It feels like I always either have lots of San Francisco Chinese food or Oakland Chinese food with the exception of the South Bay. I barely give another city a chance to try their Chinese food. I feel spoiled the amount of dumpling places and dim sum places they are in SF. I saw in Downtown Berkeley where you can grab rice rolls along with dim sum. So I decided to give it a whirl. On a Summer stroll I landed in Downtown Berkeley. I usually grab rice rolls at a local business at San Francisco but I decided to try a business which has many locations throughout California and has been around since 1958 and it's called Yin Ji Chang Fen. Inside has many tables and I ordered their wonton soup. The broth was tasty and the noodles were tender almost reminded me of Angel hair in soup form and slurp able . I then had their rice rolls. Marinated Shrimp and Beef Rice Noodle Roll. The shrimp was okay and the noodles were smooth. They also sell congee. A good place to grab rice noodles. Go on a summer "stroll" to Downtown Berkeley for some "rice noodle roll" get wonton with noodle soup in a "bowl" and also get a "fried egg roll" Go to Downtown Berkeley and go to "Yin Ji Chang Fen" and give it a "spin" no matter "when" it's a good spot to try "again" read more

See all

All the times I've gone there, there's been plenty of seating and I've been immediately seated. I typically get their chang fen & have tried their dim sum as well. While the chang fen is good, I would say that the prices are a bit high for the portion. Same with the dim sum - higher prices for dim sum than other places I've been to and overall dim sum was subpar. However, going here does certainly scratch the craving for chang fen whenever I am feeling it. read more

Pros: - those fried buns with condensed milk are one of the best desserts you can get in Berkeley - the Chinese donut rice roll is unique and tasty - plenty of seating - clean bathroom - quick service Cons: - they basically only have one vegetarian roll and it's not good. The flavor is not enjoyable, even though I like all the vegetables that went into it. That being said, the texture of the rice roll is great - the custard buns have such a gritty filling that it totally eclipses how delicious the bao dough is. The filling flavor and sweetness is good. Idk why they keep sabotaging themselves with these almost-good dishes - they will bring out dishes as they're ready, which meant I was served desserts before savory dishes - you'll need to request a spoon for certain rice roll dishes; the fillings poured out when you tried to eat them read more

See all

I decided to have dinner with a friend at Yin Ji Chang Fen, as the variety on the menu looked amazing. It is a small restaurant with indoor seating and I did notice that there were a lot of DoorDash / to go orders going out. As we were one of the few people dining in, we were seated right away and put in our orders. It only took a few minutes for the food to come out hot and fresh. I decided to try the shrimp wonton soup as it looked very comforting for a chilly day. Starting with the broth, it has a nice, richly seasoned chicken flavor. The noodles here are very long but maintain a chew which is perfect for slurping. The greens were a little on the tough side as my personal preference would be for it to be a bit tender to bite into and eat. The soup have a good quantity of both the shrimp and the wontons. The shrimp was cooked to perfection, while the wontons were soft and packed with flavor. Overall, I would love to come here again and try different items on the menu! read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Shrimp wonton soup - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

So I'm in Berkeley California tonight and I went walking and one thing this town does have is an array of food, from all parts of the globe, I'm a sucker for that. Do you know what else I'm a sucker for? Cantonese rice rolls , and really any sort of Dim Sum, but rice rolls are where it's at. If Done right they are hot, tender, chewy at the same time and they have the filling rolled into it and then drenched in this soy based liquid that is amazing. As I was walking I found this place. It was busy so that's always a good sign. It's a small restaurant that has a lot of Chinese dishes on it. I went for two rice rolls, the BBQ pork one and the classic shrimp rolls. The staff was friendly and waited on me quickly. The bbq pork roll had slices of Chinese bbq pork and Chinese broccoli in it. It had a lot Of filling and the rolls themselves were big. It was well flavored and the sauce they put over it added in the saltiness it needed. The shrimp roll was also great, it had a lot of shrimp in it along with the Chinese broccoli that added that little bit of crunch. I was very surprised that the shrimp were PERFECTLY cooked! Not rubbery, but plump and tender and amazing. Again paired with the sauce that just adds so much umami to the dish. Overall I would come back to this place, especially since the bill was only $23 with tip and it was a good little meal. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

