Yen Jing

Outdated restaurant with friendly, but awkward service.
Their menu is EXTENSIVE, prices are reasonable.
Sweet and sour pork was VERY good.
We had a couple different kind of noodles and I was not a fan of it since they seemed to put a lot of cornstarch or something on the noodles that reminds me of glue? It is too thick and sticky, and I just was not a fan.
All in all, I don’t think it is a bad place to eat since that sweet and sour pork was just delicious — I do think there are a couple of points that they need to address before I can bump this up to more than 3 stars.

We just got takeout here, and while the food was very good, I was immediately reminded why we quit coming here years ago — the service. I’m not talking about table service, as the waitpersons come and go. But we have consistently felt unwelcome by «the management» at YJ, as if we’re a nuisance. Our order tonight was taken and delivered brusquely and dismissively, as has happened many times before. It’s a shame.

I’m down to give this place another try even though I had an ok-​experience. I’ve heard many speak highly of this place, but I didn’t feel anything was necessarily better or worse about this place than Man Chun Hong, a similar restaurant with the same cuisine located down the road.
Some of the things I liked: food came out pretty fast, spicy seafood noodle soup (Champong) was my favorite –rich soup with copious amount of seafood, and jajangmyun was delicious (tad too oily, though). The portion size was generous, my friend and I both walked out very full, were barely able to breathe.
Some of the things I didn’t like: food was salty, overall (including kimchi). Not sure if everything was made salty just for that day, but my friend felt the same way about the salty level. Secondly, the male server that was there was either lazy or doesn’t understand customers requests. We had to repeatedly ask the female server the same things we asked the guy server because he wouldn’t bring us what we asked for (on a side note, the place was pretty empty). Last random comment is that the regular tables (not the booths) were awkwardly too low even to us short girls, so I can’t imagine how tall people would eat comfortably on these tables.
I’m a big big noodle lover, so champong and jajangmyun is always on my food cravings list. I will return to this place for the noodle, hopefully next time won’t increase my sodium level too much.

You want good jajangmyun, you gotta go to Yenjing. I know the popular Korean-​Chinese restaurants are usually known as Golden Buddha or Man Chun Hong, but the jajangmyun here is so darn good. Yenjing is located in the older Koreatown plaza on Buford; the place looks a bit run down and semi-​deserted (especially considering the plaza right next to it hosts Kung Fu Tea and SoKongDong), but Yenjing is a hidden gem.
Yenjing has been around for a while — I remember coming here when I was in middle school, I believe — but the handmade noodles are still as delicious as I remember. The noodles are different. there’s something about the texture and bite that sets it apart from other restaurants that serve jajangmyun. While the other dishes here aren’t too memorable, I will make a solitary trip just for a bowl of the jajangmyun. If you are someone who can tolerate spice and prefer a little kick, Yenjing actually offers a spicy jajangmyun dish — pretty much the same as their regular, but they cook the sauce with hot peppers and it’s literally the greatest thing ever.
I’m normally not a huge fan of jajangmyun, so to say that Yenjing offers one that I find myself craving means something. I would say their other food is just alright and the interior is a bit shabby, but the jajangmyun is worth it and not too expensive. Give it a try!

Used to be a favorite spot until the last two times, I encountered roaches…

So this place has been around in Atlanta forever. It has history. I grew up as a kid coming here. I would normally rate a 3 star since their is so much competition now. Back then in the 90s they were top 3 in Atlanta. The extra star is for the fact that their mapa tofu is still the best in the city IMO. I crave it and for $ 10 they give you a good amount. Their jjajjangmyun is good and their dumplings I definitely recommend. Steamed or boiled.

