Chinese restaurants in California
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A
Zankou Chicken
Fabulous chicken sent through the rotisserie for that light and crispy tan and served with addictive garlic sauce.
reviewed
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B
Chu's Too
Though billed as Chinese, more than half the menu is Japanese. Along with all the sweet-and-sour standards there's an impressive fresh-caught array of sushi offerings.
reviewed
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C
Empress Pavilion
Chinatown - Downtown LA; Essential dish: dim sum at Empress Pavilion While there, view contemporary art in galleries along Chung King Rd
reviewed
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O'Mei
It's pricey for Chinese, but everything is fresh and preparations are spot-on. The crisp-fried sweet potatoes and red-oil dumplings both merit a special trip - some drive all the way from San Francisco for them. Make reservations.
reviewed
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D
Yang Chow
All hail the slippery shrimp, the signature dish that’s coaxed Angelenos to Chinatown for the last 30 years. Although outposts have opened in the Valley and Pasadena, the original downtown location, despite its coral-colored, somewhat uninspired decor, remains most popular.
reviewed
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E
Mao’s Kitchen
‘Serve the People!’ is the motto at red-brick Mao’s, so settle in with easygoing comrades at a communal table – capitalists permitted to sit alone – and choose from Chinese favorites made with a lighter, SoCal flair. Proles most often request the orange chicken. The small salad is just $1.
reviewed
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F
Xi'an
Upbeat and noisy, Xi'an serves modern MSG-free Chinese fare calibrated to health- and waist-watchers but without sacrificing a lick to the taste gods. Swoon-worthy dishes include the black peppercorn chicken, and cod in black-bean sauce. It's popular with Beverly Hills belles, off-duty power-suits and chatty families.
reviewed
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G
Spices
The menu reads like an oddly dubbed Hong Kong action flick, with dishes labeled 'fire-burst!!' and 'stinky!', but the chefs can call zesty pickled Napa cabbage with chili oil, silky ma-po tofu and brain-curdling spicy chicken whatever they want – it's definitely worthy of exclamation. When you head toward the kitchen for the bathroom, the chili aroma will make your eyes well up – or maybe that's just gratitude. Cash only.
reviewed
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H
House of Nanking
Meekly suggest an interest in seafood, nothing deep-fried, perhaps some greens, and your brusque server nods, snatches the menu and, within minutes, returns with Shanghai specialties: meltaway scallops, fragrant sautéed pea shoots, garlicky noodles and a tea ball that blossoms in hot water. Expect bossy service, a wait for a shared table and a strict cash-only policy – but also bright, fresh flavors at reasonable prices.
reviewed
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I
Chef Jia's
All three of the sauces on the menu here make nostrils flare in eager anticipation: spicy black bean sauce, tangy brown vinegar sauce, and savory-salty oyster sauce. Mix and match your choice with standbys of chicken, pork, and squid and/or green beans, eggplant, or yams. Dishes are generous to the point of embarrassing, but don't neglect the sublime onion cakes with peanut sauce.
reviewed
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