My family, friend, and I were looking for somewhere close to eat dinner since Joy Luck Palace in Cupertino had no availability due to a wedding, and saw Chef Chu's had a 4-star rating for a Chinese restaurant. That should've been the first warning sign: authentic Chinese restaurants usually never get more than 3 stars in Yelp, even if the food is bomb-diggity. Well, we were hungry and so we decided to give it a try regardless. Found pretty quick parking, and only had to wait about 25 minutes. Not too bad, so we looked over the menu. The second sign that we shouldn't have eaten there was the atmosphere of the restaurant: Chinese decorations, but almost all of the conversations going on by the diners were in English. "Well, maybe their flavors will be good," I thought to myself. After all, the place was packed so that had to be a good sign, right? We got a total of four dishes to feed five people. Usually, that's more than enough at a Chinese restaurant, but it wasn't here. The food was waaayyyyyy too salty to be true Chinese food. I left feeling so parched, and couldn't really even eat more of what we ordered even though I was still hungry because I felt like my tongue was going to shrivel up from all of the sodium. My parents (they're fobs) were so disappointed in not just the quality of the food, but the ridiculous price of the dishes as well. It felt like we were eating the food to be polite, not because we were enjoying it. We got the pork chop, seafood chow mein, garlic spinach, and a chicken dish. Every dish seriously just felt like mouthful after mouthful of sodium. $26 for four dinky little pork chops? No thanks, I'd rather get the pork at Koi Palace instead! At least it's more worth the money there! My parents were skeptical of the place when we first walked in. They said the place was one of those restaurants to fool Americans. Boy, were they right! I'm not a very picky person when it comes to food, and generally enjoy everything. However, Chef Chu's, our experience was hardly enjoyable. Quality wasn't worth the price, and flavors were definitely catered to an American tongue instead of an Asian one. Needless to say, my family and I won't be back. Ever. read more

This place is delicious! Tried a few things on the menu but my favorite had to be the Hot and Sour Soup and the Basil Garlic Chicken Clay Pot. read more

Locally famous restaurant. Service is good, food is fresh. Even though Americanized, the Chinese dishes are still good enough to satisfy native Chinese diners. read more

Phenomenal service and amazing food! There is a reason this place has been in business for as long as it has. If you haven't went you're missing out, PERIOD! read more

Chef Chu's is among the Bay Area's best-known Chinese restaurants, and for the Peninsula and South Bay, among the best-known independent restaurants of any kind. It was already serving 800 covers daily by the early 1980s when I started dining there (and, soon after, bought the first of multiple Lawrence Chu cookbooks). I've been there many times in the past 30 years. If a resident of Santa Clara or San Mateo counties knows just one Chinese restaurant, it's usually Chu's. (The person is probably not Chinese.) Chu's got so well known (as Lawrence Chu himself said, in a 2009 Metro Silicon Valley interview) by deliberately focusing on the dozen dishes most often ordered by non-Chinese customers -- the diners I've seen in Chef Chu's for 30 years -- and decent service. Dishes like hot-and-sour soup, mu shu pork, and Chu's signature "lemon chicken filet" (in which his cookbook recipes use Rose's bottled lime juice). Don't forget "Chinese" chicken salad (created in Los Angeles), more on which in my Tao Tao review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tao-tao-cafe-sunnyvale#hrid:GtgjWdKPimOJFCnCXpjT_w I've long had Chu's pragmatic cookbooks, and taken his cooking classes (strongly recommended -- lively entertainment, plus you eat the results). I've also ribbed Chu gently in person (he knows me by sight if not by name) for the celebrity-customer entryway photos (though to Chu's credit, they're of Presidents and Prime Ministers, not the faded Hollywood celebrities that associated such photo galleries with restaurant mediocrity in past decades). I've found the kitchen usually very competent (with occasional lapses to dullness), and especially useful for take-out of comfort foods like soups and dumplings. Service has always been cheerful and professional. Lawrence Chu's COOKING CLASSES have definitely earned ***** in my experiences, and I respect his tireless entrepreneurship. But this region is rich in Chinese restaurants, some of which shine, and offer more diverse or authentic regional cooking, especially of Sichuan, Shanghai, Dongbei. I've written up some of them on Yelp. When a yelper praises Chu's as if it had the finest Chinese restaurant kitchen (of hundreds) in this county, it hints that the writer has either VERY limited experience of Chinese restaurants, or a strongly Americanized palate. Diners to whom Chinese food usually means pot stickers, mu shu, General Tso's chicken, broccoli beef, etc. adore Chu's -- and he usually does fine versions of such dishes, I go there for them too. San Francisco has had major contact with China longer than any other city in the Americas. Its thriving Cantonese quarter (150 years old -- the original US "Chinatown") had dim-sum "tea houses" before New York or Vancouver even heard of chop suey, and I've enjoyed good regional-Chinese food in the Bay Area since the 1960s, before Chu's opened. (Even some standard US terms for Chinese cooking came from the Bay Area. Experts credit Y.R. Chao, late of Berkeley's Oriental Languages department for now-familiar phrases like "stir-fry" and "pot-sticker.") read more

