50 Best Chinese Restaurants in San Diego

“This is a gem of a place. First of they have the absolute most adorable little server name Summer. She probably doesn’t know her multiplication table yet but can make you the best dumplings recommendations. Go out of your way to pay this place a visit.“

“Came here on a Thursday around 5pm which was perfect before the rush. For my first time, this place definitely hit the spot! It is not AYCE but rather you pay by lb. You pick out all of your toppings/meat, weigh it, and pick your broth. There is a pound minimum and the price goes by $13.99/lb.

This spot is perfect especially if you don't want to stuff yourself and just choose exactly how much you can eat (hence cheaper than AYCE). On top of that, if you can't finish it, you can take it home!!

The best part is their skewers!!! SOOOO FLAVORFUL! I ordered their gizzard, pork belly, and beef all mild.

All in all, for my first time trying Taiwanese Hot Pot, this would be absolutely perfect on a super cold day/when I'm feeling a little sick. Each bite and sip of the soup felt like a warm hug. 10/10“

“Travelling in the San Diego area, and my wife finds this place. After my previous nights dinner arrangement fail, a pig trough would have been an upgrade. This place was great. Greeted with a smile, food came out fast and was excellent. Mongolian beef and steamed pork dumplings. I could have eaten a 100 of those dumplings. Great value, service and experience.“

“I recently visited Xinjiang BBQ, and it was a fantastic experience! The restaurant has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for a casual night out with friends or family. The staff was friendly and attentive, offering great recommendations and ensuring we had everything we needed.

Food: The menu offers a wide selection of skewers, from classic lamb and chicken to more unique options like grilled prawns and vegetables. The skewers were all grilled to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and packed with flavor. The highlight for me was the lamb skewers, which were seasoned just right and had that authentic smoky taste that’s hard to beat.

The restaurant also serves some great side dishes, like refreshing cucumber salad and crispy flatbread, which complemented the BBQ perfectly. Their homemade dipping sauces were excellent and added an extra layer of flavor to the skewers. If you’re a fan of spicy food, definitely“

“The Chinese food was good!“

“Authentic and filling, don’t be put off by price, the entrees here are family sized and enough for 3-4 people and the taste was sincere. Fantastic service. I had to do takeout despite usually eating enough for 2-3 people.

Definitely returning with friends and colleagues who are fans of authentic Chinese cuisine.“

“We went to visit my grandma in Texas recently and we decided to try Haidilao in Frisco. How about 10 stars!! Soup was amazing and friendly staffs. Employee Mei was amazing! She made us felt at home and really took care of my daughter Maylee. Highly recommend Mei.“

“Authentic Cantonese food. We normally head here to eat when relatives are in town as they have a pretty good family banquet set at a reasonable price. The food is consistent and usually comes out relatively quick. While the menu doesn't necessarily compares to what you might find in LA the food is tasty. Kitchen does close at 8:30, so come during dinner time or pick another resturant who opens later. No late night snacks here. The lines on Thursday night was non existent, so perhaps if deciding between the two nights to go out, come Thursday rather than Friday. Parking is still a nightmare in that center (even with handicap) so park on the street. Last night we came to celebrate my dads 94th birthday (relately low key affair) and he was pretty happy with his lobster lo mein, bbq duck/roasted pork plate, fish, tofu/mushrooms, and garlic pea pods. Since it was his birthday the resturant gave him 壽桃 (longevity birthday buns with red bean filling) to celebrate. They even did it after they closed the kitchen. He was very happy. Thank you for a great bday dinner for my dad.“

“We decided to try a restaurant that we always to try. Lanzhou Noodlelicious is a fantastic place. The food was delicious and flavorful. It's great to see a chef make fresh hand pulled noodles for your dish. Our waiter, who was by himself, was great and answered all our questions about the dishes. He was friendly and work very hard to help all the guest. The Braised Beef Noodle Soup is one of the best I've had in San Diego. The best part is you get to choose the type of noodles you want in your dish. This was a great experience and the food was delicious. We definitely will return for another meal

