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Mon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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This is a nice Chinese-American restaurant. Like many Chinese restaurants in Santa Cruz, they DO NOT actually make truly authentic Chinese food but rather somewhat Americanised Chinese food. Nevertheless, their food is quite good.
For vegetarians, I would highly recommend their sweet and sour vegetable balls for lunch. It's ground up chickpea made into little balls.
Jack and Sue, the owners, are also very friendly.
Good restaurant for faux-Chinese food (and I'm Chinese myself), but the place needs to be renovated… Read more »
this is probably the best chinese restaurant in santa cruz.
i HIGHLY recommend the 'three of a kind' vegetarian dish with eggplant, potatoes, and green peppers. the veggies are cooked perfectly, and the sauce is not very heavy. after the last time i had it, i couldn't stop thinking about it.
the service is slow, but it's what you would expect from downtown santa cruz.
After a full day of wine-tasting in the Santa Cruz Mountains with the gals, and a nice long nap at the hotel, we were totally craving some greasy homey food.
We were walking around downtown Santa Cruz, and of course all 4 of us whipped out our iphones to check Yelp. We knew we wanted Chinese food, and this was the closest and had decent reviews.
We had 2 orders of their house fried rice (nothing like fried starch after all that drinking), mongolian beef, fried fish with basil, and garlic green beans. Everything pretty much hit the spot, and the green beans were definitely the biggest surprise at all. With our big craving for fried starch and meat, the veggies were kind of an afterthought, but I thought this was actually the best dish.
Service was friendly enough though. Not a destination restaurant by any means, but it served its purpose for the night and we had a good meal.
A wide variety of food that is all delicious. I am bias toward this place since it's where my (now) husband and I went for our first date. 2 years later he took me there the night he proposed, so I have a lot of good memories attached to here. But I still stand by my word that I think their food is delicious, and they have a great lunch special.
Its hard to find good Chinese food in Santa Cruz. After living in San Francisco for more then a decade I know what good Asian food taste like. I came here asking for an order of pork buns. They literally open a frozen package (bought from asian supermarkets) and microwave it in front of me and charged me way more than what I could have bought just by driving to San Jose to buy the same frozen product. What a rip off!
I moved from SC to SF, and still haven't found a better Chinese restaurant than Little Shanghai. Great for both lunch & dinner.
I've tried just about everything -- and haven't been disappointed. Great vegetarian options. Unique. Flavorful. Spicy.
Inexpensive lunch buffet is a must try if you work anywhere near downtown.
Warning: They may put crack in their shrimp rangoons. They're ridiculously addictive!
I go here for lunch often. I usually order their chicken chow fun, which is a pretty good deal. I also have ordered their plate lunches, which are decent. The chow fun is very reasonable at around $8.50 and the plate lunches are around $7. This is not authentic chinese food, but if you are in the mood for some quick, decent, and reasonably priced chinese food, then this is the place to go.
The food here is decent enough, and certainly fine for the price.
The one reason I'll keep coming back here, though, is that they are the only place local to downtown that has decent Chinese steam buns. Mmm, buns. Buns buns buns! They are just too good. Otherwise, the dishes have been hit or miss. I like the Singapore Street Rice, but find the Kung Pao Chicken very boring and some other dishes too oily. But, again, BUNS!
In terms of dinner, I would have to say that this is _the) best Chinese restaurant in Santa Cruz (I really do not understand the hype over O'Mei, which seems to be another one people rave about). A great selection of all sorts of dishes. It's great California-style Chinese with nice fresh veggies.
The ambiance is nice and cozy as well, though it can get a bit noisy (which I translate as lively, personally). On warm days, there's a patio out front by the parking garage with plastic furniture so you can have some nice outdoor eating under the wisteria trellises. It's cheap-chic, yo.
Just don't go for the lunch buffet. While cheap, it really sucks. 5 stars for dinner, 2 for lunch. If they improved lunch, they'd get 5 stars for Santa Cruz.
Really good lunch buffet - affordable, lots of choices for both vegetarians and meat eaters, served to you cafeteria style. A base of fried rice, brown rice or chili rice, 2 main dishes, soup (included) and a drink for under $9. Dinner (table service, more extensive menu) is even better. The owners are always there, working hard and very nice people. The staff has always been friendly and it's a pleasure to eat there.
