Zen Mei Bistro

The food was good. You can get plates to share with your family.. My favorite there is the hot tea. All the dishes were really good.. Definitely would recommend it. Plates are about 20 dollars each more or less.. I wouldn't really get the beef broccoli because the meat wasn't that great.

This place is a beloved neighborhood staple. The lemon chicken is one of my favorite dishes. The breading is so thin and crispy, and the dipping sauce tastes like real lemons. I also love the braised string beans and pan fried yee mein noodles. The owner and staff are so nice and attentive, and they also support several Chinatown mutual aid orgs. I love them.

The service attitude is average, and the hygiene is very poor. There is hair on the packed takeaway paper towels, and there is also hair in the packed bags. Then there is still some pot dust in the fried food, which is all gray after eating. Then they said that they would help me put chili in the packed dishes, and they all agreed. After giving the tip, they found that no chili was added to the dish, and they completely forgot the guest‘s request. The whole experience is very bad. You have to charge more for rice when packing meals on Sunday. You don’t need to add it at ordinary times. I don‘t understand why this special rule is?

The ladies are really nice, got the pork and century egg congee and it had lots of pork in it compared to other spots I’ve been to around Chinatown! Also got their Singapore noodle stir fry which came with lots of various seafood!! I wish I also tried their fried shrimp but will definitely go back for that next time.

I stumbled upon Zen Mei Bistro while wandering through Chinatown, and I’m so glad I did! Tucked away on the corner of Yale and Alpine, this little family-run spot feels like a hidden gem. The vibe is super laid-back—think old-school charm with handwritten receipts, green porcelain chopsticks, and a kettle of hot tea brought to your table as soon as you sit down. It’s cash-only, so come prepared, but the prices are so reasonable you won’t mind. The food here is classic Cantonese with a homey twist. I tried the BBQ pork wonton soup, and wow—the wontons were plump, meaty, and swimming in a big, comforting bowl of broth. The kung pao shrimp was another hit—perfectly spiced with a nice crunch from the peanuts. They’ve got a great range of seafood dishes too, like the fried lobster (or “dragon prawns” as they call it), which looked amazing on another table. Portions are generous, and everything feels fresh and unpretentious. Service is friendly but no-frills—don’t expect a ton of chit-chat, just solid hospitality. The place can get busy, especially around lunchtime, so I’d recommend arriving early to snag a spot. Parking’s a bit tricky (metered street only), but it’s worth the hassle. Zen Mei isn’t flashy or fancy, but it’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve found a secret slice of Chinatown. I’ll definitely be back for more!

Good solid local Chinese restaurant close to my church. Enjoyed excellent REAL Cantonese Chinese food with reasonable prices. Lastly I think their chefs are magical; their kitchen sounds are not loud at all. Dishes ordered; veggies, salted fish pork patty, Singaporean noodles, egg plants, stewed fatty pork and chickenwings. So good...We'll be back!

Love this place! Michelle is great! Good strong tea, good food, nice little restaurant I always recommend to my friends. My favorite is the porkchop or fried tofu with spicy salt

So delicious!! Highly recommend. The service was so nice. We got sausage fried rice and thousand year egg porridge as well as the egg rolls. Everything was so good :))

A family restaurant in China Town Los Angeles closed to Union station and downtown LA. Convenience. Many parking nearby. I will recommend it if you want to try the Chinese food. It's like our local Chinese food in Guangdong China. Tastes great and not too salty. Boss is a woman, nice and talkative such your friends. Always smile and politely, friendly. Most importantly is lunch set only from $8.99 included soup, main course, rice and tea. $11 will get sea food lunch, I don't think you can find anywhere such a valuable price. Place unique and clean.

Not certain why all the rave reviews. We were in the area recently and decided to give it a try. It was around 1PM on a weekday. With the exception of a couple of take outs, only one old guy and a table of 2 construction workers (all non-Asian) were in the restaurant. We ordered 2 dishes and I didn't like either one. Both tasted bland and lacked umami. Had to use the small but clean bathroom in the back that doubled as a storage room. The place really looked like a dive. The hostess was friendly but not the elderly woman who brought out the food.(not the cook who was sitting down in the kitchen).

