32 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Mateo

“Giving 5 stars for their free drink.

ordered the duck and mushroom soup, pan fried buns, and their combo D which included wonton soup and noodles with peanut sauce

duck and mushroom soup was the worst thing we ordered. $10 for a tiny pot the height of a toilet paper roll, but narrower and with thick walls. would recommend to those who like stringy and still half dried mushrooms.

the pan fried buns were good, though they were on the oilier side. very fragrant, and tasted delicious with their vinegar.

the wonton soup was the best out of everything ordered and tasted quite delicious, but the wontons themselves were low quality—they were small, which is fine, but the filling tasted like fish balls and not actual meat.

the noodles were a bit disappointing. they were soggy and the sauce was probably something you could make at home with peanut butter, soy sauce, and sesame oil. their menu says that the pictures are for reference only, and that's very true. the noodles looked completely different from the picture on their menu, whether it was portion size, color, or even noodle shape.

they had complimentary side dishes and the spicy tofu skin was great. nobody told us they were available, though, and we found out when we were going to use the restroom.

true rating is overall 3 stars, not great or incredibly authentic, but also not the worst“

“Came here with a group of five for an early dinner on a Saturday afternoon (4PM). There was plenty of space inside since it was a winky meal time, and there was no wait. It was quiet when we first arrived, but it gradually filled with more people and chatter. Parking was easy; I was lucky to find street parking right in front of the restaurant.

The interior is cute and themed like China in olden times. I liked how the food was served on long platters with little candles underneath to keep everything warm, which made sharing easy. Two of my friends were trying Chinese skewers for the first time.

We ordered everything through a QR code, and the system was straightforward. The menu being visual online helped made ordering easier. The food came out in good timing. The staff was helpful whenever we had questions about what certain items were. Water refills were easy to flag down.

The cucumber salad was a huge portion and so refreshing. We wish the cold potato salad was a bit softer (it was crunchy). We didn't find anything too spicy.

For the skewers, everything was juicy and well-seasoned. The flavoring was great. My personal favorites were the beef and lamb sticks which were tender. We also tried items like gristle, gizzard, and gluten (yum!)

We ended up spending a little over $30 per person after tax and tip.

Overall, this was a fun group meal and I'm glad it was a good introduction for my friends who hadn't tried this style of skewers before. I'd recommend it!“

“After my friend took me here, I came back the very next day and bring my other friends. It's a hidden authentic chinese restaurant. Food is very good. Price is very fair or even on the cheaper side. Dish portion is big.. The parking is a little bit not easy during busy hours. Only one lady serves the tables. She was quite busy.
Very happy knowing this place and will be back.“

“Mala Town was absolutely amazing. The selection felt incredibly authentic—just like the mala tang I’ve had in China—and it honestly brought me back home. The service was outstanding, and the staff created such a warm, friendly atmosphere. I ordered the signature bone broth, and it was savory, rich, and full of flavor. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone craving a true mala tang experience.“

“Great hole in the wall! Noodles, dumplings, cold apps. All hand made. Pix on wall to help order. They sell frozen dumplings too- great deal and cash only. Credit card ok for the meal. The gentleman there is kind and helpful. You can see them making it right there. Donut place right next to it! Easy parking- big lot.“

“An amazing mom n pop store. Staff is very courteous, polite and very friendly! Discovered this place by luck and have been a regular here since June 2022.. Food is decently priced, well cooked and good quantity..

Few of our recommendations:
Mongolian Chicken Spicy
Chicken Pot Stickers
Veg and Chicken Noodles
Mongolian Tofu (same sauce as chicken one)
Hour and Sour Soup etc..“

“Absolutely loved this place! The food is outstanding — fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. The restaurant is spotless, and the ambiance is just perfect: calm, comfortable, and really inviting. It's the kind of spot where you can actually relax and enjoy a meal without the noise and chaos you find elsewhere.
What really sets it apart is the ordering experience — you order right from your phone, which is both seamless and genuinely fun. It feels modern without being gimmicky. Highly recommend to anyone looking for great food in a clean, peaceful setting. Will definitely be back!“

