Peking Restaurant

If you know Chinese food, you know that chop suey is not authentic. There is a lot of folklore surrounding the origins of the stew-​like vegetable and meat dish, but according to American historian Iris Chang, the concept was born when a group of drunk Gold Rush miners walked into a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco and demanded to be served even though the kitchen was closed. To appease them, the chef threw together a dish using leftover scraps and called it «chop suey,» which literally translates to «odds and ends.»
Being a Chinese-​American, I love that Peking Restaurant in North Park seems to be paying homage to this legend by having signage outside spelling CHOP SUEY in letters bigger than the restaurant’s name itself. It’s charming. It’s throwback. It’s kitsch. Remember that 1960s Edward Hopper painting?
The bright red, dragon-​framed, kitsch Oriental façade — probably one of the coolest looking restaurant storefronts in San Diego — definitely has been calling to me for ages but only recently did I finally try the food.
Just as the building makes you question whether you’ll get real Chinese or fake authentic chop suey inside, I really appreciate that just as my friends and I started asking questions about the menu, our server let us know that although this is a Cantonese restaurant, the restaurant specializes in American-​style Chinese. Their most popular items are Western favorites like sweet and sour pork and beef with broccoli. There are entire sections on the menu dedicated to «sweet and sour» and «chop suey.» But she also let us know the menu items that were more authentically Cantonese, especially the crispy beef and the chow fun, which were marked with a heart on the menu.
My friends wanted egg foo young, an authentic Cantonese dish they loved at the now shuttered Gen Lai Sen in East Village, and so were delighted to get the recommendation by our server to order their special version which is not on the menu. The difference? The menu EFY comes in small patties, but this one was like a large giant omelette.
I went for the chow fun, which is offered in 3 different styles: black bean stir fried, with gravy, or dry. I chose gravy and was pretty pleased as it had a lot of flavor but didn’t seem to rely on MSG (not sure if they use it here minimally or at all). It seemed pricey at $ 13, when I know I can go to Sam Woo on Convoy Street and get it for less than $ 10. Still, the portion was absolutely huge and came with thick non-​fatty magenta slices of Chinese roast pork (char siu). We were warned, as the menu states, that the chow fun requires a long time (25 minutes) to prepare — a good sign perhaps of a well-​crafted dish. Although I enjoyed eating here and service was nicely attentive, I would probably rate this restaurant a little higher if the prices were a bit lower as over $ 10 is a lot for a noodle dish compared to other Chinese restaurants.
So is it real or Westernized Chinese food here? It looks like you have a choice here, including if you want pseudo-​Chinese chop suey, which is actually not so easy to find in modern and authentic Chinese restaurants. If you want to experience a part of local history, I encourage you do dine here, as this restaurant has been in the community for over 80 years, their chef has been cooking there for 30 years and the outside façade makes it one of San Diego’s coolest looking buildings.

If you like hair in your food please come here!!! Chewy beef and scorching hot food. Fast food Chinese is way better.

If I was rating this place strictly on charm and preservation of history, it would surely grab a 5-​star rating. The family-​style meals are great for a group and give you a chance to try several dishes. I can’t say I enjoyed the gelatinous texture of all of the sauces, that was something to get used to. I will say it was consistent across all dishes! The food was good though and service was quick and very friendly. It has a great back story and the elaborate neon entrance is very photogenic!

Hard to say. Maybe the American Chinese style is too much for Chinese. A little salty and too sweet. Anyway, the sour and sweet chicken is fine.

It’s so family oriented! In North Park! What? Food is good not great but thumbs up for being a no-​frills place in North Park. Classic style

«If you are a Chinese guy, you’ll be very disappointed with the food here.» LOL! my favorite review on here. :D
I am not a Chinese guy, I am an Irish/​German guy and I love this place! It’s Americanized Chinese food but it is NO Panda Express trust me on that one.
I have lived around this area for over 20 years. I can’t believe that I have never eaten here and that my husband never did either. Unilocal reviews of this place for once did not let me down I am happy to say. This is my second time eating here and I had the much raved about Orange Chicken. It is definitely as worth all the raves. The chicken is all breast meat and it is only lightly battered. The orange sauce is very, very good and tangy!
I had a few other dishes which are more of the typical Cantonese style food and they were pretty decent.
Can I say how glad I am the holidays are over? We are finally able to go eat here again because Christmas and tourists are gone. yay!
My husband and I will be back of course, we really like this place!

This multi-​generational restaurant has offered Chinese-​American specialties for many years. Between the high end «authentic» Chinese places and the ubiquitous hole in the wall Chinese fast food shops, it is hard to find traditional treats many of us were raised on: you can find them here, deliciously unchanged and unpretentious. You can still find foil-​wrapped chicken and gotlet chicken, old favorites. I loved my cashew chicken, as always. Chinese-​American comfort food!

Food was fresh and delicious. Service was quick and friendly which surprised me because they were very busy. We had Sweet and Sour Shrimp and Cantonese Chicken. Also got a ½ order (3 pieces) of Gotlet Chicken as I have not had that in years. Very good.
I have lived in North Park/​Normal Heights area 30+ years and am sorry it took me so long to finally give it a try. Will be back for sure.

