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    Szechuan Chef

    3.6 (340 reviews)
    ModerateSzechuan
    Closed • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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    SZECHUAN CHEF ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Shannon Z.

    we came here for dinner on Friday evening and there was good business but not too crowded (no wait). What I like about this restaurant is that there's ALOT of variety in their dishes so it's good if you want to try many different dishes. Ordered their Japanese tofu, which was actually our favorite dish (it was super flavorful and the texture was amazingly soft and bouncy!) also got the green beans and fish fillet in black bean sauce (which was a bit on the saltier side). The dishes were can be quite oily. The fish was very soft and tender! Also got the chefs fried rice which was pretty good too! Just an FYI the portions are pretty big so keep that in mind when ordering.

    Ari R.

    This is my favorite Szechuan restaurant. Everything I've had here is consistently delicious. It's so good I order the same things pretty much every time! Attentive and great service in a casual restaurant. The parking in the lot isn't too bad. They charge for parking now, but two hours are free, which is more than though time to dine here and even stop at the bakery or get boba in the same shopping center. I highly recommend if you like spicy Szechuan!

    String green beans
    Youn S.

    This place is one of San Diego's most authentic Chinese restaurants. It was my first time visiting with friends and we had a pretty good experience here overall. With the iPad, you can see pictures of each food, and then you have to order when the waiter comes. The iPad is not orderable. The food were all really good quality, spices were very authentic, I recommend people trying the spot if you really like Szechuan style Chinese food. A lot of people came even during the week so the restaurant was pretty busy. Overall, it looks pretty clean as well.

    LINA M.

    I was craving authentic Chinese so did a search and wanted to try this place out based on their menu items. I didn't know it was located in a shared plaza with Boba Time, Melody Karaoke, Olleh, Monsta Ramen, etc so as you can imagine parking was a nightmare just like how everywhere else in Convoy. The restaurant is pretty spacious with a lot of patrons. I went in to grab takeout yesterday evening around 6pm. They have an iPad menu but you don't order off the iPad. I made it a point to ask for extra chili oil mentioning that I eat spicy. The lady at the register kept saying yes and even mentioned she'll pack me 2. They were half filled and I don't understand why places are so stingy with their chili oils for takeout when it's openly at tables and I clearly ordered 4 entrees. So I ordered: *Mongolian Beef $18.99 - it was good, not spicy at all and the meat was tender. *Garlic Crispy Pork Ribs $16.99 - they were nicely crunchy. A bit too small of pieces so they could've cut it bigger so it wouldn't feel too crispy with the bones. It had this after taste that I can't put my hands on but it wasn't bad. *Pork Intestine in Hot Pot $19.99 - now this was good. I had been craving intestines for a while and it hit the spot. The flavors complimented each other well. *Combo Chow Mein $13.99 - it came with a mixture of beef, chicken, shrimp. I was expecting the bigger rounder chewier noodles. The noodles were a bit on the thin side and it was just ok for me. They were kind of plain as well. *Rice $2 small/$4 large - they do charge for rice here.

    potstickers
    Hubert Z.

    Good size portions, large variety of food to choose from. Food and service was ok. Food came out fast.

    Steven Y.

    My mom and I come here to eat a few times in the past few years since it's the closest thing to authentic Chinese food we have back home. Over the years, the prices has gone up and the portion size is good, they use a lot of oil in their food so make sure if you don't like extra oil, ask the chef to reduce it. Overall the price is decent and I enjoy the food. It's definitely worth it

    Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic (蒜炒豆苗)
    Marvin W.

    If you like spicy food but specifically Szechuan food, this is the clear standout among all Szechuan restaurants in San Diego. It is a family style restaurant, but I still go here with small groups or with just one other person. The atmosphere is nothing special and can get a bit lively when it is busy. Service is decent, but nothing to write home about, and it can feel inconsistent at times, which doesn't take away from the food itself. I always end up ordering multiple dishes here, but this is my favorite lineup. Sizzling Japanese Tofu - 铁板日本豆腐 (5/5): This is my absolute must-order dish whenever I dine here. As a tofu lover, this may be one of the best tofu dishes you have ever tasted, and even for my friends who don't like tofu, they really enjoyed it. It is an egg tofu that is fried, which gives the tofu a great outer texture contrast. The gravy that the tofu is served with is very flavorful without being overpowering, and it makes you come back for another bite. Dry Pot Pork Intestines - 干锅肥肠 (5/5): Intestines may seem very daunting for some due to it not being commonly eaten in every culture. In this case, the intestines are cleaned well and have a great chew and tenderness to them. The dry pot is loaded with chilies and aromatics, which give it a bold and numbing flavor without being overly greasy. It is served over a small fire that keeps it piping hot, which allows you to taste the fragrance of the dish. Stir-Fried Pea Shoots with Garlic - 蒜炒豆苗 (4.5/5): A great lighter dish to provide you with some contrast to the heavier items while also being a great standalone dish. It is stir-fried with garlic, which provides a great aroma along with the fresh vegetables. It is not a flashy dish by any means, but when it is done properly, you can taste the skill of the chefs. Rice Noodles with Pickled Mustard Greens and Shredded Pork -酸菜肉丝米线 (5/5): This was considered an accidental discovery for me. I am not the type to usually order noodles at a Chinese restaurant as I am more of a rice person, but my girlfriend ordered it, and it was amazing. I have had my fair share of rice noodles all over Southern and Northern California, and this one has the best flavor. The combination of pickled mustard greens and slight chilies provide a very refreshing flavor that isn't heavy on the palate but not overwhelming, which keeps you addicted to eating it. This is a very comforting dish, and I would come here just for the noodles. Husband and Wife Sliced Beef & Offal/Spicy Beef Slices - 夫妻肺片 (4/5): It is served cold which might be unusual to some people but this allows for tasting every bit of seasoning they used while also preserving the texture. It is spicy, so beware of your spice tolerance, but the dish is very layered and flavorful, making it a very worthwhile order. From a broader perspective, the service may not be a highlight, but I am still going to give Szechuan Chef a five star rating from the food alone. I have yet to taste a bad dish from this restaurant, and the consistency alone speaks volumes. It has reasonable pricing compared to other places in San Diego, so the barrier to entry is low. If you like Chinese food but have never had Szechuan food, come give it a try. If you like Szechuan food but have never had this place, then you absolutely need to.

