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This is the place to go for Sichuan cuisine in the Los Angeles area, if not all of Southern California. Despite its kitschy name sharing the title of a Wong Kar Wai film, Chungking Express, Chung King the restaurant delivers the best and authentic Sichaun in the area.
If there is one word to describe the majority of the dishes at Chung King it would be hot. In Chinese cuisines there are two types of hotness, dry hot more common of Hunan cuisine and numbing hot, which is main characteristic of Sichaun food. Whereas dry hot is straight up in your face chili peppers up in your grill heat, numbing hotness makes use of the flower (or Sichaun) pepper which contains hydroxy-alpha-sanshool the component which creates a slight numbing, tingly sensation. While Chung King makes liberal use of chili peppers, many of its dishes feature a heavy dose of flower peppers and flower pepper oil, which helps extend the heat of the dish.
One of their specials on the menu, Sliced fish with jellied bean curd in hot sauce, features the the signature numbing heat in Sichuan cuisine. Prepared with fresh fish fillet pieces and silken tofu marinated in a hot bath of chili peppers, flower peppers, flower pepper oil, garlic and other spices. This dish is indicative of what taste characteristics Sichaun cuisine is known for.
Another great dish on the menu is Cold chicken with spicy sauce, which is exactly what the title says. Though the sauce in this particular dish is different from other dishes served. It is a bit thicker and includes other grounded up spices. Rather than being bathed in hot sauce, this particular dish one could say the sauce was ladled on top of the chicken.
The Chung King hot pot is a mix-mash of various meats and vegetables thrown together in a huge hot pot of spicy sauce, including fish, pork and beef slices, konnyaku, bamboo shoots and other goodies.
Of course there are cold appetizers one could get including seaweed, marinated pork slices in hot sauce, pig's ear, marinated cucumbers and others.
Chung King is a great restaurant though its one downfall is its small venue. When its busy its a much smarter idea to phone the restaurant and place an order to pick-up. This allows you enjoy the savory spices of Chung King without the long waits. Then again, given the pungent smells from the food, your house or apartment might end up smelling like a Sichaun restaurant which could be a bad or good thing depending on how you view it!
This was one of the premier Sichuan restaurants here in the SGV. We've gone here off and on over the past 2 years but have noticed that their dishes aren't nearly as spicy recently and within the past 2 months, they have jacked up their prices.
The last time we got their water-boiled fish soup it was laden with corn starch. Disappointment since the previous time we went there it was perfect. Some of their dishes have become less spicy over time too -- even though we ask for extra spicy food.
The bean curd sheet with leek dish, though, was a special surprise. We wanted something other than the fried chicken (always good) and the kung pao chicken (also a favorite). Have to say that we practically inhaled this dish!
Service is variable. We often have to go up to the counter to pay our bill and oftentimes we'll ask for something (sometimes even with friends who speak Chinese) and they don't understand us and/or don't bring us what we ask for.
Just wish that their food was more consistent.
Very spicy! It's more of a numbing kind of spicy than flavorful kind of spicy.
Like all the Chinese restaurants around this area, the food is good and cheap.
I thought I had already reviewed this excellent restaurant, and was surprised today when I checked and found out I had not reviewed it here. I guess I must have reviewed it on some other, now defunct review site. So I guess it is time to write another review...
Right now this is our go-to Sichuan restaurant. We live on the West Side but drive to San Gabriel every month or to just to have dinner here. They have a really nice selection of Sichuan appetizers and dishes. They have a pretty wide range and we generally try something different every time we go, but our standbys are the spicy noodles (dandan mian), the water-boiled fish soup, the guo-ba rice (rice cooked over the stove instead of being steamed), and the cold appetizers like fuqi feipian. For vegetable dishes, we always like the siji dou (four season beans) and a melon dish that I am forgetting right now. On our most recent visit, which was last week, we had a spicy lamb dish that was very nice.
At least in our experience, this place is usually crowded at dinnertime on the weekends, so plan accordingly. Service is generally fast and efficient. The prices are extremely reasonable.
Recently they seem to have replaced their menus with fancy ones that include pictures of the dishes. This should be a big help for people who can't read Chinese, or can't imagine what the dish might be from reading the English translation.
There may be other Sichuan places in the area we haven't tried yet, but right now this is our favorite. It is good enough to be worth a drive over from the West Side.
Solid Szechuan, considering the options. My go to place for the hankering. Love the deli choices and great freaky excited about the pork intestine dishes here. Odd, I know.
Pretty authentic, despite the no brainer English name that sounds like "just another American Chinese buffet place." The Chinese name is probably much more poetic and original, but I can't read it.
