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I was a very loyal customer up until I moved to Mira Mesa so coming down to Golden Chopsticks is a bit of a way's away. I remember hearing about this place from my auntie who would always get their chow mein. That's the dish I initially fell in love with from GC.
I absolutely love their lunch special - very cheap and always very generous. Very friendly and quick service. They manage to get your order to you when you're still eating your soup. I'm still mystified as to how the food comes out so quickly after ordering.
I know many Filipino families that get their food for their family parties at Golden Chopsticks so people can easily have their food without either knowing its from Golden Chopsticks or without dining in. Highly recommendd either way.
Was back in town visiting family and what better way to celebrate any occasion than with food.. I wanted it, it didnt matter how id get it or what kind it was, i was just hungry.
we ordered the salted pepper white chicken meat, side of rice and 2 soups. we were served in like 4 minutes. food was delicious as always, service is prompt as hell, and customer service is. well.. the foods great.
i go here often. though i dont enjoy chinese food as much as dimsum per say but i do enjoy the golden chopsticks.
im a big fan of almost anything theyd salt and pepper. calamari, white chicken, shrimp, fish. the chicken wings though, i think not. they look retarded most of the time.
these guys are strait up OG's in the greater national city and neighboring hoods area! their salt &… Read more »
Very good "real" Chinese food. And no, Panda Express isn't chinese food so don't even compare the two. REAL good chinese food must have the following ingredients: 1)msg 2)dirty oil and 3) actual chinese people cooking your food in the back.
Had a late dinner adventure at 9pm and I'm glad that this place is open til 10. Pretty empty, kinda small place. Very friendly service and when they sit you down, they give you about 30 seconds to get situated before they ask you if you're ready to order. Thought that was pretty funny since I just opened the menu. Heres what i had:
1) beef chow fun- good, the meat could have had more flavor but still good
2) salt and pepper wings- dude, i'll take these over a bucket of KFC any day. so bomb!
3) walnut shrimp- my favorite dish, the best i've ever had is in china town SF but this is good. Has a hint of citrus in it which was interesting since most usually are just sweet but it was perfectly breaded and awesome.
Large portions and wayyyy too much for two people to eat.
Service was fast. I mean FAST. Wings came literally two minutes after ordering and the rest of the food came five minutes after that. I honestly had to question the freshness of the food but once I ate it, I could tell it was legit. Waiters are always there to fill your cup up the second you take a sip.
Great prices. Delicious food. Great service. All three means I'll be a loyal customer for a while and tell all my friends about it.
Once again, my fellow yelpers do not disappoint!
How do they serve the food so fast? It's like they know what I'm ordering! Let's hope that food is fresh.
I tried a new thing, a "pineapple chicken" last time I was here, and it was so gross. Don't eat it, it's the most uninventive recipe on the menu, and the orange chicken pales in comparison to Royal Mandarin, but you'll likely get lost in the better foods on the list. The singapore style noodles, for instance, is MSG-infested party in your mouth.
This place is awesome! best salted pepper wings i ever tasted. The lady at the register is very nice. I also love their Lo Mien with shrimp you cant go wrong here! Better then Royal Mandarin.
I must say this place was one of my favorite chinese restaurant. But now the prices are getting more expensive and the food don't taste the same sometimes. So now I'm hardly ever eating in this place only when I'm craving for those salt and pepper chicken wings.
On a visit to San Diego, we were excited to try Golden Chopsticks in National City based solely on the reviews by fellow Yelpers. We ordered their famous Salted Pepper Chicken among an array of other dishes.
Tastewise, it was good but nothing spectacular. Coming from Los Angeles, we're pretty much exposed to some pretty good chinese cuisine, specifically in the San Gabriel Valley. I know those are big shoes to fill, knowing that it's pretty hard to find good Chinese food in San Diego. Keeping that in mind, plus a really affordable menu, Golden Chopsticks scores in terms of value.
The Good:
Salted Pepper Chicken Wings
Service (Ultra-Fast) and friendly
Price. We paid a little over 90 dollars for all this food (which could easily feed a group of 12).
The Not-So-Good:
Mongolian Beef =Average
Fried Rice=Below Average
War Wonton Soup=Average
Seafood Hotpot=Average
Sauteed Shrimp with Mushroom=Average
Double BBQ Appetizer=Below Average. Not as tender and juicy.
