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I ordered delivery and requested utensils and soy sauce. It was delivered and no soy sauce or utensils. Im at a hotel so I have to ask the staff. I ordered kung pao chicken and nope! Nothing like I thought I was expecting. Dry and like chicken jerky. I ordered fried shrimp and thank goodness it was good. For $50 it was an underwhelming meal
Heard good things about Chef Zhu and was surprised that this authentic Chinese Food restaurant can be found in the heart of PQ off Highlands Village PI. You usually need to venture to Convoy to get Asian food of this caliber. -Mongolian Beef: the star of the show, tender steak slices and delicious vegetables in a savory umami sauce - Fried Rice: really solid really nostalgic - Stir Fry Green Beans: very well executed, good crunch on the beans nice flavor Overall, I would definitely come back again especially for the Mongolian Beef!
We had been to Chef Zhu many times since their opening and for the first couple years I have to say their quality and taste were consistently great--you could trust you'd have excellent Chinese food here (5 stars initially--my original food photos). However, the past 2 visits this month (May 2026), we noticed the dishes had way too much oil and some of the items were different in the way they were prepared (like wine chicken). The last visit on a Sunday, one of our guests asked the staff if the chef had changed and it turns out that the Original Chef Zhu was taking a break and not working (or possibly retired?). We also noticed some of the staff were different/new employees that we didn't recognize. I think they may have changed ownership or at least the original chef was not there. I am hoping it was temporary because it was clearly different than before. ------TL;DR----- Pros: large menu, easy parking, lots of tables so usually not a long wait, staff are friendly Cons: inconsistent dishes possibly suggesting a change in the chef (temporary or for good, not sure) Bottom Line: ask for much less oil (half oil) or none (even when we asked for less oil it was swimming in oil), hopefully the original chef returns
I went on a Friday for lunch and it was popping. There were lots of regular customers and they came in big groups. The servers all had a good attitude and were attentive despite how busy they were. The dishes overall were pretty well priced and some portions, like the veggies, were huge. The rice cakes were a bit too saucy for my liking, I was expecting more traditional flavors without all the soy sauce. The pork ribs had pretty good flavor and combined the sweet and sour well and the meat wasn't dry. The soup dumplings were also some of the better ones I've had in the states. The skin was a little thick but there was a healthy portion of soup and the pork flavor was rich. The fan tuan (rice burrito thing) was kind of mid since the rice was hard and the inside filling didn't have much flavor. It seemed like other tables ordered a variety of other things like seafood etc. that seem to be popular so I would want to give that a try when I go again. Overall positivie experience and would recommend!
We've been here twice for lunch, and this review is based on these visits. The first time, we obtained the last table in the dining room; the second time, we were one of only four occupied tables. SERVICE (2/5) On both visits, Service was fair at best -- inattentive and hard to find our server. FOOD (3/5) The Lunch Specials look great on the menu, and we've ordered: Scallion Braised Beef (3/5); Szechuan Chicken (3/5); Sautéed Shrimp with Vegetables (2/5). Sorry, but not impressed. [Full disclosure: I've experienced the best of Chinese cuisine in China, New York, and San Francisco.] AMBIANCE (4/5) The dining room is well-lit with large windows in front of the restaurant. In the Chinese style, red is the predominant interior color. The kitchen is open to the dining room. Parking is easy in the shared parking lot.
Chef Zhu is the best Shanghainese restaurant in San Diego. Recently took my large group of friends here and they all agree it was absolutely delicious! They only have one large table that can fit 16 adults (tight squeeze though). The have about 4 other large tables that can sit up to 12 adults comfortably. The group favorite were the steamed fish, eel, crab & rice cake dishes. The food comes out super quick and hot, so our group wasn't stuck eating 1-2 dish at a time. Parking lot is HUGE too, so no issues with parking at all. Highly recommend if you have a huge party and need some great asian food.
