I am usually weary of Chinese food, but Chung King has completely changed my mind. The food is DELICIOUS and seems very authentic.Some points:- Do not be alarmed by the appearance of this place. It is nothing fancy, and when we arrived no one else was in the restaurant. By the time we left however there were two other parties.- The spicy dishes are EXTREMELY spicy. We had the boiled fish in hot sauce, fried chicken cubes with hot peppers, and green peppers in special sauce. All three were VERY hot. I like hot, but next time I would order maybe two spicy dishes and two non-spicy dishes. That said, all three spicy dishes were excellent. I especially loved the fish.- The non-spicy dish that we had was fried bacon with garlic sprouts. UNBELIEVABLY good. This will be a must-have when we return.- All of the dishes are very cheap, especially for how much food you get. Rice is served for free.- It's BYOB! And there is a liquor store a few doors down that sells beer.- Cash only!Can't wait to go back.
Reviewed by:
Hugo S. on:
3/15/2013 2:25:00 AM
This place is the best Szechuan cuisine anywhere! Ive been to all 3 Chung King restaurants in the San Gabriel area and this is by far the best! The spicy chicken cubes, beef in fire based pot, and boiled fish slices in hot sauce are the best dishes in this place!Prices are super affordable and the portions are great! Love this place!
Reviewed by:
Tammy L. on:
2/10/2013 5:11:00 PM
This place is one of those casual Chinese restaurants that don't put much emphasis on decor, but serves delicious (and I think authentic?) food for cheap - so no complaints!We got the Boiled Fish Slices in Hot Sauce (9.99), Fried Chicken Cubes with Hot Pepper (9.99), Hot Sauced Won Tons (6.99), and the Dried Sauteed Beans (7.99) between the four of us, and it was plenty of food. The boiled fish was my choice, since it's pretty much my favorite dish at Szechuan places, and while this place didn't taste like the place I used to eat at in NorCal, it was almost just as good. The spices seemed less complex and not quite there (other than the spiciness), but the fish was just as soft and flavorful, and the sauce just as numbing. For $10, it was a lot of fish!The chicken dish was something I'd never had, and ended up being my favorite dish. For one, it's fried, and who doesn't like freshly fried chicken? The chilis were a spiciness that I could handle (not as spicy as the fish), and the shallots, sesame, and pepper melded perfectly with the chicken into a dish I just couldn't stop eating! The spicy won tons weren't too spicy, and weren't flavored with the typical spices either, but I really liked the texture of the won ton skin. I'm glad we got the dried sauteed beans, as the dish was a relief to our tongues from all the spiciness. The beans were also not over-fried nor overly salty, which I liked. Overall, I was really pleased with the food and the prices (though they may have different pricing from what I have listed now), and the waitresses were also friendly.
Reviewed by:
Alex D. on:
1/14/2013 3:47:00 AM
Just a disclaimer here: if you don't like spicy food, you are going to be hungry here. Also, if you don't bring cash and don't want to buy at least $25 worth of food, you are also going to be hungry here. This is a Sichuan based restaurant, and anyone who knows anything about that knows that they bring peppers in spades. You can feel it leap from your plate once the server brings it to you (great hangover cure). It's hard for a Chinese restaurant to stand out in Monterey Park, but this place knows the score. The guy over there who runs everything (his name escapes me, but he is somewhat tall and wears glasses) is very friendly as well, although his English is a bit limited, he will try to help you out with recommendations. Well worth the trip if you can get over your emotional umbilical cord to your plastic.
Reviewed by:
Elton W. on:
12/28/2012 5:10:00 PM
I think this place has gone downhill. Used to love the spicy fish slices and the spicy chicken cube. Last time I went it was a bit underwhelming insofar as spice and flavor level. I think they changed owners.
Reviewed by:
Ming Y. on:
10/27/2012 9:38:00 AM
This Chinese restaurant stole my friends and my credit cards info when we paid our checks. Very bad. We knew it was this restaurant because all of our credit cards were duplicated in a month.
Reviewed by:
Jenny J. on:
10/21/2012 6:27:00 PM
I'd say 4 stars overall for the cheap delicious authentic food but 10 stars for the liang fen. Just get it, thank me later.
Reviewed by:
Niko L. on:
10/14/2012 11:08:00 AM
It tastes like... burrrning... and it hurts so good.Despite my limited scope of Sichuan cuisine, Chung King is my favorite restaurant in the SGV. These dudes rep spicy to the fullest, making you sweat, pant & go numb by the end of your meal. It's a burning sensation that I crave like I was with child or an STD... however, you wanna play it... though I consider both problematic... wait, this is a terrible analogy & I swear I have neither of those afflictions.Anyway, getting back to it, I recommend the following for good times in your mouth:- Boiled Fish Slice in Hot Sauce- Sliced Fish with Cumin- Sichuan Cold Noodles in Special SauceOH OH OH! They also take credit card!!! Seriously, that is a rarity in this region. Thank you, Chung King, for being awesome all-around.