Came here on a Saturday night around 6 pm. With so many restaurants in the area to choose from, we chose the one that had seemingly cheaper prices and a hole in the wall vibe. There were metered street parking spots and paid parking lots for $5 as is the norm in Chinatown. We were greeted and allowed to sit wherever we liked. The menu is big and I wanted to try too many things. I asked how much the lobster dishes were and the large was around $40 and small was around $20. Didn't order this time but would maybe try some other time. We automatically got some hot tea which was very nice on the chilly night. We decided to get the salt and pepper crispy shrimp, wonton noodle soup, and beef stew hot pot. Rice is extra so we ordered a large container of it (which we were charged for 2 bowls at $2 each). The wonton noodle soup came out first. The soup was blander than normal but there was soy sauce, chili sauce, and white pepper on the table which we added. It was a decent portion. I was surprised it came with white Bok choy and not Chinese broccoli (gai lan). White Bok choy is a bit more bitter than green/shanghai Bok choy. I prefer Chinese broccoli but the bok choy was cooked to soft. The salt and pepper shrimp was next. It had good flavor but the shrimp wasn't crispy enough. It should be crispy enough to eat the head, tail, and she'll comfortably but was a little tough. I still ate everything but my dad and boyfriend couldn't as it was a bit difficult to eat. The beef stew hot pot had good flavor as well and came with white Bok choy and daikon radish. The meat was a little tough and could be softer. Total was around $48 without tip, pretty good for 3 people who all left decently full with nearly no leftovers. The service was nice and friendly but this definitely was not one of my favorite Chinese restaurants. However, given the prices being cheaper than others in the area I think it's still good enough to try and perhaps other items on their expansive menu are better. They have really cheap lunch specials which is convenient. I personally would try other restaurants in the area before coming back, but I do appreciate the affordability!

Lovely family owned Chinese corner restaurant with years of history. This mini gem serves up excellent cornerstone plates and popular Americanized options. Their menu includes lots of selection organized by the proteins, noodle, soup, porridge, seafood veggie and so on. While their inside has room for maybe 25 patrons or so it's still semi spacious and feels like a meal at home. The service is very quick and friendly. I loved their attention to customers and how quick the food was prepared. While we waited, we had poured a few cups of their complementary hot tea which made time pass quick! Their Beef hot pot was a hefty portion with a nice amount of savory beef sauce and had nice pieces of onion and bok Choi. Their shrimp was very tasty and crisp but could have been slightly more done. Still had Rich flavor and nice crunchy texture! The wonton noodle soup was a harmonious subtly soup with simple ingredients. I always spice it up myself using the table spices available which worked perfectly. Overall it was a great value for the price and delivered those familiarly Chinese flavors with a smile! I loved this find and would easily return

I stopped by for a late lunch since i remember my mom taking me here over 20 years ago for the Wonton Noodle Soup. The workers were friendly and the restaurant was filled with different people and ethnicity which was nice. I ordered the Seafood Wonton Noodle soup since i remembered it as a child but sadly it was a bit bland. I tossed on a bunch of white pepper and a tad of soy sauce to make it to my likings. They did provide a lot of wontons which were delicious and more seasoned than the soup. Parking is going to be street parking which isn't too bad. Its a little hole in a wall restaurant. I also ordered 3 items off the lunch special which ranges from $9 and $11 which was more than reasonable. Overall its an affordable spot to stop by for lunch. Be aware that they close early!

Some of the best food I've had in my entire life. I am an extremely picky eater. If I do not know what the meat is or if I do not know what is in the dish I do not eat it, this restaurant was the first restaurant in two decades to make me change my rule. Whatever is put in front of me I would have no problem eating here. Genuinely delicious

The dining area is tidy and well-maintained. However, the food lacks flavor and the portions are quite small. The soy sauce chicken I ordered appeared to be pre-cooked rather than freshly made, and it was not enjoyable.

Fried rice alone deserves 5 stars - I always pick up here the night before work pot lucks and it's super tasty the next day! It's the perfect dry rice texture that soaks up flavor well. Michelle always is happy to see me when I dine in or do take out. Pro tip if you are under expensing deadlines - you can order ahead, pay the day of, and come back two weeks later to pick up your order.

A small mom and pop restaurant on the edge of Chinatown. I was really craving Singapore style rice noodles and this place has them! The noodles were super yummy, and the eggplant was good too. The food came out fast and they were really nice and helpful. We stayed at the restaurant talking for a really long time and they didn't mind :)

Completely authentic Chinese food! I highly recommend taking the owners advice. She recommended a seasonal dish that was to die for! The staff was so incredibly kind especially because I cannot speak a word of Chinese. It is an authentic home in the wall, don't trust the outside to judge the food.

