INSANELY DELICIOUS LUNCH ! On Friday my wife and I had a lunch date with our 2 young grand daughters. ZOOM ZOOM ! That meant leaving home in San Clemente at 11am, picking our girls up at Oceanside around midday and then on to Encinitas to have a fabulous lunch right here. We parked our wheels at the side of the restaurant around 1.15pm. The moment we walked inside Hunter the GM / Chef greeted us with a big welcoming smile. IT'S BEEN A WHILE ! In fact it had been almost 3 years since our last visit not long after Hunter took over from Eric Brannon as GM & Chef. And Hunter remembered us. FIRST UP ! Some drinks for our girls....Eric suggested grape juice in a can and the girls agreed. At the service counter Hunter took our lunch order for 2 x serves of ( 3 ) Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls, 1 x Orange Chicken ( Candied Mandarins, Crispy Garlic, CHIKO Salt Blend & Side of Rice ), 1 x Filet Mignon & Rice Cakes ( Bulgogi, Baby Carrots, Shiitakes ) and 1 x Kimchi to kick things off. We all headed outside to sit at a table on the outdoor patio. My wife and I grabbed cups of iced water from the chilled water dispenser on the patio. AND THEN ! Our lunch order started coming out courtesy of the hard working Hunter who was cooking and food running everything for us. OMG ! The Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls looked even bigger & better than we remembered from 3 years ago....one of our fav items on the menu. NORMALLY ! We have always have had trouble getting the girls to eat their lunch before an ice cream treat. NOT TODAY ! They could not keep their hands off the delicious Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls and creamy dipping sauce. WHOO HOO ! The huge serve of Orange Chicken ( used to be called Orange-Ish Chicken ) hit the table and we couldn't take our eyes off it. Everybody wanted some of this delicious tender chicken ! And then my Filet Mignon & Rice Cakes came out followed by a serve of Kimchi. TASTEBUD HEAVEN ! This has generally been my fav item on the menu...full of sensational flavor. There was also a bowl of delectable corn & tomato fresh made house salsa plus a couple of roasted corn cobs. THE MEAL OF A LIFETIME ! Our young girls totally enjoyed their super yummy lunch and were ready for an ice cream treat at Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream down the road. BACK STORY ! My wife and I have been coming here since DAY ONE ( Nov, 2018 ) almost 7 years ago. In fact I dropped by during the fitting out process and met Eric Brannon the GM / Head Chef days before they opened for business. Eric explained their Chinese / Korean food concept was already firmly established in Washington DC...in fact there are 3 restaurants there now. One of the owners had a strong connection with Encinitas hence this new location. It sounded great to me and I brought my wife here for dinner a few days after they opened. I even added this great new business to Yelp on Nov 15th, 2018 before it was open. SO EVERYTHING WAS GREAT....totally delicious food and amazing service thanks to Hunter the superstar GM / Chef !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
George You
Had an awesome meal at CHIKO! I ordered the orange chicken and the shrimp lo mein—both were packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. The orange chicken had that perfect balance of crispy, tangy, and just the right amount of sweetness. The lo mein was super fresh and loaded with shrimp.
What really made the experience next level was the manager/chef. Super friendly, welcoming, and made sure we had an amazing time. You can really tell they care about the food and the people. Will definitely be back—great food and great vibes all around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: GF XO Shrimp Juk, Chicken Spring Rolls, Pork Fried Rice, Crispy Chicken
Alan Wolmer
Delicious blend of Chinese/Korean food, the brussel sprouts were delicious. Well be back again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
F Erdogan
Food is nice but service is slow
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Colin Rinehimer
Dude what a place, great food, great people! And the back patio just awesome! Garden noodles and the orange chicken are bomb!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M. Muhls
What a happy place!! We loved it there. The food was delish and everyone gave off warm vibes! Stop for a visit, the Orangish chicken will not disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mary T
I love this place and I live 80 miles north in Long Beach but have visited several times as part of my cycling route! Came across this fantastic place a few years back and was delighted to know they have all other locations in the Washington, DC area. Am bummed to have recently found out that they MIGHT close by year-end! Please don't. Although they no longer serve their bulgogi fries they have lots and lots of other choices. The half-avocado salad always refreshing, healthy and delicious. The lamb with noodles is awesome. Lots of things look fantastic that I see others eating but alas not enough room in my tummy. If you're a local and reading this review, get your tail over there and check it out asap!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michel Urich
The orange chicken is to die for and is more than enough for two hungry people. The service was amazing. People love to work here and it shows.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stuti Bhanwala
Such a cute spot with banging, flavorful food!! The outside patio is chill and the flavors of the food hit the spot. The service is amazing and everyone on the staff is super nice and friendly. Great for vegetarians as well!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shannon Clinton
Amazing food!!!! I love Korean food and this fusion is one of the best I’ve ever had.
Asian fusion comfort food at its best! Incredible food and very friendly service.
Our server was super nice and unleashed an avalanche of insanely delicious orange chicken onto our plate. The chicken was juicy with a tempura-like breading that was light and crispy. Mental portion size!
The shrimp lo mein was equally amazing with that smokey wok flavor and melt-in your-mouth eggplant. So dang good!
100% will be back to explore the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susie Coker
Interesting food, some I loved some I didn’t. Kind of a dive but definitely a locals hang.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Jeneen Gualino
Im from out of town, stayed at a nearby hotel, and popped in after a long day at the beach. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. And the food was delicious. I ordered two specials of the day. So glad I came here :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alyssa Dillard
This place absolutely exceeded my expectations! The food was delicious! The portions were huge! And the staff was wonderful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neha Tolani
By far the best Asian food in the area. The shrimp porridge is so flavorful and yummy. The appetizer assortment is divine. It’s not a place to sit around and linger but the food is delicious. A must try if you’re in Encinitas.
