China Village

Ordered the Mongolian beef and the spicy dumplings.
The Mongolian beef was so mushy when I pinched it between my fingers my fingers went through the meat. It was like they marinated it in vinegar or citrus for way to long and it complete broke down the meat. I wasn’t able to even take a bite. The dumplings came next and to my surprise they were the same as the beef. The wrapping for the dumpling was close to half and inch think and just like the beef they were soggy and doughy like they had sat in water and started to dissolve/​come apart. I couldn’t eat them either so I sent both dishes back and asked for my bill. Side note when I showed her the dumplings and how they were soggy mush she told me «that’s how life is» I thought that was very odd. So I left without having lunch and won’t be returning. This place is also NOT cheap so the quality of the food is a bit surprising.

China Village enjoys a well-​earned reputation for some of the best Chinese, and particularly Sichuan-​style Chinese in the East Bay.
I usually stick to the highlighted house specialties, but even if you stray from the more Sichuan offerings, like, say you’re craving some xiao long bao, the flavors and quality are excellent.
Particular favorites are the twice cooked pork belly, and the house specialty of cumin beef (also available with lamb).
Great spiciness and burn, great flavors. Definitely has some more Americanized offerings, but I honestly don’t get when people complain about that kind of thing. What that means is I get to mesh Berkeley’s own Trumer Pils with some of the best Sichuan (at reasonable prices I might add) I’ve had in the whole state, I’m more than happy. Caters to the neighborhood as well as the connoisseur. Tea and Sichuan-​style kimchi are complimentary. Extensive specials are listed on both an additional menu and on a whiteboard when you walk in.

The customer service here is horrible. The last time the husband went to pick up his order which was phoned in, it wasn’t ready yet so he went ahead and paid for it while waiting. He noticed a bag of food on the counter and asked if it was his. They told him «NO», so he waited another 15 –20 minutes. He asked again… same bag sitting there, and they said that’s yours. So he picks it up to leave and the woman screamed at him «YOU HAVE TO PAY! Well, he had already paid for the food which is now getting cold since sitting on the counter all this time. She kept screaming as he left saying she was gonna call the police.

I love their cabbage and boiling fish best. The beef with gold broth was just so so.

I’m always hesitant to try Chinese food restaurants because of my sons severe peanut allergy. This place was on it and super careful!
The eggplant is awesome, as well as the tofu Kung pao! Just say no peanuts, no peanut oil and they will accommodate you while cooking if you have a food allergy. Perfect spot for vegans! Can’t wait to go back! A bit pricey for a relatively small portion, which is why I only gave it 4 stars, but food was well worth it!

I like the new look. It’s modern and elegant. We had the hand-​pulled noodles with eggplant and pork. It was very good and very comparable to what I have at MY China which is more expensive in SF.
The tofu vegetarian hotpot was impressive looking but all I could taste was salt. Very disappointing. The tofu hotpot comes with soy curds, dense slice of marinated tofu and fried tofu. There are also red and green bell pepper slices. The fried tofu was nice and soft. The chili sauce was bright red and not too spicy but again, there was just too much salt overall.
I noted that they have frog dishes here which I like. Also, they have sea cucumber dishes for 48 dollars. I love sea cucumber. I would come back for the hand-​pulled noodles and maybe try some specialty dishes but they can’t even get a basic tofu dish right so I am skeptical.
Two dishes with tip/​taxes is about 31 dollars here for lunch. Slightly on the pricey side given the mediocre food. Service was very aggressive. The waitress asked us 3 times within five minutes if we were ready to order.

The environment is good, and the foods are okay.
I like their 炝炒圆白菜 and 孜然牛肉.
But same as other Chinese restaurants in the states, too much oil is added to the dishes…