Came here with a party of eight for some Chinese food. While the food was good, I wasn't blown away. We ordered the general tsao chicken, sautéed green beans, bao, xlb, chow fun, fried rice, and shrimp wonton soup. General tsao chicken: 10/10 By far my favorite dish. Super crispy chicken doused in flavorful sauce. Best general tsao chicken I have ever tried. Sautéed green beans: 8/10 These were good, has a decent crisp, but weren't too flavorful. More garlic flavor and it would have been a lot higher. Bao: 9/10 We ordered just the plain buns, since we had some people in the party that didn't like duck. Soft and pillowy, delicious. Xlb: 9.5/10 Really flavorful, and great size. Would have gotten the extra .5 if they had a little more soup in them Chow fun: 8/10 Generally good, but I though this also lacked flavor. Tasted like soy sauce and nothing else. Very soft and chewy though. Fried rice: 6/10 The weak link imo. Pretty bland. Would have been better off with white rice. Shrimp wonton soup: 7.5/10 This one was good, but also not too flavorful. Overall this place was very good, but lacked some flavor. Nothing special, but solid Chinese food. The inside is very large and spacious, with lots of overhead lighting. Another bonus is they give you fried wonton skins as a free appetizer, which I had never seen before.
Got lucky on a Saturday night with no wait. We had our usual dishes honey Walnut Shrimp, Cashew Chicken, veggie Fried Rice, Shanghai Pan fried noodles and Beef with Broccoli. Our servers were very attentive. My only complaint is that the cashew chicken had some chewy pieces in in that I wish were not served to us. My family said I was the only one to experience this bother wise the food was delicious as usual!
Food here was great! Very authentic. Gave me the freshly made feel with the authentic oily Chinese food that I love. They kindly kept msg out upon request and kept our waters refilled which is a rarity for an Asian restaurant, super grateful! Prices can definitely be on the higher end, probably $3-5 higher than market value, which I politely would suggest they adjusted to bring in more business. Overall food was great, portions were very generous!
We went here for lunch to celebrate a birthday on a weekday. Service was mediocre and so was the food. The place was a little fancier in decor than other Chinese restaurants. Though prices were a bit high for portion sizes and since there was no lunch specials. We did like the hot and sour soup. It has a lot of flavor and they didn't skimp on the ingredients. The kung po chicken and onion pancakes were ok. We did like the eggplant with tofu and the Singapore rice noodle dishes.
The food and service were both great! Food is fresh and comes out quick. It was on the oilier side but was still super flavorful. We're super happy with this place and will be back! We even saw someone in the corner go through the vegetables and hand pick them. They also have lunch specials which are a great value. There is a special menu that we were interested in but I think it's only available on weekends so keep that in mind!
I was surprised to find an authentic Shanghainese restaurant outside of the Convoy area. This restaurant is the perfect place for large parties. When our family from LA visits - we have been taking them here and it's a total hit! Pro Tip: They do not have live fish listed on the menu, but you can ask the waiter and see if they have any on the day of. Their price for live fish is extremely fair, but supply is very limited. Probably available on Fridays and weekends when there's more folks. Service is exceptional. Even though they are busy - the waiters keep things moving and is happily provide service even after all the food is delivered.
I was very tempted not to write a review about this place, but upon thinking about it more - figured others will hear about it sooner than later. My parents were raving about this place after my uncle took them here. This place has the best Chinese food I've had since moving from New York. Their Lion Head dish is juicy, moist on the inside and flavorful. Almost every dish we got was flavorful. There also was a duck dish where it was not dry but moist. Their portions are generous compared to other Chinese places in the area that we frequented. The other day I barely got any lamb from a cumin lamb dish where it was 20% meat and 80% veggies from another restaurant ($25). It pales in comparison to the cumin lamb we got here. The only thing I thought was mediocre was the soup dumplings. Otherwise everything else was tasty. They serve some crispy wontons as an app if you want it. I would recommend dining in rather than take it as takeout. Service is fast, restaurant itself is nicely lit with a good amount of booth and table seating. I did not dine with being gf df sf in mind here, as the smells were too irresistible.
