Absolute highlight is the fish filet soup dish. So hearty,warm and perfectly savory. Makes for a killer broth to pair with rice. Lamb was a bit oily, but still really solid. Great service. No doubt Easterly is a top 3 Chinese restaurant in Berkeley.
Wilson W.
I hardly leave any reviews, but only when it's extremely good or extremely bad. Ordered three dishes, one of which is the duck. I understand there's inflation and all but come on, there's NO DUCK! Only duck bones. It has less duck than the duck bones we get after ordering Peking duck at other places. For 26 dollars, you basically get a dish of bones. What makes it worse is that this is too salty for our dog.
timjstark1957
We could not get a table at nearby Gather, but it turned out even better as we dined at Alborz right across the street. The food was so very tasty, the staff ever so friendly, and the setting was classic without being pretentious. A special thanks to the hostess and owner (? ) Zaleh who was the friendliest and most helpful person around. She made our meal there memorable!
Gabriel H.
This is an excellent Hunanese restaurant in Downtown Berkeley. A total gem situated in a neighborhood known for just okay college food. I usually go to Wojia in Albany to fulfill my Hunanese fix but this place gives them good competition. I had lunch with a friend here and the restaurant was filled with mainlanders, mostly Chinese international students...that's how you know it's a good place! I ordered - D5. Poached Fish Fillets in Sour Soup 酸湯魚片: This was fabulous. The soup was deeply savory and had a nice kick to it. I liked that there weren't too many Sichuan peppercorns. Wojia's version tends to have a lot of peppercorns that you need to fish out. A4. Eggplant with Minced Pork, Garlic and Cilantro Special 三味茄子: Hunanese places tend to do eggplant well. This was steamed eggplant with ground pork and cilantro. There was a nice sweet savoriness to the dish that contrasted well with the sour fish soup. I'm glad I found this place. I enjoyed the food a bit more than my last trip to Wojia, which was just okay. Service was excellent. I dropped my chopsticks and I didn't have to flag anyone down, they already gave it to me!
Carol C.
I'm from Asia visiting and the pickled sour fish has always been my favorite dish. I came to Easterley to try this dish, it was excellent. Spice level is serious. Gets spicier as it's boiling on a stove which is also a nice touch. It hits the spot. Fish is fillet so no bones. Others might prefer fresh fish but I personally prefer fillet as I don't want to be dealing with bones. Will come back to try other dishes
Theodore P.
Legit food, authentic, spicy. Nuanced, prepped and cooked just right. But the high price and level of service my god atrocious. It pained me. No thanks
Annabel H.
Great, authentic Chinese food. The service was a bit on the slower side but servers are very sweet and friendly! The food was great and I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for some dim sum and whatnot.
GreenAustinJ
Ate here a few weeks ago during a spring break college tour visit for my daughter to check out Berkeley. Alborz is located right by the main entrance to campus. It was very good! I ordered us the paneer sabzi and combo plate appetizers, and they were wonderful. Honestly, if I went back there I would get those again, and some other salads or appetizers and thrill to all of those flavors. I'd skip ordering the entrees, which were meat and rice centric and just not as joyful to eat. I was there with my two daughters, we were the first lunch customers, and there was a touch of sadness to the atmosphere which compelled me to over order. One entree is definitely enough to share if you order appetizers. My overall impression of dining here, and also in the Bay Area in general during March 2022 is that the pandemic has wreaked hell on these restaurants existing in sky high rent conditions, that couldn't pivot well enough to takeout for their security. There were a lot of worried proprietors, which made a weird pressure on us visitors. But still, this was good for Persian food and location proximity to UC Berkeley, and outright excellent for the wonderful appetizers which were all truly stellar.
Melissa N.
Went here for a friend's birthday. They have a pretty large selection and were able to accommodate our very large party. Since our party was so big we got to order a number of things from the menu and family styled it. The service was really good and they really did their best to keep the food coming out promptly, we're very attentive, and they even brought out birthday noodles on the house for the birthday boy! The food is heavily seasoned and cooked well. I enjoyed most of the dishes. If you're looking for a good cheese place in Berkeley stop by this place to get your fix.