Train trip to LA to explore LA's Chinatown. Read other Yelp reviews for Zen Mei Bistro, and wanted to give them a try. Small independent owned restaurants are the heart and soul of the food industry, which I always try and support. Support this little bistro! The food is fresh, made to order, service is fast and friendly, and you'll feel like you've just eaten a home cooked meal! Fortune cookies too!

What a great find! The food here is delicious. All our dishes were so tasty. The food was fresh and authentic. All the dishes we had were delicious and the prices are so affordable! It's a little off the beaten path, but it is such a great spot. We will be back to try the other dishes. They have a very extensive menu. The service there were awfully friendly and helpful and very nice.

The food here is absolutely delicious and you HAVE to try it! My husband and I got the salted rock cod, the walnut shrimp (recommended by the waitress!), eggplant in spicy sauce and the chicken fried rice. Everything was fresh & tasty, every portion was great, and the staff were very friendly! Will definitely be back bc we have to try the rest of the menu now (which is extensive!) The ambiance was quiet and nice too!

Solid food with affordable prices! The ambiance is not the greatest, as it is like a small non-acoustic mom and pop business with locals that frequent here, but the waitresses are friendly. Speaks Cantonese but also very good English. Traditional Chinese food dishes with many selections to choose from. You can tell the meat is cooked to the perfect tenderness while it is not too salty nor greasy. The amount of food is also plentiful as well! Come here for their wonton soups as this is their specialty! Opens till 9 PM.

Delicious food! Especially the wonton soup! We went for Christmas Dinner...but we should have skipped the Peking Duck!

Happy to have the place around after so many decades. Been taking my family here for years for wonton soup and chow mein after dodger games. It's family owned and always cheers up when we stop in. Clean and kind waitstaff. Check them out in this economy let's keep them open!

Very cozy restaurant with delicious food and great service. We ordered the chicken and mushroom dish, wonton and noodle soup, and egg rolls. I enjoyed all the food, especially the wontons in the soup and black mushrooms in the stir fry. I also highly recommend their eggplant dish. Service was fast and friendly :) Will be back for more!

Awesome friendly service, and they kept the tea coming. Dumplings, curry chicken, and chicken chow mein all really fresh and tasty.

Zen Mei Bistro is an old good comfort food neighborhood restaurant. The noise level is of customers quietly chatting. The setting is a simple eat-and-run basic restaurant. Nothing fancy, but popular among the locals. The important thing is that the food is reliable to be very tasty, ample, diverse, & inexpensive! The service is fast from the kitchen to your table and the food is hot off the stove.

I would give Zen Mei 10 stars if I could.... I have been coming to this place for at least 5 years before Covid since I am working near Chinatown. This mom and pop restaurant reminds me of those restaurants in Cho Lon (VN) where you will find majority of Chinese Vietnamese live and work there. The restaurant is small. However, the menu offers wide range of authentic Chinese dishes. They even offer lobsters dishes. The taste is consistently good. Everything is fresh from seafood to vegetables. No msg added. And the price is very reasonable. At one time in the past, I told my friends that they should have raised the prices. Now the owner.... Her name is Michelle. I had never seen anyone with a brightest smile when greeting customers. She is the most friendly restaurant owner that you can find. She does work in the kitchen and so the front. Despite the hard work, she never loose her cool. That's the thing I really admire her. Oh.... and they have lunch special menu that offers lots of popular Chinese dishes and you have till 4pm to get this special price. So if you are in the area, please pay a visit to this little restaurant. I guarantee you won't regret.

My cousin & her finance invited us for lunch here. We were the only Latinos, but felt very welcomed by the lady who helped us. You feel like you're at your grandma's house when you dine in here. It seriously feels like a home. They start you off with warm tea that pretty much doesn't have a flavor to it, but you feel healthy drinking it. We waited about 20 mins for our order to be cooked. That's how we knew it was fresh! We tried the chow mein, orange chicken, white rice, beef brócoli, and the black pepper beef. The chow mein was SO GOOD. You could taste the crispy thin noodle flavor. Oh yeah- I might add that if you're used to Panda Express flavor, you won't find it here. However, the noodles here are so good! The white rice is delicious too! The orange chicken was definitely more soft in texture, tasted differently than at panda, I would say more on the soft sweeter side, and not crispy. The beef broccoli was like 7/10, I think I prefer panda's. But the black pepper BEEF we got last was AMAZING, oh and not spicy at all! It was really good. I would eat here again. The fortune cookies seem to be accurate as well...

