50 Best Chinese Restaurants near La Jolla

“If you’re on the UCSD campus and craving real Chinese food, this place is honestly a gem. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is warm and lively, and the employees make you feel welcome. What really stood out to me is that the owner himself walks around, talks to customers, checks in, and makes sure everyone is having a good time. It feels very welcoming.

And I have to say this, the Oreo boba here is my personal favourite!“

“Best Chinese and Mai Tai's in San Diego or maybe the US“

“I certainly can't speak to to authenticity, but the food was delicious. I would say probably some of the best I've had in all of California, which is probably saying a lot as I've traveled throughout for work.

This location is a cute little place with about eight booths. A very cozy ambiance. And the service was excellent!“

“Our server Cam was awesome and food was great! Got to try it. Great dumplings!!!“

“Excellent food, the flavor isn't lost even with the ingredients you add to your dish. One recommendation, even though it's at least a pound of food plus noodles, don't use two packets; one is enough and you'll enjoy your meal perfectly. just one think Parking is terrible!!!“

“This is as mom and pop is as good as you can get for 2026. Dad works the floor, summer the daughter helps dad out and mom and other family members work the kitchen. Regardless of what people say about “women in the kitchen” you know the food will be the best food when a restaurant is this way. The food here has soul out into every dish and the consistency is amazing. One of the best restaurants to come to Point Loma. It can get busy from 6-8pm most evenings.

This hard working family is doing an incredible job to bring authentic Chinese to us. Ignore the bad reviews, people have no idea how hard this family is working. The place is small, but thats what makes it so amazing.“

“delicious food! all of it“

“I would have loved to cogratulate the chef. Sweet and sour soup was perfect, ehe lettuce wraps were delicious, and the main dishes were tasty to perfection. I would recommend it and love to go back. Service was great too. We sat at the bar area.“

“One of the best authentic and reasonable Chinese restaurant that I dined at in San Diego. It’s a small but very good restaurant with lots of options. Unfortunately I was there when many of their specialty dishes weren’t available because of Chinese new year and so many customers. But the dishes that we did have were outstanding. Also, very reasonable. Six of us had a very good and large dinner and we only spent about $130. Good start to be new year!“

“Been wanting to try this place.

Waited maybe 5 minutes to grab a table on a Saturday evening at 630.

Portion sizes are huge, deff enough to take home for later. The food is overall great. Really tasty, good quality.

The staff is truly what makes it stand out. They work well together getting plates on table, and bussing tables post dinner for a quick turnaround“

“Food was too yummy. I haven't had authentic Chinese in a long time and this place hit every spot.
Ordered Chengdu style potato snack, steam chicken with chilli oil, Chongqing noodles, spicy jelly noodle and orange chicken. Each of them was a flavor bomb. This restaurant is definitely in my favorites now. Staff was very sweet and accommodating.“

“Bomb food 🥘 clean dining area good service“

“I was here once before. I suddenly remember (as I was waiting for my order) that their estimates for when to pick up are off- by a lot on both occasions. Popularity has its price, I guess. In short the food IS good, and plenty of it, but be prepared to wait.“

“we've been 3 times in the past few months and every time was great. we went the day after my wife's birthday, the same day our pet passed, and the staff made it a very special experience and distraction from our loss. absolutely recommend 110%. great food, great people, great experience overall.“

“Their fresh noodles are delicious! I do like the flat thick noodles most.

We ordered their popular braised beef noodle soup and it was really good. I recommend that dish. The beef was very tender and goes perfectly with their chewy flat thick noodles. They gave us scissors to cut the noodles. I wish they were larger scissors.
The cold sesame noodle was ok. The sauce got pretty thick and the dish became clumpy. The tea egg was a bit disappointing. The appetizer we ordered with the thin crepes was pretty good though.“

“My 2nd time dining in, (3rd if you count a delivery). Skewers are great not only in price but in quality and amount of meat. I didn't know they have a special on Saturday lamb skewer for $1.50 each! My friend her first time here she said 12/10 and she wants to come back. The scenery is beautiful and yes I said scenery, the vibes are great and staff is awesome!“

“The server was the only one working but she got our order out fast and was so nice. The food was absolutely delicious.“

“The Best Ever Chinese Restaurant I Have Ever Been To. My Tita's Loved It So Mucho!!!! 5 star Rating“

