07/07/08

Salt & Pepper Shrimp to Die For!

by acinfremont

Until recently, I had not eaten at China Chili in about 5 years. On a whim one night we decided to go back - and we had such a great meal we've gone back 5 times in 3 months...each time ordering the same things and enjoying it just as much as the first. I absolutely love the salt & pepper shrimp. They are delicately battered and practically melt in your mouth. We are also hooked on the asparagus chicken, the portion is more than enough for 2 hungry people and a child. The atmosphere in China Chili is pleasant, albeit a bit dated (the pink table cloths remind me of Miami Vice) but the service is prompt and the food comes out hot and delicious.

• Pros: Excellent food, quick seating, good prices
• Cons: Dated atmosphere

10/15/07

Worst Chinese Food Ever

by bscapelitte

The atmosphere & service at China Chili are good, but the food is terrible. The prawns in my entree were tough, the vegetables barely cooked, and the sauce was tasteless. The "fried rice" was nothing more than white rice with some brown stuff on it, also tasteless. There was no soya sauce, salt & pepper, or anything else on the table for attempting to provide a bit of flavor to the food. I took half of my entree home and later threw it away because it wasn't worth my time and effort to try to improve it. I'll never eat there again.

08/23/07

Avoid if you want real Chinese food

by pinkmurcielago

This was our first time eating at China Chili, and will probably be the last. We ordered the appetizer sampler, sliced beef with onions and honey pecan prawns. The sampler had bbq pork ribs and it was seasoned well and had a good bite about it. The other items were average. The sliced beef was tender and was better than the other two dishes but I wasn't so sure about the pickled young bamboo shoots -- it didn't go well with the beef. The honey pecan prawns were a little disappointing -- probably because we expected too much after reading a glowing review on them. The batter on the prawns was too thick and not really appropriate for prawns. The crunchy pecans were a nice complement to the prawns but the batter was definitely heavy-handed and ruined it for me. Maybe this was an off day for the chef.

Service was excellent. The waiter came back often to check on us. Our glasses were always filled. Ambience was great -- there was an automated piano playing in the background and furnishings were better than average. There was a good amount of space between tables so diners get some privacy. One thing that was jarring about our whole dining experience was the cloth napkin. It had a strange odor that put the restaurant's cleanliness to question.

We didn't feel that our money was well spent here. For the same amount of money, you can get a much better meal at Mayflower. (We ordered similar dishes for comparison.)

All in all, this is a good place for romantic dates and American Chinese food, but if you are used to eating real authentic Chinese food -- avoid, avoid, avoid.

• Pros: Good ambience; great service; easy parking
• Cons: Food was average and below expectation for the price. (Let's just say you are definitely paying for the ambience and service, and not the food.)