CHIKO

My photos are not the best to explain how DEEEEEELICIOUS the food are. I mean hands down the flavor just bursts in your mouth. We ordered: Brussels sprouts - hands down the best Brussels sprouts I have ever had🤩 Kimchi potstickers with apple kimchi - WOOOO MAMA! def not your mama’s kimchi. So good! You can’t go wrong. Orange-ish chicken- Holy moly! I can’t go back having “normal” orange chicken ever again. Ask for their house hot sauce. Be careful… the spice lingers for a while. It’s a different kind of spice. The spice slowly grows. So good! Pork fried rice- they are very generous with the pork. Tender and so flavorful. I love it! Lastly… spicy mango smash drink (alcohol). Delish!!!! You can’t go wrong.

Beware of random 5% service charge added at the VERY END of your order. I had already added a tip, as I always do. Then when I saw my receipt, I realized it was over the “total” quoted as I completed my order. This will be the last time I ever give my business to this company. There is no “menu” and no employee taking the order. When you enter, you are instructed to choose a table then use your smartphone to scan a barcode to access an online menu. Then you enter your order, yourself, on your phone. According to the employees and a small blurb that finally appears, AFTER you hit “Pay”, the “Management” claim the 5% service fee they are randomly charging is to “offset” wage increases and benefits”. I am extremely disappointed to write that this is now their modus operandi, in addition to menu items increasing in price between 20-35% (the sides like Kimchi and cucumbers were $3 a couple of years ago and are now $4.50 each or $4.25 if you order all 5. The taste of the food is alright, however, the interior air is extremely toxic with the smoke from the stir fry . From the expression on the face of the employees, when I expressed my exception to this unexpected “service charge”, I was not the first to complain. The place is very loud, too. They play music louder than necessary, IMO. Although the flavors are acceptable, don’t expect your meal to be healthful. The poor brussel sprouts were fried, until they were black and oily, when you bite into them. Bear in mind that any food that is “blackened” has carcinogenic chemicals, as a result of the blackening. A pity because if they had been steamed and then the spicy sauce added, afterwards, it could have been a relatively healthful dish. The salmon was ok. Large enough to share. If I’d known that there were Brussel sprouts in the dish, I wouldn’t have ordered them separately. Nevertheless, for this price point, I’ll dine elsewhere.

Extremely good food at this Korean/Chinese fusion restaurant in Encinitas . I didn’t know what to expect from that cuisine pairing, but Chefs Lee and Drewno created flavors that I would return to again and again. It was nearly empty on the Sunday evening which I made an impromptu visit. Order via QR code at the table and the food is promptly and cheerily delivered (though tipping upfront, hmm). The brisket and the potato salad (for Chinese/Korean?) were both excellent, and I’d highly recommend. The environment is upscale casual with a lovely outdoor patio. My total cost was $40 including tax/tip. I ordered one main, and two small sides. Well worth it. Why four stars? I noticed a $100+ prize fix menu option and it didn’t feel well set up for that. DIY ordering, water stations, and to-go boxes don’t scream $100 meal. Regardless, a surprising, delightful find.

This is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. The staff is incredibly friendly and makes every customer feel welcome—even our dogs! We had a great time here and will definitely be back!

Chiko is one of our favorite restaurants in Encinitas. The orangish chicken is a game changer closely followed by the pork fried rice. The cooks and servers are always friendly. It’s a little smokey inside so grab a table outside when you can. Thx for consistently proving great food.