On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
"if we could come here every week, we would!! dennis and team are so gracious, flexible, helpful and pleasant! a recent night found us with a…" read more »
Loading...
It's okay Chinese-ish food. I think with the lunch special, you actually end up getting a half egg-roll which is kind of disconcerting. It sits on top of a fried wrapper and covered in the sweet and sour sauce. The soup was pretty much sour and sour soup.
I got take out but it looks kind of nice on the inside. Not spicy and heavy on the vinegar. It was completely empty during lunch hour though.
I can only assume that the folks giving rave reviews for this place don't get out much.
If quantity of food is your qualifier, then Ten Fu gets a five star rating. If quality of food and cleanliness of the restaurant mean anything then a two star is being generous.
I've had the misfortune of eating at this tired, dirty dive on three separate occasions with a buddy who thinks it's "the best Chinese food in the world". He smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day, so I have to conclude that his sense of taste is irreparably destroyed.
Do yourself a favor and try Yat Sing in Redwood City rather than subject your body to the garbage that comes out of the kitchen at Ten Fu.
I've only been here for lunch and I am very pleased with the food and the service. The meals have been delicious and they give you more than enough to satiate your hunger. The luncheon specials are a true bargain and it's delivered fast, hot and expertly prepared.
Only down side is the older woman who works there (is she an owner?) who has this need to watch Chinese soaps while you're attempting to have a quiet lunch or chat with your party. She turns the volume up way too loud and just watches the tube. WTH - not what I'd expect... but the food and service makes up for for this minute indiscretion.
I wasn't extremely impressed with the food at this restaurant. My spicy schezuan dish tasted like Italian spaghetti sauce over rice, and it wasn't that spicy come to think of it. The restaurant itself is nice, and service is good. I guess when you see fork on every plate instead of chopsticks, you should beware.
I've ordered takeout from Tenfu a couple of times now and I have found it to be consistent, but not amazing. Both times I ordered a chicken dish and my friend had a tofu dish. The flavor and seasoning were tasty and the food was well cooked.
The most impressive part of the experience is the customer service because they have been willing to make vegetarian dishes specially for my friend. Very friendly and helpful when ordering, too (made a suggestion for probably a better dish).
I'll keep going back because I know what I'm getting myself into, and there aren't that many options in MP.
I haven't had Tenfu chinese food in a long time but it used to be a go-to take-out ordering spot for my family. I love their hot & sour soup, spring rolls, and most other basic items. The food is not too greasy and leaves you feeling like you've had a somewhat not-horrible-for-you-chinese-food-eating-experienc e...
Many, many New Years' Eves ago I enjoyed dinner at Tenfu with my high school boyfriend and another couple. We felt very grown up going to dinner on our own before we could even drive and the service was still friendly though we were clearly the youngest customers...
People thought this was:
Three words: Honey Walnut Prawns!!
They are SO good at Ten Fu! I have never tasted prawns so succulent, creamy, fried to a crisp perfection, and not to mention huge. I nearly died afterwards, I had eaten so many and I was completely stuffed, but this is the kind of dish you just cannot stop eating! The glazed walnuts are a perfect crunchy addition to the sticky sweet fried prawns. Next time I will NOT go with my brother, he is a prawn hog :(
Ten Fu is one of my all-time favorite Chinese restaurants. The food is comparable to Su Hong, if not better, the staff are wonderful people (I used to run into the owner working out at my gym all the time, he is SO nice!), and the ambiance is made very peaceful with the presence of a large wall-sized waterfall in the back of the dining area. Each table receives the minimal ornamentation of a single flower in a tall, thin vase. The space is relatively small, but don't let that deter you from bringing a large birthday or special occasion group here! I have done it many a time, and Ten Fu is perfect for such events. Their delicious Chinese dishes are meant for sharing in massive amounts amongst many hungry, happy people :) Chinese food in general tends to work well for large groups, and Ten Fu has the added bonus of a wonderful attentive staff to wait on your party.
Some of my favorite dishes:
Honey Walnut Prawns
Cashew Chicken
General's Chicken
Fried Banana for dessert
I'm keeping this place in mind for my upcoming birthday feast :)
People thought this was:
I found a ROACH at the bottom of my take out box of chicken chow mein. I called to let them know and all they offered was another order of chow mein. OH HELL F*CKING NO. I couldn't believe I consumed all those roach tainted noodles...
