Chef Chin

Chef Chin had the best Chinese food in San Diego hands down. It was so good that I couldn’t stop over-ordering. I’m mad I can’t find another place like this as this place is temporarily closed.. I should’ve left millions of 5 star reviews as I was satisfied with this place every single time I had eaten here. I’m sorry 😣 please come back and bless us with your AMAZING food.

This was one of our favorite Chinese restaurants before the pandemic; good thing this place is still open and has survived COVID! The flavors and quality are still consistent, each dish from different regions have a distinct local taste, and the chef does a pretty good job at getting the basics right. The food is not overly salty or sweet, and always leaves the right after taste. We used to also come here for breakfast on weekends, they also have good dim sum options if you don’t want to go to a more crowded restaurant like Jasmin. The meats here are never dry and always juicy!

I've been wanting to try this resto surrounded by other Asian restaurants. I'm glad I went today. The place was cozy, dimly lit with the mandatory paper table cloth that they change after every use. Only one server but she still takes the time to chat with her guests and multi-tasking. We ordered the chicken with vegetables, pork fried rice and bok-choy and mushroom in oyster sauce. Delish! Not too salty or greasy. Packed with umami and fresh still crunchy vegetables. My favorite oddly enough is the plain steamed rice. Still aldente, sticky and freshly cooked. Reasonable price and highly recommended! I will definitely come back for the dumplings, peking duck and chinese breakfast. The only opportunity is just updating the decor, coffee maker/hot water dispenser that is ready to move on and a more inviting entrance.

My husband hosted a small group of staff (13 folks) last night at Chef Chin for a Holiday gathering. We couldn’t be happier with our evening! Diane and Alyssa made us all feel very special and were awesome servers! The food was great and the accommodations were perfect for our group. Can’t give enough kudos to this restaurant and the staff :). Thanks for helping us host my hubby’s staff. It was perfect!

This place serves authentic southern Chinese food!! I was super pleased by the flavors in each dish. We ordered the jellyfish, beef with black peoper, shrimp and egg, pancake, and water spinach / 海蜇头，黑椒牛扒，滑蛋虾仁，葱油饼，空心菜. Tasted just like home. Everything came up super quickly, and the staff were friendly and attentive. They nicely packed up our leftovers too. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that our first order of jellyfish came with a piece of hair and the wrapper still within the dish. We asked for another new plate and they helped give that to us. It just overall quite a fulfilling dinner, especially because I was craving a taste of home.

Chef Chin is our favorite Chinese restaurant in San Diego. Food is always great! Ingredients are fresh and each dish is well seasoned (never too salty or too sweet) and properly cooked. They have a good collection of vegetarian dishes. Service is great, too! The staffs are friendly, and the restaurant has a clean and cozy ambiance.