4. Restaurants

Yan’s Kitchen

57 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94111
  • (415) 989-8820
  • Store is closed

Yan’s Kitchen Menu

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  • Matthew H.

    The decor is a bit underwhelming, but don't let that steer you away. The service was friendly and efficient, bringing out plate after plate of food. We were a table of 8, and ordered the family style meal, which was soup, egg rolls and a nice variety of dishes. The spicy General Tso's chicken went super fast! Highly recommend this restaurant for takeout or for a quick bite to sit in.

    (3)

  • Irene B.

    Very small mom and pop place ! Very nice people ! The food was delicious and fresh !!! Great place !

    (5)

  • Aleksandra S.

    Ordered a take out of sweet&sour shrimp, not bad at all. The order was ready really fast, and it tastes good. The price is good too $7.45. Will come back most likely. I liked that it's open when most places are closed - between lunch and dinner times

    (4)

  • Ola P.

    The lunch special is the only thing I have ever tried. It was $7 even, and it included soup, egg rolls, rice and the entree, as well as hot tea. It was a decent meal for $7. I have no idea how the regular food is there but would recommend this place for cheap Chinese food. I had the orange chicken. The outside was crunchy and the inside tender and juicy. Rice was good. There was plenty of the food, as I couldn't eat it all.

    (3)

  • Jim U.

    Great lunch special served until 3:00. Soup, appetizer and a huge selection of entrees all for under $7! Good food, nothing earth shattering but it comes with a smile. Got to love that.

    (4)

  • Charlie B.

    I'd come back. Small hole in the wall. Came here on a weekday at 5 and had no problem getting a seat. Ordered Kung pao chicken, and it was only $6.25!! With rice!! And it wasn't some crap-ola either, nuh uh! This was some solid Kung pao chicken. Large portion too. The service is slow but there are only two people who own / work there, and they are both very nice. I was in hurry so I ordered at counter and paid there, but if you're not there is table service. Food came out hella quick though. I am full and my wallet is happy.

    (4)

  • Eric H.

    Cute little mom & pop shop. That I'll be avoiding at all costs. Decent tasting food at reasonable price.. that gave me explosive diarrhea 30 minutes later!!!!

    (1)

  • Marcus F.

    Really good Tso's Chicken and pot stickers. I was in SF for a conference and used yelp to find the best Chinese food on short notice, and Yan's was great.

    (5)

  • William C.

    Food is very good. Small place but they get the food out pretty quickly and it's tasty.

    (4)

  • Frances C.

    Wow! I was a little hesitant to try this place, as I always am when it comes to trying new places, I'm sure glad I did, the food was delicious! !!

    (5)

  • Nick R.

    So this is the first 5-star review that we've passed out since arriving in the city 6 months ago. Everything we ordered was delicious and you can't beat the prices! Just a heads up, cash only. We got the potstickers and soup to start, both were good. Then for dinner we had the curry fried rice (awesome) and general tso's. Nicole loved the chicken because it was real, not that brown tendon filled stuff you find at so many Chinese places. Family owned & you can tell. If you're looking for a good meal and amazing value, look no further!

    (5)

  • Kristin C.

    This place did not live up to the 4 star reviews. Ordered egg rolls and got spring rolls that seemed like they were bought at Costco. Wonton Soup is chicken soup with bad wontons in it. Kung Pau chicken had good flavor but not enough sauce and didn't come with white rice. They charged me extra when I asked. Steamed dumplings lacked flavor and they have no thing but soy sauce to dip them in. Overall, I was expecting more.

    (1)

  • Michael B.

    This is not a hidden gem - this place is simply one grease fire away from putting a dirty, and decrepit throwback from years ago out of its misery. I came for lunch and sat down at a half-eaten termite table that was wedged into the corner where one of the chairs was obstructed by some pipe. The menus prices were "updated" with some illegible scribbled over numbers in crayon. So I went with something very simple - beef noodle soup and pot stickers. What arrived at the table was this bowl of chef boyardee-like noodles heated up with some sort of canned carrots and peas. Forget the canned part, what beef noodle soup place do you know services this bowl with carrots and peas? The beef was unbearable. It was near inedible - chewy...and not the tender chewy but more like the chewy that relates to meat that has been associated with the side of a carcass and frozen for decades, only to finally be thawed when an unsuspecting customer who finds a "hidden gem" four-star yelp review enters their establishment for the first time. Oh, the pot stickers were sub-par but would not have been so bad if there were not fried over 3 times with gritty bits of cancer causing agents from the old pots.

    (1)

  • Drew S.

    We went on the recommendation of other yelpers and were not disappointed. Don't expect to be waited on hand and foot, but if you are looking for a great cheap dive of a Chinese restaurant this place is perfect. There is one server and one cook, less than ten tables, and the food comes quick and hot. I had to remind myself mid meal that I should set my fork down and take a breather because I was eating so fast. We had the General Tso's Chicken and the Combination Fried Rice and both were phenomenal. Highly recommended and I will certainly return.

    (4)

  • Paul W.

    Great little hole-in-the-wall place that was cheap, filling and satisfying. A mom and pop shop that does standard Chinese fare with fresh ingredients. Once the lunch crowd left, the dynamic duo started teasing each other a bit in Chinese and laughing.

    (4)

  • Mac P.

    I was in the city and had an hour to kill during lunchtime and found Yan's Kitchen through Yelp. The restaurant doesn't look like much, but the food is pretty solid (and very reasonably priced for SF). I tried the General Tsao's Chicken and was tremendously impressed. Fried, spicy, sweet goodness. The meal came with soup (which wasn't terribly good), but I got out for under $10 bucks and was full and happy).

    (4)

  • Dawn M.

    I couldn't stop eating the General Tso's chicken and I HATE General Tso's chicken. I ordered it sort of as a joke and ended up killing it.

    (5)

  • Bob G.

    Fantastic hole in the wall. Dumplings then shrimp with bokchoy and black mushroom was great. Order a Tsingtao beer to go with. It's my new go to when I visit SF.

    (5)

  • Joel R.

    We loved this place. There food is not very expensive and really impressed with how good there food is. You will leave here stuffed. They weren't very busy but it was late Service was great. Nice when someone actually appreciates you coming to their restaurant. If I lived here I'd never cook Chinese food again.

    (4)

  • Heather A.

    Cash only! I found that out the hard way. The beef and broccoli was pretty good. The fried rice was decent, but I asked for no peas or carrots (why would anyone put peas and carrots in rice? It's not a pot pie!) The fried pork dumplings were awful. I was expecting something like P.F. Chang's pan-fried dumplings. What I received was a gob of tempura batter wrapped around what may have once been a dumpling, with very little filling. A grease ball. I couldn't eat it. The egg-flower soup was bland and tasteless as well. The entrees all tasted very similar to each other; high in sodium and overly dressed with soy sauce. It's your average Chinese food place, probably perfect for satisfying a craving for Chinese food after a night of binge drinking or some adult extra-curricular activities. Just stick to the classic dishes. You won't be expressing culinary wonderment at the chef's deft hand in creating explosive flavors, but you also won't be hurling in disgust (unless you order the dumplings) or experiencing disintery either. If you order the dumplings, you're on your own and I'll just say, "I told you so" right now. Because I was pleased regarding their willingness to make my rice without the peas and carrots, (which tells me their food is made-to-order), the prices are unbelievably LOW (three of us had lunch specials consisting of appetizer, soup, entree, and rice for under $20 total) and the food was definitely better than Panda Express, I would order from here again in the midst of a craving for a quick Chinese food meal. Convenient walk from the finanical district of downtown SF.

    (3)

  • Oscar D.

    DELICIOUS!! AUTHENTIC!! CHEAP!! now go and enjoy! haha friendly staff i think owned by wife and husband very good food i never eat soup but theirs was reallyyyyy good first time i eaten a whole soup, orange chicken was good also very crisp too i enjoyed that

    (5)

  • Babs J.

    This place is AMAZING!!! Mom and Pop, home cooked chinese food for a very decent price (tip well, please. they deserve it!) Vegetables were sooo fresh, and I can't get enough of the salt and pepper fish. It's too good!! Thanks Mr and Mrs Yan :)

    (5)

  • Stephanie R.

    The hot and sour soup is good. Service is quite terrible, we didn't get our drinks until after the meals were served and had to wait a long time to put in our orders. The portions are okay not too big. The general tsos chicken is fantastic, pleased everyone

    (2)

  • Ben M.

    This place is literally right at the end of the Chinese New Years parade route. One of my favorite photography spots for the parade, its the end, the people in the parade are so happy to be done with the super long long walk. As I was hanging out I started to get hungry and think about going home, I looked around and found that this place scored better on yelp than all the rest. If ot for the circumstances I would have never sought out Yan's. The place was totally packed out the door. I walked up to the window and looked at the menu then called without going inside. The place was so crowded the last thing they needed was someone else making a pick up order as the walked around taking care of the customers. I saw her pick up and answer the phone from the window. The place smelled great and I saw all the customers happily picking away at their full plates. $24 and I got 2 entree beef s, rice plate and a appetizer. I thought this was a great deal. It was so much food I actually ended up eating it for lunch a few days at work. I don't like to eat the same thing day after day but it was not bad as a leftover meal. String Bean Beef Chicken Cashews Garlic Shrimp Egg Rolls The Garlic Shrimp was killer. The String Bean Beef was steady and true to an Americanized beef and vegetable dish but very good. The Egg rolls were also standard. The cashew Chicken had great flavor. They have hot Mustard by the mustard bottle in the restaurant but do not have to go containers for it. They gave me a cup so I took a bunch. Good hot mustard.

    (4)

  • Gary M.

    Food was fresh and very tasty. Not a 5 but good enough for that 4 star life. Running beans in XO sauce was my favorite!

    (4)

  • Vicki L.

    Cash only! Ordered the chicken chow mein to go, and it came pretty fast! Pretty good chow mein. Chicken was fresh and the noodles were thick and cooked to al dente. Quite cheap ($6-7) for a big portion. The restaurant is a bit dingy and small, but the people that run it are kind. I noticed a lot of businessmen coming here solo to eat after work. So I'm guessing if you are wandering around the area and craving Chinese food, it won't feel too awkward to come in and eat here by yourself.

    (4)

  • Sophie G.

    The food is tasty but I wouldn't say amazing. The prices are great though ($7) and for lunch you get two great dumplings as a starter. I tried the general Tso chicken, the sauce is nice but the meat was not that great

    (3)

  • Alex F.

    After seeing so many positive reviews about this place, I thought it would be an awesome spot to go later in the evening (especially since most of the other Chinese restaurants in that area were closed). This place seems like it would be more of a hot lunch spot than a dinner spot, with more of a "diner" feel to it. My friend and I arrived there probably 45 minutes before closing time, and got our food pretty fast. I was pretty disappointed with the General Tso's, the coating was burned and the flavor overpowered the sauce, which seemed decent. The fried rice wasn't anything to go crazy over, though I thought the Egg Foo Yung was fine. Everything seemed significantly more salty than what I'm used to, even at the most shopping-mall quality Chinese stands. It could have been because we came in around closing time that the quality of food wasn't up to the reviews here, but I don't think I would risk it by going back and rather just try to think about dinner sooner than I did and go somewhere more renowned for their dinner menu.

    (3)

  • Cherise M.

    Don't pass this place up because of the appearance. Food is good, and very fresh! Very friendly staff. Prices are affordable!

    (5)

  • Andrew S.

    Pretty great food and serving size. Great prices. The shop was mostly full and jolly, but the interiors leave something to be desired. And no duck on the menu!! Where is my duck??

    (4)

  • Vincent L.

    Decent, affordable Chinese food in a clean, above-average setting for a Chinatown-area restaurant. Helpings were plentiful, the taste was OK, and the two older folks here were *super* sweet and took care of me well (although, granted, I knew exactly what I wanted, could speak the language, and struck up a nice conversation with them). Not gourmet, mind-blowing food by any means, but it gets the job done well, and, all of the above considered, I'll be generous and bump up what would otherwise be a 3-star "pass" rating to a 4-star "high pass" review. You could do far worse for your money in Chinatown.

    (4)

  • Megan D.

    Came in late, about 15 minutes before closing time, and the lady was very welcoming. She actually took another table after us. Anyways, we ordered from the dinner special menu: general tso and beef with garlic ginger sauce. The price did not match the quality of the food at all. The food was DELICIOUS and it was very filling, and it was about 7$ per order. I definitely think I'm going to be a regular here!!

    (5)

  • David L.

    Food: 3 Decor: 2 Service: 4 Came here for dinner on a weeknight. 1. Chicken, mongolian style, 6 ~Okay. Chicken and veggies were cooked well, although there was too much onion. The ginger was chopped up very finely, so it's pretty strong. Service was friendly. It's a mom and pop restaurant.

    (3)

  • Kevin N.

    The couple that runs the store is very nice. The wife talked to us while we waited for our take-out. They were very welcoming to a tourist couple that haven't been to San Francisco before. They prepared the food quickly and the prices are more than fair. It was cool to walk out and have them smile and exchange thank-you's with us. Would definitely frequent this place if I were to commonly be in the area.

    (5)

  • Mark H.

    In SF for the week looking for great Chinese and found this place on Yelp. Awesome food with great flavor (had Hunan beef and potstickers), cheap ($7-$9 entrees), and good service (owner Mei was very nice and talked to me for a bit). Basic but clean interior. Definitely my new Chinese go-to for SF!

    (5)

  • Alayne S.

    The best orange chicken I've ever had. Period. $6.95 for a huge plate of chicken and rice along with two dumplings. Would recommend 100%. Came here for lunch & I would come back for dinner!

    (5)

  • Michael T.

    Yan's is great for those looking for decent meals at a great price. The lunch pricing at Yan's is unbeatable, especially in the financial district/Chinatown area. The solitary waitress and cook are a husband & wife team who have run the place for the past 15+ years. Don't expect frills - it's a hole in the wall diner experience. Expect sizable amounts of food at a great pricing, and Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Jim L.

    Amazingly fresh, tasty and cheap food. Perfect for lunch.

    (5)

  • Meghan M.