Some of the best meals are the ones you don't expect, and Chef Zhu was exactly that kind of surprise. Our friends brought over takeout, and every dish exceeded our expectations. The undeniable standout was the sizzling beef tenderloin. The beef was incredibly tender, with a well-balanced seasoning that made every bite irresistible. The Yangzhou fried rice was another winner, with juicy shrimp and slices of Chinese sausage. We also loved the stir fried green beans, which were perfectly cooked and packed with a generous amount of garlic. By the end of the meal, we all talked about how we'd definitely frequent this restaurant. I also noticed that Chef Zhu serves Peking duck, which I'll try next time. If the takeout was this impressive, I can't wait to see what the experience is like fresh from the kitchen. read more
I ordered delivery and requested utensils and soy sauce. It was delivered and no soy sauce or utensils. Im at a hotel so I have to ask the staff. I ordered kung pao chicken and nope! Nothing like I thought I was expecting. Dry and like chicken jerky. I ordered fried shrimp and thank goodness it was good. For $50 it was an underwhelming meal read more
Heard good things about Chef Zhu and was surprised that this authentic Chinese Food restaurant can be found in the heart of PQ off Highlands Village PI. You usually need to venture to Convoy to get Asian food of this caliber. -Mongolian Beef: the star of the show, tender steak slices and delicious vegetables in a savory umami sauce - Fried Rice: really solid really nostalgic - Stir Fry Green Beans: very well executed, good crunch on the beans nice flavor Overall, I would definitely come back again especially for the Mongolian Beef! read more
We had been to Chef Zhu many times since their opening and for the first couple years I have to say their quality and taste were consistently great--you could trust you'd have excellent Chinese food here (5 stars initially--my original food photos). However, the past 2 visits this month (May 2026), we noticed the dishes had way too much oil and some of the items were different in the way they were prepared (like wine chicken). The last visit on a Sunday, one of our guests asked the staff if the chef had changed and it turns out that the Original Chef Zhu was taking a break and not working (or possibly retired?). We also noticed some of the staff were different/new employees that we didn't recognize. I think they may have changed ownership or at least the original chef was not there. I am hoping it was temporary because it was clearly different than before. ------TL;DR----- Pros: large menu, easy parking, lots of tables so usually not a long wait, staff are friendly Cons: inconsistent dishes possibly suggesting a change in the chef (temporary or for good, not sure) Bottom Line: ask for much less oil (half oil) or none (even when we asked for less oil it was swimming in oil), hopefully the original chef returns read more
2 days ago
1 month ago
I went on a Friday for lunch and it was popping. There were lots of regular customers and they came in big groups. The servers all had a good attitude and were attentive despite how busy they were. The dishes overall were pretty well priced and some portions, like the veggies, were huge. The rice cakes were a bit too saucy for my liking, I was expecting more traditional flavors without all the soy sauce. The pork ribs had pretty good flavor and combined the sweet and sour well and the meat wasn't dry. The soup dumplings were also some of the better ones I've had in the states. The skin was a little thick but there was a healthy portion of soup and the pork flavor was rich. The fan tuan (rice burrito thing) was kind of mid since the rice was hard and the inside filling didn't have much flavor. It seemed like other tables ordered a variety of other things like seafood etc. that seem to be popular so I would want to give that a try when I go again. Overall positivie experience and would recommend! read more
9 months ago
We've been here twice for lunch, and this review is based on these visits. The first time, we obtained the last table in the dining room; the second time, we were one of only four occupied tables. SERVICE (2/5) On both visits, Service was fair at best -- inattentive and hard to find our server. FOOD (3/5) The Lunch Specials look great on the menu, and we've ordered: Scallion Braised Beef (3/5); Szechuan Chicken (3/5); Sautéed Shrimp with Vegetables (2/5). Sorry, but not impressed. [Full disclosure: I've experienced the best of Chinese cuisine in China, New York, and San Francisco.] AMBIANCE (4/5) The dining room is well-lit with large windows in front of the restaurant. In the Chinese style, red is the predominant interior color. The kitchen is open to the dining room. Parking is easy in the shared parking lot. read more
