Came here for dinner and was immediately charmed by the cozy, inviting atmosphere. The host, Ty, made us feel genuinely welcome from the moment we arrived, and our server, Lauren, provided excellent service throughout the evening--attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable without being intrusive. We started with the spicy beef soup, which was outstanding. The noodles were perfectly cooked, the beef was tender, and the broth delivered just the right level of heat and depth of flavor. We also tried the fried rice with Chinese sausage and the chicken wings. The fried rice was satisfying and well-balanced, while the wings were expertly cooked--crispy on the outside and juicy inside--though I would have liked a bit more seasoning for added flavor. The stir-fried green beans were another highlight: fresh, vibrant, and nicely garlicky. Our least favorite dish was the egg yolk corn. While the corn itself was sweet with a pleasant crunch, it could have benefited from more seasoning to fully bring the dish together. Overall, we enjoyed our meal and appreciated the thoughtful service. We'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu. read more

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The restaurant ambiance was fantastic! It wasn't too busy on a Friday night. The food was pretty good, if you are looking for an upscale Chinese dining experience. read more

The food is excellent! I love that it's a smaller cozy spot. Definitely share things! Service was a little wonky and sometimes took long to get a servers attention, but not terrible. I think staff were potentially just on the newer side. The green beans are delicious, as are the dumplings. Loved the Dan Dan noodles. I liked the flavor of the clay pot tomato beef dish, but the texture wasn't for me. read more

Delicious ! Staff was friendly and attentive Will definitely be going back soon . . . .Restaurant was clean and cute read more

Kar Son - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Solid Sichuan flavors! The Spicy Crab and Sichuan Old Street Noodles were both pretty good. read more

Kar Son - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Hidden secret no one knows about. Great place to take visitors from out of town. Food is delicious

Unfortunately as someone from SGV I must report that this place is mid. SGV menu items with LA prices and worse than LA quality. They get points for a beautiful interior and good service, but their location is inconvenient and difficult to locate if you're unfamiliar with The Row DTLA (which has a separate parking structure). I parked my car on the street and was walking around the perimeter trying to find this spot for an embarrassingly long time. All the menu items are things you could get at Mama Lu's or Din Tai Fung but at a fourth of the authentic quality. This spot is cute for photos on a girls night out but I would not recommend it for foodies. Was also excited to try the chocolate dumplings but the skin was so thick and did not even compare to the DTF chocolate XLB. The chocolate got so oily in the skins and was unappealing in sight and texture. read more

The best green beans! Super flavorful, garlicky, great bite. Delicious! The vibe was great, nice stop between shopping for a Mother's Day gift next door Scent Bar. I also had the shrimp and pork wontons with chili oil. They were good but not great. But will definitely come back for the green beans! read more

Kar Son - Green Beans! - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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There are many vegetarian dishes to choose from, and the quality of the food is comparable to Din Tai Fung. I really enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant--they play Asian pop music, which adds to the experience. read more

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This is the best Chinese food in LA. WOW! I said it! Yes, I did. Sorry other Chinese restaurants but you done been had. Get the pineapple chicken and the tingle tongue chicken. It's wonderful, bless your hands, Chef from Gen-Wa. Oh and the. Waitress who looks like Rihanna was great too. read more

Despite the overwhelming positive reviews of this place, i was not impressed. Ambiance was beautiful. Elevated Szechuan Asian food, but didn't meet the promise. Even though there were several tables available, it took about 10 min to be seated by the host. I ordered Mint Wasabi shrimp bites, Mapo Tofu, Salted Egg Chicken wings, and a sparkling tea. Overall, the flavors were subdued and didn't express anything umami or true to Szechuan characteristics. TBH, it was white washed. The actual wait were satisfactory and attentive, and they packed the left overs for me ( which is rare these days). I had high hopes and I was dismayed. I guess it's back to other cheaper places in SGV. read more