It’s senseless that the best Chinese spot in town, Gu’s Dumplings, still has three stars, while this seemingly decaying restaurant has four. The food here is not old school Chinese with hard noodles, though the dated décor, likely previous to this restaurant, does seem infinitely ancient. Their main dish, Ja-​Jjang Myun (handmade noodles with a black bean sauce) is as average as I have tasted it. A much better version can be found at Fung Mei in Duluth or plenty of other spots. Everything else we had was forgettable and overall, considering the other restaurants within walking distance, this meal made us sad. I consider myself hoodwinked by the previous Unilocal reviews.

wow, I’m so happy that my friend and hubby introduced me to this place! An old hidden gem that has supposedly been around for a very long time and I can see why.
Our table of 14 arrived last Saturday night for a birthday dinner. The service was a bit slow in getting everyone’s drinks out, and was the typical abrupt, to the point Asian service. Because we were seated at 3 tables put together, we ordered a multitude of dishes and family styled it.
Dishes included:
–jellyfish salad: very vinegary, but could have been a bit tender. Overall, not a dish I would invite a non-​adventurous person to try out since 2 of our guests almost gagged at this.
— Mongolian beef: super delicious! I have had my fair share of super sweet mongolian beefs and this is not one of them. The beef was tender and almost fell apart with little chewing.
— tofu mapo: delicious, delicious, delicious! It was just spicy enough to make your eyes widen, super hearty.
— hot braised chicken — my favorite dish here. It’s similar to a gen. tso’s chicken but with larger pieces and not as much breading.
–sweet and sour chicken: The sauce is a yellow based sauce (pineapples) instead of the typical Chinese red-​sauce version. I like that it wasn’t overly sour. To tone down any excess sourness, try having a bite of the jelly fish salad and then this.
–steamed and pan fried dumplings: the pan fried ones are my fave, but i particularly like the crunchy texture. You really can’t go wrong with either option.
–salt and pepper squid: out of all the dishes, I was most disappointed with this one. The portion was just very small, and although the meat itself was tender, it was a one-​bite and it’s gone dish followed by a lonely, hey… I think I ate something, but I’m not sure kinda feeling.
— Cha Chiang Mein: so very good! This noodle dish comes with the black bean sauce and is absolutely delicious. Our only complaint was that there was more sauce to noodle ratio, but really, is that ever a complaint?
Once the food started coming, it was a constant parade from the kitchen to our table so the wait wasn’t too crazy as it gave us time to re-​decorate each table to make room for all the food.
Service could have been a bit more happy, I think the only thing more sour than our sweet and sour chicken was the waitress.
Overall, delicious Northern style /​Korean– Chinese food with very generous portions. The price tag for all this and more? about $ 180 and that’s super cheap for a family style meal.

It’s an incredible restaurant. The staff were very nice and always attentive. The food is amazing. I always get the shrimp fried rice. The best in town.

This place was supposedly *the* Chinese place in Atlanta 20 years ago. So, it’s fairly big and fancy-​looking inside, if dated. They have a huge, interesting menu, and in my experience they do actually have most of the things on it. I think Yen Jing is run by people of Korean origin; they give you some really spicy kimchi when you sit down, and the menu is in Korean, Chinese, and English.
I generally get the prawn salad (big pile of boiled, peeled shrimp and cucumber slices, with a spicy, almost wasabi-​esque dressing), the hot and sour soup, and maybe the shrimp fried rice. The quality of the shrimp is surprisingly good, especially the really big ones they use in the fried rice.

YenJing is one of the better places for jjajangmyun in the A. It’s also legitimately in the discussion for best jjambbong, fried rice, and mapo tofu. It’s sadly not even an afterthought when it comes to tangsooyook though, but I’ll still order it when I order jjajangmyun… because one does not simply order just jjajangmyun.
Their jjajang recipe is one of the more unique ones I’ve ever seen; besides black bean, it is actually mostly onions. The beef and shrimp may not be as large and concentrated in comparison to others, but the actual jjajang tastes better here.
Each item mentioned is priced in the ballpark of $ 8. Also, the portions are pretty generous.
4.5 stars: While you can argue that Golden Buddha and ManChunHong are better, the prices and portions at YenJing can’t be beat!