Chef Zhu is the best Shanghainese restaurant in San Diego. Recently took my large group of friends here and they all agree it was absolutely delicious! They only have one large table that can fit 16 adults (tight squeeze though). The have about 4 other large tables that can sit up to 12 adults comfortably. The group favorite were the steamed fish, eel, crab & rice cake dishes. The food comes out super quick and hot, so our group wasn't stuck eating 1-2 dish at a time. Parking lot is HUGE too, so no issues with parking at all. Highly recommend if you have a huge party and need some great asian food. read more
4 months ago
Came here with a party of eight for some Chinese food. While the food was good, I wasn't blown away. We ordered the general tsao chicken, sautéed green beans, bao, xlb, chow fun, fried rice, and shrimp wonton soup. General tsao chicken: 10/10 By far my favorite dish. Super crispy chicken doused in flavorful sauce. Best general tsao chicken I have ever tried. Sautéed green beans: 8/10 These were good, has a decent crisp, but weren't too flavorful. More garlic flavor and it would have been a lot higher. Bao: 9/10 We ordered just the plain buns, since we had some people in the party that didn't like duck. Soft and pillowy, delicious. Xlb: 9.5/10 Really flavorful, and great size. Would have gotten the extra .5 if they had a little more soup in them Chow fun: 8/10 Generally good, but I though this also lacked flavor. Tasted like soy sauce and nothing else. Very soft and chewy though. Fried rice: 6/10 The weak link imo. Pretty bland. Would have been better off with white rice. Shrimp wonton soup: 7.5/10 This one was good, but also not too flavorful. Overall this place was very good, but lacked some flavor. Nothing special, but solid Chinese food. The inside is very large and spacious, with lots of overhead lighting. Another bonus is they give you fried wonton skins as a free appetizer, which I had never seen before. read more
1 year ago
Got lucky on a Saturday night with no wait. We had our usual dishes honey Walnut Shrimp, Cashew Chicken, veggie Fried Rice, Shanghai Pan fried noodles and Beef with Broccoli. Our servers were very attentive. My only complaint is that the cashew chicken had some chewy pieces in in that I wish were not served to us. My family said I was the only one to experience this bother wise the food was delicious as usual! read more
8 months ago
Food here was great! Very authentic. Gave me the freshly made feel with the authentic oily Chinese food that I love. They kindly kept msg out upon request and kept our waters refilled which is a rarity for an Asian restaurant, super grateful! Prices can definitely be on the higher end, probably $3-5 higher than market value, which I politely would suggest they adjusted to bring in more business. Overall food was great, portions were very generous! read more
We went here for lunch to celebrate a birthday on a weekday. Service was mediocre and so was the food. The place was a little fancier in decor than other Chinese restaurants. Though prices were a bit high for portion sizes and since there was no lunch specials. We did like the hot and sour soup. It has a lot of flavor and they didn't skimp on the ingredients. The kung po chicken and onion pancakes were ok. We did like the eggplant with tofu and the Singapore rice noodle dishes. read more
The food and service were both great! Food is fresh and comes out quick. It was on the oilier side but was still super flavorful. We're super happy with this place and will be back! We even saw someone in the corner go through the vegetables and hand pick them. They also have lunch specials which are a great value. There is a special menu that we were interested in but I think it's only available on weekends so keep that in mind! read more
I was surprised to find an authentic Shanghainese restaurant outside of the Convoy area. This restaurant is the perfect place for large parties. When our family from LA visits - we have been taking them here and it's a total hit! Pro Tip: They do not have live fish listed on the menu, but you can ask the waiter and see if they have any on the day of. Their price for live fish is extremely fair, but supply is very limited. Probably available on Fridays and weekends when there's more folks. Service is exceptional. Even though they are busy - the waiters keep things moving and is happily provide service even after all the food is delivered. read more