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located at the row dtla so the first two hours of parking is free. the restaurant specializes in modern chinese cuisine and was recommended to me through instagram and word of mouth. walking inside, you can tell there was intention with every detail of the restaurant, from the overhead paper lanterns that set a warm and inviting ambience to the traditional paintings displayed along the walls. despite their rising popularity, we were able to be seated quickly in a nice booth. although they recommend ordering 3-5 dishes for two people, two smaller dishes and one chef's special dish was enough to keep us content. for the table, we ordered the soup dumplings, chongqing crispy chili chicken (small), and the dan dan noodles. all dishes held up on their own and didn't leave any bad impression with me. the dan dan noodles were bouncy and had that sichuan peppercorn spice that honestly felt spicier than the chongqing chicken as the sauce was more integrated into the dish. the chongqing chicken was not too salty and had a kick that didnt feel too strong. the soup dumplings had a strong wrapper that kept the composition of each one. although this was a casual dinner, i can see kar son be a place for special occasions as well. read more

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This is upscale Chinese. Another case where I would love it if Yelp allowed 4.5 ratings. Half the dishes were very good and the others were just good. But price was a bit higher than a typical traditional Chinese restaurant. Really liked the spicy chicken, beef noodle soup, Hunan beef and wasabi shrimp (I know- not quite traditional), Fried tofu and crispy pork were decent but not noteworthy. Tomato beef was pretty good read more

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Kar Son is an elegant Chinese restaurant. It's more refined than many of the restaurants I've been to in San Gabriel Valley, for example. It's almost as refined as Din Tai Fung. We tried several dishes- braised beef, whole branzino, shrimp fried rice, Chinese sausage fried rice, stir fried green beans, braised eggplant, xiao long bao, cucumbers salad, crispy chili chicken, mint-wasabi shrimp, hot sour soup, mapo tofu, seasonal stir fried greens, tiramisu cake, chocolate dumplings, and matcha cheesecake. Standouts were: cucumber salad, stir fried green beans, stir fried seasonal greens, crispy chili chicken, sausage fried rice, wasabi shrimp, and matcha cheesecake. They have very expensive sparkling tea, which several people in our party enjoyed. They also have sarsaparilla soda, which is very refreshing. Service was quick and attentive. Would definitely recommend Kar Son for a very nice Chinese meal. read more

5/5 Came here with my family and we went all in -- and I'm so glad we did. The table was FULL of food and honestly, every dish hit. The soup dumplings were a must-order. Thin skin, tons of broth inside, super flavorful. Just be careful on the first bite because that soup is hot. The mapo tofu had the perfect kick -- spicy but not overwhelming, and so good over rice. We also tried a few noodle dishes and fried rice, and everything had that nice wok flavor without being greasy. The green onion beef was tender and well-seasoned, and the clay pot stew was rich and comforting. Portions are generous, so it's definitely best to come with friends and share. Okay... if you like matcha even a little bit, you NEED to try this cheesecake. The matcha flavor is incredibly rich and authentic -- not that artificial, overly sweet kind. It has that deep, slightly earthy bitterness that real matcha should have, and it pairs perfectly with the creamy, smooth cheesecake base. The texture is silky and dense without feeling heavy, and it just melts in your mouth. It's perfectly balanced -- not too sweet, not too bitter. Every bite feels indulgent but refined at the same time. Honestly one of the best matcha cheesecakes I've had. I would come back just for this dessert alone. Highly recommend! Service was quick, food came out hot, and nothing felt rushed. If you're craving solid Chinese comfort food with bold flavors, this spot delivers. I'll definitely be back. read more

Kar Son - best matcha cheese cake ever! - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Pretty interior Prompt services, but can be a bit inattentive as they get busier Dishes felt clean and fresh (less oily) Authentic Chinese food, it's really spicy and numbing the way I like it! XO fried rice is a bit salty for my liking Love the numbing Mapo Tofu and Fried Chicken! Hunan beef is on point - spicy!!! XLB was alright, skin too hard and filing was ok Dan Dan noodles - great flavor but please cut the noodles a bit lol read more

