Ching Yen

Chinese restaurant · Bakersfield

Ching Yen

Chinese restaurant · Bakersfield

1

1207 Columbus St, Bakersfield, CA 93305

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Ching Yen by null
Ching Yen by null
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Highlights

Mandarin & Sichuan specialties, family-run, home-cooked meals  

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1207 Columbus St, Bakersfield, CA 93305 Get directions

$10–20

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1207 Columbus St, Bakersfield, CA 93305 Get directions

+1 661 871 5292

$10–20

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Last updated

Sep 7, 2025

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Family‑run since the 1980s with Mandarin and Sichuan dishes; locals swear by the sizzling rice soup and hand‑wok’d chow mein. Recognized by Visit Bakersfield; hours remain limited but steady.

https://www.visitbakersfield.com/directory/ching-yen/
Chinese Food in Bakersfield (2025)
View Postcard for Ching Yen

Roxanne Deason

Google
We were craving authentic Chinese food last night and came across Ching Yen. You can tell the owner, Sue, takes great pride in her food, and it really shows. We started with the Sizzle Rice soup and Hot and Sour soup. Both soups were rich and delicious with fresh ingredients. We ordered the small bowls and each was big enough for two people to share one and have extra. We decided to try the Combination Appetizer platter which came with two of each appetizer and two dipping sauces. The Sizzling Beef Iron plate and Chicken Fried Rice had quality fresh ingredients. You could tell the pride that went into each dish. Sue was a delight and expressed how much she enjoyed her customers. She made it feel like you’re visiting family for a home cooked meal. I’m a soup fanatic too, so I can’t wait to try some of the other soups on the menu. We’ll be back soon!

Ryan Sagun

Google
The food is worth the wait. If you are willing to be patient the food is very good. The business is run by an elderly Asian family and they are very friendly. Be kind, be patient, and trust it’s worth the wait. Will definitely come back!

Lindsey Firman

Google
If you want a Chinese home cooked meal made with love, Ching Yen is the place! We've been coming here for over a decade. The owners are wonderful and so sweet. The food is consistent and delicious. Their soup (all of them) is awesome. If you want to support a local family owned business that's been around for almost 40 years, this is the spot. Nothing fancy, but feels like home every time you go.

Julianna Romero

Google
Best chinese spot!!! I’ve tried many spots and always end up coming back to this one. The owners are lovely and welcoming. I always start off with the sizzling rice soup which is my fav & get sweet and sour chicken, shrimp fried rice, shrimp chow mein, & beef and broccoli.

aj 91

Google
Went in lady was welcoming, cant complain on the service too much. As for the food not the best in my opinion started with the crab ragoon it was too salty couldn't finish eating it which was disappointing since it looked great. I got the mushu pork and after the first bite could not finish it, idk if it was the sauce or who knows what but couldn't do it and still wonder why it was wrapped ina cold tortilla. Someone with me got the Mongolian beef, idk if it was meant to be that way but the noodles were crunchy and beef was cold. chow mein was aight, where they got off was on their fried rice. We had got some Pepsi it was flat, didnt like that we had to use the same plates for everything. Didn't like how lady said we should of asked for recommendations on what to eat after she saw that I couldn't finish my dish, I dont believe you should ask whats good when going out to eat, everything should be edible. I would say it give it a try, if you'd like, everyones experience may be different then mine.

Kyle Lowman

Google
Awesome place to eat, came here on Valentine's day 2-14-18, had a great experience from being seated quickly and the older gentleman and lady who I believe were the owners were very attentive and friendly. Got the medium sizzling rice soup and mandarin chow mien and was surprised at the large portion of food, was plenty enough to share between 2 people and have leftovers. Cool atmosphere inside the restaurant as well, lots of unique decorations. Totally recommend coming here and hope more people recommend the place. We had a Groupon to use here as well which was cool, everything came to just under $22. Parking is a little bit sketchy, I'd personally try and park in the front, there's also 2 parking lots on either side of the restaurant but has poor lighting and seems sketchy, so park at your own risk.

Damon Fleming

Google
I went on a rainy Saturday. The food was just as good as the reviews said. I hadn't seen anything current so I felt like I might be taking a chance. But I started with foil wrapped chicken. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The Orange Chicken was crispy and had real pieces of orange in it. You could taste the orange flavor but it wasn't overbearing The iron skillet had generous portions of beef, Chicken and shrimp. It had lots of onions mushrooms, and garlic. It's served hot at the tableside. The iron skillet is brought out and the food is poured on top of it it started to sizzle and bubble, the smell drives you crazy. The Chow Mein is full of meat and goes perfect with anything on the menu. Susan was super nice and treated us like family. I will definitely be back.