Solid Chinese food. I'm from the NYC, so understand my taste for Chinese food in the Bay Area is a little different. The dishes are different too. I ordered a Shrimp with lobster sauce and got something with shrimp, but no lobster sauce (another dish with green peppers and onions). So I guess that threw me for a loop and kind of soured my experience, but the food I did receive was pretty good. So why the 3 stars, well I ordered take-out instead of sit-in so I can't rate the full Chef Chu's experience (service, atmosphere, etc), but I do intend to one day soon. Also, I'm used to paying $8 Max for chinese on the East, so paying what I did made me feel uneasy (was worth the $$ though). Good portions, solid taste, quickly made. 3.5 Stars read more

Food is OK but primarily made for Americans. Service is good but I did have this observations that the waiters there providing better service to white Americans than say non-American Chineses. I hope this is not a norm. read more

This place always has a line, even in a bad economy. It's not your typical Chinese restaurant - it's very clean, and they serve killer cocktails (apple martini, B52, mojito, lemon drop). But the food pleases both Chinese and American palates! They offer both traditional and less traditional (think orange chicken) dishes, and everything is made well without too much grease and without MSG. The crowd is a mix of people from all backgrounds and races. My favorites included the garlic scallion lobster, the super tender "water boiled" beef, and the asparagus with shiitake mushrooms. Rock cod was also super fresh. Portions are generous and meant to be eaten family style, as in the Chinese tradition. I love how it's such a family run restaurant. Everyone is really invested in customer satisfaction, and it's so obvious from the gracious attitude of every server to the charming hostess. They're very accommodating for dietary restrictions or preferences, so just let them know, and they'll go out of their way for you. This is probably why Chef Chu's still remains so popular, even after 40 years. read more

If it's good enough for Jeremy Lin, it's good enough for me. No, but seriously, Jeremy Lin is a native of Palo Alto, so it's expected that there's a picture of him and Chef Chu framed on the lobby wall. We had to wait a little, but that was to be expected for lunch on a Saturday. Me and two other friends ordered the Kung Pao Calamari, Mongolian Beef, and Yu Shang Pork. I still remember this with vivid acuity even though it was over two weeks ago that I had them. We each got a bowl of rice and we shared the dishes family style. We devoured every last morsel because the dishes were so good. I think what made them good was the seasoning and the general freshness of the ingredients. Now my friend wants to go back for round two. read more

