Yu Yu Za Zang

How I miss thee, Yu Yu Za Zang. Now that I’ve moved to the hell that is suburbia, I must now suffer without my favorite comfort soup, your jam pong. I also love the ja jang myun, and the dumplings — both the poached and the fried ones. I’ll never get over it. Never.

Moons ago when I first moved to the Temescal I was thinking hmm, this stretch of avenue looks as if it might turn into something interesting some day. And lo!
In this space on that morning previously stood a Chinese buffet style hot counter with ladies that would make you go home with three times what you came for but it was pretty much a dollar an item so who cared and besides, it was like the joint you’d stumble into after visiting the methadone clinic next door (there isn’t one but it works for the story) and you would be all full of methadone and hungry so what difference did it make anyway.
Those days, even though methadone chicken was pretty much right outside my front door I’d frequent safer-​looking places on College or over Piedmont way.
Not no more. Such a delicious and friendly replacement for the space. And I know that sometimes my taste is in my mouth but from the packed house with frequency and the smiling faces and the other reviews here — this is working and worth the trip.
Lucky me that the trip is pretty much ten giant steps from my living room.

kinda expensive for what you get, but local and the people are nice — only tried the Chinese menu.

After ordering take outs from Yu Yu Za Zang for dinner twice, we have come to an agreement that their jampong and ja jang myun are better than the ones at Korya Ja Jang. We’ve now found a regular spot to satisfy our cravings for those two dishes.
I must admit that I was bit skeptical about the food since it wasn’t busy the first time I came to pick up. But once I got home and started putting everything together, I was pleasantly surprised that the flavor of both dishes were on point.
My son loved his extra spicy jampong. He ate everything in his bowl, didn’t even leave a drop of soup. I went for the half jampong and half ja jang myun. I liked them both equally so it’s nice that they offer the half & half, that way I don’t have to choose one over the other. My soup was regular spicy.
We’ll definitely keep coming back…

Review #033 — 2016
After ordering take outs from Yu Yu Za Zang for dinner twice, we have come to an agreement that their jampong and ja jang myun are better than the ones at Korya Ja Jang. We’ve now found a regular spot to satisfy our cravings for those two dishes.
I must admit that I was bit skeptical about the food since it wasn’t busy the first time I came to pick up. But once I got home and started putting everything together, I was pleasantly surprised that the flavor of both dishes were on point.
My son loved his extra spicy jampong. He ate everything in his bowl, didn’t even leave a drop of soup. I went for the half jampong and half ja jang myun. I liked them both equally so it’s nice that they offer the half & half, that way I don’t have to choose one over the other. My soup was regular spicy.
We’ll definitely keep coming back…

Newer, cleaner, with the same simplicity in austerity décor; this location is not quite a hole in the wall but the die hard fans of their JjaJjang and Yang Jang Pin know that neither to location nor the décor matters when the food speak for itself. This is a family run, husband and wife team which makes eating local and supporting a family run place something we all can get behind.
My favorite things to get: 1) Gan JjaJjanng and 2) Yamg Jang Pi. If I could fit more in my stomach then I would probably order one of everything. Too delicious…

My first visit since they moved from down the street and were Chef Yu before. Maybe they need to cut costs for the higher rent but it used to be better. Don’t get me wrong it’s not the best zza zang but it was decent.
Today the zza zang was just ok. They didn’t give enough sauce to accompany the noodles and it was not very hot in temperature when receiving it. The kampoongi or spucy fried chicken was more breading than chicken and a bit on the salty side.
This location is larger and more spacious than the prior but that doesn’t help the food. Service is what you would expect for a casual Korean/​Chinese restaurant.

I love the place here! The food is so good and reasonably priced. I love their jajangmyun and the fried dumplings :) the also serve you free hot tea if you ask !

I’m not the largest jajangmyun fan but their noodles here are quite good. I’ve always gone go Koryo but felt that it was way too heavy– it’s like a carb party in your stomach afterwards.
My favorite would probably be the dumplings tho. The skin wasn’t too thick which I loved because again, too much dough takes away from the flavor of the meat itself.
Try their Gan Za Zang if you’re like me and don’t want something too heavy. It’s basically like the Za Zang Myun but the sauce is less thick and salty so it doesn’t feel like it’s too much!

Dumplings.
Post-​hike, we were craving dumplings. Unfortunately, our hike ended at that awkward linner time when most Chinese places close their doors to transition from lunch to dinner. After some Unilocaling, our search led us here.
The 12 pieces of poached dumplings for $ 7.95 were on-​point and satiated our dumplings demands. As for our second entrée, we couldn’t ignore the frequently-​mentioned tang su yuk, $ 13.95, which is deep-​fried beef served with a homemade sweet&sour sauce steeped with vegetables. Neither of us had heard of this dish before, so there was some intense Google searching to figure out what it was and whether it was tasty. The Google search was satisfactory, and we subbed the beef for chicken in light of my friend’s dietary preferences.
When the dish arrived, we were surprised to find the fried chicken accompanied by a huge bowl of sauce and suspended vegetables. We started consuming the dish and were disappointed by the fact that the flour coating overpowered the meager amount of chicken, and the chicken was overall tasteless. We generously dipped our chicken into the sauce, which was wonderfully tangy and unique, but that wasn’t enough to compensate for the blandness of the chicken and the coating. For the first time, I wish I had a bit of salt.
We acknowledged that the dish might taste better with fried beef than fried chicken. We also realized that we should have poured the sauce over the chicken. But keeping it separate maintained the integrity of the crispiness, so no biggie.
Loved the dumplings, but the tang su yuk ain’t for me.