Robert Lee

Google
Authentic Chinese / Korean Chinese food here. Please realize it's a family run business & the family is getting older so service is not as fast but food is the most authentic Chinese in Bako when u go middle of opening hours.
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Roxanne D.

Yelp
We were craving authentic Chinese food last night and came across Ching Yen. You can tell the owner, Sue, takes great pride in her food, and it really shows. We started with the Sizzle Rice soup and Hot and Sour soup. Both soups were rich and delicious with fresh ingredients. We ordered the small bowls and each was big enough for two people to share one and have extra. We decided to try the Combination Appetizer platter which came with two of each appetizer and two dipping sauces. The Sizzling Beef Iron plate and Chicken Fried Rice had quality fresh ingredients. You could tell the pride that went into each dish. Sue was a delight and expressed how much she enjoyed her customers. She made it feel like you're visiting family for a home cooked meal. I'm a soup fanatic too, so I can't wait to try some of the other soups on the menu. We'll be back soon!
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Patricia B.

Yelp
Service was great; but the owner tried really hard but couldn't handle was difficult without any help. He was the only staff, cooking waiting tables and cashier.

Lizbeth A.

Yelp
The owner was so incredibly nice & patient with us, I had no idea about the closing time so I arrived at 8:15 (closing time is 8:30) and yet he greeted us with a smile and seated us immediately. He brought us our hot tea and water, never rushed us to order and gave us options for our choice of food. The food itself was great we ordered the sizzling hot soup with crispy chow mien and white pea beef. The restaurant was very cute and traditional it almost reminded me of what you see in movies when they go to Chinese take out restaurants. The owner seems to be doing it all himself which is pretty admirable and deserves more recognition than what some reviews have shown.
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Artie N.

Yelp
Owner operator local spot great homemade Chinese and Korean by request. Tell Sue that Artie says hello !

Abaca B.

Yelp
Love the peppered chicken and Best Mongolian Beef, Absolutely the Best Ever!!! Elderly couple runs this place, very friendly and pleasant, ate all the food and make some to go, was delicious
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Elieser A.

Yelp
Food was amazing thanks Sue for making us feel so welcome! We left feeling better because of people like you exist. We will definitely come back.
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Sarah S.

Yelp
Amazing food, I have now been here twice in about a week and both times I have enjoyed them. Their carry out is great as well as in service dining. Favorite thing so far is there won tong soup/slizzing rice soup! Best Chinese restaurant I will stand by that completely!
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Sandra P.

Yelp
Have always loved the food, service and prices at this little hidden gem. Picked up an order of beef with Chinese greens! So delicious and packed with flavor!
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Jason H.

Yelp
Always love Ching Yen Great service Decent interior although a little worn Great menu Food is always really good It's gotten a little pricey over the years Still highly recommend

Perla G.

Yelp
Been coming here since I was little and my whole family too!, this place is amazing, always has been. I always order the mixed chow mein, orange chicken, spicy beef, and white rice! Ohh and you can't forget the wonton soupthe service is always good too, they are kind and make sure you have everything you need when dinning in!
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Eric E.

Yelp
This a great family owned Chinese restaurant. It's in the ghetto and it is not fancy at all, but the food is flavorful, the portions are good, and prices are fair. Everything we ordered came out hot, fresh, and fast. I asked for my Kung Pao spicy and they delivered. My wife and were both pleased and we'd drive across town for it again. The restaurant itself is a little run down.
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Eddie E.

Yelp
I've lived in the east side for almost 6 years and I've only had this one time and it was delicious! I got there 5 minute before closing and they still took my order and not just that the food was made fresh! No fast food here I can tell you that! I will be going here from now on and also this Chinese food doesn't make you wonder if you're actually eating chicken or if it's something else!

Adolph G.

Yelp
I stopped and ate here for Christmas. I had the privilege and honor of speaking with the owner and we talked about life and family as he was also there alone. I was the last customer and James really was not planning on opening that day but something told him to. He has been serving this community for over 40 years and I felt the love and hospitality. Thank you!
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Maricel P.