    The food here was delicious! We were looking for a place in San Francisco where we could get General Tso Chicken that was actually spicy. My husband and I each ordered the General Tso for lunch. It was reasonably priced and it came with pot stickers or spring rolls before the main meal. The chicken was actually spicy unlike most we've had which are just sweet. It wasn't overly spicy though where you couldn't eat it. I think the best part about this meal though was how it was cooked. It was cooked to perfection. The chicken seemed to be quality, the breeding was crispy and fried perfectly. While we were there I told my husband that I don't know if I'll be able to get Chinese food at home again because I will always be disappointed that it didn't live up to Yan's Kitchen. My only complaint is that the service was kind of slow. But I think that was because they only have one cook and everything was made fresh to order. We will definitely return here whenever we're in San Francisco.

    (5)

  • Erica S.

    Best Chinese food I've ever had. It was cooked to order, severed incredibly crispy (but not greasy), the sauces were delicious and they were served with generous proportions. You can tell everything was handmade because while we were there the the wife was rolling egg rolls and the husband was working the wok For three people we ordered a wonton soup, 1 a la cart of general tso's (large portion of entree) and 2 entrees that had rice (mongolian beef and orange chicken) and had enough food for 5 people. General tso's was my favorite and was cooked with carrots and other veggies

    (5)

  • Mindy C.

    Very yummy. Lovely husband and wife running it. The chicken was delicious as was the soup but the beef was a bit gristly.

    (4)

  • Don And Peggy E.

    A little hole in the wall type restaurant. I love the charm of this place, the decor is so out of date but cozy! The food is amazing and the prices are even better! We ordered the wontons with onion and cream cheese for starters, very crisp and tasty. My husband ordered the General Tsao chicken and said it was crispy and the sauce was great. I ordered the salt and pepper chicken which has no sauce but the batter they use on the chicken is so tasty! I can't wait for our next trip downtown, we will be eating there again for sure!

    (5)

  • Bryce T.

    Try the General Tso's Chicken - it's lightly crispy, absolutely delicious, best I've had anywhere!

    (5)

  • Adrienne G.

    The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired but the food is spot on. The have the best bbq pork fried rice I have ever had. A great take out place!

    (4)

  • Vince N.

    We were in town showing my grandma(visiting from overseas) the city. She got hungry and wanted chinese food, so being in a neighborhood full of restaurants I decided to park and look for something good. We parked in the underground lot close to Pacific & Columbus. While we unloaded her wheelchair from the car I quickly Yelped "chinese food" in the area I was in and Yan's was the first one on the list with a good review. Im giving 3/5 stars because the food itself was alright and the restaurant was a little dirty when we went. There are only 2 people that run this place, its hard to serve customers, clean, and cook at the same time. The place is run by Mr & Mrs Yan. A husband and wife team that were very nice and accommodating. Their customer service is excellent and they answered every question we had with a big smile on their faces. We ordered mongolian chicken, kung pao chicken, salt & pepper fish, and a few orders of chicken fried rice. Food was cooked fresh and came out fast. Everything was cooked properly and tasted good except for the sauce they use on the Mongolian and kung Pao. It tasted a little to salty for me. I don't usually eat much salt so that could be the reason why, but ive been to many other chinese restaurants and their food was never as salty. For some reason despite it being a little too salty for me, I couldnt put the fork down. Its not the best chinese food ive had but still good enough for me to keep eating it (weird right??) The salt & pepper fish was good and the chicken fried rice was VERY good. This is a good place to grab a quick inexpensive bite and I think I might give it another shot to see if the food got better. 3 out of 5 stars for great customer service, good fried rice and fish, and OKAY mongolian and kung pao chicken. The restaurant itself could have been a little cleaner.

    (3)

  • Michele F.

    my work colleague and I walked over to this place for lunch. Small, very warm and cozy establishment. Husband and wife run the place and treat regulars with special attention. The food was outstanding - even the Hot and Sour soup was spectacular. The best I've ever had. Prices are very reasonable and I'm sure we'll make this one of our regular stops for lunch.

    (5)

  • Mike K.

    Great prices, Fresh, tasty food. My favorite Chinese in the financial district

    (5)

  • Chris H.

    I arrived well after the late lunch rush and before the dinner crowd and was the only patron in the place. The man who cooks who apparently owns and operates the place was taking a break at one of his tables in front of the diner, presumably reading the latest news from Hong Kong. Since I was ordering to go, he motioned for me to grab a menu and let his wife know what I wanted. No muss, no fuss, and no charades to seat me, tell me what the specials were, or anything. Make up your mind a tell the lady. Simple. I liked that. I decided upon Beef with Garlic in Ginger Sauce, and requested it extra spicy. The woman looked at me with an eyebrow cocked and a gaze that said, "Do you know what you're asking for, white boy?" Indeed, I did. So much so I mentioned it again. She seemed ambivalent. I also ordered a hot and sour soup, made extra hot as well. I paid for my food (cash only!) and the gentleman put down his paper and went to work. I took a seat opposite the beverage refrigerator and listened to sound of sizzle, stir-frying, and steaming. In about five minutes, she kindly announced, "Ready!" I traipsed back to my hotel and dove in. The soup was fresh and light. No overpowering saltiness, and veggies and tofu and egg ribbons abounded. Good stuff. I am a tough sell on hot and sour soup. I give it a 6/10- above average. The entree, which I ordered without rice, was hot and clearly freshly cooked. It also contained huge broccoli florets, which I was not expecting but enjoyed thoroughly. They were cooked to absolute perfection, that harmonious blend of crisp yet tender. The beef was flavorful and thoroughly coated with diced garlic and ginger. Red pepper flakes, too. The sauce could have been a little more gingery-spicy but it was good without being too thick and goopy. The spiciness? This was a zero-napkin dish. I know the chef must have added extra red pepper for me, but it simply didn't register any heat. Some places make their food so fiery that my brow creates it own precipitation. Not today. No napkins needed to soak up the sweatstorm I was expecting. Try again, Yan's. Despite the lack of heat, I would give the dish a 6/10 as well. I would come back, but I will know to add my own liquid fire.

    (3)

  • Stephen S.

    I ordered three potstickers and general tso's chicken. I waited 35 minutes in a non crowded restaurant and finally left without eating. No reason it should have taken so long. No long line. The place wasn't even busy. I finally left when I decided I had to meet friends. I will never return.

    (1)

  • Dennis L.

    Nice little hole in the wall Chinese dine in and take out. Only wife and husband running the place, service was definitely lacking. When I entered, dirty plates and dishes were all over the tables. I chose to sit at the bar table. Ordered eggplant with chicken and shrimp with ginger sauce. Eggplant dish was tasty but lacked color/balance. Shrimp dish was prepared a little too quickly as the onions were still quite raw. Ate my meal but was never given any water. Owners were quite nice and we talked for a bit but to please visitors, I think a bit of hired help would have done them a great deal. If not so messy I would come again.

    (3)

  • Joey M.

    Very divey buy good food. Had the chicken, calamari and shrimp on iron plate, combination egg full yung and pork fried rice with hot tea. Total came to about $25 but there was enough to take home.

    (4)

  • Jared M.

    Great solid hole in the wall. Got a ton of food for a great price. Be aware that they only take cash. I got the meat mix in Mongolian sauce. A tad spicy and very flavorful. It came with white rice and 2 steamed pork dumplings that are simply amazing. I'd eat here numerous times if I were in the Bay Area more.

    (4)

  • Sophie W.

    It was a moment of weakness for me. After months from home and my mother's cooking without so much as a plate of rice, I was craving Chinese food, even the stereotypical American-tourist kind. I saw the reviews on Yelp and decided to go to Yan's but this is the first time the food didn't match up to the reviews. I got the orange chicken, and maybe that was my first mistake. It barely tasted the chicken beyond all the batter and whatnot they put on it. The sauce was too sour and didn't go well with the pepper. Sure, it was filling, but it just made me miss home more.

    (2)

  • Rich J.

    Basic Chinese takeout that's a pretty good value. Low prices, but a lot of what you get is rice. Was staying nearby on a holiday, so the choices were limited and I was too tired from traveling to go exploring. It's a family operation with the harried wife/mother taking the orders--don't expect warm & fuzzy. I had Kung Pao shrimp--I think the shrimp were frozen. The veggies were cut large. The sauce is pretty much what you'd get anywhere. No chopsticks! I give it 3 stars because it was fine for fueling up on a holiday and convenient to the Hilton. I wouldn't go here at all if I wanted authentic Chinese (easily found a couple blocks away) or if this was a special occasion.

    (3)

  • Chris C.

    Yan's Kitchen has the General Tso's Chicken by which all others must be measured. Light and crisp with just the right amount of batter, and a great balance of sweetness and spice. Dishes with string beans are quite nice as well with fresh, crisp beans that aren't overly cooked like you would find elsewhere. The prices are cheap and this is probably the best value for dollar around. The husband and wife owners fix things up quickly and are happy to please. While on the edge of Chinatown/FiDi, you may miss it or pass right by it, it's definitely worth making a visit. The only problem is that they may close early on days when they aren't busy, so you may want to call ahead to confirm that they're open.

    (5)

  • Kelsey W.

    Great food. We came here as a second option after our first place was closed. Food was fantastic. There were 4 of us and we did the "family" option, almost didn't finish it. Don't expect great service or top notch cleanliness but do come for the food!

    (4)

  • stephani l.

    Amazing traditional Chinese food great prices a must try! Next time I'm back in sf I will.be here!!

    (5)

  • Andrew S.

    I've only ordered their combo specials (1 entree + rice + dumplings), so my review is limited to that. I've been here twice, and ordered the general tso's chicken combo, and orange chicken combo. It's the exact cooking method, but just different flavoring at the end. Their combo is pretty cheap, about $7.50, and you get a decent amount of food for that price. The thing that makes this place awesome though is just how perfect the crisp is on their fried meats and dumplings. I've don't think I've ever had truly authentic Hunan food before, so I can't really attribute the goodness of this place to authenticity. However, whatever this is, it's good. It kind of reminds me of Panda Express, except it's the right flavor and the perfect texture of deep fried chinese food. It's crispy, but not too crispy, making a very delicate and perfected bite. I don't really know how else to describe it hahahaha. Anyway, try this place out if you're ever nearby.

    (4)

  • Greg L.

    $7 for two egg rolls and kung pao? So great on price and tasted even better than I would have expected. Family run, clean, lots of choices. Whats not to love? I would be here often if I lived nearby.

    (5)

  • Tim Q.

    Great Food | Friendly Lady The chicken is chicken. I'd go back!

    (4)

  • Kevin L.

    A late quiet dinner, ordered the eggs beef over rice. Not bad at all and escaped under $7.00.

    (4)

  • Deepa S.

    THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!!!! I am astounded by the quality of the ingredients. The brown rice and quality of food is 5 star quality! I even think I tasted coconut oil in it (Coconut oil is one of the best - if not the best - cooking oil one can use). No signs of MSG at all. Their character speaks volumes in the quality, portions and pricing; OUTSTANDING! They also have extra virgin olive oil in one of the broccoli dishes but they are kind people, so I know they can add it into another dish if you prefer it. The serving portions are HUGE and they don't skimp you on the chicken/beef/proteins AT ALL and they only charge 7.50 or less for these entrees and 1.75 for the brown rice. Words will not do this place justice, this is by far the best restaurant food I have had in San Francisco and they stayed open for people even after 9:30 (closing for them), I'd say until at least 10:30 not denying anyone; gentle souls. I was thinking of ordering a second entree with broccoli and the kind woman said it's okay you'll have plenty of broccoli with your chicken and broccoli order, so you don't have to order a second one if you don't prefer to; PURE HUMILITY! They sincerely enjoy serving the people, so ethical... you can tell by the ingredients and standard of cooking. I hope we can help this beautiful husband and wife out as they are of exceptional character. The interior could use some work, but their presence more than makes up for it with the pricing and huge portion sizes and the quality is amazing too. Coconut oil/extra virgin olive oil and I received two big servings of brown rice and chicken broccoli for under 10 dollars. I cannot say enough kind words of this place. I hope we can help them open up a beautiful restaurant. The chef is the husband and he's such a humble man, the slightest compliment makes him smile so brightly. Make sure to compliment him on the way out, you can tell it warms his heart as he is working back there by himself and serving all of the customers. He is a very talented chef and deserves our service. They have take-out as well and it is cash-only. I wish I lived closer by because I would love to give this beautiful ownership my money for the delicious food they serve. I am blessed to have given it a chance; Thank you Jesus Christ! Hahaha :)

    (5)

  • Kristi N.

    Loved the General Tso's and Lemon Chicken! Loved watching my meal being made too! The chef had not read his reviews and I showed him and he was so happy. Amazing prices! My new fave place:)

    (5)

  • Tiffany T.

    I've been going to this place for years whenever I've been in town, and the food is always delicious and consistent. It's the same adorable couple running the place, and they are the friendliest and sweetest folks who still remember me whenever I come even if it's been a year-long hiatus. They are fast, and the quality of the food is fresh and authentic. My go-tos are usually the Beef Chow Fun and Beef with Ginger, Onion, Mongolian style. Highly recommended and a great place to grab food for lunch for those who work in the financial districct

    (5)

  • Erin B.

    This place LITERALLY has the best General Tso chicken I have ever tasted. So good. Their lunch specials are killer ($6.50 for a giant plate of food with rice and dumpling or egg roll appetizer). Definitely not healthy but definitely tasty when you need a Chinese food fix. Not too far from the Fidi for easy access to tastiness during the work day when needed. :)

    (4)

  • Hebert C.

    Nothing fancy; quick and tasty chinese food. This is the right place for it. For being a small cash only restaurant they have a good variety of plates. Prices are pretty cheap for the amount of food they offer, so that is definitely a plus. Go try this place. You won't regret it. Expect lines during lunch time.

    (4)

  • Amber R.

    Orange chicken is like chicken candy. So crispy yet light and flavorful. Best orange chicken I've ever had! The appetizers were superb as well.

    (5)

  • Casey C.

    Loved this place! It isn't much to look at, but don't let that discourage you. The sizzling rice soup is some of the best that I have ever had and the dumplings where to die for. You should really give it a try.