INSANELY DELICIOUS LUNCH ! On Friday my wife and I had a lunch date with our 2 young grand daughters. ZOOM ZOOM ! That meant leaving home in San Clemente at 11am, picking our girls up at Oceanside around midday and then on to Encinitas to have a fabulous lunch right here. We parked our wheels at the side of the restaurant around 1.15pm. The moment we walked inside Hunter the GM / Chef greeted us with a big welcoming smile. IT'S BEEN A WHILE ! In fact it had been almost 3 years since our last visit not long after Hunter took over from Eric Brannon as GM & Chef. And Hunter remembered us. FIRST UP ! Some drinks for our girls....Eric suggested grape juice in a can and the girls agreed. At the service counter Hunter took our lunch order for 2 x serves of ( 3 ) Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls, 1 x Orange Chicken ( Candied Mandarins, Crispy Garlic, CHIKO Salt Blend & Side of Rice ), 1 x Filet Mignon & Rice Cakes ( Bulgogi, Baby Carrots, Shiitakes ) and 1 x Kimchi to kick things off. We all headed outside to sit at a table on the outdoor patio. My wife and I grabbed cups of iced water from the chilled water dispenser on the patio. AND THEN ! Our lunch order started coming out courtesy of the hard working Hunter who was cooking and food running everything for us. OMG ! The Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls looked even bigger & better than we remembered from 3 years ago....one of our fav items on the menu. NORMALLY ! We have always have had trouble getting the girls to eat their lunch before an ice cream treat. NOT TODAY ! They could not keep their hands off the delicious Crispy Chicken Spring Rolls and creamy dipping sauce. WHOO HOO ! The huge serve of Orange Chicken ( used to be called Orange-Ish Chicken ) hit the table and we couldn't take our eyes off it. Everybody wanted some of this delicious tender chicken ! And then my Filet Mignon & Rice Cakes came out followed by a serve of Kimchi. TASTEBUD HEAVEN ! This has generally been my fav item on the menu...full of sensational flavor. There was also a bowl of delectable corn & tomato fresh made house salsa plus a couple of roasted corn cobs. THE MEAL OF A LIFETIME ! Our young girls totally enjoyed their super yummy lunch and were ready for an ice cream treat at Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream down the road. BACK STORY ! My wife and I have been coming here since DAY ONE ( Nov, 2018 ) almost 7 years ago. In fact I dropped by during the fitting out process and met Eric Brannon the GM / Head Chef days before they opened for business. Eric explained their Chinese / Korean food concept was already firmly established in Washington DC...in fact there are 3 restaurants there now. One of the owners had a strong connection with Encinitas hence this new location. It sounded great to me and I brought my wife here for dinner a few days after they opened. I even added this great new business to Yelp on Nov 15th, 2018 before it was open. SO EVERYTHING WAS GREAT....totally delicious food and amazing service thanks to Hunter the superstar GM / Chef !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had an awesome meal at CHIKO! I ordered the orange chicken and the shrimp lo mein—both were packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. The orange chicken had that perfect balance of crispy, tangy, and just the right amount of sweetness. The lo mein was super fresh and loaded with shrimp.
What really made the experience next level was the manager/chef. Super friendly, welcoming, and made sure we had an amazing time. You can really tell they care about the food and the people. Will definitely be back—great food and great vibes all around.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: GF XO Shrimp Juk, Chicken Spring Rolls, Pork Fried Rice, Crispy Chicken
Delicious blend of Chinese/Korean food, the brussel sprouts were delicious. Well be back again soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is nice but service is slow
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Dude what a place, great food, great people! And the back patio just awesome! Garden noodles and the orange chicken are bomb!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What a happy place!! We loved it there. The food was delish and everyone gave off warm vibes! Stop for a visit, the Orangish chicken will not disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this place and I live 80 miles north in Long Beach but have visited several times as part of my cycling route! Came across this fantastic place a few years back and was delighted to know they have all other locations in the Washington, DC area. Am bummed to have recently found out that they MIGHT close by year-end! Please don't.
Although they no longer serve their bulgogi fries they have lots and lots of other choices. The half-avocado salad always refreshing, healthy and delicious. The lamb with noodles is awesome. Lots of things look fantastic that I see others eating but alas not enough room in my tummy.
If you're a local and reading this review, get your tail over there and check it out asap!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The orange chicken is to die for and is more than enough for two hungry people. The service was amazing. People love to work here and it shows.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a cute spot with banging, flavorful food!!
The outside patio is chill and the flavors of the food hit the spot. The service is amazing and everyone on the staff is super nice and friendly.
Great for vegetarians as well!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food!!!! I love Korean food and this fusion is one of the best I’ve ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Asian fusion comfort food at its best! Incredible food and very friendly service.
Our server was super nice and unleashed an avalanche of insanely delicious orange chicken onto our plate. The chicken was juicy with a tempura-like breading that was light and crispy. Mental portion size!
The shrimp lo mein was equally amazing with that smokey wok flavor and melt-in your-mouth eggplant. So dang good!
100% will be back to explore the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Interesting food, some I loved some I didn’t. Kind of a dive but definitely a locals hang.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Im from out of town, stayed at a nearby hotel, and popped in after a long day at the beach. The staff was very welcoming and friendly. And the food was delicious. I ordered two specials of the day. So glad I came here :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place absolutely exceeded my expectations! The food was delicious! The portions were huge! And the staff was wonderful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
By far the best Asian food in the area. The shrimp porridge is so flavorful and yummy. The appetizer assortment is divine. It’s not a place to sit around and linger but the food is delicious. A must try if you’re in Encinitas.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
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