I've lived all over the bay area and eaten at a LOT of Chinese restaurants. Shan Shan Low is one of my favorites, and you can't beat the prices with the amount of food you get. Their vegetables are always very fresh and not overcooked, and the meat is high quality and never dry or too chewy. It's not going to win any awards for atmosphere, and the area is pretty well visited by cops, but it's well worth the trip across town for takeout in my opinion! Some of my reccommendations would be the chow mein, spicy string beans, and lemon chicken; my boyfriend's a big fan of the sweet and sour pork, and he's exceptionally picky. They may not be MSG-free, but unless you plan on eating Chinese twice a week for life I think you'll survive. Great food at a great price!
Pros: inexpensive, excellent food, large menu
Cons: horrible parking lot, not in a great area, uses MSG
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