us practically a whole feast... but enough for lunch leftovers the following day. Based off what we ate, i'd highly recommend: Hot & Sour soup, BBQ Pork Buns, Honey Walnut Chicken and Orange chicken. I also paired the meal with a black sugar milk tea and that was delicious--an absolute must, for the next time you visit. Long story short--the food and the service is above par and you can't beat the bang for your buck here. The menu is plentiful so the possibilities are endless. I look forward to future stops here!

    Matcha Mango

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    6 months ago

    Great Chinese restaurant. Nice portions, always good quality, excellent customer service. This is our go-to in San Carlos.

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    9 months ago

    Food and staff are both amazing. I love the portions! I can never leave without leftovers. I would recommend this place to anyone.

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    10 months ago

    Delicious food, great service. Everything tastes fresh. Love the chicken fried rice, chowmein potstickers and green beans.

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    11 months ago

    Tasty and affordable. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside is comfortable, and service is good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My go to for takeout.

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    3 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Excellent Chinese cuisine! Our family's go-to for Chinese Food. Love the scallion pancakes and veggie mushu

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Great food. Great service. Food is fresh and flavorful Our go to Chinese food in San Carlos.

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    1 year ago

    Great food and I love ordering for lunch and it is amazing that you can order Boba also

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    Page 1 of 14

    Yan's Garden Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Yan's Garden

    I was thinking about ordering from Yan's as it's been my go-to chinese restaurant, but it seems like they increased the prices recently. Potstickers used to be ~$6.00, now they're $10. What happened?

    The cost of maintaining business during a pandemic where they are not getting the same amount of customers and are delivery or take out only. Still gotta pay the same rent with lowered foot traffic.

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    Dumpling & Dough

    Dumpling & Dough

    4.4
    (159 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Very fast service, several healthy options, great for families and low-key…read more Came here after kids' sports events and it was perfect. The greens and dumplings are amazing and portion sizes are generous. Some of the dumplings are not freshly made there and are made from frozen packs.

    Came on a Friday in the early evening and this place was completely empty except for one patron,…read morewhich made me nervous that the food wasn't going to be great. Glad that that wasn't the case! Ordered xiao long bao, fried tofu, sheng jian bao, Beijing potstickers, pea shoots, and green curry with rice. - Xiao long bao: quite tasty and probably my favorite in this area. The soup inside was really sweet and savory and there was a lot of it. Meat was tender and the flavor was spot on. The skin was nice and thin, but with enough elasticity that it didn't tear when the dumplings were still hot out of the steamer and being picked up with chopsticks. I wish they would steam on napa cabbage instead of the foil cups though. Towards the end, the dough was trying to stick and that's no bueno. Also, wouldn't cabbage be cheaper? - Fried tofu: favorite dish of the night, surprisingly. Super crispy coating, and the soy sauce they serve it with has enough salt and flavor to really make it shine! Will order this again and again. - Sheng jian bao: I have serious doubts that these are made in-house (though they might be?). They looked like the frozen ones that every restaurant with sheng jian bao on the menu seems to be serving nowadays. Not that they're bad. In fact, they're pretty good, with a good amount of soup inside, but the dough was a little tough. - Beijing potstickers: like regular potstickers, only less good. Didn't like the dough on these, but they were super juicy! Wish I'd known that before I bit into mine and all the juice came shooting out of the opposite end. Don't be like me, eat this with the butt end in your spoon to catch all the liquid. - Pea shoots: I spit out half of these onto my plate because they were so tough that I couldn't chew the woody stems. I haaaaaaate when restaurants do this - the people preparing the food know what a tender pea shoot feels like. If they're not good, don't serve them to customers. It was like $17 for a plate of greens that were almost inedible, and super unenjoyable to eat. Aside from the poor quality of the veggies themselves, the way they prepared them was perfect, and the flavor was so good. Made me sad that I could barely eat them. - Green curry: ok, but not great. There wasn't enough flavor and there was too much heat. I expect Thai curry to be spicy, but not marking this on the menu for someone who is just trying this for the first time feels like a mistake. Also, not letting someone choose their level of spice also feels like a mistake. Speaking to the menu, there are things about it that make it hard to order. Basically, everything is in English, which is fine, but there are dishes that are translated or simplified that make it hard to know what's what. "Pork buns" are sheng jian bao. I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't asked, and to me and most people I know, a pork bun is just another simplified name for a char siu bao. The only reason why I knew they had sheng jiang bao on the menu was because of the photos on Yelp. Maybe just calling it sheng jiang bao or "pan fried dumplings" would be more helpful. Photos or a brief description (or Chinese characters, for those who can read them) would have been even more helpful. Other notes: the waitstaff is friendly enough, and the kitchen is efficient. Wish they had ice water here. Water is served in carafes that appear to get reused without first being washed, with a sprig of some kind of green thing inside. It goes from the kitchen tap into their fridge to cool a bit before being served, but there is no ice. A water filter on that tap would go a long way to make the water taste more palatable. Not sure what the green thing was, but it didn't impart any appreciable flavor. Will ask for ice next time and hope that it's available because at least if the water were actually cold, it would mask the tap flavor. We'll be back to try other things on the menu, and to order the XLB and fried tofu again, but with tempered expectations.

