Chinois On Main

Went there on a last minute. Sat at the Bar in front of the kitchen.
In a word… Awesome !!! Kinda pricey… but worth every dollar !!

We use Bella’s catering services for many years, and they do our dinner parties at least twice a year.
Their food is always a delight to our guests, the staff is the best ever! Their professionalism is the reason WHY WE USE THEM FOR SO LONG.
Thank you Bella, you and your staff are perfection!!!

Been going for years and it is always great. Service is as good as any in the City and the food remains imaginative and delicious. Chinois invited Asian-​Fusion cuisine and it still the best!
Wine list and service are great too!

We had a terrific family meal on a Saturday night. Service was top notch. We feasted on ribs, noodles and other delectables:)
The place is pricey but the food and service made it easy to justify

I loved the staff and the décor. They were so kind and attentive and really wanted to make sure we were happy with the food, I didn’t have the heart to tell them we didn’t like it. The waiter came back and noticed we had only taken two bites, and offered to take it off our bill for us.
Very nice staff/​ownership.

Always the best. It starts with a welcome, great food always consistent, familiar faces servicing with style and ends with fresh and exciting meals prepared with the utmost care.
The Best of Wolfgang’s restaurants for a decade.
The professional service is friendly and never intrusive. I have taken clients here 50 times and never a disappointment. Many I have taken here have become regulars and that is as it should be.
Impossible to select from the classic menus because each offering is exquisite. The Lobster is known in China, the ribs melt in your mouth and don’t get me started on the Duck. Always the freshest fish and produce. My advice, trust your server and enjoy

We love Chinois and go for all family milestones: birthdays, engagement, anniversaries, etc. The place feels like a private party with lots of local regulars. The servers are wonderful, from the busboys to the maitre d’. That said, the food on this last visit was not great. It tasted over-​salted and over-​sauced, and there’s a lack of fresh, modern options on the menu. We will go back, but we’ll take care to stick to the sashimi and steamed choices and perhaps become those annoying patrons who request «sauce on the side» or «no added salt.”

This is my favorite of all the Wolfgang Puck restaurants. The food is amazing. I love the duck with plum sauce and their crispy spinach. The service is always on point and very friendly. My only complaint is the décor is very dated. However you can’t knock a restaurant down on taste in décor… or can you?

I have been there several times. It is a great Asian fusion restaurant. I am not a great fan of Wolfgang restaurants but this is the best restaurant among all Wolfgang Puck rest.
Service: Amazing. Most of the servers there are older with experience. They are very professional and friendly.
Food:
Seared Ahi Tuna Temperature with Wasabi Uni Sauce– It was wonderful. The combination was perfect! The wasabi wasn’t too much, it was more like a kick for the dish. I wish the uni flavor was stronger.
Sauteed Dungeness Crab Cakes-​It also came with prawn. .BIG prawns… They stuffed you with all the seafood! The Crab cakes were on the soft side. I wish they could pan fried it for a bit longer, so it didnt fall apart and a crispier outside.
THE FAMOUS Curry Lobster– It’s a must try dish. The shell was removed from the lobsters, except the claws. It came with crispy spinach and curry sauce over the rice. It was amazing. The price wasn’t even expensive. It was like $ 58 something… It is a 2 people portion.
Dessert– They purchased dessert from a lady, which is written on the dessert menu. We had Caramelized Mango Passionfruit Cheesecake. It was yummy. Not too sweet and it was just perfect.
** The portion is really big there, 1 appretizer, 1 entrée and 1 dessert is enough for 2 people**
There is no doubt for me to go back there again!

This is one of those places me like but me don’t know how much longer its gonna be around, it is a classic nice Santa Monica restaurant but it feels a little bit like 90’s, but God please just do a few touch ups and menu changes because I can’t stand another terribly gentrified bland restaurant of nothing popping up and just taking up space. With that said I do love many lovely things about this Puck eatery, like the lobster with fried greens, this is a food that can stay forever.

Came here tonight to celebrate my birthday on Mardi Gras day and also the beginning of the Chinese new year the year of the monkey!
The food was incredibly delicious it was so fresh the atmosphere and ambience was top notch and the portions were huge! The main thing I want to say though, is the staff. The staff are exceptional and over-​the-​top! They made us feel so welcome as if we were at somebody’s home. I have to say if you want the best Chinese food on the Westside is no other place to go to this restaurant. Incredible incredible incredible. A birthday I will never forget. And what was really cool, is that we were able to share the cake with all the staff and the busboys and the kitchen staff :-) it was like being with family!