1. Spicy Hot Oil Noodles
2. Braised Beef Brisket Noodle Soup
3.Chicken And Squid Skewers
4. Steamed buns (mantou)“

“The place I like to go for authentic Shanghai style soupy dumplings. They also have really amazing red oil won tons in the evening, and the fish and chive boiled dumplings are amazingly tasty. They're always fast to get our order and fast to the table, and the lady we had was very knowledgeable and asked us what we needed continuously. It was really good. They also have an amazing beef noodle soup that has thick, chewy noodles, tender, fall apart beef, and spicy soup.“

“Excellent food and staff. A must go to when we are in San Diego.“

“Very nice restaurant with a big menu. The tea had chrysanthemum and goji berries and was delicious. Shanghai rice cakes are always a good option and the dessert sesame balls were tasty. Highly recommend. There's also plenty of parking in this small shopping district.“

“Authentic Cantonese BBQ That’s Worth the Wait

The Noble Chef is a traditional Cantonese BBQ restaurant, and it might just be the most popular spot for authentic Cantonese-style roasted meats in the area. With limited seating, it’s clear why this place is in high demand—when we arrived on a Saturday evening at 5:30 PM, we waited for 40 minutes to get a table, which speaks to its popularity.

At the entrance, a glass display showcases the day’s freshly roasted offerings, including BBQ duck, BBQ pork (char siu), and pork knuckles. Once seated, we were promptly served Pu’er tea, and they don’t charge extra for the tea, which is a nice touch!

We ordered the Combination Platter with a choice of three items: BBQ Duck, BBQ Pork, and Royal Yellow Chicken. While the char siu had a bit too much fat for my taste, and the roast duck had a slightly thick layer of fat under the skin, the flavors were spot on! The Royal Yellow Chicken was delicious, especially when paired with the dipping sauce.

We also tried the French-style beef cubes, which were incredibly tender, though the soy sauce flavor was a bit strong. Another standout dish was the Two Mushrooms & Silken Tofu—the tofu was lightly fried, giving it a crispy exterior and a soft, custard-like interior. Paired with enoki and shiitake mushrooms, it was super flavorful and perfect with rice!

The service was attentive, with the staff coming by to replace our plates and clear away bones from the BBQ platter. While the roast meats are excellent, the vegetable dishes are on the pricier side. Given the long wait during peak hours, I’d recommend coming during off-peak times, or opting for takeout or pickup during busy hours to save time.“

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

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

“We love this place!! I’d come here every week if I could. Most authentic all you can eat hot pot in San Diego. Their spicy broth is so flavorful - I love that they use tallow instead of vegetable oil. I grew up eating a lot of hot pot in a Chinese household and this is one of my favorite spots in SD.“

“To go buffet review only: I’ve been here several times and swap between the 99 Ranch buffet. Ultimately, Woo quality, portion size is better than 99 even though it’s $2-3 more. Had the beef with broccoli, chicken with mixed veggies. Both very good and tender meat. Rice was good also. So, today not bad as it’s been less satisfying other visits.“

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

“We were a party of 11 for lunch and Yummy House worked out great with their large table and lazy Susan.

The food’s amazing and some of the best stir fry I’ve had in San Diego. They aren’t crazy busy for lunch unlike a lot of other restaurants.

The meals are priced reasonably and you get a lot of food.

Definitely recommend Yummy House and can’t wait to go back.“

“Just keep in mind I came here on a Monday at 6 PM so we didn't have to wait for a table or battle for parking. This parking lot was not turned into a paid lot try. It's where Chorus and Hive are. It's still fairly new so the menu is slightly limited. We saw photos of dishes on the wall but were told they were not available until next year. The jjajangmyeon was slightly watery. I got the "meat" one so there were strips of grilled pork. My husband got the "spicy" one which was green chili on top. It was not crazy spicy according to him but it was not that painful spicy. We got the chili shrimp and I really liked that. It was crispy, fried jumbo shrimp over with sweet chili sauce on a bed of cabbage. It had enough heat making your lips feel some heat. I liked it even though it's not a fancy dish. If I don't have to come on a busy weekend night I'm down to come back.

