Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Panda Chef

    4.0 (260 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Panda Chef Photos

    Business Info

    PANDA CHEF ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Panda Chef

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Sweet and sour chicken combo plate
    Rebekah H.

    A fee friends told me about this place, and since I was craving Chinese food I had to try it! The lady was really nice and answered questions that I had. I got the combo sweet and sour chicken with steamed rice. The combo included an egg roll and wonton. It was definitely a good price for the food! My chicken was delicious, and I couldn't even finish the rice as there was so much! The egg roll was really good too. I definitely want to come back and try their lunch specials.

    Salt and Pepper wings with rice and added chow mein
    Jenner B.

    This little mom and pop spot is legit. Simple decor with pictures of the dishes posted up everywhere. You know it's gonna be good. The Salt and pepper wings are on par with some of the other restaurants. The Mongolian Beef was also very tasty. They have a good balance of beef to veggie ratio. With a price point of $7.99 for the lunch special ($10 and some change with chow mein and rice) this place moves up in my rankings of Chinese food spots. With most restaurants raising prices due to inflation or what not. It's nice to have a meal with prices from 2001. Overall, a good low key restaurant to get your Salt and Pepper chicken craving filled.

    Chicken and broccoli w small white rice
    Gabriel V.

    I got the chicken and broccoli. I already knew it wasn't going to be the same as I usually get but k was very disappointed. White sauce, and mostly broccoli and carrots. I'm serious, it was like. 70/30 ratio and it cost 20 bucks for that and a small rice. It was ok, but I'm not coming back here again.

    Shrimp fried rice
    Shay S.

    I came here on November 20, 2023. I ordered shrimp fried rice. The food was fresh. I must say that it was not seasoned but I like that I was able to add soy sauce to my own liking. I will definitely return here. The pricing was great! The lady who took my order was very nice. I was told that my order would be ready in 10 minutes but it seemed like it was done within 5 minutes. The restaurant was clean and wasn't crowded. The menu selection was great. I can't wait to return to try out other dishes.

    Updated price list for lunch specials. They are generous portions and delish!
    C C.

    Great food and kind service. Lunch specials are the size of a dinner!! We had shrimp with lobster sauce--At least a dozen plump moist shrimp. Delish. And the popular salt and pepper chicken wings. They are listed as spicy and I'm a wimp for spiciness but I did not think they were too spicy. Again, generous serving, moist chicken. Inside there is plenty of seating. Highly recommend!

    honey walnut shrimp
    Anne A.

    We had called in the order and the lady with the heavy accent on the phone was pleasant and sweet. Pick up was quick and easy. The food was delicious, especially the honey walnut shrimp, which was big, crispy, and perfectly glazed. The salt and pepper squid was just okay and could have been crunchier. The cream cheese wontons were good but not spectacular.

    Updated prices as of 4/11/25
    Noel M.

    I was craving some pan-fried noodles and so I came in to try their version. As I entered, there was no one in the restaurant, customers or employees. I saw and heard one man in the kitchen cooking and waited patiently at the front to order my food. I waited for several minutes without even a single greeting. The cook glanced at me and I thought he was going to call someone to help me but uh nope. I started to get uncomfortable but then some lady came to help me. She was an older woman with no communication skills. She took my order, I paid and then found a table. The food did come fast as I was the only customer in the restaurant. Food quality was acceptable. The noodles were mid and nothing to write home about. The service and environment was also mid, nothing spectacular. I noticed that the yelp menus were not updated online and so did not reflect current pricing (inflation prices) so I took a pic of their current menu and prices to help everyone out.

    Shrimp broccoli

    See all

    Photo of Tristan O.
    5
    176
    476

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D H.
    2
    19
    26

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Aj A.
    3
    44
    46

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    The service and food is so good!! It's really worth the drive! I love the lumpia!! Order the party tray!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    We've been going to this family run restaurant forever! Good food, great service and reasonable prices.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Great little cheap eat place. You get your money's worth and they deliver. Love this place

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Akave K.
    258
    211
    605

    9 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dennis H.
    3
    133
    403

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pam B.
    71
    27
    8

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mel M.
    141
    53
    37

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Melissa A.
    140
    36
    10

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D Y.
    0
    29
    0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dee L.
    1
    21
    41

    10 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark P.
    22
    86
    64

    13 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chad N.
    0
    31
    27

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dani S.
    375
    5
    3

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Steven S.
    43
    172
    177

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Fast and great food. I've been going here for years! Delivery option is also great if you can't get out

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Edna M.
    419
    14
    9

    8 years ago

    Great food, great customer service and close to home. Love that they deliver especially when I'm sick. I highly recommend their food.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ly C.
    185
    67
    47

    11 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 7

    Panda Chef Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Panda Chef

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Chinese 36,496 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Mandarin Beijing - Salt & Pepper Chicken wings