I used to frequent Yu yu’s old location on Telegraph and 40^th St. This one is just as good and in a better location closer to the main action in the Temescal neighborhood. Their jajangmyun is still the best I’ve ever had and I’ve tried many places in the Bay Area (Koryo is just soso) and LA. They use a special flour to make their noodles and they just know how to make the black bean sauce super delicious.
There isn’t much else to say! My favorite is the gan jajang and tong su yuk, but I’ll occasionally get the sweet and sour shrimp to mix it up.

It’s like the watered down version of jjajjangmyun. Same with the cchamppong.
Noodles were thin, sauce didn’t have much «chunkiness» to it, and they didn’t put any of the seafood stuff. Think of it as… a fast food version of real jjajjang. It’s not terrible, and prices were pretty good. I’d still come back, since there isn’t a good alternative out there anymore, but I’ll still keep searching in norcal.
kkampunggi was whatevs, i think I’m used to the actual wings with the sauce. This was more like sweet and sour chicken.
I however, really enjoyed the mulmandoo. (Sorry, i can’t type in korean with this computer)

I adore this new location. Parking is a bit harder because it’s in a more poppin’ part of Telegraph, but you can circle around a few times and find street parking. Or if you’re coming from campus, just take the 1 towards Bay Fair.
It’s the Korean style of jjajjangmien– my absolute favorite noodle dish. I recommend getting the ‘gan’ jjajjang, where the noodles come separate from the sauce, which has been additionally pan fried.
I love that you can speak in either Korean or English and all the ladies will fully understand you. Great service.

Starving after classes, my boyfriend and I hopped on the bus towards Oakland in order to get a quick, cheap fix of delicious comfort food. We arrived around 3 so it was understandable that the restaurant was empty, save for the employees having a lunch break at the table closest to the kitchen. We sat down, ordered 1 bowl of normal Jjajangmyun, 1 bowl of Gan Jjajang, and a plate of Ganpungi to share (we were hungry…).
The Jjajangmyun was absolutely delicious — I like it a lot better than Koryo Jajang because the black bean sauce was thick and filled with various chopped up vegetables, coating the chewy noodles beautifully. It’s addicting — I have found my new place for Jjajangmyun!
My boyfriend got the Gan Jjajang, which has a different taste from the normal black bean noodle sauce — the sauce contains lots of different vegetables such as onions and is served separately from the noodle so you can combine them yourself! It was good, but I prefer the normal Jjajangmyun for myself~
The Ganpungi left a little to be desired. The sauce was good and filled with peas and carrots, but the chicken felt too soggy from the sauce for me. The fried chicken was a bit too chewy and kind of fatty tasting? Maybe next time I’ll try the tangsuyuk instead — that looks better since they serve the sauce on the side so it preserves the crispiness of the fried meat (which is always a plus).
Overall I’d come back just for the noodles and maybe try out more of their menu!

Second time here. Service is excellent. The young lady in the front is VERY sweet and friendly.
Their gan zazang is very tasty! I’ve tried zazang in the area and this place is the best. I drive at least 45 min just to eat here!
Im gonna try their tangsuyook and other dishes next time.

NEW LOCATION YET SAME DISH — TANG SUE YUK
For a couple of years I had been eating at the old location close to the MacArthur Bart Station. The one dish that had kept me coming back was tang sue yuk, a Korean-​style version of sweet and sour over deep fried breaded meat. Instead of the standard pork in sweet and sour dishes the meat is beef. What makes this version much better than Chinese version I’ve had is the sweet and sour sauce at Yu Yu Za Zang. The color of the sauce isn’t a bright red color but a dark caramel color. Since the sauce is homemade the taste is naturally sweet not overly sweet as the sweet and sour sauces you see at grocery stores.
I had been craving for some tang sue yuk for some time, but I didn’t know the restaurant moved to a new location five months ago. Luckily the new location of this restaurant is closer to my studio than the old location however trying to find parking in the revamped Temescal district on Telegraph is difficult to find as I found out this past Tuesday night. The same waitress at the old location is still at this new location. She recognized me because I only order one main dish tang sue yuk with a side order of rice.
Besides the sauce what makes tang sue yuk special? I don’t know how this dish is cooked at other Korean restaurants, but over here the sweet and sour sauce and the breaded meat aren’t mixed together. In fact they’re cooked separately. This is evident when this dish is served to you. I mentioned the color and taste of the sweet and sour sauce, but when this sauce is served to you in a bowl it is piping hot. I don’t pour the sauce all over the deep fried breaded meat. I take one piece of beef at a time and dip it into the sauce. This keeps the rest of the deep fried, breaded beef crispy. There are other items on the menu, but they don’t stand out as with the tang sue yuk. One bite of this dish at this restaurant will change your perception of sweet and sour pork you’ve been eating at Chinese restaurants.
I normally don’t detail the décor of restaurants in my reviews as I only care about the taste of the food. The inside layout of the old location was a dive and cramped while this new location inside has a modern and spacious layout. I believe the layout inside this new location makes the staff more organized and relaxed
I will definitely come here again for some tang sue yuk. I just hope next time I don’t have difficulties finding parking.

