This restaurant definitely meets its standards. Was greeted by the owner, chef chu himself at the door. friendly and welcoming vibes! you can definitely see values and personality of the chef with the interior design. came here to celebrate CNY with family and we had an enjoyable and delicious dinner. it is advised to make a reservation before coming! parking is limited but we were fortunate to find one asap. i would love to come back here during lunchtime. read more

See all

We got so lucky on a Saturday night for dinner with no reservations. We were seated right away in the bar area. Still a great seat for 4. There are only 2 tables in the bar area. The service and food here is excellent. The eggplant is my favorite. It's perfectly cooked and so flavorful. The hot and sour soup never disappoints. The green beans is so crispy and the prawns were wonderful. The crispy beef is so differently and addicting. I love this place and can eat here every today. We ordered some food Togo since we devoured our dinner. The only issue you'll have is looming for parking since it's so packed all the time. read more

See all

This place has grown on me. I wasn't a fan at first but its location is convenient so we kept trying. Every time I pick up my order it's busy! We discovered the family meals and love picking up when we're craving Chinese food. For my birthday I ordered 2 of the largest family meals for 5 and it didn't seem like it was the food amount it should've been. They jumbled the 2 orders together and didn't fill the containers on any of the items. Other than that everything is great when we order the smaller family meals. I'm a pork fried rice snob and I was pleasantly surprised!! read more

Came to try Chef Chu's signature dish the Classic Beijing Duck and ordered for take out. It's alright, nothing amazing. First off the $70 price tag on this duck is not ducking worth it at all, because how small it is. There's a Viet-Chinese restaurant in Vietnam Town that has a similar duck dish only for about $30 for whole duck too. The duck meat is kinda dry and maybe I ordered it for take out so it was not crispy. Never tried this restaurant before, but I heard many famous people like Steve Jobs, Justin Bieber, etc had ate here. So must have been hyped up. I always wanted to try a Peking Duck with thin crispy skin and juicy tender meat that's not small, but have found none in San Jose yet. Just reviewing the Duck dish so overall 3 stars. Might come to try other dishes, but also not worth the drive from southeast SJ. read more

Yet again, Chef Chu's knocks it out of the park! I think that I found my absolute favorite dishes on this visit. We of course had the famous chicken salad to start... We then shared the lunch portions of prawns with veggies, kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef, and chicken chow fun to share.... OMG everything was perfect and delicious and I am drooling thinking about it. In fact I have leftovers in the fridge I will probably eat for dinner You really can't go wrong with anything on their menu! If you have been to Chef Chus yet, what are you waiting for?! read more

See all

This is one of the best traditional Chinese restaurants in the area. As you walk in, you will see it's elegantly decorated and has many celebrity pictures. I remember when we visited before with friends, the Peking duck was excellent. For this visit, I arrived in the area late, so just stopped by and bought food to go. The service was prompt and friendly. I ordered Taiwanese style rice noodles (in the back of the menu) and Hot and Sour soup. Both were excellent for taste and the ingredients used. I was especially impressed that I found a shrimp in the soup! read more

See all

Chef chu's is an institution that no longer lives upto the standards of what the community expects. The last time I visited was about a year ago, and dining here today reminded me why I stopped visiting. Sure the family has made movies and hosted celebrities. However, today the restaurant has rude wait staff that slam food on the table unnecessarily, lack the basic courtesy to talk patiently to their guests. With all the family's success and legacy of ceo visits, it seems like they no longer truly care about what's served to the common folk. With All the fanfare of published magazine articles, and the books they sell didn't do anything for me as a paying customer. I still went in, got low quality less than mediocre food and service and walked out. I wouldn't recommend going in here for a date night- absolutely not! Hot and sour soup was only sour- it had the amount of vinegar you would pour into your dishwasher to prevent it from frothing up. No Chinese restaurant, let alone a high and mighty reputed one like chef chu's should be preparing this in their kitchen. Kung pao chicken- slimy texture, fatty chicken pieces, poor quality oil left an unpleasant after taste Veggies and shrimp- goopy, overflowing with cornstarch, with low quality ingredients that were prepared with no care. $50 fare - not worth it for the common regular middle class person. The interiors can definitely do with a modest refresh such as a basic carpet replacement (takes perhaps half a day!). The dark brown carpetting looks like it is crying out to be spared. I won't be visiting again. The vegetables and kungpao is worse than a fast food restaurant. panda express does serve up higher quality food. read more

