Chino’s

I’m so sad Chino’s is closed! I was here twice within the last month before it closed. If it ever opens again, I’ll be there!

Ever watch those Kungfu: The Movie with David Carradine?
Chino’s reminds me of it by East meet West. Taiwanese and Mexican cantina had a child, this would be it. The music playlist was blasting cowboy music than Bone thugs n Harmony… strange but fun.
The staff was super friendly. The bartender is self taught and made me a mix cocktail of a twist of a Manhattan & Old Fashioned. It was pretty good but little sweet.
We ordered Potato Taquitos ($ 5.5) and Gua Bao Platter — Pork belly bao. ($ 9) I found both food items very tasty. Any potato is my fave. The pork belly bao was pretty awesome but the skin could be more crispy, my only complaint. The meat was moist and tender plus seasoned very well.
Overall, a great happy hour spot and a low key spot to have a drink with a friend. This can be a destination before the destination or after the destination for another drink. I was very surprise that not many people were here but I think more people should check this place out! This place has a lot of potential.

Thanks for existing, Chino’s! You’re the perfect place to go for us Taiwanese girls with a Mexican fetish. Jk jk. (Winnie S. knows what it’s all about!!!)
The place was pretty dead when we showed up for happy hour, but no matter. I actually thought the caipirinhas were strong, but it could have something to do with drinking on an empty stomach. My favorite were the pork belly gua bao as well. So much happiness on one little plate.
I think if they expanded their menu a bit more, this would be a solid eatery for me. Maybe offer some more Taiwanese dishes, as there was pretty much only one (kettle corn is not Asian, and za jiang mien is not something Taiwanese cuisine is super famous for, at least not in my family). Also, I think it’s misleading to say the menu is fusion. I did not see any fusion going on in the food.
Chino’s has a lot of potential, and I’d be interested to see how they evolve over time. Until then, I will probably continue to get my Asian food and Mexican food fixes at their own respective establishments.

I was weary to try this place because it served «Taiwanese-​Mexican fusion». But my neighbors were right – this place is great!
The gua bao platter with tofu was delicious. Flavors of pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and crushed sweet peanuts pirouetted in my mouth. The sweet corn tamal was oh so creamy and fun. The fish sauce chicken wings? Crispy skin and finger-​lickin’ good glaze.
The wings were a bit spicy so I asked for a side of rice (not on the menu). They brought me a bowl of perfectly cooked steamed rice. White rice never tasted so dreamy. I asked if anything was in it and learned it was just slightly laced with pork fat. Best. Idea. Ever.
Will definitely return. Small menu but oh so good!

Delicious foods influenced by Chinese and Mexican home favorites and friendly owner that makes stiff drinks :)
Came here for happy hour last week and the service was prompt and zha jian mein brought me back to my childhood of eating it fresh from my grandmas kitchen.
Somewhat hidden, Chino’s is a nice spot for tasty food. Check out my blog for more infor and pictures on what we ordered!

I’m a little surprised at how much I love this place. Came here on a whim with a girlfriend just to try it out and wasn’t expecting much. They had some really tropically blended drinks which automatically put my mind on vacation mode. We ordered the wings and some pork belly buns. Both very yummy, but I still vote for the pork belly buns at Canon. That’s where my heart is, but nonetheless, I do still love this joint. Their wings were fantastically tasty. I will definitely be coming back again. I love love love their piña colada. ooooh weee! Brain-​freeze!
I love this place. It is different from the other places on the hill and very unique. Who would have thought to put Taiwanese and Mexican together. Strange, but Yummy!

I’m only basing my review on their food. I haven’t tried their drinks.
Gua Bao Platter: Pretty solid. Good flavors, and I’m a fan of the pickled greens. Is it worth $ 9? Eh. maybe.
Fish Sauce Chicken Wings: I like the sauce for this dish. The chicken is nice and juicy as well. This was probably the best thing I tried here.
Veg of the Day: It was brussels sprouts with pork fat. Not a huge fan. Just tasted like really greasy brussels sprouts.
Lonchera Tacos: Not bad, but nothing too special here.
The service was good, and the place has a nice atmosphere to it. I may consider coming back, but it won’t be a big priority.

Love the food. Love the drinks. Love the random people.
Tried the pork belly– it was crispy and the dough they wrapped it in tasted pretty legit. The taquitos weren’t that great, but they’re .75 cents. i’m not going to complain. I’ll definitely be back.

