One of my top 5 favorite restaurants of all time in St. Louis. Everything in their menu is spectacular. You cannot visit without ordering the hot crisp fish and sweet and sour pork. I love that every plate comes with unlimited white rice. Very authentic Cantonese food. 10/10 recommend. read more

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We came in about 40 minutes before closing (with the kitchen closing 30 minutes before close), and the staff was still incredibly welcoming. They got our food out surprisingly fast, and everyone was very kind. Place is kinda small but can seat groups for sure. We tried the sweet & sour pork, crispy shrimp, spicy beef turkey, and steamed buns. The sweet & sour pork was definitely the highlight! The crispy shrimp wasn't my favorite because the coating was a bit dry almost sandy for my taste, but I really appreciated the chance to try authentic regional Chinese dishes. Overall, a great experience, and I'd definitely come back to try more of the menu. read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Sweet and Sour Port and Crispy Shrimp - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

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If you've had salt pepper fried calamari in SF or LA, this location's version is sub par. It is analogous to seeing someone but the face doesn't match the name or the voice doesn't match the face. Gone to Cate zone years ago and instantly liked it. I ordered the calamari a few months ago and thought the chef was having a bad day. Returned recently for a better experience, but it was not to be. So with this review I declare this place is overrated. The dish is consistently over battered. I understand that you get what you pay for but they are charging premium. Can't really go on further because am sure they appeal to certain cravings but as for me, I can't justify $22 heavily battered single dish. Few parking onsite lot. Dining area is very tight. read more

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Absolutely delicious! There was barely any wait time, and the service was quick. The portions are huge, and everything was also so flavorful:) read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in St. Louis. They are often very busy, so when you walk in there's a tablet where you can add your name to the wait list. While waiting, I recommend getting bubble tea from Cube Tea Studio a building over. They have a ton of options and I love that their menu has pictures of each dish. We ordered three items and by far the garlic bok choy and spicy chicken were my favorites. They were both so flavorful, I've been dreaming about the bok choy ever since. Highly recommend and can't wait to try more items in the menu. read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Chengdu Spicy Chicken - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

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Local Chinese and college student favorite. Especially popular by Chinese college students. Filled with Chinese (not "Asian ) customers for good reason. This is some tasty and authentic Xinjiang cuisine. Long wait but oh so worth it. Very generous entree size, each would serve 4 or 5. But the Chinese think you're not enjoying yourself unless there's too much food and plenty of variety. Known for their Cumin Lamb so much so they run out. It is the best I've had. Also the very best is the Eggplant on sizzling plate (very hot), hot crisp fish, crisp sautéed pork. I would have rather had the pork intestines but my Chief of Staff balked. A place like this will do pork intestines well, and it sure looked good. Don't worry about an hour wait, this is one of the best Chinese restaurants I've ever been to, this place would be successful in San Francisco or Honolulu. read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

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This is just an update review. I don't have anything new to say other than I wanted to add a few more pictures of some of the entrées they have. As usual the restaurant is excellent in the Services quick read more

Went out for a family dinner to a place my youngest had been waiting to try. Small establishment but very busy. The wait however was not long at all. The only thing that was an issue was our family of 5 was crammed into two 2 top tables pushed together. Not enough space to be comfortable, especially with the number of dishes we wanted to try. However, the food was enjoyed by all. We ordered the Hot Crisp Fish, Braised Pork Belly rice, House Special Stir Fry Noodle, Cumin Lamb with cilantro, Sautéed Glass Noodles with minced pork, and chicken wings. My husband loved the Cumin Lamb. In his words, "It's fantastic!" My youngest loved the glass noodles. She just wished it was a little less cilantro. The older girls said the Braised Pork was very flavorful. The Hot Crisp Fish was really good but, you have to like spice. The chicken and stir fry noodles were decent as well. The portions are huge and everything was very shareable. We ended up bringing so much home with us. Looking forward to trying more things in the future. read more

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The place was packed! Always a good sign! We had the book choy (nicely seasoned), kung pao chicken (generous serving!!!), sesame appetizer (honestly the best part of the meal - the large, flat noodles were perfect with lots of fresh veggies and a nice sesame sauce), and the wonton soup (generous amount of wontons, but lacked flavor). The seating was very close together which made conversation difficult as the next table felt like they were joining our conversation also! Server was attentive and everything was brought out quickly and toasty hot. read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Clear Noodle with Special Sesame Sauce AMAZING - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