Reviewed by:
Kat S. on:
10/3/2012 6:07:00 AM
i drove from Long Beach to try this place's yunnan food. worth it. my dad who doesnt really eat spicy loved it too.try the mapu tofu, hong sau niu rou mien (beef noodles), and the water cooked fishsuper clean, super family style.
Reviewed by:
Duncan W. on:
9/16/2012 5:32:00 PM
The food here is really good here, but something about the really traditional decor in here really throws me off. Maybe its the carpet and wallpaper? For really greasy chinese food, carpet makes me feel icky.I do prefer Yun Chuan garden, but this place is a good alternative
Reviewed by:
P L. on:
8/22/2012 7:41:00 AM
Being Chinese, and having tried many Sichuan restaurants in China and California/Seattle/Vancouver BC, I think I can tell a good place when I find one. When I saw so many glowing reviews of this place, I had to eat here twice just to confirm what I experienced. This place serves very mediocre Sichuan food.This place even screwed up a classic dish like Laziji (cubes of deep fried chicken with chilies). There was hardly any chicken in the batter. In fact all you can taste is deep fried batter. The proper way to make this dish is to lightly batter the chunks of chicken.Another dish we ordered was sliced fish with cumin. Again, there was so much batter that you couldn't taste the fish, and that becomes nauseating very quickly.The restaurant proudly displays a sign proclaiming a high score from Zagat, but that was from several years ago. They certainly don't deserve that rating now.
Reviewed by:
Jonathan K. on:
7/21/2012 7:58:00 AM
If you like spicy chinese food, this is the place to go!!! Get the mapo tofu and cubed chicken. You won't be disappointed.
Reviewed by:
Figaro A. on:
7/16/2012 2:21:00 AM
fried 'chicken cubes' -- where's the chicken?? lol i think they all got lost in a sea of red peppers. i'll take kfc's popcorn chicken over this.fried cumin fish filet was better because I could actually see the fish.the spiciness level was good, even intoxicating (detoxicating?), but the amount of red peppers can be an annoyance for some people.service -- no comment as usual for a chinese joint (get up & fetch your own napkins dammit lol)i can't say this place converted me into a szechuan cuisine aficionado, but it's definitely a one-off experience.
Reviewed by:
Irene L. on:
6/29/2012 3:29:00 PM
If you love spicy food, you have to come here! I love the little appetizers- I always get seaweed, celery, and either pig ears or the spicy meat. I've tried so many things on the menu because I've eaten here so many times! I don't know the specific names of the foods but I love the frog legs here! Also try the spicy fish with bean sprouts, asian bacon (that's what I call it haha), crispy chicken cubes (it comes in a big pot), spicy beef, basically everything here tastes good!I think that the quality used to be better; it's definitely gone down. But I still love this place!
Reviewed by:
Kate B. on:
6/23/2012 1:18:00 PM
If you love spicy food and flavors that you have never tasted before, then this is the place to go. I have travelled throughout the world, and this place is one of my all time favorite restaurants. Honestly, I have never tasted flavors like Chung King offers, and to an over-indulged palate, that is so thrilling!!!!Going to Chung King is like entering a different world from Westside LA. The signs are all in Chinese, and generally we are the only white people (that's how we know it is good!). The people at Chung King don't speak much English. Although it has a "B" health grade, it is spectacular! It is also kind of fun because you walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, so you get to see all the vibrant and interesting spices laid out in silver containers. So cool!There is plenty of parking, as there is a parking lot right behind the restaurant. One thing to keep in mind is that they don't serve alcohol. If you want beer or wine, you must bring it with you and keep it in a bag. There is a little liquor/convenience store a few stalls away, and you can buy beer/wine there (cash only). With all that spicy food a sweet white wine or refreshing beer is quite necessary!This is my favorite place to go with my best friend. It is casual, it is delicious, and it is a world away. Most girls frolic to West Hollywood for a chic sushi night (we do that too, granted), but this place is so laid back and fun.NOW for the best part....THE FOOD!!!I am an curious eater, but I have yet to try any of the "adventurous" dishes, because I am so obsessed with my traditional favs.What we ALWAYS get:-Chung King Noodles a little spicy, but a yummy savory noodle dish-Kung Pao Shrimp filled with peanuts, scallions and chilis. not a super heavy dish either-Spicy Smelled Beef (extremely spicy beef with a soft texture that melts in your mouth, with mushrooms/scallions/chilis/celery)and the best.... QUICK FRIED POTATOES--I know...who gets so excited over potatoes? BUT SERIOUSLY! they are AH-MAZING. Flavors that I have never tried and very spicy! You must trust me and get this!!!I used to be a vegetarian and have tried many of the tofu dishes and they are great as well! Especially the Tofu pot. Eggplant is great.This is a great secret spot off of the beaten LA path. You will enjoy
Reviewed by:
Joanne K. on:
6/12/2012 1:14:00 PM
This is my favorite place to eat Kung Pao Chicken, and Chow mein.They don't accept credit card, it's Cash only. Sometimes there is one lady who can speak a little English, but most of times people in there don't speak English at all. But no worry, you can pick the food from the menu and show them. Then they will know what you want....And you can bring some beverage(any kind of beverage) from outside.