Lots of unique, special menu items, the spicy frog, was delicious but a little tedious to eat. Try the crispy rice, it's like a rice crispy treat, but not sweet in a light sauce- a great crunch and somewhat a lifesaver while your mouth burns from other spicy fare like the fragrant and delicious white fish-wow, or crispy chicken cube, also wonderful.
This place gets packed, so get there when they open in the afternoon to avoid the crowd.
They've got beer as well, which is a big plus in my book.
Cash only? I think that's pretty standard for the area- I'm not sure, but you should come prepared to pay with bills.
holy moses, the spiciest food on the planet....just the way i like it. Very authentic mainland sidewalk street ghetto food. Reminds me of the type of food homeless children eat out of the garbage dump in the country side of Guangzhou, China. Damn its delicious.
I'll admit it: I'm a wuss. One gigantic Szechuan wuss.
Do not underestimate the little chili pepper next to the name of the dish - when they say hot and spicy, they mean it!
My friends and I made the mistake of ordering only spicy foods when we dropped by that fateful night. We ordered an order of mapo tofu, an order of chicken cubes with hot peppers and a Chung King hot pot.
Oh. My. God.
Ten minutes into this meal, I bailed - I threw in my chopsticks into the middle of the table, scooped myself a heaping of white rice, and attempted to pick out anything edible off those three plates that was not covered in spices and pepper. Go ahead, taunt me if you must, but I was DONE.
Don't get me wrong, the food was great. The mapo tofu was probably the best I've ever had - full of flavor with just enough of a kick to it to keep things interesting. The chicken was great and you could really taste the black pepper in each bite. And the fish in the hot pot was perfectly cooked - melt in your mouth perfect.
But when you paired all three dishes together, all primarily pepper based, with only white rice and Taiwan beer as "side dishes", the meal was ridiculously painful. Especially when the waitress brought in the hot pot, which had a layer of fiery red oil coating the surface, I knew - my heart will hurt after this meal.
So, heed my words (unless you too want to be labeled a wuss): Order at least one dish that is non-spicy. Your body will thank you for it.
**SEE PICTURES POSTED**
Hm... i want to like this so bad. Have been craving szechuan food in a long time...especially when reruns of Zimmens and Bourdain in China kept showing delicious szechuan foods on TV.
The most popular item is the crispy cube chicken ... some people in my table thought it was spicy. I dont think it was that spicy, but we all agreed that there was an odd tingling sensation on your tounge after eating the chicken. Not very pleasant i might add. The eggplant dish was a bit sour!! I love spicy egg plant... or egg plant in general, but this was more sour than spicy. Overall, service was good, price was modest, and food was decent, just not as good as I imagined. I am willing to give it a second try or try other restaurants... Hunan Chili King is supposed to be good too.
I went to an amazing sichuan restaurant while on vacation in China and was just blown away by the pure heat and spice of the little MJ bud-like looking Sichuan peppers....and i'm korean, so that is saying a lot!!! Upon my return to LA, i was determined to find an authentic sichuan restaurant that would come close to my divine experience. My search brought me to Chung King.
I've been coming to this place about 1x a week for the last year or so....I'm addicted, what can i say??? Granted, this place has the most inconsistent food quality ever, but it doesn't matter. i'd walk over glass to get my MA-PO on.
By inconsistent -i mean, sometimes when we ask for "mild" (when we don't want to look like we've had lunch in a sauna), it is even HOTTER than regular or it can be brown and bland....However, every once in a while, maybe 1 in 10 visits, it is mouthwateringly SUBLIME. The perfect spice (still crazy hot and swimming in chilli oil), perfect flavor and perfect taste...amazing. Also, sometimes the food is fresh and phenomenol and sometimes it looks like you are literally eating last night's leftovers.
Now, i know some of you will criticize my ass for even asking for it "mild, or less spicy". Whatevs. Can't hurt to ask, and if they pee in my ma po....bring it. We have since become regulars and they know our order by sight. Even then, the food quality is still inconsistent, but it ain't no thang to us.
We always start with the cold apps (cold cucumbers & seaweed) and then get the Ma Po Tofu, sauteed green beans, Kung Pao Chicken, and a wild card dish. We've tried different varieties of the boiled beef/fish pots, shredded pork dishes, noodles, etc. But we're still in search of another staple dish to add to our trifecta.
I LOVE THIS PLACE, inconsistencies, occasional bad service and all. While it definitely isn't for the faint of heart or gut, nothing will ever get in between me and my sichuan.
I love home-style Asian food.