    (5)

  • Mike G.

    We went here because we're Jews on Christmas looking for a Chinese place and this one had good Yelp! reviews. We were seated quickly on walking in, but then sat at a filthy table with the last party's dirty dishes for a good 15 minutes. The lady came and ***spilled some of the water from the dirty glasses on the table and then used that to wipe the table top WITH THE LAST PARTY'S USED NAPKINS!**** We should have gotten up and left, but we were hungry and had just made a trip from the East Bay. So we waited...and waited...and finally ordered 15 minutes later. And then we waited...and waited...and waited...and a half hour later finally the first dish arrived. (With me so far? Almost an hour from sitting to getting our food?) About 20 minutes after that, the last member of our party was served his sauteed eggplant in broccoli...BUT THEY FORGOT THE EGGPLANT! By the time he was settled, the the first dish (mine, which I hadn't eaten while waiting for my friend to be served) had gotten cold. By the way, they had RUN OUT OF TOFU *and* brown rice! A Chinese restaurant out of tofu! The food was decent, but forgettable. I swear the Hoisin sauce comes out of a Sisco bottle. The sauce on the General Tso's Chicken was very nice; a bit different from what I get in most Chinese restaurants. (I might mention that during this, I saw a few parties come in, sit down, wait for service, not get any, get up, and leave.) And then we waited 20 minutes for the check. At that point we were calculating it ourselves and we were just going to leave money and walk out when she finally screamed out the total at us. We paid, tipping the one waiter who at least apologized to us and acknowledged the poor service, and left. ...and won't be back. Sorry, but you can't run a restaurant with three employees in the entire building.

    (2)

  • Rob F.

    Currently, the best Chinese food we've found in SF!! They are 'famous' for their General Tso's Chicken, which is what I always get. My wife gets the hunan beef which is also really good. Besides the food being great, the old couple that runs it are wonderful too! You can tell they take pride in their food and what you to have a good experience!

    (5)

  • James D.

    The Shanghai dumplings and curry chicken are fantastic.

    (5)

  • Evelyn G.

    This was totally impromptu as I only had 30minutes to find a quick bite to eat and happen on this quaint little restaurant. I liked that it was run by a husband/wife duo. The place looks a little sketchy but it was clean enough. I would have liked to see the usage of gloves on at least someone in there as they handled the food. I asked for the house specialty (ok..I had no idea what to order) and asked they pick something for me. She suggested stir fried vegetables with chicken in a garlic sauce over rice. It came out pretty quick, hot, and was pretty good. Best part? My plate costs only $6.50. When was the last time dinner costs you $6.50? I was so thrilled with the novelty of it all. I was happy I found this place by accident and I would recommend it if you happen to be standing on the same block. While it is not a place I would go out of my way to visit, it was one of those places I will chalk up as part of my SFO experience. Warning - Cash only, but because it is so reasonable, you won't need much.

    (4)

  • Heather Y.

    While the food here is extremely cheap ($6-$7 for entrees), I'm quite disappointed in a restaurant that takes after my last name. My friend and I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken special (we ordered it with a side of Shanghai Dumplings). The Shanghai Dumplings came out first - they were very course, comparable to what you'd find in low quality package from the frozen section in a Chinese supermarket. The dumplings came out cold, the dumpling wrapping was way too thick, the pork stuffing was sub-par, and there was no need for a spoon since all the juice already spilled before the dumplings were touched. In addition to the Kung Pao Chicken, we ordered a Bok Choi / Mushroom dish, and the Sliced Fish in Garlic Ginger Sauce (chinese name "Yu Xian Yu"). Overall the dishes all tasted fairly similar (consistently soy sauce flavor) and overly greasy. Communication was not much of an issue with the waitress because my friend and I speak Chinese. I also noticed that my chopsticks were a tad sticky before I used it so I asked for another pair and that one was equally sticky (so I just sucked it up and wiped it down). Overall I was quite unimpressed with this place that is rated 4 solid stars, but my hunch is that people are swayed by the cheap price. Granted I paid $18 bucks (split the 3 dishes with my friend), and had plenty of leftovers for another 1.5 meals. But if you're going for quality Chinese food, this isn't the place.

    (2)

  • Chris R.

    Awesome Hunan Chicken! I stay in SFO a lot and have eaten at many places around Chinatown and this is the best. Good food Cheap prices and the Yan's are very nice and friendly! I am an airline pilot and love to find good cheap places to eat while on the road. This is the place!

    (4)

  • Tim N.

    Loved this hole in the wall place! Brought my Argentine in laws for an authentic Chinese experience and everyone was satisfied and impressed. Service was earnest but not very efficient. Tables were dirty and chaotic when we arrived but the food made up for it.

    (4)

  • Jessica P.

    Went for lunch and it was ok. I split a beef with scramble egg and chicken with eggplant lunch special with a coworker. They did include a bowl of hot and sour soup, deep fried dumplings for $8 (after tax and tip, $6.75 pre tax/tip) but the food was pretty bland. I had to add chili sauce to give it an extra oomph, which for hunan food shouldn't have to happen. Service was unremarkable.

    (3)

  • Jessie B.

    Stopped in on a random Tuesday. The place was fairly occupied, but we found a table immediately. We knew we wanted to try the General Tsao's Chicken since everybody posted about it through Yelp. So with an order of chicken fried rice, our meal was fantastic! The chicken was prepared with jalapeños which you don't really see but still good with carrots and bel peppers. The chicken was nice and crunchy on the outside and tender in the center. Definitely going to be back again!

    (4)

  • Andy H.

    Great value for the price, I don't recommend the fried dumplings tho, they're like deep fried tempura style, not pan fried

    (5)

  • Joyce E.

    Whoever said Yan's Kitchen is "authentic" is wrong. So wrong! Yan's Kitchen is a hole in the wall type Chinese restaurant catered to tourists. How do I know? My boyfriend pointed out that there were no chopsticks on the table and only forks. What "authentic" Chinese restaurant doesn't have chopsticks?! That aside, the place is a stone's throw away from Chinatown and right under the beautiful TransAmerica Building. My boyfriend and I came here because we wanted something cheap and delicious and Yan's Kitchen gives you that! We both ordered the General Tso's Chicken Rice Plate on the Lunch Special Menu and it came with a choice of fried or steamed dumplings, eggrolls, or something else (sorry, I forgot!) It also came with a cup of cream corned soup which was delicious! The older lady, who I am assuming is the owner, was very sweet and always made sure our water glasses were constantly being refilled. General Tso's Chicken with white rice - Honestly, this was the most amazing General Tso's Chicken I've ever had. It was PERFECTLY breaded and I was in awe at how every bite had a nice fluffy, yet crispy texture. The sweet yet spicy (not really) sauce was very good and they definitely did not skimp on the sauce! It was so good that I am salivating thinking about it. I can't tell you what the total was because my boyfriend paid, but I'm assuming it was under $20 and I think it's worth it to mention that Yan's Kitchen is cash only. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to come back!

    (4)

  • Don V.

    Freshest Chinese I can remember. The breading on the chicken in the General Tso's was fresh even though it was covered in sauce. They make the Tso's with jalapenos but the heat was fried out of the peppers themselves and into the sauce, so it was very good. Incredibly priced for San Francisco - less than $7 for a plate.

    (4)

  • Jay R.

    Great authentic cheap Chinese. The broccolli with garlic and ginger is legit! Salt and pepper shrimp not best I've had but my daughter loved the beef and veggies

    (4)

  • Antonio A.

    I can't believe how good this place actually was. For only $7.50, I was given General Tso's Chicken, Egg Drop Soup, Tea and Thai Iced Tea. Now, as for the taste and quality, I am again astounded. Especially at such a low price, I walked out from this restaurant full and feeling like I had just robbed them a little. I was sure to tell their chef it was the best General Tso's chicken I'd ever had.

    (5)

  • Luis G.

    Great food for a great price what more can you ask for!? The place isn't fancy but it feels kinda like home. Stay away if you are picky of how a place looks like!

    (4)

  • Samuel S.

    The taste was predictable, fried rice tastes like fried rice, bbq pork tastes like bbq pork. No complain here. Food was priced per Lbs. The waiter could improve her listening skills, but everything else is ok.

    (3)

  • Antoinette H.

    Oooohhhh Weeeee....YAN REALLY CAN COOK! I had the chicken & shrimp soup...DA BOMB! Orange chicken was crispy on the outside, tender & juicy inside. Mmmm Mmmm! Combo fried rice was perfectly fresh & delicious. Mongolian beef was tender & tasty. BRAVO!

    (5)

  • Marina Z.

    cheap yet high quality and tasty! The atmosphere is busy, boring but the food is amazing. Good for a lunch.

    (4)

  • Josh K.

    Amazing. My wife and I came here based on yelp reviews and the food exceeded our expectations.

    (5)

  • Eddie C.

    Food was great! Not as clean as you would want, but it is kind of a hole in the wall place. I had the shrimp with garlic sauce and it was wonderful. Service was a little slow. I gave it 4 stars because of the food and the price.

    (4)

  • Jamie M.

    the BEST genera' tso I have ever had, hands down. Crunchy and amazing sauce! The rest wasn't too bad either- the family dinner meal was only 10 for each person and we had enough for another meal later. AMAZING place, so glad we looked it up on Yelp and went!

    (5)

  • Liza B.

    Currently having the mongolian beef and veggie fried rice - AMAZING! Bursting with flavors!

    (5)

  • Jasper P.

    This is the place I go to for cheap, tasty, greasy Americanized Chinese food in my neighborhood. Cash only! I've had the General Tso's, the Orange Chicken and Salt and Pepper Chicken. Price is between $6-7 with big portions. All three are flavorful and cooked fresh, although quite a bit on the oily side. I also wish they included a different vegetable medley with the food. It always seems to be carrots, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos. The dishes need some broccoli or mustard greens to cut through the oil. What else...their pot stickers are really great -- big, pan fried to perfection, and stuffed full of pork and veggies. The restaurant itself is a bit on the dingy side so I always get takeout. It's possible that this place serves some authentic food as well, since I often see large groups of Chinese folks ordering family style dishes and jabbering away in Cantonese. I've never tried to order anything besides those Chinese fast food staples, so I can't say for sure. The couple that run this place are nice folks. I keep coming back!

    (4)

  • Shirleyanne A.

    This is 100 times better than House of Nanking. Sure the place doesn't look too glamorous but the dishes speak for themselves. The couple that runs the place is friendly and efficient. I absolutely love their Sweet and Sour Pork. One day I decided to order Sweet and Sour Chicken. The nice lady who was serving me suggested that I order the General Tso Chicken instead because it has a little spicy kick to it. How did she know that I enjoy spicy dishes? Hmmmm.... thankfully I listened to her recommendation because the General Tso chicken was delicious! Their fried rice has just the right amount of grease. It's almost like they read my mind! They use a lot if sauce on the dish so I started asking for less sauce, for which they were happy to oblige. The best part? They cook to order! I'm a super fan!

    (5)

  • Matt G.

    I came here for my first meal of my day on the eve of the restaurant's closing time in the evening. In broad daylight, the restaurant is a popular lunch spot for workers in the financial district. But at night (dinner time), the restaurant and area is really quiet. The "Fantastic-4" has dined here many times in the past after our shopping in Chinatown and the food is great with a friendly husband (chef) & wife (waitress) operating the place. To begin my working night, I was in the mood for Mongolian Chicken over rice to wake me up. And that is what I took for $6.50. The dish had chunks of chicken meat, onions, broccoli florets, spicy red peppers, assorted spices and Hoi sin Sauce over white rice. Initially I wanted brown rice for $.75 extra, but the chef forgot. No big thing. I still enjoyed my meal. Boring but good meal to start my day, I know. But that is how my graveyard shift starts for the last 1.5 decades!

    (4)

  • Jon L.

    Earnest. That would be the word I pick if I had to sum up Yan's Kitchen in one word. Oh, that and a-whole-lotta-food-for-little-money. They have a great lunch deal around $6-7 for the rice plates which gets you soup, fried dumplings, and a choice of an entree over rice. Basically the only decision you need to make is what meat to pair with which sauce. It's a lot of food for lunch that you might be tempted to have a little siesta after. I've tried several items here from Kung Pao Chicken to the Mongolian Beef ( yelp.com/user_local_phot… ) and they've been tasty although a tad greasy. It's not the most authentic Chinese food but as long as you remember that, it's ok. We all have our fried sweet and sour cravings sometimes. The stars here though are the husband and wife team that run this cozy place. He cooks, she serves. It's not the quickest lunch but they try really hard and you can feel their genuine effort to ensure you enjoy your meal. For that, Yan's Kitchen is an option for a leisurely lunch in the fi-di.

    (4)

  • Raul S.

    Really Authentic Chinese Food. The service is a little slow but that is because they are only two people working. It's CASH ONlY so be prepared. I really liked all the food except for the orange chicken but besides that it is all really good

    (4)

  • Mihail D.

    I've likely been here at least 7 to 10 times. They never fail to impress me with their quality, quantity, and price. The atmosphere is relaxed and quiet, and the service is timely and warm. Others have mentioned it, but so will I - this place has the best General Tso's chicken you'll ever have. The flavor is perfect, the outside is light and crispy without being soggy from the sauce, and the inside is perfectly cooked. Never chewy, so jt basically melts in your mouth. The Hunan beef is similarly well cooked and soft and tender. The pot stickers are probably what you'd expect. It's very hard to mess them up, so they naturally have them done properly here. The biggest draw really is the price. You get a full meal you may not even finish, done very well, and it'll probably amount up to half he price you'd pay most anywhere else. Come and treat yourself. Beware, it is CASH ONLY.

    (5)

  • Pamela H.

    I like to stop by this place on my way home from work when I am feeling Chinese. It's a small mom and pop restaurant owned by a cute old Asian couple that is always extremely nice. Overall this place serves pretty good Chinese food at super cheap prices. Think $6 entrees that include rice! The things I usually get here are the hot and sour soup and the ma po tofu. Both are delicious! I have also tried the wonton soup, Mongolian beef, and fried fish that are good as well, but not my favorites. One dish to avoid though is the shanghainese dumplings. They were dry, the skin was thick, and there was no soup inside. When dining in, the service can be pretty slow at times if they're busy. However, I can tell they are trying to serve people as quickly as they can but it's hard when it's just the two of them running the whole place.