    Mandarin Beijing

    3.9(726 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    We went here for the first time. We saw a reel from someone on a social platform, and we decided to…read moregive it a try. The food was good and fairly quickly made. My wife liked it too. The ambiance was very casual and family oriented. It gave me Tijuana Chinese food vibes, including the fish tank by the entrance. That is pretty common in Tijuana's Chinese food places. The service was good, attentive and consistent. Why not five stars? The food was good but too salty for my taste, but that is not why. The menu was a bit confusing. The plate-combinations are not available, and it wasn't clear on the menu. The family packages options were not available as shown unless there were 6 of us. It was my wife and I. I would've paid for the additional items if they would offer them to us, but it was a very yay or nay situation. Some of the staff was very smiley and attentive and some very serious and without friendliness, however not rude. I like it and I might try again but just some observations

    The staff here is very welcoming and provides great customer service. The food was good, but not…read moregreat, except for the lo mein noodles, which were delicious. The main reason for the 4 rating is the fish tank. The fish seemed a bit neglected, and the setup felt very minimal no caves, plants, or enrichment to keep them engaged. Overall, a good experience, but I hope to see more attention given to the fish and their environment in the future, as all living beings deserve proper care and respect.

    Photos
    Mandarin Beijing - All about that NYE takeout!

    All about that NYE takeout!

    Mandarin Beijing - Salt & pepper green beans

    Salt & pepper green beans

    Mandarin Beijing - Orange chicken with sauce on the side

    See all

    Orange chicken with sauce on the side

    Tasty Mandarin - Mongolian Beef 蒙古牛

    Tasty Mandarin

    4.6(550 reviews)
    7.2 miOtay
    $$

    I rarely leave negative reviews, but our experience at Tasty Malatang Chinese Cuisine was…read moredisappointing because of the customer service. According to the restaurant's posted hours, they close at 10:00 PM. My family and I arrived around 9:15 PM, expecting that we still had enough time to order dinner. As soon as we walked in, the server immediately told us they were already closed. My mother politely pointed out that the posted closing time was 10:00 PM and simply asked if the kitchen happened to close earlier than the dining room. Instead of explaining the situation professionally, the server responded in a very rude tone: "Well, you guys can eat and order, but at 10:00 PM you need to be gone and out the door." Another employee then stepped in to back him up, making the interaction feel even more uncomfortable. I completely understand how the restaurant business works. I've been around the industry long enough to know that kitchens often stop taking orders before closing or that staff are trying to finish cleaning at the end of the night. If they had simply said, "We're sorry, but our kitchen is already closed," or even, "We can still serve you, but we're finishing up for the night," we would have completely understood. There was no reason to speak to us disrespectfully. What made this experience frustrating is that we never came in with an attitude or demanded special treatment. We were polite from the moment we walked through the door. We simply asked a reasonable question based on the restaurant's posted business hours, and instead of receiving a courteous explanation, we were met with unnecessary hostility. Customer service is just as important as the food. A welcoming attitude can make guests want to return, while a rude interaction can overshadow everything else. Unfortunately, this experience left such a negative impression that I won't be returning. I also would not feel comfortable bringing my family or recommending this restaurant to friends because everyone deserves to be treated with basic respect. I hope management takes this review as constructive feedback and reminds their staff that even when it's close to closing time, a little kindness and professionalism go a long way.

    Ordered thru DoorDash for the first time with no big expectations. We were looking for good…read moreassassin chicken and looking at reviews on Yelp had seen this may be a good option. The food arrived super hot and fresh. The flavor on the chicken was just right. I was pleasantly surprised at the shrimp fried rice flavor. Sometimes the flavor can come across bars, however this rice had the perfect fried taste as well as shrimp flavor. I do wish there were more shrimp and rice. The price of the food was fair given the size of the containers. Would definitely give this place a shot and would love to try in person

    Photos
    Tasty Mandarin - Salted Pepper Chicken Wings 椒盐鸡翅

    Salted Pepper Chicken Wings 椒盐鸡翅

    Tasty Mandarin - Honey Walnut Shrimp 核桃虾

    Honey Walnut Shrimp 核桃虾

    Tasty Mandarin - Menu Page 1/4

    See all

    Menu Page 1/4

    New Mandarin Canton II - Sweet and sour pork (lunch portion)

    New Mandarin Canton II

    3.6(443 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    Oh man, would definitely recommend going somewhere else…read more There is an Asian lady here with long hair on a ponytail, not too old but not young either, who is super weird and rude to customers. It is funny but not funny, she acts like a bully :-/, she gives customers dirty look, and screams at them. Who is she? Must be the owner to act that way and get away with it. Used to be a quick fun stop to get some Chinese food for dinner. The portion got so much smaller, while price much higher - and on top of that, the service comes with a bad attitude. Not worth the stop. There are many other Chinese restaurants within the area worth exploring.