It seems ya either love this place or hate it. Me; I love it.
After a totally disgusting dining experience at Mao’s kitchen we were still hankering for some Chinese.
What I love about Chinois, well everything! The service, even when I grump in –they are kind, quiet and really do help me to a better place in mind.
Then there is the food, –it’s really good Chinese food!
There is Bella, queen extraordinaire, she really shows her amazing colours in her New Year’s Eve party, lucky of you can get a seat for the second seating. I have my favourite people and foods there that I will not share, but if you are looking for a special sort of Chinese, this is it!

I have visited restaurants all of the world, upwards of 60 different countries, and I come back to Chinois on Main again and again. Simply put it is my favorite restaurant in the world. I’ve been coming to Chinois since the late 90s, and it still amazes me, and any guests I choose to bring. My recommendations would be in order, the Shanghai lobster, the Mongolian lamb chops, the duck fried rice, and of course the Chinois chicken salad. Bella and her team do a fantastic job. The wine list is amazing, and the food is memorable.

I went to the Dine LA lunch, winter 2016. I was delighted that it was exceptional! The photos should do it justice; I will only add that besides the quality of the food, the quantity included for $ 25 makes it the best lunch DineLA I have ever been to.

We started with chicken salad… it lived up to its hype. So light and crispy/​crunchy… oooooohhhhh. Followed by tuna tartar which honestly I wasn’t expecting would be one of the memorable moments of the night, but it was a perfect crispy charred outside and melty tasty insides. Then the duck which came with a side of pancakes… and the duck was so divine we never got to the side plate! Then came Shanghai lobster, a must have as it is so very, very good… there just aren’t words how much we enjoyed it. Finished off our meal with a savory, melty-​tender short rib beef. This, this beef made me regret that we had decided against the seared fois gras off-​the-​menu app… deeply regretting that call! My man enjoyed the desserts (not my thing), however, must call out that our martini’s and the bottle of wine were tops! We will be back!

Maybe I missed something, but I came here for lunch the other day with a group of my girlfriends for lunch and I didn’t understand what the hype was all about. First off, I had no idea about this place let alone know how to pronounce it (It’s Sheen-​Wah, or Cheen-​Wah if you’re curious). First off, parking is not easy in this area, there’s a private parking lot next to this building but this restaurant only has like 4 spots available for its patrons. But across the street on Main there’s a metered parking lot, you can park up to 3 hours.
Our sweet waitress told us that it was all «Family Style», I’m the only Asian in my group so I thought it was kind of cute that the waitress placed extra emphasis on explaining it to my non Asian girlfriends what Family Style means, as if they had no idea what it was. =)
I enjoy family style but on this particular lunch a few of us had too many dietary restrictions for it to work for our group. I looked at the menu and sad to say, I was a little underwhelmed. I knew I wasn’t going to get the lobster because after seeing the photos on Unilocal I concluded that’s not the kind of Asian lobster I know (Go to any authentic, straight up family owned Chinese restaurant and order the house special lobster and you’ll know what I mean).
I got their BBQ Pork Ribs, which was good, but I’m not sure I would get it again, with rice white. I know brown rice is healthier and better for you, but I grew up with white rice and prefer it more over brown. The rice was drier than what I would expect from a self proclaim Asian restaurant.
The décor, I was told, has not changed since the 80s, it’s a bit of an older crowd too. I think it’s a great place to people watch, because my girlfriends and I got to see this couple who was clearly on a date and the girl looks like she was a good two decade younger than the man and was wearing a very revealing black evening dress. After their meal, a black town car came and whisked them away. There was a group of suit adorned men in their 70s, as well as a couple with their baby and nanny.
I told the Mr of my experience and he said I didn’t like what I ordered and that’s why I didn’t like it. Perhaps I will go with him next time and a group of my friends with their husbands and we could try everything «Family Style» for real next time!

Unforgettable ! Shanghai Lobster, curried oysters in cucumber sauce melted in my mouth, chinois chicken salad– perfectly spiced, tempura ahi tuna sashimi in uni sauce was delicious and my most favorite was the crispy spinach!!! My goodness this was one of the best meals I have experienced.
The waiters, staff, Chef and Bella are exceptional! We will be back soon!

Would you like to travel back in time? Do you not have access to Doc’s DeLorean? If the answer is yes to both questions, make a reservation at Chinois.
The décor is unapologetically 1980s… and why shouldn’t it be: it’s been the same for over 30 years. The 80s vibe is so strong that you expect to find a woman in the bathroom wearing lace gloves as she does lines in the stall. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I hope they never change the décor.
Recommendations:
1) Duck pancakes are very delicious. The sauce they serve with it is the best sauce I have ever had with any dish at any restaurant. Saucy!
2) The Chinese chicken salad is a must order. It’s light and delicious. It bears no resemblance to the abomination and pathetic excuse that is the pre-​made salad at Gelson’s.
3) The Szechuan beef is Gucci. If you don’t know what it means to be Gucci, then you need to become more Gucci. That said, order this dish. Be aware, they prepare it medium rare unless you specify otherwise.
4) Shanghai lobster is a must have. It’s very good. One gripe. It appears as though may now serve this dish with white rice INSTEAD of risotto. This isn’t a change that I appreciate and I encourage management to re-​evaluate this decision.
5) Stir-​fried Noodles. This is the Cadillac of noodles. I’ve never had better noodles, and trust me, I get around with noodles.
Conclusion: it’s great and I look forward to continuing to dine here. What are YOU waiting for?

