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Charlie Hong Kong
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants Vegan Asian Fusion, Vegan [Edit]
1141 Soquel AveSanta Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 426-5664
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
300 reviews for Charlie Hong Kong
Review Highlights
"Spicy Dan's Peanut delight."
(in 14 reviews)
"...Peanut Delight and Laughing Phoenix Red Curry = delicious."
(in 8 reviews)
"I get the Gado Gado and add meat (beef or pork."
(in 17 reviews)
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300 reviews in English
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Review from Isaac B.
Milpitas, CA
1/30/2012
I can't believe I grew up in Santa Cruz and hadn't been here till I came back from college. This place has amazing Santa Cruz style Asian food.
Try the Green Curry Anything and you'll enjoy it, it has a hint of mint which makes it to die for.
Don't let the meek exterior fool you this place serves some of the best food in the county. -
Review from Audrey N.
Mt Hermon, CA
1/28/2012
Charlie Hong Kong is a Santa Cruz institution, and has been a huge favorite of ours for years. Their "signature bowls" are a great bargain by any measure...$6.95 gets you a HUGE portion of deliciously sauced and seasoned veggies and rice (white jasmine or brown) or noodles, all but one of which are vegan and vegetarian (the other -- the Green Curry Noodles -- contains fish sauce, so is not suitable for vegetarians). The bowls are complete in and of themselves, but if you like, for an extra price, you can add "toppings" (which includes various meat and fish options, as well as tofu and a Szechuan-inspired mushroom medly for the vegetarians).
The flavors are really wonderful. "Pan-Asian" is probably the best way to describe them...Thai and Vietnamese choices predominate, but there are also options that are more Chinese or Indonesian in style. I'm personally addicted to the "Spicy Dan's Peanut Delight" -- a big bowl of chow-mein style noodles and fresh veggies in a rich, savory, peanut sauce (I don't find it particularly spicy -- certainly not by Southeast Asian standards -- but it is wonderfully flavorful, and a hit of Sriracha, which is available on every table, adds sufficient heat). My husband waffles between the Chaing Mai Noodles (similar to the Spicy Dan, but with a Thai-style yellow curry sauce) and the Gado-Gado. Lighter appetites can go for the Little Dan's Delight (a smaller version of the Spicy Dan) or the Little Ninja Rice Bowl (essentially a vegetable stir fry with rice) for $4.95 (before toppings).
Other options include both vegetarian and meat/seafood-based versions of Vietnamese sandwiches, several salads, and soup (Pho Ga or Thai Coconut-Mushroom).
By the way, they take their commitment to keeping vegetarian options truly vegetarian very seriously...using separate utensils and cutting boards to prepare veg and non-veg items. That's something this vegetarian, at least, really appreciates! (especially as my husband is quite allergic to seafood, and could be made very ill by cross-contamination). They've also recently added some gluten-free items.
The atmosphere is extremely casual. There is limited seating at window counters in the small restaurant, but it's more comfortable to sit out on the covered and heated patio, where you can choose from similar window counter seating or "family-style" picnic tables. Service is counter only, and drinks come from a cooler (they have my favorite Anchor Steam beer, though, so it's all good!). There is some off-street parking, but the lot is tiny. That said, it's usually easy to find free on-street parking, either on the side street next to the restaurant or across Soquel on Seabright.
The restaurant can get extremely busy if there's a good show going on at the nearby Rio Theatre, but you can still usually find a corner of a picnic table if you don't mind being friendly (or, if you prefer, there's always take-out).
Highly recommended. -
Review from JEANNE M.
Redwood City, CA
1/26/2012
Green curry chicken with side of Veggies......or the Hoison pork......
Jasmine tea.......the best.
Why can't more restaurants be modeled after this one? Fresh, fast, affordable, organic, easy to substitute or eliminate ingredients, delicious, casual........if there anymore like this out there, please let me know. -
Review from E. H.
San Leandro, CA
2/6/2012
Food for the price...wasn't unreasonable but food wasn't anything to rave about. It's nice they have gluten free options. Conceptually not bad, Charlie Hong Kong... I don't get it. Nothing about the food is remotely Hong Kong style.