    Kristopher C.

    What I say to my friends about this probably speaks louder than what I can provide in this text box. Good job for the tardiness of one dish you sacrificed a table of 8.

    12-25-24
    Sue D.

    12-25-24 I came here on Christmas Day, 5pm. It was packed but the wait was only 15min, not bad. Ordered: 4/5 -Porky Intestine Lao Gan Ma Chili $19.99- very tasty but the intestine was a bit on the chewy side. -Eggplant w minced pk $14.99- yummy delicious and filled w tasty oil. -Szechsty braised pk $16.99- needed to be more braised, pork was a bit dried. -Rice $2 for each order. Service: 2/5 due to reasons below Liked: yummy food Disliked: -They took orders from customers who came after us of not one table but two other tables before coming to us. That is a big No No. -They forgot our 3rd dish until we asked about it (toward the end of our meal). Overall experience, although I gave 2 stars for service, I still would return for the yummy food. Note: No paper menu

    Momo Z.

    We arrived at 5 PM and skipped the line. Three of us ordered four dishes, and the portions were generous. Unfortunately, the pork intestines were way too spicy to handle, and the other dishes were overly greasy. We ended up leaving without eating much.

    Sasha P.

    Everything was amazing! The fish was absolutely incredible and super flavorful. There were only two other tables, so service was great. Spacious restaurant and nice for large groups of ppl.

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    2 months ago

    Very surprised how flavorful my dish was-Sizzling chicken. The sauce was so good I would think most of their food is good. I will return.

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    11 months ago

    Great food! Loved it! Only problem is the horrible parking in that center! Go check it out!

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    I'd avoid this place like the plague! too greasy no flavor customer service socks! And too expensive!

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    Page 1 of 9

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    Came on a Saturday afternoon and added myself to the waitlist. It was busy but I didn't have to…read morewait long for a table. They do QR code and in person ordering (whatever you prefer). I opted to order by QR code to get my order in faster. My boyfriend and I both got biang biang mian but he got the version with cumin lamb. The portions are large and super filling. I honestly think one bowl is two meals worth of food at least. The noodles were chewy and bouncy. I love the flavor just make sure to properly mix the noodles - all of the good stuff sits at the bottom of the bowl! The chili oil is fantastic as well and I loved the spice level of these dishes. Service was pretty quick which was nice. I am excited to come again to try the other dishes! Highly recommend and was authentic - it can be hard to find authentic and delicious Chinese food in SD County.

    I had heard a lot of good things about this place. My group was seated not too long after we…read morearrived. You place your order online through a QR code at the table. The service was really poor, and I had to keep hunting down the servers and asking for things like refills on water, utensils, sauce bowls. I got to try quite a bit since I was in a group of five. The lamb biangbiang was extremely spicy for me, although I know I have a low heat tolerance. You aren't able to specify how much spice you want on your dishes and when you're ordering on the QR code and the menu doesn't tell you how spicy dishes are. I can't remember the name of the dumplings we got but honestly they were my favorite dish. My friends really enjoyed the tomato and egg noodles, I just felt that they didn't have much flavor.

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    Shancheng Lameizi - Sauce bar

    Shancheng Lameizi

    4.4(180 reviews)
    0.1 mi•Kearny Mesa

    My first time here and it won't be the last…read more Parking: 5/5 I arrived on a Saturday evening and I found parking in the plaza location of Shancheng. So did my other friends. Not sure if I just got lucky because parking on Convoy can usually be troublesome for how popular it is, but perhaps we just came on a lucky day. Customer Service: 5/5 Lovely staff. I arrived before our party of 7 and they were able to accommodate us by offering two table options. Thoughtful and friendly people work here. Hotpot: What a selection! I loved the mushroom broth, the assortment of fresh veggies from bok choy, romaine lettuce, lots of mushrooms options - my favorite is the enoki, and I loved the tofu skin. Beef lovers and seafood fans will enjoy this place as well. One of my fave items we ordered is a shrimp paste dish for our hotpot. That was delicious. I also love how they have a sauce bar. Snack Bar: I frequented the snack bar. The coconut jelly and coconut crackers is my favorite. They have a lot of snacks to pick from and it's complimentary! Ambiance: This place is gorgeous. Lots of interesting architectural decor. I had a great time capturing photos of the restaurant while I waited for my party to arrive. I'll definitely be coming back and recommending this place.

    Came on a Friday night around 7pm and we were seated immediately as a party of 4. The inside was…read morespacious, clean, and welcoming and service was friendly and quick throughout the whole meal. Parking can be a bit rough since it's right on Convoy so we parked on a side street but there is a lot right in front if you're feeling lucky. We got the split pot with bone broth and mild spicy and the spicy side was SO SPICY! The flavor was there but I definitely preferred the non spicy side. They also have an extensive sauce/snack/dessert bar with unlimited sesame balls, shrimp chips, and other Chinese desserts which I thought was unique. In terms of the actual hot pot ingredients, they definitely use high quality stuff and have a large variety to pick from! Overall, it was a good experience, but if I were to come back I probably would avoid the spicy soup base.

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    Menu (2/1/22)

    Szechuan Chef - szechuan - Updated October 2026

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