My husband and I were searching for a NEW place to eat so we drove around the mall I saw CHINA CHEF hidden in the corner right next to JAMBA JUiCE. We were feeling pretty hungry and wanted to try their lunch specials... FISH WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE: 8/10 I thought the Chow Mein was delicious and the fish with black bean sauce was cooked pretty well. I just didn't expected it to have so much gravy sauce and the fried rice was on the dry side... KUNG PAO CHICKEN: 9/10 My husband enjoyed this dish very much. I had a taste and I thought the chicken has a really nice char from the wok... I actually came back the next day with my mom and ordered another lunch special... CHICKEN WINGS: 10/10 Star of the show!! Wow!! I was wondering why I kept seeing trays of chicken wings being ordered. The roasted duck looks delicious too... SERVICE: Good service. The lady and guy were both pretty nice and welcoming... AMBIANCE: Spacious with a warm and cozy cafe vibe. You can hear the Chinese language being spoken amongst the staff. So I believe it's pretty authentic... KEEP IT UP CHINA CHEF!!!! read more

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I've been wanting some mapo tofu. I love the mapo tofu at PF Changs, but, it's not the same, not the usual. It's nowhere to be found in Elsinore where I live so I remembered to check ahead of time before stopping in Temecula. Found a few spots, but this was closest, so I ordered here. I placed the order online for takeout, so I can't comment on much of the dining in experience. But the restaurant was a decent size, the staff was attentive and the parking lot wasn't too busy. I usually like my mapo tofu with brown rice, which wasn't a choice here, but it was still enjoyable. I was a bit concerned that it was gonna be too hot for my liking, but when I got home and sat down to eat it, I was fine with it and whatever heat it contained. I love mapo tofu and wouldn't mind having them again if in the area, but would also like to see how they compare to other local spots. read more

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This is the most authentic Chinese food you'll find for miles, around. BEST OLD SCHOOL CHINESE FOOD! The Lunch Specials are amazing!! It's truly the hidden gem of the IE. The hot and sour soup is amazing, the tender salt and pepper pork chops are mouthwatering. And, you'll constantly crave the eggplant, tofu dish, even if you're not a vegetarian. Everything here has been five star quality. The food is fresh and plentiful... Honestly, I don't know how they do it for the prices they charge. But, this is the place to bring friends and family for a comfortable meal that won't break the budget. The customer service is incredible, family owned and you're always welcomed.. if you're on a quick lunch or having friends and Family.. the staff can handle it all with ease. It's comfortable and cozy! You feel like you can just relax, in the spacious dining area. Booths ..for more intimate dining, Big tables for family.. small tables to chill. It's so nice to enjoy China Chef read more

China Chef - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

I am pretty sure that I had been to China Chef before, but it was a long time ago and I didn't yelp it then. Tonight my husband and I had the dinner special. The dinner came with a cup of soup, fried wontons and egg rolls, an entree, and choice of rice or lo mein noodles. I had the hot and sour soup which was very good. For my entree, I had the chicken with vegetables and lo mein noodles. Both were very good. My husband had the Kung Pao Chicken for his entree. He enjoyed it although he thought it was a little bit too salty and not spicy enough. We paid around $44 for all of this including 2 Diet Cokes. The service was good - server was friendly, and food was brought out quickly. The ambiance was casual, but comfortable. China Chef satisfied the craving for Chinese, and we will definitely keep it in mind next time we have that craving! read more

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The food was delicious. Portions humongous. Service is what I was expecting. Polite but not really warm fuzzy feelings. Ambiance is a bit lacking but we're here for the food. That said, it was clean and smelled delicious from the cooking. Food ordered; egg rolls, egg drop soup, bbq pork, bbq pork fried rice and chicken with vegetables. As I mentioned the portions were generous. Bring friends, lots of friends! read more

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I've been ordering from China Chef for about a years and I always order the salt and pepper chicken wings and chow fun. The food is really delicious. I always order it to be delivered. I don't know how they do it but the food is always still hot when I get it. read more

China Chef is one of the best Chinese restaurants in our area! We ordered the pork chop, fish fillet, kung pao three-flavored dish, lo mein, and hot and sour soup -- everything was tasty and delicious. Our server is always pleasant, friendly, and fun, which makes the dining experience even better. It's also a very casual and comfortable place, so you never have to worry about dressing up. Being close to home is definitely a plus too. We always enjoy coming back here for great Chinese food and excellent service! read more

The food is usually good here, but not sure what happened tonight. The salt and pepper wings were kind of soggy. I've ordered them before through GrubHub but they were good and crispy. I also had an issue with the Thai tea. There was a weird, thick syrup or something on top. The consistency was like a raw egg white. I tried to stir it in but it made the drink worse. It tasted bad. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE THAI TEA HERE. Service was on time with the food. I can't say much about the ambiance since I ordered the food via GrubHub. read more

Bad service waitress was rude and condescending. Food was not good and it was served cold.