For someone that has chang fen in their restaurant name I was pretty disappointed with the rice rolls. The rice paper was nice and thin, but the texture was too gummy and the filling was just okay. Our favorite was the fish congee and I would definitely come back for this especially if I was sick and wanted something comforting. The chinese doughnut was freshly fried and crispy but a bit too dense. The wonton noodle soup was good, but nothing special. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Fish congee and Chinese donut - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We ordered take out and everything was packed nicely. The Rice Noodle Rolls - delicious. The thin noodles, fillings throughout, and the sauce was great too. Ate the whole thing so fast that didn't even take a picture. The Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, however, were probably the worst bbq pork buns that I've ever had. It had a plastic-y taste to it and just was not pleasant. So, definitely would recommend the Chang fun/rice noodle rolls! read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Steamed BBQ Pork Buns - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yin Ji Chang Fen opened where Tasty Express was. Cramped seating area. Back room not utilized. Food pics on walls. Vocal music in background. Seated quickly. Ordered. Food ready in 15ish min. Offerings (Guangdong/Hong Kong, PRC): snacks, rice noodle rolls, congee(porridge), dim sum, drinks, noodle soups, desserts).. Bites: Liwan style assorted congee (9.25) -Big bowl of thick congee, not the usual watery version. Very flavorful/savory congee from listed ingredients of cha shu, shrimp, fish fillets, scrambled eggs + toppings of cilantro, salted peanuts, black pepper... -expectedly the proteins were bland, having released it's flava into the congee. *amongst best congee recently eaten. Fried you till (3.25) "fried bread sticks" -fresh out of fryer. Nice crunchiness. Portion looks small as it's cut into small pieces, not served as one long piece. *also amongst best recently ate. 4 stars: seating too cramped, not comfortable. Worthiness: YMMV. Quality: congee very good. Quantity: Congee very good. Other plates looked small no doubt since tables small. May is Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. read more

See all

Came across to stop by for some classic Chinese food. Service was super quick and friendly! Inside was pretty roomy and clean too! Parking might be a bit hard during the weekends but it was manageable. We ordered a few dishes to share! 3 rice rolls: BBQ pork rice noodle rolls Pork kidney rice noodle rolls Dough stick rice noodle rolls Their rice noodle rolls texture were handmade pretty well. Congee: LiWan Style Assorted Congee Toppings and ingredients were just enough and not water down, so it was perfect! Noodle: Beef Stew Flat Noodle Soup Soup base was alright and portion is not bad. Snack: Chicken Feet Herbs Could try if you like herbal flavor and flavor not too overwhelming! Everything above was tasty! Will definitely come back again! read more

See all

Fast service! Delicious food! Never had the shrimp rice noodle roll with cabbage before and it was scrumptious, and the egg custard (3 in an order) had a surprise of sweet warm oozy egg in the middle. That was a first for me too. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Shrimp rice noodle roll and egg custard buns - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I caught the flu and had no energy to cook, with little appetite. I found this place had congees. I ordered the sliced pork, liver, and kidney congee, and it tasted really good. Even though I know they are known for their chang fen, the congee was delicious and comforting. It really helped me feel better. A great comfort food for recovery. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

A great place for Chang Fen = Chinese Rice Crepe Rolls with a variety of different fillings, along with Cantonese breakfast staples like Rice Porridge, soup noodles with shrimp and/or BBQ Pork and so forth. Perfect for a quick sit-down breakfast or lunch or late afternoon or evening snack/meal. Efficient attentive courteous service as the dining area is watched over by two friendly waitstaff at your beck and call. Tight seating area, with mostly 2-person and 4-person tables, but it's clean and bright with bottles of Sriracha and white pepper at every table as condiments. I've been to the Yin Ji Chang Fen out in Pleasanton, so it was a pleasant surprise lol to find YJCF right here on Shattuck just a few doors down from the main BART station rotunda at the corner of Shattuck Ave. & Center Street in the heart of Downtown Berkeley. The food here is good, right on par with the better Chinese Cafes and restaurants. My order today was the Fish Porridge. For just $8.50 , it's quite enough for 3-4 people to share, or two hungry people.. It took maybe 8-10 minutes for the kitchen to prepare, but it was worth the wait, as there was a good amount of sliced fish filet in there, topped with slices of ginger and cilantro. It came steaming hot, so I had to take my time to consume it. In the end, I had enough for leftovers! Next time, I will try the Chang Fen (Chinese Rice Crepe Rolls), which are usually pretty good at their other location in Pleasanton, but today, I really felt more like porridge, given the cold foggy weather. Berkeley has plenty of places to suit nearly every palette, so it's nice to see YJCF fill a very unique and much needed niche right here Downtown.. Getting Here: BART Downtown Berkeley Station - exit from the main entrance at Shattuck & Center Sts. Lots of AC Transit local bus lines converge by the BART station. Street parking can be challenging, but there is a huge city-run parking garage on Center St. between Shattuck and Milvia Streets. Some dedicated bike paths too. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Outside - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