I was very tempted not to write a review about this place, but upon thinking about it more - figured others will hear about it sooner than later. My parents were raving about this place after my uncle took them here. This place has the best Chinese food I've had since moving from New York. Their Lion Head dish is juicy, moist on the inside and flavorful. Almost every dish we got was flavorful. There also was a duck dish where it was not dry but moist. Their portions are generous compared to other Chinese places in the area that we frequented. The other day I barely got any lamb from a cumin lamb dish where it was 20% meat and 80% veggies from another restaurant ($25). It pales in comparison to the cumin lamb we got here. The only thing I thought was mediocre was the soup dumplings. Otherwise everything else was tasty. They serve some crispy wontons as an app if you want it. I would recommend dining in rather than take it as takeout. Service is fast, restaurant itself is nicely lit with a good amount of booth and table seating. I did not dine with being gf df sf in mind here, as the smells were too irresistible. read more
3 months ago
I was quite surprised at how good this place is. We came on a weekday night for dinner at the recommendation of friends. The inside is quite large and seats many. We were promptly seated. We ordered four different dishes, and were very happy with what we got. Would come again for an easy dinner. read more
An authentic, classy Chinese restaurant NOT on Convoy or in a typical Asian town, like Mira Mesa??? YES!! Chef Zhu is the hidden gem that everyone should try for true, delicious Chinese food. The interior is decorated tastefully modern and naturally red all around (color of good luck & fortune with Chinese families). The service was fast and friendly from the moment we sat down until we left. We never had to ask for more water. They helped us box our leftovers securely when we finished. Tina, the owner, came by several times with her joyful smiles and warm greetings, thanking us for coming in to eat. She even brought us delicious golden sesame balls for dessert, on the house! I truly appreciated the attentiveness and family feel of Chef Zhu. I would recommend this restaurant again and again to all my family and friends. read more
Business owner information
Yan C.
Hi,Cindy…
I've only ever gotten takeout here but I'm a fan. It's nice to be able to get good authentic Chinese without having to trek down to Convoy st. Pork dumplings and salt pepper calamari are my go to. Both times I've been here, they've had a lot of other takeout orders. read more
Business owner information
Yan C.
Hi, Thank you for your four star reviews and your love of our food.…
Been wanting to check out this place long time. When we went in, the place was pretty empty. The service was slow but food came out pretty quick. Two of dumplings I ordered were pretty bad.... Very blend. But their chicken Lomein, eggplant and honey walnut shrimp were really good. There were tiny flies flying and one landed in one of our dumpling sauce... I hope it was just thus time because I want to come back and try more food read more
Business owner information
Yan C.
Hi.Cony…
6 months ago
The food was fine. Be aware that Tips are calculated on the after-tax total. The service was poor: the appetizer didn't arrive after I had finished everything else. When I tried to cancel it, the waitress said it was still being made and suggested I get it to-go (it was the wine chicken, a cold dish typically prepared in advance). I then watched her peel the plastic wrap off a cold plate before putting it in a to-go box. Why is a freshly prepared dish wrapped? She then changed her story, claiming the kitchen had prepared it without notifying her. read more
3 months ago
2 years ago
Definitely one of my favorite spots for Chinese food!!! Growing up with Shanghainese cuisine, this place brings back SO many childhood memories. Highly recommend to come here if you're looking for Shanghai specialties. The restaurant is bustling with groups so make a reservation if you have a big group! Highlights: -Yan du xian - SO rich in flavor! True perfection. Every time I sip this soup, I realize I'm crazy to even try to cook it myself. -Lion's Head meatballs (shizitou) - fantastic texture, flavor, AND comes with a little cabbage to make you feel better about all the meat on the table. -Tea smoked duck - flavor is on point. -Garlic pea sprouts (doumiao) - how does a restaurant stir fry veggies so perfectly!? -All cold dishes - malantou, kaofu, xunyu. I love them all! Brings me right back to Shanghai family dinners. Service was insanely FAST and so attentive. Servers get straight to you and have almost all the plates out around the same time. Chinese people definitely mean business when it comes to filling hungry bellies! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Very spacious but can get packed, no reservations so come in early and get your name down. The star of the show was the beef in chili oil! All the mains were very flavorful. The appetizers left a little to be desired. The hot and sour soup specifically wasn't very hot. Would definitely recommend and I'll definitely be back to try more items off the menu read more