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This spot does comfort Chinese with a polished twist--but the results are a little mixed. The menu hits familiar, cozy flavors, though nothing really stands out, especially given the higher-than-expected price tag. You're paying more for the vibe than the food. Ordered the Salted egg yolk corn 4/5 Chongqing crispy chili chicken 3/5 Mint wasabi shrimp bites 5/5 Sichuan eggplant stir fry 4/5 Crispy sweet & sour pork 1/5 (more batter than meat) Vegetarian fried rice 1/5 (pretty bland) Soup dumplings 3/5 Dan Dan noodles 3/5 That said, the ambience is genuinely cute and elevated--stylish, cozy, and great for photos or a low-key night out. Service was noticeably slow, likely because there were only two servers working the floor, which made the experience feel a bit stalled at times. Overall, it's fine: average food, pretty space. Worth trying once if you're curious or nearby, but probably not a spot you'll rush back to. read more

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No air conditioning and the food is very mediocre and American Chinese food. Good try on aesthetics and service but it's a restaurant not an art gallery read more

Kar Son is an elevated Chinese restaurant that just opened in Downtown LA, and it's a great addition to the area. Everything we tried was solid and tasted noticeably cleaner and lighter than what you typically find in the SGV--much less greasy, which we really appreciated. The menu features a mix of traditional dishes from different regions of China along with a few fusion items. My girlfriend, who's from China, appreciated the elevated authenticity and thoughtful details, like the small bowl placed on top of the plate--little touches that show care and intention. Drink options are currently limited, and there's no alcohol yet, but the food more than makes up for it. Prices are very fair considering the downtown location. Overall, I'm really happy to have a good Chinese restaurant so close to where I live, and I'm looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu. Bonus points for the free 2-hour parking at The Row. read more

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Food was delicious. Was not expecting much but portions were good and the flavors were great. Had chongqing chicken at a lot of places but damn they do it good here. Service was solid and the ambiance was great during lunch, very casual. Would like to come back for dinner possibly and check out the vibes but will be back. read more

Kar Son - Yuunan-style Grilled Whole Branzino - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Our favorites were the sweet and sour pork and the green beans. The decor inside was beautiful as well very tranquil great ambiance. Unfortunately, the service experience at the front was not as welcoming. The hostess came across as rude and dismissive from the moment we arrived. There was no greeting, only an abrupt "Do you have a reservation?" Throughout the evening, she repeatedly and loudly asked our waiter if we were almost finished, which made us feel awkward. She also gave us an insufficient number of menus without acknowledgment or apology and instructed the waiter to remove our extra chair while we were still seated also with no acknowledgment. Towards the end of our meal we can hear the rude chaos between her and the waiting guests. I understand the restaurant was overbooked yesterday, and I can understand that managing a busy service is stressful. However, hospitality and calmness still go a long way in shaping the guest experience. I write this in hopes of improvement from the front because otherwise the restaurant was lovely. Our waiter and all other staff were all amazing. read more

Kar Son - Sweet and sour pork, garlic green beans, spicy chili chicken - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Food was basic flavors. Not many choices. Beverages selection is limited. I am not returning. However the crab is really good.

First time trying Chinese food and I'm in love with the sour sweet fried pork ! The shrimp was great dumplings weren't what I expected but overall great experience. They don't have alcohol license yet but the service is very friendly. read more

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Food was decent. Service was not great at all. Some of the food runners and such were good but our main server was not good at all from the minute we walked in. Also, why are they so stingy on giving you water?? 4 people at our table & a water carafe didn't even fill up everyone's cup. On top of that, they would not leave a full carafe at our table. We had to constantly keep asking for more water and got maybe half glasses each time. I couldn't wait to go to the car to drink my own bottle of water I left in there. Dan Dan noodles were good along with the spicy wontons. The soup dumplings were just ok. DTF 1,000x better. Sweet and sour chicken was good but not amazing. I would prob order the Dan Dan noodles to go but otherwise, would not come back. read more