See all

I ordered two dishes - kung pao chicken and seafood noodle soup (Chao ma soup noodles), The Kung Pao chicken was alright, but the seafood noodle soup was so mediocre. There were too many noodles, clams tasted unclean, soup base was so generic and watered down with very little flavor. I don't normally have such a negative opinion of restaurant food. This is probably one of the most inauthentic Chinese place I've been to. A disappointment. read more

Chef Chu's - Chao ma soup noodles - Chinese Near Me - Los Altos, California

See all

We absolutely adore this place. It's been our go-to spot for quite some time now, and it never disappoints. This place is always bustling, so I prefer making a reservation. Getting a same-day reservation is easy; just give them a call. The staff is incredibly friendly. The only thing we wish for is if they checked in with us more often to see if we needed anything. We've tried several dishes here, including the Famous Chef Chu Chicken Salad, Fried Shrimp, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Classic Dry-Braised Prawns, Hunan-Family Style Tofu, Fresh Basil-Garlic Chicken, and Braised Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. The portion sizes are great, and everything bursts with flavor. For drinks, I highly recommend their Mai Tai. read more

See all

In A Nutshell: -Chef Chu's is a legendary Chinese restaurant that has been open since 1970. -I love their tasty dishes, which explode w/ flavor in each bite. -This is a great place to bring your fellow employees who are now back in the office, your friends, family, a date & even for solo meal. Overall, you gotta love the celebrity aspect of the establishment as well! read more

See all

If I'm rating this restaurant as an authentic Chinese restaurant, I will give it three stars. But in this case, I'm also giving them three stars for an Americanized Chinese restaurant. I think the 3 stars sums it all up. It's not a very clean restaurant. Its decor is stuck in the 80s. I'm not really sure why it's so popular. I have yet to find an amazing Chinese restaurant in the area. I can't say I will ever return to this restaurant. Sorry General Chu. read more

I finally tried the infamous Jon Chu's family restaurant! I came here with a big group of friends and we luckily snagged a reservation for 8:00 PM the day of which was really nice. We were seated on the second floor which seems to be more intimate as there were probably less than 10 tables on this level. With Chinese restaurants, there is always the mistake of overordering so that is exactly what we did! Though there were many things to write home about, my favorite dishes were the Szechuan crispy beef, pan-fried noodles, and the braised eggplant. I don't think I ever had a Chinese style crispy beef before so I didn't know what to expect but Chef Chu's did a wonderful job on this dish; it was crispy and the sauce had that tangy mala flavor which I really liked. The pan-fried noodles had such a nice crispy top glazed with sauce and plentiful toppings. The braised eggplant was so yummy too, with each piece very soft and tender. We also ordered the crispy duck and it was definitely a different experience since i usually eat Peking duck however with the bun and the sauce, it still tasted just as good. This is definitely a great place to bring friends and family as there's a great family atmosphere. Bonus, we also caught a glimpse at THE Chef Chu so that made the dinner a lot more enjoyable. read more

We came Sunday for lunch. Hubby craving roasted duck plus he realized that Chef Chu was just around the corner from our hotel so we got here around 11:15am, waiting for opening time of 11:30am as this place is pretty popular. We got seated right away. There was a queue when we left. Wish we could order everything on the menu... but maybe for next time. Our meal as follows: = Classic Beijing Duck priced for $70 - the best so far that I have tasted for a roasted duck = Pork with Imperial sauce = Candid Pecans with Jumbo Shrimp better known as Honey walnut shrimps in other chinese places = Crab and Cheese puffs or crab rangoon - I should say the best I have tasted = Chef's special fried rice = Fried Banana with Vanilla Ice cream for dessert. I do appreciate the servers wearing mask. Definitely a must try place when in the bay area. And we will be back for sure. read more

See all

Have been thinking of this place since we tried it 6 years ago. Updated interiors, same delicious food! The Prawns in Lobster Sauce is so delicious. If you are here for the first time, I will also recommend the Fried Banana Ice cream. Really great to be able to meet Chef Chu in person tonight! read more

See all

Came with friends for Sunday brunch. Arrived right before it's open (11:30am), was seated upstairs, which was the first time. It's not as upscale as the downstairs and with no windows, but had several large tables. We skipped the lunch menu and ordered four dishes. The favorite were Rainbow Fish and Double Fried Pork. The taste was average with smaller portion on average. The service was really good from the senior staffs except one younger staff was rushing us at the end. Overall, a solid choice for group meal with large menu. All time favorite is the "Fried Whole fish with Sichuan Chili garlic sauce". read more