    (4)

  • Alex C.

    Awesome food. Had the Mongolian pork with shanghai dumplings, fried spring rolls and hot and sour soup. Everything was amazing. Was not busy during lunch hour and the service was fast and friendly. Will definitely return.

    (5)

  • Sara L.

    I'm sitting at home in Vancouver, looking at the prices of the eateries here and cursing myself for not moving to California. It's cheap, delicious, filling, and the couple that runs this place is adorable. I've only been there once but I'll definitely be visiting again the next time I'm in San Francisco.

    (5)

  • Doug F.

    This is a great little mom and pop restaurant. We had the beef noodle soup, beef with string beans, bbq pork with tofu, and chicken with bok choy and mushrooms. All were very tasty.

    (4)

  • Debbie V.

    The food here was incredible! HIghly recommend. Only thing you should know is it is cash only. We went for lunch and loved everything.

    (5)

  • Rob H.

    We chose this place to buy lunch for some friends from Australia who came to the USA on a business trip. To quote the announcer from Quake 3 Arena, "IMPRESSIVE." While they have your typical selection of Chinese food, one thing that stood out was the Mushu Chicken. Now the flavor was generally good, but the rice tortillas were very high quality. I have had Mushu-this many other places and one of the biggest problems is that the tortillas tend to crack after they have oxidized for a few minutes or when you load the ingredients they crack, and that was not the case here. They sat on the plate for several minutes while my daughter attempted to make as much noise as possible in the metal high chair that was provided. Each tortilla had the same soft texture and didn't break. The hot and sour soup was good. The drink selection was good too, not just water and tea, but several types of soda (in a can), beer and of course anyone who stocks Raspberry tea (Snapple) automatically gets a minimum of two stars even if the food is awful. They do have a Yelp sticker on their door AND best of all they seem to know about it, unlike some other restaurants I have been to. There is a 4-level parking garage within two blocks if you can't get public parking.

    (4)

  • Melody W.

    Cheap, fast, greasy delicious Chinese food. I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus you get large portions. Also, 1 minute away from where I work. First dish - Salt & Pepper fish. I loved the flavor of the fish. My only qualm was that I wanted more fish. I could do without the bell pepper and onions and all that jazz. Second go - General Tso's chicken. Crunchy, tender, yummy. They put jalapenos in it :) +1 yum. Only thing I have to say is their prices are kind of confusing to me on their menu. I am actually still not sure how much anything costs. There's like 2 or 3 menus or something like that, and the prices don't seem to match. For example, the menu (one on the sheet of paper) says 5.99 and also choice of spring rolls... but I think the spring rolls were extra because the total ended up being more like 6.75? I dunno, maybe I'm the only one confused. I just order what I want and pay what they tell me to w/o looking at the menu anyway. It usually ends up around the 5-7 dollar range which is still cheap regardless. Also the place isn't exactly the cleanest looking establishment in the world if you got issues with that (which I don't).

    (4)

  • Sean M.

    Very very good food. Really enjoyable.

    (4)

  • Kat U.

    Their orange chicken is delicious. Great lunch prices. Delicious egg rolls

    (5)

  • Earl L.

    Great spot! The value is very good, and the staff is very welcoming. My regular is the ginger and garlic sauce chicken.

    (5)

  • Alexander L.

    Great value for your money. I've probably been here upwards of ten times, and I get a rice plate take-out every time. Costs around six dollars and it's quite a bit of food! Mongolian Style chicken (or the combo with shrimp) and Broccoli beef are my favorites.

    (4)

  • Bobby C.

    +5 for the awesome sweet potato/chicken thing I got take out. -1 for each roach that crawled across the table during my business lunch. 5-1-1-1-1=1 star.

    (1)

  • Sean O.

    It's a mom & pop place and even though it's a little scary, there's a simple charm in that, so give it a chance. Don't know about authentic, but for a cheap lunch this place rocks. Try the dumplings for sure.

    (4)

  • Rod '.

    Excellent hole-in-the-wall w/ the beloved name of "Salty Chinese" for me and my cohorts. The food is average, but for some odd reason, I, we, keep coming back to this place. The prices are very reasonable, and you get a lot of food. Go during lunch time, and try the salt and pepper pork. It'll give you a heart attack ;-)

    (4)

  • Liz K.

    Hubs yelps for Chinese food and took me here feeling confident I could eat here. First impression is worry since no one Chinese- looking is in there - not a promising sign. Then I look at the menu - immediately I know the type of Chinese food it is but I trudge on and am a good sport. We order the mushu pork and bok choy/mushroom dish. Visibly, dishes don't look right but still open-minded, I try them.....Holy Crapola, how the hell can this place have an averaged rating of anything but the worst available? W-H-A-T are you Yelpers talking about with these high ratings?!! This is SanFran afterall - averaged out, you all should have distinguishing palates. Both of our dishes were utterly abhorrent. If I took my Chinese mom here, she'd consider disowning me. I couldn't muster the fortitude to eat much of it. Despite the friendly couple who I assume owns this place (pains me to ding them like this but truth must prevail), I cannot be kind or generous in this review because it is blasphemous to call this Chinese food. People, it is horrible, horrendous, shameful to label this Chinese food. Our bill was $17 plus $4 tip so yes, true it's dirty, dirt cheap but it's cheap that you get, believe me. The pork in the mushu "pork", rather meat-like substance of questionable consistency, tasted like it was mostly gristle and fat. The mushroom dish had that annoying overly corn-starched gravy. I felt reluctant to review the place because the older Chinese lady who owns this place (I think) was nice and I was brought up to respect my elderly but ultimately, I felt compelled to do my part to right this ship after we both had the sh*ts the next morning (sorry, TMI but need to offer rationale). Go forewarned. I myself will never step in there again. Damn, it was crap. (Sorry to the owners)

    (1)

  • Eric K.

    Don't let the shabby decor fool you! I've eaten Chinese food in a lot of different cities, including Seattle and Portland and Yan's Kitchen is one of the best! The string beans in XO sauce, Kung Pao shrimp and General Tso's chicken are to die for! The only down side is the decor, but who cares!

    (5)

  • Mark M.

    Good. Quick. Cheap. Bummer that the Moo Shoo pancakes were too thin they don't hold the veggies. Inexpensive. Will come back in a pinch.

    (3)

  • T P.

    Had the pleasure of eating at Yan's the other night while I was in San Francisco. Found it on Yelp, reviews were good, and it was open till 9:30. All I can say is awesome. I had the shrimp noodle soup and beef and veggies rice plate mongolian style. My girlfriend had the wonton soup and sweet and sour pork rice plate. The meals were each 7 bucks, total bill with a couple of sodas and soups was 25 bucks. Such a deal, and authentic. Mom and pop hole in the wall restaurants are always the best, and the small older lady is so cute and cool. Support local business and visit Yan's. Great undiscovered restaurant. One more thing. BRING CASH! They don't accept credit or debit.

    (4)

  • Audrey W.

    We found this place on the Yelp iPhone app when on our way back to the hotel after a great comedy show at about 1am. We were skeptical from the initial look of the place. The two individuals staffing the place were surprisingly young. They were very helpful and suggested a great vegetable dish for me. We also ordered the chicken chow mien. The food was great! And the prices were lower than expected.

    (5)

  • Simone W.

    Another case of love beyond frontier! :-) I have tried almost every Chinese restaurant in Chinatown on a mission to find the best beef and broccoli. All types of holes in the wall, all sorts of prices, different portion sizes....but one thing was always guaranteed - lousy service. Yan's Kitchen is a very refreshing surprise in the middle of the chaos of Chinatown, and is a 'must' for someone who is a sucker for great service. Like me. I always order take-out when leaving the office and it's always ready for me on my way home. I started out with the beef and broccoli, but then began venturing on almost the whole menu. I've had hot and sour soup, chicken shrimp soup, all sorts of seafood, beef, chicken and pork. Everything has always been fresh, full of flavors and no MSG. I always get 'a la carte', which is a huge portion without the rice, then I add a salad and brown rice at home.......and ta-da: I have a fabulous meal for two! Now the best part for someone like me: these people are just ADORABLE! They always have a big smile on their faces, they cook right there in front of you, they encourage me to try different things, they make sure it's not too spicy for me, they make a comment when I forget to call and need to order right there......I feel like it's kinda mom and dad taking care of me! Glad they are here. These people know what kindness and love is all about! :-)

    (5)

  • Wendy T.

    My visiting friends from Atlanta found this place on Yelp and wanted to go for some food. I was very pleasantly surprised! The people who work at the restaurant are super friendly and it seems family owned and operated. The potstickers were sooooo good. Perfectly filled and fried to crispy perfection. I had the combination chow mein and loved how the chicken, shrimp and veggies were tender and juicy. My friend's had some other dishes and everyone was very happy with the amount of food and price. I'm definitely going to come back for take-out often!

    (5)

  • Heather C.

    Years ago my parents had been here. Liked it, and remembered it. I was play tour guide with my parents and played the "where do you want to eat game" My Dad had remembered this place. I looked for the address/name and found it. He was surprised it was still around. When we walked in, I thought oh man, where are we. We sat down at a rather sticky table. Ordered a variety of things and I must have inhaled my food. It was good. If I knew more people who like Chinese dive restaurants, I would go back. just to clarify, I don't really like Chinese dive restaurants but this one makes an exception.

    (4)

  • Sean S.

    Cute Mom and Pop spot close to Transamerica. $6.50 for a large rice plate and side of dumplings is a great deal this close to the financial district. It's really greasy though and the garlic is a little much. Tasty dumplings. I'll try this place again but it's just so-so.

    (3)

  • Beth D.

    There's something charming about this spot that makes me want to give it a better review, but the food just wasn't good. The service is fast and efficient. If you want to totally stuff yourself for $6-7 this is definitely the place to do it. The lunch special comes with your choice of two veggie or chicken spring rolls or 2 dumplings, and a rice plate with your choice of meat or add another $1 for seafood. I ordered the orange chicken and a few minutes later I had a giant steaming mound of food in front of me. The spring rolls were actually pretty okay, but the chicken just tasted weird. I think the base for the orange sauce was actually orange soda, no joke. It didn't taste like any other orange chicken I've ever had and took me a minute to get used to. The vegetables (just some carrots and green peppers) tasted freezer burnt. They have a little counter / bar so if you're dining alone this is a good spot to sit, get in and get out. Try for the far end, otherwise you will have to endure droves of obnoxious and rude people placing and picking up to-go orders. One of them was screaming into her cell phone in my ear. Ahh, ambiance. There were so many good reviews I feel like I should try it again, but I also feel like my stomach is going to revolt from this greasy mess in about 15 minutes.

    (3)

  • Danielle L.

    Our semi-weekly "cheap lunch" typey inny thingy in the fi-di here at work. Typey inny "cheap lunch" and see what yelp has to offer. Today we had Yan's, and Yan can cook. Okay, that was a bad pun, not berry punny at all. General's was a bit sweet, and the soup was a bit cold, but overall for six dollars, I am stuffed, was only able to eat half my plate, and Yan has my vote for a possible second try.

    (3)

  • Carol S.

    Had hot and sour soup, singapore curry chicken noodles, curry fried rice and mongolian beef. Everything was perfect except the curry fried rice. WAY too much curry. The portions are huge. I would recommend because it's cheap and tasty.

    (4)

  • Jared L.

    The fried dumplings inspire faith in fried dough I didn't even know I had. The rice plates are too big for me to finish without discomfort. I may never wait for lunch at Henry's again.

    (4)

  • John A.

    Super awesome, glad I tried it. Don't let the exterior fool you, this place is Da Bombdiggity.

    (5)

  • Donna H.

    Nicknamed "Cheap & Cheerful" by my office buds, I paid my first visit, or so I thought, to Yan's Kitchen. Once we got to the door, I knew I'd been here before. Way back when I moonlighted at Tower Records in the 1980's and 90's and we needed some cheap eatz, this was a place that got visited (as well as Yuet Lee). So, I can't comment on my past visits, but yesterday was pretty darn good. The little soup served with the lunch plate was, well, weird. A bit of potato, a bit of kidney beans and a bit of carrot in a broth that tasted like dishwater, pass on that if they hand it to you. I ordered Mongolian Chicken. Not as garlicky as I like, but a nice kick from the red chili and the veg were plentiful and f-r-e-s-h. No MSG is a real plus and the service was fine and it was cheap and cheerful. I'll be back, the menu is huge. Cash only, they don't ask for much, but no plastic and no atm really close by, so be prepared with cash in hand.

    (4)

  • Carolynn S.

    Love this place!!! Found this place on yelp cause the day we were going to the city our usual spot was closed. This is our new usual spot now!!! Mr. and Mrs. Yan are super sweet just like the reviews said. We had pot-stickers to start and they were hot, and well, just good. My mom had the chicken and vegi plate with brown rice (50cents ex) cause it was not spicy and it had plenty of fresh veg! Yum. Her only complaint was the hot tea was served in a little brown plastic cup (like kindergarten). I had the general Tsao's chicken cause of all the raving and it was great!!! One of my girl's had the orange chicken and that was really great too (spicier than the general)!! My other girl had the dish that we all agreed was the best dish hands down!! Sweet and sour chicken Yuummm!!! Best we've ever had in the history of sweet and sour!!! Nobody really mentioned it in the reviews (surprised). The coating was just shatteringly good and crunchy and the sauce was great!!!! Definitely gonna get that A la Carte sweet and sour next time!!! The Thai tea was ok must not be a big fan. The bill was so surprisingly cheap I tipped 30%. This place is so great that I even ignored the sticky condiment jar of hot chili oil. Hahaha!!! Just go!!! it's wonderful, fresh, cheerful, and cheap!!!

    (5)

  • Michael R.

    I eat here at least 3 times a week and there food is awesome. I am really enjoying their new menu Yan's @ Night. Keep up the good work guys and I will see you soon! P.S. Try the chicken and bacon sandwich :)

    (4)

  • Sarah H.