Reviewed by:
Hae A. on:
3/16/2012 10:23:00 AM
This is my favorite Szechuan place in LA. Okay it might be the only one (its a chain so only brand? may be a better word) but who cares. You put enough of the lip numbing spice on something and who can tell the difference between good food and bad food.The thing that makes Chung King so good is that there are different flavors and levels of spicy.House Special #2 The thing I always order here is the cold chicken. I know it sounds horrible. cold chicken. but its delicious. The sauce is like a spicy I've never had. Sesame paste? with spicy seasoning and spicy oil on top of some cold slice chicken. I'm a total fan of this. I've ordered the same dish at a Szechuan place in Irvine and Chung King does it right.The Mabo tofu is also very good. Not too spicy but good. Great with rice.The cubed chicken is good as well, although I wish the chicken pieces were bigger. But I guess they make it small to maximize the surface area that can be covered with hot peppers/chilies per square inch of chicken.House Special #1 There are a crazy amount of chilies in here. The fish is like rubber pieces that are slightly edible but it works in this dish. The Szechuan place I go to in Irvine does this dish better than Chung King but it's still a good 2nd. (2nd in the case is last place since I've only been to two Szechuan places).The string bean is a nice reprieve from the spicy.The dan dan mien is also very good. It's warm and spicy, warming your stomach up two ways.I've had two different noodle dishes here and they were both good.I haven't really had too much of a miss at this restaurant. Everything we order it totally edible. Or is it?***WARNING!!! This is very important, do not go to this restaurant the night before big meetings, presentations, job interviews, test days, etc.
Reviewed by:
Ami T. on:
1/28/2012 1:58:00 AM
I have been to Chung King quite a few times, but I think I never appreciate it enough until I tried another Szechuan place down the street which seriously disappointed. So here it is... I need to show some love!My favorite dish is Shredded pork stir fried with bell peppers (don't remember the exact name, but look under the pork section, you should be able to find it). We always get this dish.Spicy fried chicken cubes that everyone is talking about is also pretty good.Dan dan noodle is kind of a hit or miss. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's just OK...There is also a simple soup of tofu and baby bok choy. I love this soup.I have tried several other dishes and have never been really disappointed. Try the pork dish, you will not be disappointed!! The servers only understand minimal English (hubby asked a question in English and she looked at me and said something in Chinese. Funny because I'm Asian, but I'm not Chinese!). Average service, which you would expect from a Chinese restaurant.Oh, and I think it's cash only. We tried to pay with a card once and were told they don't take cards. So we had to go hit an ATM and come back. They are pretty trusting though. They did not ask us to leave anything behind (such as drivers license).
Reviewed by:
boah b. on:
the waitress is rude, expects you to get your own water, just because you look young even though you're old. the owner is not much different. when you spend... ...?
Reviewed by:
Randall M. on:
This is only for the fried rice fans.... I live in the Chinese Food Mecca, Monterey Park, and i've tried several of the local restaurants for their fried... ...?
Reviewed by:
Hurf D. on:
So, I never got around to writing reviews about a lot of places. Things to do, places to be. Life's hard when you're important and you folks should just... ...?
Reviewed by:
Fred618 on:
2007-12-08
restaurants in the US, but at a humble location. The dishes evoke a combination mind and body experience from the level of Sichuan pepper: all but one item on the very full first menu page has a pepper next to the description, so you get the idea. Have patience with the staff since the ...?
Reviewed by:
CeciliaL on:
2009-04-01
in town, but the decor has as much class as your neighborhood strip mall. Get the Fish with Cumin and feel the tears of joy (and pain) stream down your face. ...?
Reviewed by:
learrens238961 on:
2009-04-03
food. that said, that means the average american will be shocked by the ferocity of the spiciness. you eat jalapenos like potato chips...then by all means try this place. otherwise, you may consider trying milder form of authentic regional chinese ...?
Reviewed by:
BruinGal on:
2009-04-09
best place to numb your tongue with those wonderful szechuan peppercorns. please ignore the "minimalist" decor as the food more than make up for it. ...?
Reviewed by:
Michael Lee on:
2009-07-09
I've been here several times and I'm never disappointed. It does not look like much. If you were in the West Valley you might come into a place like this and expect lo mein and egg rolls. Not here. This is traditional sichuan and one of ...?
AVG:(5.0)