Eggplant Special=Average
The Bad:
Steamed Fish: you can taste the fish was not fresh at all.
House Special Noodles: Super Greasy.
Parking during busy hours.
The Ugly:
None.
One issue about this location is the parking lot. Fist of all Filipinos don't know how to park nor do they have parking lot etiquette. I was going to get gangster on Lola (Filipino Grandmother) for jacking my parking space. There is really only one reason people go to Golden Chopsticks....Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings. These pieces of poultry are a staple at all Filipino F.O.B. (Fresh Off the Boat) parties. The wings are crispy and the meat is moist and tender. The seasoning is what makes it so scrumptious. I don't know if they use MSG but it sure tastes like they do. MSG tastes so good. I still don't know why MSG is bad for you but even if it is, I'm still stuffing my face with these Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings!
The rest of the menu is your basic Chinese food but who cares...Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings!!!
Try:
Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings
Sweet & Sour Fish Fillet (not whole fish)
Vegetable Lo Mein
If you go there and don't get these chicken wings you WILL be missing out on the best thing on their menu!!!
Staff is super nice too, they always remember me and my family when we come in even if it's been a while.
I haven't even ordered yet! Walked in after my good friend Aldo didn't want to try the Asian Noodle. He was not in the 'Maverick Mood', what a ranker!
Okay, walked in the restaurant with a great attitude and guess who awaited me? The waitress of Sheol (Hell in Hebrew), her attitude was horrible, terrible, she just ignored me like I was not even there.
I wanted to leave right away, but my friend Aldo and MartiMeza insisted to stay (I am too nice).
They ordered the lunch specials, for $4.95 (sweet & sour pork and beef
brocolli, both with fried rice) I went for the Duck WonTon Noodle Soup.
The broth was great, noodles too, but the duck...I had to look for some meat, it was more of a Duck Bone, 3 wonton noodle soup...I never listen to Aldo ever no more!
Service 1 star
Food 2 star
--------------------- =
1.5 star
A decent restaurant, the service here is really quick. The dishes I can recommend are the Singapore… Read more »
Ever since I was a kid, I've loved this place. More so than its competitor Royal Mandarin, which is just located at the next strip/plaza mall! I think Golden Chopsticks is alot cleaner, has friendlier waiting staff, and less greasy food! The owner doesn't fail to say hi, make some small talk, and assure that you have a great day or night! I've gone there soo much that sometimes he's asked me why its taken me soo long to return. haha Its really important, well to me anyways, that restaurants make customers feel comfortable and in some sense, feel at home. That's exactly how I feel about this place. Whenever I go traveling away from home, for a while, this place puts me back to feeling riiight at home.
My friend who visited from VA mentioned that there are two things he'll definitely miss in SD: Carne Asada Fries and Salted Pepper Chicken Wings. That anyone who visits SD must make a stop to this restaurant.
Anyhow, some of my all time favorite items:
Salted Pepper Chicken Wings (OF COURSE the best darn one in all of SAN DIEGO!!)
Salted Pepper No Shell Shrimp (yummmy!)
Honey Walnut Shrimp
House Noodles
Mongolian Beef
And for health freaks, you can ask the waiter to remove all MSG from your orders. They'll be more than happy to do so.
4 STARS just for their SALTED PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS.
Can I get a HELLL YEAH?!!!
LOVE it:
1) Ordering party trays are quick & painless. They can be ordered the same day that you need them so minimal planning/effort is needed.
2)Great prices!! 60+ chicken wings for $30-ish is enough to feed a good amount of people with a good possibility for leftovers!!
3)It isn't cash only, so no need to make an extra ATM stop.
4)Great staff. Very accomodating and QUICK!
5)FLAVOR FLAVOR FLAVOR.
The wings alone will take you to a very happy place :)
Just a heads up...
Parking can be difficult in that plaza. Bring your patience with you!
Greasy! Dirty! Deep-fried fiend from the deep-fryer depths! Monstrous restaurant with your siren's call of artery-clogging goodness! STAY BACK!
Oooooh, but why is sin so delicous!? Salt and pepper chicken wings you are my vice, my secret lover, my horrible second life. Beef Foo Yung, your noodley goodness wraps me in its tentacles and doesn't let go.
