What makes a Five Star rating? Well, here it is... Chef K. We blew into Temecula from Northern California and found ourselves craving and searching for Chinese food. My Daughter suggested Chef K due to their 4+ star rating, even though she had never eaten there before. Hidden in an outdoor mall it just looks like a glass front suite, but enter the doors and the interior is beautiful and clean with comfy upholstered booths and chairs. The young server greeted us with a strong Asian accent and took us to our seats immediately. We were the only customers in the room which made me a little nervous, but is was 2pm on a Thursday after all. We were presented with a hardbound colorful book of their offerings... pretty cool. We ordered and were quickly presented with: Spicy Pepper Beef: A medium spice level with a savory dark soy sauce, bathing ultra tender beef slices, married with thin sliced jalapeño and diced red and green bell peppers. Unbelievably delicious. Walnut Honey Shrimp: Mega large butterflied prawns quickly fried with walnuts and sweet glaze, crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Tangerine Chicken: Large delicate and tender chicken breast pieces deep fried in a fluffy batter and glazed with a perfectly sweet and tart tangerine sauce. Our meal came with individual bowls of perfectly cooked jasmine rice. Enough food to feed 3 hungry adults and still have leftovers. $63 Why 5 stars? Without a doubt, the best, cleanest tasting Chinese dishes I have ever experienced. More to come from this place I'm sure. If you are anywhere near Temecula, get off the freeway and reward yourself. read more

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Honestly didn't expect it to be this good. Tried this spot on a whim and it totally blew me away. The food tastes super fresh and actually has that real, authentic flavor you don't always find. Not greasy, not overly salty--just really well done. Service was friendly and fast, and the whole place felt clean and chill. Nothing fancy, just a really good, reliable spot. Definitely coming back next time ：） read more

I go to Chef K a lot with friends. The food is always really good. Today we had a group of 13 women celebrating birthdays. The food, as usual, was excellent. But today I experienced such rudeness from the waiter. I was the last to order and the waiter reached for my menu. I said, I haven't ordered yet. In a gruff voice he said, "we'll order then." I ordered the Mapo Tofu. The waiter said, "what's that?" I opened the menu and showed him. He said, annoyingly, "that's Mapo Tofu"; pronouncing it differently than I did. I was taken aback at how belittled I felt. I believe he was pretty annoyed with my group because we were talking and when he asked us to quiet down so he could hear the orders, we quieted down as much as we could. By the time he had gotten to me, I believe he had had enough and I got the brunt of his annoyance. I will still go to Chef K because the food is that good but the owners/managers need a heads up on the service by this man. read more

Our favorite lunch spot when we're craving Chinese. The Temecula location is beautiful inside. Service is always prompt and friendly. The lunch specials are a great value for a soup, appetizer and entree. We love the beef and broccoli. The sauce is delicious! read more

Chef K - Beef and broccoli lunch special - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

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I usually pick up my orders but this time, I was able to dine in with family. The space is smaller than I expected, but it didn't feel crowded. It was nicely decorated. I think their menu (hard cover book style) is the best I've ever seen. The pictures inside provide a clear image of what you're ordering. The portions are generous and fairly priced. I would however, recommend sticking with their Chinese dishes. I wasn't fully satisfied with my Panang Curry. Other than that, I would return. read more

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First time trying this restaurant and we will be back to try other entrees! We came during lunch and their specials were affordable (with decent portions). The lunch specials came with a soup, entree and a mini side. There are different options depending on price point. I ordered the $13.99 option which came with soup, beef with broccoli and a wonton. My son had the sweet and sour chicken. We weren't fans of the soup but the entrees were delicious. I especially liked the beef with broccoli. It was paired with fried rice and it was enough to fill me up. The flavors were savory. We decided to dine-in and the staff was welcoming. After we ordered, the food came out fairly quickly. There weren't too many people so we were able to enjoy the space fully. Recommend trying the beef with broccoli and their Thai Tea! read more

Chef K - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

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Good food with fresh quality ingredients, but the only beverages are soft drinks, and they serve carbonated sodas out of warm cans over a little cup of ice. Honestly, it's enough to keep me from returning. I may order takeout in the future. read more

Chef K is a go-to spot for my family. The food is incredible. We have yet to find a bad or even average item on the menu. Everything is fresh and delicious. Our top recommendation is the Mongolian beef, but i suggest you try and work your way through the whole menu eventually. Take-out is great, but if you have the time I suggest grabbing a table. The ambiance is extremely welcoming, the staff treat you like family, and the vibe is all-time. Dinning in, we've even gotten a couple extras for free. Overall, this place has earned a top spot in our family dinner night out rotation. Could t recommend it more. Sorry for the picture- this is not a place where I have the patience to let the camera eat first. read more