Be sure to wear short sleeves and bring a towel if you can't handle spicy. The restaurant is pretty small, so there's not much air circulation. Be prepared to feel a little flushed while eating here.
Seating isn't so great for large groups, but definitely a place bring a few people so that you could sample a little of everything.
Spicy fried chicken- Spicy indeed. Watch out for all the pieces of dried red pepper in here.
Spicy fish stew- probably my favorite dish here. Had everything in it. Fish, bamboo, mustard, and a bunch of other random veggies.
Fried rice- You get a choice of meat. I prefer the chicken.
Chow mein- nothing special
Chicken and 3 delicacies soup- Very herby. I really liked it, but it was too "authentic Chinese" for my cousins.
Rice noodle soups- pass on these, nothing special as well.
I'm not a big white rice eater, but you need it to accompany all the entree dishes.
SooOo many other dishes offered here, so there's something for everyone.
I also have been told that this is the less spicier of the 2 Chung King locations.
I am definitely looking forward to trying the spicer location. XD
I love this place. Fish boiled in spicy oil, beef boiled in spicy oil, lamb with leek, fried chicken cubes with peppers, lots of rice, tea... I'm telling you, it's an experience. Left feeling... high. The Sichuan peppercorns and all of the chile de arbol in the food. SO FREAKING GOOD.
Does eating a ton of spicy things give you euphoria? Yay!!
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡CASH ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can I say, I don't like spicy food at all. All restaurants I go to when there's a choice of how spicy I go for mild. Not medium spiciness, but mild. Korean tofu, curries, you name it I order it mild. How I eventually decided to come here is beyond me, but all I know is it's probably one of the best decisions I've made this week.
I was starving and the game plan was to douse the spiciness with water and rice if I had to, on top of doing some mental preparation. Along with some other hardcore spicy eating Yelpers I bravely joined in on the feast.
We started off with the three cold dishes: beef, pig ear, and seaweed. It was a little spicy, but nothing too unbearable. All items were so tasty that the spiciness didn't even phase me. So far so good.
Next our beef and intestine dish (choice of two items boiled in spicy sauce) came out and that's when I got a little scared. It looked very spicy, but it also had minced garlic on the top (YUM). I tried a little bit and the beef and intestines were so tasty. Unlike other places like this the spiciness doesn't mask the other flavors. Excellent, and my favorite dish of the night.
Probably what ultimately led me to decide to come here was the comforts in knowing that dishes that weren't spicy would also be ordered. Thank God I thought as I read all the nightmare reviews of everyone saying this place is so spicy. For our "chaser" dish we ordered a rice crispy like dish covered in fish, mushrooms, veggies, shrimp, and a thick starchy brown sauce. So good and complements the spicy dishes very well.
Our final dish finally came which was the whole fish (#61) recommended by our waitress. Although this dish looks intimidating with all red chile peppers covering it, it isn't bad at all. It almost looked like how a traditional fish is prepared and instead of being garnished with onions and ginger it was garnished with red chile peppers and garlic. This dish was pretty good as well.
All dishes were the right temp. (heat) and were all very tasty. This place does a great job making sure their dishes are very tasty and has other flavors (garlic/onions) to complement the spiciness that you will soon forget.
For some reason I've been unfairly reluctant to give this restaurant five stars. It's one of my go-to restaurants in the SGV. The food is great--real Sichuan, better than most of the Sichuan food in China outside Sichuan Province. Yes, it's spicy and oily and totally unpalatable to most Americans, just the way Sichuan food should be. Or is it Szechuan?
Try the Tai An Fish!
Chung King is solid. If you're looking for that serious "ma" numbing sensation, this is it. If… Read more »
This is me telling my friends in San Gabriel about this place.
Me: No, I didn't say it was my *favorite* Chinese, just that I had it a couple years ago and it was really good.
Friend: What did you have a couple years ago, then?
Me: Something with lots of tiny eels.
Friend: Uh...
Other friend: But it was good?
Me: Yeah! But, uh, I'm white, remember...
Two years and lots of crazy-ass food later, I went back and got some intestines and some shredded pork. Is it spicy? Indeed. Is it tasty? Heck yeah. Is it greasy? Without a doubt. Mmm spicy tasty Sichuan grease.
However, I can see now how more expert Chinese food eaters might not find it earthshattering. It did lack the interplay of different flavors of, say, a high-quality Thai meal. But, c'mon. Anywhere outside of LA this would be the craziest food for 50 miles.
Entrees around $10, but can each can make 2 meals if you're into modest portions, or if you're cheap. Cheapskates can also make rice at home and get it to-go.