Yelp
I think the last time I have visited this place was over 20yrs ago and I remember this place being better than what I had recently encountered. I remember coming here with my mom for lunch several times as a kid and loving it, but on my recent visit the food was not what I had remembered it to be. We ordered tons of food and spent a lot since all 4 of us were super hungry that day. I remember I kept apologizing to my husband and kids for picking out the restaurant for that evening. Going in I expected the food to be fantastic and maybe that's where it went downhill from there. I was expecting it to be similar to other Chinese restaurants in town and I believe that the restaurant is older and a little outdated. What I mean by that is that, they are catering to a lot of customers that have been loyal to them for years and they haven't added that pizazz that the newer restaurants have. I think the cute little decorative flowers and swans that they make out of the foods is really creative and that is actually cool, but the food to me was just not what I expected. Then when it got to the entrees the food was just okay. My kids usually LOVE Chinese food and we definitely always have a lot of leftovers, but they did not really get seconds. The food is not horrible, but the food is not stupendous either. I'm happy I went back to revisit my memories with my mom for lunch; however, I was not impressed with the food and I do not see myself coming back. I did notice the owner talking to people and welcoming them back, so they do have a lot of loyal customers which is nice. She seemed really nice and talked to us for a little while, and every time we go out for dinner, my youngest son always wants to take a trip to the restroom, but my husband walked in and walked right back out and told my son that he needs to hold it til we get home because it was not pretty. The restaurant itself doesn't seem dirty, it's just older and needs to be updated.
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Krystina S.

Yelp
This food is the best American Chinese in town. I love that the dishes have distinct flavors and everything doesn't taste the same. It's an older restaurant, in a rough neighborhood, but I've never had any trouble there.

Anne L.

Yelp
This restaurant has been here a long time and still is S good as ever! Sizzling Rice Soup is my favorite!
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Johnathan R.

Yelp
It may look run down from the outside but inside is a beautiful restaurant that is covered in beautiful art. The service is amazing. The food was beyond even my wildest expectations and I will be returning as often as I can!
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Carrie Y.

Yelp
Always the best! Love to have their sizzling rice soup on rainy days. Everything is delicious. Family favorite.
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Juan S.

Yelp
Sizzling rice soup is the best I've ever had! I know the area may seem a little sketchy, and the interior is definitely a little out dated but they have some great food here! Try the special chow win with a sizzling combo plate! Theeeee Best in town!
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Lino G.

Yelp
For some reason I am never disappointed here. Every thing that i have ordered up to this very moment is good. The beef chow mein, egg rolls... the people are good and timely. You can tell its the family pride. Id recommend it to any one tbh

C. M.

Yelp
What a place! Wonton soup is one of my favorites and it didn't disappoint. We also got the lunch special with sweet and sour pork!! Yum. I love white rice and love it even more when it's "sticky!" If you are downtown 10 minutes away and worth it!!!
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Patti T.

Yelp
I forgot to take a picture of my meal but I will return again because this place captures the savory flavors of authentic and delicious Chinese food! We had the sweet and sour chicken and it was very tasty, meat tender, and color beautiful! The chicken chow mein was so tasty and plentiful. I loved the flavor and it was something you don't get at other places. The broccoli beef was rich in color and savory! The atmosphere is very artistic and the owners very nice. They said they have been open 31 years. The neighborhood may seem sketchy but just remember they've been there a long time and just we wise to lock your cars. Fabulous restaurant !
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Ashley P.

Yelp
DISGUSTING!!! Ordered from Grubhub and this was in my beef broccoli. Called the restaurant and the person on the phone called me a liar! Offered to replace the beef broccoli. UMMM NO THANKS! I don't like ROACHES in my food! This will be the last time I eat this TRASH!

Brenda T.

Yelp
The freshest and best Chinese you will ever eat in Bakersfield. No mass production. Soups are full of vegetables and meats and seafood. No watered down egg soup here. Small local business that needs our patronage. You won't regret it. Once people go, they go for years. Try it out.
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Hardeep G.

Yelp
The food tasted really delicious and was priced right too I have going there for quite some time now
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Lady D.

Yelp
Food is fantastic! We're new to the area from SoCal. This is going to be a regular for us. The owners are super nice, the food is made clean, your health taken into account if you ask. The food is beautifully prepared and you get huge portions. There will be enough to take home.
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Kim P.

Yelp
Great pot stickers and very good egg noodle soup. They have been in business as long as I can remember.

Roger G.

Yelp
Great food, prices good, I talk to the owner, and he prepares fresh cut vegetables and meats for the day. This restaurant is East Bakersfield best kept secret. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
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Mike G.