First time having Cantonese food and it was definitely an experience. The hong kong milk tea was great if you like more tea based milk teas vs being on the sweeter side. Egg rolls were good. Shrimp rice noodle roll was good. Shrimp and beef rice noddle roll was also good! I was told the wonton soup wasn't that great. As this was my party and I's first time having Cantonese cuisine we didn't know the broth was seafood based. It also doesn't mention it on the menu. Not sure if thats just how it's supposed to be or not but it's not something I would recommend. The place was clean and service was fast. read more

See all

Been here twice and I have to say I had two different experiences both times. The first time I came, I had a good experience where the food was good and stuff. But the second time I came, the congee was just....ok. It was actually really watered down. One of the congee we ordered was the pork liver congee. And on the menu there was a picture of said congee, and the pork liver looked nice and big. That was definitely not the case for our order. Other than congee, Yin Ji Chang Fen also has rice noodles, soup noodles and other various dim sum items. I personally really like their HK style milk tea. In my opinion, it might be the closest flavor to the milk tea in HK. Definitely will be back because this is comfort food for me. read more

When I'm craving rice rolls, I find myself here. My friends and I ordered the dough stick rice noodle roll, BBQ pork rice noodle roll, and pork & gold preserved egg congee. Everything was very yummy. Good portions of rice noodle roll and fillings. Food was ready fast. Personally, I like this location set up more than the previous one across from BAMPFA. Overall, very healing and soothing to the soul. (lol sorry my photos don't do the food justice at all) read more

See all

Great shrimp rice roll, har gow, egg custard bun, and bbq pork bun. Fast but curt service. Very casual but clean space. Super reasonable prices and you get your food quick. read more

We ordered 4 wonton noodle soups on DoorDash and ALL OF THEM HAVE BUGS. We didn't realize until we ate half! Absolutely disgusting. We are also all experiencing food poisoning, all tracking back to this place because it was the only thing in our system until late at night. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We went for lunch since we were in the area. The place is fairly small, but has about 10 tables for dining in. I typically love rice noodle rolls so I was excited to try this place. The verdict? Meh. The rice noodle itself was a bit gummy and the insides were just ok. ( we had the bbq pork and marinated beef). The fish jook that we had, as well as the wonton noodles were actually better than the rice rolls. For a place that specializes in rice noodle rolls, I was a bit disappointed read more

I saw a cockroach inside my rice roll when I was 70% done with my food. I've ordered the rice roll, a congee and a coffee milk tea. I was super hungry and i downed the congee while I was on the phone. I wasn't sure if there were any creatures in it. Feeling so grossed out after all. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cockroach in rice roll - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Pretty good place to go to for Chinese food in Berkeley. I got the Beef Lo Mein and it was good but was a bit grainy to my liking. I also got the bbq bao bun and those were delicious. The place is very nice and well kept and staff are nice and friendly. Prices are fair and quantity is generous. Good place to try out for sure! read more

We were walking down Center St when we passed by YinJi ChangFen's old location and noticed they had closed down. We were a bit disappointed as we were looking for a place to stop in for lunch, and realized this would hit the spot. Thankfully, the disappointment was short lived when my wife realized that they simply moved down the street to Shattuck after a quick Yelp search. They have a pretty large selection of rice noodles to choose from, a much smaller selection of congee, as well as a fair amount of noodle soups and dim sum dishes to choose from. For our lunch, we went with a bit more than 2 people really needed (eyes bigger than stomach problem) and ordered: Marinated Shrimp and Rice Noodle Rolls: They put lettuce into these rolls, which is definitely something we're not use to seeing in rice noodle rolls. But overall, we still enjoyed this dish. Fish Congee: The congee here is ok, but overall lacked the full-bodied, almost creamy consistency that embodies the difference between average and great congee. They don't give a lot of fish in here, so it was an overall pretty plain bowl. Wonton Noodle Soup: An enjoyable, albeit smaller bowl of noodle soup. There is a decent amount of greens, but only about 4 wontons and minimal noodles in the soup. Black Gold Egg Custard Bun: This was definitely the right choice as our dessert option to end our meal. Filled with rich, hot and gooey egg custard, this sweet bun was an excellent end to our meal. Be careful eating it, as the egg yolk inside comes very hot and definitely leaks out if you're not paying attention. Service here was efficient, if not exactly warm. They get the food out fast, and turnaround tables pretty quickly when a group finishes up. This newer spot is smaller than their old location, but still has plenty of seating available for groups of 2-4 people. Seems to be a popular location for UCB students. read more

