03/21/08

Overpriced food, ridiculous policies for groups

by krimoa

I met up with four of my friends there. We were seated promptly, but that was merely because it was around 5:30, which is just before it started getting really crowded. The place is quite small enough as it is, and I felt pretty sorry for some of the hapless customers squished near the door watching us eat. If you do end up going to this place (and I don't think you should), go early at least.

Food was unremarkable. I have had both much better and much worse. Kudos to them, though, for saying they can tailor the dish to suit your dietary needs. The members of my party didn't take advantage of that, but it's nice to know that it's there.

However, I take issue with the pricing arrangement! They charged one dollar per person for rice, a fact we weren't aware of until the bill came. They weren't even individual bowls of rice either (which maybe would have tipped us off), but simply one soup bowl sized pile of rice. Furthermore, each person in our group had to order at least 12 dollars worth of food! What restaurant does that, and for a group of only five people?? (I am not sure what the policy is for smaller groups; one of my friends had gone there before for lunch, but he had ordered quite a bit of food by himself) The ambience certainly does NOT merit that kind of pricing.

Service was mediocre. Not fabulous, but not horrible either.

• Pros: okay food
• Cons: possible trouble parking (we walked), minimum order requirement

09/19/07

Best Chinese Chicken Salad Anywhere

by dcaroner

This is a great Chinese restaurant! Get there early to avoid a wait. People are willing to wait because the food is so good. Yes it is a small place, but the service is usually fast once you are seated. There is now free parking after 7:oo at the carwash across the street. Try the wok charred Lamb in addition to the best Chinese chiken salad anywhere. Many other fine dishes such as pea leaves with garlic. Try it you won;t be disappointed.

• Pros: great food
• Cons: Possible wait

09/08/07

Rude wait staff. Tiny rat-hole dinning space.

by jj888

Bad, bad service. Wait staff very ill-manner and can't speak good English. The boss is very ill-manner too. That must be the policy of the restaurant.

Tiny, tiny rat-hole dinning space. The food is nothing great. Not worth your time and money. Eat elsewhere!!!!

• Pros: Nothing good.

12/22/06

Overrated, bland, barely palatable.

by emmyk1377

We went here expecting great things after reading the reviews, and were horribly disappointed. The food was lukewarm, tasteless and barely palatable. In fact it made us queasy and left us wondering about the quality of the ingredients (especially the beef in the beef and broccoli, which was this weird gelatinous, flavorless texture). We would not recmmend - in fact we would advise people to go elsewhere if they are looking for good Chinese food. It was sad that it did not live up to the reviews.

• Pros: Close to UC Berkeley campus
• Cons: Food was not very good

03/26/06

Excellent But Be Prepared

by thebelleizest

The food here is the BEST!!! The "Double Skin" is completely authentic and rare. The Peking duck is an absolute must! Every dish I've had is A+. But BE PREPARED to wait up to an hour or more for your table and BE PREPARED for a busy staff.... Some dishes take longer to prepare, but others arrive pleasantly fast! Waiting for your table works up an appetite... And hope you don't get a table by the door, but upstairs, otherwise you'll have a crowd of people watching you eat while they wait for their table. But the food is 100% worth the wait and the crowd. They have a small parking lot behind the restuarant that fits about 6 cars, if you drive you might get lucky. Otherwise, have one person sign up for the table while the others park.

• Pros: Food, Inexpensive
• Cons: Parking, Crowded

11/20/05

Tasty Food!!

by kyootsieyuki

This is a great Chinese restaurant that offers rare dishes. THe duck is excellent; highly recommended. May not have the ambiance or service of pricey PF Changs, but the food is authentic and delicious. Overall pleasant experience with service and food. Make sure to make a reservation or arrive early, or you will face a huge line!

• Pros: duck, unique dishes
• Cons: long lines

02/11/05

A favorite!

by Andreotti

The food at Great China always impresses. The ambiance isn't first date material, but it's always enjoyable and filled with people. The staff has never been anything but helpful and kind to me and I regularly recommend it to Berkeley locals.

• Pros: Food!, Food!, Inexpensive

10/01/04

Best chinese food I've ever had

by zouri

The service and ambiance are only average here, but the food more than makes up for it. This is always on my list of places to hit when I'm in the Bay Area. Try the Honey Walnut Prawns!!!

• Pros: Great food