Chinese food is a big hit for our family. Finding a restaurant that we all agree is great is difficult but we all love China Chef. The food comes out quick, hot, and tasty. Our go to items are Beef Chow Fun with Black Bean Sauce (a must!), spicy Pepper Shrimp, Clams in Black Bean Sauce, Duck, and Beef & Broccoli. We love these dishes here! The prices are fantastic and the portions are large. The service is great as well. read more

Ordered the beef and broccoli. It was very tasteful! Me and the family will be coming back again soon. read more

Ordered and had delivered; honey walnut shrimp, egg drop soup, vegetable pan fried noodles. Shrimp wasn't very sweet and breading turned to mush before I could finish half the dish. Egg drop soup was flavorless. I had to add several soy sauce packets and chicken bullion before it was edible. Vegetable pan fried noodles were good. Veggies were cooked perfect and sauce had good flavor. Overall, disappointed. read more

Disregard any review saying this place is good. Management and their chef need to get honest and hold themselves accountable for what food they're putting out. This place does not deserve 4 stars. I'm just disappointed with having ate here. read more

Have been eating at China Chef for years and have read the one (1) star reviews and we have not encountered any of these problems shown on the reviews. Been coming here for years now and their food was really good. The environment and attention inside is relaxed and comfortable and we haven't waited an hour to be served. If you like dumplings and egg drop soup, you'll like theirs as well. Again, we enjoyed their Chinese food. read more

Still the best wings in the area! Always hella crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Seasoned well and perfect spice. Consistent and fresh. All these new wings spots popping up and but this is where the wings are fire! Thanks for feeding me! read more

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If you love traditional Chinese food, China Chef is the place to get it! No fancy mood lighting here, just really good food. Because they only stick to the real Chinese dishes, and not the "gourmet" or "cater to American" taste style of cooking, you get food straight out of a wok that tastes like it was cooked in a wok. Not everyone is as a proficient eater as I, so I'll make a couple mid-level (on the authenticity scale) suggestions to try to help ease your tastebuds in. Beef with Tofu in Egg Sauce (Slippery Eggs Beef w/ Tofu) - this is a lunch menu item that you can ask for as a dinner entree. If you've never tried this dish, do it at China Chef. They make it perfectly: silky ribbons of egg in a light sauce drenching tender beef and silken tofu. This is Cantonese comfort food at its best! Salt and Pepper Tofu - another classic dish done quite well. They use silken tofu that they batter and deep fry to produce a textural symphony in your mouth. The outside is light and crispy and the tofu inside disintegrates when bitten into. Combine the great texture with salt, garlic, and chili peppers and you have yourself a highly addictive "snack" food for dinner. Don't forget to use your check-in offer for the free cream cheese wontons (this is not Chinese food BTW). Even though they are a little out-of-place, they aren't half bad and are free, so you might as well help yourself. Just like the best Chinese restaurants, the staff won't exude Western hospitality. The fact is that they aren't there to feed you smiles, just really good food. read more

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NEVER coming here again. I can't believe there are so many places around here that are this bad and are still allowed to serve food, and that people love eating at these places with the rave reviews and high ratings. It was my first and last time here. I got the Salt and Pepper Chicken, which was pretty good/ okay. Very good if you're rating according to Temecula standards. The problem I encountered was with the Mapo Tofu. As soon as I tasted it, I concluded it was the absolute worst Mapo Tofu I've ever had. It didn't taste horrible, but it was nothing like Mapo Tofu I've had at a few Chinese places around here, and where I'm from anywhere in the Chicagoland area of many years of having it. It had to have been EGG DROP SOUP, mixed with a bunch of tofu, flavored somewhat differently as an attempt to remotely resemble Mapo Tofu, and it wasn't even spicy...maybe a 2 on a scale of 10. Mapo Tofu is supposed to be a spicy dish, and has never had the consistency and taste of Egg Drop Soup from any of my experiences. Plus, it was the color of a muddy Egg Drop Soup, yellow-brownish, versus a red-orange, peppery color as I'm used to having at every single other place I've ever had Mapo Tofu. BUT, what sealed the deal of me completely avoiding this place from now on, was finding a LONG, CRINKLY WIRE that resembled a long, undone staple while eating their fake Mapo Tofu. I have no idea what that was, as it was over an inch long if it were to be unkinked, and it was way more kinked than a staple, and too long to be one. WHAT IF I SWALLOWED THAT SH*T?! And it was completely empty with only 1 occupied table when I went in. The cooks weren't in a hurry, scrambling to meet a ton of orders. There's no reasonable excuse for this. I SHOULD'VE LOOKED AT OTHER CUSTOMER PHOTOS, as they have had NASTY, foreign objects in other people's food before, INCLUDING A COCKROACH. HELLO HEALTH DEPARTMENT! Disappointing because I thought I found a place where I might be able to get some at least halfway decent Chinese food with dishes akin to what I miss eating in Chinatown back home in Chicago. AVOID THIS PLACE IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF STANDARDS FOR REMOTELY DECENT FOOD. I keep writing bad reviews, then taking the vast majority down because I don't want to be a "downer", but this area has some of the absolute crappiest standards in food, customer service, design, and ambiance...even just hole-in-the-wall places with character. It's SO DIFFICULT finding anything good, even halfway decent around here! I CAN'T STAND THIS PLACE AND NEED OUT. It is the absolute most depressing and heavy place I've ever had the misfortune of spending any meaningful length of time at. Absolutely threw that garbage out, not being the type to waste food. I WOULD LOVE A REFUND. read more