It's all pre-cooked. The service...at least at fast food places I get a thank you. I felt like I was a total bother when I was ordering food to go. I was given 2 boxes and I asked for a bag, they told me they don't have bags but a box, I said that was fine. Then it was wait and produced a brand new brown bag. This was the same woman who touched a dog and not sure if she cleaned her hands but I watched her grab raw food and plate it. with her hands no utensils. I ordered brown rice, by the time I got it to the hospital I realized it was white rice.
It is unlikely I would ever frequent this place, it wasn't very tasty or authentic to me. -
Review from Alex S.
Redwood City, CA
1/27/2012
College food, healthy, cheap, delicious. They do it right here and it in Santa Cruz!
Try the side of stir fried green beans in tamari sauce.......yum. -
Review from NewTo S.
San Jose, CA
2/1/2012
This place is legendary and I try to go every time I'm in SC. Their noodles are to-die-for. I wish they had a better beverage selection, but no matter, their food is awesome.
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Review from Katherine W.
Santa Cruz, CA
2/4/2012
I like the orgainics. How many restaurants serve organic foods? Spicing doesn't always have the punch I am looking for but the food is high quality. It's somewhere between a to go place and a sit down place. Kind of an in and out diner with a half outdoors feel. Not uncommon in Hawaii but more rare here. They have a faux Pho which is pretty good and several other dishes. Service is quick and the food is fresh. Also, not expensive and you get organics!!!
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Review from Vanessa B.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
soo sooo good!
People told me how amazing the food was and it truly was! Sometimes vegan cuisine lacks flavor, but Charlie Hong Kong's menu all seems appealing and it was full of taste. The bowl is somewhat small, but I find that a good thing for portion control- I'm the type of person who eats all on the plate, so it definitely helps out.
OH! I drove past the place and found street side parking because their lot is small! Getting in and out probably takes longer than ordering food. -
Review from Stephen D.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/8/2012
New favorite spot!
I was hesitant about trying what looks like a fast-food hippy shack, but boy was I wrong.
Keeping with my criteria of: make me fresh food, when I order it, make it flavorful, use local ingredients, Charlies wins all around. Every time we go in, we clean our plates and we've been going a lot. I love the salad wrap and the Kung Pow Chicken. Holy shit, and the wok fried green beans with garlic. SO GOOD.
Just try it. Everything cost around $7 so worst case, you've spent the same as you would at McDonalds. But trust me, it's incredible. -
Review from Patrick T.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/9/2012
Top notch late night eats with Santa Cruz atmosphere!
Another late night restaurant in the repertoire for my girlfriend and I. Don't expect a sit down high end atmosphere, but if you are looking to find something besides diner food and taquerias that you will love, this is a place to go to.
Highly recommend the Laughing Phoenix Red Curry or Teriyaki Chicken with Steamed Veggies -
Review from Lauren B.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/22/2012
The Gado Gado with green curry chicken is delightful. I wouldn't bother with the vermicelli noodle salad (It will *not* satisfy your bun craving. Trust.). The salad wrap is pretty OK.
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Review from S D.
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CA
1/28/2012
For a hungry college student, this place is perfect! Affordable meals, cute and comfy environment (great place to go on a sunny day), and more than anything absolutely delicious food. Whether you're veggie, vegan, or even a carnivore, this place is great!
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Review from Nick l.
San Jose, CA
1/18/2012
Great food. Horrible service.
seriously tasty organic food and reasonably priced ... why eat regular GMO / monsanto sprayed food when you can eat here?? -
Review from Brent W.
Berkeley, CA
1/25/2012
Don't panic its organic for a reasonable price. Portions are generous, very efficient service, always lots of people here and sure to run into a friend. Gado Gado with garlic zucchini and avocado with brown rice is my best friend here. Great post it board with what's going on in the area. They could probably cut back on the salt on a few items for folks who like to dress and spice it their own way. They do take request for special preparation. A Santa Cruz staple.. Thanks CHK
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Review from Audrey C.
Santa Cruz, CA
Wow. I did not expect a place like this to have SUCH good food. The organic asian street cuisine doesn't exactly sound appetizing but it totally is. The place looks kind of like a shack but it is a hidden treasure. There were tons of people when me and my boyfriend went but the line wasn't too long and we got our food within 5 minutes of sitting down, There aren't a lot of tables there and you might have to share one with another party but its okay because the tables are quite large. There is also heating for the outside!