See all

I have accepted that there are only expensive/mediocre dim sum places in my area. This dim sum was good enough - when I say "good enough," I mean good enough that I didn't feel the need to jump on a train to Chinatown. BB read more

A little confused when walking into this spot because it seemed like you order at the counter, but it's actually table service. The food was overall fine. Portions are a little small for the price. The shrimp rice noodle rolls only had a few pieces of shrimp. Shu Mai was pretty small, but tasted good. read more

See all

Small brightly lit and clean ambiance with efficient and helpful service. The highlight was the marinated shrimp rice noodle roll which was succulent and delicious. Unfortunately, the dim sum not so much. I found the pork bun to be bland and the dough fell apart. The shui mai and shrimp dumplings were not impressive either. read more

See all

Pass by all the time and was excited to try! Congee was so comforting and homey. Very affordable. read more

I've come here twice: once I stopped by to get some food to-go for the family and once for dine-in. Found street parking easily on Sunday morning right around opening time. Online hours say opening time is at 10:30 and I entered right around that time (maybe 10:35) but there were already a few parties sitting down and enjoying the food! There is a good amount of seating inside and some outdoor seating as well. Rice rolls, shiu mai and ha gao on point, no complaints. The second time I came by to eat inside. We ordered a pork and century egg congee (this tasted fresh, clean, light) with a order of the fried dough stick on the side (also much lighter than I expected/than I'm used to). We ordered two rice noodles: the bbq pork and the beef. We both preferred the bbq pork more but still liked the beef. read more

See all

A solid option for a meal or a snack in downtown Berkeley. Yin Ji Chang Fen serves classic staple comfort foods at an affordable price. Their congee is cooked to perfection. The rice is blended into a texture that is not too grainy and not too watery. The ingredients in the congee are few and simple, yet fragrant. The rice noodle rolls are also a must try. They are packed with ingredients - tender meats and crunchy Chinese lettuce - and delicately wrapped in a perfect thickness of a skin. We were pleasantly surprised by the egg custard buns. The filling was a hot and runny salted egg yolk. A must-try sweet treat to end the meal. read more

See all

Lovely service, great food and location! The bbq pork rice noodle roll was my favorite. My husband loved the wings so much! We all loved the congee. Only wish they had beer. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Tofu, pork buns, congee, wonton soup, wings and more - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Delicious food rice rolls, comforting congee, and walking distance from campus and bart. The tables are pretty cramped together though. The congee has a lot of ingredients inside. Hot soy milk with the Chinese fried donut always hits the spot too! read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Congee (half eaten) and Dough Stick - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Needed something quick and this was the perfect place! There wasn't that much people so we were seated immediately. We ordered one of the dough dishes and the congee. Both were very good but I wish they had more flavor. The price was very good for two people since we paid about $12 each, and we were very full after. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time I went here was on the last day before they relocated, and I remember the food being absolutely delicious. I ordered a beef stew noodle soup. I recently went again a few a days ago and tbh it was better the first time I went. Probably because it was a cold night, I was hungry, and the soup hit hella hard. The service when I went this time was lacking. My family and I were left standing at the front waiting to be seated while there were multiple open tables. We ended up seating ourselves. I ordered the same beef stew noodle soup which was still chock-full of meat, and the broth was still delicious. However, the service made the experience less enjoyable. The tables are very close together in the restaurant too which was a bit awkward for a family of 5 to eat. For larger groups tho, I imagine you can just combine tables. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Beef Stew Noodle Soup - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

every time im sick i crave this place!! my go-to combo is their congee + hot soy milk. their congee is so well done, and i always get the preserved egg one which has such a good flavor. i enjoy the rice rolls here,, i usually get the dough stick one, which is super crisp on the inside with the nice soft texture on the outside. the shrimp one is just okay. i wish there was one w just shrimp but they only come as shrimp + beef/rice or shrimp + lettuce. their dim sum is very mediocre... but if you dont get that, this place is v solid. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered the chicken congee, dough stick, and fish ball noodle soup to go. This was a very comforting meal and I enjoyed it a lot. My only complaint is that the congee and soup were a bit too salty. I definitely want to come back and try the chang fen. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Delicious and authentic! The meat and shrimps and sauces are all great, and the rice noodles roll is smooth and juicy. Consulted my Cantonese friend, this is a true famous Chinese brand which attracts many people in Guangzhou. read more