I have never, ever, tried a more delicious tempeh meal than that from Little Shanghai Chinese Restaurant.
Specifically the Gan Sao Tempeh which is the very last thing listed on the menu and is one of only two tempeh options here. The crispy tempeh is stir-fried with vegetables and hot peppers and served in a thick sweet sauce that has the same consistency as molasses. The texture of their delicious tempeh wins me to come here on a weekly basis because it isn't undercooked nor is it chewy or tough. It's hard to compare the texture to any other I've tried because I'm generally don't eat it.
So this review is simply based on a meat alternative that is made out of soy beans and brown rice. Tem-peh from the latin soy beanus and brown risis. I have looked at their tofu options and they look similar to other Chinese fried-tofu-mixed-with-vegetables fare. Definitely and without hesitation come here and take your risk with tempeh and my word that you will not be disappointed.
This place is really hit or miss. Their chow fen is very, very good. Their mongolian beef is okay. Their won ton soup is some of the best I've had...kudos to them for using chicken instead of pork in the won tons!
Do not get any of their breaded meats...The bf and I have tried two of them, and they were both weird, texture-wise, one of which was some of the worst orange chicken I've had to date.
I find it bizarre that the previous reviews are so uneven. There's the camp that says it sucks, and there's the camp that says it's great. Even weirder still, nearly every reviewer wrote about the Americanized take-out food. I love seeing the ones where the author felt the need to explain their qualifications as an "expert" on Chinese food. bwahahahaha.
I give it a 4, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Had basil salt and pepper calamari appetizer, fu gway noodles (with thick noodles) and boba black tea. Everything was cooked to order and came out steaming fresh. The calamari was amazing. Just the right amount of crispy batter and tasty seasoning. Fu Gway noodle dish was enough to feed two and also delicious. Boba tea had good, soft pearls that didn't stick together. Co-workers ordered from the lunch counter and I sampled a piece of lemon chicken, which was just fine as well.
The owners (?) were really friendly and had no problem with us ordering off the menu at lunchtime. Even though it was busy, they took the time to serve us at the table. It looked like a cash-only kind of place, but surprise! they accept Visa and MC too. :D
For the first timers, there's a fantastic selection of americanized (and some not so americanized) dishes at the steamed table for quick lunch take out/dine in.
The menu offers dishes with more authentic flare, and despite the name "little shanghai" the food actually has heavy taiwanese influence. I recomemnd Fuguay sauce with thin noodles, this dish offers rich and yet balanced flavors & texture (creamy roasted sesame sauce, refreshing cucumber and bean sprouts, chewy noodle and special minced meat thats simmered for hours). Red vinegar chicken salad is also fantastic and works well to balance out heavier flavors in other dishes. The only set back is the items in the menu are slightly more pricy (but so worth it)
I came here during lunch time and needed to get a couple meals to go, the cashier recommended that I check out the lunch bar. Unfortunately none of the food I was supposed to get was there so I made and order and was told I would have to wait ten minutes for it. I said that was fine. Twenty minutes later I get my food and take it back home only to sit down and find out that my orange chicken tastes like a bland blob of dry meat smothered in opaque flavorless goop. I really could not eat it and I love orange chicken. The pepper chicken turns out to be rather bland as well....
The only thing good about the experience was the rice and I expect them to get that right because they are a freaking chinese restaurant.
I am giving two stars because the staff (+1) was nice and my past experience was okay enough to get a star (+1)...other than that I doubt I will come here again...I am so disappointed too cause Tams is soo much further away.... :(
eh. It was okay. I am not a huge fan of Chinese food in the first place, I had to add a lot of… Read more »
This is THE best Chinese restaurant.... in Santa Cruz and compared to anywhere else I've been.
-Clean
-Reasonable prices
-Great location
-AWESOME food quality... so flavorful and fresh
-Good service
-Brown rice and white rice offered (although I always get white anyway)
I've gone here for over 10 years and prices have barely increased... if at all. The quality has remained the same-- the BEST!
