Kirin

Make sure your not paying with a visa gift card. I got one for my birthday and came here to use it and was told they don’t accept them. It was the only card I had. I explained this to him and I ended up having to call someone to give me their credit card info to pay for my food. I don’t see why they wouldn’t take it it’s the same as a visa and I used it at several other places with no problem. It was so awkward and uncomfortable I won’t be back.

Increased prices and decreased quality. This restaurant use to be excellent but it is clear that the chef’s now are not well versed in Chinese cooking. I won’t be back.

I go along with John W’s review — the service was impressively comical. We arrived just after noon on a Saturday. We were only the third party when we arrived, but by the time we left there were six parties. There was one waiter, who seemed very nice, but distracted — and he had a lot of work to do in the kitchen. It took maybe 20 minutes to order, and we had to shout at him when we wanted any attention. The food was fine, but only the potstickers were memorable. One of us got a seafood stew, which came with big pieces of snow crab, maybe 6 — 8″ long, but no tools to open them (chopsticks!?) and a bowl maybe 4″ in diameter to serve the stew in.
Not bad food, but very disorganized.

I went with relatives for a «traditional» Jewish Christmas Chinese Dinner at Kirin’s and it was fantastic. The food was amazing and the service was perfect, despite the absolutely packed house and the size of our party (more than 20 people). Truly a wonderful experience.

We were searching for an open Chinese restaurant after going to the movies on Christmas. Many were closed. We went to Kiran based on a friends recommendation. The restaurant has a nice décor and a small bar. Be prepared to spend more than the typical Chinese restaurants. Our wait was about 30 – 40 minutes –it was Christmas. Service was ok. Our waiter kept forgetting our drinks and water. The food was OK no better than any other Chinese restaurant in the area. I loved the Hot and Sour soup. I had Andys Chicken-​very spicy. My husband had Mongolian beef. I would go back and try it again.

We made a reservation since we had a group of 8. We ordered a lot of food and I only sampled about half because I’m vegetarian.
Someone ordered the spring rolls and they were the only vegetarian appetizer available. They were fine and served with a tiny bottle of sweet and sour sauce. Folks also ordered the crab wonton — crab Rangoon, I believe. They got eaten. They also got the calamari and although folks ate it, it was slower to disappear. Next came hot and sour soup. The person who had been to their sister restaurant, Shen Hua a lot over the years says it wasn’t nearly as good as usual and that the food is much better when Mrs. Chu is in the kitchen. Others at the table enjoyed it and my wife who doesn’t usually like hot and sour soup said it was the best rendition she has ever had.
The dry fried green beans were good. Folks really liked the cherry pork, an adult version of sweet and sour pork and one of the meat dishes I miss from my carnivore days. One person asked for the Kung pao chicken with broccoli instead of green pepper and it came made with no vegetables and a huge bowl of undercooked steamed broccoli totally plain. We had the mixed vegetables called garden something or other and it was a pleasant medley of cabbage, bok choy, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, gai lan, Brussels sprouts and maybe something else. I ordered the Xian Jiang spicy fried rice and the other fried rice dishes had edamame as an ingredient and I can’t eat soy — I verified with the waiter that this rendition did not have the soy beans and he confirmed that. When it came I had to pick around them. In spite of that this was my favorite dish. It has a pleasant heat level and was made with cumin seeds and had little bits of vegetables in it. It was unusual and not like other fried rice I’ve had. I probably won’t return but if someone had a party there I’d get this dish again in a second. The eggplant with spicy garlic sauce was good. I heard the cumin lamb was tasty and the meat well cooked. Brown rice was fine.
We also had mu shu vegetable and it was fine. Walnut prawns were not a hit — folks weren’t happy with the mayo-​like sauce. And there was also a huge bowl of tan tan noodles with chicken. It was reported that the flavor was good but that it was salty. This was a common complaint about all of the food.
With tax and tip the bill came to $ 35/​person.
Most of us had water but one had a beer and another a ginger ale.

Beautiful décor. Fantastic food.