I had the gado gado, stir fried veggies with black bean and peanut sauce and rice, the sauce was a perfect combination because it didn't leave you with just one boring flavor, but had 2 put together so eating it was never boring. My boyfriend had the curry chicken rice bowl and we tried the vietnamese chicken noodle soup too. The flavor of the soup was delicious, and on a cold day like this it tasted a bit like heaven.
I for sure want to come back and try everything on the menu.Listed in: Santa Cruz Eats
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Review from Delmar X.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/3/2011
Pros: Open until 11pm, organic ingredients, good selection of vegan items, good portions, heated semi-outdoor seating.
Cons: Can get crowded, seating (either family style or bar style).
When I have a hankering for noodles, I swing by Charlie Hong Kong. They are consistent in quality and taste and I love that they use organic ingredients. Service is nothing special. Eye contact seems optional, but they get the job done. -
Review from Sue B.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/14/2012
Interesting varied menu, efficient staff. I usually take out, always consistent and fresh. I hadn't been for a few years and recently went there and it was just as good as i remembered. Check it out if you haven't already. Try the Pad Thai, my personal favorite.
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Review from Chris G.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
I love this place. The food is organic, and you can taste the quality. Two thumbs way up!
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Review from Honest T.
O‘ahu, HI
11/2/2011
Charlie Hong Kong's earned the official House of Schwag award.
I forget what I ordered, some kind of noodle dish... but it was more mint and sprouts than it was noodles. Small, unfilling portions. I had to go to Agave 2 for a burrito afterward.
You might like it if you have the diet of a horse. -
Review from Devika A.
Fremont, CA
1/9/2012
This place looks really good but I didn't really like it. We got a pho dish and curry dish and it was okay. The food was definitely fresh tasting and the restaurant itself is cool to eat in but there was nothing special about the dishes. They were quite flavorless and not very authentic.
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Review from CSG o.
Soquel, CA
1/28/2012
I really REALLY want to like this place but...
So about every 3 years I convince myself that I love this place and go back. Each time something just goes wrong. My most recent visit I was cramped into the orderings area (not busy just tiny), trying to decipher the menu. With a line behind and a fussy 9 month old needing to be changed I'm feeling rushed. Easy right?... rice dishes on the right, noodle bowls on the left. I'd like some noodles with vegetables, mushrooms and beef. (Each ordered separately, 7 additional $$ to add mushrooms and beef (5 whole bites, seasoned well but tough as boot leather), to the 7 dollar noodles. Who cares? I'm starved when I get the surprisingly small to go box it is a rice dish. Ahh darn. I went back reviewed the board. Sure enough the list on the left is the signature bowls but not all noodles. There is no place that list just the noodle bowls, just he rice plates. I guess you are just supposed to read each one carefully, even if you are in a hurry, feeling pressured and trying to soothe a fussing little one in need of a change. No big deal maybe they will slide me some noodles and I'll mix them in. Heck no, he says, you already ordered. Oh of course, how about just swapping me out for some brown rice, Heck no, it has already been made. I slink out with my little box ,(about half of what you get if you eat in), into the little enclosed outdoor picnic tables and go to change my daughter. Sigh... Of course, no changing station. Well my dear for the 15 cents it would have cost you,to slide me some brown rice, I hope it is worth it. 3 years from now when I am so certain that I love this place I will not wonder why I can't ever convince a soul to go with me. I can't remember what it was last time I think a small rock in my rice, gritty mushrooms or something along those lines but I just remember the attitude was the same. For a glorified Asian taco truck. 12-15$$ worth of not what I want, to change my daughter on the cold outdoor picnic benches. NO THANKS NOT EVERY AGAIN. I don't really love this place, I just really wanted to. -
Review from Adam C.
Los Angeles, CA
Majority of seating is pseudo-indoors. Free water spigot is easily accessible /w cups on the nearby counter. Nice lighting at night.
I ordered:
Side order of Hoisin Pork
-seasoned well.
-a lot of flavor.
Large Pumpkin Coconut Soup
-large bowl
-very creamy.
-not thick.
-could be improved /w chunks of Asian pumpkin or coconut pulp. -
Review from Butch Q.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/8/2011
I remember a couple of years ago when the noodle dishes actually had noodles in them and you could feed two people with a large bowl. The Spicy Dan used to come with a *bed* of noodles and now you get just barely enough for a mouthful. Seriously, I twirled less than a mouthful of noodles on my fork. Noodles can not be that pricey.
