Dalian

Been on the search for good Chinese food in Berkeley that won't break the bank. This was nothing amazing, but definitely some solid hearty Chinese food for the price point.

Ordered the Beef Noodle Soup and Sour Lamb Noodle Soup. Both were very comforting and loved the noodle texture, although I wish the beef was slightly more tender.

Service was also a bit slow, but the interior was clean, spacious, and very pretty.

Decent Chinese food; generous portions for the price point. We were here for lunch, but ordered from the dinner menu, as it seemed to have more of your typical authentic Chinese fare.

Ordered the Zhajiang noodles, seafood clay pot, and sichuan chicken, which was more than enough for a group of 3. Solid flavor from all 3 dishes; nothing to write home about but no complaints and enjoyed a good meal.

Have eaten here a at least a dozen times. Food has always been very good, especially the home made noodles and broth. The clam noodle soup dish is amazing. This is a solid well prepared menu where the main chef knows their craft and so far has never disappointed. The service is polite and timely. This is our go to place for great northern style Chinese comfort food.

Great authentic Chinese cuisine! I came here with my picky mother & her recommendation did not disappoint. The Salmon dumplings were very unique and tasty, the salmon gave the dumplings a good deep savory & creamy flavor that it be never had in a dumpling before. The spinach dumplings were packed with spinach, and I appreciate that they were generous with the amount of veggies in there, but I would've appreciated some other flavors and textures in there. Their bin was nice and breast, covered in fun crunchy seasame seeds, and had some well oiled green onion in the middle to add a flavor punch.

We got three dishes in addition to those 3 appetizers and a large bowl of noodles to share between 5 people and it was maybe just a little too much food (not a ton of large appetites though)!

I deferred to the parents in ordering since they're much more familiar with the regional cuisine that this restaurant is named after. We got a series of vegetable dishes, and boy were they delicious! The eggplant was SO good, super tender and flavorful. All the vegetables in the dishes were done well, cooked just right with flavorful sauces that didn't overwhelm the tender vegetables and their own flavors. We got a chicken dish as well that fell under the same boat.

The noodle soup was delicious, but be wary as it's spicier the lower the pot goes! I personally hate it when dishes are all spice without flavor, and this place was great about that. The peppers were certainly felt by their heat and flavor, but there were so many other flavors with the green onions, fish, and other garnish.

We finished off with some mini sesame balls that were a great way to cap off a delicious meal. I'd highly recommend a stop here for some authentic Da Lían Chinese cuisine!

Quick Summary
- Lovely interior, great to dine in for celebratory reasons
- Dinner comes with tea
- Listing their fried rice as one of my favorites
- Friendly staff

We arrived here on Mother's Day. The restaurant ambience was pleasant and nice to have on a day to celebrate. The glassware and the utensils, that served the dishes, were pretty and visually amplified the mood. Oh yes, before entering, we were attracted by the large posters at the entrance. The noodle dish stood out to us very appetizing, and that was the dish we decided on.
the other two we picked our usual: fried rice and hot and sour soup. The kettle of hot tea arrived at our table without us requesting, so that felt like a kind bonus to the meal experience (we love tea).

The order arrived around the same time, but the first was the hot and sour soup, my favorite. Upon first glance, it didn't look like the typical hot and sour soup that I remember. Color is whiter and had a different type of mushroom than the wood ear. Sipping it, yes, it's spicy and sour, just like how I like it (almost coughed). The spiciness is mostly from the peppercorn, maybe white because the broth was pearly white. I would list this as one of the delicious hot and sour soup dishes I have tried and would return here to try it again. (maybe order one just for myself xD)

The fried rice here is so good! If anyone reads my list of food places, I have a handful of restaurants, where they make my favorite type of fried rice. I'll list this one in there as well. It could be that I chose the combination fried rice because the seasoning of the rice is spot on. Every spoonful had flavor, no grain was missed.

Lastly, the zhan jiang noodles was another good dish. I had tried a similar dish in a different place, but the black bean sauce was salty. Here, that wasn't the case. While the sauce looks condensed and rich, the flavor merged well with the noodles. It has a well-rounded flavor that coated the noodles well and it also balanced evenly with the cucumbers; it didn't cause a conflict between the rich and refreshing.

The staff was very kind and attentive as well. The timing of when the dishes arrived and when we had finished eating and began asking for the check was perfect. They were also very helpful, when we returned to the restaurant, because we left something at the table and came back to retrieve it.

Overall a fantastic experience, and I think visit here not only on special occasions, but just days when we want to eat the fried rice or trying out their dim sums.

Noodles with brisket. Fresh battered prawns with honey walnut prawns nice service yum yum

super big portions and everything we tried was great, especially the garlic pork brisket noodles and mongolian beef. authentic and nice indoor seating as well. would recommend!

Da Lian was one of the few Chinese restaurants that were open after deciding last minute to venture out for a lunar new year dinner. Everyone else probably had the same idea as there were many people waiting for take-out, as well as waiting for a table.

The garlic noodles were pretty good, the noodles had a nice chew and the sauce wasn't overly salty. The eggplant and mushrooms were also flavorful, saltier than I'd like, but pairs well with rice. The potstickers were just ok, no need to order that again. My favorite part of this meal was the seafood combo soup. Although the seafood portion was not as plentiful, the broth was really tasty on a cold winter's night.

The restaurant looked short-staffed that night as I only counted 3 wait staff serving and the kitchen was probably backed up. I wasn't in a hurry so it was nice to just enjoy a good dinner conversation. It was nice of the staff to bring complimentary red bean sesame balls that topped this dinner nicely. The ambiance is pretty nice for a Chinese restaurant as I'm use to hole in the walls.

Prices are $2-$3 more than other comparable places with similar offerings. Street parking only, meters are free after 6pm. See you another time Da Lien.

#6/2022

Simple Chinese place in terms of atmosphere but they have really great food. We love the soups and the kung pao dishes.

Da Lian is our go-to Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. Our family has been coming here ever since it opened many, many years ago. Their ingredients are always fresh and the dishes cooked to perfection. Items we like: Honey Walnut Prawns, Sweet and Sour Prawns, Basil Prawns, Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles, General's Chicken, Vegetarian Spring Rolls, and Shrimp and Chive dumplings. Generous portions. Friendly service with a smile. I highly recommend Da Lian!!!