Never ever, ever, ever, ever, EVAR going back!
People thought this was:
Not really sure how this place is still in business since it's always empty, but I do stop by every once in a while. The food is pretty consistent and you can order things that aren't on the menu (the jjajangmyun I had wasn't too good though). I'd much rather eat here than Su Hong.
+ a star since the owner grew up with my dad in the same tiny town of Korea
My co-workers and I come here from time to time for lunch. The food is consistent with good flavor (sometimes a little more salt than I care for). The lunch plates come with your choice of rice (fried, white, or brown) I think you can choose chow mein too. After our order is taken bowls of hot and sour soup appear in front of us. The main dish follows soon after and then the bill. This is a great place to go for lunch. The food is prepared pretty quickly.
Every time we go my boss orders this Korean soup. I don't know if it's on the menu but the waiter always remembers him and has the kitchen make a serving up for him.
People thought this was:
I had a nice dinner and enjoyed the food. Staff is great and friendly, and one lady is so cute. Wonder if she is single.
Will have to go back and try to find out.
People thought this was:
I don't know why keep ending up eating at these "Chinese" restaurants which are just catered to the American taste buds. The food is about as Chinese as Democracy. Not going to dock them too much since they probably are focusing on the non-Asian demographics and the portions are quite generous. The restaurant itself is pretty clean and pleasant so I will commend them on that as well. But in general, no Chinese person should ever step foot into this place.
People thought this was:
I heard the food from this place was good. My brother brought home some take out and shared...Miracle.
It was pretty good, I have to agree with some of the other reviewers.
Fried Rice was pretty dry and not oily at all. I found the Steamed Rice to be really dry too but I still enjoyed them.
Beef with Broccoli was my favorite, it was really yummy, great flavor, but more beef would have been nice.
Chow Mein was okay a little oily for my taste.
The other items were good too.
I actually took the rest of it for lunch the next day, even after reheating the fried rice was not oily. Actually I found the food to be a lot better after reheating.
So glad my brother shared. I would come back for take out again.
People thought this was:
The restaurant is owned by Chinese people who are very nice and very friendly. I think they've hired a new waitress who is always on top of things. She definitely makes sure that our waters are refilled and that our meals are satisfactory.
The food itself is okay. Lunch special ranges from 6.95 to 7.95 and of course you can order off the normal menu which ranges from 6.96 to about 12.95. Reasonably priced for the amount of food and the type of food you're getting. It's very spacious and well-decorated. Pleasantly lit, many windows letting in beautiful sunshine, and all in all pretty good feeling to be in.
Only thing I would say is that they bring you your check pretty quickly. About 15 minutes after they give you your meal they'll bring the check with the fortune cookies. Good thing about it is that they don't rush you to pay but then again I've never been there when it's super busy and there's a line waiting for a seat.
All in all pretty good. This is my sister and my go-to place whenever I visit her to get lunch @ her workplace.
Tenfu was around in 1986 when I first visited this place. I remember this clearly because that was when my older bro left Hong Kong and attended nearby Menlo College. Our family came to visit him and he proudly took us to his favorite restaurant, and ordered his top dish for us. He too was disturbed at the lack of good Chinese food in the area at the time (not much changed 21 years later), but eventually found comfort here whenever he felt homesick.
He also brushed up on his writing skills then after winning a short story competition in Hong Kong for the local newspaper, even beating his high school English teacher to win FIRST prize, and as there was no Yelp back then, he worked for the school newspaper, The Menlo Oak. One day he wrote and published a review of Chinese restaurants in the area, and also mentioned Su Hong nearby. But the one that won his heart, was Ten Fu. Last time I ate here some 4+ years ago, that old Menlo Oak framed review he wrote was still there, although posted by the side windows facing the parking lot. The owners I'm sure were thrilled by the only then top review of the place, which in today's Yelpalicious world, no longer counts as sufficient e-cred.
That review of his for Ten Fu, which was literally a glowing Yelp style 5 stars for him, was based on ONE dish only. It was not Chopstick Suzy (aka chop suey), Sweet N' Sour anything, or General MoFo Chicken deal, but just a common plate of stir fried chow fun, with bbq pork.