I have to give Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois credit for having delicious innovative westernized Asian Fusion cuisine and fabulous service. The place is always packed and has been so for many decades. I’ve been there probably 4 – 5, times and the food and service never disappoint.
So why only three stars. Well I find the interior space so uncomfortable and unpleasant that it seriously impacts the overall dining experience for me. I wouldn’t go by myself if others were not going in a group.
The bland tables are not decorated with candles, placemats, flowers or anything but are dull, boring are crammed together. Every two minutes somebody is banging into your shoulder as you eat or you get the whiff of somebody’s excess perfume, cigar or… as they walk by. Between the banging, people standing around waiting for tables and noise, it’s very difficult to have a conversation with your friends. Also the place is dark, so you can’t really see the playing of the food and we do eat with our eyes so that falls short as well.
Sit against the far wall across from the bar and you should be more comfortable as that aisle is less busy.
If you’re sitting in the front part of the restaurant in the winter as we were, be prepared for a chilled air blast everytime someone walks in. A second canvas entrance door in winter will help a lot.
I get that they are trying to accommodate big demand but I believe they have done so to the detriment of the overall dining experience.
Everything we ate, which was a lot, was outstanding but you notice my discomfort with the environment supersedes my focus on the food.
The place is not inexpensive so the entire experience should work for customers.

I have been here three times and every time the food gets better and better. Tonight we tried every vegetable dish there along with salmon, Seabass, and the tuna. All of these dishes were exceptionally good. I would definitely come back for every single dish that this place has to offer.

I have been here many times over the years. The food is great but the price isn’t so affordable. This is not food for the masses. I prefer the food here over Spagos which is another Wolfgang joint. Of note is the roasted sea bass with spinach and mushrooms. Would eat here more often if not for the price. Lunch menu is much more reasonable in price.

Heard about this easy to miss place for a while now. My pals decided to have an overdue dinner like grown ups and I left impressed.
Though the outside is nondescript, maybe that’s part of the cool factor. No need to be flashy if it’s about substance; great food and great service. For Chinois, it is about substance.
You can bring your own wine ($ 25) corkage fee. They do have great cocktails.
We had chicken salad, duck, swordfish, crawfish, beef and more. Each bite was quality. They were out of their signature lobster dish (get in early and order quickly), but this gives me an excuse to come back. Better yet, they treat their longtime customers like old friends. That’s what I’m talking about.
Warning: Due to popularity, it will always be a packed house.

Where should I start?
Place: The place is really cozy. It is a decent size of restaurant, which means they can attend to their customers properly. The design of the restaurant is actually very Asian which I love.
Food: Oh. its sooooo yummy! Everything they served to us was really good!
Appetizer: Schezuan Pancakes– I believe this is a duck ingredient, and it is soon good. The taste is just so flavorful. The meat of the duck doesn’t really taste strong which for me is good bec I don’t eat duck, so basically i thought I wouldn’t like it, but it turned out that this is really something that you should try when you go here. It has a sauce that blends well with the meat. it is wrapped in a thin batter which resembles to a crêpe. second, we had the Sauteed Dungeness Crab Cakes which is my favorite, the crab cakes is full of crab meat, it is not like the other crab cakes which is «floury». you can actually taste the crab in it is so flavorful, the dish comes with shrimp, this appetizer actually is a big serving if you are eating it by yourself.
Main Dish: okay, let me start with the Shanghai Lobster*- Mouth watering. This dish, is really the best in the whole Chinois experience we had. They serve the whole lobster in a curry sauce, which is so delicious and so creamy. According to the server, the lobster is fresh and they cook it fresh, which i think is true because the taste of the meat of lobster is really good. the meat is tender. It comes with rice AND crispy spinach. this is just one delicious meal. the taste of this food is similar to a creamy lobster sauce but its really really good.
Seared Maine Scallops– oh I love the scallops dish. it comes with Pad thai noodles, which is so yummy too. the scallops are really good, they melt in your mouth. it comes with Tamarind sauce, which compliments the Pad Thai noodles. Very very good dish
Dessert: 3 assorted crème brûlée flavors and the molten chocolate cake. just imagine these and let your taste bud crave for them.
The food is out of this world, it is so good. that I will come back and make sure to try their other menu, which I believe i will not be disappointed.
We also met the owner, Bella (I hope i spelled her name right) she is really nice and very accommodating. You know a good business if the owner, is very hands on and very welcoming to the customers. there was an incident that happened during our visit and she was really nice and so accommodating to make things easier for us. Thank you Miss Bella. It was so nice to meet you and have dine in your restaurant as this is now my new favorite Asian Fusion restaurant.
Overall. this place is a must try and you will not be disappointed. The food is good and really fresh. They are generous with the servings. The service is really great. The staffs are really attentive to your needs,.
Great restaurant! And definitely will recommend it to friends