The service here is a bit comical. I have been coming to Kirin for over 15 years and it has gone down hill over the past two years. They recently started offering a happy hour. One of their signs says it’s from 4:30 — 6:00 and the other sign right next to it says 4:00 — 6:00. WTF? Can’t make up your mind?
During my latest visit, there were at least 10+ staff members working furiously yet the restaurant was completely empty? It was kind of interesting. There is no way they were prepping 100+ to-​go orders because it was only 4:00 p.m.
It took at least 20 minutes for a waiter to half-​heartily come take our order. Other customers simply left because the wait was RIDICULOUS considering there were only two tables occupied in the huge restaurant.
All we were able to order were the minced chicken lettuce cups and the spring rolls and one round of drinks because no one else came to ask if we wanted to order more food or drinks (we actually wanted to order a lot more). After another 20 minutes of waiting to order more, we had to GET UP and run to one of the waiters asking for the check. It was comical.
I will not be coming back here for a long time. It is simply impossible to be a successful restaurant in this area with such horrible service and just average (at best) food. Go somewhere else, there are a million other options on Solano Avenue.

I’d say I’ve been here around 20 times. Every time, the food was excellent. I usually go with the Hot & sour soup which is unreal and the MANCHURIAN BEEF OMG YES & the spring rolls and the sesame chicken is very good too as well as the rice. That’s about all I get over there. Actually one time I think I tried some kind of seared ahi tuna dish and that was great too. I love the inside of this place. I just wrote a huge run on sentence but this is Unilocal I don’t care just go here and get the hot and sour soup it’ll make u feel mighty fine

Lovely restaurant, very pleasant staff. We ordered potstickers (much more generously filled than I am used to), and spring rolls (delicious!). My husband ordered Mongolian beef, and enjoyed it very much. I ordered Andy’s chicken, and it was fantastic.

Some of the best Chinese food on Solano Ave. Service was great. We came in late in the evening so it wasn’t crowded. We’re seated right away and for some reason we were both very thirsty. It was funny. Seemed like every employee in the restaurant knew exactly when I needed more water. The little woman had a Margarita, not the thing I would have ordered but after sampling it I’d say it was spot on.
We ordered several dishes thinking without saying that the remains would go home with us. Unfortunately there wasn’t anything left! Wish they hadn’t run out of pea leaves. I know there are Chinese restaurants every 3 blocks for 20 miles in every direction. Most are pretty much the same except for the décor. This is one of the few where the food stands out.

We went here for dinner tonight. The food was very yummy but also overpriced! We got the potstickers, fried calamari, tea, mushroom chicken, beef with snow peas, and honey walnut prawns. When the bill came it was almost $ 100. Really? At a regular Chinese food place that would have half that! Wtf! Just because you are authentic Chinese food doesn’t mean you should cost that much! I will not be going here again!

This is the back up when Great China is too busy. Decent chinese food. However, a bit on the oily side for their fried rice. Price is reasonable too.
We mostly get togos but the a few times we ate there the service was not bad.

The Kirin was a majestic creature and a symbol of good luck. Pretty fitting since this place gives off an upscale vibe as soon as you walk in. Although I don’t know how lucky my wallet was feeling afterwards. The food wasn’t super authentic but the presentation was very reminiscent of food that I’ve seen in China. I think I paid $ 12 or $ 13 for a bowl of beef noodles which is a lot more than the $ 7 I’m used to paying for the same dish elsewhere. Also tried the vegetarian steamed dumplings which were a bit pricey as well but their portions are pretty large. There is a fully stocked bar here as well as a few tvs near the entrance. Overall, it was an above average dining experience but I don’t know if I would come back. The food wasn’t particularly memorable and there are more authentic Chinese restaurants in Berkeley. This is a good place to take a date though because of the ambiance.

We came here for my boyfriends bday dinner with a few friends and family. I have to say it wasn’t all that I was hoping to be. The food was ok, I had better actually. The portions were ok as well. The taste was kind of bland like the spinach garlic noodles. The spicy crab corn soup was also mediocre, I was actually looking for more flavor and it wasn’t there. The service was slow. granted the place wasn’t even packed but served us like it was. The price was a bit expensive for my taste especially when my Taste buds weren’t really satisfied. I give this place an ok. Would I come back? Probably not. What would I recommend? Another place to eat lol. Nice décor but honestly it wasn’t what I was hoping for. On the other hand my boyfriend enjoyed and loved it. For me it was ehh ok.

I would come back again if I was in the neighborhood.
The ambience is nice. Open kitchen so you can see how they prepare your food. Kid friendly so that was nice.
The food was really good for more Americanized Chinese food. The ghan shon lamb was so good. Very flavorful. The wonton soup is good too, since my picky daughter gobbled it up.
Only thing is this place is pricey. 8 items for over $ 200.