It's Sunday afternoon and I need to sweat out the weekend's toxins; nothing works better than Sichuan. Not the gym, not even the sauna.
The cold dishes are a nice way to pique your taste buds before you abuse them with chili peppers. The seaweed and bean sprouts are full of bright, clean flavors.
Two of the standout dishes we tried: duck stewed in beer, and the pickled chili with pork. Actually, the pickled chili dish may work better with some of the other proteins, but I'm doing my part to help the ailing pork industry in the wake of H1N1.
Personally, I don't think that the Sichuan peppercorn is used as liberally as others have reported. In the duck dish it adds a nice floral note to the layered, deeply rich broth. But it's not overpowering or distracting.
Sichuan cuisine may not be as delicate or nuanced as those of other provinces, but that's part of its appeal. In some situations, a heavier hammer works better than a sharper nail.
This was place was just alright in my overall opinion. There were some stuff that made me go Mmmm and some stuff that made me think twice about coming back.
I really liked the Smoked Chicken and Spicy Intestines. They went great together because they balanced each other out. I would eat the intestines and it was flavorful but not that spicy... then BAM! It hit you like a sniper... whooooooweeee that is some hot tamale! that's when I washed it down with smoked chicken! haha at this point water just tastes sour b/c the spiciness is THAT intense lol
I didn't really like the small plate choices from the counter except for the smoke chicken. We ordered another chicken plate and they gave a pretty decent amount of chicken. The spicy beef was too dry that it tasted like month old jerky. I thought the spices weren't too bad but the quality of product was just not there.
We also ordered the wontons in hot chili oil. That is usually one of my favorite dishes at Yun Chuan but here it was the complete opposite. First off, they totally forgot this order or something.. they tried to lie to us by saying it takes a while.. this was the last last last dish to arrive. The wontons were only so-so. I don't know, but I am not too fond of that type of chili oil... it leaves a weird gross aftertaste.... there wasn't much flavor except oil.... no thanks
I think their dishes look more promising ... but I have yet to try all of them... maybe next time ^_^
We haven't been to Chung King Restaurant for awhile and BF was craving for some spicy Chinese food one Saturday. So we came here for lunch. But.... it was a disappointment.
As usual, we went to the counter to order a plate of 3 cold items combo. Our favorite item was the cucumber. It used to be so crispy and fresh. But that day, the cucumber was soggy. It tasted.... gross. We used to like the smoked chicken as well. But it was also pretty bad on that day. It was too dry and had an overwhelming smoked flavor. We didn't like it a bit. Then the spicy beef looked good behind the counter. But once we tasted it, it smelt and tasted like DOG! Not that I ever had dog before, but we all know how a dog smells like. Not to mention the beef was so dry and chewy, almost like beef jerky. I don't know. Maybe that's how the dish supposed to be. But we really didn't like it.
BF's favorite dish, boiled beef and fish in hot sauce. This dish was still pretty good. But after trying the same dish in all those different restaurants, we thought Chung King's version wasn't as good as other places. It just tasted different than before. Maybe they changed chef?
We used to like Chung King a lot. But no more after this visit. It's just not the same as before....
SPICY! That's all I have to say about this place. When I'm in the mood for spicy Chinese food,… Read more »
Gaaaah! I love this place! So spicy, so wonderful. Makes my lips swollen like Angelina. EVERYTHING is soooo good here. I can't really make up my mind as to what to suggest. I do suggest asking the waitresses here what they'd recommend (again, me with the asking "whats good?")
Drink beer with your dinner, it will help the pain for burning everything.
This place is best to go during the late afternoon / early evening to beat the crowds. It gets super packed on the weekends, so beware if you wanna go around, oh, say, 8pm. They close around ten. Make it a point to go.
"ohhhhh weee!" This shit is SPICY! True Szechwan style Chinese cusine representing to the fullest!
Great way to tear open that scarred up ulcer in your stomach, or create a new one. BUT, it's worth it!
It's not overbearingly spicy, where it takes the enjoyment out of your experience eating, but just enough to make you shout out, ' I say, Goddamn!'
The chicken is kickin! Try out the Chung King chicken. Similar to kung pao chicken - fried chicken nuggets with chestnuts and peanuts, simmered in a delicious sauce. msg? hell yea!
note: Spicy In goes Spicy Out!
A couple of reviews have mentioned in tones of bewilderment or complaint that the food at Chung King has a medicinal aftertaste and/or leaves a "numb tongue" feeling. I think those reactions are both accurate and hilarious. I'm writing to cast those bits of information in a more positive light. Those sensations are not a problem at all, but are exactly what makes Chung King a more authentic Sichuanese dining experience.