Here are some of my favorite items:
***-Garlic chicken, extra spicy (the best, so garlicky)
***-Szechuan shrimp (lightly fried shrimp in a delicious spicy sauce)
***-Gan Sao Tempeh (crispy and delicious vegetarian dish, full of fiber and so much more flavorful than you can imagine)
**-Kung Pao chicken (deep spicy flavors)
**-Walnut chicken (or shrimp) (so sweet and delicious)
**-Spicy eggplant with chicken (eggplant is very tender & delicious when paired with chicken)
*-Lemon chicken (single breast battered with a really TANGY sauce)
I've had so many of the items on the menu that it would take too long for me to list, but the top 3 items I listed are my favorites, but the rest are favorites of some of the people we eat there with. I would recommend so many items on the menu! Go there and make me jealous!
I would marry Little Shanghai. They do offer a great lunch buffet (a la Panda Express) but I have only had it once. I will mention, there is a $10 MINIMUM for the lunch buffet on credit/debit. This is very annoying if you are planning on paying for yours alone as the bill is never at $10. I must say, in a lame way, that I order the same two items each time we eat here. I go for the sesame chicken - it is incredible, although given, it is unhealthy. We also get wanton soup, the best I have had anywhere. My boyfriend always get the Dan Dan noodles, he's obsessed. I wish that the sodas were from a tap, but many restaurant seem to opt for cans. They are CLOSED on Sunday, although your takeout menu may state otherwise. Take out is always convenient and easy. I do wish they would give the Koi a bigger tank though. FYI, they always only have one waitress working, so be prepared to wait sometimes.
The food here isn't bad at all for Chinese food in Santa Cruz. However, only go here for DINNER if you want quality food. They also serve lunch specials which are very well priced, but the quality of the food is like any other cheap Chinese take-out--you're gonna get food that's been sitting around for about 1 hour. Dinner food is great because it's made fresh.
The prices are very reasonable ,and the service has been variable for me. Sometimes I've had a waitress that really pays attention to us, other times, I need to get up to ask for my water to be filled.
Try this place out for dinner. It's not bad. Also go here if you're low on cash, you only need 7 bucks for a huge lunch.
I should preface this review by saying there is no good Chinese food in Santa Cruz, at all.
That being said, this is probably the best Chinese food in Santa Cruz. Stick to the fried stuff that's drenched in sugary sauce and you should be fine
Little Shanghai is absolutely one of my favorite places for Chinese food and the best in Santa Cruz . When I lived in SC I lived one block away and ate here regularly. It is not exactly the most authentic (compared to chinatown in SF) but very yummy - Proof of this is that my family always liked it when visiting me (and they don't care for anything "exotic".)
Dinner tends to be of higher quality - but lunch is good too. What I like best about this place is the quality of their sauces - well seasoned with great consistency. They also have great vegetarian dishes - great tempeh. My favorite dish is the sweet and sour chicken. yummm.
After Yelp's assurances that Little Shanghai was the best Chinese in Santa Cruz, I finally made my visit at lunch today. While it's not saying much, I agree: best Chinese in Santa Cruz.
I have to say that my food didn't bowl me over -- I had the Hunan beef and Shanghai vegetables -- but I appreciated everything else about the place. The prices were dirt cheap for lots of food, the staff were friendly, and the restaurant has that not-quite-clean-enough aura that is the mark of truly authentic Chinese food. I'd be happy to stop in here for a quick lunch downtown.
One note: When I was there, the Mongolian barbeque was closed. Maybe they only bust it out at dinnertime.
Mongolian BBQ is available (they claim to be the only restaurant in the area to offer this), along with a menu of standard and not so standard entrees. Veggies needn't worry about ordering the usual tofu and vegetable type dish; they've got tempeh and TVP dishes, too! I left satisfied. If you're craving bubble tea, you can get that here also, but I can't vouch for its tastiness.
Hospitality from the servers and one of the owners was excellent all around. But the seating arrangement is cramped. And it was odd that a desk lay nestled in the corner of the dining floor. The owner sat in it for most of our meal, ledgers on hand, with what looked to be a checking of the books--all this occurring within arms length of our table.
Ick....
