Everything we ordered here was really good. Service was good. Portions here are quite big. The restaurant is kind of small so there might be a wait. Parking in the area is abundant unlike many I've come across in San Diego. read more

豪记The Noble Chef Cantonese Restaurant used to be one I'd highly recommend, but I went there with friends recently and tried their new Pipa Duck. It was mostly just fat and bones with barely any meat on it. On top of that, it was overly salty and tasted terrible. I'd advise everyone not to order it. The other dishes we had were pretty good though, so it's safer to stick to their classic menu for reliable quality. We brought up the issue with the Pipa Duck to the staff and even showed them the actual dish--they admitted it was indeed full of fat, yet gave no real explanation or proper response. Their service quality really needs improvement. As long-time regular customers, we're pretty disappointed. read more

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This authentic Cantonese spot is tucked away in a west of Balboa Ave strip mall. It's a small, no-frills place but clean, well-lit, and with fast, friendly service. Our kids actually recommended it, and we were pleasantly surprised. We started with the garlic string beans which was fresh and crunchy, a great appetizer. For mains, the sizzling beef steak with black pepper (4/5) was tender with a flavorful sauce, and the silken tofu with mushrooms (4/5) was comforting and well-prepared. Sweet and sour pork (3/5) was tasty, though the coating could've been crispier. The standout was the honey walnut shrimp (5/5); perfectly cooked shrimp with a great bite and walnuts. Everything was well-balanced, not overly salty or greasy. Some of the best Chinese food we've had in a while. Definitely a place we'll return to explore more of the menu. read more

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I came here for dinner on a Wednesday evening, which also happened to be Christmas Eve, so it was understandably busy. The entrance was very crowded and there wasn't a hostess, so it was a bit confusing at first on how to get seated. I ended up flagging down a waiter who directed me to a notebook to add our name and party size. Since it's a smaller restaurant and they were packed, it took a little over 20 minutes for us to be seated. Once we sat down, the food made the wait worth it. We shared the BBQ Pork, Green Beans, and Beef Chow Fun. Portions were generous and everything had good flavor. Overall, a solid meal despite the initial seating confusion. read more

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Great Cantonese restaurant with an extensive menu! They have everything from meat, noodles, rice, seafood, veggies, etc! Service is prompt and efficient and the food comes out in a timely manner. They have both banquet style round tables for larger parties as well as smaller tables for more intimate groups. They start you off with complimentary hot tea. We ordered 1) garlic beef. The meat was so incredibly tender and perfectly cooked with onions, whole garlic pieces, ginger, with crispy green snap peas. 2) seafood tofu clay pot- a generous portion of fried silken tofu, fish fillets, shrimp, squid atop sliced napa cabbage in a simple yet clean garlicky white sauce. It came out piping hot and fresh. Don't forget to ask for their spicy chili sauce which was the perfect complement to the dishes we ordered. Prices are slightly on the higher end but the quantity and quality make up for it. They have a free parking lot right outside. read more

The Noble Chef - Seafood tofu clay pot - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Got seated immediately when we came here for lunch on a weekend. The restaurant is smaller than I expected. Roast duck and chicken - very flavorful and decently juicy, the sauces that came with it were both very flavorful. The yellow sauce is a savory garlic and the other one is sweet. I do wish they had a soy sauce or vinegar based sauce. Water spinach - yummy vegetable, was a little too oily for my taste towards the end of the meal. I wish they didn't put so much oil. We actually wanted the pea shoots but they didn't get their shipment yet that day. House special chow mein - bigg portions for this one. We could've done without the meat as it never really adds much value to chow mein in my opinion. It was good but could've used more a bit more seasoning for the amount of noodles. Eggplant with XO sauce - not entirely sure what the XO sauce is but I've never had eggplant this way! Usually I get them in the braised style and they're cut diagonally and the sauce is tangy and savory, but these are cut in a way that reminds me of plantains. Also they are deep fried, with a savory sauce over them. I did like it but I'd prefer more acidity in the sauce. Overall I would come back here again, but after eating I felt quite greasy and oily. I think cantonese food in general doesn't have the acidity to balance out the flavors, which is no fault of its own. read more