Sichuan cuisine is famous for its heavy use of a condiment known in mandarin as "hua jiao". This ingredient is often written as "sichuan peppercorn" in English, but it is actually the dried berry of a tree rather than a pepper, and it is magic. It tastes a little like soap or medicine, and isn't itself spicy in a painful, peppery sort of way, but it does cause a tingling and numbing sensation on the lips and tongue. Hua jiao is combined with chili pepper to create a taste sensation called 'ma la' ("numbing spicy") which is an important characteristic of many signature sichuanese foods.
Until 2005, the FDA banned importation of hua jiao. I only know of a few restaurants on the West Coast that use it, and Chung King is my favorite in the greater Los Angeles area. My other favorite is "Little Szechuan" in San Mateo.
So if your experience of Chinese food has all been from restaurants in the U.S., and you can handle the more-painful heat of the red and white peppers that also saturate Sichuanese food, you'll find the particular taste and sensation of the sichuan peppercorn to be very novel. Do yourself a favor and take the trip to Chung King to finally taste Ma Po Dofu and Kung Pao Chicken they way they're supposed to taste.
At Chung King, I'd also highly recommend the Dan Dan Mian (on the menu as 'Cold Szechwan Noodles'), the cold cucumbers with garlic dish (unsure of the name) ordered from the counter (just walk over there and point, there are many cold dishes up there worth tasting), "Sauteed String Bean", and "ants climbing the tree" (I'm not sure if it's on the menu, but they make it well. --it's "ma3yi3shang4shu4" in pinyin)
It's not easy to find authentic Sichuanese food in the U.S. Chung King is a treat.
I bow down to the Szechuan kings & queens in the Chung King kitchen. Holy f***** cow, this was the hottest meal of my life!!!!!!! The fish was outstanding. When it was presented to us, I admit I was SCARED. How could I not be? IT WAS COVERED IN RED PEPPERS!!! The lamb was just as good covered in red. The napa cabbage was hot AND sour, but surprisingly good. Throughout the meal, I kept blowing my nose and drinking my water and tea. Anyone that has something negative to say about this place, I dare you to come up with something better. I kept wondering to myself, "How can some Chinese people eat this?" There is NO WAY I could EVER take my Cantonese relatives here. YET THIS IS "NORMAL" FOR A SPECIFIC REGION OF CHINA!?!??? Awesome.
I paid DEARLY for this the next day when I had the leftovers for lunch. Over night, the flaming hot peppers permeated the meat, fish and cabbage and my stomach was ON FIRE. I sat there wincing in pain, screaming at the kitchen gods, frightened that I could never enjoy another spicy meal again. After downing glasses of hot water and a good's night rest, alas, I was ready for the next meal. I'm ready to pay homage to the Szechuan kings and queens yet again.
Not a lot can be writ that hasn't already been. It's heavy on the fried and heavier on the heat, and your mouth will soon become numb (quite literally) with one dish indistinguishable from the next. Eventually a strange and not entirely unpleasant altered state will set in, and you'll wonder if it's just you on this long, strange trip, or if your dining companions are experiencing it too. Those in touch with their metaphysical side will get it; the concrete thinkers won't be able to express what happened and may look at you funny. But either way, you will leave changed.
It is no accident that the fried chicken cubes are number one on the menu.
Very close to the real thing. I've been to China many times and have had Sichuan food every time I have gone. I can tell you that this place is good. It is a little bit less spicy that in China, but by less spicy I mean you can actually get full here as opposed to stop eating before you are full because you are burning to death. Feel me?
I got the usual Ma-Po tofu, boiled beef and fried chicken cubes. Pretty much the standard selection. I asked for "very spicy" and was sweating beads! This place is an experience.
May I add the wait staff is very nice and attentive. You will feel very welcome here.
Best szechuan in Los Angeles. Get the water boiled fish and beef and all the cold appetizers you want. Head straight to the back and pick your appetizers first, they'll bring it to the table. Enjoy!
"There's this place that has Szechwan Chinese food," says my wife. "Szechwan? What's that?" says my friend. "It's Chinese food that's spicy," she replies. I say, "Sounds interesting, let's do it!"
Actually... the response should have been, "Szechawn at Chung King is as good as seeing your parents semi naked." So if you like seeing your parents semi naked, this place is for you. We were really excited to try this place out because of a recommendation from a friend... too bad her friend's advice is a good as taking tips from a homeless person.
Why it got 3 stars (well maybe it's more like a 2.7/2.8 stars)?