I’m confused. I eat here regularly for lunch with co-​workers. In fact we seem to run into a clique of colleagues from our job at the public health campus 3 miles away every time WE’RE here. Go figure. I’m confused because this place is a Michelin recommended restaurant. (no stars but recommended… Still… Not trivial in the least). The food here is good. No complaints at all but I don’t understand the hub-​bub. It’s no different than any other urban Eastbay Chinese food restaurant with a 5 page, 200 plus item list broken down by meat type. It’s not super authentic like an Oakland Chinatown Webster Street Chinese food place. The menu caters to western palates. I usually order off the lunch menu… Likely Kung pao chicken and it is very good. Spicy with chiles that pop off as they should and flavorful throughout. This is of course accompanied by a soup, «a salad» of iceberg and thousand island dressing, hot tea and of course fried rice. Once the friendly waiter suggested the spicy boiled beef and this has been a hit. A spicy soup of sorts laden with cabbage, spices and an abundance of beef… Spooned over steamed rice is a meal and or two in itself. I’ve had other more signature dishes (not on the familiar lunch special menu) and none disappointed.
I and many others like this place. Friendly, accessible and good food. Michelin though? I don’t know. To me not much different than Yang Chow in Oakland (OK more attentive service I’ll admit). We’ll be back and we’ll probably run into a table or two of colleagues having a going away or promotion lunch. You should too.
Go. Eat. That

First things first … Outside does not do the inside justice. It’s nice and clean and friendly but looks a little hole in the wall from outside.
I’ve had take out from here and the food stands on its own. But I did get to finally eat inside after the remodel and it looks great with nice bar and really attentive wait staff. The clientele says a lot about it as well. Not just good food but good vibes seems like great date spot.
Everything I tried was great but I have been trying to find scallion pancakes in my area for a while. I love those things. I tried a beef dish and sesame chicken last visit and both were great!
I love eating on solano and this place has never let me down. My sister lives a block away and goes very often. Even all 3 young kids loved it.

China Village is awesome. One of my favorite Chinese places in the East Bay. I went here for New Year’s dinner with my wife and sister. There were few places open. After about ten minutes of waiting we were seated.
The menu, seasonal specials, and the daily specials were all a bit of information overload — so much good looking stuff. We finally settled on:
— Green Onion Pancake
— Szechuan Platter (with tofu, chicken, and jellyfish)
— Spicy Szechuan Fish Fillet (unbelievable. Favorite of two at the table. Tasted like spicy, spicy butter)
— Eggplant and Frog with Garlic Sauce (meaty frog, the combo of big hunks of garlic and eggplant was great)
— Singapore Noodles with Shrimp (super-​filling meals)
We were all hungry going in — and left with take-​out containers with more than half of each entrée. If I were to go again with two people, I’d order one appetizer and one entrée. And at $ 10-​$ 15 per entrée, you’re getting a great deal.
I’d definitely recommend stopping by if you’re looking for great Szechuan in the East Bay, or are looking for a fun place to eat in the Albany/​Berkeley area.

We came here once when the décor was green and ivory. The food was all right. Then there was a fire and it was closed down for quite sometime. The décor now is a sombre black, white, and red. After our recent foray to King Tsin with our recent visitors, The Mother and I wanted to check China Village out upon finding out the connection and partnership with King Tsin. After a visit to Gathering Tribes, we came here for lunch.
Being that it was nearly Christmas, there were large parties seated in the back rooms. And there was the lunch bunch eating here. We were randomly seated next to a table of four women. And two of them were laughing so loud, I had to stick earplugs in my ears to cut down the volume. I wished I brought my headphones for The Mother to use. Fortunately, these women did leave in good enough time so we could enjoy eating our lunch in peace, more or less.
We had the lunch specials on the menu. I had the Beef and Mixed Vegetables while The Mother had Kung Pao Chicken. I was quite impressed with my luncheon plate. The beef was tender, the vegetables were crispy, the rice was nice, tender, and sticky. It was one of the beef and mixed veggies I have ever eaten. As for The Mother, she enjoyed her Kung Pao Chicken.
The servers were attentive yet pretty much kept to themselves. They spoke only when necessary, taking orders and asking which lunch plate belonged to whom. They were attentive in keeping my water glass refilled without barely a request from me.
China Village was all right. If it was not for being seated randomly next to the table with those two loud laughing women, I would have had a much more pleasant experience and given this place a higher rating. I would give China Village another shot if given the opportunity.