But he had to customize it to make it extra special. And only he could have the waitstaff or owners/managers do it right for him. The trick was to order this dish with extra garlic and extra chili oil. While this tasted very little like a Cantonese style prep, it was actually not bad at all. The BBQ pork of course is not the authentic Canto style, and looked very bright red (re: artificial coloring) but the meld of flavors from this custom order was quite a hearty and delicious meal. The same dish and prep 20 years later tasted pretty good.
Now my brother is not terribly adventurous, and even when he does drop by within the past 20 years, he still orders the same dish, but sometimes with variations.
Like Kung Pao beef chow fun
or Mongolian beef chow fun
of course with extra garlic, extra chili sauce. I still think the bbq pork one is best.
I wonder what he will try next? General MoFo chow fun? With extra ammo, swords on the side, belligerence, and extra HELLA SPICY testosterone?
But when you come in by yourself and try to custom order this, the waitstaff will give you a WTF look, and say we don't do that.
My brother knew the owners very well and at the time they had a little boy. 20 years later the little boy now mans the front or at least is the manager. I think the parents have retired but still show up every now and then.
I came here another time without my brother, and ordered the beef chow fun (without the extra garlic and extra chili sauce) and it was just ok. We also tried their beef noodle soup, and while the noodles were somewhat similar to Shandong restaurant quality (but not quite), the broth was overly sweet and they added stuff like cabbage and carrots, peas and canned baby corn in, you know...filler material for stir fry meat dishes to cheapen the experience at a higher price that many Americanized Chinese and authentic Chinese restaurants do.
If Tenfu's chefs and owners ported over the cusiine from their homeland exactly without dumbing down the recipes to cater to localized tastes, I'm sure it would be truly fantastic and unique. Unfortunately, a business can only thrive based on what customers want, and if they want the moo shoo swine and Captain Ausfahrt Beef, then even expat immigrant Chinese and their 1st gen offspring will have to settle for fare like this, unless they want to go elsewhere.
3 maximum stars when they nail down my brother's favorite, but can't say the same for other offerings. Best Chinese restaurant along the short strip of El Camino through Menlo/Atherton. If people are still saying Ten Fu is better than Su Hong, then that's historically accurate. But if you drive 10 to 20 mins south of El Camino into Palo Alto, to Su Hong Eatery, now there's an authentic Chinese restaurant over 20 years old (maybe even 30) that while offers the dumbed down stuff, they have a Chinese only menu that dishes out the goods with the BEST. XLB . EVER in the area, likely in the South Bay. Amazing what sticking to your roots can do.
People thought this was:
I might be a little biased about Ten Fu. It could be because I have been coming here since 1974. It could be because the owners know me. They know my family. And my friends I brought here and their children and my granddaughter. But, I digress.
It's the food that has kept me coming from San Jose to Menlo Park to eat at Ten Fu for the past OMG 33 years! How can that be....
Ok, this is a true family style Chinese restaurant. One of their signature dishes is the Hunan Prawns. Order it as spicy as you like; it never seems hot to me since I am seared by Thai food I guess. Anyway, you will get a huge portion of large, tasty fried prawns that are then tossed in a thick, sweet, garlic Hunan sauce. To die for! Craving this makes me drive 30 miles to eat it. If you find this at other restaurants on their menus, it is never the same. When Chef Wang (the chef/owner) makes this, it is always outstanding. I think it may have been what I call so-so 6 times in my 33 years. So, that's nothing.
Another thing they do well here is Chow Fun. If you are interested in thick, tasty noodles (he does the wonderful homemade the old way noodles), then order this. Get it with BBQ pork and it will come with broccoli and large pieces of char siew pork and nice slices of garlic. Just the aroma as they bring this dish piping hot to the table is worth the trip!
I have had many events here and must say, I and my guests have never been disappointed. I had a birthday dinner here and pre-ordered the menu from Ruth. The Peking duck was wonderful and they do a terrific job with any whole fish as well.
My last event was a dinner for 8 and when they brought out an appetizer sampler, they included 8 of each item! Oh my. We were stuffed before dinner on prawns, bbq ribs (giant ones) you name it.
Anyway, obviously, I could go on and on, so I won't. I started coming to Ten Fu once a month when I had to be in Palo Alto. It became a happy habit since then and I love to bring people here for a treat.
Thanks Ruth and John for all the great years of food and service!!!