    When my foodie friend first took me to Yan's, I knew I was in for some good food. I wasn't expecting great food for such a great low price. I had the chicken with cilantro & scallion sauce, accompanying egg rolls & soup, and we split a plate of won tons. Everything was super fresh and very tasty. The main dish portions are large enough for two full meals, so I end up with leftovers that are still good the second time around. It's cash only, yet so worth it.

    (4)

  • J. B.

    Don't let the out-of-towners fool you, Yan's Kitchen is delicious. I really follow the "get what you pay for" mantra, and this place surprises. The place looks terrible and it's pretty cheap so your expectations should start low, but the food is fine (or good) and the service is great, so it ends up being an above average experience. The only solid downside is that it's cash only. Someone below said they'd take Panda Express over Yan's and they're out of their mind. I'd pull half eaten Yan's out of a homeless persons mouth before I'd eat Panda Express.

    (4)

  • Kelsey K.

    Really friendly, great prices. A very non-intimidating restaurant in china town. There were travelers and locals alike. I had the garlic ginger chicken: really fresh and flavorful. I would also highly recommend the fried spring rolls.

    (4)

  • Shawn O.

    Yans Kitchen is always fresh and they are priced to perfection. Not your avg. Chinese food place. The owner and his mother run the joint together, I believe. Always super friendly and the food is always freshly cooked. I usually get the General Tso pork with Fried Rice. Amazing! Go there at least once a week. Try there egg rolls as well!

    (5)

  • MJ M.

    Great food, great people! I've been going to Yan's now and again (for awhile when I worked closer to them it was more "now" then "again") and they have never disappointed. Very much the hole-in-the-wall type place, they concentrate on the freshness of their ingredients and solid prep of their dishes. Standout include their fantastic spring rolls and pot stickers along with a variety of superior quality dishes including Kung Pao Chicken, Orange Chicken, Curry Chicken, the list goes on from there. No Chinese place can do every last thing the way every last person likes it, but Yan's does it very well and the owners and staff are as nice a group of people as you could hope to see for lunch or dinner. Quick, polite service, easy on the wallet prices, always a smile when you walk in, and they pay great attention to all that they do. There's many places to choose from when it comes to Chinese food in San Francisco and some really stand out. Yan's should be one of those places for you.

    (4)

  • Gloria H.

    I doubt very much I would try this place if not for Yelp. First, I wouldn't know its existence and I really don't think I would go in based on the way it looks but then we all know to not judge a book by its cover or a restaurant by its look...blah blah blah. The place was empty when we got there around 7:15pm. I stopped and asked hubby if we should go in or turn. Bless him for forging ahead and so we did and took our seat and remain the only customers. The waitress was nice and friendly. We were given 2 menus - the regular and a Special. The Special one page has 2 sides - one is asparagus in black bean sauce with a choice of various meat or seafood at various price over rice or a la carte. The other side is a variety of items from mixed seafood in spicy sauce, blean bean sauce...pork chops. Hubby wanted chow mein, specifically the fat noodle - that's why we decided to try this place. Anyway, we got: pot stickers (home made, I always ask before I order) - 6/$4.25 - it was pretty good. beef chow mein in Hunan sauce - $5.39 - this is what chow mein is all about. It's a mixture of onion, celery, broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, our favorite type of fat noodles, and some tender slices of beef. Good portion and very tasty. Mixed seafood (shrimp, calamari & fish) in spicy garlic sauce - $7.99 a la carte - first I regretted ordering this thinking it'll be terrible frozen seafood but I'm one to admit if I'm wrong and I was wrong to think that. The calamari was very good, as was the fish. I loved the sauce with the chunks of garlic...next time, we'll order over the rice...that sauce was begging for some rice to soak it all up! We also got a cup of the soup of the day, it was blah but it was free so can't complain. They also make and package their own peanuts in garlic or spicy flavor at $2/bag, which promptly forgot to pick up when leaving. All this for under $20 and we were full. We will definitely be coming back so until then...

    (4)

  • Thel D.

    GARLIC!!! Overall I did enjoy my lunch here and it was $6.50 for soup, potstickers, and General's Chicken with rice. The soup was ok. The pot stickers were excellent. The General's Chicken was also ok but it had way too much garlic. The service was fast and very friendly. But I still can't believe how much garlic was on my plate... I love garlic too but this was just overkill.

    (3)

  • Fiona S.

    I. Love. This. Place. I went there for the first time on the second day of Chinese New Year. It has been a miserable one for me: being far away from family, feeling ill, working 11hour days. It was the equivalent of a present/family-less Christmas and all you could do is get a rotisserie chicken from Costco. I stepped in here on my way home, just looking for an alright-looking Chinese place for take out so I can eat in front of my TV and sob. It was way beyond my expectation. The food itself was great. Hot and sour soup delicious and definitely hits the spot (Tai Chi is the only place where I've had decent hot n' sour soup). The pork dish with eggplant and tofu was recommended to me over the Ma Pao tofu, and it was absolutely delicious. Soft eggplants, flavorful tofu (I hate it when the sauce isn't cook through), delicious sauce with just the right amount of heat but not too thick with corn starch like most Chinese restaurants in the area. The couple that own that place were just the nicest, smilest people. I think they felt bad for me and definitely gave me a little bit extra food and just the getlest smile and greetings despite our language barriers (I can't speak Cantonese, they can barely do Mandarin). Love love love this place. Came back again the next day with my best friend. The couple probably felt really, really bad for me.

    (4)

  • Laura J.

    I love this place. It doesn't look too special from the outside (or the inside) but you've got to try it. It's good for lunch, where you can get tea, a soup, dumplings or spring rolls, and a main dish (with rice) for about $7. Most importantly, though, the food is delicious. You should order the number 19. Big, juicy shrimp, tender beef and chicken, with perfectly cooked vegetables in a nicely gingery, a little spicy, mongolian sauce, over rice. The restaurant is small, and the kitchen takes up about a third of a space, but it's pretty cool that you can see Mr Yan cooking everything fresh for you. Mrs Yan is the server. It can get really busy there but they are some sort of dream team. It never gets shouty or stressful. They're just there cooking delicious food and serving it to the lucky customers that know about this place.

    (5)

  • Wendy M.

    GO HERE FOR CHEAP CHINESE FOOD. I was craving cheap chinese food and wuddyaknow...Yan's is down the street from my work (my boss recommended it since I just moved up here). When I placed the order on the phone, they were nice to ask how "spicy" we wanted the food. I love spicy food and adding "a little bit" was just enough to make my sinus clear up and my nose a little runny. I ordered the veggie chow mein and my co-worker got the beef chow fun. The place is humble, typical "authentic" chinese restaurant. They only take cash and I didn't know that at the time. The woman at the counter recommended I go to the bank down the street instead of the ATM across the stress because it charges less. How sweet of her to watch my back; she's down for the cause. You can also see the cook right behind the counter and they were all super sweet and nice. My food was pretty decent: noodles were a little mushy than what I had hoped, veggies were good, flavors were yummy. They even included a sesame red bean ball (a dim sum/chinese delicacy) .....YUM. For the buck, hell yeah it's good. Things somehow taste better when it's cheap. I have yet to try the lunch specials. Perhaps then my star rankings shall increase. Give it a try, I say.

    (4)

  • Anonymous F.

    YUM! Delicious, authentic Chinese food for a bargain! Not only is the food awesome, but the staff seems very sweet as well. So glad to have a healthy dinner option when I have to work late.

    (5)

  • Ryan D.

    Awesome, orange chicken, good price. Very Nice Mom and pop type of shop. Service was excellent!

    (4)

  • Jack C.

    They say if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it must be a duck. In regards to Yan's kitchen... the restaurant has a chinese name, the cooks are chinese, even the waitress can't speak english well, but oddly enough the food ain't all that chinese. I guess I shouldn't be too shocked since in past reviews some people refer to the food as americanized chinese. I for one am a big fan of panda express so I have no hate for fake chinese. It can be f-ing delicious in its own right. Even my mom a legit 100% taiwanese woman loves panda. Not quite sure how to exactly feel about this place. There were a couple odd balls thrown at me. The restaurant itself is not bad for a hole in the wall. The tables weren't sticky, which is the standard I measure for chinese hole in the walls. As long as the table is not sticky and there are no cockroaches running around or in my food I can bear it. Came for lunch with a friend on a workday. I ordered off the lunch special menu. Got pork cooked with egg over fried rice which comes with sweet and sour soup and 2 dumplings. My friend ordered shrimp chowfun. The soup was decent and my dish was satisfactory in portion and taste. I love my pork and egg over rice so I was perfectly content. My friend's dish on the other hand was cooked in a gallon of oil. By no means am I scared of a generous dose of oil but the noodles were lightly wadding in a pool of it. Funny thing is she managed to finish most of the noodles, but mentally she was not for the better. At the end of the meal I noticed they had not served me the dumpling appetizer and I requested it. Out came these 2 massively fried and battered dumplings. It was incredibly odd and not appetizing. I HAVE been to countless chinese places in my life time and not one has ever battered and deep fried their dumplings. It is most common to pan fry them. Funny thing being the beast I am I ate them anyways. The filling was ok, but the batter was gross and I peeled off what I could. Like I said earlier I really don't know how to feel about this place. The portion you get for the price you pay is generous. I have yet to try any of the other dishes so I don't want to completely rule it out. I take it if you order the americanized dishes like General's chicken it might be a better experience. My pork and rice dish I would actually order and eat again happily. Come not expecting the world of this place. It's not authentic by any means, but it's cheap and filling. A man can not ask for any more.

    (3)

  • Cat B.

    This is a good place to eat for lunch. I had the dumpling and it was fantastically good. Never had a fried dumpling before. . . I'm a fan. I had the garlic chicken, WHOA garlic. It was good. Lots of fresh veggies. Great econo-meal. I'll definitely go back again.

    (4)

  • Billy W.

    BEST food in the city hands down! Ok, maybe not the best in the city, but for the prices you can not beat it! If you are looking for "authentic" General Tso's Chicken I have news for you (Jacob)..... They do not have General Tso's Chicken in CHINA! If you are looking for Great Potstickers and the best General Tso's Chicken this side of the Great Wall, check this place out!

    (5)

  • jared c.

    Yan's Kitchen has the honor of being the first restaurant I've ever reviewed on Yelp. Yan's is great. I just went for the first time. I had do go in, because how often do you see a Chinese restaurant with red/white checkered tablecloths? I looked at the menu and my first thought was, this place is cheap. Actually, i said it out loud. It made the couple running the place laugh. From the Specials menu I got chicken, rice and 2 spring rolls.. for about $6. I'm a big guy, but for $6 this was too much food for even me to eat. And not only is there a lot of food, but it actually tastes good. Maybe not the best Chinese I've ever had, but certainly flavorful. Also, the couple running the place are two of the friendliest people I've ever been helped by in a Chinese place.

    (4)

  • Jack A.

    Good, clean and cheap Americanized-Chinese.

    (4)

  • Stacy T.

    Went here for lunch today. I've been before and had the General's Chicken. Not too exciting. It was the standard greasy fare to be had at any of the quick Chinese food grub hubs. Today I chose wisely and ordered the garlic chicken which was tasty. Not too oily, a fair amount of white meat chicken, fresh veggies, and a good garlicky sauce. poured generously over a heap of white rice. I suppose that the food isn't the best I've ever had, but the couple that own the place are nice beyond belief and I want to see them with a steady stream of business. The food is standard but the owners keep me coming back.

    (4)

  • Bubba S.

    Inexpensive, good food! Try their new Shar Char Chicken Noodle Soup. It is heavenly. Hole in a wall place but you can't go wrong with the prices or the quality of food. I highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • Katrina K.

    Tiny little place, but tasty Chinese! This place is a good value, no surprises (the food is your typical Americanized Chinese fare) and reasonably priced. One small hitch was that my companion ordered red wine, and the waitress (who I believe was also the proprietor) gave her a glass of sherry! I haven't tried this place for take-out yet, but am planning on doing so.

    (4)

  • Amul A.

    This place is a hidden gem. You would never think of going inside based on the looks, but the food here is excellent. The lunch plates are delicious and the prices are cheap. The service seemed so so but the food was so good I didn't mind. I would definitely take this place over House of Naan king any day.....

    (4)

  • Herb F.

    i work right around the corner of yan's and i pretty much eat lunch here everyday (and dinner if i have to work late)... the restaurant is family owned... the husband is the chef, the wife is the cashier/waitress/dishwasher... their stir fry dishes in shar char sauce, hot garlic sauce, and mongolian style are really good... their home made pot stickers are really good too... i can either have a $5.00 sub at subway or have a nice hot cooked chinese lunch for $6.00... 10 out of 10 times, i'd rather eat a nice hot cooked chinese lunch...

    (5)

  • Art S.

    The perfect little mom and pop chinese lunch place. One of my favorites is the hunan shrimp. the soups are also very good here, especially the hot and sour and then there is the one with the toasted rice in it. mmmmmmmm I think I'll go back tomorrow.

    (4)

  • Scott J.

    Wonderful super cheap Chinese diner. Great lunch special. I recommend going with friends/dishes are big and it's always nice to mix them.

    (4)

  • Chris B.

    I always walk by this place and finally stopped in to have some Take Out. I got the Combo Chow Mein and Combo Fried Rice... Both were very tasty and spicy. The staff was really friendly and made me feel very welcome even just getting take-out. Only down side is that it's Cash only and the ATM across the street charges 3.50 for a transaction.. On a plus side the girl behind the counter is pretty cute =)

    (5)

  • Mitch F.

    A hidden jem on the boarder of chinatown and northbeach

    (5)

  • Ashley S.

    This is balls to the wall cheap, amazingly tasty, and not regrettable-10-minutes-later Chinese food. It is absolutely one of my favorite places to go, and the family who runs it is so sweet. The General Tso's Chicken is the best dish there, I think, and it is --- and I do not say this lightly -- the best I've ever had. There. I said it! (Hope I don't regret it in the morning...). The noodles (chow mein or otherwise) are also really good. The lady who waits on you will also tell you honestly what their best dishes are, and she is not trying to pawn off some old food on you, she is honest and she is accurate as first response. It is close enough to the Financial District that those of you who work downtown should go. Given the lack of pre- or post-Embarcadero Cinema food, this is a great choice. Enjoy! Just writing this review has given me a craving.