Probably the BEST 'Chinese' food in Santa Cruz... But that's only because it's the only one convenient enough to go to....
Seriously though... If you're really REALLY craving Chinese food... take that drive to San Jose or SF... It's worth it.
Yummm definitely my favorite Chinese food restaurant in town! I finally came in for lunch with a coworker and was super pleased with the price and amount of food! For a little over $5 they give you a heaping plate of your choice of rice or chow mein, a dish or two, and soup. (Cash only--good ol' Santa Cruz!)
Dinner hours are always packed, and I have yet to try the Mongolian BBQ. I think I sometimes get disturbed by everyone using arm strength to pack down the 2 foot high mountain of noodles and other fresh ingredients...I'd rather order at the table family style.
OK... I live in San Francisco and have been spoiled by amazing home cooked Chinese food. This is my first stab at eating Chinese food in Santa Cruz, and I must say, it's pretty darn tasty. They serve the tapioca milk teas (boba), and it was a nice balance to the slightly spicy food. I asked for my tea without the tapioca balls for fear of filling up. The jasmine tea was a little sweeter than I liked. But it didn't stop me from finishing it. Other choices are Thai iced tea (which I thought was a little different to have with boba), and black tea.
My friends raved about the steamed buns (bao) with red bean paste. I sampled a little, and it was way too dry for me. But they really enjoyed it so I kept my comments to myself.
I had the Singapore curry rice noodles which were nicely spiced, and definitely not greasy. We ordered the vegetable cho appetizer. The little garbanzo bean balls were crispy on the outside, and smooth on the inside. The sauce, on the side, was an excellent compliment.
You can pick rice (white or brown) vs. noodles (egg or cellophane) for a handful of their sauces, and add chicken, tofu, beef, or pork for a few extra bucks. Lots of vegetarian options. Everyone got a little something different. Portions were very generous. Two people can share an appetizer, and an entree with rice. The menu has pictures, in case you need inspiration.
We got there just as they opened at 5:00pm, and it was amazing how the place filled up in 30 minutes. Service is fast and attentive.
I'd go back and try some of their homemade noodle dishes. Oh, and there was a Chinese person back there in the kitchen... I peeked!
I'll parrot what everyone else has said about this place. It's a find.
My daughter, who is just "learning" Chinese food, ordered S&S pork last time and rather than the smacky-sweet, gooey red sauce that is the norm, they serve it with a very nice, lighter sauce that does not overpower the other ingredients or stay with you until you drink bleach. The vegetables in the dish were crisp, and the coating on the meat was not soggy, which is virtually a given everywhere else. Everything we've had there has been a pleasure.
Just as an update to Amy D's post, I believe I paid $8.95 for the BBQ at dinner a few weeks ago. Maybe the lunch price is lower.
Update 1/15/08:
The BBQ counter is closed at this time and when I asked its status, they told me they hope to reopen it but are not sure when. Something about the BBQ chef being "away". Call first it that's why you are going there.
Good, relatively healthy tasting, very affordable Chinese food. Their veggie dishes actually contain a good variety of vegetables, which I find to be a problem at many Chinese food places. Their meat dishes don't skimp on the veggies either.
Avoid sitting by the windows or doors during the winter! This place has the worst draft ever. Every time someone opens the door it feels like a freezing cold AC was just turned on.
If you're looking for good Chinese food in Santa Cruz, this is probably the best place to go. And I say that with a slight hint of disappointment, mainly because that being from San Francisco I'm used to top-notch Chinese food; you can't get away with being mediocre there.
That being said, Little Shanghai is actually pretty good even by my standards. Their food is delicious and a lot less greasy than most places, they've got a nice enough atmosphere (though a bit tight if it's busy), and the staff are generally very amiable and quick. Plus, the Mongolian BBQ is a good deal. My dad's also had some chats with the owners and says they're pretty nice.
The prices aren't too bad at all, especially if you bring a group and eat family style (each person orders a dish). Plus, as my friends and I were quick to discover, they sell boba (bubble tea)! Not only that, but it's the best boba you'll also find in Santa Cruz. That definitely earns it some points.
A picky eater friend of mine loves this place, so I end up here on a regular basis.