Yelp
Craving Chinese! We had delivery. The delivery was quick but the food really sucked. The hot and sour soup had shrimp, fake crab, I didn't ask for a seafood soup! It was horrible. The egg rolls where fried in old oil which you could smell when we opened the box!the pork ribs were all dried out I can't believe they would serve this stuff. My girlfriend didn't touch it! 60 plus dollar's for this crap. Shame on you Ching Yen.
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Roy R.

Yelp
Not much to look at, a little scary looking actually but daaaang is their food good!! Much tastier than the fancier places downtown. Combination fried rice was great, kung pao chicken kicked a** it was so good! Recommended!
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Jocelyne T.

Yelp
I would pass by this place for years and never think about coming in until I decided to give this place a try today for Valentine's Day. I'm the type of person that thinks Panda Express is great. This place exceeded my expectations, I am kicking myself in the butt for not going in sooner. The food is a little pricey but let me tell you that it is absolutely worth it. The food is freshly made after you order to the point that its steaming still once it hits the table. The food itself is amazing, there was not ONE item that wasn't delicious. Everything from the chow mein, the rice, the orange chicken, the potstickers, EVERYTHING was delicious! I will definitely come back!
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Steve O.

Yelp
I eat here recently for lunch. It was my first time here. It's not much to look at from the outside, and the inside is pretty worn. They have an extensive menu, and a few lunchtime offerings. I ended up having the combination lunch special which was $10.99. I have to say it was just OK. I have certainly had much better. It came with a spring roll and a Rangoon. Orange chicken and some kind of broccoli dish. Both were just okay. My favorite part or the noodles. It did not come with any type of rice. I probably won't go back.
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Juan C.

Yelp
At first the atmosphere seemed nice very traditional but its a couple running the full establishment not a very business place especially for a weekend only about 3 tables occupied the waiter was very slow wouldnt come up and check up on me incase i needed something food portions where too small for its price chiefs where too loud sounded as tho they where fighting but food was not as bad expect for the sweet entrees to much souce killing tge rest of the foods flavors over i would not come again first and last time
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Carla W.

Yelp
I love this place! The sizzling rice soup is the best in town. Tonight our party had: Bean Curd (it had peas and was spicy), vegetable fried rice no egg (LOVED IT), vegetable fried rice with egg, fried shrimp, vegetables and Mongolian beef. All of it was delicious and beautifully presented. They serve oolong tea, not jasmine. There's always a pretty radish flower on the plates. The service is great and the ambiance good.
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Dylan G.

Yelp
1. There was a squished bug and dry dead bugs on our table and when we moved the owner insisted that we still sit in that table with the bugs because it was "better." 2. I was pouring soy sauce on my steamed rice and she comes up to me, takes the fork from my hand, and mixes the rice with the other food and tries to tell me how to eat it. She finishes by telling me not to use soy sauce because it has a lot of sodium. I would not recommend eating here because of lack of cleanliness due to bugs on the table. Lack of care for the bugs on the table. And lack of courtesy for taking a customers fork and mixing their food. There's way better places to eat, don't waste your time coming here.
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Brittney H.

Yelp
I have been craving good Chinese takeout ever since I moved to Bakersfield about three months ago. The Panda Express down the street just really wasn't cutting it. I oftentimes find myself scrolling through Groupon and just happened to see a Groupon for Ching Yen and thought I would give it a try! I arrived on a weeknight around 8pm with eight other people and the owner, who was waiting tables by herself, seated us with no issue. She even opened a separate room so that we could all sit together. Once we were seated, she brought us menus, ice water, and hot green tea (which was lovely). My friend and I decided to go with the Golden Dinner, which could feed a minimum of two people. It included an appetizer of spring rolls and cream cheese wontons, egg flower soup, garlic chicken, sweet and sour pork, and white rice. We decided to add an order of potstickers and Mandarin chow mein (chow mein with beef, chicken, and shrimp). We must have been super hungry because we ate every last bite, just the two of us! The food was excellent. I can't stress that enough. I don't typically like egg soups but the egg flower soup was delicious! It gave me the same feeling as if I were downing a giant bowl of hot chicken soup. It was very savory and comforting to eat. The appetizers were great as well, especially the potstickers. The sauce that went with them was the perfect addition! The Mandarin Chow Mein would have been better if it was hotter. However, the taste was still great. The sweet and sour pork was my favorite. It came with onions, peppers, and pineapple. The pork was hot and juicy and I could've eaten a whole plate of it by myself (and I'm not even a fan of pork)! The garlic chicken was pretty good but it wasn't my favorite. The only reason I didn't care for it was because I'm not a fan of water chestnuts and the dish was full of them. The service was great. The owner was a very nice, spunky older woman. She was quick on her feet and super attentive. We loved her! Our group ended our meal by discussing ghosts and Pokémon go with her. I will DEFINITELY be back. Ching Yen is now my favorite Chinese place in Bakersfield and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for great Chinese food.