I would say, for $10, the Spicy Dan (with pork) isn't much of a deal for me anymore. -
Review from Ari R.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/5/2011
I really dont get what people rave about this place for.
Ive gone a few times, the food is bland. I can make a better, cheaper move flavorful rice bow. Really who wants to pay for dry jasmin rice, weirdly cooked veggies ( wilty with no flavor) and some random ass peanuts on top that arent even seasoned. Its like they opened up a can of mr.peanuts unsalted and tossed them on.
A rice bowl is expensive, extras are expensive and the wait on a slow day is still long!
Maybe im ordering the wrong thing... but if you cant make a basic rice bowl taste good... it makes me wonder whats in the other dishes...
Ill think about trying it again.... but not guaranteed to happen. -
Review from Karmin A.
San Jose, CA
12/19/2011
My bff & i went here for lunch. We ordered way too much food, but were very pleasantly surprised. I would say their best dish is the Kung Pao Chicken!!!! Mmmmm very yummy. Enjoy!!
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Review from Laura B.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/18/2011
I love this place! I have been consistently been eating at Charlies for ten years now and have not been let down:) I call it my other Kitchen. They serve VERY healthy and organic ingredients as well as it being reasonably priced. My favorite thing right now is Spicy Dans with a topping of beef or pork. It's less than $10 and you can split it. If you like fresh healthy food, you should try Charlie Hong Kong.
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Review from Ben C.
San Jose, CA
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Chicken teriyaki rice bowl was solid. Needed some extra sauce but very fresh and good.
yo yo -
Review from frogjourney.com T.
Updated - 8/19/2011
WOW! got an email from the owner shortly after writing this review. He offered to "make it up to us" and I haven't heard from him since responding to his email...roughly a month ago.
almost a year later and offer to make it up to us was all lip service. Will never visit this place again!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/28/2011
I've never actually given a bad Yelp review....until today. I had been anxious to try Charlie Hong… Read more »
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Review from Jacquie B.
Berkeley, CA
8/31/2011
I have really come around on this place. (Perhaps because I was living in Santa Barbara for 7 years and there was VERY LITTLE Asian food).
But I have to say, the portions are substantial. The food is healthy and delicious, the service is friendly and quick!
I had the Hoisin Pork Rice Bowl with Spicy Schezwan Mushrooms. Super delicious and really spicy! Perfect for a super foggy Santa Cruz day. -
Review from Whitney B.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/19/2012
This place is so amazing! Everything is really fresh and its a great place to go if you are a vegetarian or vegan. I highly recommend it :)
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Review from George C.
Santa Rosa, CA
8/25/2011
This is a really fun dining experience. The restaurant is a small building with a large covered porch area. You can sit out there and read the Good Times while you wait to get a big bowl of veggies and whatever else you want to add.
The food is really good and reasonably priced. That only really holds if you stick to the menu items without add-ons. As soon as you add one of their "toppings" (code for meat, basically) the price jumps to pretty standard levels for take-out food.
This is not to say that the food isn't good. It is. Most dishes here are a mix of various Asian styles. They're not authentic but they taste fresh and healthy.
This is a great place to eat if you're into that sort of thing but I wouldn't bring anyone here who is too much of a carnivore. This is not a place where that sort can just "order a burger" or whatever... it's all rabbit food... don't make any mistake about that. -
Review from Benjamin W.
Santa Cruz, CA
Probably one of the best Southeast Asian restaurants I have ever eaten at. If you are in Santa Cruz and are longing for good Asian food, wait no further! Come hither your way here.
You can dine in the restaurant itself, but it is way too small, or you can eat outside in this nice neat set up that they have. The atmosphere is great. They have heaters, nice looking plants in which I have no idea what they are, nice music (although not asian music), good feng shui, everything.
I ordered two plates... because I am a beast. One does not fill me up. I had the Charlie Chow Mein and the Hoisin Pork rice bowl. Both were gooooood, Hoisin Pork being more satisfying for me because the Chow Mein was vegan.
That's another thing, if you like Vegan or Organic foods, this place has those 2 words written everywhere. They even have a quote on their window saying something like "We love Organic, because we love your body" or something like that, which I thought was pretty exoticly weird.
The wait was a bit long but it was worth it for the quality of the food. There is also self served water cups and take out boxes. There is also a parking lot so that is a bonus.
Will definitely drive my lazy ass here again for this food. -
Review from Jan S.