Chef K - Mongolian Beef (middle) Chicken fried rice (top) Chicken lo mein (left) Black pepper chicken (right) - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

My bf had chosen this spot for a date night and I'm so glad he did. A ton of people showed up at the same time we did for picking up orders or to dine in which is what you ally a good sign. We chose 3 things to share and drank iced tea, which btw idk what kind it tea that was but it was so delicious! For food we chose to start with the cream cheese wontons which were amazing. Nice and crispy with tons of filling. Next we shared the beef noodles and walnut honey shrimp. Both were fantastic and large quantities definitely shareable portions. We ate until our hearts content and still had plenty of leftovers. We both thoroughly enjoyed our experience and will be back. I see why such good ratings but come and see for yourself. read more

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Came is for a late lunch, it was nice and quiet. I love that their lunch specials are until 4pm. Service was fantastic. So was the food. read more

Chef K - L. Beef With Mixed Vegetable Lunch L. Sweet And Sour Pork Lunch - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

Super tasty chicken cashew. Chicken was tender and perfectly cooked and I had enough for three meals which is pretty awesome considering the entree was around $20 on DoorDash. Will definitely order again and try other options! read more

Ordered food for take out at 6:43pm He repeated back my order perfectly He said they were busy and to pick up at 8pm. I drove 30 mins to get there It wasn't ready at 8pm. No apologies, nor acknowledgment of a shortcoming. Whatever, I'll just wait. I'm 6 months pregnant and craving mapo tofu. At 8:25 I asked, "Can you tell me how much longer?" To which he replied, "I don't know. I'm not the chef" I explained I had a sleeping child in the car and didn't want to come back in to check on it unless it's actually ready. He ignored me. Another angry customer who said he'd been waiting for his food for over an hour told him to answer my question. He repeated that he had no idea how much longer. I asked, "15 mins?" He said, "okay" and looked a bit annoyed There were 3 other people waiting for pick up. All of them were very angry. At 8:32 I got a text that it was ready. I paid for my $128 worth of food. Got in my car and drove 30 mins back to my house. Got to my freeway exit and realized the receipt had my order wrong. On the 2 orders of Mapo Tofu he entered "no spice" but also "max spice". It was supposed to be "no meat" & "max spice". I do not eat meat. Over $30 wasted on the incorrect order- the mapo tofu was made with beef chunks in it. I just threw it all away and felt like crying. I also got 3 orders of green onion pancakes and they were really hard. I don't know if they reheated leftovers or what, but you literally could not bite into it to tear off a bite. My husband was happy with his chongqing spicy chicken. So at least there's that. I'll try calling tomorrow to ask for the mapo tofu to be remade or for a refund, but based on the customer service all the disgusted customers received there tonight, I highly doubt they'll do anything to rectify. Probably not coming here again. Will make the drive to Monterey Park to Yunnan Restaurant to get Mapo Tofu made with authentic spices & crispy good green onion pancakes. read more

Chef K - 2 orders of Mapo Tofu, he entered "no spice" & "max spice" instead of "no meat" & "max spice" - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

I am so bummed it took us so long to try this place out! We came in for an early dinner before a show at Pechanga and we definitely missed the crowd, they were busy between dine in and phone orders being picked up. They have a mobile kiosk up front to order, service was quick, friendly and extremely attentive. The food was so fresh, flavorful and yummy, the most authentic Chinese I've had in the IE by far. They even offer a handful of dim sum options off their appetizer menu, shu mai/siu mai is not listed, but they do have it and it was so good. Everything is basically ala carte so definitely family style for sure, a little pricey, but really what isn't in the current economy? As we were leaving, someone drove by and asked us how it was, we said we highly recommend your restaurant. Can't wait to come back next time and try new things, looking forward to having my leftovers for lunch today! read more

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For a small quick place, whenever my mom from Atlanta comes to Visit we always order from here on drool dash and she loves it. I Personally like the chicken broccoli.. delish read more

My favorite Chinese restaurant in Temecula 10/10! The prices are reasonable the portions do not disappoint. My favorite dish would be the walnut shrimp! I love everything that I've tried and it's absolutely delicious! read more

CHEF K is possibly under NEW OWNERSHIP! I have to say I really miss the old Chef K. I know they are trying their best but, I miss some of the old menu items and staff. We got the LUNCH SPECIAL! SAUTÉED FISH FILET: 4/5 The fish was good. The egg flower soup was also good but, the fried rice was COLD. KUNG PAO CHICKEN: 4/5 Hubby said it was ok. SERVICE: A - PARKING: PLENTY KEEP PRACTICING CHEF K and one day you'll ROCK ON!! read more