“Had lunch here with my picky teen. We ordered the pork pot stickers, tomato egg flower soup, and the sweet and sour chicken lunch special with half chow mein and half fried rice. This was more than enough food for us and in fact she liked it so much she agrees to eat the leftovers with me(this was enough food for 3-4 people).friendly staff and delicious food! Would recommend and will eat here again!“

“Vegetable fried dumplings, soy sauce noodles, and green onion pancakes were all incredibly good. Staff was supremely helpful, kind, and personable. Highly recommend!“

“This is a good old Cantonese place. It has been my family go to back in the days. Now a day, they don't have that much business. We do stop by ever so often to get our OG food fixes in. Some of their servers is a bit rude, but don't mind them. This is just how they work.“

“Came here for dinner and ordered the special for two. We were seated right away, which is always a great start. The service stood out—our hostess was incredibly friendly and attentive, checking in on us throughout the meal.

Food came out quickly. The soup wasn’t quite my personal style, but the entrees more than made up for it—everything tasted fresh, well-cooked, and flavorful, and the meat was especially tender.

Overall, a really pleasant experience with warm service and solid dishes. Would definitely come back!“

“Ping’s Bistro is probably the best authentic Yunnan restaurant in the Bay Area. The food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and high quality, with dishes that truly showcase authentic Yunnan cuisine. The service is always friendly and attentive, making every visit a great experience. Highly recommended!“

“Having enjoyed their dishes many times for months, It’s beyond “Very Satisfying”! Excellent, delicious food! Quality well maintained although it is a hard time under C-19. Hygiene suggestions n requests well followed! Thanks 🙏 Customer Service outstanding! Highly recommended 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍“

“quite good and competitive price. Missing Taiwan a lot!!“

“Ate some delicious vegetarian food here (though not an exclusively vegetarian restaurant fyi) - the vegan dumplings and the vegetarian sesame oil noodles were amazing and hit the spot!! Putting Zen Noodles on my “tried and true” list of local restaurants.“

“A very popular malatang restaurant in San Mateo. If I have to rate, this one is a solid 8/10, and probably the one with the spiciest broth among all the malatang spot in the Bay. I have tomyum soup and honestly, it's sooooo spicy. Like definitely a hard kick if you're not familiar with eating spicy. Meat options are limited, but they offers many type of meat ball/ fish ball (with filling), and it's very interesting to eat. The restaurant is always crowded, but I only waited around 10 minutes until my bowl get served. Overall, nice spot in San Mateo!“

“太棒了，肉品沒吃多少，倒是吃了好幾磅的櫻桃🍒“

“food place for family and hang out“

“Great all-you-can-eat hot pot! The meat was fresh, especially the beef and lamb, and the soup base was flavorful. There was a wide variety of vegetables, seafood, and other ingredients to choose from. The staff was friendly, attentive, and kept everything well stocked. The restaurant was clean, and the overall dining experience was excellent. Definitely worth the price, and I’ll be coming back again!“

“One of our favorite places for the last 17 years, small family owned and operated, the salt and pepper wings and great, the won ton soup, the cream cheese won tons, and the fried banana with whatever ice cream they have are some of my family favorites....“

“Great food, the people are very nice!“

“They only take cash which is a personal grievance of mine but the food definitely makes it worth it. Their beef curry particularly

Parking: Shared lot with the seven eleven that has a good number of spots especially since there usually won't be too many people in the restaurant“

“Been wanting to try this Sichuan restaurant off of El Camino Real in San Mateo. Tried the beef noodle soup and some stir-fried dishes, and the flavors were authentic and tasty. Only complaint is there was too much noodles in the beef noodle soup. Good place for a quiet lunch. Fast and efficient service. Might be difficult to find parking on the busy El Camino Real, so look for spots on the nearby side roads.“

“Tried the downtown SJ location a long time ago and remembered liking it. Ordered takeout by phone and order was ready in 20 mins. We got the Jhol momo $14, tandoori chicken momo $16, chicken curry $14, lamb tikka masala $16.50, and garlic naan $5. Food is all high quality and pretty good overall. Asked for no added salt or butter and they were able to accommodate. Tandoori chicken momo was my favorite followed by the Jhol momo and lamb tikka masala. Lamb tikka had really good flavor, but the lamb wasn't very tender, although not tough or dry either. Chicken curry wasn't anything special. Garlic naan was decent. Generous portions for the price, it's nice that the curries include rice. Small restaurant with some tables inside and a lot more outside on the patio deck. I recommend it, but like Himali just a bit better (sister restaurant in Burlingame)“