“On a Sunday night. We had a group of 12 and ordered the $498 family meal plus a lobster with noodles. This is my 2nd time there. The place was packed. It is a small restaurant. there were 4 large groups, as well as couples and groups of 4. The food was good, not your panda express kind of food. And the service was top notch. Food came out fast. They even changed out our eating plates. Even with 12 people, we had 8 to go boxes.“

“The host was extremely dismissive and didn't say more than two words. There were several people waiting and he barely acknowledged anyone and just picked up menus and said this way. We had a reservation and he not once called us after we checked in until I went up 15 min after and then he seated us right away. No apologies no greeting no nothing. The manager seemed to be watching this and not doing anything either. This place used to be super friendly and my favorite location in San Diego, but it has really changed. I guess it's just a bare minimum nowadays.“

“Best sushi in San Diego at reasonable prices! Delicioso!!!“

“It was my first time trying Hot Pot, the food was excellent. The experience was also great. Lots of options and everything was fresh.“

“Fried garlic pork with steamed rice 😍“

“Best BBQ Pork and the Lomein is great. Been coming since they opened and never disappointed.“

“We had the Mongolian beef, pan fried potstickers, long bao sampler, and bbq pork bao buns. And it was delicious! It was very flavorful and the Mongolian beef chow main was my favorite. Everyone was very nice and quick and it was reasonably price for the amount of food and quality. The broth that the dumplings was cooked in was very savory and I wanted to keep eating even though I was very full. We will be coming back!“

“Chill, friendly, good food & reasonable price.“

“Lunchtime specials are where it’s at! There is no place in Hillcrest with this portion, quality, and variety for under $10. You’ve gotta try the chicken teriyaki!“

“Fried chicken was delicious and fried noodles.“

“Hong Kong BBQ Dim Sum & Kitchen is a homey Chinese kitchen that serves up dim sum, entrees, and large family platters. The service is straight-forward and efficient, and the food offers excellent value for the price.

The Food
🥩 Beef with Broccoli: A comfort food staple executed well. The beef was tender and the savory sauce tied the dish together. The broccoli and carrots retained a fresh crunch rather than being overcooked.

🍚 House Special Fried Rice: A crowd favorite / staple. It was hearty and well-seasoned. Tip: Add a spoonful of their spicy chili oil to bring some necessary heat to the dish.

🥟 Dim Sum: The Pork Shumai, Shrimp Har Gow, and Baked BBQ Pork Buns are reliable family favorites that are perfect for a quick lunch or takeout.

Overall
A great shop for traditional Chinese entrees and dim sum. Come here for the reasonable prices and decent portion sizes.“

“I wish I had the time to try each and every dish…what devoured was absolutely amazingly delicious“

“Came here recently with a large group and was very impressed. All the food was delicious and came out very quickly. Excellent dim sum options and dinner dishes. Will come again when I visit again!“

“This was our grocery run at one of my favorite Asian supermarkets in San Diego, so of course I was so happy we finally got to try San Wo Chinese Restaurant first.

My husband ordered the roast duck lo mein, and I was craving something warm and comforting, so I got the preserved egg with pork porridge and beef stew. We loved everything!

I’ve missed Chinese restaurants so much, and this stop was 100% worth it before grocery shopping. The food was absolutely delicious, it is bigger enough for me and have a to-go (well… my husband finished it) and the servers were super nice.

Such a good spot, definitely worth it!“

“Eating a lot of their food past four months through Grub Hub due to being unable to walk. It’s always excellent. Tonight’s was super excellent, chop suey with beef extra snow peas and Napa cabbage. Been cooking for over 60 years and this is one of the best and healthiest things I have ever eaten.
Also a bargain…one order is enough for three meals!!!
Thank you Chins!!!💥“

“I saw online that this shop serves Northeast-style spicy hot pot, and when I arrived, I discovered they also have a newly launched surprise blind box of marinated dishes. I bought the large box for $10, which contained beef shank, chicken gizzard, pork head meat, pork ears, duck liver, and more. By the time I took the photo, I had already eaten most of it. The price and portion were truly surprising, and the taste was excellent. The Northeast-style spicy hot pot was also very good—you pick your own ingredients, they’re weighed, and then freshly cooked. The broth had a sesame paste flavor, which I really liked—it was delicious. Additionally, I ordered some fried skewers, and I highly recommend the chicken gizzard. The seasoning on the fried skewers was fantastic.“

“The best place in San Diego for tasty, authentic dim sum from push-carts!🥰😀“

“I ordered Dan Dan noodles and cold spicy chicken for take out. The noodles were ok but the chicken was very delicious.