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For the best authentic Chinese food in the Temecula/Murrieta/Wildomar area, Chef K is your stop. We ordered crispy, spicy chicken, stir-fried green beans, Shanghai-style crispy spare ribs, sesame balls, Penang Curry, and sweet and sour chicken. I know, I know. That's too much food for two. But we ate in AND took food home for our daughter and or next day's meal. We went on Valentine's Day and got a table right away. The service? Excellent. Our server, Eric, had his eye on us, and ensured our green tea never ran out. My wife, who was born in Shanghai, had lots of questions for him and he answered them all. So if you're looking for quality, authentic Shanghai cuisine in a location not bustling with tourists, come by. PS Even their menu is classy...a small, colorful book. read more

Chef K - Shanghai Crispy Spare Ribs - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

We went to Chef K for me and my BF's birthday dinner. The menu had many options, we cashew nut chicken wonton soup, Shanghai Pan fried noodles, steamed vegetables, fried rice, broccoli beef, pot stickers and many more, something to please the entire family. I was very thankful they got us a table so quickly, since we were a large party of 9, so great customer service! read more

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Singapore noodles were good. Large dumpling soup was quite large (2 full containers for takeout), but the broth was a bit tasteless & beef rubbery. Prices were competitive. Overall, decent, but I think there are better options in the area.. read more

Have been here a few times and even brought some friends over before we headed to pechanga. It's about as close as you're going to get for authentic Chinese food. Stop by if in the area and looking for a solid chinese food option. read more

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Pretty good place to grab take out authentic Chinese food! Their portions are pretty decent & they cook it fresh to order. Whenever i am not wanting to cook dinner, i grab it & i am very satisfied every time i grab late night dinner here! :) read more

The best Chinese food I've ever had in my life. If you like Chinese food, you have to come here. The service was just as amazing. Very hospitable, accommodating and attentive. Restaurant is very clean and peaceful as well. A+ experience read more

Chef K - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

Were around Pechanga Casino and decided to get a soup on cold Sunday night. Place is clean, quite artsy in its way and the staffs are friendly too. Crispy chicken was delish, cooked very dry, wonton soup portion is quite massive considering it is small (approx 3-4 people) and contained lots of meat. Country style tofu was more sweet and sour taste to me. All meals we ordered included 2 bowls of rice, which is nice little adds on. Price wise surprisingly not pricey at all. Def will come back for the noodles menu! read more

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I asked for a vegetable only dish - exclude the chicken. I was willing to pay for a chicken mean ... just exclude it from my dish and waiter REFUSED to custom my order. First place ever that have said no. read more

Absolutely incredible flavorful Chinese/Szechuan dishes with huge portions and great prices. Second time here visiting from SD and it was even better than I remembered the first time. There are plenty of vegetarian friendly dishes and modifications you can make. Highly recommend the Kung Pao Tofu, Szechuan Garlic Eggplant (and I'm not even an eggplant fan usually!), Soft Pan Fried Noodles and Mapo Tofu (be sure to specifically request the vegetarian version otherwise the default comes with beef). Honestly all dishes came out hot, delicious and in family size and style portions. Service is great, and so is the comfortable booth style seating inside. The menu is designed like a book and organized by protein type and offers pictures of the most popular dishes which I appreciated. Will definitely be back! read more

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Terrible! I called to make sure they were open for dinner, person on the phone said "yes". We came down, waited for someone to help us, no one ever came! I had to go to the back of the restaurant to find someone to help. They stared at me like i was crazy, then told me to go write my name down, I said where? What are you talking about. Someone reluctantly walked my to the front, to a sheet of paper, pointed to it and went to leave. I stopped her and told her it said "no more". She said let me ask. Came back who knows how long later and said, no more dining in only to go. I said I called and asked before we came, she was like oh well.. I will never come back here. Don't waste your time with this place!! read more

Fresh hot and extremely delicious. Best Chinese food I've had in many many years it seems like people don't really know how to cook anymore or they just don't care they just want a profit but chef k you could tell he is an artist and a master I absolutely loved every bite that went into my mouth and I couldn't wait for my next visit as a matter of fact I'm going there today right after I leave this house that we just purchased as a celebration. The food reminds me of the food I used to eat when I was a kid with my mom and dad used to take us to have Chinese food every Thursday that was authentic. read more

really really good. clean simple flavors. clean restaurant and outstanding service for a very very good price. 10/10. read more

Chef K - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

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Love this restaurant! Food is delicious . Highly recommend! Great service. Clean and peaceful environment.