STL Chinese cuisine staple that's particularly good at fried dishes. I still love their hot crisp fish but it's been pricier and nowhere the quality it was when I first tried it over five year ago. Favorites: Eggplant On Sizzling Plate (17.99), Hot Crisp Fish (19.99), Cumin Lamb with Cilantro (19.99) It's on Olive Boulevard so you can swing by Costco and grab bubble tea at Cube Studio on the way read more

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This place has been highly recommended by friends, and I was not disappointed by my first visit yesterday. Since it was an earlier weekday evening, my friend and I were able to get a table very quickly, but I hear that this location gets packed during peak hours and weekends. Make sure to prepare yourself for a good wait to get seated, and they do not take reservations. Something that shocked me was how fast our food came out. After my friend and I made our order, we were chatting a little, and the food was out before I knew it. The portion sizes are insanely good as well! The two dishes we ordered were $19.99, so some might say it's not cheap, but you get so much food for an entree. Overall, the flavors were just right and the food was incredibly tasty. No wonder Cate Zone is on people's top of the list! read more

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Clean, nice on the inside.service was prompt- not friendly- but prompt. Spring rolls had good flavor but were still cold in the inside and the chicken dish was nice and full of spice however it was dry. read more

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Second time here and still great! Thought friends and tried some different dishes. Service is quick and direct, cool decorations and fun tv shows in the background. Check in at the door and just a short wait was worth it! Only about 40ish seats, which turned quickly. All the food was tasty and hot. LOTS of peppers in the spicy dishes. Great flavors! Can't wait for our next visit! Delicious. read more

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So good! I'm new to STL and had seen mention of Cate Zone on Reddit threads as the best authentic Chinese food in the city. It definitely lived up to the hype! We ordered - my favorite - Cumin Lamb with Coriander and Glass Noodles with Minced Pork and they were both absolutely delicious. They also had a special of handmade dumplings which were scrumptious too! This was a Tuesday evening and there was a line of people waiting outside the door a few minutes after we were seated (we got lucky!). I would definitely recommend getting here before 6:30pm if you're looking for an amazing weeknight dinner. read more

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I think Cate Zone Chinese Cafe stays true to authentic Chinese flavors. The mala tofu was my favorite, it super flavorful with the perfect level of spice. If you like spicy food like I do, I definitely recommend ordering it with a side of rice. My second favorite was the lamb with cilantro, and the hot crisp fish was also really good. The service here is honestly some of the fastest I've experienced. Our food came out within about 5-10 minutes after ordering. The staff were efficient and attentive throughout the meal. The ambiance is very casual and relaxed, making it a great spot for a quick dinner with friends or family, especially if you're craving something flavorful and don't want a long wait. read more

If I ever disappear for a few hours, there's a solid chance I'm at Cate Zone, lost in a plate of their peppered fish, the single greatest dish on the planet. No exaggeration. Whatever mood I'm in, whatever is happening in life, this is the flavor I crave. Sichuan (Szechuan? Who cares? It's perfect) magic in every bite. The spice, the numbing heat, the way it just hits, it's everything. A group of us went and, in true food-lover fashion, we basically ordered the entire menu. No regrets. Everything was incredible, but I kept side-eyeing my fish, making sure no one else got too comfortable with it. lol The spice levels are real, the flavors are deep, and the dishes come out hot and fresh. Service? Friendly and fast with our girl Cathy. Atmosphere? Chill and unpretentious. But really, it all comes back to that fish. If you see me staring off into space, know that I'm probably just thinking about it. read more

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One of the restaurants we miss the most since leaving St. Louis! Cate Zone has delicious, authentic Chinese food at an affordable price. We have gone multiple times. All the dishes we've tried are good, but our favorites are the Sizzling Eggplant, Lamb Skewers, Hot Crisp Fish, and Shrimp with Preserved Egg. The portions are generous too. We've moved to CA but still have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that we like better than Cate Zone. read more

Service was quick and once you add to the wait list not a long wait. We tried the sweet and sour fish which was crispy but too sweet for my taste. Would have liked a touch of spice to kick it up. The shredded beef in brown sauce didn't meet the mark for me either. The dumplings were good . Good for a quick meal and better than basic Chinese food which is usually greasy. read more

