Ypbor Yan (Emerald City)

Excellent Szechuan. Try the poached fish!

Went here with Boyfriend today after touring apartments. Food was great! HUGE portions. We ordered 2 entrees and would have been very happy if each of us got a small cup of soup and we split an entree. Food was not entirely "american friendly", for instance having bones in it or unfamiliar seasonings. Very authentic from my POV as a white girl, but there are LOTS of "safe" things to order on the menu if you're not adventurous. Had the duck and salt miner beef, both wonderfully flavorful and satisfying. Staff was sweet - made sure to offer Boyfriend fork as he is not the best with chopsticks, but also didn't press when he refused (have had other places INSIST on bringing us forks/spoons in the past). Tea is great, typical of the restaurant type. Sesame balls are delicious, and I am a great lover of sesame balls and make them myself so please take my word these are particularly good ones. Atmosphere is amazing! Loved the look of the place, also loved the big fish tank in the front room - it is obviously well cared for even if it might seem "bare" to some people, but goldfish need a LOT of space to move around in and they have that. Honestly, food, staff, and atmosphere all solid 10 out of 10. The only things I would even think to complain about are the restrooms - they are clean and well decorated, however they are downstairs (not wheelchair accessible) and they have some... Improvised locking mechanisms. For instance there was a chain lock on my stall, allowing the door to swing open 2-3 inches. It also is not very fast. Not a BAD wait, but don't expect to be served in 3 minutes like some of these other reviewers seem to think they should be. Have patience, it is worth it. Overall, loved this place. Will be coming again and when I do will add to this review!

Always have some really good authentic food here. Lots of vegetarian options, even ones made with mock meat! Family style eating, and an enjoyable experience overall.

The food is excellent, I'd give 4 stars. The wait time was not. It was a very busy night (the weekend of graduations, so they may have been caught off guard) but we (party of 6) waited 45 minutes to be seated and then 45 additional minutes to place our order. The food took another 30-45 minutes, came out a dish at a time and the appetizer we ordered was the last to hit the table. I saw a couple seated at the same time and they had the same experience.

I've been here on less busy nights and the service was better but still slow. They've got their food figured out very well but need to work on the logistics side of the dining experience. If you're in no hurry I'd definitely recommend the place for anyone who wants tasty Sichuan style Chinese food.