    Photos
    Fresh-made dumplings
    Fresh-made dumplings
    Redbean piggy bun inside
    Redbean piggy bun inside
    Thai Papaya Salad

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    Thai Papaya Salad
    Kajiken

    Kajiken

    4.4
    (1.5k reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    Kajiken was the perfect Michelin-recommended lunch stop before my flight out of SFO! There was a…read moreshort line when I arrived, but the staff turned tables quickly and kept everything moving efficiently, so the wait wasn't long at all. I ordered their #1 recommendation, the Homura Aburasoba, and immediately scarfed it down. Popping the perfectly runny egg yolk into the noodles was incredibly satisfying, and every bite was packed with rich, savory umami. The noodles themselves were thick, chewy, and had a great bite that held up well to the sauce. I also tried the Wagyu dish, but it arrived more cooked than it appeared in the photos, which made the texture and overall experience a bit underwhelming. The sauce also leaned on the creamier side, which isn't my favorite pairing with Wagyu, so I'd probably skip that one next time. That said, the Homura Aburasoba alone is worth coming back for and easily earns Kajiken a well-deserved 5/5.

    TLDR: go to taishoken for better food and service…read more My experience here has gotten exceedingly worse: - for the last two times, they tried to seat us at a two seater even though we're a party of three. So one time we ran out of table space. - they hover over us like vultures, I was mid bite when they snuck up behind me and said "are you done?" - I've also had to repeat my orders multiple times and they've had to repeatedly ask me what I ordered - they've messed up when putting plates down (knocking other plates over etc) - I tried to bring this up to a manager but the person they sent me to talk to me wasn't even the manager Do yourself a favor and go to taishoken instead because they actually treat their regulars well. We come here almost every week and the experience has gotten worse and worse.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Oroshi Ponzu Karaage($10)
    Oroshi Ponzu Karaage($10)
    Complimentary Accoutrements ($0) Vinegar, Chili Oil, Dried Garlic, Sesame seeds, & Chili Powder

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    Complimentary Accoutrements ($0) Vinegar, Chili Oil, Dried Garlic, Sesame seeds, & Chili Powder
    Blue Sky Café

    Blue Sky Café

    4.3
    (648 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Going to update my review here since I've now been here ~10 times. Let me say this place is an EASY…read morefive stars but since I've been a lot of times I have noticed some things that could be better. That said, I'll talk about the good things first. Pretty much everything on the menu is good here. If there's something that sounds interesting, get it. If you've been curious about spaghetti dishes at southern Chinese restaurants, get one. The General's Chicken is actually insanely good here, like the best lunch special I know anywhere, and it's General's Chicken. Hainan chicken, salt and pepper spare ribs, rice clay pots, eggplant dishes, and even Chinese curry are items I commonly see ordered around me. The tofu seafood claypot is fantastic. Pretty sure they have Peking spareribs and they were great iirc. The chow fun dishes are only good, not super exceptional, you rarely see people order them. Alright the few things I've noticed that could be improved have all happened when I come closer to closing than opening. I've had a couple times where the tea kettle was still soapy, so the tea tasted awful. Their kettles keep the tea piping hot for the whole meal, so maybe that makes them hard to clean. But I've also had the tea come not very hot. They don't like giving you water and tea, some Chinese service lol. And for some reason, the food has also been a bit worse when I came later too Space is small and it can be crowded, especially on weekends. Come early for the best experience

    We came to Blue Sky last night just for the salt and pepper spare ribs and pork chop, which are…read moreusually the dishes we crave. We also decided to try a couple of things we had never ordered before after seeing other tables enjoy them. The beef chow fun looked amazing when we saw someone else order it, so we gave it a try. Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing. The noodles were on the dry side and lacked the flavorful wok hei and savory taste that I usually look for in a good beef chow fun. It was just missing that something special. We also ordered the Chinese chicken salad because we wanted something lighter to balance out the meal. I was expecting the traditional shredded chicken with lettuce, but instead it came with thin tortilla-style chips underneath. That really changed the whole feel of the dish for me. I was hoping for a refreshing salad, but the chips made it feel more greasy, and the mustard oil dressing was not really my preference. The chicken was also a little dry. I probably would not order this again. The good news is the salt and pepper spare ribs were still delicious, just like we expected. They remain one of our favorites here. Overall, I would stick with the dishes we already know and love and skip the beef chow fun and chicken salad next time.