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One of the best places in all of convoy and San Diego! We got the stir fried noodles, soup, the pepper steak, fish and some other things. Everything was cooked great! The service was good and there's a lot of hustle and bustle in the small dining area! Very good restaurant and definitely worth a visit! read more

The Noble Chef - The pepper steak was sooo gooooood - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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THE NOBLE CHEF @ BALBOA Parking is available right out front. The restaurant is located in a small plaza shared with other businesses, but parking is free and convenient. I visited on a Saturday, and it wasn't very crowded. My friend had been recommending this place for a long time, and I was excited to try it. It's a family-owned restaurant that focuses on authentic Chinese cuisine. The setting isn't fancy or expensive, but it has a welcoming, homey feel that really adds to the experience. When we arrived, the staff immediately invited us to sit anywhere. We ordered their green beans and chow fun, which arrived within 15 minutes. Interestingly, the chef had been on break but returned to prepare our food, which was a really thoughtful touch. The dishes were full of flavor, generous in portion, and reminded me of a meal at home. Although I didn't take photos, I knew I had to leave a review. This is now one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, and I definitely plan to return. If you're in the area and looking for authentic Chinese food, this is the spot. The ambiance may not be modern or renovated, but it feels warm, inviting, and very much like home. read more

Food is good very authentic Chinese cuisine expensive but good. Service is great well worth it for wait time. It's Small but mighty restaurant with good Chinese ambiance. read more

We ordered the roast duck and it was juicy and a little crispy on the outside, the dipping sauce that they provided was good. It's a small restaurant, but they moved fast and are very efficient. The service was good too. The beef chow fun, lacked flavor in my opinion and were very oily, not sure if that is how Cantonese style noodles are, but I wouldn't order them again. read more

The Noble Chef - Roast Duck - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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The place is quite simple, service is good but prices are quite high. I noticed that Shrimp, beef dishes, etc. are quite expensive but in general everything is more expensive than their competitors. Portions are big but I don't think it justifies the high prices. We ordered: Combination Platter (Pork Belly , BBQ Pork ) 明爐燒甲（半只）- it was so so. Cantonese Roast Duck (half) 双菇扒玉子豆腐 - I was disappointed, skin was not crispy and bland flavor. Two Mushrooms & Silken Tofu 扬州炒付 - ok Yang Zhou Fried Rice - good portion and ok. I'll go back to try some more dishes but so far I wasn't impressed. read more

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I've been here twice and the first time was better. While overall, the food is average to good, nothing stood out. The 3 types of bbq meats is still worth getting and the fish fillet with black bean sauce had good flavor but too much onion used as filler. Everything else including the lobster noodles is average and somewhat pricey. read more

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Had a perfect comfort food meal at Noble Chef. Started with a large bowl of Chicken soup with corn. It is served piping hot and could easily serve 6. The chicken chow Mein with crispy noodles is so tasty and satisfying. Our server was patient and described the dishes perfectly. We had plenty of leftovers as well. read more

The Noble Chef - Chicken chow Mein with crispy noodles - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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We waited 30 minutes and it was worth it. The hot and sour soup was very good. Fish with black rosacea was tasty, the pork and duck was wonderful. Once we sat down the service was rapid. Spot on. Delicious meal will return can't miss. Highly recommend read more

The Noble Chef - Outside of restaurant - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Solid place for Cantonese food. Roasted duck is top notch and received high appraisal from my mother who was visiting from Toronto. Anyone who enjoys duck should definitely order one here. Their shanghai chow mein was decent but noodles were thinner than what I was used to. The pork slices were nice. We also got their pork red sauce chops and those were tasty. Little one devoured a lot of those. We also got a seafood soup that was great and we also tried their sizzler beef chunks. They provide a nice assorted bean soup at the end of the meal which was also great. Not much bad things to say about this place. The place itself is kind of small so definitely need to avoid peak times or reserve in advance to prevent from having to wait especially when you have hungry little ones. read more

