Eat here. Thank me later. Excellent Szechuan food in the Peninsula at reasonable prices (in 2023 no less)! Our typical order is the fried chicken with chili peppers, mapo tofu, dry fried string beans, and fish filets in peppercorn soup (it's a green soup with mushrooms). Service is "efficient" which is hopefully exactly what you want if you are looking for a Szechuan restaurant that has good food. IYKYK. If you want good service in an establishment like this, I have a bridge to sell you... Great local business that we have patronized many times over the years, and will continue to do so! read more

Wow, pleasantly surprised by how good the food is here. Ordered takeout over the phone and food was ready by the time I got there (15min). Spicy bullfrog - generous with bullfrog servings and taste was on point Lamb skewers - minimum 2 skewers per order with a good amount of meat per skewer. Spicy cold jelly - The cold jelly was a good refresher after all the spice. Love the texture. Duck blood curd - a little stingy on the duck blood curd. Probably pass on this. read more

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I absolutely love this place! Even though I only came here for hot pot, I still managed to try a few other dishes as well such as the spicy beef slices and the scallion pancakes. The scallion pancakes were crispy and flaky on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The beef slices were smothered in umami bursting chili oil that was oh so delicious. The hot pot, although I didn't come on a day that offered AYCE, was still very delicious. The house spicy brother and the herbal broth wee both bangers. I never realized how many different varieties of things that you can throw in a pot but the menu was extensive! Meat quality was solid and they even had a sauce bar on the side. Overall, very decent spot for hot pot, but I would most definitely come back for dinner to try their regular items and dishes. The dry pots looked delicious! read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Hot pot set up - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

We came here on a weekend for lunch, but it was pretty empty inside. We were the first ones there at 11:30am ish. It seems like they were already busy with delivery/takeout orders though. Our food came out fast, and it tasted pretty good! One of the fried items we ordered had surprisingly thin/crispy skin, which was great. Very solid place for an authentic meal. It definitely hit the spot. I'd want to stop by again when I'm not in a rush. read more

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Tasty food and fast service. The flavor is very authentic. The roast duck hotpot is spicy and flavorful! It has some veggies in it too. Will order again when I go back! read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Roast Duck Hot Pot - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ordered for pickup. When I arrived they looked like they are angry at something. Not sure why. Pickup the food and drove home. Upon arrival I noticed the sauce is leaked all over the bag. They clearly need to work on packaging. The food was very disappointing. The stir lamb was ok, but salty. The chicken was not eatable at all. The Baby Bok was also not good. Overall, despite high yelp ratings, I would not order from this place again. read more

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The place was spacious but empty when we went there around 1 pm. The waiter sat us immediately and handed us several menus. The menus are pretty extensive with many options. Keep in mind their food caters to those who love spicy food!! Their food is soooooo spicy and salty. The waiter wasn't too friendly. He dropped off a pitcher of water and didn't give us any glasses until we asked for it. He also pre-selected the gratuity even though he really didn't provide much service read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Menu - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

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A few friends of ours were meeting after almost 10 years and we wanted to have a great food experience where we could chill and have a great time. We knew about Chef Sha's Schezwan style, cooking restaurant and search and specifically homed in on this restaurant. The ambience is okay, probably gets busy during the evening, but the food here is amazing. We had the garlic green beans sauteed . We had the chicken, wings on a bed of red chilies and the boiled fish in a spicy sauce. The chicken chow mein, Paired with steamed rice, augmented the spicy fish curry and the whole lunch experience was amazing. Cold beers to cool you down and so If you love schiuan style Cooking, this is a place. You must try. Five stars all the way. read more

