Top Chinese Noodle Restaurant in Berkeley
Noodles Fresh Berkeley CA Chinese Cuisine
2430 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
My girlfriend and I came at around 4pm, and were greeted by a very calming atmosphere inside. The ceiling is high, the piano jazz is not too loud, and the open kitchen format makes the whole place feel a little more lively. It was a cool experience to watch our food being made from the other side of the restaurant. Made the whole place feel pretty classy, but not inaccessible.We ordered the Hainan Chicken and Jiang-de noodles, and they arrived within 8 minutes of ordering. Both were quite tasty without being too salty (salty is a common criticism I have for Chinese restaurants around Berkeley, but not this one).In the Jiang-de noodles, the bitterness of the cabbage cuts through the sweetness the bell peppers and sauce contain, and the chicken is not dry at all, while the whole dish strikes a good balance with its spiciness.I'd highly recommend the Hainan chicken. I've been craving a place around Berkeley that can make it well, and I noticed that this place has an $8.95 lunch special for the hainan as well (M-F 11:00-2:30ish), which is a great deal for Downtown Berkeley.If you're a student and looking for a good date spot without breaking your wallet, I'd also say this is a good bet (:
Kirin Chinese Restaurant And Cocktail Bar
1767 Solano Ave, Berkeley, CA 94707, United States
As a real Chinese who has lived in Beijing for four years, the homemade Zha Jiang noodle here is extremely terrible. The sauce is tooooooo salty! Besides, it’s not separated from those vegetables. I also noticed that all the cooks here are not Chinese. They are just making fake Chinese food to earn money from those people who have never tried the authentic delicious Chinese food. I highly recommend you guys to try other restaurants.
Noodle Dynasty
2426 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
Cheap and delicious Chinese comfort food with generous portions - Noodle Dynasty has it all.Noodle Dynasty is a small restaurant, so it is always packed. Be prepared to wait when you get there. They dont have an online waitlist or even an in-person waitlist for that matter, so youll have to wait in line once you get there. I went with a friend on a Saturday afternoon, and the 2 of us had to wait for about 10-15 minutes.Once you get seated, you can scan the QR code and order food for the table. Their SnackPass QR code is not that great, so after multiple failed attempts, we had to ask our server to take our order. The service was really fast. Our food came out in 5-7 minutes after we placed the order.My friend got the pickled cabbage and fish filet noodle soup, and I got the beef brisket noodle soup in 8-hour cooked broth. We also got the lamb skewers to share.The lamb skewers were really good. The lamb was tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I was definitely craving for more afterward.The moment our server brought the noodle soup to our table, we could feel the aroma wafting from the big bowl of noodle soup and the savory notes of the broth filled with aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices. I got the spicy noodle soup but didnt find it spicy. The beef brisket was the star of the show. It just melted in the mouth with unparalleled tenderness. Each juicy bite of the brisket was infused with the essence of the broth and all the spices, creating an explosion of flavors that just lingered on my palate. The perfectly al dente noodles provided a delightful contrast to the tender beef.Each spoonful of this noodle soup was very comforting and brought so much warmth on a cold, rainy day.The wait in line was worth it. Id be back.
Chens Garden
1818 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94703, United States
Whoa! They have fish maw soup! Im not used to seeing these kinds of ingredients outside of Chinatowns. I was so happy! The salt and pepper tofu was perfect--crispy on the outside and blisteringly hot on the inside. It wasnt too salty, either. The green beans were crunchy and delicious. My kid couldnt get enough of the seafood and tofu soup, which had some of the wispy bits of egg like egg drop soup except, you know, not dyed yellow. Food was copious for the price. Looking forward to going back!Earlier, we had the pan fried noodles as a pick-up order and the person on the phone asked if wed be eating it right away or if wed be eating it later, so shed pack it accordingly. We said wed be eating it later so she put the sauce into a container separate from the pan fried noodles. This was thoughtful, since it ended up being perfectly crispy with the right amount of chewiness when we put it together later.I really appreciated all the bok choy in the noodles. Im tired of places that put in a ton of waxy white cabbage and carrots as filler. The number of shrimp wasnt skimpy, and they were juicy and big, not those sad wee ones. Im looking forward to coming back to try more things!Google Chinese restaurants 3.5 rule if you get a chance.