Went on Saturday for lunch with reservations. Roomy dining area with a minimalist esthetic. Service was polite. Food was spicy and average. It's a good Choice for Chinese for the area or neighborhood. To be honest I've been spoiled by the SGV Chineses food so this was mid for me. 2 hours free parking at the lot read more

I had high hopes for this spot. The food looked great in photos, but we left disappointed. Unfortunately, it's just a watered down version of din tai fung. We ordered the sweet and sour chicken. It was coated in too much batter and the chicken itself was overcooked. Almost like jerky. The spicy wontons were pretty plain aside from the little kick. The string beans were fine. And the fried rice was under salted, leaving it tasting plain as well. I'd rather wait in line at din tai or drive out to the sgv. The staff was warm and accommodating. They were trying, but the food needs help. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Kar son We ordered several dishes to share as recommended by our server Ty. We also had to inquire about gluten-free dishes. Our server spoke to the kitchen found out for us and made great recommendations !As suggested we ordered the spicy eggplant, green beans and pineapple sweet-and-sour chicken . We especially enjoyed the eggplant dish and green beans. We also ordered a spicy beef noodle dish and soup dumplings, not gluten-free. Which we also enjoyed. Please be aware you do need to order Rice separately We sat outside and very much enjoyed the atmosphere. The interior of the restaurant was tastefully interesting and the bathrooms were very clean. I would definitely come back to this restaurant. Be aware, Apple Maps would did a terrible job navigating a walking route to this location. Google maps was slightly better, but the area is a bit sketchy around 'the row.' There were lots of interesting shops and galleries around unfortunately, they were not open after we finished our dinner. read more

Kar Son - Soup dumplings, spicy beef Noodle, sweet and sour pineapple chicken, green beans, spicy sichuan eggplant - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

service was so slow - i think they're still training and figuring things out. but food was good. mapo tofu had a good amount of spice. tea was kind of pricey for its portion. read more

Spicy, crispy chicken is good. Love the rice with smoked sausage. Dumplings are good too. Great place to dine, good service, great food.

Food was delicious, wasn't expecting an authentic Chinese restaurant in this location. The chongqing chili pepper chicken tastes authentic and perfectly crispy, the eggplant is slightly sweetened and very tasty, too. Good service, waiters are attentive, friendly, and helped us boxed our leftovers. read more

Food always good but service always so-so. Chinese restaurants should never charge for a second pot of tea! We ordered a ton of food but smalls tables so I had to eat with bottle of Pellegrino on my lap after I ordered the bowl of rice! read more

Kar Son - Tofu with crab roe, spicy beef noodles, wood ear salad, branzino - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Wowowow! We came here for Valentine's Day and it was so good! They take different dishes from various regions in China to complete the menu. The flavors and ingredients tasted very fresh and authentic. My favorite was the Szechuan chicken, it's an absolute MUST! Spicy, crunchy, juicy, it was perfection. The branzino has good flavor, but I'm not a huge cooked fish person (was still good). The mint shrimp appetizer had good flavor but way too much breading. The service is amazing; everyone is very kind and helpful. The ambiance takes things to a whole new level; I loved the furniture they chose and they also have live performances with traditional Chinese instruments. Will 100% be back for that chicken! read more

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Tried garlic beans, mapo tofu and fried rice all vegetarian. The garlic beans with bean sause was really good, probably the best I've had. The mapo tofu & fried rice were good too and very authentic. Overall the food and ambience was really good but the lower rating is for the experience with the server and the staff! My friends had to wait to get their dish for very very long time and each time we asked the team, they didn't have any idea about it. Finally when it came out, it didn't feel like we were welcome to stay and finish it. To be honest, they did take the of the dish off the bill but it wasn't a pleasant experience in the moment. read more