This review is long overdue.
I have introduced this place to many people since they opened again post-fire.I have never had anyone tell me this place is mediocre, as I being Chinese have a high standard for Chinese food.
Being a former San Francisc-​ian, and growing up super close to Chinatown, I hold Chinese food to the highest of my standards, as I have had amazing food growing up. China village will not disappoint.
A few things that I get when I am there, which are my favorites to share with the ones I love:
Five Spicy Pork Shoulder: TOO DIE FOR. It is something to share with people. The flavors are on point and has something for everyone. The leaner pork meat and the fatty skin with the sauce, it is something unforgettable.
Shredded Pork with Dry Bean Curd: This reminds me of home, and FYI it is slightly fatty pork, so if you are thinking this is a «healthy» dish it isn’t. But it is wonderful with celery and bean curd. One of my boyfriend’s favorites.
Seafood Deluxe Soup: Five worlds — «Egg Drop Soup with Seafood». Trust me, must get.
Cumin Beef: Spicy and way better than any Mongolian beef dish anyone I know has grow up with. The cumin is not overpower but gives the dish a little heat.
Spicy Szechuan Fish Fillets: My Chinese comfort dish, spicy and salty with a nice hint of ginger.
I have also had the Chow Mein with Shrimp and it is good, but my co-​horts usually like it more then I do. I like my noodles crispy with sauce and shrimp usually over it.
Plus, the cabbage «kimchi» they give at the beginning is amazing. It is like pickled Chinese veggies but spicier, which disappears as fast as it lands on the tab.

Amazing.
I’m from china. I’m a Spicy Fish dish snob. I approve.
But seriously. I grew up eating Sze-​Chuan food. that’s where my family’s from. My family used to default to this chinese food place down in Fremont, which was absolutely bomb. But one day, the owner sold his business, and everything went south. The new chef sucked, he corrupted the spicy fish dish… I would jokingly say I was offended, but upon reflection, I actually am offended. anyways, I don’t go there anymore. I’ve since been spicy fish deprived for about 2 years, greatly increasing my annual return-​to-​the-​motherland budget. No seriously, my travel budget is honestly tied to my taste buds.
Sorry, I digress. Fobby friend says fobby mother vouches for this place. If your mom who can’t speak english says this place is good, I’ll believe you. So I came and ordered the dish I judge all Sze-​Chuan restaurants by — the spicy fish dish. And now here I am. I give this place 5 stars because my travel budget has once again shriveled. China airlines curses you China village.

11÷21÷15: Alright, let’s be honest… you know what it means when white folks clearly outnumber Asians when you go to a Chinese restaurant. Okay, to give them credit, the food is more Chinesey than I expected, which is good. But it’s still clearly very much American-​oriented in flavor. Do not take your family visiting from China/​Taiwan here. Trust me.
Also, note that Unilocal’s food type is set at «Szechuan» for this place. It is not Szechuan in any way. Zero heat. Zero chili oil. Zero numbing peppercorns. Ignore Unilocal’s description.
1. #10 Sliced Bacon-​Cut Pork with Spicy Garlic Sauce $ 6.95: The thinly sliced pork belly was cooked expertly and was quite tender, with the perfect mix of fat and meat. It’s hard to make this badly since the fat always will magically fix overcooked meat, and many times the meat actually is dry, but this one was quite good. The sauce was pretty good – a little sweet, but I like it. My gf repeatedly told me it’s not authentic, which it clearly ain’t, but I didn’t care – tasted good to me. The real stuff should have Chinese numbing peppercorns and a thick film of oil, with not sweetness, but I guess that would offend their typical customers. Not nearly spicy enough though. ⁶⁄₁₀.
2. #63 Abalone Mushroom with Pea Shoots $ 15.95: So, to make it clear, there’s no abalone – the name refers to a mushroom that is long with a thick base (yes… just yes.) Anyway, it’s cooked well, and the pea shoots were cooked correctly too. Good stuff. The price is on the very high side though, though pea shoots are admittedly expensive at Ranch 99. But still overpriced. ⁶⁄₁₀.
3. #69 Clay Pot Duck with Beer-​Infused Sauce $ 17.95: It’s okay. I don’t taste any beer. And, well, I didn’t even know it was duck until I started typing this review and looked at my receipt. Tasted like over-​stewed chicken to me. I did like the bamboo. Pretty expensive for what it is. ⁵⁄₁₀.
4. #208 Szechuan-​Style Spicy Cold Noodle (Chicken) $ 8.95: The noodles themselves were good – thick and al dente. The thin stalks of chicken was tasteless. But I guess my gf’s biggest beef with this is its insult to «szechuan-​style» of which it is not. Nothing szechuan about it. In fact, the sauce is actually sweet! Now, I’d have to say, it tastes okay, but if you’re gonna name it something, it should be what it is named, otherwise it’s false advertising. ²⁄₁₀
5. #211 Brown Rice $ 2 each person: Yeah, $ 2 each person for rice… $ 4 for us two.
So, yeah, I give them credit for putting some real Chinese ingredients on the table. But overall it just isn’t the real thing. I call it PF Chang’s with real Chinese meats and vegetables. If that’s what you’re looking for, cool. If you want authentic Chinese, go elsewhere.
³⁄₅
#chinese #americanchinese #chineseamerican