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Take Eat Easy
2433G Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
Thought to try this place for its 4.9-star reviews. I dont see what justifies that. I went on Cal Day, when the streets were teeming with students and parents, yet this place had almost no business. When I went past Noodle Dynasty, on the other hand, there was a line out the door there. Seems the students knew something that I didnt yet.I got the Sichuan Spicy Chicken Rice. It was barely spicy. Be careful eating this stuff: they leave the bones in when they chop up the chicken, leaving a dangerous choking hazard for the unknowing. Better yet, go eat somewhere else. There were like six pieces of chicken and a pile of white rice, for $14. The chicken wasnt even hot; it was slightly cool, like, not the sort of temperature where you should be storing food.The dining area isnt dedicated to the restaurant, its just a conventional college public area that a lot of students seem to use for study.
Monterey Market
1550 Hopkins St #2711, Berkeley, CA 94707, United States
One of my fave places to shop – on the planet!! (5/5 green stars)When I moved to the Bay Area I was lucky enough to stumble upon Monterey Market. It's really a wonderland of fruit and veggies for anyone who's not used to having such a wide selection. I usually encourage all new-comers to go there – and then pester them from time to time to ask if they've gone yet. Now I know that Berkeley Bowl is a larger store (and I love the Bowl too) but Monterey Market has such a great concentration of amazing produce that it seems to have a larger selection. And for some things, like mushrooms or pesticide-free oranges, does. Even for items that have fewer varieties available, they'll usually stock a local and organic option if possible. It has much less floor space devoted to freezers and packaged snacks compared to most other stores, and that encourages better shopping habits for me! Good bulk section too, that's often overlooked. Final thing – their prices are good (see pics for a few examples) and that's a good thing if you want to support sustainable farming but are on a budget. Doing away with the more expensive processed food, I can buy a huge bag of fruit and veggies to last almost 2 weeks for about $35.I'm giving them 5/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact. I thought it would be as easy as pie to write a “green star” review of Monterey market – and in a way it still is – but I did come across some controversy in the past. Basically, Bill Fujimoto stepped down as the manager in 2009 amid some disagreements that were not revealed. There was some concern among locals over whether they would maintain their ethos. Having shopped there since 2001 my opinion as an outsider is that it's as good, if not better than ever. They still clearly favor local produce that's sustainably farmed (organic, pesticide-free, etc.) – much of which comes from local farms that are well-known for their sustainable practices. As mentioned above they don't stock a lot of frozen and processed food (that' a good thing!) and the staples that they do stock are from responsible companies. To take a few examples, coffee from Ritual, Bicycle and (my fave) Counter Culture, kitchen supplies from If You Care, bread from Acme, organic or grass-fed cheese, etc. I can't comment on wages paid to staff but many of them stick around for years and seem to be pretty happy these days; they run the store very efficiently and seem to have a good time in the process. If you're avoiding waste in your life, Monterey Market is a good place to come – aside from standard bulk items (flour, sugar, etc.) you can also stock up on things like good local dried beans and nuts in (or out of) their shells. If you really need a bag but want to avoid plastic, they have small paper bags beside the mushrooms – my favorite section :)Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, contact me or check out greenstarsproject.