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Was in the mood for Mongolian Beef and this spot came up on my search. I've walked by it before, but had never paid attention. It was 5pm on a Saturday and completely empty, so I was hesitant, but this is pretty early for dinner so I took the leap of faith and am glad I did! The food was really good, besides the Mongolian Beef we had the spare ribs and honey walnut shrimp. Everything was savory and saucy and good portions. I was impressed with the shrimp, usually I get the shrimpiest shrimps when I order this dish and it's all just mayo honey sauce, but this was more shrimp than sauce! The Mongolian Beef was soft and not chewy like others I've had and had the right amount of spice, not over bearing at all. Service was quick and friendly, you order on your phone. The one small knock is I got a side of white rice and clearly it had been sitting out since the top part was a bit hard and only soft underneath. But it was just $2 which I thought was reasonable and it tasted fine so I just ate the softer rice. I would definitely come back for more honey walnut shrimp and mongolian beef. Plus the dishes were in the $16-$17 range which was very reasonable for the quality and portion size. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Honey Walnut Shrimp - those were some jump shrimp! - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We tried their hotpot one night with the upcoming cold weather. Chef Sha is family owned and besides hotpot, also serve up various Chinese dishes and spicy dry pot. My girlfriend preferred hotpot for the night. We ordered a couple items via a QR code on the table (I love how everyone can scan and add to the cart in real time). Ambience is quite inviting; there is more than enough space for walking traffic. The decor was similar to what one would see at a Chinese banquet type of restaurant. A couple things to note though. The sauce area was very underwhelming unfortunately. There were no container labels and some looked like the label area was peeled off. We also noticed some flies in the green onions. Then, a piece of the table was chipped off on my side, which could be painful for unsuspecting fingers. Nonetheless, the food was decent; just nothing to really write home about. The service was fine albeit a bit slow. For some reason, it was only 1 person on the floor the entire time we were there. This gentleman had to man the front for takeout orders, take dine-in orders, bring food out to the tables, and handle the checks at the end of the meal. There were at least 4 other parties eating and lots of take out orders by the time we left (good sign for business). However, is Chef Sha understaffed? The gentleman looked flustered and a bit tired. Hopefully they can resolve this? Not sure if understaffing is an issue here but because of this, our vegetables came out way before our meat and our soup pot. We had to wait a bit before those came out all at once, and afterwards, we weren't really tended to (which was fine, we didn't need much). All in all, Chef Sha is a decent place if one is craving some hot sort of Chinese food on a chilly day. I am considering coming back to try their dry pot as it seems popular here based on other reviewers! read more

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After being disrespected next door at Happy Lamb waiting 35 mins with no service and no food at our table and watching others who came later got served over and over again, we walked out. We came next door to Chef Sha, a family owned Chinese restaurant serving a la carte items as well as hot pot. We opted for hot pot. The prices were fair and food seemed fresh. Food arrived quickly and tasted home-made. It was like you are dining at a family member's house versus eating at a restaurant. Very authentic. The best part was the kind owner who came to check up on us several times. We enjoyed our dinner quite a bit here. Yes-the chairs and interior seems a little outdated though the Chinese artwork on the wall is nice. They could use a facelift to be more modern. Come for the food and not aesthetics. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Hot Pot - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This is one of the places I would recommend for authentic Chinese food. We arrived pretty early so we got our food pretty fast. The food tasted pretty good and we tried the fried fish which stood out for me as the fish was pretty fresh and crispy to my liking. The appetizers dry fried string beans and their shrimp fried rice was flavorful. The place was pretty empty and started filling up , it has a nice ambience and spacious too. Would definitely try other items next time I am here read more

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Amazing dry pot! Their dishes are a little spicier than normal, but I enjoyed it! I would recommend the dry pot to be shared, as the portion is quite big for one person. They also take credit card and have free wifi on site. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Spicy Beef Brisket Dry Pot - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

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It was my boyfriend's first time trying dry pot ! I came here with a friend and my boyfriend We quickly ordered rice, spicy lamb drypot, cauliflower dry pot, tan tan noodles and salted egg pumpkin. The lamb stole the show and was extrmeley tender and flavorful. I love the spices in these dishes The cauliflower was a bit raw but good nevertheless. The pumpkin was friend with notes of salted egg which surprisingly paired very well The tan tan noodles were made well and surprisingly did not include pork. Will come back again for the lamb read more

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Amazing food! Very authentic. But the Chinese bbq 烧烤selection was slim. Next time we must try other dishes/ the hot pot! Leftover 干锅羊肉 lamb- it was insanely oily and mostly all fat read more