We ordered a fish dish with hot chili oil covered in more lard. When I bit into it... honestly, i enjoyed it and this place was going for a 4/5 star-er... but then about 5 minutes later... the after taste reminded me of of that Cholraseptic sore throat medicine (very bitter with a kick of shit towards the end)... it also leaves that unpleasant numb tongue feeling as well which lasted until I went down the road to an ice cream store. That feeling was as good as getting your testicles kicked. booo berries.
What saved this place was the shredded potatoes drenched in vinegar and hot peppers... although very interesting and gross sounding on paper... it tasted pretty good. I recommend it.
HOLLA HOLLA for that DOLLA DOLLA!
OH JESUS. HOLY MOTHER OF SZECHUAN SPICY GOD.
They were taking it easy on us last time. They must have given us the white-girl spice. This time we got the real deal.
We had the mapo tofu again and sliced pork in hot sauce. Completely delicious, and since you will have leftovers, you can use them later to strip paint.
Super special dive (not really: clean, cheerful, and bright, just nothing fancy) in San Gabriel with… Read more »
Jonathan Gold - you've done me wrong. I read your review and you sparked something in me. A strong, insatiable craving for the sichuan peppercorn. It's been a year since I've been in Chengdu - and absence only makes the heart grow fonder. On a hot hazy day - reminiscent of Chengdu weather - I walked into Chungking in high anticipation.
J.G. - you let me down big time baby. Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes - the waitress made some recommendations which we followed. Every dish was exactly the same. The only flavor was the peppercorn with none of the complexity. It's a one trick pony J.G.! And by the way? This is not a "foodie" destination unique to LA. You can find better in Philly.
If there is a movie named after the food served here, it would be "Some Like It Hot".
Alas, it wasn't sexy hot like Marilyn Monroe, but an awkward hot just like how Jack Lemmon felt wearing the lady get-ups in the movie.
On a faithful afternoon, I went in very blindly on what to expect from the food served here. Didn't do much on the research or read up on the dishes that was served here. So I let my dining companions who do have good ideas on what to order at this location. We were very excited to try out this location because it was highly recommended by LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold.
The location of this restaurant is a stand alone restaurant on San Gabriel Blvd away from the busy streets of Valley Blvd and Las Tunas where galore of Chinese restaurants are bumper to bumper next to each other. It is a quiet small little yellow house in a street that is surrounded by local small businesses that is pretty much resembled what The Andy Griffith show was showing on its re-runs.
It is a small place with two big tables and a half dozen small booth seats. I was getting the feeling the decor matches with a Catina or a Mexican restaurant as I'm pretty sure the restaurant took over the former resident of this establishment. There is an AC blasting to cool down a hot afternoon, but a fan was blowing right into one spot of the table. Our waitress told me ahead of time in not to sit at that one booth because so many customers were complaining their hair was going to be cold dry, so I took it as a sign to move into another table before my dining companions shows up.
Once my companions arrived, we proceed to order:
*Spicy Hot Won Tons http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Spicy Hot Lamb http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Spicy Cold Chicken http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Dry Beef in Pot http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Before we ordered the dry beef, we tried to ask a question about a beef/fish in small pot as we wanted to know if the dish comes in a soup bowl. Our waitress was a little dismissive of the question and quickly suggested the dry beef in pot as she insisted that was the most popular dish. In a way I was taken aback by the exchange, but I was a little bit more appreciated when the dish came out because it might signaled to me that the fish was not good that day (or they found it easier to cook it along with the lamb. As the pictures indicated, they looked almost identical).
My overall thought about the food runs in the line of it's spicy hot for people who appreciated, but not necessary for people who want just to try something new. The dishes are Sichuan (or popular spelled Szechwan) specialties that relies so much on Sichuan peppercorn which has this super numbing effect of making it spicy hot for all the diners.
The beef and lamb we have ordered with the spices are stirred dry until it was ready to be chew. The cold chicken in many of the other Chinese specialties would have been served with wine sauce or dipped in soy sauce. At this location, it was lavished with good amount of spicy pepper and thick hot sauce to change the flavor of the chicken. The won tons themselves were dipped in a bowl of spicy hot soup.
For a brief moment I actually lost a sensation in my tongue as my taste buds went south after a bout of spicy food. After deciding to power through the spicy food and not slowing down because the spiciness of the food will overpower you.
I realized in that I really never got the full fulfillment on the flavor or the taste of the food. The spiciness can be overpowering and done it with a bit much to turn you red instead of letting you enjoy the succinct flavor of the regions of the food. That was a bummer point for me throughout the meal.