Chino’s is great! The food is well thought out, and so good! Happy hour is ridiculous, $ 0.75 taquitos and $ 1 tacos (which are both superb, could not stop ordering them!) and more. The pork belly buns are so perfect, I could eat them every day, all day long, until I was 600lbs.
Tiki drinks were great, like other reviews say, not too sweet, very balanced, and dangerous, which I love. Service was great, too. Really … I couldn’t ask for more, and will be back!

Solid spot! I’ve been back a few times and always enjoy the food here. You can’t get a better location either.
Still dying to try the 1,000 year old eggs… but I typically share food and no one’s game to share them with me. Yet!

Happy hour review, daily from 4 — 7PM.
Strong happy hour drinks at $ 6 a cocktail, $ 2 happy hour daily special tacos — soft tender pork cooked in a tomato-​based spicy sauce, and $ 0.75 taquitos. Their tacos were better than the taquitos, but order 1 – 2 at most, as the flavors got really monotonous and one note.
It was pretty quiet when we were there around 6PM, but I think with more time and if they add more items on the happy hour menu, they could see a busier happy hour service.

Cute place. Nice Owner. Food just Meh.
Came for a late nite cap and had a few bites and cocktails.
The pork belly buns — were good — but slightly dry. (If you’ve tried Facing East’s buns — you’ll know what it should taste like). The tacos were ok. The chicken wings were standard. We had them bring us some surprise cocktails — not the best idea as they were too sweet and almost undrinkable. Clearly, this is the a new place still trying to figure things out. The owner is really nice and I hate to give such a meh review — but I’m a Unilocaler that keeps it real.

Taiwanese? Mexican??? what the…
I’m sure we’ve all heard of korean tacos but i’ve never heard of a «taiwanese fantina» and honestly… the only mexican inspired item on the menu, I would say, are the tacos. Their food menu is mostly Taiwanese inspired —- thousand year old egg, gua bao (pork bun), zha jiang mein (black bean noodles, also present in korean food but they definitely was a taiwanese original), boiled spiced peanuts —– sounds like mom’s food :)
Confusion aside, I have to say this is a solid place. It’s new, has a young modern vibe. Cool place to have some bites and drink with a friend, or bring in a group of friends. It has a lot of potential and the food is really good! Bit on the small size, as in small portions. For tacos, you get like 2 small ones for 5 bucks. Wings: you give like. 3 large ones 9 bucks. Pork buns, solid, definitely get it.
A little weird? You have to order your food at the counter. I think it’s supposed to give you like a cafeteria/​street food sort of vibe… but it was a little weird
What made me sad? They ran out of a lot of items. :(I really wanted to try the pig ear salad and the thousand year old egg thing and the… etc etc. but all ran out, but still what we good was still solid
All in all? Try it! I liked it

You come in and order from the person behind the bar and they give you a number with a card. Place your card where it is visible to all those around you at your table and then you wait for your drinks and food. I actually enjoy this concept especially on Saturday night where it was very crowded and the place isn’t that spacious to have several servers running around. It can get fairly crowded so I would ask someone in your party to claim a table first and someone wait in line, so you won’t have trouble finding a spot!
I came here because I heard the wings was good. and it didn’t disappoint! You have to try them. Yum. The only bad part is the 3 wings for 8 – 9 dollars. I also tried the tacos which was good if it was warmer. I felt that we got it served kinda cold. I also got a drink that was good, I can’t say what it was because they couldn’t make what I originally ordered so they made something similar to it. Too bad. Another tidbit is that a lot of their cocktails consists of rum and tequila in it.
I would try this place if you are looking for a relaxing and chill spot to kick back with some old friends, grab some good drinks, and have a good time.

I went the Tuesday after Super Bowl… which was probably a mistake. They still had the super bowl menu going, which was a couple types of chicken wings and a frito pie. Meh. The chicken wings were super stickily glazed, and weren’t as hot as I would have liked.
What maybe wasn’t clear about my previous paragraph was that you couldn’t order from the regular menu, so we went expecting dinner and instead got a snack…
The drinks were amazing though. I had the navy grog and loved it, and my husband had a zombie and that was great, too.

If you are tired of all of the excellent Asian food in the city, served in a non-​hipster atmosphere, Chino’s is definitely for you.
Looking for a place that is out of half of the dishes you want to order? Or were you just hungry and seeking an overpriced mediocre Gua Bao which tastes so dry and flavorless you will only eat half? Try Chino’s!