When it comes to food you know you shouldn't be eating, food so wrong, that it's right, look no further, you've found Shangrila
I'm only reviewing this restaurant because of the incident I experienced last night.
After the briefing, I ordered the Calamari and Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings. A couple minutes later, I got up from my seat and asked the lady behind the marble counter how long it would take and she said my order was almost ready. As I looked into the kitchen (because you can see the cook and how they make your food), I saw him drop one chicken wing on the ground from the wok he was cooking it in and as the lady and I were talking my attention was focused on the cook to see if he was going to do something to my food. In my head I was thinking, "PLEASE don't put it back in there, PLEASE!" I really don't know why that thought came into mind, I guess I just didn't trust him. Anyway, he casually looked my way to see if I had seen what happened and he picked it up after holding off a few seconds and in the most nonchalant way, put it back into the wok. I sat down and told my boyfriend and I told him about it and we totally lost our appetite.
During the previous times I have been there, I often noticed that they are tip hungry and wont really refill your water unless you ask and they also don't give you straws for the glass which looks unpleasant.
After that, I don't think I'll be back there for a while. You really don't know what people do to your food in the kitchen which is why, it's definitely more safer to eat home (:
To quote a friend
"Dude...they got Crack Chicken"
me: "What do you mean?"
"Their salt and pepper chicken is like crack".
***************
I've only eaten their food whenever we special order this item a la carte for parties and such. My friend is right....it's like crack....err rather....it's rather addicting.
Not like I do crack or anything.... : )
I come here very often for to go food but my family, boyfriend, and I have eaten here several times to dine it. Most of the food is great. We have our favorites: walnut shrimp, salted pepper chicken wings, house special fried rice, and chow mein. Each time I come, I have never been disappointed with the food or service. The people who own the restaurant are really nice and they never fail to greet us because my family and I are frequent fliers. It's really nice knowing that the restaurant owners actually take part in the actual service of the restaurant, you don't really see that too often.
The lunch and dinner specials are awesome. Portions are great and it's affordable.
I recommend this Golden Chopsticks to anyone who is in the SD area who has that Chinese itch for a family style meal. I love the salt and pepper fried chicken wings, walnut prawns, crispy fried house noodles, and the whole steamed fish if you can handle it! Other good things on the menu are crispy fried orange beef, and I like the Hot and Sour soup!
This is one of the only good sit down Chinese reestaurants I found during my 4 yr stint living down in SD! It's still standing and the food is great if you want something above the Chinese 3-item combo that has been sitting under the heat lamps for who knows how long.
It's a really addicting place to eat because they put massive MSG in their food. MSG is a chemical and although A LOT of Asian culture incorporate it in their food, don't mean it's healthy. I can't lie, the food is addicting(exactly what MSG does to food). The salt n pepper chicken can be ordered without MSG if you ask but it does not taste the same. I love the shrimp walnut chicken. The fried rice order are also good. I'm not hating on this place because I liked it, until I decided to take a moral stand against chemicals in food. By the way, "real" Chinese food don't have MSG because I am Chinese and know this is the "Americanized" Chinese version. The service is standard and you don't wait long for your food. I would give it 3 stars but because MSG make even ordinary food taste great, I don't know if these guys can really cook good food without it. I don't want to give it 1 star because I know how "addicting" it taste. So 2 stars is my final approval.
This place always seems grimey. Decor is so outdated its due for a renovation but the staff and food are always consistent. I used to go here a lot but the restaurant seems so unclean now that I'd rather do take out than sit at the tables.
Food is always quick to be served; huge portions by the way, its always fresh, the staff are always friendly and it's inexpensive. Good for group dining. But not good for first dates. It's not a very impressive place but the food is always good...I recommend the Salt and pepper chicken!
Best salted pepper chicken.
Great place for a cheap lunch, quick and easy. I had my favie poor man's meal peking pork chops. Although, I just wished that they did not put so much MSG in my soup.
http://en.wikipedia.or...
I am already addicted to Chinese food they don't need the additional additive to make me feen for more.
So here I am again, looking for a suitable Chinese Food restaurant north of the Mexican border. A… Read more »
Honestly, if you want "Salt and Pepper --insert random foodstuff here-- trifecta," go give Royal Mandarin a try.