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The hot pot is unprofessional on every level: - we ordered hot butter broth and chicken soup broth. Chicken broth was with too much impurities and the hot butter broth wasn't even that spicy. - It took forever for the staff to serve the food and get the check. - Finally the food was served but they're not fresh: the enoki mushroom smelled suspicious and looked like they've been staying in the fridge for days; the edges of the beef tongue have gone brown; the lamb wasn't fresh enough but at least they didn't concern me; the so-called handmade beef meatballs were absolutely not handmade; Ironically, the only decent thing was plum juice. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We used the website to order take out, food was done probably within 10mins. We ordered pickled pepper frog and 1 side of rice, the website showed the total of $35.06, however, as soon as we got to the restaurant to pay, not only there was an automatic gratuity of 18%, the price was different, ~$7-8 more than what the website showed. So I asked the owner, and he said the website is wrong. Wtf?!? Is this how you do business??? If you knew the prices were wrong on the website, why didn't you fix it so customers don't feel like they got ripped off. And the amount of food that we got, even if it was $30, sorry, ain't worth it. I'd rather drive across the bridge to Ping's in Fremont, or drive south to Cupertino if I want to spend money on Szechuan food. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ordered take out in person. Ordered the Pumpkin with Salted Egg Yolk Tea Infused Smoked Duck Stir Fried Eggplant in Chili Garlic Sauce Spicy Fish with Soft Tofu My fav would be the spicy fish with soft tofu. Would come back to try other dishes. read more

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What should I say, this place is so awesome! The aromatic flavor of the food is so authentic, the amount of the spicy is perfect for Szechuan food, and the variety of the food just makes me want to visit again and again! Focus on the authentic Chinese menu, you won't be disappointed! read more

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Friends recommended this place for us. We ordered Fish Hot Pot which taste quite good！ read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

We went there for traditional hot pot, two different soup bases. Very reasonable prices and good quality meat. Great selection of other items to add, many interesting ones like bean curd rolls (excellent). The soup bases were delicious. Services were attentive. Not a fancy dining room but spacious enough for comfortable seating. Definitely a hidden gem in downtown San Mateo. read more

Authentic Chinese food. They have dishes that are hard to find elsewhere like spicy lamb noodle soup. Their mapo tofu is excellent too, made with an imported fermented bean sauce. The ambiance is spacious with imported hand carved wooden tables. Portions are generous and pricing is reasonable. Very convenient location in downtown San Mateo. Staff has limited English skills but are very friendly and accommodating. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Preserved egg. - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

Spicy and delicious lamb ribs. The service at the restaurant was also very good. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes on the menu, and he was able to patiently answer our questions. The restaurant's environment was also very comfortable, clean and tidy, and the decoration style was very Chinese. Overall, we were very satisfied with our experience at Che Sha, and we highly recommend it! read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

Hidden Gem! If you like Spicy food. They are really good! It is very chill place. Usually no wait. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Froggy Spicy Frog Pot - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

Better than I expected but know what you are getting into. I think this place is really two dollar signs not three. The dishes initially seemed very expensive but the portions were huge. Everything was big enough for 2-3 people so we ended up with way too much food. The restaurant was full on a Friday night but we were the only English speakers in there. It falls in the "more authentic" Chinese / sichuan category. We asked for help and they were really nice but there was definitely a language barrier for an English speaker. They recommended the Spicy boiled beef for the first timer. It was amazing. Very tender beef in slightly spicy sauce. The green Beans with garlic were incredible. The Sauté fish fillet dish was huge with enough fish for 3 people. The dry spicy noodles were beautiful and a bit spicy but tasted great. On the negative side they have three different menus. It's pretty confusing if you don't speak Mandarin. I would take a large group next time and order half as much food as I thought I needed because those portions are so large (and I'm a really big eater so that's saying something). Next time I want to try their other recommendations which were Mongolian Beef and stir fried chicken with chilis. read more

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This review is for take out only. I imagine, had my order gone as planned, this review would be something like a 4 I ordered the mabo tofu with meat (an extra $2) and the pea shoots in garlic. Their website told me it was going to be $38. Cool cool. Kind of expensive for two dishes. But at least they're healthy right. The food itself I'd say is a 4/5 - both tasty but the mabo tofu was practically swimming in oil. So like normally, I'd probably rate this place a 4. But wow. I got there and it took a minute for the woman to come over to ask me about my order. And then it seemed like they couldn't find it? I stood there for over 25 minutes before they brought my food out. Didn't check on me like, at all the entire time or offer like, to sit or anything. Pretty sure they were making it from when I ordered, so it would have been nice if they had communicated that and then I would have either sat down or come back. It was after 8 o'clock and I was huuungry so when she gave me the food I signed and left. When I got home, I found that when I told the lady I had ordered mabo tofu, she defaulted to the non-meat one so my mabo tofu had no meat. And I was even madder/sadder. I would maybe go dine in here, but it seemed kinda chaotic. I mean, most Chinese places are a little chaotic inside, so like, definitely felt super authentic lol. If you speak Mandarin, I don't think you'd have any problem communicating with the staff. But I guess if you just order by tablet, even if you don't speak it should be less of a problem. Will update this if I go back. read more

