Top 10 Chinese Restaurants In Palo Alto, California

chinese restaurants in palo alto
Gabriel
Gabriel 
Updated
| 5 min read

Palo Alto is one of the affluent suburbs of San Francisco. People drive down to have a steak or pork chop done the American way. These are the food that dominate the dining scene in this town. However, owing to enthusiastic technoids living in and around the town, multiple Chinese restaurants sprouted in the city in the late 20th century to cater to their busy schedule. Palo Alto is also a university town so most of these Chinese restaurants are priced reasonably to attract both students and techies. If you want to taste the best of what these chefs offer, here is our list of the top Chinese restaurants in Palo Alto, California.

1. Tai Pan

Lunch at Tai Pan
Source: Photo by Flickr user Jun Seita used under CC BY 2.0

Tai-pan in Chinese means as an individual who does exceptionally well in his field of expertise. At Tai Pan restaurant, this is the kind of attitude they impose on their dishes. According to the owners and management, their food is the best. Made from the finest ingredients available, the chefs take extra effort in every process that these dishes go through. The end result is food befitting a tai-pan. Their dim sum alone has more than 80 variants. This is what they specialize in and their food is the closest thing to perfection. Only the best meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and dumpling skins go into these.

Tai Pan

Address: 560 Waverley St, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States

Website: Tai Pan

Opening hours: 11am - 2pm; 5pm – 8pm (daily)

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2. Hong Kong Restaurant

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Hong Kong Restaurant on Saturday, February 2, 2013

If you are hankering for traditional Cantonese cuisine, Hong Kong Restaurant is the place for you. Since it opened its doors in 2012, it has become a power player in the Palo Alto dining scene. The spot where it stands has seen several eateries close down. Nevertheless, with the restaurants’ authentic taste, it has stood the test of time. Today, it has become the go-to restaurant for diners longing for Cantonese dishes. With reasonable prices to go with their food, the place has diners queueing up for their wide selection of dim sum and noodles. Note that they only serve dim sum at dinner time.

Hong Kong Restaurant

Address: 3691 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States

Opening hours: 11am - 9pm (daily)

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3. Su Zhe Eatery

Editor’s note: establishment is permanently closed

Su Zhe Eatery is one of Palo Alto’s favored casual Chinese restaurants. With an impressive list of dishes to offer, the restaurant focuses on the cuisine of Shanghai, a modern city located on China’s east side. The food here is nothing short of exceptional and that is why people keep coming back. Although the prices are on the high side, the restaurant attracts diners who love the authentic flavors and top-notch service they offer. They are famous for their Shanghai Fried Rice and make tons of it each week. The place stands on the same spot where the legendary Su Hong stood. Their kitchen is led by the same chef who headed the latter’s culinary team.

Su Zhe Eatery

Address: 4256 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States

Website: Su Zhe Eatery

Opening hours: 11am – 2:30pm; 4:30pm – 9pm (daily)

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4. Peking Duck Restaurant

Peking Duck Restaurant, Palo Alto
Source: Photo by Flickr user Jun Seita used under CC BY 2.0

Peking Duck Restaurant is one of the coziest places where you can enjoy classic Chinese cuisine that specializes in Peking Duck. You will experience excellent service that matches the authentic flavors laid out on your plate. The duck is loaded with flavor. The skin gleams with goodness while the meat screams with so much lusciousness you will want to have more of it. Customers have a choice between Chinese pancakes or steamed buns to go with the duck. Each bite comes with fresh cucumber, green onions, and hoisin sauce.

Peking Duck Restaurant

Address: 151 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States

Opening hours: 11:30am – 2:30am (daily)

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5. Chef Zhao Kitchen

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

If your goal is to fill your tummy to the brim with the best Chinese food this side of town, then come on over to Chef Zhao Kitchen and have a taste of all the wonderful offerings found here. Known to serve full-flavored Shanghainese dishes with portions enough to feed two to three guests, the restaurant also serves a bit of French and Japanese food on the side. This restaurant is a go-to place for families and big groups because of the huge servings. If you want some privacy, they have dining areas equipped to hold private parties for families and companies.