People thought this was:
So Tenfu is ok. Pretty greasy, despite the other reviews saying it wasn't. We had Chow Main (yeah LOL.. that's how they spelled chow mein on their menu [see pic] ). Pork fried rice, fried wontons and sweet and sour pork. I wanted the crab wontons but they use imitation crab meat and I wasn't down with that. Service was nice and friendly, ambiance is nice and price is ok.
People thought this was:
Three stars becase ordering from here has been pretty hit or miss. The General Tso chicken is good (my husband always orders it extra crispy), as are the prawns and broccoli (really garlicky and quite generously portioned.
Things I've learned to stay away from: the spring rolls, beef, and lo mein. Regardless, its so close to home when we get take-out it is from here.
People thought this was:
I've been here twice, with mixed results. The first time, I went there for lunch, and it was very tasty & inexpensive (~$6+). I picked sichuan beef from one of many available specials; it came with fried rice (which was okay, but not great), noodles (lo mein style), half an egg roll (are these authentically chinese?) and hot-n-sour soup. I'm no expert on chinese cuisine, and I don't really know the difference between NoChina and SoChina cuisine (just that dishes from hunan/sichuan are frequently spicy), but after reading Anita M.'s review, I found some confirmation of what she said in an essay called "The Cuisine of Northern China" by Huiping Zuo. Maybe some other Yelpers can weigh in.
I went there yesterday (9 March) for lunch again and this time I had the lunch special (described above) with Hunan Prawns, which is hilariously written as Human Prawns on their menu (thought about submitting it to http://Engrish.com). The fried rice was pretty bad this time, but the noodles were fine. The egg roll was ok, but nothing special. The prawns were okay, too, but the dish really didn't seem noteworthy. In combination with the other disappointments of the lunch, I have to downgrade my original review by one star.
People thought this was:
This rating is relative. Dining options are pretty limited here in Menlo Park and I'm glad to find any place I would go back to.
I ordered (takeout)
combo fried rice - very dry. Not greasy at all which is a plus but almost to the point of being too dry. Kinda skimpy on meats. I'd order this again as it's not greasy or drowning in soy sauce.
chinese greens with mushroom - Very good. Mild and fresh. 2 things I look for in Chinese vege dish. I asked for dau miu and the lady said they didnt have it available tonight leaving the impression that they sometimes do. Any chinese restaurant worth anything should serve this dish.
crispy duck - just overcooked/dry roasted duck. I thought crispy duck would be something else.
hunan tofu - pretty darn good. Unlike Su Hong, Tenfu actually tries to add ingredients to their cooking like garlic and stuff.
gan jajang myun - prolly the biggest disappointment. Being Korean who grew up in Korea, I kinda have an idea as to what this is supposed to taste like. And I know for sure this place does not. Prolly borders on not being edible. Extraordinarily salty with absolutely no flavor. The noodles def were not hand-pulled.
Overall, I prefer this place over Su Hong. Decent local place....but on most nights, I'd prolly drive down to Cupertino or Santa Clara for better options.
People thought this was:
My girlfriend (who works right down the street from me) frequent this place. We're usually here every other week for lunch and have been nothing but impressed with the service and food. My favorite is the Beef with Broccoli- an oldie but a goodie. My friend likes the Ten Fu Chicken, Hunan Prawns and the Chow Mein with the skinny noodles (which they make special for her because it's not something they offer on their menu.) The amount of food they give you for the price you pay is pretty amazing- we ALWAYS leave with leftovers. And that's just from ordering off the lunch menu! With so many options of places to eat at in Menlo Park and Palo Alto, this is definitely worth checking out. The service there is fantastic- the waiters are super friendly and remember your preferences (like the fact that I prefer steamed rice to the fried rice and Chow Mein that comes with their lunch specials, and that I like Wonton soup more than Hot and Sour), they pack up my leftovers with a little extra rice, which they don't charge me for, and try to get our food out quickly because they know we only have an hour for lunch. People in the area usually refer to Su Hong but I HATE that place- their food has NO flavor, is often overcooked and dry and quite frankly, their staff isn't very friendly. Ten Fu is one place I can recommend with complete confidence. They're definitely worth checking out.
Wow. I can't believe others don't like the food here. Perhaps we've been just lucky ordering the right things.