Came on a Monday at lunchtime. There's no line so you can get seated right away. This is the third time we came here and the food is good as always. Ordered chicken, scallion lamb, 凉粉， 鸭血冒菜。好吃 read more

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PSA: many of the positive reviews have come in recently from users without much prior reviews. This is likely due to them offering a free appetizer and drink for those providing a *positive* review (see attached). Now, this is certainly disconcerting but I'll keep the rest of the review independent from that observation. With that in mind, I only had the hotpot during my visit and I notice the positive sentiments were for the a la carte items. TL;DR: If you're looking for hotpot, don't come here. The interior settings were a little old, though I do understand not every establishment is willing to spend much on renovations and looks can be deceiving. The QR code on the table to order was pretty convenient, though the food did take quite a surprising amount of time to arrive once it was placed, especially considering it was hotpot so not prior cooking was necessary. When they did come, their appearance were disappointing. The beef tongue looked both soggy and limp, while the enoki mushroom was dry and stale. The plum juice also arrived close to the end of the meal, though it was the best tasting item of the meal. Also, despite the appearance (both the food and the shop), the portions were small and the price was high (e.g. it was ~$20 for the soup base alone, admittedly with a $5 extra for the beef fallow, which is even more expensive than Haidilao!!). While the wait time for the plum juice was particularly egregious, the wait of some 10 minutes to get the bill at the end (after reminding them three times) was worth pointing out also. The only thing I was waiting for was whether I would have a case of food poisoning the next day, which I surprisingly did not, so perhaps the food wasn't as stale as I originally. Thus the 2-star instead of 1-star, but otherwise, please please do yourself a favor and stay away from this place if you're considering of hotpot. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Selling positive reviews?? You couldn't have asked for a bigger red flag - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

We stopped by Chef Sha because we wanted our fix of Szechuan Chinese food and were not disappointed! Their menu is huge, with hot pot and dry pot options and other a la carte items. We started off with my favorite cold dish - tofu with century egg and I think it was the prepared the best I've had. The sauce that they prepared it with was simple yet so addicting. For our mains, we ordered the boiled fish with chili, fried chicken with chili, and garlic string beans. These dishes are all my go-tos at other Chinese restaurants and I think Chef Sha tops all the other restaurants I've tried these dishes at. The fried chicken was super crispy and delicious and the boiled fish was flavorful and had large filets of fish. A side of white rice is a must :) I will be frequenting Chef Sha for my favorite Szechuan dishes and hopefully to try their dry pot next time! read more

Off-menu 烧鸡公/fried chicken. very authentic savvy and flavor among san mateo area..... Decent service, nice tea, friendly host. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Lunch/dinner special off-menu item chicken. Very authentic savvy and flavor. Recommend for two party. - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

A friend and I came here for lunch on a weekday and it was fairly packed. When you walk by, you can't tell how big Chef Sha is--there's some rooms in the back, which could be good for large parties. The overall aesthetic reminds me of some dim sum places of banquet halls, though you can't tell when you walk in. The food is hot pot and Szechuan, so be prepared to drink a lot of water! Hot pot tempted us but the lunch specials ultimately called our names more: what a steal! The salad was very good (good dressing and toppings), but the sweet and sour soup was ultimately the supreme side. My main dish with the lunch special was the ma po tofu and my friend tried the Beef Tripe. Wowowow the ma po was spicy, but very good. I wish the bowl of rice it came with had been bigger to help quench my thirst from the spiciness! Service was good but could've been faster. Ultimately, I think the lunch special is the main reason to come here because it's a good deal: you get authentic Szechuan food at a great price. read more

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They have an anniversary event and with a great deal (+$1 after you spent $100) you could get a very nice fish. read more

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Authentic Chinese Szechuan food. We ordered to go at the restaurant and was ready within 20 minutes. Server was nice. Four star because the Dan Dan noodle was almost inedibly salted. read more

1. Awesome service! We also got a free appetizer -- cucumber in Chinese sauce （凉拌黄瓜） 2. Tasty dry pot! I had lamb dry pot and the lamb is very juicy. Great favor. 3. The crispy Sichuan chicken (辣子鸡）has good taste. We were here for the dried pot with frog but they said It will be available starting on 20th. Hope I can get it next time read more

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Authentic Szechuan food! Yum We had Sour Beef Tripe,Spicy Boiled Fish, cold mung bean jelly, and didn't remember the name of the other dish. All delicious! read more