Wow. Huge disapointment. Food was blasé and the waitstaff even more so. Nothing like the reviews. Don’t bother!

Great price and delicious black bean noodles. The ambience is your typical 90s opulent Chinese restaurant. The tables are a little sticky and everything is a bit faded — exactly as you want your authentic Chinese restaurant :)

me and my friend was on the way phở dai lo for some hangover remedy and was talking about the old times. He was like is Yen jing still open? Before lots of korean and chinese restaurants moved up to gwinnett county this was a very popular chinese place on buford hwy along with Fung mi. When I walked in, mostly everything was setup exactly same as before. Sunday lunch time here was pretty crazy packed but 10yrs later there were about 6 – 7 tables with customers.
We ordered jjamppong which is a spicy seafood noodle soup, hot braised shrimp and tahng-​soo-​yook which is similar to sweet and sour chicken but with made with clear sweet and sour sauce that has pineapple and other vegetables. also fried dumplings for appetizer.
Food came out in a hurry and everything was really good. Better than I thought it was gonna be actually.
I will be back to try out their jjajangmyun which is black bean sauce noodles.
so few chinese does good jjamppong and jjajangmyun

My family has been coming here for as long as I can remember Buford Highway, and I’m always down to go.
We always get the panfriend chinese roll (NOT TO BE MISSED! If they aren’t out of them get one!) It’s a hot bread thing that’s a little crispy on the outside but soft and almost noodley on the inside. That may sound weird, but just get it.
We also always split the hot braised chicken, spinach and tofu and seafood panfriend noodles. So much food for what is normally 3 people, but so cheap and we normally put it away. I thing we got some kind of crab rangoon-​like thing one time, but I honestly can’t remember ordering anything else ever. We’re creatures of habit I guess. If it ain’t broke…
I’m sure there are some weird/​lesser things on the menu, but these things that we get are always good.

Well, I’m surprised that Yen Jin is actually a Korean Chinese restaurant. I totally thought it was an authentic Chinese restaurant.
We ordered sweet and sour chicken and some shrimp dish. It was not great considering my friend did not eat chicken more than two bites. But it was not that bad considering that I almost finished that chicken. I liked how dishes were presented. But I have to admit, it’s not authentic.
The service is okay. The ambience reminds me of China in 80s.

I remember back in the day when Golden Buddha was the only Chinese/​Korean restaurant serving Jja Jang Myun and Jam Pong — then Yen Jing came along then Man Chun Hong and later others. I used to go to Yen Jing a lot then somehow forgot about them — until my friend said she thought Yen Jing had the best Jja Jang Myun in Atlanta. I finally went on Friday and I have to agree — their sauce is very good.
CHA CHIANG MEIN — $ 5.95 (lunch special)
Their menu spells Jja Jang Myun as «Cha Chiang Mein» — not sure if that’s the Chinese phonetic spelling but I think Man Chun Hong uses the same spelling. In any case, their sauce has the nice smoky flavor, and includes chopped white onions and pork. The noodles don’t look handmade but I still like them. The noodles have peas too — random, haha. I liked my lunch so much I ordered two more «to go» (and asked for uncooked noodles with lots of flour) for my parents next time I visit them — just put the sauce and noodles in the freezer for storage. Lunch also comes with kimchi and picked peppers. My only complaint was the water tasted straight from the sink :(
Next time I’d like to try their Jam Pong (spelled «San Shan Seafood» in their menu) which is a spicy seafood noodle soup, another popular Chinese/​Korean dish.
FYI lunch specials are available Tue-​Fri 11:30−3pm, and cost $ 5.95÷6.95÷7.95. Closed Mondays.