(I think just recently they've got Salt and Pepper French fries... -blech)
If you want something other than that, AND still have a decent CrackWing experience, this place is the way to go. Golden Chopsticks has a different take on the wings: Just salt, no MSG, (They will heed your requests for none, unlike Royal Mandarin who puts it in anyway) a healthy dose of a wok fried mix of chopped green onion, a ton of garlic and a lot of chili flake, fried to crisp, yet moist inside perfection. (Wings at Mandarin tend to be overly dry, IMHO) It makes for more of a flavor medley than the in-your-face punch of MSG and chili flake that Royal Mandarin offers.
Its not all a Fry-Fest like Royal Mandarin is, which is what they only seem to do best nowadays, I think. The other items on the menu, are actually more palatable than the equivalent offering from Royal Mandarin.
Take for instance the "special crispy noodle," at Royal Mandarin, its nearly flavorless -one dimensional, with a lot more of the filler veggies, cheap stuff like bamboo shoots, broccoli, CANNED mushroom, etc. Golden Chopsticks on the other hand, has more flavor, with more meats and shrimp, you'd be lucky to pick out 4 shrimps from Royal Mandarin's offering.
Getting to the place may be a bit of a hassle as there is a lot of spillover traffic from Seafood City, but then again that whole shopping plaza has issues with parking. Service is typical of Asian restaurants, Fast, Efficient, yet Detached. Prices are typical for your average family run local chinese joint. Family of 5 (Myself Included) ordering 3 Entrees and soup came out to about $35 -For Dinner. It's very reasonable and you can't really go wrong with the the other offerings.
I went here with a big group, six adults with three kids ranging from 19 months to 11 years old. They accommodated us with a table in the back without much wait.
We were planning to go to Royal Mandarin, but reading the reviews made me think of another place, quickly! Keep in mind that I have been going to Royal Mandarin for about 20 years...so going to another Chinese restaurant less than a 1/6 of a mile away is like having the hots for your stepsister. There is nothing wrong with that legally, but it has moral implications and it is just not right.
But neither is closing to do some "remodeling" after your health inspection...according to the Yelp reviews. We decided to move our feast to Golden Chopsticks, just to be safe.
We ate family style, so here is what we ordered:
Large Bowl of Wonton Soup
Three Variety BBQ Platter
Sweet & Sour Shrimp
Cashew Chicken
Mongolian Beef
Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings
House Fried Rice
House Noodles
Steamed White Rice
Some of the highlights were the Sweet & Sour Shrimp, BBQ Platter, Mongolian Beef and House Fried Rice and Noodles.
The Salt & Pepper Chicken wings were not only a highlight, but as good of wings that I've had in a Chinese restaurant...and wings are as ubiquitous in Chinese restaurants as soy sauce.
Oh they also serve beer & wine...we drank Tsing Tao...and guess what, as much MSG that they must put in these dishes. The beer wiped the saltiness away with each swig.
Some negative things about this place:
The service, though prompt, is a little gruff.
The appetizer (BBQ Platter) came out in between the entrees.
Parking in this center can be an issue.
They use a lot of MSG...I felt completely dehydrated afterwards.
Other than those things, we had a great time catching up, making each other laugh, eating, drinking and just having a moment to breathe in these crazy busy times in our lives.
This is not the authentic restaurants that you may find in and around Convoy, but it is an above average Chinese restaurants.
Three words: SALTED PEPPER CHICKEN.
Though almost everything on the menu may seem pretty good, this is the one thing that stands out the most. I think many people can agree that this order is TOO DAMN GOOD. If you leave this place without ordering the salted pepper chicken, then you've probably made a big mistake.
I've always taken it to go but every time I do, I always leave satisfied, feeling I got my moneys worth. I say if you do order the chicken, get 2 orders. My sister couldn't wait until we got home and started eating some in the car. But the chicken is so tasty and the salted pepper just adds more to the flavor.
And if you get tired of the chicken (which I don't think you will) you can try other menu items. The Mongolian Beef wasn't that bad but the Egg Foo Young didn't meet my expectations. The service is great and they can be quick. But if you want quicker, I'd recommend calling in ahead of time.
Overall, I think this place is great. I'm from the Bay Area and already I'm having withdrawals.