Chef Chu's - Crazy rich bear - Chinese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Had a great New Year's dinner here. It was packed, but we luckily got a table right away. The vibe is traditional, yet Americanized at the same time. The menu is huge and the service is quick and attentive. Loved that they had a few different duck options (one of my favorite dishes from childhood). read more

Chef Chu's - Tea smoked duck (half portion). - Chinese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Delicious food and staff was great! Chef is AMAZING. Will definitely go back. Chef Chu came out and greeted every table. He super nice. Thank you to all the team. read more

After years of going to Chef Chu's this last time will be the last time. The food has just gotten more and more expensive, the quality has gotten worse and worse. Last night there was soggy and chewy eggrolls, potstickers that were possible, but still lack filling, and the Tangerine beef that was overcooked and had no tangerine flavor. At $3.25 a pork bun I shouldn't have to look for the pork the buns they were all bun no pork not sure they had even not even warmed the the price and reputation this was seriously a disappointing Easter night take out, read more

2 words: make reservations. This place is an institution. It's always packed. Everything is scrumptious. The fried wontons and fried rice being my favorite. It's an old restaurant in an old building and nothings changed. So don't expect some gorgeous new construction. Don't let the dilapidated decor fool you. The food & the service are perfection. read more

Chef Chu's - Chicken fried rice and Mongolian beef. - Chinese Near Me - Los Altos, California

Agree with previous yelpers- this place is very much Americanized Chinese food. Not a bad thing, but not a fare comparison to more traditional Chinese restaurants in Chinatown or southbay. However it is an iconic restaurant that has stood the test of time. Price of dishes are on the moderately high range and dishes are not huge. Ambience is nice and staff were very friendly and helpful in navigating the huge menu. Taste ranges depending on what you get. Some dishes like the black pepper steak and the seasonal vegetables were well done, whereas I found others a bit salty. For those that value ambience and want a nice place to eat with family or friends, this is a good option in the PA/LA/MV area. read more

Chef Chu's - Chinese Near Me - Los Altos, California

See all

Chef Chu's of Los Altos is one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. That's quite an achievement with all the competition in this region. In business for over 50 years, Chef Chu's serves up Chinese American cuisine in an upscale style. The restaurant itself has beautiful Chinese decor, and on display are photos of celebrities who have dined there. I made reservations for 5pm on a Saturday. Came early, got a parking spot right in front. My dinner companion and Yelp friend, Jade T. and I were the first ones seated at just before 5pm. I strongly suggest you make reservations, the dining room fills up fast. There is an upstairs dining room for parties and large groups. I ordered the Phoenix Deluxe Gourmet Dinner with a few changes. I added Rainbow Fish Fillets, and asked for a scoop of ice cream instead of Fried Banana and Whipped Cream. Why? Because I wanted to try their fish, and I asked for ice cream because my friend said she didn't like fried bananas. Our Phoenix Dinner came with a small bowl of Deluxe Won Ton Soup and Chef Chu's Famous Chicken Salad. The Chicken Salad is a house recipe with dressing provided in a pitcher. The salad is served tableside. If you're expecting Chinese Chicken Salad w/ Sesame Dressing, this is not the same recipe. REVIEW OF ENTREES: - Rainbow Fish Fillets in Wine Sauce, Grade (5/5): My friend and I both agreed, this was the best dish. The fish was perfectly cooked, fresh, and the vegetables were tender. - Oyster Sauce Beef, Grade (4/5): The beef was a little too salty. My friend said the beef was salty. I agree, but Oyster Sauce is salty. Also, it's served with bell peppers. I would of preferred bok choy. - Prawns With Assorted Vegetables, Grade (1/5): They overcooked the Prawns. They were chewy and somewhat tough. The tender vegetables were fine. But we left 3-4 prawns on the plate. SERVICE, Grade (5/5): When we were done eating, the Server asked how we enjoyed our meal. My friend told her the shrimp were overcooked. The Server offered to redo the dish. My friend suggested they credit the bill. There was a pause, and an "uneasy" silence. The Manager then came over and told the Server to "comp the shrimp." The Server had the remaining prawns replaced with new ones, and included in my take home box. Also, our dessert got some extras, they added a cherry and two sesame balls. Summary: - Service, Grade (5/5) - Food, Grade (4/5) - Facility/Restroom, Grade (3/5) This is an old restaurant. There was a line for the downstairs restroom because it's "all gender" and one person at a time. If you go upstairs, there's larger restrooms you can use. Misc Info: - Tip schedule begins at 18%, suggested amounts are on the bill. - Restaurant's dining room isn't open all day. Check posted hours. - Parking spaces are all around and in the rear. Come early and get a good spot. Observe signage, some spaces are shared with other businesses. Chef Chu's is located on the corner of El Camino Real & N San Antonio Rd. read more