New location is definitely a step up — cleaner bigger brighter. Kind of a Korean/​Chinese fusion place with although not a large menu many good rice, noodle, and fried options. Food comes out quickly and is hot fresh and tasty…
Good option and worth a try…

My new favorite Korean-​style Chinese food spot in Oakland.
This new location is quite nice, it is bright and they have plenty of tables. Service was stern, but effective. If there is one thing that stood out to me was that everything tasted very fresh (which unfortunately is not always the case at similar places). The Tangsuyuk crispy sweet and sour pork was nice. The sauce was served on the side in case you fall on the ‘dipping is better’ side of the debate. The fried dumplings were nice and tasted homemade. The fried rice was good. I was surprised at how juicy the chicken in it was. The jajangmyun/​zazang mien was not bad either. It tasted legit to me.
I will definitely come back.

Yu Yu moved from down the street and took over the New Ho Ho Chinese space next to Bowl’d BBQ.
Same menu with mix of Chinese and Korean-​Chinese items, but with Za Zang (aka Jja Jang Myun) in the name, you probably should stick with the Korean-​Chinese items.
Side dishes include pickled daikon and raw white onions with black bean sauce dip (
). Pro-​tip: Pour some of the vinegar over the onions.
You can get the mandu (boiled or fried) in a half-​order (
)
I like the Gan Za Zang where they stir-​fry the sauce with meat (choice of beef or pork or seafood (The seafood option isn’t on the menu, but writen in Korean on the wall.)) and onions. It’s a thicker sauce than the regular Za Zang and the sauce is served in a separate bowl for you to mix in.
I like the Za Zang here better than Koryo down the street (handmade noodles + generally more proteins). .. plus they have an alcohol license here ;-)

I was rolling around Oaktown in my Whip and was looking for a lunch spot .
I looked at my Unilocal bookmarks and Yu Yu Za Zang popped up .
So I rolled there. I found Street Parking a Block away. No Parking lot .
So I street hiked to Yu Yu Za Zang .
I was Greeted and Seated
Its a good sixed Restaurant .
Theres 12 Tables to Dine in at .
There is a Unisex Restroom for Patrons.
I perused the Menu and Ordered a Half Order Of Fried Pot stickers, Combination Fried Rice and Tang Sue Yuk.
My Waitress dropped off a Pitcher of Ice Water and some Banchan .
My Waitress brought my order of Fried Potstickers by .
They were Pretty Tasty .
Out next was my Tang Sue Yuk and my Combination Fried Rice.
The Tang Sue Yuk was Excellent and a Nice Sized Portion.
The Fried Rice had a nice Mixture of Meat and Shrimp in it
They only Accept Visa or Master Card .
I paid my Bill and left to go do my Community Service.

So glad I decided to try Yu Yu Za Zang on a Sunday afternoon! It was perfect for lunch, and I was very satisfied.
I ordered the following –
— tang sue yuk — I thought it was nice how they served the sauce separately for you to pour over the deep fried beef. Flavor was good!
— ganpoongki — Very different from the ganpoongki I usually get from SF, but good nonetheless! No bones to worry about. It was a unique flavor for ganpoongki — this was more spicy. One of my favorites of the day actually.
— poached dumplings (mul mandu) — YUM. I think this was my favorite. It was cooked perfectly, and the flavor was delicious.
— Zazangmyun: I was craving zazangmyun which is why I decided to stop by in the first place! The zazangmyun was good, but I must admit that I’ve had better. San Wang in San Francisco is my go-​to zazangmyun place. I really like how it’s not just sauce and noodles, but the sauce itself is filled with goodies like shrimp, onion, etc. This was more plain, with mostly just sauce and noodles. But the sauce was still tasty, so I was happy!
The location is very convenient, right on Telegraph Avenue, easily accessible for people in Oakland and Berkeley. The restaurant itself is large and clean. And the prices were cheap!
Overall, I enjoyed the food here and would likely come again! Hope this place gets the business it deserves!

Yu Yu Za Zang is the old Chef Yu from down the street. lunch menu available, standard, mandarin, szechwan, cantonese items.
eats: ka pao chicken (7.95,lunch)
–chunks of chewy chicken breasts
–slightly spicy.
–lots of food, rice
take outs:
–best bet is the korean noodle dishes (za zang mein, ja pong).
not on any specials
–a lot more spicy
–lots of seating here over the old place.

hubs and I have been going to this place for years. love their fried rice, mongolian beef, their dumplings, crab & cheese puffs, wonton soup, and schezuan beef.
call in to pick up is really easy.
they moved a few blocks away from their original location. the new place is well ventilated, larger and cleaner but parking is harder to find.