Went for their Living Social special. I used to come here often years ago and for some reason it fell off my radar screen. Glad that it is back on. The food here is excellent across the board and the service is a match. If the Living Social deal is still on get it. It’s a great bargain for what you get and you will get introduced to one of Wolfgang’s originals.

Overall we really enjoyed our experience. I had the Tuna Tataki and the Shanghai Lobster with Curry sauce both of which were spectacular! The ONLY down side to the evening was the service. Our server was slow, only checked on us twice the entire evening, and we had to ask several times for things.
Given the over all experience I would imagine that this was a perfect storm, as all the other staff and the food were so fantastic.

I hadn’t been there in long long time, but I wanted to go somewhere different in LA, so decided to go there for lunch.
Everyone here was retired (senior citizens) people, I guess everyone will be at work on during the day in the middle of the week…
I ordered Ahi Tuna appetizer with green caviar on top (not the tempura one), it was so yum! Then I ordered Mongolian beef as the main and duck fried rice and that I’d been craving for!!, Duck fried rice was as delicious as before and Monglian beef had a nice flavor, and everything was delicious!
I’m gonna go back there for dinner next time I come back to LA!

We arrived early to enjoy a glass of champagne before dinner and found the bar to be awkward. They don’t have stools so I wouldn’t recommend it.
The food: we ordered the foie gras, crab cakes, lobster, black cod and fried rice. While the foie gras was good, I don’t think it warranted the $ 50. Being that it’s a Wolfgang restaurant, I wasn’t surprised by the prices, I just expect the food to match the price. The most memorable were the black cod and the veggie rice. The rice was the best I’ve ever had — seriously! The cod was cooked perfectly as well.
Our server was nice, however the bussers made the overall experience spotty.
It’s worth trying out once but I won’t be running back with so many other options.

Chinois is our families favorite restaurant. Our foodie family enjoys sharing this gem with everyone we love. Bella and Jason accommodate intimate private parties to special family celebrations.
Our family favorites: The yellowtail sashimi with Sesame Yuzu, Tempura ahi with uni sauce, calamari and rock shrimp on a bed of chinois salad with the most amazing sweet and spicy chili paste, the Shanghai lobster with curry sauce is out of this world.
«The greatest restaurant on this planet «says my husband who never ate seafood till I introduced him to this heavenly restaurant 18 years ago. The green beans will get even the most finicky eaters to indulge. So much more to offer but the portions are nice to share family style so you will have to return to experience the great pleasure again and again. Twice this week and still loving it!

Went there on a DineLA lunch.
The restaurant is easy to miss. There was no obvious sign outside, and the door is pretty hidden. I passed by and had to come back.
The dining groups are made of mostly elderly people, maybe b/​c it was a weekday lunch. The decoration is pretty, like a garden, but with a modern open kitchen. I have been wanting to come to this place for so long. I am not a fan of asian fusion, but I just would like to try the Wolfgang Michelin star restaurant.
One thing I do not like about it is that they do not have any vegetarian option for entrée. I guess that is really Chinese, b/​c Chinese people call the veggie dishes as sides, not main. I would just choose the fish for a try. I had one bite of the fried fish, it was perfectly crispy outside, but inside it was really bland. That’s why they gave you a soy sauce dip for it. Not really great. The Szechuan beef tastes better, even though I didn’t taste the beef, only had the green beans. But my friend was complaining it’s too salty. The appetizer quinoa salad was pretty good, very tasty with those nuts. But the salmon tower my friend had was again very salty. I think it was the caper. Since I didn’t really eat, I don’t comment here.
For dessert, we tried the chocolate lava cake, really rich dark chocolate. Very warm and liquid inside. A good piece. The other spring roll was okay, not my favorite. The star anise ice cream was new, but does not taste that great. The cookies would probably be better, but my friends didn’t know they had macaron. lol, what a waste.
The portion is big. So will def feel full afterwards. I don’t think I will come on a regular menu. But for dinela, this is very good.