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Chef Sha is not for the faint of heart! This new San Mateo restaurant packs some seriously authentic, spicy flavors on its menu of hot pots and other Chongqing dishes, and the Chinese-speaking staff offers speedy, no frills service! The renovated dining room is large, bright, and cozy, and at the counter were some free self-served appetizers: cabbage (marinated with numbingly spicy chili oil), seaweed, and cantaloupe, along with a huge sauce/toppings bar, which included everything from sesame paste, mushroom sauce, Chinese chive paste, and fermented bean curd! What a selection! For mains, I had the chicken soup with black fungus mushroom and bamboo, and this clear broth with tender boiled chicken was extremely warming. I also tried the spicy shrimp dry pot, which was a colorful mixture of plump shrimp, bamboo, mushrooms, onion, scallions, red/green bell peppers, along with a ton of Sichuan chili peppers, peppercorns, and chili oil--talk about a flavor fest! The pot was heated with a burner underneath, and the bubbling red liquid was hot, viscous, and flavorful. Every bite exploded with numbing heat so characteristic of Sichuan/Chongqing cuisine--the dishes here are really no joke! read more

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Had a craving for Hot Pot and of course, every hot pot restaurant in the downtown San Mateo area is packed with at least an hour wait. So as we were killing time, we came across Chef Sha and decided to give this place a try. Now, I will say they seemed to be very understaffed which impacted the wait times on getting menus and and completion of food service. to our table We are very aware of this issue that all restaurants are having, and I feel it is important I mention this before I get into the bulk of this review. We did have a longer than normal wait to even get a waiter to acknowledge us, bring water to our table, or let us see a menu. We stuck it out and we were glad we did. We went with hot pot and it was definitely a good choice. This is NOT an AYCE place, you will be paying per item which is fine with us since the quality of food was higher than your average AYCE one price place. We ended up going with: -Half/Half broth - Veggie Mushroom and Spicy House Broth -3 types of beef - All were high quality and the portions were generous - Shrimp/seafood balls -Udon Noodles and House Noodles -Enoki Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Taro, corn, and Napa Cabbage Obviously this was a bit too much food for 2 people, BUT...to our defense, we were ordering enough so that we would not have to flag down a waiter for additions to our order, since the wait alone was pretty significant. We were just trying to be efficient on our end, and of course, we could have done with a few dishes less than what we got. Nonetheless, the wait and meal was worth it. The broth was filled with flavor for both the veggie and house broth. They do have a little season/garnish station that you can make your own mix of sauces to complement your meal. Overall, the food was really great. We will definitely be back to try their dry pot and non-hotpot items. Pro-tip, when coming to this place, make sure you wear clothes you don't mind smelling like hotpot! You will definitely smell like the food you order when leaving this place. Definitely give this place a try if you are looking for some great flavors. I hope they can get their staffing situation in order because that really was the only reason why we knocked off a star. Worth coming by and trying if you are willing to have some patience for some great tasting cuisine. read more

Food came fast and no wait. We really enjoyed the lamb drypot and beef aorta drypot very good as well. Overall taste very yummy. Would come back read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Food came out super fast, no wait. Lamb dry hotpot very good and the beef aorta ! Food is spicy so be prepared. Overall yummy dishes - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've tried numerous Szechuan restaurants in San Mateo at this point - at least 4. This is by far the best Szechuan restaurant I've had in the Bay! Everything was delicious and spicy, and such great value. La Zi Chicken - 5/5 Super juicy, salty, and great ma la spice Mapo Tofu - 4/5 Not the best I've had, but still very well executed. Huge portion size for $12. Stir Fried Green Beans - 4/5 Lacking the savory flavor, but very fresh green beans and cooked perfectly. Slight crunch to the green beans, so it's not over cooked at all. Fish Fillet in Chili Oil - 4/5 Could be spicier in my opinion, but overall solid dish. Fish wasn't fishy, nor was it over cooked. Scallion Pancakes - 2/5 Wouldn't get this again. Stick with the Szechuan dishes since that's what this place is known for. Overall we spent $85 for dinner, and had enough leftovers for 2 more meals. That's insane!!! So glad to have found this place because it'll get added to our dinner rotation. Apparently the hot pot is supposed to be even better than their cooked dishes, so next time we'll try their hot pot! read more

Hot&Spicy Frog Pot is soooooo delicious！ It's so fresh and delicious! We came to San Mateo specially for this multiple times. read more

Tianfu Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - San Mateo, California