Always a family favorite when we have special occasions to celebrate and want an excellent Chinese meal served family style! One of my nieces is addicted to the Corn Soup and her sister loves the West Lake Soup, so we always have to order both soups EVERYTIME we come here! We've never ordered something that we didn't like. Some of my personal favorites: west lake soup, fried soft tofu with mushrooms, salt & pepper chicken wings, soy sauce noodles, clams with basil, and spicy eggplant. Service is always excellent, and complimentary dessert is served at the end of the meal. The restaurant is not very large, but they do have some tables for large parties of 10. If you have a large party, I recommend that you make a reservation in advance! read more

2nd time dining here. Had to come back with my daughter after celebrating a friends birthday dinner here last week. This place has really good hot and sour soup, beef broccoli and the best orange chicken I've had in the U.S. read more

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The Noble Chef provides authentic Cantonese dishes and flavorful duck that is hard to come by. I came to this place after hearing from a mutual friend that this place is popular among the natives and I was delighted by their dishes. Each meal comes with complimentary hot tea similar to traditional dim sum restaurants. We ordered their tofu with bamboo shoots fungus and combination platter (duck, char siu). The duck and char siu was tender and flavorful. I wished it was more meaty with the duck but overall, was not disappointed. The tofu dish was okay as it came out lukewarm, I think I was expecting something different with more variety of mushrooms with a darker sauce (Deep Fried Crispy Tofu). I really liked the duck here; I'm always on a hunt for a good duck because it's hard to come by and this place does it well. I hope to come back for a full order of duck in the near future. read more

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Nobel Chef is the kind of place that proves great food draws a crowd--and for good reason. Every time I've been, it's packed with energy, full tables, and a constant buzz. It can definitely get busy, especially during peak hours, but the turnover is steady and absolutely worth the wait. The highlight of the meal is the crispy pork belly--and it's a must-order. The skin is perfectly crisp with that satisfying crackle, while the meat underneath is tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. It strikes that ideal balance of richness without feeling heavy, and it's easily one of the best versions around. Everything else we tried was equally solid--fresh, flavorful, and served family-style, making it a great spot to come with a group and try a variety of dishes. Despite the crowds, the service keeps things moving efficiently, and food comes out at a good pace. Bottom line: Busy, lively, and consistently delicious. Nobel Chef delivers big on flavor, and the crispy pork belly alone is worth the visit. read more

Cantonese style food reminded me of my childhood. Upon entering, hanging duck in the window looked delicious. Ambiance was nostalgic. The restaurant may hold about 90 ppl tops and wait times can be long but it is worth it. Wait time about 15mins. We order a variety of delicious dishes for two. Spicy fried Salt and Pepper chicken wings (4pc) Sautéed Green Beans in Garlic Assorted Seafood with Tofu Clay Pot Hai Nan Chicken (half order) We needed a Togo box but I'm glad I got to experience the food. One downside that I would comment on is the Clay Pot, the tofu and seafood marinate was over salted. The prices here are on the pricier side but I thought the food was prepared well. The waiters are very attentive and friendly. I look forward to my return and bringing other family and friends to experience. read more

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Great place. The duck is crispy and delicious. The food is really good at a reasonable price. Staff is always friendly

Oh my god??? How have I never heard of this place before... Tucked away in a plaza slightly off of the "main street" of convoy (at least, that's how I see it), The Noble Chef is a tiny shop specializing in Chinese cuisine. The store itself is really small, but don't let that fool you. The food here packs a MIGHTY punch. I'm not sure you can go wrong with anything you order here. The only downside is that long wait times to get seated that they have during dinner rush. Outside of that their food comes out fast, fresh, and delicious! read more

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My husband found this gem on Tiktok, it said it's one of the best and authentic Chinese foods in San Diego. We tried it for a couple of times. On our first visit we ate sweet and sour pork, sautéed pea shoots, and roast duck. We also ordered Two mushrooms and silken tofu to go. All the dishes were seasoned well, not too salty and not too spicy. The servers were all friendly and attentive. On our second visit, we had Sizzling beef steak with black pepper, crispy pork belly, sautéed pea shoots with garlic, silken tofu, salt and pepper pork chops, and General Tso's chicken. Everything was delicious and the server was very nice as usual. The restaurant is not so big for big parties so if you have a big party and you're planning to eat there, make sure to call for reservation. read more