The food here is consistently solid, but the service is another story unfortunately. Each time I've visited the staff has been noticeably unfriendly, and one server in particular (the man with glasses) seems especially indifferent to basic customer service. There are no fountain drinks, only canned sodas, and timing is an ongoing issue. If you order your soup and entrées together, everything will hit the table at once with no awareness of space or pacing. On our last visit, we waited to order entrées until our soup arrived just to avoid the pile-up. The man with glasses looked at us strangely when we didn't want to order everything together. It took them forever to come around and take our order after we finished our soup. It almost felt like it was on purpose. Overall, the food is worth eating, but the dine-in experience isn't. I'd recommend sticking to takeout. read more

Busy as expected Christmas night but restraunt ran with great efficiency. The food was excellent and in such a timely manner. Our service was great super friendly. It was beautiful inside and super relaxing vibe. Food was fresh and delicious. read more

Chef K - Christmas dinner with the family. - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

We liked it. Good flavors. Reasonably priced, consistent quality. We stopped in for lunch on the way to the casino. Had the lunch special tangerine chicken, and Mongolian beef. Added moo shoo pork and it was almost too much food but we were up for the challenge. We will be back. read more

Love that their websites menu has gluten free options on most dishes now! We love the sesame balls, beef chow fun, sizzling rice soup, crispy tangerine beef and spicey cabbage. read more

I've lived in Temecula for 24 years and just came across great Chinese food finally!! Ambiance, service and food all excellent here. We were so impressed we went twice in one week! Will be a go to of ours now! Also all their main dishes can be made gluten free upon request! read more

We ate here on a whim. Heard from someone that said that the food here is good. I think it's pretty authentic. Service was great. But....whoever cooked the dishes was very heavy handed with the salt. I barely ate the food and whatever was on my plate, I had to mix it with plain white rice. Every single dish was overly salty, except for the Honey Walnut Shrimp, the raw broccoli decoration, and the white rice. read more

Chef K - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

The food there is so authentic. They give family style portions. Great service & very welcoming. Fast & friendly. The ambiance is very warm & inviting. They have small & big tables for all size families. read more

Chef K - Shanghai Crispy Spare Ribs Beef Chow Fun Green Dry Fried String Beans - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

I ordered kung pao beef and they gave me a soupy beef mushroom with "zero" kung pao. Please remove kung pao from your menu, this meal is "not" kung pao. read more

First visit! Chose takeout option to enjoy while watching a movie at home, sipping a nice sparkling wine. The aromas of the establishment were mouth watering, the dining room was large and inviting, and menu was expansive. Selected the pan fried beef noodles, crisp spicy chicken , and. Shrimp entree. Everything was delicious and the portions were more adequate for two. Will definitely try again, and try some different entrees. read more

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We arrived at opening time on a Tuesday. I signed my name on a legal pad and went to use the restroom while my companion waited for a table. When he returned I was still standing there, along with two other people. One employee walked by me twice without a word. The other (there should be more than two staff for the number of people that were already seated) and she asked if I was dining in, and if I signed the pad. The answer was yes to both and she said it would be a few minutes. It soon became obvious that they seated the first five parties and not only took drink orders, but food orders also, while the rest of us waited. I am in hospitality and I would have seated everyone while my coworker started drink orders, then after everyone ordered beverages, began food orders. I've NEVER waited nearly 20 minutes to get into a Chinese restaurant. This place was beyond understaffed, as it was clear that these two women were in the weeds. We left after I scratched my name off the pad. read more

We decided to try this eatery after reading Jarek's, Jeff's, and Tom's reviews. Thanks gentlemen! When we entered we were greeted warmly by a young gentleman, who was preparing to-go orders. He came around the counter rather quickly and directed us to a booth at the rear of the restaurant. The interior is tastefully decorated with low ambient light given off by the beautiful light fixtures. It's an inviting, understated luxe vibe meant for comfort while enjoying the food. The table had two menu books set upon it. I'm not exaggerating either! Menu books, volumes. It must have been almost an inch thick. They have an extensive assortment of dishes & appetizers. What to order? While deciding a nice lady came over to ask if we wanted drinks. We had the usual iced teas with lemon. Subsequently we decided on Cashew Chicken (my fave), Tangerine Crispy Chicken and Vegetable Egg Rolls. The food came out quick, hot, and fresh. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his Tangerine Crispy Chicken and I had a taste of it and found it very flavorful. My Cashew Chicken was different but very delicious. I'm not used to having green & red peppers in it but it enhanced it & gave it a distinct flavor profile. The egg rolls were perfectly crunchy and chock-full of savory veggies. The staff was very attentive and worked like a well oiled machine. We found the customer service admirable. We look forward to returning to try their other offerings. We were impressed and thoroughly enjoyed their delectable food. We're bringing family next time! read more

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