David B.
This is a serious Hunan restaurant. Despite its location in the middle of the downtown Berkeley sidewalk-strolling district, it's not designed for Western customers, and indeed I was just about the only such one there at the time, though it's less intimidating that some of its kind down in Silicon Valley. The staffers I encountered all spoke English, the menu - printed on a paper placemat - had English in smaller type underneath the Chinese entries, and my dish did not have strange unidentifiable Things in it. I was given both a fork and plastic chopsticks, plus water - occasionally refilled - but no tea. I ordered stir-fried lamb with steamed rice as a side to cut it. The lamb was a generous quantity, also loaded with the green peppers and cilantro identified as coming with it. But the lamb was extremely lean and the spice (this was a 2-star dish) so strong as to erase any taste sensation that this was lamb I was eating. It was pretty good all around, and not so strongly aromatic as to get up into my nose and cause sneezing, which I appreciated.
Horrible customer service. My friend and I went an hour and a half before closing time to have dinner since we ended class late and were starving. They sat us down and we waited 10 minutes as 3 workers passed by us multiple times without giving us water nor any menus. I raised my hand twice to try to get their attention and they said they'd be with us shortly but they took forever to take our orders so we just left. Do better, Easterly!
Victoria B.
I love bringing friends here when they visit. They let my dog come in and even gave him a water bowl. This is also the most authentic Chinese restaurant in berkeley in my opinion and I lived in china for 10 years
Hubert S.
This might be my favorite Chinese Restaurant in Oakland/Berkeley/Albany area. I ordered one of the smoked tofu dishes (I forget the full name) and stir fried green beans. Both were very tasty, they had sharp and umami flavors, and good texture. They didn't taste like they had cheap ingredients; my stomach felt well afterward. Tasted authentic. I still like Great China, China Village, Shan Dong, Spices 3, and they are different Chinese cuisines understandably; but on the whole if I were to recommend one Chinese restaurant from the Berkeley/Albany/Richmond/Oakland area to someone who can tolerate some spiciness, this would be the one! At least that's where I am right now :)
Austin H.
I've briefly glanced at their menu from time to time but was always deterred by seemingly high prices. Finally got around to trying it out with a few friends of mine. We were able to grab a seat immediately and ordered off of the menu on an iPad. The menu had some Chinese characters and didn't necessarily correlate to their physical menu but we were eventually able to figure it out. Based on the waiter's recommendation, we got the Braised Pork, Mongolian Beef, and Pork Tripe with Green beans. Braised Pork: If you have never had pork belly, let alone braised pork belly, the one here was fantastic and authentic. Brought me back memories of the one my grandma used to make. The meat was so tender and soaked up all of the sauce it was in. There was a slight kick to it which was very welcomed :) Mongolian Beef: Was fully expecting this to be average, as most restaurants make this dish as it is a staple. This place seasoned their beef such that you keep wanting more and more. I also really enjoyed the addition of onions and green onion within the dish that added some new textures + flavor profiles in each bite. Pork Tripe with Green Beans: Decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and tried the pork tripe. The pork tripe was chewy in texture and was honestly pretty tasty. The peppers soaked up a lot of salt and were not that great, so I would suggest avoiding them. The food here was authentic and quite tasty. It is a bit pricey so I would suggest coming with other people to share the dishes. Also note that the customer service isn't that great, but they try their best. Would recommend people to try this out if theyre in the area :)
Alex P.
Authentic'ish HUNANESE Chinese Food. If you're looking for beef and broccoli orange chicken, this is not the spot for you. Maybe they have those dishes and maybe they make them tasty but this place is known for spicy Hunanese dishes, which most folks are probably not familiar with (including most Asian Americans). Don't be shy and get some chicken gizzard and frog leg and get ready to burn your digestive system cuz that's what Hunan food is all about. It's helpful but not necessary if you bring a Mandarin speaker, and even better if you bring a Hunanese person.