Marlene K.

Yelp
Please give this place a try, you won't be disappointed! The food is very good! Very nice owners.
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Jojo P.

Yelp
I have passed by this restaurant 100x and have been wanting to give it a try .... well today I did I took it to go lol.... I had the pork chow mein, orange chicken, beef and broccoli and white rice .... * the chow mein was delicious with great flavor and Well cooked * the orange chicken was delicious with great flavor the only problem is that it was soggy and I like my orange chicken a little crispy *white rice was great and moist * beef and broccoli had great flavor but broccoli was to hard and had a more beef than broccoli by far Over all this restaurant is great and very different the atmosphere is great and is very traditional... will definitely give it another try ... possibly dine in to get the full experience As far as customer service they are great and fast
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John R.

Yelp
I love the authenticity of this place. Listening to the staff talk in Chinese was awesome and the service is friendly, but would definitely not come in a rush. Great place to hang out and have a conversation while food is getting ready or watch Netflix.
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Bettie M.

Yelp
Not a real fancy restaurant, but owned by a very nice couple. They are very attentive to their customers and remembers repeat customers. When we walk in we hear "same-o same-o" which is my husband's regular dinner order. Very prompt timing between entering and your dinner being served! We are VERY REPEAT customers. And sometimes when I'm not feeling up to dining out my husband will eat-in and bring me a take-out. Take outs are packed and ready as you walk out the door. Steaming hot when you are ready to eat. CHECK THIS LITTLE RESTAURANT, you'll enjoy!

Nikola F.

Yelp
Amazing food and service! Great hospitality, and great atmosphere. A must try in town.
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Will A.

Yelp
Yeah...no. I had such high hopes because so many people said this was great food. What were they thinking? Have those folks ever actually had GOOD Chinese food? I am a cheap you know what, and I won't toss average food. I'll eat it all because there are starving kids somewhere, but this stuff, we just tossed. It was really bad. What I find shocking is that when I was in the restaurant picking up my food, there were so many people there eating and looking like they were enjoying the food. Weird. So I get home and we tear into the food and immediately wished we hadn't. It wasn't rotten, it wasn't cold, it wasn't the wrong order. It just wasn't good. Like how do you get Chinese to taste like cardboard? Seriously folks! So, I won't be back because the food was not good. But to add insult to injury, they charge a pretty good price for not so good food. I HATE paying top end prices for low end flavor. So... Ching Yen, I wish you luck. I just can't recommend your food in good conscience. It was a bad experience all around. I am totally surprised by all the people who love this place. Really. I don't get it at all.
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Arron W.

Yelp
Don't come if you are like really hungry does take a while But the lady is super super nice and orange chicken is so good It's really quite too

Michelle H.

Yelp
In stead of finding cockroaches in our food. We found a small pet fish and are sweet-and-sour sauce. Absolutely disgusting. Will never go back. Look at the photos at the small fish.
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Mike B.

Yelp
Five stars not because it's the best Chinese food we've ever had, but because it's the best we know in Bakersfield. Fresh vegetables, good service, nice presentation. The server even added some fresh rice to our leftovers in the take-home boxes. We appreciated hearing soft, Chinese music.
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Dionna W.

Yelp
This place has some good food! I'm not disappointed at all. I had a combination plate for dinner and yes you can customize it. I had sweet sour chicken, chicken fried rice and chicken chow mein. I'm not a Bakersfield native, just visiting, but next time I'm in town and want Chinese I will come back!
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John A.

Yelp
Sizzling rice soup is a must in a cold or rainy day. You won't go away hungry if you have any of the delicious lunch specials. Very friendly staff!
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Chris H.

Yelp
Great authentic food. Mom and pop restaurant that serves great food. Affordable food and extremely flavorful food. Definitely will return. I used to visit this place often and hadn't been there for awhile, hasn't changed.
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Rebecca B.

Yelp
The food took forever and it was not even good. The woman on the phone straight out lied to us about the delivery.