“Sweet moment is some of the best desert I've had.
First of all, I LOVE their snowflake series and egg puff. Everything there is so amazing, and everything comes so quickly. Like the name says, it's sweet, and wonderful. The drinks are also so good, and I love the handmade momoko ball and grass jelly toppings. Something else so good about it is that there are so many other good places around it, which means you can get a good lunch and then come right to it. There is also a movie theatre, (Cinemark), quite close to it. It is a little far from my house, but it's definitely worth coming. It fills me up all the time, and is totally my type of desert. At the time of this review there is a little leak in the roof, but that's fine and they've got that under control. There is no doubt that this is one of my favorite places, and it deserves more than five stars.“

“Food is super fast, just like Hong Kong. The Portuguese fish baked rice is really good. They call it Lisbon fish rice here. We also ordered ox tongue spaghetti, the sauce is just okay, it was supposed to be tomato sauce but it was more like a gravy. I've had better of this one.

If you're craving Hong Kong food, this is a decent choice. There aren't that many on the peninsula.

The service is so fast that they were literally taking the plate out from under me while I was still trying to finish the last bite. At least they didn't pull the spoon out of my hand 😂“

“I was hesitant to try because of the reviews, but it’s actually so good! I will be coming back. If you like soup, the original pork bone soup is amazing! The golden hot and sour soup makes the ingredients delicious but the soup itself is not really for eating directly. The restaurant interior is bright and clean, but nothing fancy. Be expected to seat yourself and order through the QR code on your table. Honestly really good for a casual weekday meal“

“Great place for Cantonese style desserts later at night. Good selection of hot and cold sweets. Egg waffle a little expensive but flavor is great (not too sweet) and has good texture. Would recommend the Super Mango (mango ice cream, mango slush, and mango bits). Would give it more stars except entrees are pricey imo considering the comfort style/snack style foods.“

“I had eaten at this Peking-style cuisine before when I was in the Bay Area, and this time I came back after they had moved to a bigger location. The owner is quite young, but you can tell he really cares about the food and the customers. He was very patient and explained the dishes to us in detail.

What impressed me most is that the food feels very authentic. The owner told us that his father started cooking at a very young age in China, and many of the dishes here are based on his father’s long-time recipes and experience. You can really taste that kind of traditional Beijing flavor.

Their smoked chicken is definitely one of the signature dishes. It is not something you can easily find at many other restaurants, and it was very well done, flavorful but not too salty. The owner said they specially source smaller young chickens from a farm for this dish, and it is a recipe his father has been making for many years. I highly recommend trying it.

The pork trotters were also excellent — fresh, tender, and not overly salty. The lamb dishes and other Beijing-style dishes were very solid as well. Overall, I feel like this is the kind of place where it is hard to order wrong if you like authentic northern Chinese or Beijing food.

The location is not super obvious from the outside, but they have parking in the lot, so that makes things much easier. It also feels like many customers are regulars who already know this place.“

“My favorite style of food growing up is Hong Kong cafe style, so to have Inshou close to home is a treat! A regular order is the baked spaghetti bolognese and brick toast (with condensed milk and peanut butter). Topping it off with a HK milk tea makes it perfect! The staff are super friendly and they remember us, and we’ve hardly ever had to wait for a table. Service is fast as well.“

“Great food!! Lots of options for vegetarians. Staff is so friendly and helpful. Favorite Chinese restaurant in foster city. They even have a section for take out. The food is served in take out containers which is a win for me as they fill it up and it’s easy for leftovers. You must try if you are in the mood for good Chinese food!!“

“Fresh authentic Cantonese food. Always come back to here when we crave BBQ pork, porridge, traditional Cantonese rice dishes. Affordable, but that would mean service would take some time. I would call at least 45 minutes in advance to order takeout because it can get busy sometimes. They have fresh fish on the menu even, and weekday specials like pineapple buns.
Great spot for gluten free and dairy free options with all the porridge and rice dishes.“