It’s my first time inside. It was traditional Chinese decoration. I’m impressed with the entrance. I’ll have to dine in soon and try other dishes.“

“I loved 🥰 best place more more“

“I waited 35 minutes for a table. It was worth the wait. The food was mouth watering. The pea pods with garlic was delicious. We went for a combination of pork and duck, delicious. Beat Sweet and sour soup ever. Fish with black bean sauce is a must . Highly recommended“

“5 stars
I used to come to Imperial Express all the time after college, and after all these years, it’s still just as amazing—if not even better. The orange chicken is next level—crispy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. The service is always friendly and fast, just like I remembered. It’s a true hidden gem that stands the test of time. Bring cash, eat well, and leave happy. Highly recommend! Muy rico 🤘🏻🙏🏻gracias!“

“It’s been ages since I last visited this restaurant! A friend raved about their Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs (Guobaorou), so I came back with some friends. The portion of Guobaorou is generous, and it’s truly delicious—crispy and flavorful. We also ordered Jellyfish with Vinegar Dressing. The jellyfish here is quite thick and chunky, not the smooth, silky kind I’m used to, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Then there’s the Braised Local Chicken in Iron Pot. The picture looked super tempting, so I specifically asked if it came with the steamed rolls (huajuan) shown in the photo. The waiter told me they only have steamed buns (mantou) instead. When it arrived, turns out they’re machine-made frozen buns bought from the supermarket. This dish is a letdown, so I don’t suggest it either.

On the bright side, the Sizzling Pork Kidneys were pretty good! We also wanted to order Peking Duck, but it requires advance reservation—make sure to call ahead if you want to try it.“

“This restaurant used to be Zen Asian Bistro. Some of the items, such as the Taiwanese Beef noodle soup, is still on the new menu. We don't know if it's the same cooks.
The portions are on the small side. They were a little bland but that might be because we ordered unbreaded chicken and vegetables as our proteins. Seems like quality and fresh ingredients were used.

Service from the older gentleman was good. He was very nice and attentive to our group.“

“Overall: The food was good, very authentic, and it took 20 minutes for the food to come out.Fish with sour soup: The flavor is strong! But it was the perfect mixture of spicy and sour. I would highly recommend it pouring over and eating over the rice.Spicy Noodle Soup: Again, more spicy than sour. However, it was the perfect Mala spicy-nessLocation: Its in a plaza lose to the Qualcomm work place with a lot of the other places to eat. The parking might be limited if it is a busy day.Service: Food came out fast. You know its authentic when you see a lot of Asian people eating there too. The ambiance was nice too, clean and minimally decorated.Price: It's a little pricy for my taste. However, the quality is good.“

“The food was delicious. The music and the vibe of the place was amazing. The staff was attentive and on point!“

“Good [Original] Good“

“It’s in a supermarket food court, if you know what to order you’ll be pleasantly surprised, we had the scallion lamb and we ordered it a little bit spicy, they can customize their dishes to your taste!! Steamed shrimp dumplings were excellent!! We loved the stir fried string beans!! We’ll definitely be coming back!!“

“Well organized, very clean. You order on a little screen and have many options to choose from. Tasty food and seasoned well! Very satisfied I recommend“

“Good fun but a $10 cover charge“

“The best chinese food in San Diego...“

“Xiao long bao pork steamed dumpling were the best we had. The wontons are good but the brith is clear and insipid, we actually brought them home to add very tasty homemade broth. The fried pork and chives dumpling were very well hand made not greasy, crispy bottom. The sauces are just chili oil and soy sauce, we will definitely order to go next time, eat at home with our favorite condiments since I think these would go great with Sriracha and good quality Japanese soy sauce I buy next door @ 99 Ranch.
You can watch the ladies making everything from scratch in the back, super cool and so much work involved. Parking in the back is best. You can also get some delicious bbq pork or duck in the place across from this. Very clean. No bathroom.“

“We arrived 20 minutes earlier than its opening time, but owner is so kind to let us in and start a room for us right away.
Karaoke rate is very reasonable. Room looks upgraded and fancy. Excellent song selection. We can find even the new releases.
I can see why this place is very popular. I will definitely come again.“