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GOD I LOVE CATE ZONE! It's the perfect cozy food for a cold day. I always get the braised pork belly rice and the sizzling tofu. My boo ordered a beef dish and the sweet and sour pork. All dishes were DELICIOUS! Service was great as always and the ambiance is cute :) just make sure you get there early cause it books up fast! read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Sizzling tofu; Braised Pork Belly Rice; sweet and sour pork; something else :) - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

Cate Zone is a wonderful, homestyle Chinese restaurant that we enjoyed on Jan. 1, 2025. They had a short 10 minute wait and they called us when the table was ready. Be prepared to wait for a table because they have a small table seating area. Our group of 4 appreciated being told that we would be sitting near the door and it was chilly there. Our female server was quick to visit our table. We ordered cumin lamb, black pepper beef, house noodles and pork dishes with plenty to share. Hot Jasmine tea hit the spot on a cold, windy night. We had not seen most of the menu items before as Cate Zone features homestyle Chinese food, not Americanized Chinese food. Very happy with the shareable portion sizes and service. We shall go again and encourage you to try Cate Zone too! read more

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Catezone is one of the signature Chinese restaurants in St. Louis, known for its Northeast regional cuisine. The portion sizes are substantial. I like a lot of what I've tried but I keep going back to the cumin beef. The beef is perfectly velveted and is very tender and has the flavor dialed up to 12 from the wok-hei with the cumin, chilis and garlic. The cilantro stalks and leaves add a beautifully earthy touch. I also recommend the hot and crispy fish, topped with mouth numbing sichuan peppercorns. Their mala tofu combines umami, salty, savory with the almost fall apart silken tofu and the ground pork to create something special. Even something as "standard" as stir fry noodles is prepared with a lot of care and the end result is perfectly cooked noodles noodles with aftertaste of soy, oyster sauce, combined with the velveted meat of choice. The message you'll take away is that this is the real deal, well beyond something like orange chicken. read more

I've been to both locations! Each location has its uniqueness to it. This location buzzes with energy and I never see an empty seat in this establishment. I feel as though it can be intimate and inviting all at the same time. I love looking at the different dishes that come out the kitchen and asking the waiter which dish is that one haha Majority of the time I see the Sweet and Sour Pork come out and I've been recommended to try it and it did not disappoint! This dish along with the Hot Crisp fish are my favorite on the menu! We also ordered the Sweet and Sour Fish which was also good but the pork was nice and crispy and that took it over the top for me. The Chicken and mushroom soup dish was different for us but we still enjoyed it because it tasted amazing! Take a trip to Cube Tea a couple stores down and this is a typical night for me! Love coming here! read more

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Went in for lunch after hearing good things about the food. It did not disappoint! Flavors are very different from your typical carry out place. Richer less "Americanized" flavor. Sauces taste more in house made than typical pour from a jar. Great food! Give this one a try! read more

Delish N. Chinese and done well. Price point was really affordable and the service is quick and the food comes out piping hot. Many different dishes to enjoy and a nice sit down place. Modern and clean decor but only one bathroom. Their menu does change for dinner and there are items only available for dinner. Just so you know, I did not come for the decor but the food, and it did not disappoint. Staff is extremely friendly and helpful as well. read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Braised Pork Belly Noodle Soup Hot Crisp Fish Pork Intestine, Liver, Tripe with Brown Sauce - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

I've been a regular at Cate Zone Chinese Café for a long time and usually go once or twice a month. I always order the crispy fish and mala tofu, and up until recently, I loved this place enough to justify a 30 minute drive. Unfortunately, my most recent visit completely changed that. I went on Sunday, 11/23, the weekend before Thanksgiving. I worked from 6-3 that day and placed my usual order online around 1:00-1:30 pm for ASAP pickup so I could grab it before their lunch break. I even left work early to make it there. When I arrived around 2:40 pm, I was told my order wouldn't be ready until 5:00 pm and that I would have to come back. I showed them my order confirmation, which originally showed a pickup time around 2:50 pm. Even when I refreshed the website, it showed 3:30 pm, still nowhere near 5:00. The cashier, a young man, was dismissive and didn't seem to care at all that my time had been wasted or that the information given online didn't match what I was being told in person. This was extremely frustrating and honestly unacceptable, especially for a place I've been loyal to for so long. I wasted my time, left work early for nothing, and left without food. As much as I've loved Cate Zone in the past, this experience was enough to make me question whether I'll be returning. read more

