China Chili Restaurant

(510) 791-1688

39116 State St
Fremont, CA 94538 37.5499 -121.9843

Neighborhood: Central Downtown

Reviews & Ratings for China Chili Restaurant

3.5 Star Rating: Average

13 reviews

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4 Star Rating: Recommended

by acinfremont

July 07, 2008

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

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1 Star Rating: Poor

by bscapelitte

October 15, 2007

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.

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1 Star Rating: Poor

Contributor

October 15, 2007

The service & atmosphere were good, but it was the worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. The prawns were tough, the vegetables undercooked, and the sauce was tasteless. The fried rice was nothing more than white rice with some brown stuff on it. There were no condiments on the table. I took half of my entree home & later threw it away because it wasn't worth the effort to make it edible. I'll never eat there again.

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2 Star Rating: Below Average

by pinkmurcielago

August 23, 2007

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.)

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5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

Contributor

July 16, 2007

I have been a true fan of China Chili for years.

Not only is the food quality excellent, the service can't be matched.

Everyone is quick to serve, very polite, and the ambiance is quite relaxing.

I have never had a bad experience dining at China Chili.Great tasting food, reasonable prices, a wonderful dining experience all around.

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3 Star Rating: Average

by shargrrl

November 16, 2006

The atmosphere is very nice, but the food is average. They have some dishes and there are so many HOT peppers that it makes you perspire. If you do not like hot/spicy food, I would not go there. The food is too hot for young children too.

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4 Star Rating: Recommended

Contributor

August 27, 2006

It is a restaurant with good taste and environment. Even for Chinese people, the dishes taste good, and authentic. The environment is better than that in most Chinese restaurants. But it is a bit expensive. It cost us $20/person for dinner.

PROS: taste, service and environment

CONS: cost

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4 Star Rating: Recommended

Contributor

August 10, 2006

I really like the food here. The restaurant has a very classy look to it and the staff is very welcoming. The prices are a bit high but you get what you pay for.

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1 Star Rating: Poor

by mwong88

May 11, 2006

I'm Chinese who grew up eating Chinese food in many places and I'm not picky. Ate here a few years ago and didn't recall having Chinese food as bad as China Chili. Just to be safe, I ordered a simple Beef Chow Fun (something common that any Chinese restaurant must be able to make) and it was horrible! A Chinese restaurant just cannot be a Chinese restaurant if they can't get that dish at least halfway decent. Don't remember the other dishes as I'm trying to erase this experience from my memories. I grabbed a Citysearch account just to let people know how bad it was and not to be fooled...can't believe how many Zagat awards I supposedly saw on the wall...not deserved. Yuck!

  • Pros: comfortable ambiance
  • Cons: food

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4 Star Rating: Recommended

by bananagrl

April 05, 2006

I LOVE the honey pecan prawns, always have. Their food is good, service is ok. I do mainly takeout and just wished they delivered...

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