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Been to this restaurant a handful of times, and I appreciate the authenticity of their dishes. This is a no-frills Cantonese restaurant with an extensive menu. Never had an issue with parking. Service is always fast and efficient and dishes come out piping hot. The restaurant can feel quite cramped especially when it's packed with all the locals. My favorite dishes are the mapo tofu and assorted seafood with tofu claypot. Can't go wrong with any of their claypot dishes! They give huge portions and always offer to box up your leftovers for you, which is sweet. Coming here always heals me and satisfies my craving for real Cantonese food when I'm in San Diego. read more

My first impression was "wow, look at that duck". We came here on a busy Saturday night and had to wait maybe 10ish minutes to be seated. Not a problem, it's a small restaurant and because they were so fast cleaning tables for the next round of guests. We ordered the combination roast duck and honey pork. We also got a (huge portion) of pork fried rice. Let me tell you, that duck and pork were both so good! Service was very quick and even boxed up the leftovers for us. I'm definitely coming back to try other items. read more

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My favorite Cantonese restaurant in SD! My Chinese family has been coming here for years. We usually come early around 4:30 pm to beat the crowd. We ordered the salt and pepper pork chops, yang zhou fried rice, crispy beef chow mein and sautéed fish filet. Everything was delicious! The salt and pepper pork chops were flavorful and tasty but a bit salty and fatty. The crispy beef chow mein was my favorite, savory and flavorful and crispy. Service is pretty good as well. I would definitely keep coming back! read more

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My favorite Cantonese restaurant in SD, my Chinese family has been coming here for 5+ years. My favorite is always the salt and pepper pork chop- though it can be a bit salty and fatty, it is super flavorful! This time we also ordered the Yangzhou fried rice, beef chow mein, and sautéed fish fillet which were all delicious. I appreciate that the fried rice isn't dry. Service is pretty good and usually comes with a complimentary dessert to end the meal. We usually come for an early dinner around 4:30PM to best the dinner rush; I would keep coming back! read more

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I like The Noble Chef. Good and friendly service. I also really like the food. Steamed fish was so very good but it was so expensive. I would go back again if I had the money. read more

The Noble Chef - I am broke - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

My new go to for Cantonese chinese food in San Diego! Service is attentive and food has the "wok-hei" freshness! As a result of this success, tables are hard to come by. Need to come early. read more

Great food great service but If you don't speak Chinese or Mandarin, someone else can take your spot even if your name is already on the waiting list. We waited for over 1.5 hours, and our table was given to two Chinese customers who arrived after us. This is unacceptable and feels like clear discrimination. At this establishment, if you're not Chinese, you can expect to wait over an hour. If you are Chinese, your table is ready in 20 minutes. This experience was extremely frustrating and disappointing. read more

The food here is delicious. The tofu is extremely saucy and flavorful, and the beef was great too. A server used a giant ladle to scoop soup into miniscule bowls for us. There's free dessert at the end as well. They're also known for their Peking duck. I'd recommend this place to anyone, and my family and I will probably come back at some point. read more

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Pretty good. I like the squid here. Pork belly was good too. After a while, I did feel heavy. read more

The Noble Chef - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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Brought my mom (who was a dimsum lady way back in the day) to Noble Chef and she gave it her knod of approval! We ordered half Kwai Fei Gai (chicken) and half Siu Ap (Cantonese Roast Duck) for appetizers, Beef with Choy Sum (Veggies), Two Mushrooms with Silken Tofu, and Hup Toh Ha (Honey Walnut Prawns) for our entrees, with a side of white rice. I'm not sure if it's because we spoke to them in Cantonese, or because the owners (or a group who all the workers knew) were eating at a table not too far from us, but this time I visited we were given complimentary Tong Sui (tapioca dessert soup) which is typically served at the end of the meal for Cantonese restaurants. It was a pleasant surprise since I've never been served it during my previous visits here. The 4 things we ordered was definitely way too much food for 2 to eat in one sitting, we boxed up almost everything to-go but I just wanted to make sure my mom got a good selection. For the Gwai Fei Gai (chicken) it didn't actually come out with the correct sauce, so we had to specifically ask for the grated ginger. The Siu Ap (duck) is so flavorful itself that the sweet plum sauce it comes with isn't needed. Silken Tofu is a family favorite, it's silken tofu topped with two different mushrooms, covered in a mushroom savory gravy. The Beef with Choy Sum is stir fried slices of beef ontop of Choy Sum which is a vegetable that looks like Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) but the consistency of it isn't as hard, it's more so like Bok Choy consistency. The Hup Toh Ha (Honey Walnut Shrimp) is my favorite, it's tempura fried shrimp covered in a mayo/condensed milk sauce served with honey roasted walnuts. All of these dishes are good with white rice which you can order per bowl. Price wise this meal was pretty hefty, I believe ~$130 after tax and tip but because it's genuine, authentic Cantonese food (which holds a place near and dear to my heart) I am willing to fork over the money for it. read more

