Yan's Kitchen
57 Columbus Ave
(between Gibb St & Ils Ln)
San Francisco, CA 94111 (415) 989-8820
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
77 reviews
Neighborhood: Glen Park
"And the winner of the egg puff award is....Eggettes. They have the crispiest egg puffs and the insides are still tender and spongy (must be…" read more »
20 Reviews for Yan's Kitchen
BEST food in the city hands down! Ok, maybe not the best in the city, but for the prices you can not beat it! If you are looking for "authentic" General Tso's Chicken I have news for you (Jacob)..... They do not have General Tso's Chicken in CHINA!
If you are looking for Great Potstickers and the best General Tso's Chicken this side of the Great Wall, check this place out!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Went here for lunch today. I've been before and had the General's Chicken. Not too exciting. It was the standard greasy fare to be had at any of the quick Chinese food grub hubs.
Today I chose wisely and ordered the garlic chicken which was tasty. Not too oily, a fair amount of white meat chicken, fresh veggies, and a good garlicky sauce. poured generously over a heap of white rice.
I suppose that the food isn't the best I've ever had, but the couple that own the place are nice beyond belief and I want to see them with a steady stream of business. The food is standard but the owners keep me coming back.
hmm...i really don't think this is the hole in the wall i was looking for. but the lady behind the counter was super nice. the place was pretty empty during lunch hour. the hot and sour soup was not good. =( noodles were okay but soggy!! it is on the cheap side...
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Yan's Kitchen has the honor of being the first restaurant I've ever reviewed on Yelp.
Yan's is great. I just went for the first time. I had do go in, because how often do you see a Chinese restaurant with red/white checkered tablecloths? I looked at the menu and my first thought was, this place is cheap. Actually, i said it out loud. It made the couple running the place laugh.
From the Specials menu I got chicken, rice and 2 spring rolls.. for about $6. I'm a big guy, but for $6 this was too much food for even me to eat. And not only is there a lot of food, but it actually tastes good. Maybe not the best Chinese I've ever had, but certainly flavorful.
Also, the couple running the place are two of the friendliest people I've ever been helped by in a Chinese place.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
5 STARS. Salivatin' good! Enough said. Just got to go to know fo sho. Best asset here is the genuinely hospitable husband and wife team AND watch while he fires up the wok and cooks right in front of you while you can whiff his good cookin! Everything else is oh joy after the meal with a nice satisfied smile on your content lil' face!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
The perfect little mom and pop chinese lunch place. One of my favorites is the hunan shrimp.
the soups are also very good here, especially the hot and sour and then there is the one with the toasted rice in it. mmmmmmmm I think I'll go back tomorrow.
If it wasn't for yelp, I think I would have ignored Yan's Kitchen forever. Thank you Yelpers for turning me on to such a rad lunchtime place. I just hooked up some Yan's for lunch today, I had the pot stickers, sizzling rice soup, and orange chicken. This was the best triple play I've had in a long time! I was so happy with my lunch, that I danced a little jig. The prices at Yans are amazing too.
Yan's is strategically located across the street from the Church of Scientology, so after your meal you may go pay homage to Xenu in the temple of L. Ron.
Like the commercial says, "Don't delay, slay some Yans today!"
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Our semi-weekly "cheap lunch" typey inny thingy in the fi-di here at work. Typey inny "cheap lunch" and see what yelp has to offer. Today we had Yan's, and Yan can cook. Okay, that was a bad pun, not berry punny at all.
General's was a bit sweet, and the soup was a bit cold, but overall for six dollars, I am stuffed, was only able to eat half my plate, and Yan has my vote for a possible second try.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Best General Tso's ever? Are you F'ing kidding? Just made the drive down there, parked illegally, and rushed home to eat what I thought was going to be some amazing General Tso's. What I got was mushy, slimy, and questionable mystery meat. I'm not quite sure what it was??? It took about three bites before I gave up. I'm beginning to think that there isn't good Chinese food in this city. I've tried about twenty places and all of them have been horrible. Do Chinese people in SF know what CHICKEN is???