See all

Chef Chu's is celebrating 50 years and going strong! There's quite an extensive menu to choose from! We were especially impressed with the sea bass, tea smoked duck and garlic eggplant. Each one was bursting with flavor! The Mongolian beef was heavy on the green onion, but the beef was tender and delicious. The shrimp chow fun and beef fried rice were ok. I'm ABC, and admittedly, I Iove the Americanized Chinese dishes. I think we were one of the few (maybe the only?) table of Asians there on this Friday evening. The service stood out to us. Very friendly and attentive staff! Chef Chu, himself, even made the rounds to check if everything was tasting great! No reservations. The parking lot was packed, every table was occupied and the entryway was neatly lined up with a bunch of food delivery packages ready for pickup. We'll definitely be back to try other items on the menu! Here's to another 50 years! read more

See all

Most people in this area know this restaurant from Crazy Rich Asians, and it goes more than the fame. The food is quite nice, a very Cantonese sort of vibe. It can get very crowded here and a little noisy, not entirely to my taste, but my parents enjoy this type of atmosphere so there is that. read more

This place still delivers on a verity of flavors and dishes after 40 plus years. I would visit this place almost every other month with family and friends. Excellent food and presentation along with a classic decor. We had the Honey walnut prawns, Wong tong soup, veggieterian egg rolls, broccoli and beef, kung pao chicken along with the house fried rice. The taste was simply exceptional on all dishes. The atmosphere is unforgettable for birthdays and Celebrations with a large party . Chef Chu, is a little pricey for its portion size. But the execution is a memorable experience that's unforgettable. Also the cocktail were damn good. read more

I wanted to try Chef Chu's because of it is owned by the family of Jon Chu, the film director. I wasn't expecting much to be honest but the dishes we got did surprise me. We got the chef's special fried rice and the crispy sichuan beef, this combo together was so delicious, I couldn't get enough. The portions are a bit small. But I would recommend trying to make a reservation if you can. We came on a Saturday at 5:15pm (15 minutes after opening) and there was already a 45min wait for a two person table to open up. Luckily since we were a small party, they were nice enough to offer us seats at the bar to eat dinner there. We did and it was fine for us. All the workers there were very nice, there's a bunch of posters and pictures posted up on the walls which is fun to look at. The parking lot is a bit small next to the restaurant but they also have a second parking lot that's just a short walk down the road in case of overflow. read more

See all

This place is amazing. Got the unique classy chinese decoration all over. Staff are so friendly and super enthusiastic food came on time, the food was amazing. I just loved the atmosphere. We will definitely be back. read more

Dined at Chef Chu's for my birthday with my best friends. One of them has been wanting to take us for so long and we finally went! Perfect timing too since I had just seen Wicked and found out the director's parents own this restaurant. We started off with mai tai's (my favorite cocktail) which was pretty good! Then ordered the sweet corn cream soup (not pictured, miso-glazed chilean sea bass, boneless crisp aromatic duck, and beef chow fun. Everything was so yummy! They were busy on a weeknight -- we could only get a reservation at 5pm. I highly recommend coming here for Chinese food -- all the dishes were so flavorful and their menu is extensive so I'd like to try new dishes. I will definitely be back! read more

See all

Is Chef Chu's primarily an Americanized-Chinese food restaurant? yes. but it is the best at what it does. it has refined Americanized-Chinese cuisine into its own art. all dishes are expertly crafted. flavorful, and cooked with just the right amount of heat for just the right amount. I've had the pleasure to dine here 4-5 times in my 20+ years in the Bay Area and have never been disappointed. There is a lot of superb Chinese cuisine in the Bay Area, particularly in Cupertino, Milpitas, and Fremont (and to a lesser extent SF and Oakland), but Chef Chu's is one of a kind. Some people might be put off by Americanized-Chinese, but there is definitely a place for it to shine as its own cuisine. that place is Chef Chus. bonus: their son was the director for Crazy Rich Asians, which is a movie I loved, especially having spent significant amount of time in Singapore over the period of 11+ years. read more

Food as always the best. Service fast and friendly and helpful. We love live everything about our experience. read more