Yum yum! Excellent food! Just raised the prices, but who hasn't. Still great bang for the buck!

Average Cantonese restaurant. We looked on Yelp and the reviews were good, so we thought we give it a try. Got here around 1:30 pm. Door was locked, but the sign said OPEN. Waitress unlocked and opened the doors. We ordered their chicken chow mien and beef chow fun dish for a late lunch. Unfortunately the beef in the chow fun had no flavor and was average. The chicken chow mien was a little better, but not by much. Small restaurant, but we will not be back.

Played some hoops at Alpine Rec and asked one of the guys. He recommended so I went to get a bowl of wonton noodles with Chinese brisket. Delicious, especially on a cold day. Typical Chinese mom and pop. Plain interior and good food. The surprise bonus was the friendly service!

I ordered from this establishment for my family and I. I asked if they could make my food spicy and they said "yes". The food was not even seasoned with anything, to include spicy seasonings. They only added three small, roasted, whole peppers. Also, there was a hair in the food! It was a thick strand, so I definitely had suspicion. I added my some of daughter's orange chicken (from them) on top, right before sticking a fork in, and discovering the hair. The hair was embedded in the rice. If you're wondering if I ate the food, I did. I scooped out so much, surrounding where the hair was, and prayed to the Lord for my food. Food was too expensive to not have eaten the rest. I also added my own seasoning to make it taste like something. I had to eat something after a long day of traveling.

Only found this place because of yelp, otherwise the store is really unassuming and you'd probably never consider going in. But it ended up being my favorite hole in the wall for good chinese food at reasonably low prices. Lot's of variety and they have most of the traditional cantonese dishes. Will probably try their steamed fish or lobster sometime since they have that too.

Ugh! Well the reviews were so good for the orange chicken! But I didn't find it even edible. The worst quality chicken. I chewed and spit it out. There was no meat, seemed like just a bunch of scraps pierces and skin. So very disappointed. Fried rice was good! And service was great. So I will return and try some other items! I want to support small business, but I need to be able to swallow.

The food was great, big potions, easy pick up order and great service. Loved the mangolian beef, orange chicken, kungpao chicken, and chowmein soft noodles beef. All of this for a great price.

Okay People, stop putting fake 5-star reviews! I came here with high expectations but was disappointed by the LET-DOWN! Do Not Recommend! The wonton soup was so bland and the wontons were not tasty at all. I also tried the country style chow fun and it was again bland as hell. I don't get why they don't provide hot chili oil? If your food is bland, at least give us some hot chili oil to make your dishes more enjoyable and edible .

As usual food taste great, the service was welcoming it was quite and pleasant to visit again. As usual they don't disappoint.

This little unassuming place has some of the best food in China Town and definitely the best prices! While not on the main drag it's definitely a place to seek out and there's generally open parking spaces on Yale. Michelle, the owner, really works to make sure you have a fantastic meal. She's friendly, great with suggestions and really contentious about what she's putting on the plate. It's a point of honor that they use the least amount of oil possible and no msg-ever. BTW - It's not a fancy joint (in fact it's down right plain) but don't let that fool you. It's small business at it's finest. The house special noodle wonton soup is a thing of joy, jam packed with seafood, pork, chicken, noodles and big juicy wontons in a delicate broth. The braised string beans are a must have! The honey walnut shrimp is excellent, crunchy and sweet. Mongolian beef is thinly sliced and perfectly spiced. All dishes are very large and should definitely be shared. Asparagus fried rice knocked it out of the park. I should have written this review years ago - having eaten here dozens of times and sent friends who made it their favorite too. You won't be disappointed at Zen Mei!

Good food but very tricky on pricing. You have to ask for price of deep fried some fish before ordering.

Hole in the wall = amazing food This is pretty legit. Small mom and pop store near Alpine Recreation Center. Was working out across the street and got hungry. Decided to stop here and support small local business. We're all very happy we came here and got to experience this place. Really enjoyed everything we ordered. My favorite was the honey walnut shrimp. Dumping soup. And Mongolian need.

In an area full of Chinese restaurants on every corner, it's hard to choose which restaurant to visit when you are craving authentic Chinese cuisine. Zen Mei Bistro is something I would consider a "hidden gem" amongst some of the best Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. I would describe this place small, clean, friendly, and fresh. I think one of the most important things to consider with Chinese food is how it will taste the next day. Zen Mei Bistros food tastes perfect when it's freshly cooked and also holds up excellent the next day! If you are looking for a clean, solid restaurant that will appreciate your business and give you delicious Chinese at a really great price, I would highly recommend Zen Mei. Some of my favorites are the sole fish fillet with black bean sauce, chicken chow mein with soft noodles, Zen Mei special fried rice, and chow fun noodles with beef!