Simply the best of its kind in the area. The Chinese food of my youth! Well seasoned, time after time after time. Friendly service, well priced. Forget the other places, just go here.

This place was so good! Cute family owned style and true Chinese food. Orange chicken was the best thing ever. The hot and sour soup was authentic and really good! Also great service!!! Highly recommend! Also it’s affordable! A lot of food for the price!!!

Love this place order the special chicken chow mein with soft noodles so yummy you won’t regret it

My mission to find a go-​to Chinese spot in San Diego led me to Peking last night. I found this spot on Unilocal and decided to give it a try.
This place looks and feels exactly like what you would imagine a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown would, except it’s not in Chinatown, it’s in North Park, San Diego.
I called ahead and placed a take out order of orange chicken, the beef lo mein, and egg rolls. They told me 15 minutes and sure enough, when I got there 15 minutes later, the food was ready to go at the cash register. I appreciate the level of service, especially for a Friday night.
The orange chicken was decent. I enjoyed it and probably would order it again, but by no means was it the best I’ve ever had. The beef lo mein and egg rolls were a pretty good choice though.
Overall, I liked it and would probably eat here again. However, my mission to find a go-​to Chinese restaurant in San Diego will definitely continue.

It is hard to find, there is no parking and they only take cash, but the food is simply fabulous. Unlike the ubiquitous «chinese», the Peking offers real Chinese food of the best quality. I have been going here for over 25 years and am always happy to go back.

Great Chinese food! I have been looking for a good Chinese place in San Diego for some time. Mind you, this is not authentic Chinese food but rather American Chinese food. Still really good.
We ordered the wonton soup, chicken and broccoli and plain friend rice. All the food was good and the service was exceptional!
I took off one star because there were crumbs and food on the floors and on the seat cushions of most of the booths.

I like this iconic restaurant very much. It hasn’t changed it’s look — or its menu or its staff in a very long time. But I think second– and third– generation Chinese-​Americans have figured out something about us Americans: As long as you offer a good food at a decent price, we’re willing to look the other way on many other things.
And they do!
I frequently have the War Wonton soup, a resplendent and generous portion of pork dumplings and vegetables in a broth as clear and as well-​seasoned as i could every ask for.
I have also found that most of the staples of the menu, their beef, pork, chicken and shrimp dishes are equally as generous. They’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays but I hope, in light of Wang’s closing, they will reconsider.

I love the kitsch of this place.
From what I understand, 3 or 4 generation, family owned and operated.
The food is OK, but a little bland. 2^nd visit not as greasy as the first.
Go for the War Won Ton soup. Or the lo mien.
Not a fan of the crispy noodles, and the standard dishes (broccoli beef, cashew chicken were adequate).
Now w/​Wangs gone, though… this is about all we’ve got in the neighborhood, so ENJOY!

Love this place!
It’s a family owned restaurant and it’s closed for a couple of days and it closes early on the days it IS open, but the couple who operate it are in their 80’s, If memory serves me right, so they use the time as their days off. Rightfully so. Really, that’s my only complaint is the operating hours, but it’s understandable and can be worked around to get what you want if you’re really itching for some superb Chinese food.
The food is so good! SO GOOD! I quickly found a favorite (lo mein) and order it frequently. The woman at the cash register is very nice and personable, and, whenever I order (always take out), she usually recognizes that it’s me. If I ever have my kids with me or are in the car, they’ve offered to bring out the food to my car and do the transaction that way. I’ve never taken advantage of it, but it’s definitely not an accommodation you’d get anywhere else. They really go above and beyond with the service I’ve experienced.
I don’t know what will happen to this place once the couple becomes too old to operate it, but I certainly hope it doesn’t disappear!

If you want legitimate Cantonese Chinese cuisine. This is the place to be. You’re definitely getting good food and great atmosphere. Service was excellent too!!!
As a food lover and a Malaysian Chinese, trust me its hard to find authentic Chinese food that is not Americanized!
I was pleasantly surprised to find this place and was a very very pleased with the food. So if you want authentic Chinese cuisine. and have a palette for good food, this is the place to go.

(Review for take-​out order) Good food with excellent service. We called in our order and it was ready for us within 15 min. The woman who took our order was really sweet and told us to call her if we arrived and couldn’t find parking so she could bring the food out to us. (Luckily we were on a weird eating schedule and decided to eat lunch around 2 PM, thus the parking gods were looking favorably upon us.)
Beef Lo-​Mein: Pretty tasty; good flavor
Egg Flower Soup: Hit the spot. The pint was more than enough for the 2 of us.
Crispy Beef: Ironically enough, it was not the beef that made this «crispy beef», but the crunchy noodles they serve with it. (The crispy little noodles that you sprinkle over stuff, sometimes you can find them in a can). YUM!
Will definitely go back.

So, so, so delicious!!! Last night was our first time dining here, and now we can’t wait to go back!
Our dinner order consisted of some War Won Ton soup, Crispy Won Tons, Shrimp Chop Suey and Crispy Beef. And it all was unbelievably good and tasty!
Generous portions, clean, and the best customer service! Can’t say enough. This is now our favorite Chinese restaurant!!!