After many weekends of 10 min drives around their parking lot, we finally found a parking space. (which was the only highlight) we were quickly and cordially greeted and he brought us to a stuffy room (behind host stand). Guests were snugly packed in this stuffy (temp) room. Chairs were very close. It was a bit hard to walk between groups or parties. Did see many returning guests as the staff greeted them with obvious glee. If your there for the first time, you'll notice a but of popular kids (returning guests) and not so popular kids (newbies like us) on the playground (stuffy room). Came in on a Sunday (12/27/15) at 415 pm -ish Upon being seated, we were given a pot of tea and a carafe of cold water. We served ourselves (but later noticed other incoming guests were poured water from the table placed carafe as soon as they were seated). Maybe cause we were newbies, but think first impressions should be important to them. One star earned for friendly waitress. Our waitress was super nice and very fast. Our dishes were just ok. Not sure what the hoopla is all about. I think it Wasnt the food we tried to enjoy. I think it's the celebrity chef and longevity of restaurant. But if not for that... The food itself did not WOW us. We ordered what was highlighted by fellow yelpers. 1) Chinese chicken salad was so generic with or without the salad dressing offered in a small glass pitcher. Sparse chicken strips, big iceberg lettuce peices, sprig of one cilantro. It shouldn't be compared to other Chinese restaurant salads. It's soooo generic and plain. It was a 2 (from 1-10) 2) Braised shrimp (or prawns) was 8 peices of good sized medium shrimp in their special sauce with 3-4 small peices of aldente steamed broccoli crowns cooked well. But overall, it was a 5 (from 1-10). Sauce was a bit salty. 3) Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce (off the menu I think). The best part as it was no fuss and simple. It was basic. We both say it was a 8 (from 1-10) just wish we had more and it would be a solid 10) 4) steam rice was in large rice cups. All this for around $45ish. Think it was overpriced for the amount in each offered dish. Also, think it was overly salted. Ourselves felt reactions from too much salt (or maybe some other Seasonings or "enhancers"). We both left hungry and disappointed as we had high hopes. Think the popularity is blurring the taste of the food. With lots of Asian and/or Chinese establishments all around us, we now prefer to continue to just drive by. read more

Awesome food and service. Super friendly, on time delivery for catering. Great prices.

This place has gone downhill. I used to work across the street, and my office would order here once a month. It was great then. However, I recently took my coworkers here since they came to visit me. I was embarrassed. Smaller portions, the food wasn't that tasty, the temperature was cold, and the waitress never attended to us. Never again. read more

This is an example of a CNN top 50 Chinese restaurant? I'd had high expectations thanks to a memorable experience at a hand-pulled noodle shop outside Phoenix, AZ discovered from that list. I also knew to scale back my expectations b/c few areas in the country have the critical mass of the different regional styles found in the greater LA area, where I'm from. And I don't knock encyclopedic menus dominated by American-style Chinese food ... some dishes are classics for a reason. But when I have to grasp at straws for a suitable comparison, and conclude that Chef Chu's wasn't even as good as my fondest memories of Silver Palace, my family's go-to Chinese restaurant in Harford County, Maryland, then I'm ... well, speechless. Think about it. Harford County's Asian population in the 80s was probably 30, and yet Silver Palace did it better ... from the tea to the décor to the food ... Surely, the Chinese food-loving community in the South Bay deserves better than this. read more

Iconic restaurant that is always busy. I always want to like it but never really do. The food tastes relatively bland and does not have much authenticity to it. Good for your American clientele that prefer less flavor but if you're looking for the real deal this is not the place read more

I had no idea what I was walking into but glad to say I was impressed with how quick the service is. The food was great to match

Mediocre at best... And expensive. I prefer Panda Express.. Prawns w Pecans -2/5 Crispy Hong Kong noodles 1/5 Generals chicken -3/5 Chicken salad- 2/5 Much better places around. Don't know why this place gets so crowded. read more

Came here with family for an early Lunar New Year's celebration. We'd made a reservation beforehand and were seated on the second floor, which was filled with various other large parties (there's even a mini bar station - a good room for a banquet!). Definitely a popular restaurant for non-Asians, and I can see why - the service is quite good! Our multiple servers were all very attentive, and the dishes (many of which were pre-portioned) were brought out one by one. I suppose this makes it easier for some diners, but the dishes weren't very hot when they arrived and I would've preferred being able to serve myself. I'm sad to say that of the 7 dishes my party ordered, none of them in particular stood out to me... Chef Chu himself proved to be very friendly - I noticed him stop by each table on our floor and greet everyone with the traditional Chinese New Year phrases (good English too!). :) Overall, Chef Chu's seems to be a better choice for people unfamiliar with Chinese food but looking for slightly more authentic tastes. I've enjoyed countless satisfying (equally, if not more so) dinners before at Chinese restaurants with smaller price tags, so I don't think I'll be coming back in the future...! read more

