Stewed oxtail soup is delicious, but the owner is downright rude. I've seen him get impatient with customers (for very menial things, like taking too long getting the change) and yell at his staff multiple times.
Angel L.
Favorite noodle place in Berkeley for something that has a kick to it. I have been probably around 7 times because it's a great place to get your cravings for noodles satisfied. Whether you want soup or dry you will find something to make you feel satisfied. The meats are always tender and flavor. The noodle texture is also what makes it stand out as a noodle restaurant in Berkeley where the food industry is already so saturated.
Elicia Y.
Go-to spot for authentic homemade nonspicy Chinese food in Berkeley. Specifically braised pork belly with rice. Their portion sizes and plating have changed in the past year with less protein/fat and more carbs (rice) now. Personally I didn't mind because I wasn't able to finish everything before. The taste is close to home-cooked meals, and the place is generally pretty clean, well-lit and comfortable.
Priyanka S.
Famous Bao used to have many food options that were near and dear to my heart but after the new ownership the menu has now become a scarce version of the old menu. Nevertheless, some of my favorite options are the Mapo tofu sizzling pot (now discontinued) and the pork belly with rice and bok choi. The pork belly is decadent and fatty with each piece melting in your mouth and tasting like pure butter. The quantity of the entree is large and (**pro tip you can get refills on rice**) The bok choi side on the other hand is not flavorful but rather just steamed in water and quite chewy. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the lack of sizzling pots which used to be the main reason I would frequent this establishment. The sizzling pots were packed with flavor and aromatic gravy (now discontinued sadly) All in all, the quality of the food is still great and consistent, but there are very limited options in comparison to the prior expanded menu. Seating is also often difficult to find, so take out would be the better option.
Aloof L.
Very bad experience. A mosquito dived into my bowl when I was eating my noodles. When I tried to talk to the waitor and cashier to switch for another bowl of noddles, they just ignored me and What really upset me is that they maligned me that I was being difficult on purpose. Sorry for no photos provided because they just clear my bowl immediately when I talked to them. I never recommend such an annoying restaurant to anyone.
Angelica Q.
Actually pretty decent food but pricing is a little steep for a college town; be warned that a $0.95 fee will be added for credit card transactions less than $20, which is the highest fee I've seen yet. I always get their Sp9 Braised Pork Belly Soup with wide noodles. The broth can be somewhat plain but after the meat has steeped in it for a while, it's quite tasty! I usually get it to go for dinner and have enough for lunch the next day! Pros: -- good portions -- simple but homey flavor Cons: -- high credit card fee -- food can take a while during busy hours
Katharine Ruoxi
Good food with low price.
Jay M.
Called famous bao, but their baozi isn't that great. They have Shanghai and Hong Kong style baozi, not Beijing style like I expected. The skin wasn't at all chewy. The inside was plain and lacking in flavor. The noodle soup was about 80% noodle, 10% meat and 10% soup. The noodle soup was called "spicy," but my Grandma who finds black pepper spicy wouldn't have minded. The noodles were not chewy.
Jiaqi L.
The food was ok but the cashier's attitude was the worst I've ever experienced. If he doesn't like the job he should not be doing it. Why doing a job you don't like and spreading negativity at the same time?
This place has changed menu. I guess the owner is different. Also the food was so bad.... This was worst food I ever had in last few years. Wasting my money and time.
Esther Y.
It's kind of hilarious how the reviews are either like 1 star or 5 stars lol. Anyways, since the restaurant reopened after a hiatus, it primarily serves noodles now. But that's ok with me, because I LOVE noodles (see my profile). And I have a special affinity for Xi'an style noodles. So I got a bunch of friends together and made a trip out of it. I love that this is an unassuming, casual style eatery, ideal for a university campus. You can come here with your friends and not worry about splitting bills and who got what, you ate 2 of my noodles so you owe 50 cents more, etc. Just go up to the counter, order what you want, find a table (tables are movable/combinable for larger groups), and wait for your order number to be called. Pick up your noodles on a tray and bring it to the table. Eat and enjoy. When you're done, bus your table and bring the tray and dirty dishes back to the front. Since it was my first time here, I checked Yelp for what people recommended, and decided to go with the cumin lamb dry noodle, with the flat noodles. On a whim I decided to also get a you po mian (hot oil noodle with chili, this one is vegan) since I LOVE that dish in Xi'an. Both dishes are a solid 3.5 -- sure, I've had better noodles in Xi'an and even elsewhere in the Bay Area, but the flavor and taste was good and the noodles were perfectly chewy in my dry noodle. My main complaint would be that I wish the noodles were wider and thicker. They should serve a biang biang noodle here. One of my friends complained that it wasn't spicy enough, and went to add more hot sauce. I thought it was fine. I will definitely be coming here again and would actually crave it, even if it's not perfect. I definitely want to try other dishes here. Prices may be a buck or two on the high side for a student.
Amanda S.
I come here maybe once every two weeks for the exact same thing, which I suspect might be the only decent thing on the menu. I've had their beef noodle soup (bland) and their mushroom and minced pork noodles (bad and overly oily) and their pork belly with rice (the quality of the pork belly was really bad). But the redeeming quality of this place is really the beef noodles (without soup). I get it less spicy every time, because they rely on spicy oil and less spicy also means less oily. The quality of the noodles (I always get the wide variety) is actually really excellent. Only once have they been overcooked. I tend to ask for it to go, finish the noodles and half of the meat in the restaurant, then take home the remaining sauce (which is plentiful), boil up a handful of noodles and make another meal of it. That serves as a pretty nice justification for eating out.
Ashley Z.
I used to like this place. But today I find that there is a big bug in the noodles. It is so disgusting and irritating.