I was in the Neighborhood at Oaks Jewelers. When I was leavining Kirin Chinese Restaurant caught my Eye. The Name peaked my Curiosity because the name Kirin is usually associated with Japanese Beer.
So I stopped by and Perused their Lunch Menu. It looked interesting enough. So I grabbed a table and ordered the Crab and Lobster Sauce Prawns. The Lunch Special Entrees come with White Rice, Green Salad and House Soup.
I was brought a Bowl Of House Soup first. The House Soup was Egg Drop and Seaweed Soup. It was Hot and Pretty Tasty .
My Crab and Lobster Sauce Prawns arrived after I had finished my Soup. The Prawns Tasted Good. But the Portion Size was very Disappointing. Especially fro the Price being charged.
The Service was fairly good.
Cool Open Kitchen so you can watch your food being prepared.
I really liked the Décor it was Upscale. But the Prices were Upscale too. While unfortunately the Portion size was Small .
Thcy take Master Card, Visa and Cash .
They also have a Full Bar.
I Paid by Visa and rolled out.

Excellent potstickers! I really like three pepper sweat shrimp. The garlic asparagus was awesome. Always good service and a very nice interior, so this is a relatively elegant dining experience. Designer dark woods, clean, modern style. Very appealing. One of the nicer atmospheres for Chinese dining in a region swimming in Chinese restaurants.
When i want great food, but don’t mind a more authentic, but less-​than-​special atmosphere, China Village is a good option just a few blocks down Solano.

I was taken here by a Unilocal friend and what a treat it was! The bar is up near the front of the building and so that is where the TVs are. unfortunately if you want to sit down to watch a game you have to take a seat at the bar.
The venue itself is gorgeously decorated and I am particularly fond of the glass separating patronage from the kitchen, so you can actually see your food being prepared from start to finish! Pretty awesome!!! Can be a bit distracting though so if you are on a date or something with a foodie. or Unilocaler. well you might want to sit further back where the kitchen isn’t visible! *laughs*
We ordered Chow Fun, Veggie Fried Rice, and Xian Jiang Lamb. Fabulous flavor on every dish, not greasy or oily… in fact it was surprisingly light! We were checked on by our server, the dining manager, and even a fellow server just frequently enough. Water glasses were kept full the entire time! I think the waterboy is a ninja in training!
The only question I have is there were a couple baking sheets on the rafter beams above us. I’m hoping that’s maybe to stop rain or any sort of leakage, but throws off the décor a bit and I hope they never overflow and dribble down on the dining tables below!
I will definitely be returning with friends to explore the large menu further.

My 91 year old mother swears by this place. She absolutely loves the food, so when I’m over in Berkeley, I always get takeout from this restaurant.
We get the pot stickers, the Sichuan dry fried prawns, the Chinese braised tofu, and the Spicy Chao Ma seafood Noodle Soup.
The spicy Chao Ma seafood noodle soup $ 12 is her favorite, as it is a spicy chicken broth with garlic ginger, mussels, squid, shrimp and scallops over long spaghetti like white noodles. The shrimp and scallops are absolutely to die for –extremely fresh and delicious. The broth has kick to it, and lends taste to the noodles. We usually leave the shrimp and scallops for my mother.
The pot stickers are pretty ordinary at six for $ 7, but goes well with soy sauce. The pork is cooked just enough to remove the pink tinge. The pot stickers themselves are firm and not soggy. My 98 year old dad likes these, as they are easy to chew and have a lot of flavor.
The Chinese braised tofu $ 9 is pan fried so that it is very firm and not mushy, cooked with mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, and lots of sliced carrots in a garlic sauce. My mother doesn’t care for the carrots, so we eat them. My father also favors this dish.
The Sichuan dry fried prawns $ 13 has prawns in a spicy chili soaked flour coating. The prawns have taste and lots of kick due to the added chili. This dish goes best with rice or noodles to tone down the spiciness.
I also like the Sichuan dry fried chicken $ 11, which also has a chili sauce over chicken with green onions and red peppers. The serving size of the chicken is much larger than that of the prawns.
My mother won’t settle for anything less than Kirin for Chinese food, and will let you know right away.
The only disadvantage of Kirin is that they don’t open on Sundays until 4pm, and they are closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. On those days we get Chinese food from Ginger Café in Sunnyvale, before heading to Berkeley, as there is nothing in the East Bay that is comparable to Kirin’s.
I will use this review as a shopping list the next time I’m in Berkeley to visit my parents.