You must convince yourself of one thing to enjoy Chef Chu's: This isn't a traditional Chinese restaurant. The first few times I ordered from Chef Chu's I got very traditional dishes and was disappointed by how ordinary yet overpriced they were. Like a typical Chinese food connoisseur, I was upset that they spent more on presentation and location than the food. After a friend urged me to reclassify Chef Chu's as high-end Americanized Chinese food, I realized how I had gone wrong in my ordering. Now I have a couple favorites here, things I would rarely order at a traditional Chinese restaurant: - Walnut prawns - Kung Pao chicken - Shrimp lettuce cups - Prawns in lobster sauce It's a very difficult mental leap to make, and I still wouldn't come to Chef Chu's on my own accord since I'd rather than get real Chinese food at half the price elsewhere, but I don't mind too much now if someone else suggests it. read more

Very fresh and well presented dishes: we had the shrimp and button mushroom (which had absolutely no flavor but was fresh and crisp), Mongolian lamb with green onions (mediocre taste) and the Hong Kong-Style Crispy Pan-Fried Angel-hair Noodles (which was not exactly like the kind I had in HK). The cocktails were extremely weak and over-priced. I wondered if there was any alcohol in it since my Pina Colada tasted just like my daughter's coconut and pineapple juice mixture. This restaurant caters to those who are not adventurous and just want ordinary Chinese-American food. I just wonder what all the hype is about. read more

I came here solely based on reviews. The 5 star reviews. What I'd like to say is, I spent over $125 on 3 dishes, that all tasted the same. Like Nothing. Came home, to scour through my pantry to find a bottle of soy sauce, pepper, hot sauce ANYTHING to jazz up this food!!! And what's up with no rice? You charge all that for a few pieces of meat and 3 pieces of broccoli? Disappointing. I also ordered the seafood soup. There was one shrimp, and 2 baby mussels. It should've been called veggie soup in milk broth. Sound appetizing? Yeah, not to me either. read more

I have loved going to Chef Chu's for many years. However, since the pandemic I've had to rely on delivery. I have ordered delivery from many places. However, I cannot fathom why my two Chef Chu's orders via Postmates got cancelled without any explanation. The orders were confirmed but just about the time the food order is ready to be picked up, it's cancelled. I order by 5pm, I tip generously. What am I doing wrong? read more

I don't understand the hype. This place has glowing reviews and yet I couldn't stomach eating more than a few bites here. The flavors are intense, bold, and feel like they're compensating for real flavors. I am all for good bold flavors, but this felt like they were slathering on sauce to the point that I could not taste whatever the original entree was supposed to be. It was so forgettable, that I could only recall eating pieces of the eggplant, fried rice, and some chicken. Had to keep drinking a lot of water because either they put in too much msg or it was wayyyy too salty. They even charge rice by the bowl, when we left, the chef was trying to get us to buy his book.. read more

Top notch flavor, and service! My husband and I enjoyed lunch here a few days ago. Very friendly service and comfortable atmosphere. A wide selection of choices on the menu. The egg rolls were fantastic! We enjoyed a pork entree and amazing Kung Pao Chicken. Will come back for sure when in the area again. We were extremely impressed with the professional service. read more

Let me first say that I am shocked and amazed by the low reviews here!! I've been coming the Chef Chu's forever and never imagined that anyone could have anything negative to say. Oh well, that's ok. I still love it and always will. Honestly, every family affair I can remember was done here. Lunch after church, birthdays, anniversaries, etc, etc. When I was little, Charlie (the host) knew my family by name and there was a waitress who took the time to teach me how to use chopsticks. We loved the Chinese dragon leading upstairs, the Shirley Temples came with extra cherries, and my sister remembers being tricked into going to the boys' bathroom. But nostalgia aside, this is some GREAT food. I still return more often than I should and I am never disappointed. Each time, there is a standard order and then maybe a different entree or two to add on. Order: --Char Sil Bau: steamed pork bun. Chef Chu admits that he does not actually make these in house but they're still yummy --Egg Rolls: Amazing! About ten minutes before you leave, get an extra order to pack up to go with the rest of your leftovers --Pot Stickers --Mandarin Beef Stew with Wontons AND Noodles: Beware, the spice can vary by day and may occasionally leave you guzzling your water. Oh, and the waiter may look at you funny when you order it with both wontons and noodles but trust me... --BBQ Pork Chow Mein: Perfection --Lemon Chicken or Mongolian Beef --Any of the prawns! You'll always have leftovers. You'll have to fight for them the next day. It's a great place to go with a group. Classic and classy. Chef Chu himself can generally be seen and he is a genuine personality. His son is stepping into some pretty large shoes but doing a wonderful job. So, while many may be bashing my beloved restaurant, nothing will ever stand between me and Chef Chu's! read more

