Finally tried dumpling bar after seeing countless videos online and overall really loved it and…read morewould come back! I was bringing a party of 7 all of us trying it for the first time (two folks from Europe/South America visiting the US/San Diego for the first time) per my suggestion. It was important that I suggested a good spot for them to try since I wanted my out of town visitors to have the best experience and thought AYCE dumplings would be exciting and different. Since it was a Saturday afternoon, I called ahead to ensure there wouldn't be a significant wait since we already pretty hungry and were traveling from about 30 minutes away. The person who answered the phone informed me that they don't take reservations and that they have a waitlist but they cannot add someone who calls in to the waitlist, we must add ourselves in-person. He estimated an approximately 45-minute wait once we arrived but said we could get lucky and it could be less. We decided to give it a try anyway in case we would get lucky. We arrived and I realized how small this place is and every table was full. The waitlist had 4 parties in front of us and estimated wait time on the waitlist kiosk said approximately 45 minutes, and it wouldn't allow me to add a party larger than 6, and the kiosk has a note that says "for larger party, speak with our staff". I added us as party of six but I then stood there for about 7 minutes trying to get a staff member's attention to let them know we were actually a party of 7. Understandably, the staff was just focusing on serving their tables, and while they did notice me, I believe they were not aware or thinking about the kiosk message directing patrons to speak to them so they just went about serving their tables. Finally someone came and said that a party of 7 is fine and it would be about 45 minutes from that time (now already 10 minutes since we got there, almost an 1.5 hours since I called) We ended up wandering around Trader Joe's a few doors down in the meantime and buying some snacks to kill some time. (Not great for a business, you want us spending money at your business, not next door) At about 45 minutes, we came back to check and were informed our tables were ready, it was two tables of four one behind another so our party would be separated. We asked how long the wait would be for tables we could put together and they said maybe another 30 minutes so at that point we decided to take the tables that were available. We asked if we could rotate the orientation of the put the tables to put them together if it didn't cause any issues for the staff to be able to get around them (again, a very small and tight space), and at first were told no, but then another staff member said it was okay they do it all the time, so they let us which we really appreciated after waiting so long to be able to sit together. The ordering process was a bit confusing because there is no separate menu for AYCE, you just order from the regular menu and tell the server you are doing AYCE but then there are some restricted items you have to watch out for. Our servers were fantastic and did a great job of taking orders and keeping the food coming. The food did take a while but it just seems like the kitchen is small and for that many patrons it's difficult to keep up. The food was absolutely fantastic and I really enjoyed the cucumbers, the short ribs were surprisingly tender, sweet, and savory. We also tried the pork XLB, and the chicken won tons with chili oil (broth was so savory) and the beef pot stickers. The garlic edamame was served cold which I wasn't expecting and wasn't really a fan of. The green beans on the menu stated that it's a cold dish so it didn't sound appealing and we skipped although I usually love that dish. The chocolate quality inside the bao buns wasn't very good but still an enjoyable dessert. The Chinese churro was unique and really nice! The ice cream choices were great and the area is self-serve and was kept clean. Only problem with self-serve in such a tight space was a line was forming and blocking the access to the kitchen. A few suggestions for improvement: Turn on the setting to allow people to join the Yelp waitlist from the Yelp app when they are within a certain radius of the restaurant to prevent the excess waiting for people that are on their way. This will keep customers from spending money at nearby businesses while they wait or deciding to go somewhere else all together. Serve the garlic edamame and green beans as warm dishes (or at least state that garlic edamame is a cold dish on the menu) Create a separate menu for AYCE and use numbering so people can order more easily by number. Label the pictures on the menu so people know what is what, but ideally have pictures of each item. We wasted a lot of time Hoping this business keeps improving enough to expand perhaps to a second location to help with the overcrowding/tight space issues!