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The Noble Chef is the most authentic Chinese food in San Diego. My wife and her family brought me here a while ago and it has definitely changed my perception on Chinese cuisine. This restaurant definitely has a more extensive menu when it comes to traditional dishes that you just don't find in more American Chinese restaurants. The service was surprisingly pleasant and the food came out very quick after it was ordered. This restaurant is small and I would definitely recommend making reservations. Last, there is plenty of parking since this restaurant is located in a strip mall. read more

The Noble Chef - Duck - Chinese Near Me - San Diego, California

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The salt and pepper squid is good! Pork belly was crispy. Always walked by here but happy I tried it. Fried rice was solid and they give you a dessert at the end. They were very courteous and helpful with our toddler (closed water cup & high chair). Bathroom was clean. read more

My husband heard of this place on YouTube Best of San Diego. We visit San Diego a lot so made a reservation recently. Small place, very busy and service was ok. Food unfortunately was so so. We have had much better. We ordered a variety of dishes and each was meh. We decided that we will need to continue to find another go to place for Chinese fare. read more

This was a good time and memories of food from childhood in the City! The foods were prepared expeditiously and we had about 5 or our 7 plates hot and enjoyed at the same time! read more

deeeeelicious and such a guilty pleasure to have chinese food. we had the garlic pea shoots stir fry and it was phenomenal. perfectly seasoned veggies. the beef chow fun was fire. tender beef, noodles coated with a light fry-- a bit oily for my liking but still pretty good. the black vinegar helped cut the greasyness. the combination two meat platter was also so bomb. the honey bbq pork/ char siu was delectable. tenderism and well penetrated with the marinade. peking duck was pretty good too, a bit cold upon serving but still enjoyed. i would definitely come back. it can get busy for dinner so be aware, come eat early or be okay with the wait! read more

An average traditional Chinese dinner spot that goes very very busy with locals since they don't have tons of indoor dining space. Service is usually quick and the servers speak both Cantonese and mandarin. We ordered the clay pot with chicken and Chinese sausage - we were a bit disappointed since it didn't come with rice on the bottom and the pieces of chicken had lots of tiny bones and cartilage in it that made it difficult to eat (even pieces that looked like it was purely meat!). The steak cubes were probably the highlight - very tender and well seasoned. We also got the Peking Duck special that comes with a platter of duck with the buns to go with it plus the minced veggies and duck with lettuce wraps. Overall just your typical Chinese place - we didn't feel like it was anything special though. read more

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Finally getting to try some dishes I haven't tried before. We already dug into these before I took the photos, oops. Steamed chicken with chinese herbs- pieces of chicken (some with bone) steamed with red date, goji berries, dong gwai?, on top of a lotus leaf. I was really looking forward to the lotus leaf scent but it was very faint. The chicken was super tender though! Sauteed pork large intestine with ginger and onions- so fatty and delicious and so much wok hei 鑊氣！This wok hei is definitely the chef's strength. Mustard greens 芥菜, ham and oyster sauce - for some reason chinese parents really like this, claiming it's "good for you." It's always been a bitter dish and I was really hoping the chef would change my mind, but no. It's still bitter and I still have not learned to appreciate this They did give us free dessert at the end as usual, mung bean tapioca sweet soup. It's always this one, and it's never hot enough for some reason. Maybe that's why it's free? read more

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