    (5)

  • George S.

    Yan's is a big favorite of mine. If they get to know you they will cook things off-menu for you. It is tough to spend more than $10 here and the quality is top-hole.

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    Wow. Disappointing. I was in SF for two days and getting randomly fantastic Chinese food was part of the plan. After several false starts, found this place. I always trust such a high yelp, but man oh man. I'll grant that the portions were large and I liked the little fried greasy things. That's the only nice stuff I can say. The cup of ice for my soda had something unappealing floating in it and microbugs crawled across the table. The soup was warm water with beans in it. The string bean chicken was nearly inedibly salty (and I like salt more than anyone I know). The Mongolian chicken was just a pile of pressed boring blah with pepper flakes sprinkled on. This is the kind of "Chinese" food you get at a Best Western restaurant in Utah. I'd take gross freaking Panda Express over this any day.

    (1)

  • Cindy E.

    their chicken noodle soup was barely better than ramen. the hot tea came in a plastic cup and without a little metal pot for refills. staff was super nice and the egg flower soup that was the appetizer was really good but my actual meal? super eh. sorry Yan's.

    (2)

  • jamie c.

    the portions are very large and the (generally fried) appetizers were tasty (granted, they're fried). however, my kung pao tofu was lacking in pao.

    (2)

  • Carmel D.

    5 STARS. Salivatin' good! Enough said. Just got to go to know fo sho. Best asset here is the genuinely hospitable husband and wife team AND watch while he fires up the wok and cooks right in front of you while you can whiff his good cookin! Everything else is oh joy after the meal with a nice satisfied smile on your content lil' face!

    (5)

  • Emily A.

    Super yummy, great value. Friendly service.

    (4)

  • Miscia B.

    This place gets a Gold Star for 'Cheap (edible) Chinese' The couple that run the place are super nice and always friendly. I guess that's Yan in the kitchen, he's always smiling and the woman is always bustling about. The menu is very no-frills. It's not the best Chinese food in the world - but it's not the greasiest or the worst. I've always left pleased and satisfied with what I got for what I paid and have never gotten a belly ache or anything. In fact, I used to have to go here regularly for their yummy egg drop soup - which was about the only thing I could eat when I was really sick last year with a tropical stomach bug. They were so nice and would just ask me if I wanted the soup when I walked in - I eventually moved on to the simple, but yummy, chicken and veggies rice plate. I can now, thankfully, enjoy the full array of their menu. Their lunch specials are a fantastic deal. I work half a block away and go here at least once a week. I like it because the portions are huge, and leave me enough to take away to either eat for dinner or for lunch the next day - which is not bad at all for $6. The daily soup which comes with the lunch special is always different and very tasty. I will say that the egg rolls are rather greasy - but I've learned to just roll them in an extra napkin first before eating them. They can be a bit slow and swamped during the lunch rush, but it looks like they've hired another women to work in the kitchen during this time. This has appeared to help them out a lot. Getting food for take-out is alright too, but I prefer to eat in so that you get the soup and egg rolls (and hot tea in silly plastic cups). Sometimes I get the same thing I always get. Sometimes, I'll get something new. Either way, I'm usually pleased. Overall, I like to support this place and it makes me happy to get good, simple honest food. Be sure to tip the woman extra - the food is so cheap, so 15% of $5 doesn't do justice to the quality and warmth of the service.

    (4)

  • mia s.

    two words: sesame beef oh wait! five more words: salt and pepper pork chops sorry - one more: cheap

    (4)

  • Cathy K.

    I enjoy seeing Yan and her husband's kind faces whenever I walk through the door. They have delicious fresh food, and generous portions that I can make 2 meals out of 1 - presto! I recommend it!

    (4)

  • Tom F.

    This is definitely my favorite Chinese place in SF. Used to come here for lunch all the time when I worked near the Transamerica Building. The couple that own the place are the nicest people you will ever meet in your life. Anyone who has gone there knows about "number 19" so if you're a first timer and you want a safe, delicious dish, don't look at the menus, as there are like 5-6 different ones all with different numbers, just say "number 19" and you won't be disappointed... unless you're a vegetarian, but then again you live a terrible life anyways.

    (5)

  • Jake O.

    We went last night to enjoy some authentic Chinese Food. My son is 9 and doesn't like anything but burgers and hot dogs. After last night he's converted. The General Tsao's Chicken is the best Chinese dish my wife and I have ever tasted. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • P A U L.

    Yep... Pretty much what the others before me have already said; fresh and delicious food at wonderfully inexpensive prices! But above all, the folks working here are extremely sweet and kind! Don't mark my words, but I'm pretty sure that like many places in SF they're cash only... So if I've got some cash in my pocket when I need to have food in my stomach, I'll stop by this place!

    (4)

  • Julia C.

    Super inexpensive (and good) chinese food. For around $5, you can enjoy lunchtime goodness, which includes tea, soup, egg roll, and the fantastic dish of your choice. A few favorites include salt & pepper fish, general tao's chix, orange beef, and chicken chow mein. May & hubby wok up these wonders fresh, delivering them hot to your table with impressive efficiency, considering they have no other wait staff and get quite a noontime crowd.

    (4)

  • kellan e.

    You'd never think to dare step through the door, but inside find good, fresh, and *cheap* Chinese food. Lunch special will leave you sufficient left overs for dinner.

    (4)

  • Tim K.

    Order the #19 - it's great and inexpensive.

    (5)

  • Michael K.

    I tried Yan's because of Yelp. It was really good. I was in the mood for chicken with ginger and scallions and it was different from what I usually get in a really good way. Like they added their own twist. I was a little afraid of getting an MSG hangover in the afternoon, but it never came on, so maybe they do not use it. I will ask next time. The owners are very kind. The place was really clean. I felt comfortable and good about patronizing the place. I would like to tell them to raise their prices, because it seems a little strange that you would pay more for a cold sandwich than a huge and really delicious hot meal at Yan's. I have always thought it unfair that we expect Chinese food to be super cheap, under 10 bucks for a entree, while we pay $25 for an entree of a piece of protein, veg and starch at a European restaurant. Granted the surroundings are part of what we pay for, but there are fairly strong societal prejudices invloved here that are associated with worth of European culture versus others.

    (4)

  • Z A.

    hmm...i really don't think this is the hole in the wall i was looking for. but the lady behind the counter was super nice. the place was pretty empty during lunch hour. the hot and sour soup was not good. =( noodles were okay but soggy!! it is on the cheap side...

    (3)

  • rahmin s.

    remarkably fresh food from this mom and pop, hunan-style, no-msg, chinese joint. $10 also goes a long way. i likie.

    (4)

  • Jacob S.

    Best General Tso's ever? Are you F'ing kidding? Just made the drive down there, parked illegally, and rushed home to eat what I thought was going to be some amazing General Tso's. What I got was mushy, slimy, and questionable mystery meat. I'm not quite sure what it was??? It took about three bites before I gave up. I'm beginning to think that there isn't good Chinese food in this city. I've tried about twenty places and all of them have been horrible. Do Chinese people in SF know what CHICKEN is???

    (1)

  • Joanne L.

    Oh my god, this was just bad all around. Is it better during lunch? We came for dinner... not my preference but the person I was with was craving "Americanized" chinese food. Our usual place, Tai Chi on Polk, was closed. Yan's was close by and had good reviews - couldn't hurt, right? We ordered the dinner combos that came with soup, egg roll, 2 entrees, rice. Soup was hot and sour soup, nothing special but nothing horrible. Not much flavor so I covered it with white pepper. From there, it was all down hill. Let's discuss the egg rolls. They were practically brown and no, that doesn't mean they were overfried, it means they were fried in non-fresh oil. Like oil that's been sitting around all day, possibly multiple days. Filling was meh. But I love my sweet and sour sauce poured all over my egg rolls so I figured I'd drown the dark brown skin of the egg roll in sauce. We asked for sauce which came in a red ketchup bottle. As soon as I poured out the sauce all over my egg roll, I instantly regretted my enthusiasm. It was HOT PINK. Like highlighter pink. It was disgusting. No wonder it was in some red ketchup bottle. We were both horrified. What was this Red No. 3 + sugar, lemon juice, and corn starch? Come on, it's not that hard to make your own sweet and sour sauce. Then came the food. Ugh, it tasted like old grease. We ordered the general tsao's chicken and I think Mongolian chicken? I don't remember but it was completely not memorable. The General Tso's chicken had meat chunks that consisted of 75% batter, 25% dry crappy meat. And remember that "non-fresh oil" I discussed above? That was obviously used to deep fry all the meat chunks so everything just tasted like bad grease. I had to stop after a few bites. Usually, I love drowning my rice in whatever sticky sauce the food comes in. Couldn't do that either. Why? The rice was day old and also really bad. Yelp, I'm disappointed in your judgment. I contemplated trying it again for lunch but frankly, that highlighter pink sauce was a HUGE turn-off. Never coming back. Ever.

    (1)

  • Ed U.

    And just remember, if Yan can cook, so can... hey, wait a minute! What do I mean IF Yan can cook? He can, he can... Sure, he ain't no Iron Chef, but he does down-home Chinese comfort food like nobody's bizness. Jamie W. and I came here quite by accident because Pickles was closed... for good apparently (who knew?). I checked Yelp on the ol' iPhone and discovered the four-star average that Yan's has earned. It was a Wednesday night, and we have to admit the mix-and-match rice plates were just calling our names. I went for the Pork and Scrambled Eggs over Fried Rice (see photo). It was a bit greasy, but honestly, I wouldn't have had it any other way. So good at 9:30PM when all you want is no-fuss food. Jamie went for the General Tso's Chicken over the same Fried Rice (see photo). I think I did better if you ask me, but don't tell him. Both plates were $6.99, and the portions were more than generous. I forgot to mention we started with a couple of Fried Shrimp Dumplings (see photo). Really crunchy with a tasty filling and a sweet-and-sour sauce you can drizzle on top. I notice they sell cheeseburgers and even a chicken caesar if you're really confused by where you are. Now that's accommodating. The husband and wife who own the place are really terrific, and I get the sense they really appreciate the patronage. And at no extra cost, she takes photos of tourists with the panache of Annie Liebowitz. FOOD - 4 stars...homemade rice plates, really good like I made it myself! AMBIANCE - 3 stars...lunch counterish, but it fits SERVICE - 4.5 stars...terrific couple always smiling TOTAL - 4 stars...pork and scrambled eggs sound good to me right now

    (4)

  • Lee D.

    Solid tasty well prepared Chinese food. There is nothing fancy here just good solid fare at a really good price. I had the Shanghai dumplings and the curry chicken both were very good. Lunch was $10 with tip. Hard to beat that in the city.

    (4)

  • Clifford C.

    Great food and great service at a low price. I highly recommend it and will personally return. A cozy and comfortable place with basic decor. Bottom line: delicious!

    (4)

  • Jaime D.

    BEST PLACE EVER!!! 1. REALLY GOOD FOOD 2. HELLLLLLLAAA CHEEAAP 3. friendly staff!! you can't beat this place, really good food and great prices. mom and pop shop at its best!

    (5)

  • A. M.

    Ok I have to admit the only reason I didn't give it five stars is well because I have to hold that out for that one special restaurant that stands alone from all others. Yan's gives you great food at a fair price in a city that's loaded with restaurants where folks hand you brochures and swear "it's very good". I'm glad I checked Yelp first because it was a pleasant little hole in the wall with left me and the wife quite satisfied.

    (4)

  • Ryan O.

    Easily my favorite Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. While the atmosphere isn't nice, the two owners are very friendly, hardworking people who create some delicious food! I regularly grab take-out (they only take the dish off the burner once you arrive to ensure your food is hot) and occasionally sit down to eat. Don't go in expecting great service (there's only two people there and they both cook) or a fancy table (to be honest, it's a bit dirty in there). Do go in expecting great prices, portions, and dishes. I recommend the Kung Pao chicken and the orange chicken (best I've ever had!).

    (5)

  • Julie B.

    We love this place, they have become like family to us. Food is fantastic. I order orange chicken and fried rice, best I ever had. Please come reopen in Texas lol

    (5)

  • John D.

    I was a little fooled by the 4-star rating, expecting great quality food. As soon as I walked in for lunch, I realized that people gave the rating due to the low prices and friendly staff. The food was very oily, overcooked, and had way too much salt.

    (2)

  • Isabel S.

    After walking through Chinatown and seeing all the horrible 2 and 3 star reviews of chinese food inlcuding one of a COCKROACH, we finally found this place. The lunch crowd had passed and it was just us Yan and the wife. We ordered fried dumplings, which were crispy, delicious and very flavorful with pork and a few vegetables. The orange chicken was fried but had an actual orange rind taste, not the fake orange lotion flavor that most orange chicken has. White rice was plain and worked perfectly with the orange sauce that the fried chicken pieces were doused in. I got the thick noodles with chicken and they were sooo light and robust with flavor. Walk the extra mile uphill and downhill to this place !

    (4)

  • Matthew B.

    General Tso's chicken is amazing! Batter is all fresh light and crispy! Superb! Ok embarrassing ending to my dinner time here. I go to pay my $15 for the Tso and fried rice and 2 Anchor Steams (amazing!) and they dont take credit card. So I ask where the ATM is and ask if they mind me heading up the street to get cash out and come back. I get to the ATM only to discover I had left my cash card back home on the East Coast and who remembers their PIN to their VISA. I go back to explain the situation. The wife is not there but the husband, the chef whom I had just praised for the best General Tso's chicken ever, I told. He graciously accepted the $5 dollars cash I had and said no worries! Wow is his wife ever going to kick his butt! Tomorrow I will head back with cash and a large tip.

    (5)

  • Debojit M.

    Good food and warm couple running it.

    (4)

  • Richard R.

    Went here based on Yelp reviews. Not at all disappointed. Great food at a great price. Had the Hunan beef, hot and sour soup and crab ranggon. Great bargain and gracious service.

