Yuan Yuan 缘源 — Restaurant in Minneapolis

So we went there about a month ago, and it was delicious. we had the peanut butter chicken. The chicken fried rice could've used more flavor but still better than most. Also, the Singapore Mai fun was really good. Some places add too much curry powder, which makes the texture gritty, but this place made it perfect. Some of the prices on the menu are wrong, though, so beware. at that time, I gave it 5 stars, food, 5 stars. Now I went there last night 1/10/24 we ordered the exact same thing and it was totally different food, totally different chicken fried rice and Singapore mai fun I don't know what seasoning they put in there but it wasn't right and it was bad the taste lingered I could taste it all day. We called and they said next time we can get a free meal but we spent $27 and we live 1/2 hour away we are not going to drive back into the city to return the food that was not good and if it wasn't going to be the same food as a month ago we would've chosen to eat something different. We still ate the peanut butter chicken and rice, but nowhere near as good, and I spent about $15 on the rice noodles that most likely will be going in the trash.

So I was in the area and decided to try again and it was delicious. I had lunch where you can get rice and or noodles with two sides they have a hot bar for you to choose from it was great. I had rice and noodles with peanut butter chicken and pork mushroom, something it was so good! This place hasn't been the most consistent, but it's still better than most, and that's...

Best Chinese place in the area for sure and my go to Chinese restaurant. Prices are VERY reasonable. I'm obsessed with the peanut butter chicken! The dumplings are not like the picture on the menu, they are more like potstickers which is a shame but still ok, the dipping sauce is really good when they don't use too much oil. The fried rice is better than most places, though I wish it was BBQ pork and not roasted. The hot and sour soup is also better than most places but could be a little more flavorful. The Mai Fun is ok and much like every other restaurant, I might try to order the Lo Mein with Mai Fun noodles next time because I like that style and sauce better but not a fan of the thicker spaghetti type noodles. The Mongolian Beef is VERY good! I will have to start remembering to ask for the spicy items to be extra spicy. I may be a white girl from MN but I put hot sauce on everything and like my food HIGHLY seasoned, do with that...

I have read many negative reviews of this lovely gem on the North side, and I am disappointed in the outrageous expectations of some people. I have been lovingly ordering from Yuan Yuan for the past 5 years, since I moved into the neighborhood. Not only do the people who answer the phone absolutely DO speak English, but their delivery drivers often show up almost exactly when quoted. Their prices are extremely reasonable for "chinese take-out", and their dishes have always, without exception, arrived at my house hot (or cold- whichever the particular delicacy is supposed to be). If you order ahead, you can expect to wait only a few minutes to pick up your order in the store. The employees are always polite, and the food is always mind-blowingly delicious. My favorite is the Chicken with Garlic Sauce Dinner combo, and their Steamed Dumpling Sauce is THE SINGLE greatest thing I have ever put in my mouth. Word to the haters:...