My favorite chinese restaraunt. My favorite dish is of course the salt and pepper chicken wings. I also like to eat their mushroom and bamboo shoots. (Bamboo shoots is my favorite)
Although the place is kind of small, it's pretty good for groups or if you're just with your immediate family.
Oh and my favorite thing to do is get the sauce for the eggrolls (which are also good by the way) and pour it onto my fried rice. DE-LISH :D
The service is also nice and are pretty quick in getting your order and getting back to you.
Although I've never actually dined inside here, I've always came here to pick up their party trays for family parties or potlucks I've hosted. Which always have been successful at leaving no leftovers for myself. ='(
Agreeing with everyone else, their salt pepper chicken is to die for. Literally eating so much may put you into a food coma. With its crunchy batter, tender meat and salty spicy flavor covered in green onions how can you not eat more than just 8?? And ofcourse you can't eat it alone. Their house special chow mein, fried rice and half dollar to quarter sized fried calamari all put the other foods in the potluck to shame.
This place is definitely worth the 5 mile run the next day.
I'm so close to giving this place a 5 star rating...
Everything is awesome here. Mr. Chang seats right when you walk in. As soon as your ready to order, Mrs. Wang takes your order. From there Yan Can Cook whips up your dishes. Within a few seconds, Mrs. Wang comes out of the kitchen with all the entrees.
I swear every time I have lunch here with my co-workers, the service is waaaay too fast. You are seriously in n' out. Oh yeah, and pricing is very exceptional ($10 -$15).
Also, for Birthday parties Johnny Woo will come out of the closet and yell "Supplies...Happy Birthday".
Call me biased or whatnot, whatever. But this has got to be the best Chinese restaurant at National City. It does not get better than this. And yes, I know most of you are familiar with the Salt & Peppered Chicken, as am I. All I know is that every time I went to a Filipino family party, that tray would always be there. The fatass that I am, I don't hesitate; grab my plate and take 5,6 or 7 pieces.
I've been coming to this restaurant since I could remember. Sure, it's pretty small and it seems that the clientele is increasing with every visit, but the restaurant never fails to deliver. The place is clean and service is impressively fast.
I think every one and their mom's mom has mentioned Salt & Peppered Chicken, but personally, I think every mixed fried rice they have is utterly delicious and the perfect compliment. The Beef & Broccoli is good...on some days. Lastly, the Shrimp Chow Mein, it's my second favorite dish.
All in all, the place is definitely the spot to satisfy your Chinese food cravings. Happy eating!
Golden Chopsticks is Royal Mandarin's slightly hotter younger sister. If given a choice I'd much rather go out with her. Theres more variety in their menu and a little more 'love' put into their cooking. The chicken wings are better here, they're not dry and taste like they've been sitting under a heat lamp all day. Order anything thats deep fried and sprinkled with garlic and green onions and you'll find it delicious, especially the pork chops. The honey walnut shrimp would be better if they didn't put so much sauce on it. The first ones are awesome but when you get down to the last few it looks like a pile of snot. You'll have to pick up the shrimp with your chopsticks and beating it against the plate to get the extra sauce off.
The old tallish guy with the glasses is a tiny bit rude. Parking can sometimes be a pain. Their chili sauce taste like nothing and you need a key to get into the bathroom. Those are my only complaints. Other than that, its a good place to get above average 'generic' Chinese food.
Good stuff!!! We got here at ten to 7 last night and the dining area was nearly full with about four customers in line ahead of us either placing their take-out order or picking up. Rather than wait in line, we grabbed a take-out menu, went outside and phoned in our order as we watched the people in line still waiting around...lol!
It only took 15 to 20 minutes for our food to come out, but it was a good idea at the time to phone in. I've entered their phone number in my cell since last night!
We ordered the salted pepper chicken wings and honey walnut shrimp with steamed rice, which came out to $25 bucks out the door. When we got home, I was surprised at how much steamed rice they gave us, a whole take-out size packed to capacity, I was expecting a tiny pint-size container.
Needless to say, I loved everything! Both dishes were cooked to perfection and I'm definitely a new fan of Golden Chopsticks! I love the honey walnut shrimp they sell at Panda Inn at Horton Plaza, but this one comes pretty darn close, if not better!