The owners of Chef Zhu has been a long time, San Diego residence, and have opened numerous restaurants all over San Diego. They serve authentic Shanghai style meals. But I can tell they have adopted their menu a little bit where some of the menu items might not be Shanghainese, but it is still very authentic Chinese. The portions are absolutely massive, it is a family style dining environment, where the food is meant to be shared. The servers are very kind and super attentive, this is a great restaurant to bring your entire family even if you have a baby. The owners are really kind people if you speak Chinese, and they are here to make sure you have a great time. Parking is super easy, there is plenty of parking available in the lot. This is my family's go to restaurant whatever we crave Chinese food. read more
1 year ago
I'm slightly biased because this restaurant is a couple of miles from my home and thus easy to access. The food is very homey and heartwarming. They have also started providing free chips that are freaking *delicious*. I'd recommend the meatballs. read more
10 months ago
Superb Szechuan food! The Peking duck was a generous portion. Perfect for 3-4 people! And it came with 4 fluffy Chinese buns. Make sure to dip everything in that amazing duck sauce. The staff were incredibly friendly, and the restaurant's traditional ambience made me feel like I was back in Hong Kong. A fantastic dining experience all around. read more
4 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
10 months ago
I visited the fambam and decided to head out here for father's day. Chef Zhu looked like a recent addition to list of Asian restaurants in San Diego. I always enjoyed Shanghainese food and the restaurant was situated in a large plaza with plenty of parking. Honestly, I thought we had a pretty decent meal. The chicken was a tad too salty and the fried rice was a little dry. Aside from that, a lot of the flavors were on point and it wouldn't get much better elsewhere. The vegetables we ordered was healthy and delicious. read more
Business owner information
Yan C.
Hi,Warren…
I had been super eager to try this restaurant given the reviews hyping this place prior to its opening. But I would say that even though I am glad I gave this place a try, I did not eat anything that would bring me back for a second trip. Salt & pepper chicken wings ($11.99): This was my favorite dish of the entire meal. It was deep fried to a perfect level of crunch. I really enjoyed the topping of salt, pepper, toasted scallions, and chili flakes. I am not someone who tolerates spicy food, but this was just the right amount of heat to augment rather than detract from the flavor of the chicken. Meat was tender and moist. Salt & pepper squid ($11.95): Generous portion for the price & the same flavorful topping was used as for the chicken wings. The squid meat was tender. But the batter was not very crunchy at all. I actually took it home intentionally as leftovers so that I could airfry it to an appropriate level of crunch. And I did! So I wish it had been deep fried to a crunchy state to start. Beef chow fun ($18.95): My opinion on this dish is equivocal. The meat is tender and plentiful. The portion size was decent for the price (compared to other San Diego restaurants). I think I just don't like the noodle style because these noodles do not absorb flavor well & make the dish more bland. But if you are a lover of chow fun, I think you would find this a good dish. Soup dumplings (called Shanghai style steamed bun on menu) ($12.95): Pass. The meat and broth have good flavor. And the skin is clearly handmade. But the skin was too thick. The top part of the dough didn't steam all the way through, and overall the skin was chewier than I would like. Ambiance: Airy and elegant. Any event (family celebration, romantic date, casual outing) would be appropriate here. Parking: Unlimited free parking in a shopping center lot Service: Attentive and efficient read more
Business owner information
Yan C.
Hi,Nancy…
Updated review where we got the meatballs, the steamed pork belly and a soup with pork belly, tofu skin and vegetables. All of it was pretty good. Service was also prompt and attentive (water refills were quick), and the interior was spacious with plenty of tables. read more
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