Oh just be ready to order on really slow tablets but your order gets through as long you're patient with the tablets. The tables are far enough where you feel like you're not on top of each other like at other restaurants in Convoy.“

“The food is delicious. However, the servers are very hard to understand. One waitress was very pleasant. The other waitress wore blue gloves & kept serving the tea, moving food around, dumping into other plates. The problem I have is that those gloves protect her, but I don't know what she is handling when she goes in kitchen with other people's dirty plates.“

“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“

“This is a pretty good hotpot restaurant. There’s lots of variety of meats and vegetables, sauces, and sides/deserts to choose from. The medium/mild level of spicy is very spicy. Service here was good. Enjoyed eating here and would come back.“

“This is our comfort restaurant in San Diego. Whenever I’m feeling down, I come to K Cuisine. It just has such a cozy vibe - it’s never that busy so we always sit in the same table, the server is super nice and always has a smile on her face, and the food is like a warm home-cooked meal. Our favorites are the bossam, soondae, and soups. Their hot pot is also great but keep in mind it’s a big portion and meant for maybe 3 people. Also if you’ve never tried Terra before, get it! It’s my favorite light beer ever since I first tried it here.“

“I had an incredible dining experience at PF Chang's, and I have to give a special shoutout to our server, Bell! Her outstanding customer service made our visit truly memorable. She was attentive, friendly, and had fantastic recommendations that really enhanced our dining experience!“

“Pick up stix is great! I always come here“

“Deliciously flavorful. I ordered hand torned noodles with beef in mild spicy. Has the kick of spice without the stress. I was curious about the pork burger with the white bang - that was good too!

Noodles are soft, fresh, and chewy. Must come again.“

“The food was really good! Bursting with flavor. I marked it down to 4-stars because I felt that their prices are too high. Maybe if the portions were bigger they could justify the high prices, but their dinner meal portions are standard 16oz takeout cartons with a small white rice.“

“Phenomenal soup! Loved the amount of spice and the flavor was top notch. Good amount of beef. Very tender. I got the Braised Beef bowl and was only sad that my giant spoon couldn’t get the last drop of broth at the bottom ;)
Might want to keep your napkin tucked into your shirt, splashing might show on ur shirt.“

“I like this food hub. The multiple ordering kiosks are easy to use but can be hard to see when the sun is behind you.

Food comes out in a good timely order, and the hub offers a good variety of food vendors. There is very little outside seating, so the majority of the time, food is to go or deliver.“

“Spectacular. Everything I ordered was so delicious. The garlic chicken banh mi was so flavorful and balanced. The hue soup was also super flavorful and pure comfort soup. The crispy rolls were probably the best I’ve ever had. Can’t say enough good things about this place!

Vegetarian options: The whole menu is vegan and therefore vegetarian.

Dietary restrictions: Vegan“

“Great food, as always! My bestie and I went her after work. The food was hot and delicious!“

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

“Another hiding Chinese restaurant I haven’t tried was just around the corner. The first thing that caught my eye was the Roast Duck ?, although dry, I was looking for the sauce for it but there was none. My main go to was crispy friend noodles , I got the combination one , the combo was great but didn’t see much vegetables in it. My favorite that evening was the beef chow fun. I’m not a fan of fat noodles but this one ☝️ was good. Overall the food was great! I would like to try the other recipes. Go there and and bring your friends to try ?“

“Just an all around good Chinese Restaurant. Food portions were large and quite tasty. On the dishes that are spicy you can ask them to turn down the spiciness or shut it out completely, they were happy to do so. Friendly staff make the place a hidden gem

Vegetarian options: You can ask for no meat in your dish, no eggs in your fried rice and let's face it the meal is mostly vegetables anyways

Parking: It's in a strip mall so you get what you find. Its never been an issue and there is handicap parking as well.“

“My father turned 82 today and picked Pick Up Stix for his birthday meal. When my mother went to pay, Jack (the cashier) noticed that my mother had a retired military dependent identification. (My father served 23 years in the US Navy) He told her that they qualified for a military discount, Jack didn't have to do that, but he did and I am really appreciative. My folks are on a fixed income and every break on their budget helps. Thanks Jack! Truly awesome!“

“food is delicious, place doesn't seem all that appetizing considering where its located and the fact that its next door to a laundromat. but all their food is excellent! i have been going weekly for the last two years and have yet to be disappointed. fair pricing, and decent portion sizes. their lunch specials are all super worth it! 10/10 would recommend. i have taken most of my co-workers there and they all say the same! i have tried their entire menu, and everything is good! the people there are super friendly too!“

“Loved all the fresh vegetables in my hot pot! Some were new to me. Delicious food and great variety. Friendly place and clean.“

“The owners are so kind and will work around my allergies! My favorite dishes are salt and pepper wings ? and cashew chicken ?!

