Shen Hua

CLOSED 2914 College Ave./Ashby Ave., Elmwood, (510) 883-1777. L Tu-Sat, D Tu-Sun; $-$$. Reservations accepted.

dining room at Shen Hua in Berkeley, California

Featuring a contemporary décor of dark wood tables and chairs brightened by Tuscan-gold walls, huge windows, and a high ceiling, this Chinese restaurant presents Northern-style Beijing and Sichuan cuisine. Shen Hua has a full bar in the front and a large open kitchen in the back. Noodles (my favorite is the simple-but-wonderful garlic noodles), some dim sum, and crispy oversize pot stickers are housemade daily. Winning dishes include peppery hot and sour soup, dry sautéed green beans, spicy dry fried chicken prepared with ginger and garlic, Andy’s chicken sautéed with red hot peppers and fermented black beans, deep-fried cherry pork in a colorful ginger-cherry sauce, spicy Sichuan dry-fried prawns, and walnut prawns. There is also a good-sized vegetarian section on the menu. Tea brews are exotic and cost additional. Lunch specials are well-priced at around $9 to $10 and include complimentary hot and sour soup and a mild kim chee (or other appetizer). Lunch menu choices include many house favorites as well as a dim sum menu (both the green shrimp-and-chive dumplings and the steamed BBQ pork buns are particularly delicious).

dining room at Shen Hua in Berkeley, California

lunch menu at Shen Hua in Berkeley, California

dim sum menu at Shen Hua in Berkeley, California

garlic noodles and cherry pork at Shen Hua in Berkeley, California

terracotta warrior statue at Shen Hua in Berkeley, California

2020 pandemic update: The restaurant is no longer open for lunch. Hours now are Tuesday through Sunday 4 to 8 p.m., for take-out only. I recently ordered up garlic noodles, spicy garlic eggplant, and BBQ pork buns, which was enough food to feed two people for three meals.