Chef Zhao Kitchen

Address: 2180 W Bayshore Rd #120, Palo Alto, CA 94303, United States

Opening hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm; 5pm - 9:30pm (daily)

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6. P.F. Chang's

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by P.F. Chang's on Monday, November 3, 2014

PF Chang is one of the most beautiful places to feast on both authentic and fusion Chinese cuisine. The place is amazing. Its claim to fame is the lettuce cup. Diners are also encouraged to mix various hot sauces to come up with their concoction. This place specifically caters to palates not familiar with authentic Chinese cuisine. Another specialty is the spicy chicken noodle soup which can easily feed the whole family. Their version of mapo tofu is also a big hit with diners. So if you want to fill your hunger for Chinese cuisine with a twist, PF Chang is the place to go to.

P.F. Chang’s

Address: Stanford Shopping Center, 900 Stanford Shopping Center Bldg. W, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States

Website: P.F. Chang’s

Opening hours: 11am – 9pm (daily)

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7. Mandarin Roots

Mandarin Roots Potstickers
Source: Photo by Flickr user leighklotz used under CC BY 2.0

Mandarin Roots provides a fresh take on classic Chinese dishes by implementing modern techniques and new ingredients. All ingredients used by the culinary team are sourced from local purveyors and are mostly sustainable all year. The dishes are presented well and come in small, sharing portions. The small plates allow everyone to order as much food they want. Sumptuous food and exceptional service are what put this place on Palo Alto’s food scene.

Mandarin Roots

Address: 3345 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States

Website: Mandarin Roots

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8. Taste

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Posted by Taste on Saturday, April 25, 2020

Taste offers the taste of authentic Chinese. Once you step inside its doors, you will experience a trip like no other. The food they serve is the best Sichuan food you will ever have in Palo Alto. It emphasizes the flavor of garlic while showcasing the spiciness of chili peppers. One of the profound ingredients used in the restaurant is Sichuan pepper. This ingredient has a mild spice to it and an aroma distinctly its’ own. These three ingredients epitomize Sichuan cuisine and are used here prominently.

Taste

Address: 423 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301, United States

Website: Taste

Opening hours: 11am – 3pm; 5pm – 9:30pm (daily)

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9. Yucca de lac

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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Posted by Yucca De Lac - Palo Alto on Sunday, March 15, 2020

Yucca de lac serves Chinese-fusion cuisine diners love so much. This restaurant was born in Hong Kong and churns out Cantonese dishes with a western twist. These are prepared by a highly-trained culinary team. The menu is kept fresh and is a mix of traditional and new dim sum, noodles, and other favorites. Serving healthy fare, all menu items are thought of carefully which stands as proof of the talent of the chef in command. The interior is modern contemporary which makes dining here more inviting and relaxed. They have an alfresco dining area which is a great option for the indoor dining space.

Yucca de lac

Address: Stanford Shopping Center, Stanford Barn, 180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States

Website: Yucca de lac

Opening hours: 12am - 8pm (daily)

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10. Panda Express

Panda Express Orange Chicken
Source: Photo by Flickr user Candy Beauchamp used under CC BY 2.0

Panda Express is your only option if you want to experience Chinese cuisine with an American twist. The fast-food joint provides quick service which is particularly good for those on the go. At Palo Alto, Panda Express is king because they give you standardized menu items at affordable prices. Like always, it is their orange chicken that outsells everything on the menu and has been their ticket to fame. This is hard to beat but there is one menu item that can give the orange chicken some competition, the kung pao chicken. The restaurant offers combination meals that allow every customer a chance to sample other dishes.

Panda Express

Address: 2310 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306, United States

Website: Panda Express

Opening hours: Mon – Fri: 10am – 9pm; Sat - Sun: 11am – 8:30pm

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Scrumptious Chinese food in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a place for foodies who want to check out the dining landscape here. Sitting south of San Francisco and other bay area cities, the city is littered with hundreds of Chinese eateries that explore almost all kinds of cuisine served by the country. Get ready for a wild gastronomical experience centered on the food of China.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Introducing Gabriel, affectionately known as Gabby, a dedicated enthusiast of writing, travel, and gastronomy. With these three passions as guiding stars, life takes on new heights of fulfillment....Read more

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