This joint is in a strip mall that is always busy since Seafood City is the anchor store where a lot of Asian folks (such as my own family) go grocery shopping. Parking can be tough depending what time of day you go, so be ready to deal with the congested parking lot.
Give it try if you're in the area, I want to go back soon to try more stuff on their menu!
Been coming here since i moved to national city in early 90's. I have come here for graduations, reunions and just hanging out. Their food is consistent and tasty. Typical dishes i get is the chicken wings, calamari, sweet and sour fish. Very popular place for the price and quality.
One of the secrets in national city.
I'll come out straight.. I LOVE this place. Or maybe just their salted garlic chicken wings + fried rice + walnut shrimp haha
I can't help myself to eat so much when I am here and they are quick with the food. So lets recap:
Quick service + deliciousness = 5 stars!
When we first moved to San Diego, my wife's aunt and uncle invited us out ot lunch for their "anniversary" (shouldn't we be asking them? Or shouldn't they be going out by themselves?). Not really voicing any kind of opinion where we should eat, they suggested Golden Chopsticks.
I agree with a previous review, that this probably isn't the most "authentic" Chinese food, but it is pretty tasty. My wife and I chose the scallops in a black bean sauce, and we had other typical dishes such as Generals Chicken, Lo Mein, etc.... I love the lazy Susan's in the middle. To me, that's something that should be found in any restaurant where you're dining family style.
Overall I would say this place is pretty good. Definitely on the casual side, and good for groups, come here for a no frills, just good food kind of place. I'm sad to say I have never had the salted pepper chicken wings here. I may have to remedy that sitation sooner than later.
*Update 6/16/08*
Chicken wings galore. So many people rave about the wings here, with good reason- they are excellent. The first thing my wife and I noticed walking in was a person carrying out a tray full of wings. As we walked in to get seated, we saw about 10-15 to go orders of wings waiting to be picked up. Yeah, they are no joke. Wife and I came here and got an order of wings along with the house special pan fried noodles. The bill barely broke $20, it was pretty hot. Check it out fo sho.
Great place!! Little hole in the wall. I didn't think it was going to be that great because it looks a little run down. The miso soup was excellent. I never tasted a one with soooo much flavor. The orange chicken is awsome, If you love the one from panda express this one is way better!!!
If I lived in San Diego, i'd go at least once a week.,,,try it!!
"It is a wise person who masters the art of chopsticks. It is a hungry
person who does not." --Anonymous
So, throw your chopsticks away and dig in for some good eats. You're watching your figure, you say? Then, this isn't the place to go. Golden Chopsticks offers a flavorful menu, and like other reviewers, my personal favorites are: salt and pepper chicken wings, shrimp fried rice, and Mongolian beef. Their soups are all good. Don't be afraid of veggies, because their chicken chop suey will surely please. Fish with black bean sauce, Singapore noodles, prawns with walnuts...you'll leave always wanting more. I've had a lot of their menu items, and I have no aversion to any particular item they serve. You really can't go too wrong, especially if you like seafood. The shrimp they use are plump, cooked tender, and of a good size. Portions are decent, and the price is unbeatable. Try their lunch specials...they're a great bargain. Food is always warm and quickly served. Ordering take-out is never a long wait either.
The aesthetics could be better. Restrooms require a brief walk outside and a key. Their dining area's a bit drab, but if you're looking for ambience, go to La Jolla (and pay the price for it, too) Pam, the proprietor, knows me by name and is always very friendly. I don't pretend to have the same relationship with the wait staff, but they do their job adequately enough. Parking is always a pain, but once you do find it (in Timbuktu) you'll be grateful you walked the distance, because you'll surely have eaten more than you intended.
It's also nice that they're not a cash-only restaurant, which dots the whole National City restaurant landscape. (I'm an avid patron of businesses who report their true incomes and pay their fair share of taxes...oh, but I'm getting political now...sorry.) There's never a scarcity of patrons, and I personally think that anytime you see an Asian restaurant being frequented by actual Asians, it's always a good sign. (Please don't look for a racist twist in that last sentence, because none is intended. Truly, how many Asians do you really see at PF Chang's? While the food may be OK, the prices are exorbitantly high.) Delicious and well-made food can still be made affordable to the masses. Golden Chopsticks does just that. Happy Eats! I'm giving it five stars for the food alone!