Santa Cruz, CA
1/18/2012
We love CHK. They know our regular order. I really love the new parking lot especially because we require Handicapped parking and the new ramp to the door. More reason to go more often. Keep up the good vibes.
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Review from Glenn O.
7/25/2011
Tried this place the other day after mountain biking at UC/Wilder Ranch. A friend took me here because he is on a strict diet due to a medical condition. He ordered the chicken pho which looked good.
I asked the lady at the counter which rice bowl she liked and the pork one was her first answer. I mentioned that I stay away from pork and asked what here 2nd fav was. She mentioned that it was the green curry chicken. I like curry so that is what I ordered.
It did not take long before our number was called which is good, especially after you have burned 1000 calories biking for 4hrs..... The bowl has a white rice base, green curry, chicken, green onions, shredded carrots, sprouts. (organic)
It was good, not great as I am used to some pretty good Thai food in the bay area. (I actually cook it myself sometimes). There were some chicken gristle pieces that I could not eat... you would think that they would serve 100% edible chicken pieces... I thought the bowl could use a bit more spice and salt. There are condiments on the table that you can use to spice up any of the dishes.
For just under $6, I could have used a bit more. Maybe I was just hungry after all of the biking........ I probably could have eaten 2!!!
May try something else next time. -
Review from Glo R.
Capitola, CA
10/27/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Love this place! I if could eat here every other day, I would!!! (That is, of course, I still need a *little* variety!) Love their salad wrap with lots of hoisin sauce. Also love ALL their rice and noodle bowls. (If it comes with wheat noodles, I ask for rice, and never a prob.) They come packed with tons of organic veggies, which I love. The peanut sauce is yummy. This time of the year, they also have pumpkin coconut soup. Oh...and their vermicelli noodle salad is great too! I could go on and on... :-)
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Review from Danielle M.
Santa Cruz, CA
11/10/2011
If you haven't tried the sandwiches yet, get your ass to CHK and try the hoisin pork sandwich, it is hands down my favorite thing on the menu! with a little extra hoisin sauce and some siracha (both on tables) it is killer! I saw some mixed reviews below about bland-ness etc... this sandwich is far from bland, its a party in your mouth! Also high on my list of things to order is the Gado Gado and again I always add their hoisin pork to my dishes because I just cant get enough. Thanks Charlie!
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Review from Eli L.
Watsonville, CA
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can understand why its a local favorite!!
Me and the girlfriend had rice bowls and ate everything in the bowl!!
Came in here when it first opened and didnt enjoy it plus got sick off the food
7 to 8 years later my mind has been changed -
Review from Georgie B.
Aptos, CA
6/22/2011
So, I believe this place won "Best Cheap Eats" in Santa Cruz, plus I've heard from many people that the food is great, so, as I am always on the lookout for good places for cheap delicious food, I decided to give it a try.
First of all, I don't consider almost 10 dollars for a little box of chow mein and garlic tofu cheap...but maybe I'm just stingy, who knows.
My food was ready very quickly, which was nice, but looked like it had just been carelessly thrown in the box, which I didn't like. Working in the restaurant business definitely makes you appreciate people who take the time to make their food look as good as it tastes.
Which brings me to the most important part of this review; the food did not taste good at all. The tofu was waaayyy over- cooked, more like tofu mush. The chow mein noodles were covered in black soot, like they were cooked in a cast iron pot that hasn't been cleaned in 10 years. That's pretty much what the entire dish tasted like as well, as all the flavors blended together to make a sooty, slimy, strangely tasteless blob of mysterious substance.
Overall,
Concept: Great!
Execution: Sucks. -
Review from Tim C.
Aptos, CA
11/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Charlie Hong Kong is a delicious treat, the meals are always fresh and full of flavor. My personal favorites are the Spicy Dan's Peanut Delight - I like to add the Hoison Pork - so good! I have recently been digging the Chaing Mai Noodles with the Terriyaki Salmon also reliable delicious. CHK is a great local stop and one I would recommend trying!
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Review from Tatiana C.
Santa Cruz, CA
6/13/2011
I ordered a rice bowl which was supposed to have yams as one of the main ingredients, there was only one sad piece of sweet potato :(
My husband ordered the nasi goreng, it was nothing like it! At least the sauce in it wasn't like my watery curry.
Healthy food for sure, but there are quite many better choices of the type in Santa Cruz.