Vegetarian options: You can get most dishes veggie-style. Mmm!

Dietary restrictions: If you are gluten-free ask for your dish with “white sauce” vs. the sauce with soy sauce.“

“This place has been open for decades & is one of the best! Great lunch specials & always fresh food. Their wonton soup is a hit or miss, sometimes there’s not that many wontons, more broth than anything but it’s so delicious! Definitely recommend it!“

“I brought my friends here today and tried their signature dishes, Lion's Head and Boiled Dried Shredded Vegetables. I've never eaten such authentic Chinese food. I highly recommend this restaurant. Their Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables is very authentic. After the meal, I said hello to their chef and gave me some glutinous rice balls.“

“I was so excited to go here. It was clean. The decor was really nice. Unfortunately the food was okay. But the misses were big misses.. The desserts were the best part. They had a make it yourself s'mores station & Thrift's ice cream.“

“LHK has remodeled and offers a bar. The service is efficient and portions generous. They now offer Monday- Friday lunch specials. The noodle soups are a highlight. The pork chop lunch special is fried so wouldn’t recommend for folks avoiding fried foods. It’s in a strip mall with other eateries and an Asian grocery store.

Parking: Just leave time to find parking during peak hours.“

“Says Chinese food but also has Thai food but a bunch of Vietnamese writing. Red curry is spicy. They included tail on for shrimp in the curry. Kung pao chicken was crispy and had a nice amount of heat. Pork and Chinese broccoli was good. Thai noodles with beef needs improvement and more beef. They didn’t include rice with my curry and wanted to charge $2.75 for some which is absurd. Parking lot in back“

“We are regulars at the La Jolla location. We go for the proximity to our office, but especially for our favorite server in the world Nick S!!! He is the absolute best and we always have the most wonderful service and the best time every time we have lunch there.“

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

“I visited twice, around May 2024. On my first visit, I had a dish that consisted of a whole fish cooked-to-order, served to me piping hot in a reddish broth. It takes about 20-25 minutes for this dish to be cooked for me, but boy was it worth it. One of those meals that I will remember for a very long time. The meat on the fish was fall-off-the-bone, and the broth pairs really well with white rice. The fish is stuffed with a lot of tofu. On my second visit, I was feeling a little less adventurous, so I got the shrimp chow mein, which was also good. Decent amount of shrimp and served to me with various Chinese sauces on the side. Peanuts, cucumbers and tea are complementary. Finally, as a little aside, during my first visit I noticed that the menu stated that guests can bring in their own beer after paying a corking fee. I tested this out on my second visit, and bought in a 32oz Modelo, which sure enough, they were cool with.“

“Been coming here since I was a little kid and will forever go“

“A friend and I decided to try this place for lunch.
The server was Excellent. I think her name was Jenny. My friend had Orange Chicken.
It was a large portion and the lunch came with either Egg Flower soup or Hot & Sour.
Both were very good.
It also came with delicious Egg Rolls, crispy Won Tons as well as steamed or fried rice.
I had Pork Egg Foo Young and it was Excellent.
Hard to find Egg Foo Young on menus.
Extremely clean and pleasant atmosphere.
I can hardly wait to go back and try other items on their large lunch menu.“

“We went on a Thursday night, it was just us and 1 other family for dine-in and many people coming for pick up. Service was excellent and the food was too. We had the mandarin meal for 4, the hot and sour soup was too spicy for my kids but I ate the majority of it. It's addictive. We got almond chicken, broccoli beef, shrimp in lobster sauce (I think was the name) and sweet and sour pork. It was all SO good. We can't wait to go back and try more dishes. Absolutely give this place a try!“