The food was pretty good. We got the garlic chicken ($ 10) and Mapo tofu ($ 9). Both were large portions and were good. They give you free rice too. In the past the jajang myun (black bean sauce noodles) were good but too sweet. The lunch portion Beef with Veggies ($ 7.95) is good and the portions are very fair. The tang soo yook was decent but it comes with a lot of batter crumbs to give the illusion of quantity. It tastes like it’s freshly made unlike some places that have the pork pre-​cooked.
The service wasn’t too bad either. I just wish I didn’t see the owner grab fortune cookies from the busing cart. They always come back to check on you for things and water refill. The service is pretty quick as well.
The location is next to So Kong Dong Tofu in a lesser frequented shopping center. I don’t think any of the other businesses there get much traffic. The outside is not that appealing, which is why people would easily pass it up. The inside is very dated (about 20+ years old). There are things that should be updated.
Overall, it’s not a bad Chinese Korean option in Doraville.

So Yen Jing has been one of the «parental-​approved» Chinese restaurants in the Atlanta area for the past 20-​some years we’ve been here. Some restaurants change their flavor when they change owners and whatnot, but Yen Jing has remained the same. They’re not located in a super active plaza – it’s pretty quiet there and somewhat easy to miss.
That said, most of the time I go visit, Yen Jing seems pretty quiet inside. The space is pretty big, but usually there’s just a few tables. So that makes the place feel a bit slower. The interior looks a bit old, in terms of tables, booths, chairs, etc. However, the original design (Chinese style) is pretty nice and should be kept! Compared to the newer places, the interior gives off an «older» feel, but don’t let this turn you away! Because the food is where it’s at!
Food:
Right off the bat, the family favorites are the jajiangmien and jampong (that’s the Korean name) noodles, the «Gan Pong Ji» (Chinese name, not sure what the English name is), and the «Wu Xiang Ji.» These are the top ones I’d definitely recommend. So in more detail:
Their noodles are made by themselves. It gives a really nice texture – I’m a complete fan! They’re not too chewy, and they’re not mushy or anything like that. Yen Jing should definitely get more shout-​outs for their homemade noodles. The two main noodle dishes that we order is jajiangmien and jampong. The jajiangmien is a really dark sauce with not much else in it, but there’s something about the flavor of Yen Jing’s jajiang that keeps us coming back. It’s hard to pinpoint and describe the unique flavor, but I think it’s the high heat and wok (or whatever they use to cook it in) that gives it the special touch. Anyway, this is a must-​try, and I’d think I’d recommend it over the jampong. The jampong is also really good with an appreciable amount of seafood (squid, mussel, shrimp). I usually choose jampong when I’m craving spicy soup and seafood. I’m usually not a soup-​noodle person, but Yen Jing’s jampong is the exception.
I think their «Gan Pong Ji» is one of their classics as well. They do a great job keeping the chicken crispy, even in the sauce. There’s a good integration of the meat and sauce so you actually taste the sauce permeating into the chicken. I think some other places don’t do it well because the chicken just tastes like the sauce was just poured on and mixed around. I’m not sure what «gan pong ji» is listed as on the menu, but that’s the Chinese name that my family always calls it. It’s not the kung pao chicken or the sweet and sour chicken though.
The Wu Xiang Ji is a cold plate (might be an appetizer, I’m not sure… but it’s a substantial amount!) The chicken is marinated in a very strong vinegar-​based sauce. It’s pretty refreshing to eat, and the cucumbers and cilantro compliment the sour taste really well.
Service:
The food usually arrives pretty fast, which I always appreciate. They give two complimentary appetizers for you to munch on while you wait for your food to arrive. Usually the waiters/​waitresses are really attentive in coming around to re-​fill your water and asking if everything is okay.
Overall, highly recommend! For all these years, Yen Jing’s taste has remained consistent and authentic!

I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Our family goes for almost every birthday, graduation, and I even had a wedding event here in their side room. I actually just came back from celebrating my 25^th birthday there!
My favorites include hot braised chicken, seafood noodle soup, hot and sour soup, braised tofu with vegetables, and more. Every dish has a distinct, amazing flavor that’s pretty indescribable.
The restaurant is getting a little old and run down, but the food is still as amazing as ever!!! Yen jing is truly a buford highway classic that I love!