    Photos
    Small, sparse, busy restaurant
    Small, sparse, busy restaurant
    Sweet and Sour Pork Rice Plate
    Sweet and Sour Pork Rice Plate
    Sweet and sour pork

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    Sweet and sour pork
    Hunan Mifen San Mateo

    Hunan Mifen San Mateo

    4.3
    (75 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    Hunan Mifen is another good spot worth trying if you love authentic Asian cuisine…read more I don't eat spicy food so I was happy that they have some dishes that is not spicy, I love the flavor of their broth, tasty not salty and it has a balance. I love that they have variety of appetizers and side dishes. Price is very reasonable for a freshly cook dishes. I would give them two thumbs up

    Had low expectations coming here and was pleasantly surprised!…read more Food: T-he braised beef noodles were amazing. Noodles were chewier than most beef noodle soups I've had and the beef pieces were very tender and soft. The soup wasn't too spicy by itself and had alot of depth and flavor. -Pro-tip: There is a little self-serve station near the kitchen where you can get add'l condiments like cilantro, green onion, chili, and pickled daikon. SCORE. Add in the cilantro/green onion for a flavor explosion. -Ordered one of the combo noodles + 2 sides. For my sides, I got a blanched bok choy and a fried gyoza. The bok choy was needed to help cut the spiciness of the soup and to add veggies b/c without it, you'd just be having carbs, beef, and soup. Gyoza was a win too. Service: FAST and friendly, just how I like my non-fine dining restaurant experiences. You scan a QR code at the table and then choose an english/chinese option. If you have questions, you can ask the staff, but there isn't a TON of options to choose from, so make it easy on yourself and order a noodle soup. Ambiance: Ample seating at 1:30pm on a Sunday. Didn't have to wait, which was a big plus as all the other restaurants in San Mateo over near 3rd/4th and B street were packed. Overall: Highly recommend and would come again. This might be my favorite niu rou mian spot!

    Photos
    Hunan Mifen San Mateo
    Hunan Mifen San Mateo
    Hunan Mifen San Mateo

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    Li's Knife Cut Noodle

    Li's Knife Cut Noodle

    4.4
    (207 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    Enjoy the staff's service. They were patient to answer our questions and gave us their…read morerecommendations. Had the beef pancake roll. My personal fav. Chinese burger, had it mild, not bad. Good to try but probably won't get again. Braised beef noodle soup with knife cut noodle was great. I do prefer adding chili oil to it, you won't be disappointed. Would come back again!

    I came here with 2 of my coworkers on a Saturday around noon time and there was a long line. We had…read moreto put our name down and were finally given a table after waiting for maybe 45 minutes. It wasn't that bad of a wait though as we were entertained by the dog groomers next door. We ordered a beef noodle soup, potato and beef dry noodle, wonton soup, beef pancake rolls, and spicy wontons. It was so much food that we didn't take part in their extra noodles after finishing the bowl. My favorite had to be the braised beef stew as the soup was hearty, the beef was tender, and the noodles were very firm and bouncy. The beef pancake rolls were a very close second, though there wasn't anything different that they added compared to other places. The rest of the dishes were pretty good though I would definitely pass on the wonton soup next time as the soup just tasted like dried seaweed (something I don't like). Overall a really nice place to share dishes with your friends and family.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Lotus root salad
    Lotus root salad
    Cute graphics on their wares

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    Cute graphics on their wares
    Udon Mugizo - San Mateo

    Udon Mugizo - San Mateo

    4.4
    (379 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$
    Kid friendly
    Locally owned & operated

    Another location for Udon Mugizo and they definitely do not disappoint. I've had positive…read moreexperiences at their Mountain View and San Francisco locations. Their udon dishes are top notch! While the menu is limited to udon, anytime is the right time for noodles. Who knew there is so many variations--cold, creamy, brothy, nabeyaki styles! It's possible to order rice bowls, but why when the restaurant name is clearly UDON! We ordered the Mentai Cream Sauce Udon and Cold Niku Spicy Udon and it was absolutely delicious. I was a bit hesitant with the "spicy" but the spicy was completely harmless, so long as you like spicy. Service was quick and friendly and I wouldn't hesitate to return--definitely a change of pace to all the other ramen places in the area.

    There was no line when we got there (party of 6) for dinner (thank gawd)…read more Strategy was for each of us to order different kinds of udon..we pretty much ordered the best sellers and yes they were all so good. Food came pretty fast and btw, pictures were a regular size!! Broth for the tonkatsu and beef were tasty and not salty. The mentai I must say was surprisingly not heavy!! It was our favorite We ordered sides of tempura (nothing to rave about). Honestly, we ended up with a lot of to go containers bec there were plenty of food left. My friend ordered the yuzi cocktail which was good but too sweet. The place was nicely decorated and very modern. Service was excellent! 4 stars bec it took forever to get our check. This is def my go to now if I'm craving udon

    Photos
    Tempura Donburi
    Tempura Donburi
    Udon Mugizo - San Mateo
    Udon Mugizo - San Mateo

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    Yan's Garden - chinese - Updated August 2026

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