33 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Mateo

“Came and found parking around the block. Put our names on the Yelp waitlist and seated in about 15 minutes. Despite how busy it was, the tables did not feel crowded. After scanning the QR code and placing the order, food came out pretty quickly and stayed warm ish on the metal plate in the center of the table powered by 5 tea lights. The stinky tofu came out first and luckily the smell did not linger. We were surprised at how affordable it was. The food did end up over lapping but the flavor profile is more or less the same.“

“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.“

“I was blown away by the balance of flavors. The Dan Dan Noodles were spicy yet nutty, while the General Tso’s Chicken was perfectly crispy with a touch of sweetness. The Mapo Tofu was creamy with a spicy finish that made the meal unforgettable.“

“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.“

“I make a point to come here everytime my work travels bring me to the Bay area. The staff is so friendly and welcoming, you feel right at home. The food is beyond delicious, and the portion sizes are more than generous. I can't wait until the next time I'm back for more!“

“look for the 3 item specials but also the cho chow mein, Mongolian beef and beef noodle soup are all really good. fast service and friendly.“

“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!“

“Ok it won’t look like much from the outside on ECR and from the rear you park in the alleyway lot and walk past the restrooms and the kitchen but… this place is the bomb. And the chefs are top notch. I feel bad not having good photos except for one dish which came on mini wok with a burner and a dipping sauce. That’s a special lamb dish with vegetables mushrooms and goji berries. They made some unique and delicious food. The staff knows the menu very well and can recommend and they have chef specials on the back of the menu. One set for Chinese and one set for American palette. Both are good and you can’t go wrong. On the wall they post their specials also. For a IYKYK tip - if you bring in your catch they can make it the way you want and charge you “cook-your-catch” fees.“

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

“Toa Yuen is such a great spot! The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, the service is outstanding, and the food is absolutely delicious. Every visit feels like a treat I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a memorable dining experience.“

“Located in downtown San Mateo pretty close to the movie theater parking structure. And it is close to ritual tea, Molly Tea and other bubble tea places, very convenient. I like to come here to get my Malatang fix. The traditional pork bone soup is pretty good and it is not as expensive as the other place in downtown San Mateo. Still offers pretty good variety.“

“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.“

“Managed to get a last-minute reservation and felt quite lucky! The restaurant even followed up to confirm our arrival. The service was excellent—they even poured the sake for us. I loved the heated tray on the table that kept our skewers warm; it’s such a thoughtful touch. The menu has plenty of options, and though the place is small, it feels very cozy and atmospheric. The upside-down umbrellas hanging from the ceiling are a unique touch. One thing to note: it’s quite dim inside, so it’s a bit hard to take photos. If you're taking a group shot, watch out for blurriness!“

“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“

“Great food, the people are very nice!“

“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....“

“The service was above and beyond! I came in asking for something that they didn’t offer and they were so quick to find me a solution and I ended up getting exactly what I was looking for and the food was out SUPER fast! Would Highly recommend.“

“We have been looking for a Chinese restaurant that is good enough for us to often go to. We may have found it at Chef Zhao sichuan cuisine. The food came very quickly and every dish was excellent. The atmosphere was nicer than most Chinese restaurants.“

“Hot tip: If you get here around opening and have a party of 7-8, you can get seated in the private room. I get the beef dry pot every time I come here. Service is good. Some menu items rotate now and then so we can keep coming back to try new dishes.“

“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 😂“

“太棒了，肉品沒吃多少，倒是吃了好幾磅的櫻桃🍒“

“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 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍“

“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“

“food place for family and hang out“

“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)“

“THE BEST!!! My husband and I have been coming to Happy Lamb San Mateo for probably a year now, so this review is much overdue! They have some of the best hot pot broths and their meat/seafood/veggies are always such high quality. The service is always so friendly (shout out to Alvin!) and the sauce bar is well stocked. Even with all the hot pot places near us in San Francisco, we keep coming back to Happy Lamb in San Mateo. Thank you for all that you do!!“

“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!!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Free parking lot right in front 🚗

No fancy decor, just straight-up authentic. This is exactly why they’ve survived 20 years ！

Beef & Green Onion Pie (4 huge pieces)
Freshly wrapped & pan-fried, insane juice explosion in every bite. Super thin crispy skin, loaded with beef and scallions.
• Smoked Chicken (“Da Xun Zi” in Dongbei slang)
Whole chicken slow-smoked for 12 hours. Meat falls off the bone, smoky but not overwhelming. Eat it cold or dip in hot soup – pure heaven. Owner says “finish the chicken, then knock back two shots of baijiu”… I obeyed 😂
• Scallion Beef
More scallion than beef (not exaggerating), perfectly tender beef, killer over rice.
• Savory Dongbei Doufunao (tofu pudding)
Rich bone broth, dried shrimp, preserved veggies, cilantro – warms your soul in winter.“