So many famous people visit this place! Chef Chu's is located on the main road with ample parking. It's packed in the waiting area, but the pictures are worth seeing. I decided to take my food to go, so I couldn't explore the rest of the place. However, the food was great! read more

See all

Love it! A must, Great Food, great environment and Excellent service! We ordered the crispy duck, kung pao chicken, combination fried rice, the egg rolls ( were delicious) and we enjoyed eating the bananas with vanilla ice cream. Yum! Yum! read more

Chef Chu's - Dessert. - Chinese Near Me - Los Altos, California

See all

Chef Cho's is a popular Chinese restaurant in the Bay Area. I've been going to this establishment since the late 80's when I moved to the area until now (2025). Chef Cho's has never disappointed in the decades we've been patrons. Always a great choice for our special occasions - and intimate ones too! You'll love their food, service, and atmosphere. (Psst: ask to sit upstairs!) Enjoy! read more

Came here for a team lunch and everyone enjoyed it! There are plenty of vegetarian options and they are all very yummy. We got their string beans, bamboo shoots, vegetarian spring rolls, vegetarian mapo tofu, honey walnut shrimp, and a fresh cod in ginger sauce. Despite it being extremely busy, waiters came by to refill tea and water. Our fish took a bit longer than anticipated. We had already finished all our mains and the fish was last. A bit if a bummer but still good. read more

A staple in Los Altos, this family owned restaurant has been serving the area for decades now. They have lunch specials that are the favorites, sometimes it's hard to choose what I like to have. Since my office is within walking distance, I will call ahead and pick up, they are quick. Although a tip, Friday lunches, eat in tends to fill up, so definitely call to make a reservation. One time our team had a private room for a celebration, so we could order more of the more "authentic" dishes. All were delicious! When the owner is there, he will go around greeting customers. I find that's one of the best practices of a family owned establishment. read more

We've been dining at zchef chi's for years, and they never disappoint. Last night was no exception. Their menu certainly doesn't lack for choices. Live the urn of sweet & sour soup ahead of our shared entrees. This is "Asian Comfort food!!" read more

First things first, I recommend reservations. This place is always busy. Parking can be a problem so give yourself some extra time. The restaurant has an old school vibe which adds to its charm. We were a party of 4 and ordered family style. We ordered one of the clay pot meals, some chow mein, a chicken dish and a beef dish. All were very flavorful and delicious. Their cocktails are also very good. Our only complaint was that our sever seemed to be bothered when we ordered cocktails at different times- not all together. He smiled and was attentive but you could feel the underlying annoyance. Aside from that, we enjoyed our meal and will be back. read more

Chef Chu's has such a reputation...a great one. Everyone knows about CC'S.. it's been around for DECADES. Unfortunately, it's not that well deserved. It's expensive and the quality isn't the same anymore. Ordered Hot and Sour Soup, which was great. The pot stickers were nicely crisp, but lacking flavor. General Chicken was another super crispy dish-- but again, wasn't that great . The fried rice was good, but very small for a family of three or four. The portions are small if dining with family. Chef Chu always greets everyone and all the staff are friendly . But the food really isn't that exquisite. Not at all. Chef Chu's has such a rich history, but I don't think the food matches the reputation. If you don't make a reservation, you can forget about getting served, too. I would go back but this wouldn't be my first choice at all. read more

Director Jon Chu (Wicked), family restaurant。Very traditional American Chinese Restaurant. read more

See all

The food is good but, besides the duck, nothing extraordinary and sometimes plain. The duck had no odor and was not overly fatty. The four seasons cold plate was also good. Each piece was unique in style and flavor. I say keep it small and only go for their duck or their special menu section. Everything else didn't seem quite worth the price. The mushrooms in the braised triple mushrooms were of varying quality of freshness. The mu shu was nice with nice wok hei but it didn't really stand out and the dipping sauce is really salty. If you do enjoy the food though, it's an amazing place to share dishes with a large party. The service itself is oddly friendly and unfriendly. But they are considerate in a lot of ways. For all dishes they brought extra servings utensils so it's easier to share. They bring additional plates for you to share. If you eat here, you'll never worry about running out of tea, they are ON IT for that. Like the service here is definitely more good but don't expect to talk to them or anything. They do pack up your to go orders for you. Again, my chef complaint is just the price for what you get on some or these dishes. read more

See all

Delicious dinner for a good price. We did the Dragon special and it was plenty of food for 2 people. Chef Chu came out and greeted many of the diners. It was a great experience. read more