My mom planned our birthday dinner for here because she was saying, "Omg did you know the owner is the director of Crazy Rich Asian's dad?! We HAVE to go there!" So like all the bandwagoners who want to be cool, we went there and tried it. We loved it. Yummy food, great customer service and a fun atmosphere. We had the roast duck and it was my favorite part of the meal. I love family-style Chinese meals and this hit the spot. The hype is real. We are part of the hype. The hype is for good reason. P.S. - parking lot outside, additional parking a bit further away and convenient location! read more

First of all, this is definitely not "real" Chinese restaurant, the food is Americanized and you can tell it's aimed towards the westerners (i.e. if you go inside, you hardly see any Asians eating there other than the staff) I tried the Seafood Blossom Soup, it was very salty, and it had taste of MSG, nothing special other than saltiness and MSG. I ordered the grilled miso sea bass, my partner ordered Tangerine Beef. One word for both dishes: salty My sea bass was rather bland (other than tasting salty), compared to the miso Sea Bass at Kappo Nami Nami (a Japanese restaurant on Castro), this was far worse. Tangerine beef was a-okay, nothing special. Price is definitely on the high end for Chinese food, we had the soup, two dishes, and 2 beers, total was $60 (not including tips or taxes). For authentic, tasty and inexpensive Chinese food, try the ones in Cupertino :) read more

I do not see what all the hype is about... First, the place smells horrible - stale and moldy. Second, the food was not that impressive. On a scale of 1-10: Pot stickers (8) Chinese Chicken Salad (5) Hot and Sour Soup (5) Mongolian Beef (6) Prawns on Crackling Rice (1) Fried Bananas Desert (2) The service was good the whole time, but when we mentioned that we did not like the prawns at all (we took 2 bites), nothing was done about it. read more

Take this place for what it is worth. If you're looking for something very Chinese ethnocentric, or region specific kind of food, this is the wrong place. I'm not saying this place is like a PF Changs where they do a bit of everything, far be it. Chef Chu's is waaaay way better than PF Changs. They are non Chinese speaking friendly, like Mr Fongs in Foster City. I must say that despite some of the Americanized fare on the menu, they do have some Chinese specials that are quite tasty, like their version of the 3 cup chicken dish that might be a bit on the sweet side, but very hearty and goes well with rice. I enjoy their Taiwanese style stir fried rice noodles, which while is not the same as in Taiwan, though is miles better than a lot of places in the Bay Area. I also went here for lunch a few years ago with some non Chinese coworkers, and they all loved it. The black bean salmon was one of the highlights, and I too enjoyed it despite my very picky ethnocentric tastes. If Lawrence Chu is indeed behind the cooking if you eat there, I'm sure he can come up with non menu dishes to unleash his real prowess in the kitchen. The fact that he's always in these cooking competitions with some of the eliite Asian chefs somewhere (alongside Andy Wai) should mean something. read more

I went here to celebrate my birthday and it was wonderful. All my friends and I ordered the gourmet dinner specials which was anywhere between $20-$25/person. It came with soup, salad, tons of entrees and desserts. Since I had a big group, more than 10 people and not everyone agreed on the same kind of soup, the waiters asked and basically gave half of those people who wanted wonton soup and the other half hot and sour soup. The dishes were tasty and everyone went home full and satisfied. If they're happy, I'm happy too. I'd come back here again because the service and food were great! read more

This place definitely beat my expectations. I don't know why, maybe it's because of the name, I was totally expecting a fast-food style place similar to Panda Express. I was so wrong! This place is a gorgeous 2-level sit down restaurant! Our party of 6 was seated on the second floor. The decorations here are so pretty! Prices here are reasonable, although I would say that serving sizes are on the smaller end. I can't remember everything that we ordered, but here are a few highlights: - Potstickers: These were made perfectly! The skin was just the right level of thickness, and there was just the right amount of meat inside (I hate potstickers that are overstuffed with meat). Each order comes with 6 and the potstickers are pretty decently sized. - Mapo Tofu: Not the best I've had, but this one had so much flavor without being overwhelmingly spicy. The sauce was a bit thick, but overall, I really enjoyed it - Steamed fish: The fish was delicious! Super soft and tender and filled with flavor. The dish includes some vegetable as well, but not that much. The fish, though!! Definitely a favorite. Service here is pretty fast and all the servers are super friendly. Overall, can't say this place is totally authentic, but it's definitely better than the Panda Express cuisine that I was expecting. read more