    (5)

  • Nicholas S.

    I am really concerned with the amount of people who state the food here was good. The place is a little cramped and run by what seems to be a husband and wife. Service wise the wife is trying all she can especially with it being as packed as it was. We ended up waiting an hour to get our lunch dishes which wasn't of too much concern considering there were only two people working and probably 20 people waiting for food. Now aside from the cramped, wait, and uncleanliness I would've given this place an easy 4 stars had the food been good. I knew what to expect going into Yan's as far as cleanliness and space but was hoping to be wowed by the food. We ordered the general tso's chicken lunch as many yelpers have mentioned and I ordered the hunan beef lunch. What I really liked was that the food is made fresh. You have an open view of the kitchen and get to watch the cook do his thing. The problem was there was no flavor in the beef and the chicken was overly battered and the sauce wasn't that good. The hunan beef was meant to be spicy but was actually a little sweet with no spice. The free tea and soup along with the good service is why this place got 2 stars. I would look elsewhere for Chinese food.

    (2)

  • A b.

    I love Yan's Kitchen! and the sweetest hardworking couple that work there and own it. Not only do I order my own lunch there often, I also order dinner for 5-9 people 1-2 times a month from Yan's! I work right next door and they are always an affordable dinner option for some of our late work nights! The only time we don't order from them for work dinners is when we don't have cash! I've tried numerous dishes but my absolute favorite is the spicy garlic fish or, for that matter, the fish with any of the sauce choices! The fish is always lightly crispy and never over drenched with sauce. I also recommend the shrimp fried rice, eggplant, general tso's chicken and anything with their spicy garlic sauce!

    (5)

  • Justin E.

    Good, cheap Chinese food. Right off the bat, I have to give minus 1 for only OK chow fun (my standard for all Chinese restaurants). However, let's move on to the good. Cheap. Did I mention that already? Plus Tsing Tao. Quite possibly the best sesame beef I've ever had (order it--it is extremely light and crispy despite the heavy sauce... how do they do that?). We tried a few other dishes which were also ok, even if I can't really remember... This is good, unpretentious Chinese food in a humble setting. Now if they could make their chow fun up to par, this could be a solid 5 for me.

    (4)

  • Gary F.

    Best kept secret in the city. Fresh food, great prices and a very nice couple runs the place. The garlic ginger chicken is my favorite, but everything I've had there is good.

    (5)

  • Eli B.

    In the absence of a personal chef to have a meal waiting for me when I stumble hangrily home from work, there is Yan's. I eat there about once a week. The couple that work there, although they don't say much, are always there to greet me with a smile and a hot bowl of wonton soup. It's no-nonsense but quick, cheap and the brown rice is awesome - halfway between brown rice and wild rice. Oddly enough, I don't have a problem ordering a huge plate of veggies since everything is delicious and it makes me feel like I've made at least one positive nutritional decision in my hypoglycemic stupor.

    (4)

  • Nathan B.

    Fast, fresh, tasty Chinese food. And cheap! Cash only, but I'm sure that just keeps it simple. Mongolian style chicken, shrimp, and beef was awesome!

    (5)

  • Corey G.

    Friendly service, cheap plentiful and delicious food (for the most part) - had the Mongolian beef for lunch - will be back soon !

    (5)

  • Clark G.

    I really like these folks along with the others who happen to be in the area within a 2block radius. generals chicken is great during the lunch hour w/an iced coffee ive gotten the chance to try quite a few dishes as it's consistent. hell i even got a burger and fries once, not their forte but still finished it of course hard to beat given the price you pay

    (3)

  • Yo U.

    Yes, Yan's Kitchen offers faux Chinese fare, but as long as you're comfortable with that, then it's alright for a quick bite. Don't eat there if you're a squeamish diner or if you require clean premises.

    (3)

  • Serge U.

    Very good and tasty food at very low prices! Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Kat M.

    Ugh. I just got back from lunch with a colleague at Yan's Kitchen. I tried it based on the other yelp reviews, and I wanted to like it. I really did. The owners seemed nice. Maybe they were having a bad day. I ordered General Tso's chicken. The sauce was tasty but the chicken was barely noticeable in the over abundance of breading which was over fried to the point it was dark brown/black and completely inedible. I ate two pieces and gave up. I did eat the fried dumplings which were overdone - but I didn't have much of a choice. I was so hungry. I thought the overcooking was just me, but the next table had the same problem with a similar dish. My colleague's lunch was OK - Kung Pao Chicken, which was sautéed. Service was very slow due to only one lady waiting tables. To be fair, she was going as fast as possible. I'm now working on a pretty bad stomach ache, which hopefully will be gone by dinner. Ugh. Serious lunch bummer.

    (1)

  • Zannie S.

    I was craving some Chinese good and decided to go here based on a coworker's recommendation. I ordered the kung pao chicken. It was a bit of a wait but sooo worth it. The food tasted fresh and I appreciated that it was chicken breast meat that was used. Go here if you are looking for fresh tasting and cheap Chinese food. Next time, I think I will try their General Tso's chicken which every one seems to be talking about.

    (4)

  • Peter J.

    I am a traveller from NYC and I had numerous Chinese foods from all over the world including NYC. By far, Yan's general Tso's chicken is the best I had! It's crisp, flavorful and not greasy. I have to say awesome price, good ingredients and phenomenal taste. I don't necessarily believe that expensive establishments offer better food because you simply pay for good ingredients and other stuffs to make you feel like you are having a good meal. In other words if basic ingredients are good, then the food has to be good. I cant really tell if a chef has skill to impress if he/she is given top quality ingredients. My belief is that a good chef should be able to bring out good food even with limited resources. I know Yan's is not a place where you want to have a fancy date at. It's an establishment that is being run by a couple, who are extremely nice btw. Hell- a restaurant should have good food and food should be their focus not other stuffs. Like I said before Yan's do offer awesome taste, good quality and good price and do deserve five stars. I went to this place two days in a row and will be visiting tomorrow as well.

    (5)

  • Muz H.

    So close to China town, while practically bordering the Financial District, this is little gem of a mom&pop Chinese restaurant. For my first visit I tried, on the recommendation of Yelper's, as well as the dish being my typical favorite, the General Tso's chicken. I ordered the rice plate, which was available with rice. Along with the complimentary hot and sour soup that was quite good, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The chicken was sweet, a little tangy, with a small afterburn. So, for under $7 the serving was surprisingly large as well, always a pleasant surprise for trash disposal stomachs like mine. My favorite thing about Yan's is that it's Americanized Chinese cuisine, which I genuinely like. While the authenticity of nearby China town is great, Yan's is the kind of food I grew up on. I'll be back. Maybe tomorrow. And the day after.

    (5)

  • Danny C.

    Why do people keep giving this place 4 and 5 stars?!?!? Where to begin... My sweetheart and I are major foodies and always use Yelp to find restaurants. So far the ratings and descriptions have been pretty on point, but not today. We are currently on a small vacation in San Francisco, up from L.A., and decided to grab some cheap Chinese food for lunch while in Chinatown. So we yelped... We ordered two lunch specials: The Mongolian style Chicken and an Orange Chicken plate, both with fried rice. The Mongolian Chicken was way too salty and made with cheap yellow onion instead of green onion like normal. The flavor was to strong and not very good. The Orange Chicken was more fried batter than chicken, no joke. It was maybe about 30% meat with the rest being deep fried batter. The orange sauce was also not very good, kind of sugary. The fried rice was the worst part: It was partially reheated clumps of cold white rice halfheartedly tossed with soy sauce, not fried, but warmed up. We were biting into cold clumps of rice where the soy sauce didn't make it. The dining area was just terrible. When we walked in, half the tables were dirty with used cups and plates. We figured they would be picked up by the time we left but they were not, even though no one else was in the restaurant eating. The floor was dirty, the walls were dusty, the bottles of spices were sticky and coagulated in a way that made us feel like they had NEVER been cleaned. When we sat, the table was dirty and the older woman wiped it down with a mildewy towel, leaving a nasty smell until it dried . We don't really mind a lack of imaginative decor, especially when looking for a budget meal, but hygiene is a must. Also, there are no restrooms available. Despite seeing all of this walking in, we stayed because the yelp score was 4 stars and WE LOVE Mom and Pops spots... There goes $22, and opportunity to enjoy good eats, way misspent, and heartburn for the rest of the evening... So I ask again: Why do people keep giving this place 4 and 5 stars?!?!?

    (1)

  • Danny D.

    Had the General and it was really good. Was hoping for a little extra sauce to drown my rice in but other than that it was awesome.

    (4)

  • Cherisse L.

    great food and location (near hilton). took us in 30 min before closing graciously - not like some other chinese restaurants i have been to. only bad point was cash only - but this is throughout chinatown sf.. most everything we had was good on the vegetarian part of the menu so we even ordered to go!

    (4)

  • N P.

    Wow, that was bad. The salt and pepper shrimp was breaded and amount of shrimp was scant. The curried vegetable makes me want to brush my teeth. The guoba tang (puffed rice soup) wasn't bad, but could have been a bit hotter. Will not return there.

    (2)

  • Rosie P.

    Excellent General Tso's chicken. It was crispy and spicy and utterly delicious. This place was super clean and the owners were also very sweet and helpful. Great for when you're in the mood for something less than healthy!

    (5)

  • Conrad B.

    I was really in the mood for "Chinese" food (read: Americanized Chinese food). The older couple who runs this place is really, really smart. And very nice, too. The main dishes are standard Americanized Chinese fare done well at a wonderful price. The dumplings, however, retain their Chinese roots, and are a nice treat alongside a huge plate of not-as-Chinese food. $6 lunch special gets you two dumplings, bowl of soup, and choice of main over white rice. The General Tso's is really, really good. The dude here can cook. Conveniently located, price is right, food is good. Service can be slow because it's literally the guy cooking, and the lady serving, but it's well worth it. Don't hate on this place for service - walk in there, and you know what to expect.

    (4)

  • Niniane W.

    The soup was really good, as were the dumplings. My garlic ginger chicken was only okay. The tea was also good. I guess since 3 out of 4 things were good, it gets 4 stars. The restaurant is a bit dingy.

    (4)

  • Patty S.

    The food was excellent and the welcome warm. Three of us ate a delicious lynch with drinks for under $30.

    (4)

  • Ryan E.

    The food isn't really that amazing. A lot of it tastes the same. Atmosphere isn't anything worthy of taking a cute chick on a first date either. But I really do love the service, and they will do anything to make your experience better. When I used to work in the area, Mei would make me this spicy egg scramble with bbq pork. Nothing even remotely close to anything on the menu. They even make buffalo wings and hamburgers too that aren't that bad. Mei and her family are very nice people that will really go the extra mile to ensure you leave happy.

    (4)

  • Nancy C.

    Reliable and cheap-this is a great lunch option when you are looking for Americanized Chinese food. I would definitely never call the items here authentic, but it is what it is, and if you are looking for cheap, fast, Americanized Chinese food, then this is it. Recommend the garlic chicken and steamed dumplings. Cash only.

    (4)

  • Linda T.

    I don't know why everyone is so overly excited about this place. I've had chinese food before and this is whatever. It's good, but its not fantastic. I wouldn't go back for this, but I think it was worth its trip. It's cheap and the owners are nice!

    (3)

  • Richard B.

    This place is literally a "mom-and-pop." Although, I don't actually know if the couple has children. If they do, they're probably all over 250 pounds, having eaten like kings and queens their whole childhood. The husband and wife that run Yan's complement each other well. The husband is an efficient maestro of the wok and the wife is the nicest front-of-the-house person you'll meet. No matter how many times you go to Yan's, you'll never try all of the combinations on their lunch special menu. That said, you probably won't find too many that you dislike. A few recommendations: Chicken / Cilantro Scallion Chicken / Broccoli Chicken / General's Beef / Mixed Vegetables Pork / Salt & Pepper Fish / Bok Choy Vegetable / Egg You know what, just bring some dice to pick your lunch. You really can't go wrong.

    (5)

  • Joyce N.

    A family of five looking for a restaurant in Chinatown - found Yan's on Yelp and sounded like a good bet. Many of the restaurants that we passed were crowded but when we arrived at Yan's it was very quiet (it was just a couple blocks away from Chinatown). Yes it was nothing fancy and maybe a little rundown but the food was amazing as was the friendly service. We had the lunch special which you couldn't beat for under $7.00. Our choices included General Tso's, Mongolian Beef, Hunan Chicken and Beef, Shrimp and Chicken over rice mongolian style - everything was excellent and the portions were big.

    (4)

  • Alisa M.

    I hate to have to do this but I feel like I was really mislead by the 4 star rating on this restaurant. I can usually trust Yelp but was definitely disappointed this time. Now - let me preface this by saying that the owners seem very sweet and hardworking and this, in no way, is a slam against them. But the food itself is not 4 or 5 star quality like many of the Yelpers claim. My husband and I wanted a quick dinner last night and were in the area so we looked on Yelp to find an inexpensive Chinese place that had high ratings. Maybe we should have known to go elsewhere because it was completely empty at 7:30pm on a Friday night (on Columbus St). True many Chinese places do more business in take-out but I didn't hear a lot of calls coming in and didn't see take-out orders ready while we were there. Long story short, the prices are really low. I guess you can say you get what you pay for. Ambiance was def lacking - not that we expected much. We are very down to earth and really don't require much when we're grabbing a quick low-cost dinner. The condiment containers on the table looked like they hadn't been cleaned or refilled in a really long time. The sweet and sour sauce for the spring rolls was served in a plastic ketchup bottle coated in stickiness and the contents looked like melted strawberry candy... a really light pink sugary liquid. Not like any sweet and sour sauce I've experienced. I ordered hot tea and it was served to me in a small plastic water cup. Never seen that before and I can tell you that drinking hot liquid out of plastic just feels wrong. We weren't given or offered water. We were each given one paper napkin and one fork. Chopsticks weren't available (maybe she just didn't give them to us). We ordered the pot stickers & spring rolls for starters. Flavors were pretty bland on both items. For entrees we had the bbq pork fried rice and chicken in garlic ginger sauce. The chicken dish was probably the best of all 4 items but it was still just mediocre. Panda Express would be better. The worst thing was the fried rice. It really didn't have much flavor. My husband, who has a very forgiving palate and will eat almost anything, said it had a flavor reminiscent of "wet dog." Sad because I typically love fried rice and will usually finish it off or at least take the leftovers home for later. We left at least 1/3 of the rice on the serving plate. Maybe this is more of a financial district quick lunch spot... seems like they'd be better for that kind of service and that people eating a cheap lunch have lower expectations. Not sure but I can say it's definitely on the lower end of Chinese food experiences I've had and I've eaten Chinese food my entire life at least once a month.