Yin Ji Chang Fen - Berkeley - BBQ Pork and Dry Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll Hong Kong Style Milk Tea - Cantonese Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I visited Yin Ji Chang Fen on Friday, 2/9/24, around 6:30 PM. I decided to place a takeout order over the phone. I ordered a total of eight Shui Mai dumplings. The dumplings were tasty and flavorful. The customer service was decent. The inside of the restaurant had a nice, cozy feel. I recommend checking this place out. I would return whenever I am in the area. read more

See all

Yin Ji Chang Fen is a Cantonese restaurant serving rice noodle rolls, congee, and other dim sum related items. Ate lunch here with my friends today since we were in the area and craving quick dim sum service. We came a few minutes after open so there weren't too many people. People start trickling in when we were about to leave. Ordered four dishes, the Combo Beef/Shrimp Rice Roll（牛蝦腸粉）, the BBQ Pork Rice Roll （叉燒腸粉）, Shrimp Dumplings （蝦餃）, and the Egg Custard Bun （奶黃包）. Food Quality: As a Cantonese person, the dim sum quality is just ok. It satisfies the dim sum craving, but it is not noteworthy. We didn't take pictures but the food appearance looks similar to the pictures taken by others. Two exceptions: the 蝦餃 appeared smaller than shown on the menu, and the yolk on the 奶黃包 was runny, making it actually a 流沙包. B/B- Price: Expensive for dim sum, around 8-10 dollars each dish. Typical price for a college area restaurant. A-/B+ Ambiance/Service: Staff was attentive but we were not waited on too extensively. No concerns though. B+ Overall Rating: B. I could see coming here if you are a student, have a dim sum craving and don't want to venture further out of the campus area. But as a tourist, I won't be stopping here for dim sum. Would I come back: No. I know other higher quality dim sum places in the area. read more

I think I like chang fen a little too much. I ordered this to my hotel and everything was hot and delicious. The vegetables were good. The noodles were good. And of course the changfen was excellent. I would love to eat in person some time soon! read more

===TL;DR=== - Chicken congee - BBQ pork rice noodle roll - Shrimp rice noodle roll - Shrimp and fish all noodle soup - French toast ===TMI=== Let's get some Chinese breakfast fix! I've been to multiple locations for this chain so this time, thought I visit the Berkeley one. Came here for their variety of silky rice noodle rolls. Classic item, can't go wrong with it. They have so many stuffings to choose from, I'm sure one can suit your pickiest friends! I enjoyed their congee as well - also on the thicker fluffier side. Their French toast was a let down - doesn't come with utensils (idk if they just expect you to eat it whole with chopsticks or whatnot). I asked for a fork and knife.... In return, I got plastic to-go ones. They can't cut through the toast so that tells you how hard the toast is (usually they're very fluffy and soft). Didn't enjoy it with condense milk nor the peanut better - I prefer mine with syrup like good ol' hk style. This location didn't meet expectation for me. They're better in Milpitas and Pleasanton. read more

See all

Best visit yet. The rice rolls wasn't was smooth and smell of fresh rice which is the way I remember as a child. No more grittiness like last visit. read more

Looking for a quick filling meal? Parking (3/5): $4 an hour for parking is insane. It's probably more preferable if you're a student or visiting Berkeley via public transportation. However, I'd do anything for food. Ambiance (5/5): Small cozy space inside, but we sat outside because we had a furry friend. It was interesting to see plastic takeout containers used as plates. Service (5/5): The staff was super attentive even though we were seated outside. She even noticed that we wanted to ask for something while she was inside. Food (5/5): Marinated Beef Rice Noodle Roll, Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, Dough Strick Rice Noodle Roll, Black Gold Egg Custard Bun, Shui Mai I would highly recommend the Rice Noodle Rolls (given this dish is literally in their name). The Rice Rolls were silky, although I've had some that were even thinner. The soy sauce provided a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness. The Black Gold Custard Bun was visually appealing, but I felt the custard lacked a bit of egg flavor. On the positive side, it wasn't overly sweet. I will definitely come back again the next time I'm craving some Rice Noodle Rolls. read more

See all