The potsticker appetizer is interesting in that they seem to be wrapped in some kind of yeasted bread dough and then pan fried, which makes the wrappers kind of fluffy/puffy. Kind of different than what Im used to.
Everything Ive tried so far is alright, and I wouldnt mind coming back if my picky friend wants to, but I definitely prefer Shun Feng to Little Shanghai
good food - great prices. I like the lemon chicken and vegi balls the best.
Take the food to go - its very portable (except the soup) and go eat this lunch by the beach or on pacific ave.
Very good!! I've never eaten in the restaurant, only ordered take-out, but was very happy with it! I got the Kung Pao chicken, which was amazing. The only reason I dock a star is because I felt that it was a little pricey for Chinese take-out, but at the same time, it wasn't overly greasy, like most Chinese places in town are. I would recommend!
This is the best Chinese place in Santa Cruz hands down. I would also like to point out that they have a cook on hand to fry up the Mongolian BBQ dish of your choice, a rarity in any city in the bay area.
This place does not compare to average the Chinese place in San Francisco, but it's a gem in Santa Cruz. If you like spicy, try the Gan Pon chicken. Yum!
This place is okay. I had high hopes for this place because of the reviews here, but turns out that it's not anything comparable to the Chinese restaurants over the hill (surprise surprise). Though the ambiance is kind of nice, different from the usual Chinese places. As for the food, my boyfriend and I tried the fried calamari, which is once again, okay but nothing special.. some tofu dish that he ordered with vegetables.. which really sucks, wonton soup - okay, eggplant dish- decent.. Sadly, I think the only thing here that I really liked a lot is their Jasmine Boba tea.
I love, love, love Little Shanghai, or at least their Fu-Guay Noodles. I've been going there regularly since I moved to Santa Cruz, but I've only ever had the one thing on the menu, since I enjoy it so much. Fu Guay Noodles are a cross between Dandan Noodles (with a peanut-based sauce) and Peking Noodles (with a ground pork and hoisin sauce). One of the yummiest things ever. Sue and Jack Chiao, the owners, are super-nice, and I appreciate their persistence: when I first found them, not long after the Loma Prieta quake, they were in one of the tents, then they moved to the little mall running between Pacific and Cedar at the north end of the avenue, then finally settled in one of the storefronts in the Locust Street Garage building. The location's changed, but the noodles have always been terrific. They've got a Mongolian barbeque for dinner, which I've been meaning to try out...
No flavor. Friends service, though. Reasonably priced. Pay separate for rice; bogus.
A refreshing difference from the standard chinese fare offered in and around Santa Cruz. The mongolian bbq option is budget-friendly and tasty, and virtually everything I've tried on their menu has been awesome. Huge portions. Love the pepper chicken, the potstickers.....
The only thing I get here in Mongolian BBQ. I love that you can pile it really high, haha. Really good.
Although not excellent, the food is better then most of Santa Cruz... and way cheaper too. They have the best hot plate Chinese ever, and here's a few notes:
* No, it's not spicy. Sorry. They're "spicy" dishes are good but not really spicy. This is pretty common in quick-service Chinese
* The little Chow Me Fen noodles are really good; and so is the pickled cabbage. I also like their Kung Pao Tofu.
* For vegetarians, 5 stars. Vegetable balls, Tofu, veggie mixes and vegetable soup; they've got it all.
* The Hot & Sour soup is good but not spicy. The Vegetable soup is also really good.
* Overall, relatively good. Not very authentic, but who cares when it tastes good? Cheap too.
This place is a hit or miss... when I was in college it was a hit... now that I am an "adult" it is a miss. . Now that I have been able to travel a bit, definitely not the best Chinese spot I have been to, but also not the worst Got an order of chow mein... it was average. .... I feel there are other places here in Santa Cruz that are better in terms of service, price and quality. *shrugs*
The menu says no MSG and it's true. My fried rice wasn't as greasy as it usually is at other restaurants. Unfortunately the rice was a little bit dry for my taste. The service was fast though. I'll give them that.
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Chinese
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Chinese
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Chinese
Capitola, CA
Category: Fast Food
Santa Cruz, CA
Category: Chinese
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