    (2)

  • Petar B.

    Great food at a great price. The food is FRESH, owners are friendly, and they cooked the dish right in front of me! (I got the mongolian beef) Probably the best chinese food i've had in the Financial district.

    (5)

  • Michael W.

    Incredible Chinese food. I've lived in China for more than a year and this place is the most authentic and traditional Chinese food I've ever had in the United States. Great spot with excellent service and the nicest owners.

    (5)

  • Jocelyn S.

    The lunch special is delicious (I always get general tsos) and the price is unbeatable. I love the couple who runs the place. I've been a lot because its by my work and have always left pleased.

    (5)

  • Alvin P.

    Just wanted to praise the other yelpers for their reviews on this spot. So my friends tend to put me in charge of coordinating things to do and places to eat. They once again said "Alvin, find something to eat, and it better be good!" We were out on broadway and a friend suggested New Sun Hong Kong, but I knew I could find something better. Then we came across this diamond in the rough. Only several blocks from broadway and columbus, we came across Yan's kitchen, which even had the "People on Yelp Love Us" sticker, so I knew it was legit. All the dishes were awesomely priced. We got some wonton soup to warm us up. Then got some eggplant shrimp, mongolian beef, chicken chowfun, bbq pork fried rice and General Tso's chicken. All the dishes were awesome! Not too much of certain things, ie salty, oil, etc. Super yummy after a day of walking and drinking. We left with these words from my friend Hubert : "That General Tso probably lost every battle, but they kept him in office because his chicken is just too amazing. Genghis Khan and his mongolian beef had better retreat if he squares off with the General!"

    (4)

  • Jeff E.

    Love the food here! My favorite is the Fish with ginger, garlic and onions. There is something about the sauce that makes it so addicting that you keep craving it. The General Tsos chicken is yummy too. Great service and very nice owners.

    (5)

  • Jonathan W.

    This place gets 5 star for being an incredible value. It's one of those picturesque chinese mom and pop hole in the walls that serves up amazingly delicious food at really great prices. If I'm ever in the area, I always pick up a chicken fried rice and won ton soup to go!

    (5)

  • Waid A.

    Amazing! Came based on yelp reviews. Does not look like much on arrival, but wow!! Some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. Reasonable prices. Sweet couple running the place. Highly recommended. Not fancy, just delicious!!!!

    (5)

  • Yelper H.

    Never got to try the food because all I did was WAIT!!!! I was by myself and just ordered Mongolian beef? Waited 40 mins and nothing. Only people working were husband and wife.

    (1)

  • Alvin R.

    Yan's Kitchen is cheap and delicious! Located right next to the Transamerica Pyramid, this small restaurant serves some very tasty food at a very affordable price!

    (4)

  • Kevin B.

    Bug in my food. Bug in my food. It was lunch, and the Hunan Beef was actually pretty tasty. Didn't find the bug until the very end. If you go here, you might want to order the white rice to make it easier to spot the bug in your food.

    (1)

  • Al L.

    Such a cute restaurant run by an extremely friendly chinese couple and their food is amazing AND generous in portion. Awesome!!

    (5)

  • Try E.

    Good place with solid food options. They have brown rice too for just extra 50c. Try their mongolian chicken. They are also super quick and nice they get my business time after time

    (5)

  • Jmarc P.

    Just had dinner here by myself. Went by House of Nanking but line was too long. This is a small place but friendly and perfect for me since I was alone. I ordered a small Hot and Sour soup which was good and LOADED with ingredients; a large bowl would have made a meal! I also ordered the Salt and Pepper beef which is a dish I had never had before but it sounded good. Now, I am not a fan of the deep fried chinese dishes like Gen Tso's and Orange chick so, to my dismay, the salt/pepper beef turned out to be deep fried! It was my fault for not knowing but I ate it anyway since I was hungry. I would not order it again because of the health aspect of deep fried food, however, the rice and veggies with it were good and it had lots of yummy fried garlic pieces. One customer near me had a dish of Curry Vegetables which looked great and another couple had a dish of Vegetables with Noodles and also a dish of non-fried beef that also looked good. I would return but next time will try healthier items. Soup, entree with rice, and a Fat Tire beer was $15.75

    (3)

  • Arthur C.

    The only great thing is that its cheap. Nothing too great about the food. Nothing personal against the owners because there are heart warmingly nice, but some of the dishes I tried there were bland and dry. Its a small cozy atmosphere, so it can get crowded. A great value to fill your tummy, but its nothing gourmet. I did try the dumplings and they were very juicy and flavorful so try those! **cash only when I went**

    (3)

  • J. L.

    I love Yan's Kitchen because my broccoli "skinless" chicken was very good. The portion could have fed 2 people. Split it with a colleague if you want to save some $. see photo static.px.yelp.com/bphot… For $6.5, you also get 2 fried dumplings. The dumplings were OK. It would be better if they gave me some Thai sweet and chili sauce.

    (5)

  • Jessica C.

    I go here for lunch quite frequently and I must say that I've never been disappointed. I always get huge portions of very tasty food for under $8. This isn't a super-fancy, high-quality restaurant by any means but if you're looking for fast and tasty food for under $10, this place just can't be beat.

    (5)

  • J N.

    A proverbial hole-in-the-wall, it's easy to walk down Columbus Avenue and miss this place. Just a hop, skip and jump away from the glaring neon lights of the Columbus/Broadway intersection, it's very accessible for anyone hanging out in North Beach looking for some cheap and good eats. It's a mom and pop team working the crowd, so you might have to wait a bit if it's crowded because it's just the two of them (he cooks, she does everything else). Very nice people. Once your order comes, you'll find that the food is good, not too salty, and they give you decent sized portions. Sometimes, I just can't finish what's on my plate but that's okay, because I don't mind leftovers. I generally come for lunch and try to avoid the business crowd lunch rush, so my wait is not bad at all. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood. Make sure you have some cash because they don't take cards. Eat it there, get it to go; either way, you can't go wrong.

    (4)

  • John F.

    Let me start off by saying we call this place Shticky... why.. because you stick to the table while you eat here. That being said I LOVE this place. I have been eating here for almost 3 years and I have never had a bad meal. I recommend you try the Ginger Chicken and the General Tso's Chicken! They are both heaven on your plate. Make sure you start your meal with the pot stickers. They are the best I have ever had. This past Christmas I took 30 people from my office here and took over the place. It was the best Shtickmas party ever! Yan even wore a Santa hat for us.

    (5)

  • Nicole A.

    Delightful little place--wonderful, friendly service--orange chicken was fantastic!

    (4)

  • Yesenia D.

    I live for places like this! Small, mom and pop with delicious, generous portions. Fresh and affordable. Plenty of hot sauce and hot mustard! Our food was made to order and lots of veggies included. We will definitely be coming back for more!

    (5)

  • John S.

    I can't say enough good things about this food. It's been said, but the general tso's is the best I've ever had. The chicken with broccoli is also phenomenal.

    (5)

  • ana m.

    I stumbled upon this little gem on Columbus when I was out for a late lunch looking for a decent asian soup. I couldn't decide between the two soups and got both hot and sour soup and a sizzling rice soup. Both of which were SO good. The soup was filled with vegetables, tender chicken, shrimp and greens. Very reasonably priced. I took a soup home in the spillproof container to my mom, who was sick and she liked it! She who is normally very picky... I was comforted by the homestyle food - I would try the stirfrys next, but i have been trying to eat smaller portions lately. The couple that runs the place are sweet too. Cash only. But worth going to the ATM.

    (5)

  • Dipesh G.

    I've only been to Yan's Kitchen once and I really enjoyed the food. Not to mention this place has low prices and fantastic customer service. My friend and I ordered their Family Dinner that comes with Eggrolls, Soup, Rice, a Chicken dish and the Hunan Beef dish (which they let us switch to Hunan Chicken). The Eggrolls, the Soup, and the first Chicken dish were all pretty good, but the Hunan Chicken was excellent. Like I said earlier, the service was great - the Chicken dishes came out about 2 minutes after I finished my soup and the waitress apologized for the dishes coming out so late. Then the chef came out a few minutes later to apologize. They also were filling up our drinks quite often. I will definitely be going back to this place.

    (4)

  • Cora L.

    This place is fantastic! Came here for the late night menu, and the garlic fries were awesome! Lots and lots of garlic, just the way I like them. They also have an interesting selection of beers, and the service was great. Very casual environment, and incredibly comfortable. The warm lights and laid back decor make me feel right at home. Definitely recommend!

    (4)

  • Rebecca G.

    Yan's Kitchen was one of my favorite lunch spots when I worked in the neighborhood 2006-2008 (along with Tri Colore). I went back for dinner tonight and remember why. The couple who run the place are very friendly and prompt with service. They greet me with a smile and the server already knows my order: their delicious Kung Pao Chicken. Since they give such generous portions, I take home half, which means, yes, two meals for $6. She serves tea with the meal at no extra charge and gives a fortune cookie with the bill. All these simple, non-pretentious touches make a big difference and will keep me coming back for more delicious Hunan from the heart.

    (5)

  • Rudi B.

    Food: great. Price: unbeatable. I know some people wouldn't like the ambience but it reminded me a bit of my grandmother's table cloth which gave me a feeling of coziness.

    (5)

  • Brian G.

    I ate here with a coworker on a Monday night. About as authentic of a family-run chinese restaurant as you can ask for. We opted to order their family dinner special, which included hot & sour soup, spring rolls, steamed rice, hunan beef, and general tso's chicken, for 8.99 per person. Excellent deal, as each course was very good, food was flavorful, and we both left very full. Atmosphere was not fancy- the interior was small (~10 tables), but everything was clean and the chinese talk radio station playing in the background reminded us just how genuine this business is. Very good experience.

    (4)

  • Marco C.

    Wow this place is a legit lunch choice. The lunch special is less than $7 and comes with tea, noodle soup, a side dish (like dumplings or egg rolls), and a rice plate. I just had the much-heralded General Tso's sauce with beef, and it was *really* good. The beef is just lightly fried so it's a little crispy, and the sauce is a little sweet and a little spicy. I am definitely going back for more.

    (5)

  • Cameron C.

    Great food. Prompt service. First time in San Francisco and I'd recommend it to anyone

    (5)

  • Ed L.

    Yan's Kitchen is the best take out Chinese food on Broadway. The menu is full of of selections and every item I have tried has been excellent. Rice plates with brown rice and entree are affordable $6-7 each. Their potstickers are excellent and made fresh to order. Good ingredients, ample wok firepower, and a solid cook makes this place my go to joint for late nights at work.

    (5)

  • Jeremy H.

    I was longing for some decent Chinese take-out tonight (literally does not exist in my neighborhood) and it made me think of Yan's. The ONE good thing about my days living in North Beach (don't speak to me of Bistros and Ristorantes and Caffes. I can't afford that shit.) Very decent food in huge portions for a very-reasonable-for-downtown-SF price. The Yans are sweet people too. It's probably "Westernized", I don't know, I've never been to China. If it tastes good and pleases you, who cares? All I know is, at Panda Express and other crap-tier places, their idea of Orange Chicken is to pour melted Smuckers over fried bits of dough. Mr. Yan cooks you up an honest-to-goodness decent, balanced meal that I wish I could get for dinner right now. I miss you Yan's Kitchen :(

    (4)

  • Andrea H.

    We had just arrived in SF and were looking for some good chinese food! We parked and started wandering around china town and before we even got there we stumbled upon this small place. They were closing soon but the couple who owned it let us in. They are cash only, so make sure you have cash on you. I only had 13 dollars on me, and we got 2 meals out of it. Pretty good. The woman came over and accommodated us, and told us what would be good. I ordered spicy chicken with garlic and my bf ordered kung pao beef. So good, and had extra to bring home. The couple was also really nice in suggesting where to go/what to do in SF. Love it! would definitely come back if in SF again!

    (4)

  • Jenn S.

    LOVE LOVE LOVE Yan's Kitchen. Great hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. My boyfriend and I tried out this place on a trip to SF, and here is a basic rundown of how the meal went: 1. Hm, kinda small...but look how cheap the food is! 2. Oh. My. Gosh. This is delicious. 3. *Looks at receipt.* Wow! All this food for only $27?!? 4. *Coming back after paying at the register...* Guess what, the receipt said $21, not $27! Needless to say, we're definitely fans of Yan's. :D

    (5)

  • John D.

    I have to say that Yan's is one of the best Cheap and quick Chinese food joints in the NorthBeach/Chinatown area. Trust me..... I tried enough to know. Every time I veer off and try another restaurant, I'm always disappointed and wish I just picked up Yan's. It's cheap, delicious, and the couple that own the place are very warm. I hope they don't go out of business anytime soon!

    (5)

  • Brandon E.

    Mom and pop place that makes cheap/bomb Chinese food for lunch. It is very hard to finish the rice plate lunch specials (price range $4-6)....soooooo cheap and sooo good. May, the waitress, is very nice and some how manages to serve everyone for their packed lunch service. Get the general Tao's chicken rice plate. Its crispy, tangy and spicy with cuts of carrots and jalapenos. YUM! Also I suggest calling in your order and eating at the place, because you don't get the soup of the day or tea to go. Calling in helps for me to try and fit in lunch in my crammed 30 minute allotment. Also you get a choice of rolls or dumplings for starter - get the dumpling.

    (5)

  • Anthony D.

    One of the better human rest. of the area. Very fast service and cheap prices. If u like spicy they are very light in that area but you can always add more. Ultra basic decor so not a place to impress your date.

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : No
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Categories

Chinese Cuisine

The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.

Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.

There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.

Yan’s Kitchen

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