Definitely will come back Beef with Chinese broccoli Lunch menu 9.80 Good service

Food is delicious, fresh and plentiful. The friendly staff, make you feel welcomed immediately and the location is great in busy lil China Town.

We ordered five dishes. Everything was tasty except for my favorite, hot and sour soup. The hot and sour soup was flat. I added Sichuan pepper and red vinegar. Picked it right up. Also, if you order Mapo tofu, ask for pork. I think it's better with pork. String beans with beef was great Orange zest chicken was not dry. It was quite good Sautéed chicken with vegetables was really good too. Lots of fresh veggies.

Food is authentic and good. Service is great. Very clean. I will come back again Strongly recommend.

I had to start this post off with five hearts! I love this place since I was in high school over 15 years ago. It has proven time overtime to be an excellent Chinese food restaurant in the heart of the downtown Chinatown connection. I appreciate this restaurant for staying authentic to flavor and capture in that oh so delicious taste. My go to things are the house special shrimp and the orange chicken extra crispy! I appreciate this place and hope that it can be around for years and years to come!

Just got my wisdom teeth removed and was really craving egg flower soup. Compared to the other Chinese spots in Chinatown, Zen Mei had the best price. The soup itself was a good portion for the price. The only thing is that it was a bit heavy on the veggie to soup ratio, carrots and snap peas dominating the actually liquid. But once my mouth heals, I will definitely come back and update this review once I try more dishes! Main reason I posted this review right now was to update that as of now they are CASH ONLY. On Yelp, it says they accept card (they don't). The owner luckily accepted Zelle to her personal account, but I'd rather have come with cash if I had known.

Love this place. Best authentic Chinese food. Mom and pop family own, home style cooking.

good yummy food. I will choose this place over Yang Chow any day. It's a very cute and modest restaurant.

My partner and I always enjoy coming to this place. The veggies are always so fresh tasting and the food isn't super salty or greasy. Their green onions and bean sprouts always have a crisp bite to them. Not being Chinese, it was a little intimidating to know what to order beyond your standard Chinese takeout items (i.e Lo Mein, Chow Mein) but I've enjoyed almost every new item I've tried. It seems more catered to take out than for sit down but I like the cozy, local family atmosphere.

I've been here a couple times over the years. The food here is really good! Been a while since I've eaten here but it still holds up! The prices have gone up a little bit inflation hits everywhere. They are so nice and accommodating.

A corner mom and pop restaurant. I ordered the lemon chicken and black bean fish filet, both were delicious. Lemon chicken was not oily and the lemon sauce was delicious, not sickeningly sweet. Generous portion of fish fillet and great wok heat. I can tell this food was made from the heart. I will be back.

These owners put their resources into their food, and certainly not their decor. Which is the right thing to do. I love their food. It's just right. They're light on the oils. The flavors are just right. The whole thing is just right. I look forward to going back there. I'm so grateful to our friend Matina for turning us onto this place.

I haven't tasted the food yet. But the prices were far above the menu's prices--the menu on the restaurant's own website. Beware. The prices were on the back of a receipt and when I asked for the receipt, she rewrote them without itemizing items priced with the same outrageous subtotal. When I taste the food, I'll restar my rating if the food overcomes the sour taste of shady pricing practices.

Food is generally tasty and quick. The mixed veggies are an exception: often almost no broccoli, not many pea pods, like a third onions and bamboo shoots. One pet peeve is that they will NOT make chili oil available for their customers after years of us asking -- and we've heard another customer ask too. In the past year we've been overcharged three times. Each time the owner is pleasant but wrongly suggests that we forgot sales tax. Each time we've been right. Hard to trust the bill here recently. The older lady who works here is super-nice and welcoming. Three and a half stars.

My family has been coming to this restaurant for more than a decade. I kinda forgot about it since I've moved out of Los Angeles, but we dropped by the other day when we were in town. The food still tastes the same. We always order the pork chops with spicy salt, chicken corn soup, chow mein, and green beans. They always serve you tea when you are seated and most weekends we've come they give you a complimentary dessert. It's a sweet hot tapioca drink with coconut bits. The service was great as always, and the prices are pretty reasonable. It's a hole in the wall type place but those are the best.