It is also a "take it or leave it" kind of a place, where it's not like Shin Shen Guimi where you dial up or dial down the spicy level of the food. It is very hard to tell whether or not they overdone the hotness of our food or this was the norm. If it was the norm, then we really were sweating after our meal. Poor Ol' Michael S., Wendy T., and I felt like we were in Sahara desert searching for that elusive water fountain. Luckily our server came back often to check on us to get us plenty of liquid to quench our thirst.
After our initial order, the service was actually very good and attentive throughout the course of our meal. We really needed it throughout the meal to get our water refilled.
After enduring the pain and sufferings of our spicy food, I can honestly say that Orochon Ramen is nothing compared to this place. I probably would suggest people to come here if they love spicy food.
Be warned though, it's not easy to endure for the people who are used to mild or medium spicy.
So this Chung King is not run by the same owner from the one in Monterrey Park. Before I just thought maybe the cook is different and that's why is food is not as good since the name and the menu are the same! Dah!
The review below was meant for the one in Monterrey Park since I thought they were run by the same… Read more »
I really don't know what to make of this place, or what rating to give it, I know my more wizened dining companions will most likely rate this place lower than me. It wasn't bad, yet it wasn't very interesting. Yes, the food was spicy hot, but that's all there was, a balance between dried chili's and the Sichuan peppercorn. I've had Sichuan food, in the Sichuan province and this stuff was lacking something. I have a pet peeve about people who proclaim that something isn't good simply because it doesn't fall within their self-styled definition of "authentic". Why not just judge the food on its own merits? Again, I'm sure my dining companions with complain that the food here wasn't authentic, but this I think they may be on to something
On to the food, we ordered the chicken with spicy sauce (cold chicken or saliva chicken), spicy dry lamb, and spicy beef. We also ordered a bowl of spicy wontons. We had intended to order fish, but the waitress was insistent to the point of being dismissive that we order the beef. First off, the beef and lamb were pretty much the same dish, same peppers, same scallions, etc. They were ok, but after ordering the lamb why did the waitress insist we order the same frickin thing with beef. I liked the chicken, but again, the only flavor was hot. I'm a big fan of wontons, and my girlfriend will tell you that I like all wontons and dumplings, even crap ones. These were the hottest dish on the table, so hot that Mike L couldn't eat them, the wrappers were not good, though the pork inside had an ok flavor after you got past the hot.
I know it might sound ridiculous to complain about Sichuan cuisine being hit - that wasn't really the issue. Sure I was sweating, but it wasn't too much for me, the issue was the complete lack of any other flavors and variety in the dishes. I really can't recommend this place unless all you care about is how hot your food is.
Still, the Sichuan peppercorn is a unique flavor that is kinda hard to find, so 3-stars, and maybe we ordered the wrong things.
Do not walk in here with a toupee. The air conditioning inside here is crazy.
I realized I am losing my ability to eat super spicy food. Nevermind my ability to eat the red sauce from King Taco. Nevermind my extra, extra spicy order of soon-tofu. Nevermind that my mother's side is from Sichuan and she was born in Chung King. This restaurant kicked by butt, and I was embarrassed.
The food was excellent (I would skip the cold side dishes...), but in order to compensation for the heat, we each ate about 4 bowls of rice to absorb the hot oil. The sliced fish with with crispy rice was a really nice addition to the meal because it wasn't swimming in red peppers, so it helped round out the meal by mellowing the spicy out.
I can't wait to take my mom here though. But I might have to sneak a bottle of milk in with me in order to survive it.
Oh good lord, I went here for the first time on Sunday night with a group of 13 and my mind and mouth were official blown. I'm not entirely sure what we ordered, as someone in our group who speaks Chinese took the liberty of ordering for all of us, but it was pretty much all delicious. Chicken, pork, fish, ribs, fried rice, crispy rice, and more. I guess their trademark is super spicy food (and it is SUPER spicy), but we managed to have enough variety within our large family-style meal that even the spicy intolerant had enough delicious grub to eat. Be sure to order lots of beer to help the hot stuff go down smooth.
Oh, and did I mention that it's CHEAP? Because it really is. We all stuffed our faces for under $15 a head. This is one place you won't want to pass up.
In my search for spicy food.. I drove 30 miles to go to Oriental Pearl to find it was CLOSED. why?? who knows. so we trekked over to Chung King which was second on my list.
It was nice to find a place in the SGV which was not in some crowded plaza. This location stands alone and is fairly clean!
There is lots of parking on the street and I think there may be a back lot but I didn't dare park where I wasn't sure.