MoMo Masalas
2505 Hearst Ave B, Berkeley, CA 94709, United States
I googled Indian food near me and ended up going to this place. I arrived a little early because they opened at 5:00pm, although the app said they were open. The person at the establishment told me the restaurant opened at 5:00pm. I went back to my car to wait for the restaurant to open. I had a twenty minute wait. I then went back to the restaurant and was seated. I sat for 30 minutes before the lady I initially spoke with when I first arrived informed me that I had to pay first. There were two other patrons in the restaurant. I paid and added a 15% tip. I always tip. I received my food and it was garbage. I tried to ignore the obvious signs and bad customer service but when I left I said thank you to the employee loud enough for her to hear me. The lady ignored me and didn't say a word. When the other customers finished dining she was all teeth and waving bye bye bye. I shouldn't have eaten at this place I don't know what they may have put in my food. I'm a black man so I'm used to discrimination and racism but I haven't experienced it in a long time. It was surprising. # Not a good experience.
Long Life Vegi House
1725 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94703, United States
What a great restaurant. The employees are so.nice and always remember the customers. The veggie meat dishes are fabulous. I t hard to tell this is not real meat. So many options. The lunch specials are so reasonable, the soup is great and the lunch specials are available seven days a week. Dinner is also reasonable with a side of soup and rice added for a dollar each. What a great place to take your vegetarian or vegan friends. Because the fare is either veggie or seafood it is a good place for guests the have a kosher or halal diet. I love the clay pot nappa cabbage and the veggie Mongolian beef. The restaurant recently relocated to a sharp new location a block and a half below Martin Luther King. This is a fun place to eat. Some of the best vegetarian food around.
Kiraku
2566B Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
Such a treat to eat here, I was feeling a little homesick (disclaimer, not from Japan) but taking myself out for dinner here really cheered me up.As the previous reviews seem to state some different information from my experience, I will say there didnt seem to be an extra charge to use my credit card, but there is a minimum order of $20 per person, which becomes $25 for groups of 6 or more. It gets very busy and there will inevitably be a long queue, so make sure you reserve a spot!I ordered a lot for my party of one: the yuzu salmon tostada, fried chicken cartilage, the shrimp tempura with mayo, and the uni carbonara pasta. For an izakaya place I was hoping to sample more of the alcohol on offer, but I could only manage 1 pint of Asahi. The flavours are well balanced, and the batter was the delicate kind of crispy which youd expect for izakaya snacks. Paired well with the beer too! I had a great time alternating between the fried stuff and taking in the busy atmosphere. It is quite loud so do prepare to order in a loud voice, but ultimately I view it as part and parcel of the vibe.Unfortunately my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I didnt manage to eat the uni carbonara in-house, so I did ask for it to go. The staff were very lovely and accommodating to pack it up for me, and it did come with the welcome warning that the fresh uni would not last for very long. If theyre reading this, Id like them to know that as soon as I got home I mustered up the space to finish the ikura and uni with some of the pasta and it was bloody delicious. Chefs, Im sorry for the trouble that I caused, but know that your effort and ingredients did not go to waste.I happened to be able to make some room for dessert, so I ordered a matcha Mont Blanc. It had just the right texture and sweetness and wasnt comically huge so it was a great end to the meal. The waitresses seemed amused by my defeat in the face of my rather ambitious order, but the service really made me feel something special. Thanks so much for making my experience awesome!
Caf Tibet
2020 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States
Absolutely delicious, traditional and wonderful food. Different from the usual places and mediocre tastes.Dholooma Kamngoe is a breaded eggplant chips lightly deep fried snack. Very soft, different from usual fried stuff and awesome taste. You must check it out.Tsel-Khasa is a seasoned vegetables freely more like a Curry than a snack.Tingmo is a homemade steamed Tibean bread that is so delicious. Definitely not your usual bread for sure.The Momos, Ngotsel Momo and Kar-sha Momo, are very good - a bit on the raw side - but if you are a fan them you just cant pass it up.The entry, Tofu with Mushroom and Spinach, is very good, tasty and not something that I ever had before. Ended up taking it home as well.The traditional desserts, Bhaktsa Marku and Dress, are not too sweet and very much for of fresh tastes all over.It is good to know they dont use powders, pre made or frozen items. They use every thing fresh and made by themselves from raw food materials - including the spices themselves. Very refreshing and mouthful of tastes is what we walked out with.