Anyway, this is our favorite Chinese restaurant anywhere, partly because of the friendly staff and atmosphere but mostly because of the food. Portions are generous and service is fast.
Our favorite dishes, in no particular order are:
Hunan Prawns
Cod with Ginger Sauce
Hunan Tofu (deliciously crispy!)
Broccoli with Garlic sauce (surprisingly good considering how simple the dish is)
Crab (something. can't recall the full name)
You can also order some Korean-Chinese dishes such as Ja Jang Myun, which is a nice treat.
People thought this was:
Northern style Chinese cuisine in a casual and friendly environment. The food here is good and definitely very tasty. A family owned and run establishment, the clientele is a wide mix of Chinese and also Westerners. Kung pao chicken is great here, as are the sizzling platters. They recently added some specialties like this Hunan Tofu which is divine. The 5-yr-old couldn't stop eating the food, even the spicy selections and kept eating more in between sips of water. Northern cuisine has a richer flavor which appeals more to a varied crowd, moreso than Cantonese cuisine. The many times we've been here have always been with a large group and it's never been bad. Highly recommended for a family style dinner, or a casual dinner out with friends.
Just awful! I picked up Garlic Chicken for take out and I can't even eat it. Strangest Garlic Chicken I have ever had. Terrible taste. Just chicken (I think) and water chestnuts. The dog is enjoying it. Too bad since we have very few Chinese restaurants to choose from in Menlo Park. (I think Su Hong is way overpriced and not very good) I'll be heading back to Palo Alto for Chinese.
Ten Fu has an awesome lunch special. The food is hot and fresh and service is great. The Hong Kong style vegetable chow mein is amazing! The Ten Fu beef is my favorite - and although it is not on the lunch menu, they're happy to make it if you ask.
My boyfriend and I have been going to Ten Fu for five years now. Our first dinner included a small Korean dish because the woman (whom I would later learn was the manager's mother) spoke to my boyfriend about his Korean background. This kind of friendliness and consideration, in addition to the delicious food, has made us regulars. The service is always quick, even when the room is packed and we are always remembered every visit. I frequently forget one favorite dish (the hot and sour soup) has to be specified as vegetarian, but the wait staff has remembered for me on more than one occasion, which I greatly appreciate. I have also bumped into friends on more than one occasion who also have been going to Ten Fu for years as well. Ten Fu seems to be an institution for locals. Ten Fu has had such significance for my boyfriend and I that I even threw him a surprise party in their rear banquet room, for which the management thoughtfully arranged to have free-range chicken on that night as I requested. In arranging the surprise party, I was given three party menu options and allowed to substitute with some of my favorite dishes. All of the guests raved about the food which made me even more grateful for the wide range of meat options they had provided for me to offer all of the non-vegetarian guests! I am not familiar which the alcoholic beverages they stock, but they have a wide variety of sodas as wells as beer by the bottle. Their menu has more tofu (bean curd) dishes than I've seen in most restaurants making it extremely vegetarian friendly. My absolute favorite dish is the Hunan Bean Curd, which can be ordered deep-fried and is best consumed on the premises. I encourage anyone looking for a good Chinese restaurant to go to Ten Fu. It is appropriate for a special night out, regular take out and for parties as well.
People thought this was:
We've returned here over and over again over the past ten years. The dishes are well made, never greasy, sweet or salty. Some of the specials are exceptional they do a very light, delicate, gingered cod that I have not encountered anywhere else. The TenFu Special fried rice is loaded with shrimp, egg, beef, chicken, and pork and goes over well with us and our kids. Solid pot stickers, good hot and sour soup, and a tea smoked duck that is not to be missed.
The food here is normally very good but we had a negative experience with the wait staff recently. I'm not usually one to complain about poor service. I just leave a smaller tip. However, this waitress had a pretty bad attitude. She brought us the wrong dish and could not be convinced that we didn't order it. Finally, she gave in and the look on her face wasn't sweet - only sour. She also misinformed us about the ingredients in the wonton soup which resulted in one of our friends having a mild allergic reaction. I would hesitate to eat here again.
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Singaporean
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Chinese
Redwood City, CA
Category: Chinese
Menlo Park, CA
Category: Mexican
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Chinese
What I enjoy just outside of the fabulous San…
I'd rather eat pretty much any ethnic cuisine over…
Everyone and their brother loves Japanese ramen…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