The waitress immediately started talking in Chinese and I just gave her a blank stare... huh? Then she looked at the BF.. and said.. she's korean huh... and they had a conversation about how koreans liked spicy food.. although the BF is chinese.. he doesn't know how to order in chinese.. so we were just describing what we wanted to eat.
We wanted to order 3 things and take stuff home..
so we got..
pork with bamboo tips
pork bellies with garlic stems..
mapo tofu
but.. i wanted something really spicy.. and we asked the waitress to bring us something she would recommend..
Everything we ordered was very good.. it wasn't too spicy but the peppercorns definitely numbed my tongue.
then came out the HUGE pot of spicy beef stuff..
it had bean sprouts on the bottom.. topped with beef/peanuts. It was huge.. we could have probably just ordered that. It's very intimadating. Too bad I dont' know what it's called.
It was SOO good. It's hot and hearty.. and you need tons of rice.
We took a lot of the food home. Looking around.. it wasn't crowded but everyone was enjoying their food and there was constant traffic in and out the door.
Friendly staff.. and good food.. hard to find in SGV but.. i wasn't grabbing the water the entire meal.. I WANT SPICY!!!.. so on goes the search.
If you crave for SiChuan food like I do, search no further, this is as good as it gets in North America. I often have fear about food not spicy enough in the states, but not in this place.
Best szechuan in Los Angeles. Place is on the sterile side of nice, a couple steps up from the dive on Garfield that still has the name but without the original chefs. Get the kung pao chicken, the water boiled fish, the fried chicken cubes, and all the cold appetizers you want. Head straight to the back and pick your appetizers first, they'll bring it to the table. Enjoy!
Jonathan Gold's tongue-bath of this place is at http://www.laweekly.co...
perfect Chungking food. If you don't like or cant handle spicy food your selection is VERY limited. Even if they can make certain dishes mild you will be missing out as hot spices are the key ingredient, not just a condiment.
Since the restaurant is pretty small (about 15 tables) you may want to go early or late to avoid waiting.
Food: Spicy but addicting
Service: Polite but slow on the refills
Price: Reasonable
What better than a plate of popcorn chicken to chile peppers in a 1:5 ratio? If this is your idea or a great meal - head to Chung King.
Mind and tongue numbing dishes that are quite addicting. My favorite was the shredded beef with green and red peppers (just medium spicy with sweet flavors).
(note dish names I just made up)
Chile popcorn chicken: 4
Fish and beef chile soup: 4
Beef with peppers: 5
Fish w/ peppers and scallions (not spicy): 4
Bean sprout/celery/peanut appetizer: 3
The bean sprout appetizer left a strange aftertaste for me and my friend's wife. I think it was MSG?
The servers are polite (compared to south bay)!
We walked out for $55 not including tip.
ME: do you like spicy food?
FRIEND: yes, I love spicy food.
ME: oh, let's get some Sichuan food, if you like spicy, you'll love this!
******15 minutes after food arrives
FRIEND: oh, i like spicy food but this is too spicy, I can't even taste anything.
ME: I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU LIKE SPICY FOOD!!!!
***************
This is the dialogue I have had with at least 3 separate friends. So unless you REALLY love spicy food, Chung King may not be for you.
I like this place better than the Chung King in Monterrey (although I still love that place) because they serve beer and it's more comfy seating.
Here's what I ordered: fish over crispy rice cracker, (which the waitress advised against bc it was not spicy) It was delicious, very fresh, not spicy and if I didn't order this, my friend would have gone hungry.
#1 fried Chicken with peppers, - Oh I love this, but my friend couldn't take the heat- I live on this dish when I'm in China. I don't know the Chinese name.
Ma Po Tofu- I know, sort of pedestrian fare, but still very awesome. The texture of the tofu was excellent.
*************************************
WARNING- without being too vulgar- Spicy in Spicy out (ouch) !
SPICY! This is a good place to go to if you want some SPICY chinese food. I was here for dinner with my friends. We ordered 7 dishes. Some were good and some were just OK. But there was one dish that no one really touched. It was a fish plate that was just too SALTY! But I think that we were just too nice to send it back to the kitchen. We were just enjoying the rest of the dishes and dealing with our mouths being on fire. LOL.....thank goodness they have cold beer to help calm down the spiciness.
Monterey Park, CA
Category: Chinese
San Gabriel, CA
Category: Chinese
Monterey Park, CA
Category: Chinese
Monterey Park, CA
Category: Chinese
San Gabriel, CA
Category: Chinese
It's either I love it and everyone hates it. Or…
