34047 Sun Jan 30 15:16:02 -0800 2005 7 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 153051 Have you heard of Yan Can chinese restaurant in southbay? How was the foods there, and do you know if they have a location in San Francisco? do you think the foods is much better than other popular chinese fast foods; like panda express, or mr. chau's? Sun Jan 30 15:16:02 -0800 2005 0 tangxiaodi 1 153077 I only tried it once, and it was mediocre at best. It seems the concept wasn't very popular at least in El Cerrito, because the Yan Can is closed and in it's place is a Panda Express. Panda express is good airport food (sometimes), but I can't understand why any one would choose PE in the east bay when a few mintes drive in any direction will get you a much better Chinese meal. Sun Jan 30 18:01:00 -0800 2005 153051 0 Brian Stack 2 153079 It's fast food and we as Americans love big portions. Wheter the food is tasty or not it's irrelevant. Sad... Sun Jan 30 18:03:46 -0800 2005 153077 0 homecookin' 3 153324 It's very fast, relevant when taking a half hour lunch. It's not fried. You can substitute veg for starch, and they do one or two tofu dishes that I actually enjoy. Mon Feb 07 19:35:11 -0800 2005 153079 0 Shep 1 153078 I would stay away from Yan Can. The food is below average , it's not buffet sytle like Panda Express. You are given a menu at the order counter and a number is given after order is placed. The food server then delivers the food to your table. The food is very uninspiring and down right sweet. Trust me you are not missing much. Sun Jan 30 18:01:38 -0800 2005 153051 0 homecookin' 1 153091 I have eaten at the Pleasant Hill branch. I agree the food is overly sweet and mediocre. But it was better than the one meal I had at Mr. Chau's a long time ago, which was nearly inedible. And Panda is probably better, but that's not saying much. There are so many excellent Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area, there is really no reason to go to Yan Can unless you are hopelessy stuck or if someone puts a gun to your head. :-) Sun Jan 30 21:21:39 -0800 2005 153051 0 Wendy-san 1 153167 I've tried many of the dishes at Yan Can back when I used to frequent the El Cerrito location. The dishes are very hit and miss - so people eating there once can have very divergent experiences. Yan Can is what it is - if you want to have more authentic Chinese food go somewhere else. I definitely think the food is better than the oily/sweet and fried food at Panda Express. I haven't tried Mr. Chau's, but of my friends that have they definitely preferred Yan Can. What to order at Yan Can Crispy chicken potstickers - definitely the best thing on the menu Kung Pao chicken - the sauce and veggie mix isn't quite the usual, but it's still pretty good Light garlic chicken - very subtle; my boyfriend's fave Chicken lettuce wraps - my boyfriend's fave Korean BBQ beef bowl Chow fun - I liked, but boyfriend found too greasy Avoid Singapore curry Dark garlic sauce I wish I could remember the rest (there's a lot)... Mon Jan 31 12:49:28 -0800 2005 153051 0 katya 1 153325 A Yan Can down here in SoCal (Rancho Santa Margarita) closed a while ago, after a rather short run . I tried it once and found it truly forgetable. There is another local, large, chain here called PickUpStix that does a relatively decent job for what it is. I was hoping that Martin Yan would have found a way to bring some more authentic tastes to his operation, but it didn't happen for me. Mon Feb 07 20:51:17 -0800 2005 153051 0 Midlife