You know that guy asks you out and you’re not really sure, but you say yes because I mean, what the hell, right?
Then you go and meet him and… you have fun, I mean, it’s no Chuck Woolery style immediate love connection but it’s better than you expected from your intial expectations, maybe even a lot better.
You order the boiled peanuts and while they’re cold and soggy, they actually taste kinda good and even though it’s messy to dig through them, it’s kinda fun too.
You get the Tinga tacos, thinking hey, I doubt these are as good as the place down the block, but suprisingly, there’s more meat than you can shake a sizable stick at. And they are pretty damn good.
You also are intriqued by the soaked eggs, and even though those flavors sound a little out of your normal range, you get them. And they’re chewy which sounds yucky but then it’s not.
And the Gua bao certianly won’t be really good, right? I mean, you’ve had it high end and the street version and you know your steamed buns, right? But again with the omg so much meat. And $ 8 for three of them? That’s pretty damn good.
And only two of the drinks are on the special $ 6 discounted price but that Mai Tai is pretty tasty, isn’t it?
And maybe, you thought you’d maybe go out on one date with this guy but… he’s kind of growing on you and without you realizing it, you’re thinking of calling him again and seeing what he’s doing this weekend.

I walked into Chino’s with high expectations and I came out thoroughly satisfied. I love the chill atmosphere, the friendly service, and of course the delicious unique food.
I was finally able to try gua bao (with pork belly) and the 1,000 year old egg with tofu. Both dishes were mouthwatering. The gua bao buns were fresh and the pork belly was cooked perfectly. The 1,000 year old egg was what really got my attention. Upon arrival, I didn’t know how to begin devouring this odd looking dish. After receiving experienced instructions on the proper way to eat it, I picked up my chopsticks and ate the tofu and egg together. The egg is actually more subtle than I thought. It was the tofu and the sauce together that were intense. I have to admit that was the coolest thing I’ve ever eaten. It was well presented.
Yes, I’ll be back. Don’t be surprised if I start to frequent this joint everytime I’m in the area. I’m itching to try the tofu gua bao next… and the pig ear salad… and the ghetto chow mein. Yeeaaah boyyyyy!

I can’t get behind Chino’s. I just can’t. I’m trying. I’m really really trying.
Case in point:
— boiled peanuts: when I’ve had boiled peanuts in the past (in the south, in asia, etc), they are usually hot. These were not. They tasted like they’d (obviously) been boiled… and then put in the fridge. Also, not a lot of taste to them. Where was the 5-​spices I was so craving? No clue.
— the gua bao — we got them w/​tofu. I think they needed a bit more… uumph to them. They were a bit on the dry side.
I was really excited for Chino’s to complete their build out and open up but for me, it’s been rather lackluster thus far. Sorry guys… maybe it’s b/​c I don’t care for pork or maybe it’s b/​c I’m pretty picky when it comes to dishes like these. I’ll still pop in for a cocktail or some furikake popcorn, but that’s about it.
I can, however, say that their bartender kicks ass. She’s amazing, so if you want to pop in and have a cocktail, PLEASE DO — b/​c she will do you right.

Umm WOW, my taste buds have died and gone to heaven! Delicious, crispy, sweet and savory, tofu gao bao heaven.
I popped into Chino’s on a Monday night right around their opening time, just to grab something quick to go since I was hiking home solo. The hostess was perfectly charming and after placing my order even offered me some water while I waited (which I declined, but bonus points for the gesture). The wait was a bit long for an order of 3 tofu gua bao, but holy crap was it worth it.
These suckers survived an additional 30ish minutes of me meandering to other spots on the hill before going home, and admittedly, I was hesitant to unwrap my very tiny, lightweight bundle of food, thinking that I’d just got ripped off.
I couldn’t have been more wrong! Although they feel and look quite small, the TASTE payoff is out of this world. I had to keep checking to make sure I didn’t get pork gua bao on accident, since the tofu was so excellently fried and seasoned! I think for the price, they’re a teeeeny bit on the small side, however I eat like a bird, so they’re totally enough to satisfy my appetite (for hungry hungry hippo eaters, you’ll need something else for sure though!).
Chino’s, I’m officially in love and can’t wait to go back. Now to compare YOUR thousand year old egg recipe to my mom’s! ;) Next on my «to-​eat» list here is the congee, yum!
Bonus points for playing good hip-​hop and the California vibe minus the douchebaggery (I’m from NorCal, not SoCal, but spent lots of time in/​around L.A. cuz my dad lives there, and if you’ve lived in California you KNOW there’s a cultural difference!).