China Chef - Crinkled wire in their fake Mapo Tofu they made out of Egg Drop Soup that was completely bland. - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

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Food is amazing. I catered for a family party. We ordered beef chow mein, combination fried rice, and salt and peeper chicken. I do not doubt that food will taste even better if you eat at restaurant. I will, without a doubt, order from here again. read more

Ordered 3 things. At 5:30 pm. It's 6:50 pm it still isn't ready. You should probably choose a different place.

We finally went here last night for dinner & it did was amazing!!! My 8 & 6 yr old shared the orange chicken entree ( requested non spicy with no issue) we also got the steamed stuffed buns, chicken lo mein, and general Tso's chicken. When I tell you we devoured everything!!! Can't wait to go back. read more

The food here is incredible! We ordered the salt and pepper pork chops, sautéed green beans, and combination fried rice--everything was fresh and full of flavor. Coming from LA and having experienced the food in Chinatown, I can confidently say this place is on the same level. The ingredients are high quality, and you can really taste the difference. Photos below are of left overs! Still enough to have a great meal at home. read more

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Delicious food! We usually do takeout but have eaten in once and just appreciated getting it sooner because it is so good! The chicken wings are the best but ask for non-spicy if you don't like spice. Also, the honey walnut shrimp is great, except they use pecans instead of walnuts. Still great and great combo fried shrimp. Definitely recommend! read more

I recently had lunch here. I ordered hot and sour soup but got egg drop. The fried rice was good and the pork was smothered in a thick sweet and sour sauce but there was no egg roll or salad. read more

The cream cheese wontons were terrible. They tasted like expired cream cheese and the oil tasted dirty. The house chow mein had good flavor and gave a lot for the price! read more

With so many restaurants to choose from in Temecula, exhausted after a full day we settled on this Chinese spot and called it a day. And other than a constant flow of takeout customers and Doordash delivery pickups, we were seated and remained the only dine in customers our entire time here. We were greeted cordially by our server, who's name we never heard given. But she is listed on my receipt as "Boss". So I would assume she is the proprietor. Our order was one of the shared dinner specials with appetizers that included 4 Fired Cream Cheese Wontons and 2 Vegetable Egg Rolls. Our main course included Chicken With Mixed Vegetables, Kung Pao Chicken and Steamed Rice. We also requested 2 Thai Iced Teas. My wife found the Chicken With Mixed Vegetables way too salty and inedible. While I didn't, but our server gladly replaced it. She wasn't too keen on the Kung Pao Chicken either. I just thought it was average; and not up to par with even Panda Express's Kung Pao. But no problem with the Steamed Rice. And the Thai Teas? Not bad and maybe slightly above average. I had the leftover Kung Pao for dinner last night. I don't think we'll be returning. read more

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Food is amazing, fast n can take to go aswell. sweet helpful workers and amazing vibes all around

Both i and my husband had diarrhea after eat delivered food from this restaurant, and anther friend said same thing to me read more

China Chef - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

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My mom was craving a specific clam dish and this place had it! What we ordered: - Tofu Mixed Veggies Lunch Combo (not pictured) - Sautéed Clams w/ Ginger & Green Scallions The clam dish was exactly what my mom was craving! The sauce that the clams were sautéed in was sooo good! We kept spooning it onto our rice. The tofu mixed veggie combo was good too. It came with an egg roll, fried rice, and egg drop soup. The brown sauce that the tofu and veggies were cooked in was the perfect mix of sweet and savory. Will definitely come back for the clam dish when we're in the area. read more