Absolute highlight is the fish filet soup dish. So hearty,warm and perfectly savory. Makes for a killer broth to pair with rice. Lamb was a bit oily, but still really solid. Great service. No doubt Easterly is a top 3 Chinese restaurant in Berkeley.
I hardly leave any reviews, but only when it's extremely good or extremely bad. Ordered three dishes, one of which is the duck. I understand there's inflation and all but come on, there's NO DUCK! Only duck bones. It has less duck than the duck bones we get after ordering Peking duck at other places. For 26 dollars, you basically get a dish of bones. What makes it worse is that this is too salty for our dog.
We could not get a table at nearby Gather, but it turned out even better as we dined at Alborz right across the street. The food was so very tasty, the staff ever so friendly, and the setting was classic without being pretentious. A special thanks to the hostess and owner (? ) Zaleh who was the friendliest and most helpful person around. She made our meal there memorable!
This is an excellent Hunanese restaurant in Downtown Berkeley. A total gem situated in a neighborhood known for just okay college food. I usually go to Wojia in Albany to fulfill my Hunanese fix but this place gives them good competition. I had lunch with a friend here and the restaurant was filled with mainlanders, mostly Chinese international students...that's how you know it's a good place! I ordered - D5. Poached Fish Fillets in Sour Soup 酸湯魚片: This was fabulous. The soup was deeply savory and had a nice kick to it. I liked that there weren't too many Sichuan peppercorns. Wojia's version tends to have a lot of peppercorns that you need to fish out. A4. Eggplant with Minced Pork, Garlic and Cilantro Special 三味茄子: Hunanese places tend to do eggplant well. This was steamed eggplant with ground pork and cilantro. There was a nice sweet savoriness to the dish that contrasted well with the sour fish soup. I'm glad I found this place. I enjoyed the food a bit more than my last trip to Wojia, which was just okay. Service was excellent. I dropped my chopsticks and I didn't have to flag anyone down, they already gave it to me!
I'm from Asia visiting and the pickled sour fish has always been my favorite dish. I came to Easterley to try this dish, it was excellent. Spice level is serious. Gets spicier as it's boiling on a stove which is also a nice touch. It hits the spot. Fish is fillet so no bones. Others might prefer fresh fish but I personally prefer fillet as I don't want to be dealing with bones. Will come back to try other dishes
Legit food, authentic, spicy. Nuanced, prepped and cooked just right. But the high price and level of service my god atrocious. It pained me. No thanks
Great, authentic Chinese food. The service was a bit on the slower side but servers are very sweet and friendly! The food was great and I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for some dim sum and whatnot.
Ate here a few weeks ago during a spring break college tour visit for my daughter to check out Berkeley. Alborz is located right by the main entrance to campus. It was very good! I ordered us the paneer sabzi and combo plate appetizers, and they were wonderful. Honestly, if I went back there I would get those again, and some other salads or appetizers and thrill to all of those flavors. I'd skip ordering the entrees, which were meat and rice centric and just not as joyful to eat. I was there with my two daughters, we were the first lunch customers, and there was a touch of sadness to the atmosphere which compelled me to over order. One entree is definitely enough to share if you order appetizers. My overall impression of dining here, and also in the Bay Area in general during March 2022 is that the pandemic has wreaked hell on these restaurants existing in sky high rent conditions, that couldn't pivot well enough to takeout for their security. There were a lot of worried proprietors, which made a weird pressure on us visitors. But still, this was good for Persian food and location proximity to UC Berkeley, and outright excellent for the wonderful appetizers which were all truly stellar.
Went here for a friend's birthday. They have a pretty large selection and were able to accommodate our very large party. Since our party was so big we got to order a number of things from the menu and family styled it. The service was really good and they really did their best to keep the food coming out promptly, we're very attentive, and they even brought out birthday noodles on the house for the birthday boy! The food is heavily seasoned and cooked well. I enjoyed most of the dishes. If you're looking for a good cheese place in Berkeley stop by this place to get your fix.