    Nice little place for some good Chinese food. We decided to try somewhere new and im glad we did…read more First off this salt n pepper wings were one of the best ive had. So much flavor you could taste the red pepper and salt! The mandarin noodles were okay not the best but ok. I felt like they added way to much cabbage kind of over powering the noodle. I dont know about you but when I go to eat Chinese food these wonton are a must especially with the sweet and sour sauce. Lastly the honey walnut shrimp was so crispy and sweet. This place was pretty good it had a slight lemon taste I could have done with out. I think I got more full off those wonton chips. The prices are a bit high that was also a bit surprising for two people we spent over 70.00 for just 2 main dishes. At least it was good.

    Photos
    New Mandarin Canton II - Small Fried Rice Chicken, House Soft Noddles

    Small Fried Rice Chicken, House Soft Noddles

    New Mandarin Canton II
    New Mandarin Canton II - Entrance

    See all

    Entrance

    iWok Chinese Kitchen - Salted pepper chicken wings

    iWok Chinese Kitchen

    4.1(343 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    I'm always on the hunt for great salt and pepper chicken wings since so many restaurants offer…read morethem, and I'm so glad I decided to give iWok another try. They have officially earned my top spot in the Eastlake/Otay Ranch area for salt and pepper wings. The seasoning was outstanding, but the real star of the dish was the crispy garlic and crunchy topping. It added so much flavor and texture that I couldn't stop eating it. The shrimp were perfectly fried--crispy on the outside while still juicy and tender inside, never overcooked. The chicken wings were extra crispy with incredible flavor in every bite. I also ordered the fried rice, which was delicious and paired perfectly with everything else. This order was delivered through DoorDash, and I was genuinely impressed. The food arrived piping hot, fresh, and well-packaged, tasting like it had just come out of the kitchen. That's not always the case with delivery, so it definitely stood out. If the food is this good by delivery, I can't wait to dine in and experience it fresh from the restaurant. iWok has definitely become one of my go-to spots, and I'll absolutely be ordering again.

    First time trying iWok in Chula Vista and overall it was a great experience!…read more We ordered the salt & pepper wings, salt & pepper shrimp, orange chicken, fried rice, and cheese wontons. The salt & pepper shrimp was the star for me -- light, airy, crispy, and not greasy at all. The wings had great flavor and a nice crunch, though they were a little heavy on the salt. The orange chicken was good, but it didn't completely wow me. The fried rice paired really well with everything on the plate, though I probably wouldn't order it as a standalone item. The cheese wontons were tasty, but since we ordered takeout, I'm not sure if they accidentally forgot the sweet dipping sauce that usually comes with them. Overall, the food was fresh, portions were generous, and the experience was enjoyable. Next time, I'll definitely dine in to get the full experience!

    Photos
    iWok Chinese Kitchen - Menu

    Menu

    iWok Chinese Kitchen - Sweet and sour chicken

    Sweet and sour chicken

    iWok Chinese Kitchen - Orange Peel Chicken

    See all

    Orange Peel Chicken

    Jl China House - Chow Mein.  It's sooo good!

    Jl China House

    3.3(212 reviews)
    6.5 miOtay
    $

    I remember coming here as a kid back when it was all you can eat. I just moved pretty close by and…read moremy plumber said he loved this place so I figured I could give it a try again. We got 2 plates and we ended up spending more than I thought I would. Which was a bummer at first since I imagined this place as being a good go to for "cheap" Chinese food. When we got the plates everything made sense, the portions were HUGE. When he handed me the bag I was like "Whoa! this is heavy." Then we opened it up and I saw that they packed the plates. We would have been fine with 1 plate to share. We ate these plates over 3 meals. We got fried rice, chow mein, chicken wings, beef broccoli and bbq pork. The wings and chow mein were slightly better than average. My husband enjoyed the beef broccoli but the fried rice and bbq pork was just ok to me. Not horrible, but nothing to write home about. I would probably give this place a 3.7/5 stars because I don't think it's a solid 4, but I have to round up since rating partial stars isn't a thing on yelp. Overall, I could see is coming back again. Also keep in mind, there's no bathroom or indoor seating area. They have outdoor patio seating and a window you order from.

    Food was good years ago now the kids of the owner are in charge and service by phone is horrible…read morethey can't even help if you ask for menu questions the young Asian lady with glasses is super rude if you call back nicely saying the food wasn't good looking and good taste she block You number another friends stop buying from there because of that I hope the father the educated and gentle man read this and fix all this issues who she thinks she is acting like that's raising the voice to customers

    Photos
    Jl China House
    Jl China House
    Jl China House - Crab stuffed shell

    See all

    Crab stuffed shell

    Panda Chef - chinese - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...