I went back and had the spicy hand-​made noodles with duck in beer sauce. Man, what a treat!!! perfect to share (and order one or two appetizers!)
I’m still holding off the fifth star, because the old guy behind the counter (owner?) was quite rude. The wait staff however is really friendly and accomodating — I went with my old parents and they take forever to decide :-)

I finally found a top-​notch Chinese restaurant in the Berkeley Albany area! I have tried many others and found greasy spoons. China Village is not only good Chinese food but just great cooking! For my first visit, I tried the beer duck, which was a bit Ecleftic but very good. It was a mix of odds and ends of duck including lots of bones, homemade noodles, tender bamboo, and bok choy. It was spicy! See photo. The service was excellent. Hot tea was bottomless. And the menu is incredibly diverse. It was not super cheap, but I would gladly pay $ 10 for a great Chinese entrée then pay seven dollars for a mediocre one. I feel like I have found a place to return regularly and cannot recommend it enough.

Came here with the boyfriend on a random Tuesday night.
Food: ordered the Szechuan beef stew clay pot, charred cabbage, the mixed tofu hot pot, and vegetable noodle soup. Boyfriend gave top marks for the beef (says he actually likes it more than the pork shoulder from last time) and tofu hot pot. Minus the meat (vegan), I thought everything was well seasoned and amazingly delicious.
Service: the staff was friendly and checked on us throughout the meal. When we were done, one of them actually came and helped us package everything up to take home.
Ambience: staged like a higher end Chinese restaurant; the setting felt clean and organized. The dining room wasn’t short of people but It definitely was not as crowded as we’ve seen it before.
Overall, would definitely come back again as this is one of the best Szechuan places around!

I’ve been coming here ever since i was in college. I know that they closed down for a while over a year ago and remodeled the entire place. The space has a much more modern look with Chinese accents and styling and much improved. I saw that they have made more room for tables and so there is more space.
The food, well what can I say, its just good. For spicy chinese food you definitely want to eat here. We came here last night and got the specials: spicy chili fish, the fresh veggies with garlic sauce, the fish dumplings, and spare ribs special. Everything came out super fast, probably beacuse we came in 30 minutes before closing, but it was all declicious. Definitley a go to spot for Chrinese food int he east bay!

We wanted to try this place for sometime and we finally made it for dinner on a weekend. I wanted to try their popular Szechuan dish — 1000 chill pepper fish fillet in chicken broth. It was very good. The chillies are all scooped out and the broth and the fish was not spicy at all. It did have a lot of flavor. We also tried the Dang Bo braised duck dish which was a disappointment. It did not taste that good. We also heard that they are good for their cumin lamb and clay pot dishes. I will surely go back there to try the other dishes.
The service was a bit sloppy. We had a hard time trying to get some attention from our waiter to order dishes. He was also clumsy when serving dishes. We liked the neighborhood, parking was easy and the restaurant is clean and well maintained. We will definitely recommend this place to our friends.

I had the chance to try China Village tonight for a large birthday dinner as was lucky to try a significant portion of the menu.
My favorite place near UC Berkeley campus is Mandarin Garden for ease of entry, they take reservations, and food quality if decent and consistent.
I have to say that China Village is a step above in the freshness and quality than Mandarin Garden.
My favorite dishes were the Beijing duck which was extremely good and the house made chow mein combination was excellent.
Another non food plus is the décor: the restaurant is very nice inside and had a high end feel. Service was great as well and the food came out quickly.
I shall return to try more from the menu.