This is a serious Hunan restaurant. Despite its location in the middle of the downtown Berkeley sidewalk-strolling district, it's not designed for Western customers, and indeed I was just about the only such one there at the time, though it's less intimidating that some of its kind down in Silicon Valley. The staffers I encountered all spoke English, the menu - printed on a paper placemat - had English in smaller type underneath the Chinese entries, and my dish did not have strange unidentifiable Things in it. I was given both a fork and plastic chopsticks, plus water - occasionally refilled - but no tea. I ordered stir-fried lamb with steamed rice as a side to cut it. The lamb was a generous quantity, also loaded with the green peppers and cilantro identified as coming with it. But the lamb was extremely lean and the spice (this was a 2-star dish) so strong as to erase any taste sensation that this was lamb I was eating. It was pretty good all around, and not so strongly aromatic as to get up into my nose and cause sneezing, which I appreciated.
Restaurantji Recommends
Horrible customer service. My friend and I went an hour and a half before closing time to have dinner since we ended class late and were starving. They sat us down and we waited 10 minutes as 3 workers passed by us multiple times without giving us water nor any menus. I raised my hand twice to try to get their attention and they said they'd be with us shortly but they took forever to take our orders so we just left. Do better, Easterly!
I love bringing friends here when they visit. They let my dog come in and even gave him a water bowl. This is also the most authentic Chinese restaurant in berkeley in my opinion and I lived in china for 10 years
This might be my favorite Chinese Restaurant in Oakland/Berkeley/Albany area. I ordered one of the smoked tofu dishes (I forget the full name) and stir fried green beans. Both were very tasty, they had sharp and umami flavors, and good texture. They didn't taste like they had cheap ingredients; my stomach felt well afterward. Tasted authentic. I still like Great China, China Village, Shan Dong, Spices 3, and they are different Chinese cuisines understandably; but on the whole if I were to recommend one Chinese restaurant from the Berkeley/Albany/Richmond/Oakland area to someone who can tolerate some spiciness, this would be the one! At least that's where I am right now :)
I've briefly glanced at their menu from time to time but was always deterred by seemingly high prices. Finally got around to trying it out with a few friends of mine. We were able to grab a seat immediately and ordered off of the menu on an iPad. The menu had some Chinese characters and didn't necessarily correlate to their physical menu but we were eventually able to figure it out. Based on the waiter's recommendation, we got the Braised Pork, Mongolian Beef, and Pork Tripe with Green beans. Braised Pork: If you have never had pork belly, let alone braised pork belly, the one here was fantastic and authentic. Brought me back memories of the one my grandma used to make. The meat was so tender and soaked up all of the sauce it was in. There was a slight kick to it which was very welcomed :) Mongolian Beef: Was fully expecting this to be average, as most restaurants make this dish as it is a staple. This place seasoned their beef such that you keep wanting more and more. I also really enjoyed the addition of onions and green onion within the dish that added some new textures + flavor profiles in each bite. Pork Tripe with Green Beans: Decided to go a little out of my comfort zone and tried the pork tripe. The pork tripe was chewy in texture and was honestly pretty tasty. The peppers soaked up a lot of salt and were not that great, so I would suggest avoiding them. The food here was authentic and quite tasty. It is a bit pricey so I would suggest coming with other people to share the dishes. Also note that the customer service isn't that great, but they try their best. Would recommend people to try this out if theyre in the area :)
Authentic'ish HUNANESE Chinese Food. If you're looking for beef and broccoli orange chicken, this is not the spot for you. Maybe they have those dishes and maybe they make them tasty but this place is known for spicy Hunanese dishes, which most folks are probably not familiar with (including most Asian Americans). Don't be shy and get some chicken gizzard and frog leg and get ready to burn your digestive system cuz that's what Hunan food is all about. It's helpful but not necessary if you bring a Mandarin speaker, and even better if you bring a Hunanese person.