We love this place so much. This might be out 5th time came here and every time we change orders so we can try different stuff. Today we ordered hot and crispy fish - we saw every table ordered this dish! They have Lamp Soup which is a newly added item. Wow it tastes so delicious. We have a huge bowel! I think we watch has three small bowls! We ordered the braised pork rib, it was very tender, tasted good too but not my favorite. The other item we had was the lamb skewers - our all time favorite and it tasted so good!!! We absolutely enjoyed it! Their service here is faster than fast food. Literally, our food came like within 10 minutes after we ordered them. It is amazing! The waitress was super nice and choked on us a few times and brought extra napkins, and added more rice for us. We also like the decoration and they wrote on the wall that you should. It use your phone but connect with your family and friends. Overall I think they deserve a five star from me! read more

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I cannot give this place high enough praise. The service is amazing and kind, the ambiance is busy and cozy, and the food makes my mouth water just at the thought of it 100/10 read more

Had heard great things about Cate Zone so I ventured over to University to City to give it a run. Overall, had an average experience. I do not have anything bad to say, the flavors just did not get there for me. I ran with their special salad and kung pao chicken which I asked for a little extra spicy. The special salad was great. Acidic, crunchy, and fresh. I think it had tofu in it along with cucumbers, cabbage, and some other unknowns. But, in any case, I did really enjoy this. Lots of different textures and flavors at work, a really complex dish to start the meal. The kung pao chicken was spicy as requested. And, it was solid. It just was not super flavorful as I'd expect kung pao chicken to be. I was hoping for a bit more sweetness from the sauce but did not get it. The restaurant itself is quaint and is a nice little date night spot. A lot of the other menu items look really solid while I was in there so there is a possibility my batch just missed the mark a bit. The service was great, and food came out quickly despite the place being pretty busy. I definitely would go back to explore some of their other offerings and see if I can't find myself that I really dig read more

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We went to Cate Zone today for a late lunch. It was still quite busy at 2pm. The staff was polite and the food arrived fairly quickly. The portions were generous. We ordered the Lamb with cumin and cilantro, wonton soup, and Kung Pao chicken. The lamb dish was absolutely delicious. The Kung Pao was good. We were a little dissapointed because the wonton soup looked good but the broth had very little flavor. read more

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My FAVORITE restaurant in St. Louis!!! After a chaotic attempt to fit 15 people in the small restaurant (we took up half the space), I have now become friends with the staff, who even remember my order! I kid you not, my boyfriend and I come to Cate Zone ideally once a month but at least once every two months - in his words, "My two favorite places in the world: 2) my childhood home 1) Cate Zone." Our go-to order: Cumin Lamb and Hot Crisp Fish. The cumin lamb is single-handedly my favorite dish in St. Louis. The caramelization of the onions, paired with the refreshing taste of the cilantro, are the perfect accompaniment to the lamb. The lamb is tender, not over-cooked and charred, bringing out the rich depth of cumin flavor and umami. The hot crisp fish are masterfully fried with a thin batter that feels light yet is able to soak in the szechuan/mala chili oil flavor. This time, we added on Chengdu spicy chicken, which in hindsight was too much fried food for the meal. Delicious though! read more

Small but mighty Chinese food spot! They don't take reservations and the space fills quickly so be prepared to wait for a table. Menu features family style dining options - portions are large! Food is served piping hot as it is ready so it likely won't all come out at once. Highly recommend the hot & crispy fish, Chinese sausage skewers, and crispy sweet potatoes in egg yolk but honestly I don't think you can go wrong with anything here! read more

I've heard so much about Cate Zone from friends and it really did live up to hype! I got take out and worried how the fried food would fare, but it was still crispy when we got home. I loved the Hot Crisp fish which seems to be one of their most popular dishes. The eggplant was mild and had an underwhelming sauce. Both dishes seemed to be fried in a tempura-like batter which gave it a nice texture. Inside, it was very cramped/crowded, but luckily our carryout was ready faster than they estimated which was a nice surprise. I can't wait to go back to Cate Zone and try out their other dishes! read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Hot Crisp Fish, Eggplant - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