China Chef - Sauteed Clams with Ginger & Green Scallions - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

Amazing salt & pepper wings, salt & pepper shrimp is phenomenal, curry rice noodles are my fave, house fried rice is a must. Rinse it down with a nice icy cold Coca Cola yummmmm read more

It's so nice to feel nostalgic when I walk into this restaurant. Nestled in the outskirts of the mall next to Baskin Robbins, is an authentic Chinese restaurant. I definitely don't throw that term around because it's super rare. You can't go wrong with any of their dishes but my fave is the salted fish and chicken fried rice, salt pepper pork chops, and Hong Kong style fried noodles. I've eaten in all the major chinatowns in big cities internationally and this one definitely keeps up with the big boys. read more

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Pepper/garlic chicken wings are delicious, The battered used is thin and just perfect . This place was recommended by a local for wings. I ordered a party tray of fried rice and wings - both were delicious . I will definitely return in the near future :) for wings ! read more

My go to Chinese food spot! Lomein isnt saturated with vegetables and theres a nice amount of meat in each dish Ive had. Potstickers arent those frozen ones, they are hand made! A chinese restaurant where the owners and cook are chinese not Mexican. I love it there. Try them out! read more

Authentic and delicious Cantonese food. Wife was born in Guangzhou and really love the food. We order takeout about once a week. An added benefit, they deliver to San Diego on certain days of the week!!! On holidays, they also make special dishes for parties. Our favorites: salt and pepper chicken wings (crispy and yummy), shrimp chow mein, beef chow fun, tender steamed chicken, BBQ pork, roast duck, west lake soup, fresh steamed fish, and black pepper beef. read more

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We've been there a few times. This is place is only take out so you're getting freshly cooked food. Portions are good and food has been really delish. The meat n veges are always fresh. read more

This review is long overdue. Anyways,being a transplant from San Diego from 3 yrs ago,we are spoiled with so many legit Chinese restaurant options so moving here in Temecula was a challenge finding a good authentic chinese restaurant that serves authentic chinese cuisines,good money value and offers our old favorites from back in SD. Ventured all Chinese places here in Temecula,Murrieta and Menifee and nearby areas. Nobody offered what we were looking for...a great salt & pepper chicken wings,char siu,roasted duck and many more except China Chef. Others offered an American-Chinese version,others some Panda Express-like options. Then came China Chef. A no fancy place run by an authentic Chinese owner,chef and staffs. Ken is the friendliest business owner I've met around. If you don't find what you're looking for in the menu,just ask him and he'll prepare it for you. And least I forget,they are popular for the best salt & pepper chicken wings in town! Plump,juicy and freshly cooked,piping hot when served. Nobody comes close. Been coming here for 3 yrs regularly. And they offer the cheapest and best lunch specials around.My family loves this place! Come if you like casual dining with no expectations of a fancy decors or fine dining. A little touch up of the place would be nice but I don't go here for that,just good food and excellent service is all I ask and this place checks all the boxes for me. read more

China Chef - Steamed fish fillet with ginger and scallion - Chinese Near Me - Temecula, California

well...I wanted to like this place. went for lunch. Ordered salt & pepper chicken wings (they have it on a lunch special, with soup, rice, and an egg roll.) For soup I picked the hot and sour. It was ok, typical ingredients, nothing to write home about. Then the wing plate came. The filling of the egg roll was just mush. The rice was spread out all over the plate, so it got cold pretty quick, but it was good. Now...what I came for. The wings just made me sad. Lacked seasoning, rather oily. Service was ok, and its a pretty typical plain dining area. I tried... read more

What a disappointment! They must have changed owners and chefs. Ordered 3 dishes and they were not good. It is the first time I had shrimp in lobster sauce that was brown with peas and carrots. Not Cantonese! Kung pao chicken had a brown sauce. Never had sauce with Kung pau chicken. This place is not Cantonese! It's not dare I call chinese either. read more

Really gotta stay away from the combo items. The sweet and sour items are terrible. The Mongolian beef takes or maybe all beef items takes forever to chew and hot and sour soup taste like pure vinegar. On the positive, the salted pork chop is delicious! The fried chicken wings are well seasoned and cooked to a nice crisp . The ong choy is real clean and taste good too. read more

Great family size portions for the price. Everything was delicious. We had the shrimp fried rice, vegetable pan fried noodles , orange chicken, and Beijing beef. read more

Went there for lunch. The food was great. The portion for lunch was surprisingly huge. Only drawback was the cleanliness of the restaurant. They sure can use a little elbow grease in there. read more

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