Gorgeous restuarant with delicious food and wonderful service. We ordered the chili oil dumplings, the green beans, the whole fish, and cucumber salad. The dish we liked the least was the dumplings, the green beans were the surprise hit. They were addictive! I would love to come back and try other dishes. Highly recommend! read more

This place is one of the best Chinese food I've had! Super delicious and not overly oily. Huge portions and great for the price. Probably the best Chinese food in downtown LA - ambiance is nice and cute traditional Chinese decor. Parking garage (free first 2 hours)! Servers were professional and great service! Recommend this place for date nights or group dinners! read more

Kar Son - Salted egg yolk and crab roe silken tofu - Chinese Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This is the best Chinese Food I've ever had! I couldn't believe how delicious everything was. Each dish was incredible! The portions were huge. The service was impeccable. The ambience and the restaurant itself was relaxing and beautiful. I'm a huge fan of Chinese Food and this food is at the top of my list. I will definitely eat here every time I come to Los Angeles.-Stargazers Anonymous read more

STAFF IS CLEARLY AND INTENTIONALLY RACIST. DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU ARE ASIAN. I heard about this place from social media and was excited to try! I am Asian and came in with my white friend and we were treated extremely different, and the difference was so consistent that it definitely felt extremely intentionally racist. Besides that, it was horrible service that needs to be organized. Firstly, we came in today during a lunch rush and could tell the staff was clearly overwhelmed and busy. There were 2 Caucasian girls working front of house and serving, and they told us they'd take our names down and would text us when the table was ready since there was a little wait - Estimated wait 20 mins. We left my name and phone number to walk around for 35 mins and never got a text. Went back and asked what number we are in the wait, they didn't even ask our names or look at a paper and just said 5 mins. We realized the paper was gone and they had already sat people who put their names down after us. They obviously never used the paper wait list and didn't follow the order. As a business, you should not be asking for names and phone numbers if you're not actually going to call/text us. We would have just waited if we knew this, we were pretty annoyed at how unorganized and hectic things felt but still wanted to try the food. Then we waited another 10 mins inside and noticed the 2 white girl staff members were only talking and looking at white friend each time, never looking in my direction or acknowledging me even when I ordered food at the table and was looking and talking directly at them. They'd just face my white friend and respond to her even though i was talking and she was silent. They never turned my way or made eye contact even as i was talking to them. Then when we asked for the check, the busser was cleaning the table next to us and I said "excuse me" 2 times at a good volume. My white friend said excuse me once and he turned immediately and responded to her???? We were so confused and puzzled why no one was looking, responding or even just decently acknowledging my existence. I almost couldn't believe this treatment was happening to me as an Asian person at a Chinese restaurant. The food was good, but I will never be back and am telling all my friends how clearly racist and horrible this experience was. read more

Wow! All the dishes were truly so delicious. We got the DAN DAN noodles, the crispy chili chicken, the eggplant and the chili wontons. We ate it down so fast so no pictures but we will be coming back so soon! Also got the dessert fried milk so yummy ! read more

Wow wow wow! I'm blown away. I was walking by with a group of friends and we all had to stop and stare at the dishes people were eating outside. We then went inside and Marsela hooked it up with a phenomenal experience. This is a restaurant we would not only go again but would bring people who are visiting Los Angeles and are looking for "that" amazing restaurant. Ambiance is perfect and service is beyond words can describe. read more

Our reservation was at 8pm for group of 15 for a birthday. But my group had issues finding the place and ultimately everyone arrived at 8:30pm. They close at 9pm so we felt awful about being late. However, they were still extremely kind, patient, and good energy. They even took photos for us and we left them a few pieces of cake. They ended up staying till 10:10pm. We felt so so bad but they had such good spirits. Thank you for being patient even though I'm sure everyone wanted to go home. You guys made the birthday very special!! read more