Noel Lamour
Ordered lamb flank noodle soup. There were only intestines, no flank. :<
Stewed oxtail soup is delicious, but the owner is downright rude. I've seen him get impatient with customers (for very menial things, like taking too long getting the change) and yell at his staff multiple times.
Favorite noodle place in Berkeley for something that has a kick to it. I have been probably around 7 times because it's a great place to get your cravings for noodles satisfied. Whether you want soup or dry you will find something to make you feel satisfied. The meats are always tender and flavor. The noodle texture is also what makes it stand out as a noodle restaurant in Berkeley where the food industry is already so saturated.
Go-to spot for authentic homemade nonspicy Chinese food in Berkeley. Specifically braised pork belly with rice. Their portion sizes and plating have changed in the past year with less protein/fat and more carbs (rice) now. Personally I didn't mind because I wasn't able to finish everything before. The taste is close to home-cooked meals, and the place is generally pretty clean, well-lit and comfortable.
Famous Bao used to have many food options that were near and dear to my heart but after the new ownership the menu has now become a scarce version of the old menu. Nevertheless, some of my favorite options are the Mapo tofu sizzling pot (now discontinued) and the pork belly with rice and bok choi. The pork belly is decadent and fatty with each piece melting in your mouth and tasting like pure butter. The quantity of the entree is large and (**pro tip you can get refills on rice**) The bok choi side on the other hand is not flavorful but rather just steamed in water and quite chewy. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the lack of sizzling pots which used to be the main reason I would frequent this establishment. The sizzling pots were packed with flavor and aromatic gravy (now discontinued sadly) All in all, the quality of the food is still great and consistent, but there are very limited options in comparison to the prior expanded menu. Seating is also often difficult to find, so take out would be the better option.
Very bad experience. A mosquito dived into my bowl when I was eating my noodles. When I tried to talk to the waitor and cashier to switch for another bowl of noddles, they just ignored me and What really upset me is that they maligned me that I was being difficult on purpose. Sorry for no photos provided because they just clear my bowl immediately when I talked to them. I never recommend such an annoying restaurant to anyone.
Actually pretty decent food but pricing is a little steep for a college town; be warned that a $0.95 fee will be added for credit card transactions less than $20, which is the highest fee I've seen yet. I always get their Sp9 Braised Pork Belly Soup with wide noodles. The broth can be somewhat plain but after the meat has steeped in it for a while, it's quite tasty! I usually get it to go for dinner and have enough for lunch the next day! Pros: -- good portions -- simple but homey flavor Cons: -- high credit card fee -- food can take a while during busy hours
Good food with low price.
Called famous bao, but their baozi isn't that great. They have Shanghai and Hong Kong style baozi, not Beijing style like I expected. The skin wasn't at all chewy. The inside was plain and lacking in flavor. The noodle soup was about 80% noodle, 10% meat and 10% soup. The noodle soup was called "spicy," but my Grandma who finds black pepper spicy wouldn't have minded. The noodles were not chewy.
The food was ok but the cashier's attitude was the worst I've ever experienced. If he doesn't like the job he should not be doing it. Why doing a job you don't like and spreading negativity at the same time?
Fast service. Good noodles!
Restaurantji Recommends
This place has changed menu. I guess the owner is different. Also the food was so bad.... This was worst food I ever had in last few years. Wasting my money and time.
It's kind of hilarious how the reviews are either like 1 star or 5 stars lol. Anyways, since the restaurant reopened after a hiatus, it primarily serves noodles now. But that's ok with me, because I LOVE noodles (see my profile). And I have a special affinity for Xi'an style noodles. So I got a bunch of friends together and made a trip out of it. I love that this is an unassuming, casual style eatery, ideal for a university campus. You can come here with your friends and not worry about splitting bills and who got what, you ate 2 of my noodles so you owe 50 cents more, etc. Just go up to the counter, order what you want, find a table (tables are movable/combinable for larger groups), and wait for your order number to be called. Pick up your noodles on a tray and bring it to the table. Eat and enjoy. When you're done, bus your table and bring the tray and dirty dishes back to the front. Since it was my first time here, I checked Yelp for what people recommended, and decided to go with the cumin lamb dry noodle, with the flat noodles. On a whim I decided to also get a you po mian (hot oil noodle with chili, this one is vegan) since I LOVE that dish in Xi'an. Both dishes are a solid 3.5 -- sure, I've had better noodles in Xi'an and even elsewhere in the Bay Area, but the flavor and taste was good and the noodles were perfectly chewy in my dry noodle. My main complaint would be that I wish the noodles were wider and thicker. They should serve a biang biang noodle here. One of my friends complained that it wasn't spicy enough, and went to add more hot sauce. I thought it was fine. I will definitely be coming here again and would actually crave it, even if it's not perfect. I definitely want to try other dishes here. Prices may be a buck or two on the high side for a student.
I come here maybe once every two weeks for the exact same thing, which I suspect might be the only decent thing on the menu. I've had their beef noodle soup (bland) and their mushroom and minced pork noodles (bad and overly oily) and their pork belly with rice (the quality of the pork belly was really bad). But the redeeming quality of this place is really the beef noodles (without soup). I get it less spicy every time, because they rely on spicy oil and less spicy also means less oily. The quality of the noodles (I always get the wide variety) is actually really excellent. Only once have they been overcooked. I tend to ask for it to go, finish the noodles and half of the meat in the restaurant, then take home the remaining sauce (which is plentiful), boil up a handful of noodles and make another meal of it. That serves as a pretty nice justification for eating out.
I used to like this place. But today I find that there is a big bug in the noodles. It is so disgusting and irritating.
Ordered lamb flank noodle soup. There were only intestines, no flank. :<