Extremely disappointing experience. We arrived at 8:00 PM (an hour before their 9:00 PM closing)…read moreand were seated right away, but that was the only prompt service we received. After sitting down, we waited for 15 minutes without a single employee acknowledging us. Multiple servers walked right past our table to check in on every other table around us, some of them multiple times. We were never brought water, never asked for our drink or food orders, and never checked on. Looking around, every other table was filled with white customers who received attentive service, while we were completely ignored. It was hard not to feel like we were singled out and overlooked. After sitting there feeling invisible for 15 minutes, we finally just got up and left. I will not be coming back.

for nearly two years, Scout, my orange, husky-looking mut and I have been driving by their…read morenow-shuttered Encinitas location four times a week after playdates at Power Lines Dog Park. every time we do, I think "we gotta back there for another visit." pretty sure CHIKO has aged out of my draft queue. now that I've finally gotten around to finishing the review, they've been closed for months. in the draft, I suggested CHIKO might not be a destination restaurant, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's definitely a place worth stopping by for eats. if you wait long enough, like I did, the nearest ones are in the DC area and probably not worth a cross-country trip. sad.

Post-mortem... I was sad to hear that CHIKO permanently closed their doors at the end of last year…read more It's rare for an East Coast based Asian chain restaurant to migrate to California, but that was what CHIKO did. As noted by its name, this place served a fusion of Chinese and Korean cuisines. Their Encinitas location took over what used to be a roadside diner along N Coast Hwy 101. The seating capacity was less than 40 people which included a few high-top counter spots. At my last visit, I came for a late dinner before their closing time. A large menu was posted on the wall behind the service counter that listed about two dozen food offerings. The items seemed to be comfort food like pot stickers, spring rolls, fried rice, and chicken wings but flavored with unique combinations of seasonings and spices. I started my meal with the Marinated Beef Tri-Tip Skewers which came as a set of three and a Chinese mustard for dipping. The meat was very tender and well-seasoned. I also ordered the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry which the cashier said was medium spicy. After tasting a couple of bites of the noodles from the serving bowl, I agreed that the heat level was moderate, even for my palate. I thought the portion size should have been more for the price. That was my main criticism for both items, otherwise the food was solid for an Asian fusion eatery.

Tasty food, excellent service, Thank you Kenneth for recommendations and great customer service!read more

Our food was so delightful. And we loved everything. My…read morefeiend had the flying pig and I had drunken noodles which were delish. Our waitress was so helpful and patiently described the menu items for us We loved little character based buns We'll definitely be back!

Forgot to post this review from last month Food was honestly the best I was On a vacation had the…read morechicken tortilla soup before I left I noticed the owner got a new cashier from the previous one it's a younger dude now I like his customer service he's quick to take orders always has his manners very handsome man btw jaja and he's very fluent with English and bilingual which most Mexican restaurants don't have the only Jorge's location I'll ever go too!

I've been going to Jorge's every Wednesday for 10 years. Jesus (old cashier) was like a Hawaiian…read morevacation, idk who this new guy is but he is colder than a Russian tundra. Add on the fact he has a unique INABILITY to comprehend a phone order. Jorge's I know you hire in the fam, but this guy needs to be taking out trash or something back of the house. PLEASE Your loving customers

Great food and great service from Rafa Tristen and Natalie! We had a Southwest Chicken Sandwich and…read moreit came out fast and warm with a delicious salad! Thank you!

Went for a late dinner and the staff was amazing! Rafa, Tristan, and Natalie were so sweet and…read moreattentive! Great service!!!

I had a wonderful experience working with Luis on two catering orders--one for 70 people and…read moreanother for 30 people. He went above and beyond both times to ensure everything was seamless and stress-free. Both orders were ready on time and were perfectly organized. For my larger event, Luis even went out of his way to personally deliver the catering because I was tied up in back-to-back meetings and unable to pick it up myself. His exceptional customer service made a huge difference. Everything we needed was included, from serving utensils to plates, silverware, and napkins. I truly appreciated his attention to detail, reliability, and willingness to help. I highly recommend Luis and his team for any catering needs!

