Cho's Restaurant

I'm giving Cho's and "excellent" rating because Mr. Cho is great at what he does. Cho's has been serving very simple Chinese fare for 20 years, doing it exactly the same way, and in exactly the same simple surroundings for that entire stretch. The very best potstickers and Cha Siu Bao ("sweet barbecue pork buns") I have ever had. Do yourself a favor and step inside Cho's little shop for a bite.

We shd have listened to the previous reviewer: To re-interate, it was just a run down potsticker hole in the wall. I've no idea where all these 4 and 5 star reviews come from. If I need just potstickers, I can go to costco and get potstickers, buns and make it at home. No vinigrette sauce, no ginger nothing. Cheap though, and very oily, at a run down chinese mom and pops hole. This is not a dim sum place. So don't read the reviews and think this is a real dim sum. It's like a cheap grade fast food location if you want to live just on oily egg rolls and potstickers and pork buns. Find a real dim sum place.

Not a restaurant - a pot sticker hole in the wall: This place is not a restaurant; they mainly offer pot sticker dumplings & buns; no other dishes. This place is run on a low-budget, no to-go menus, only an over head list of several combinations that are about the same: #1 2 pot-stickers, 2 buns, 1 egg-roll, #2 etc. The egg roll is over cooked and not worth buying. They do offer soup, but it like everything is al-la-carte.

There is a vegetarian chow mien offered, but there is very little vegetables in it, only a few big chunks of sour-pickled cabbage in thrown in, and it is warmed up on the same tired-oil grill that the dumplings / buns are burnt on (noodles have a funky yucky old oil / burnt taste; like the grill has not been clean in a week).

The vegetarian chow mien is a small portion for $3.25 (not a good deal nor tasty). Prices are cheap for the dumplings & buns (start at 3 for $2.25 and go up depending on the meat or filling).

Seating is about the space of a walk-in-closet (minimal) and mainly for those dropping in for a pot sicker bite and then leave (four tiny tables with two chairs each).

The person that was there when I came in and the two different people that came in while I waited for my food, only ordered pot stickers to eat at the few small tables. This place is mainly for people to get their pot sticker fix.

As far as the owner (Cho) being like a Soup-Nazi, I did not see it as he was civil with me. I could see if he argued with his wife (there with him) and/or got into a bad mood, the place is so small that he could seem to be a Pot-sticker-Nazi.

Would I return to this place? Not if I wanted more than pot stickers or buns. There are two Chinese restaurants on California Ave that offer full menus.