This is about as authentic as you can get when looking for Chinese food in STL. The restaurant is tucked away in this small location on Olive. I have not seen this place not full, so try to get there before (or after) the dinner rush. The service is always nice and expedient as with all Chinese restaurants. The food itself reminds me of the traditional Chinese food that I grew up with. The menu offers a range of dishes that includes spicy Szechuan foods to dishes for those that prefer something less numbing. Some highlights includes Szechuan boiling fish, eggplant, liver and tripe, and the Xuewang. We are lucky that STL has a Chinese restaurant like Cate Zone! read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

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When you get here, you HAVE to get the chili crisp fish and the honey sweet potato. Thank me later. The service is fast but friendly. It is always busy, but traffic moves quickly. It's decorated with NYC decor, which kind of doesn't make sense, but roll with it! read more

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The ratings are true -- Cate Zone has been the best Asian food I've had in the city so far. It's a small cafe-esque restaurant on Olive that can be easy to miss if you're just driving by. There's a decent amount of parking out front. There's a medium amount of seating, and service is very efficient. Food came out quickly, and my partner noticed that orders were perhaps brought out based on age instead of first-come-first-serve (we arrived/ordered ~10 minutes before some elders and they got their meal about 5 minutes before we did). I'm not even mad; it feels like a respectable tradition to me, if that was truly the case. Food is intended to be shared family style. You order entrees and such, and they bring out a large communal bowl of rice. We ordered the Hot crispy fish and Cumin lamb. Serving sizes of the protein dishes were very generous (we're anticipating leftovers for 3+ meals). The fish was perfectly crispy and seasoned, although reheating it has affirmed that it's more tempura than fish (would still order again). The cumin lamb felt surprisingly pretty lean and not very greasy/fatty. I love a good la spice but am sensitive about the ma; the ma-la spice combo was so mild and steady that I genuinely enjoyed the dish. They seemed to cut a lot of their skewer dishes toward the end of the menu, but it's still a pretty lengthy menu that's got all the Szechuan classics. Prices are so, so fair considering how much food there was. Cate Zone did not disappoint; I'll definitely be back! read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Cumin and cilantro lamb - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

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This place has a great reviews so I was excited to give it a try. We got there right at 5pm and got seated immediately. The restaurant is decorated with NYC wallpaper. I was with a group so we each ordered a few things to try. We started with the braised pork neck bones and the grilled enoki mushroom. The pork neck bones were okay but dry. I didn't like the texture of the mushrooms. We also ordered the black pepper beef, house special stir fried noodles, szechuan spicy shrimp, and the sliced beef and onion. The sauce on the noddles was the prefect mix of sweet and salty. The rest of the entrees were lacking flavor which was disappointing. The service was alright. The people around us seemed to be enjoying their food which made me think we ordered the wrong dishes. read more

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You won't find better dumplings in the St Louis area! The dumplings are tender and the sauce is sweet & savory. Noods, bok choy, it's all delicious. I can't wait to go back! read more

Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Noods House Special Stir Fry Noodle - Chinese Near Me - University City, Missouri

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When you come here, bring your appetite, lots of people, or clean out space in your fridge for left overs. Huge portions. We ordered dumplings, which was not an appetizer, but we had to try them. They were delicious and plentiful. And yes they were a meal by themselves. I got the spicy crispy fish because a friend recommended it. OMG!!! If you go here, Get it. But be warned....there is a lot of fish, but DELICIOUS!! My wife got the Kung Pao Chicken. It was equally delicious and plentiful. The service was fantastic too. This acenis a definite DO IT!!! read more

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Love their skewers. The resturant is pretty tightly packed but always worth it. Sad I didn't make it out to the restaurant for so many years since I initially moved here during covid and they were only doing carry out for a little while. read more

Takeout dinner order of soup, sesame noodle appetizer, lamb with cilantro, eggplant, and homemade dumplings. First off amazing flavors that are truly unique. This was an experience of many layers of flavor that we haven't experienced at many Chinese restaurants. The fresh vegetables with the sesame noodles in a ginger peanut sauce were a home run. The lamb was really my favorite with the fresh cilantro and cooked perfectly. Our order was ready super quickly and was sorted by number. The staff was friendly and the place was packed. If you have the chance, try this out! Enjoy! read more