if i had to rate this place overall, i'd give it a 3. the food (in general) is satisfactory, and the service is ok. still, i'm going to have to give this place a 4 because of the salt and pepper chicken wings. yes, the wings are that good, and i'd give them 5 stars for that alone--but i won't.
national city isn't known for its chinese food, nor will it ever be. seriously, this is about as good as it gets in this part of town. if you're looking for healthy, then this is not the place for you. imagine greasy lips, and having to wipe your mouth after each bite.... now that's what i'm talkin' bout. it's no fine dining experience, but it isn't generic either.
this place is famous for one thing, and that's the salt and pepper wings. it's deep fried, crisp, and juicy inside. a perfect blend of salt, pepper, and whatever ingredients they use in-between. it's one of those foods where when it's piping hot, people still try to eat it by holding it by the corners, while allowing their mouths to get burned by the pieces of chicken they can barely bite down on. is it worth all that? perhaps. even lukewarm, the wings are good.
it's kind of hard writing about the rest of the food now, but i'll give it a try. in two words: it's average. in two items, here's my take on the mongolian beef, and the house noodles. the mongolian beef was a little fatty and salty, but still good nonetheless. their house noodles are basically crispy noodles. it's salty, flavorful, and the texture is always a treat whenever you get the crisp noodles mixed with the noodles softened by the sauce. not bad at all.
hmmm....salty and flavorful as a recurring theme. wait - msg?
it's inside of a cramped shopping center, and the parking situation can be annoying at times. the inside isn't anything fancy, but still a respectable place to eat in. yes, the service is attentive, but it's rather impersonal; still, it's not something i'd dock them a star for.
* what i liked
- salt and pepper wings
- mongolian beef
- house noodles
* what i didn't like
- the indifference of the servers. it almost makes me want to cry. :' -(
This place is pretty decent but I had better Chinese food. It's pretty clean and I was sitting right by the kitchen, so that's saying something. The food came out really fast; i was eating there on a saturday night. I didn't like the Mongolian beef; it was hard to chew.
I lovvvvve the fact that they put vinegar with our meal for the calamari and chicken wings. I never been to a Chinese rest that they put it with our meal. It was disappointing that they didn't give us hot tea for the meal. Usually that is free and they charge for the rice.
The walnut shrimp and the house special chow mein was good. I would definitely order the walnut shrimp again even though it was 12.75. However, the chicken wings down the street are way better. It's bad for me, but I would like more fried skin. The fried rice was ok. The calamari was satisfactory.
The prices are decent, but I have tasted better Chinese food in my area, near L.A.
Their dishes are tasty as always - be it a dine-in meal, or takeout combination plate and/or party tray. Consistency is the deal here. I have experienced a couple of restaurants that have degraded in quality over the years and Golden Chopsticks boasts of great food ever since. Drop in for lunch or dinner and expect great tasting Chinese food every time.
Still my favorite Chinese food joint hands down. I have yet to find another restaurant to rival the flavors of GC. Until then, I'm more than happy to drive down to National City any time I have a craving for Chinese.
My faves:
-Salt and pepper chicken wings
-Salt and pepper squid
-Shrimp fried rice
-Mongolian beef
-Orange chicken
-Honey walnut shrimp
-Shrimp toast!
-BBQ pork
The menu is vast and you absolutely cannot beat the prices for the amount of food you get (huge, I mean HUGE, portions). You can dine in or take-out, and its typically only a 10 to 15 min wait when you call your order in. We can usually order 4 different items to go for about $25, and it'll be enough to feed 5 people with some food left over. The staff is friendly and are great at remembering repeat customers. Definitely check this place out when you're in the neighborhood!
I have been pleaseantly surprised by this place. Their Cantonese style chowmein is very good. The way it should be. The decor outdated and so are the tables and chairs. But the service is very good. The other things I got very tasty and not oily like most other chinese places.
We did ask for a side of the large bowl of steamed rice..... when it came back, the "large" bowl could fit in a toddler's hand. Maybe the guy misunderstood us, or they changed the sizes of bowls due to this ridiculous rice shortage. . . . Go figure, who would figure that there would be a rice shortage?
Anyway, would go back again to fulfill my Chinese food cravings!
National City, CA
Category: Chinese
National City, CA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Chula Vista
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Category: Chinese
National City, CA
Category: Bakeries
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