I always can count on Mendocino Farms when I want to eat fresssh flavorful healthy food. That's my…read moredefinite go-to spot to eat happy! I just have to keep in mind that certain items on the menu may phase out like my Pink Lady Beets Salad which I was disappointed when I heard it was no longer on the menu. Anyway, the atmosphere inside is usually very relaxed with a beachy vibe. Importantly, the staff are very friendly and efficient... always providing consistently quick service. I have a positive experience whenever I'm there. The Yelp Community should also make this location a go-to spot to eat happy!!

Delicious vegan food and cute heart with the rice. Atmosphere was nice and we had a lot of great…read moredelicious options - red curry with veggies and curry. We love the atmosphere here delicious food with 100% go back. The only pain can somewhat be the parking but the day we went there was an event so there was limited parking in the surrounding area. The service was really great. They were nice. My only complaint is I did have to wave somebody down to finally get my check but all in all very great experience and we love all the Vegan options. Would love to come back if I'm ever in the area.

Changing star rating after server/kitchen error. Order vegan veg tofu "flower cups" , 1st item on…read moretop of menu but they served the "tuna flower cups" version. They looked and smelled very fishy, too tuna fish-like for us. Complained to server and pointed out several times on menu what I ordered and the difference between the two. It was as if they were trying to convince me they were the same, seemed like they didn't want to go the trouble of remaking them, but did after I insisted. Much better. Also mentioned we were there for a birthday but they did nothing special food-wise, no embellishment to plate nor complementary dessert for birthday person which was a bit disappointing considering many places do.

My friend and I were craving Filipino food, so we decided to come here. I think our server may have…read morebeen the owner, and he made some great suggestions. The sisig was delicious, but I especially loved the Vegetable Coconut Stew (Ginataan). I also really enjoyed the lychee beer! I'm definitely coming back the next time I'm craving Filipino food. I need to try the kare-kare next!

My husband and I came on a Friday afternoon and what a gem of a place. Such a welcoming atmosphere…read morewith excellent service and even better food! My husband had the lunch special with pancit, rice, classic lumpia and chicken bbq. I had the pork rib sinigang (a sour soup) and we ended with the turon (fried banana). Everything was delicious and tasted as if my Lola was in the back making the food. Thanks for the great service and excellent food. We will be returning!

I am sick today and the vegetable soup is hitting the spot! I usually get the dal, but this is very…read moredelicious, tasty, healthy, and a big portion. I love this restaurant! They apparently had some problems with health code violations but they've had several recent inspections and got 100 last week. So I feel fine ordering from here again!

Delicious! Great spot that is actually under rated…read more I really enjoyed this restaurant. I ordered to go in person. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I took their recommendations and I was very satisfied with them. Delicious Tikka Marsala (I think I spelt that wrong) and their naan was so great. Samosas were wonderful. Very authentic and packed with flavor. I'd like to try this dining in. Cheers!

Found my new asian food spot. What a surprise. My colleague and I were in the mood for Chinese food…read moreand found this restaurant and thought we'd give it a try. Everything we ordered was awesome! Our server (who was super friendly) recommended the Shrimp & Pork Shumai for the appetizer. She also suggested the Thai drunken noodle. Oh man, this was one of the best drunken noodle I've ever had (w/chicken). My colleague ordered the Crispy Mandarin Chicken and he also said it was delicious. Can't wait to come back and try their other dishes.

I got food to go. We got an appetizer, Hong Kong BBQ pork bun, which neither of us liked. It is a…read morefluffy soft bun filled with pork. We ordered a Pad Thai Shrimp and Thai Drunken combo- beef, chicken and shrimp. These dishes were good. I liked the flavors of the Thai Drunken combo. My boyfriend ate his whole dish, the Pad Thai shrimp, so I didn't get a taste. He said we probably won't order from them again, but it is close by and it tasted good. The staff was friendly and quick. The guy after me asked for hot sauces. So then I knew to ask for them. They didn't offer, but once I asked, they gave them to me.