Ordered the following to go: 1. Jumbo Prawn Appetizer - no flavor, too thick batter = blah 2. Sweet Corn and Chicken Soup - little substance, tastes like corn starch thickened broth with egg white, with some corn and chicken, =blah 3. Chef Special Chow Mien - I love starch, but this did not make me want to eat more. Shrimps are tiny, chicken didn't have a great flavor, some veggies burnt = blah Would never order any of the above from here again. Do not understand how this place has 4 stars. read more

One of the longest standing restaurants the area! Back in the day, the food was geared towards more americanized chinese food (think PF Chang's). In the recent years, the food has become more authentic, you'll see more of the older generation of Asians dine here. I was pleasantly surprised by our dinner, everything was great! However, note that the bill may empty your pockets! read more

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Had lunch with a couple coworkers here yesterday and ordered the prawn stirfry with veggies off the lunch menu. There wasn't anything too special about the dish but I was a bit disappointed with the sauce used to stirfry the prawn and veggies since it was really salty. The fried spring roll lacked any taste so that was a downside. There was not a line at 12pm but as I left at 1pm a line formed so come before 1pm! Right around the time we were ready the leave, chef Chu came around to the dining area and asked every table if everything was good, this is a great gesture from the face of the business! Overall, the waitstaff was really nice and the food was not too bad. read more

Food: 2, Service: 4 Ate here for lunch after finding it on Yelp. The hot and sour soup was OK, but it was disappointing to learn that they skimp on ingredients at lunch, saving the meat and wood ear mushrooms for the dinner crowd. The grilled salmon with black bean sauce was OK, but more well done that one would expect a Chinese restaurant to prepare it. Everything just seemed a little bland. I should have known when I looked around, and there were no other Asians, and the average age of the Friday lunchtime crowd was early 60s. Seriously! I did see a Mom and her kids come in though, as I was leaving. read more

Chinese food that is customized for western taste. I liked it but it's not quite Chinese food. :) Try sweet-n-sour dishes, lemon chicken, or the pop rice. The place is clean. Very friendly. All waiters speak English. Kids can go to the kitchen window and watch the chefs cook. read more

Not good at all. Going into it I knew it was very Americanized Chinese (it was) but if executed well that can be delicious. Unfortunately the execution was terrible. We didn't really like a single item we got - Hot and sour soup - was OK but lukewarm and certainly nothing special. Egg rolls - mostly flavorless Famous chicken salad - my favorite thing that I got. I would compare it to a deconstructed Vietnamese summer roll with fried chicken. Not particularly great or special though. Spicy broccoli - terrible Generals chicken - meh Seems like this place has been around for a while and is popular. If that's why you choose a restaurant than go for it -- but you have been forewarned. read more

Service is good but food is not very good. Dishes are way too small like appetizer sizes and it's very Americanized Chinese food. Not very authentic. Too much corn starch used. The ambiance is good but quality of food and size needs to be improved. Also bathroom needs to be more sanitized. read more

Not sure what the fuss is about. I'm not a Chinese food fan and they didn't disappoint in disappointing me. We went around 5pm and there was no wait. The service was terrible and I think we were in there for three hours or so. If I was in a hurry or didn't enjoy my company, I'd have been upset. read more

Jasmine is the manager and she said there is nobody above her that she doesn't have to give me Gar last name. Deliveries stopped for the night at 9:25. I advised her she was being rude and like a child- she said I was being rude and hung up. If she really is the owner- she shouldn't be. She needs a time out and a bottle. Probably a diaper change even more than that as crappy as her attitude is. read more

Definitely a classic. Food is consistently great, and the service is usually good. You'll need reservations if you're going on the weekend--this place gets totally packed! I can recommend the hot & sour soup, pineapple chicken (the sweet & sour chicken), and the beef fried rice! read more