I enjoy seeing Yan and her husband's kind faces whenever I walk through the door. They have delicious fresh food, and generous portions that I can make 2 meals out of 1 - presto! I recommend it!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Let me start off by saying we call this place Shticky... why.. because you stick to the table while you eat here. That being said I LOVE this place. I have been eating here for almost 3 years and I have never had a bad meal. I recommend you try the Ginger Chicken and the General Tso's Chicken! They are both heaven on your plate.
Make sure you start your meal with the pot stickers. They are the best I have ever had. This past Christmas I took 30 people from my office here and took over the place. It was the best Shtickmas party ever! Yan even wore a Santa hat for us.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (5)
Cool (2)
This place is a hidden gem. You would never think of going inside based on the looks, but the food here is excellent.
The lunch plates are delicious and the prices are cheap. The service seemed so so but the food was so good I didn't mind.
I would definitely take this place over House of Naan king any day.....
This is balls to the wall cheap, amazingly tasty, and not regrettable-10-minutes-later Chinese food. It is absolutely one of my favorite places to go, and the family who runs it is so sweet.
The General Tso's Chicken is the best dish there, I think, and it is --- and I do not say this lightly -- the best I've ever had. There. I said it! (Hope I don't regret it in the morning...). The noodles (chow mein or otherwise) are also really good. The lady who waits on you will also tell you honestly what their best dishes are, and she is not trying to pawn off some old food on you, she is honest and she is accurate as first response.
It is close enough to the Financial District that those of you who work downtown should go. Given the lack of pre- or post-Embarcadero Cinema food, this is a great choice. Enjoy! Just writing this review has given me a craving.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
You'd never think to dare step through the door, but inside find good, fresh, and *cheap* Chinese food. Lunch special will leave you sufficient left overs for dinner.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Super inexpensive (and good) chinese food. For around $5, you can enjoy lunchtime goodness, which includes tea, soup, egg roll, and the fantastic dish of your choice. A few favorites include salt & pepper fish, general tao's chix, orange beef, and chicken chow mein. May & hubby wok up these wonders fresh, delivering them hot to your table with impressive efficiency, considering they have no other wait staff and get quite a noontime crowd.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Yep... Pretty much what the others before me have already said; fresh and delicious food at wonderfully inexpensive prices! But above all, the folks working here are extremely sweet and kind! Don't mark my words, but I'm pretty sure that like many places in SF they're cash only... So if I've got some cash in my pocket when I need to have food in my stomach, I'll stop by this place!
two words: sesame beef
oh wait! five more words: salt and pepper pork chops
sorry - one more: cheap
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
I have to admit, all I ever get here is the garlic chicken with vegetables which is very tasty and the portions are very generous (read: I fall asleep after lunch). A complimentary desert always accompanies my meal. I believe the incredibly kind and sweet lady that manages the cash makes a desert every morning, as it always comes out of a warm baking square and tastes incredibly fresh. The usual desert to be expected is a sweet sesame ball which I have since become completely addicted to. Lastly, I can't say enough nice things about the two people that run this business, most likely a husband and wife. Always a smile on their faces, always a kind word.
I tried Yan's because of Yelp. It was really good. I was in the mood for chicken with ginger and scallions and it was different from what I usually get in a really good way. Like they added their own twist. I was a little afraid of getting an MSG hangover in the afternoon, but it never came on, so maybe they do not use it. I will ask next time. The owners are very kind. The place was really clean. I felt comfortable and good about patronizing the place. I would like to tell them to raise their prices, because it seems a little strange that you would pay more for a cold sandwich than a huge and really delicious hot meal at Yan's. I have always thought it unfair that we expect Chinese food to be super cheap, under 10 bucks for a entree, while we pay $25 for an entree of a piece of protein, veg and starch at a European restaurant. Granted the surroundings are part of what we pay for, but there are fairly strong societal prejudices invloved here that are associated with worth of European culture versus others.
remarkably fresh food from this mom and pop, hunan-style, no-msg, chinese joint. $10 also goes a long way. i likie.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Top Restaurants
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the… -
my favorite cheap eats
where you can fill up your tank (deliciously) for… -
Cheap and Tasty
About once a week or every other week, I type in…
Hot and New
- Eiji
246 reviews
Neighborhood: Castro
- Muracci's Japanese Curry &…
86 reviews
Neighborhood: Financial District
- yoCup
142 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
- Tuttimelon
247 reviews
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
- Universal Cafe
351 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission