Chi Dynasty

I started out with the Lychi Martini which was FABULOUS. The food also was great. Orange Chicken was crispy and the sauce was decadent. The steamed fish was very nice as well, although not quite as much flavor. The servers were helpful friendly and on top of things. I've been here quite a few times and am always pleased with the food and service.

Posted 01/10/09

I am so happy I discovered this place when I was in L.A. I absolutely love their hot and sour soup. Sooo tasty. Also, they make this special fish dish which is amazing. I never had fish like this anywhere else. The sause is just delicious. Very nice and inviting atmosphere. The staff is really friendly.

Pros: Ambience, Parking, Service, Food

Posted 11/09/08

My fiance and i aren't to crazy about going out of the normal chinese restaurants(we have our faves)... but we were lazy and decided to do a close by lunch delivery. I researched some of the spots in our area and found some pretty good reviews on the C.D Restaurant. So we took a chance and ordered out. We had the Kung- Pao Chicken and Dynasty Lo Mein. It was awesome. I'm not a huge fan of chicken but the quality of meat in the Kung-pao was awesome. Very tasty. the noodles were also very good and the portion size were also very nice. (not to mention the left overs tasted good the next day.) over all as far as take out is concerned.... we would definately order out again.

Pros: take out was quick and the food was still really hot!!

Cons: Well none yet as far as the business since we enjoyed our meal at home.

Posted 08/28/08

This was by far the worst chinese food or any other other food that I have had since moving to LA. I read about this place in Zagat and was excited to order some good food. What I experienced was a sick joke to my sense of taste. Absolutely disgusting! The delivery bag was leaking when I got it, the delivery guy did not even attempt to use the buzzer to my building, forcing me to get the food, despite a delivery charge, and no sauces were in the bag. If you like bland, soggy and rubbery chicken, this is the place for you. If not, you might as well go to Panda Express. Look out for this place. Do not be fooled. 0 out of 5 stars. Ewwww!

Pros: Its food

Cons: Its tastes gross

Posted 06/17/08

Have you heard about what happened to Chi Dynasty's old location? I say old location because they are now at 1813 Hillhurst Ave, a few blocks south from where they used to be. Apparently the land lord pushed out Jonathan Chi and got some of his workers to partner and open a new restaurant called "The Palace." It makes me sick to see how they have tried to emulate Chi Dynasty so much. The menu is the same, the decor is the same, and the people who betrayed him are just unmoral. Personally, im going to their new location.

Pros: Freshly cooked with tons of flavor

Cons: Can get too crowded, service faluters

Posted 12/31/07

My family has been coming here for years - great spot for a large group of picky eaters (the menu is huge!) Everything we've had here is good, large portions, healthier than most Chinese places. TRY THE CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD - the menu states it's the best in town, and I wholeheartedly agree! Service can be gruff, but I've never had any mishaps like some of the other reviewers ( then again, I would never try to return a dish even if I hated it; come on it's only $20 is that really worth the hassle??). Also, keep in mind that it gets way busy here during peak hours, so when they forget my water or something I just give them a break...

Pros: Best Chinese chicken salad, fresh & tasty food, huge menu, good value.

Cons: Gets loud & crowded, service can be gruff.

Posted 11/25/07

i was floored with how friendly the entire staff was! from the valet to the hostess to the entire wait staff. everyone bent over backwards to be welcoming. i loved the food! yes, the orange chicken was fantastic, just like a previous reviewer said. and half the customers knew Tony by name! he made sure to introducer himself to us as newcomers. great place for a group dinner!

Pros: friendly staff and the food

Posted 07/28/07

My friend kept telling us to try this placed because her friend could not stop talking about how great it is. We decided to go there just to try it. Personally I'm not to crazy about trying different Chinese restaurants since I'm so used to P.F. Chang's and Panda Inn. The waiter, not sure what his name was, charges to our table and without a hello asks us if we would like to order anything to drink. We got waters and lettuce wraps to begin with. We then ordered a hot and sour soup and a wonton soup, along with aromatic shrimp and shrimp lo mein. as he wrote down our order he then asked us if we would like white rice with that. I said sure. We get our soup, mine is ok but my friend almost threw up as she bit into the pork wonton which according to her had a very bad taste. she asked the waiter to please take the soup back because the chicken in the wonton did not taste right. he started questioning her and saying that that's not chicken and that it's pork and gave her a dirty look and took her bowl away. later we get our lo mein and instead of shrimp it had chicken. they also took that away and brought back the shrimp lo mein. again no acknowledgement or an apology for his mistake. we finally get our check and we see that they have charged us for the rice. I told him that we did not order the rice and that he had mentioned if we would like white rice or brown with our meal when he took our order. he stated that it's optional and that they charge for white rice. i then told him that most places just give the rice for free when you order an entree, he did not care and giving me a puzzeled look tells me that most places does not mean all places, we charge for our white rice. we told him how we are dissappointed at his service and he offered a manager who came to our table but was even worse than our waiter. He basically told us that this is how he manages his restaurant and if we are not happy we can write about it in the la times. TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE.

Posted 05/10/07

Orange chicken is the best I've had anywhere. I usually have the same waiter, a pretty distinguished, quiet gentleman in a tux, never seen him be snotty or had any snotty waiters at Chi dynasty as some have reported.
They have this dish, I call them chicken tacos not sure the chinese name, but great for people avoiding starches and carbs, it's chicken in a lettuce leaf, sounds boring but it's one of the greatest things I've ever eaten, diet or no diet. DELICIOUS. great sauces. food tastes clean, maybe because it's not as oily as most chinese I've had...more high end, quality meats as well.
this is one of my favorite restaurants and I'm a restaurant snob. I love that it's affordable as well, can beat that. Don't love the atmosphere but the food's so good I don't care.

Pros: high quality white meat in the Orange chicken

Posted 02/26/07

my boyfriend and i, both longtime vegetarians, were excited to try a new local chinese place. we stopped in and ordered lunch for take-out. fried tofu and broccoli, two soups and a large rice. we let the hostess know we were veggie, and specifically asked if the soups were both vegetarian. she assured us, and the order was ready in about five minutes. we were out the door for just under $18.
our disappointment began as we unpacked the meal at home. the tofu dish portion was smaller than we anticipated and had no other ingredients other than tofu and broccoli (totally dry! not even any sauce!). within a minute my boyfriend was spitting out a piece of chicken from the hot and sour soup, and the soup was full of more. next we both taste the tofu has been cooked in some sort fish oil or sauce. as veteran veggies, we realized that mistakes are sometimes made, but overall there were just too many problems with the order for it to be something we were willing to eat. my soup not even ventured, we agree that this was an unfortunate first visit, and we brought the entire meal back to request a refund.
the man whom we spoke with (joe) quickly became condesending when he realized we wanted all four parts of the order refunded. (we brought back all four parts of the order.) as soon as looked at the container of tofu he accused (Accused!) us of eating half of it and then wanting a refund, clearly unaware of his kitchen's stingy portions. mocking my use of the word "unacceptable" in an elevated tone, he refused to refund us, saying he would only refund the hot and sour soup, challenging us to contact the owner at a later date. in the end we got back our $18, but only as joe stomped behind the bar, announcing to the patrons that he was being cheated by us.
places of business must remember that as important as great product is the manner in which they resolve service for their customers.
a simple apology would have gone a long way.
will never return.

Pros: parking lot, fast kitchen

Cons: unknowlegable and rude staff

Posted 12/30/06

We went to Chi Dynasty with the intent to have our Rehearsal Dinner here. My friend had recommended it. The decor is definitely old school. The waiter we had was very snotty and unhelpful. We got to the restaurant at 5:30 and ordered 2 appetizers and 2 main entrees. One appetizer came pretty fast but the second one came at 6:20 and the entrees were still not served. We asked for ice water and the waiter forgot but remembered the table next to ours who ordered right after us. No apologies for delays whatsoever. VERY DISAPPOINTING. I'm Chinese and I speak Cantonese fluently. I was very disappointed at the quality of service. I would definitely recommend Empress Pavilion in Chinatown (Bamboo Plaza) any day!

Cons: Poor service, loud environment

Posted 12/25/06

Chi Dynasty is one of the best chinese food restaurants.
Everything is totally fresh. Get the Sizzling Rice Soup, Orange Chicken, or Aromatic Shrimp. Any of their specialities are great! The green beans are delicious too. The servers are great and have been there a long time. They also make great mixed drinks which is a bit strange, but they're good.
They may charge a little extra for rice or tea, but it is well worth it. They have beautiful decor and artwork and they recently painted the whole place. It looks beautiful! Not much to look at from the out side, but trust me you'll enjoy the food and atmosphere.

Pros: Service, food

Posted 12/20/06

My brothter loves this place so I told him to write the review and I would submit it.
He says:
try the lunch special
the sesame chicken is great..
the chinese chicken salad is tooo sweet- goto Tangier ( up the street) instead for a chinese chicken salad
and the shrimp specials are delicious!

In the Neighborhood go to:
Alcove for the lamb burger
Tangier for the salads and Miso cod
Blairs for wine and crab cakes
Derby for a moment
palermos for cheap fun and damn good pizza
cheech's pizza for VERY a very cheap slice, but good pizza
Los feliz cafe for homemade soup
well the list could go on and on

Posted 12/15/06

Chi Dynasty is what I consider an "old school" Chinese restaurant...like those you'd see in films from the 50's. Very nicely decorated and spacious restaurant with friendly and attentative staff. My friend loved the food: wanton soup and a chicken and veggie dish. I had sauteed broccoli and string beans, but didn't care for it...it was rather smokey with a buttery taste; again, my friend liked it. Chi gives a lot of food so you'll have something to take home. Very affordable price: 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, and a soft drink...$30.

Pros: Great decor, attentive staff, affordable prices

Cons: I didn't really care for the food...

Posted 09/06/06

Outside of China town... this is the best chinese food that I've had, period. The waiters have NEVER been snotty to me, and I always have polite attentive service.
No, you won't get tea in a teapot. Its better, flavorwise, since its fresh and loose leaf, not from a tea bag... its a bit hard to drink until you are used to it though.
I love the orange chicken, having hated the dish for years at other places. The breading isn't too thick, its light, crispy on the outside, and there is a good amount of actual chicken. Most other places are all bread and sauce with little to no chicken that you can actually taste.
The sauces with all thier dishes are not overly syrupy, and are full of flavor.
The prices are reasonable, not anymore expensive than any other good restaurant. You get what you pay for, after all. If you are looking for something cheap and mediocre, don't go here... the city is full of those. If you want great chinese food in a relaxed atmosphere... this is the place.

Pros: Good food. Never seen it over crowed. Excellent service.

Cons: Parking is tricky if you don't want to pay at the lot.

Posted 09/04/06

Food is Ok, but it is very over priced. You can't get a chinese tea by a teapot! You have to pay for each orders! A waiter was snotty. I won't go back again.

Pros: Food

Cons: Snotty Waiter

Posted 08/09/06

I tried this place based on a review I read in CityBeat, and i wasn't disappointed. Unlike other Chinese places that drown their food in soy sauce, this place has great sauces that are each unique and wonderful. The Chi Chicken and Orange Chicken are my current favorites, but I'll try everything. The waiters are very professional and attentive. They have a full bar and the owner is there frequently (a plus in my book).

Pros: great food, great service, full bar

Posted 10/14/05

I ordered the orange chicken for take-away. The chicken itself was quite good - orange slices and pieces of rind and whole peppers and the whole nine. What threw the whole meal off was the less-than-perfect rice! It wasn't sticky or fluffy - it was almost like middle-eastern or armenian rice without butter or almonds. No good, in my opinion. A little pricey for the amount of food you get.

Pros: Good chicken

Cons: Not-so-good rice

Posted 05/12/05

Expertly prepared Chinese-American dishes delivered quickly to your table. Curteous service by professional waiters who don't write anything down when taking your order but always get the orders right (how do they do that?!). White table cloths, pressed cloth napkins, generous (but not grossly gigantic) portions. Owner seems to always be there to keep things running smoothly. Clearly a local favorite.

Pros: service, food

Posted 03/13/05

The atmosphere, the charming wait staff, and delicious food make this my favorite place in..... anywhere!!!!! It's like I'm a junky.... I think about this food all the time... I become irritable if I don't get it when I want it........ It consumes me! If I "HAD" to choose one dish.... it would be the Aromatic Shrimp, but really, everything is magical here.

I agree with all other comments regarding westsiders....... stay home! This place is not Posh..... It's not the place to "Be Seen". It's just a place to enjoy fantastic food with real people.

Posted 03/06/05

This is the best chinese food in town and very inexpensive. Go with a group so you can get a little of everything. Very fun casual place.

Pros: easy parking, zero attitude, real people

Posted 08/03/04

I have eaten at this restaurant since 1993 and am well aquainted with the maitre'd and owner.Like the other reviewer said,this is a place for unpretenious people who enjoy good food.It is not a place for "posh pretenders."they should stay on the west side.I love the restaurant & food.try their green tea ice cream and the minced chicken in a crisp lettuce leaf.

Pros: good food

Posted 04/21/04

The writer of the editorial got it wonderfully correct. Opulent decor makes a heroic attempt to cover the aging walls and furniture. The food here is quite good, although the waitstaff and the prices are slightly puffed-up, but again, that adds to the charm of the place. They do sauces well here, and we were surprised by how flavorful the tea was. I would certainly go again when I feel like a local, comfortable place but don't mind paying about a buck more per dish than a local, comfortable place would normally charge.

Pros: "High end kitsch", Honest food

Cons: , Dingy exterior

Posted 02/03/04

this place is the best for a casual dining experience, the food is great, service is nice, and great local hangout. You may even geta chance to see some local celebrities sitting in the small bar area. Ask for the sizzling rice soup with tomato base and the sliced szchewan chicken over crispy noodles. The chinese chicken salad is simply the best. You could always have an interesting conversation with the owner or the waiters. Try it you won't regret it.

Posted 10/17/03

Killer hot and sour soup, wontons, egg rolls, and orange flavored chicken. Lo mein dishes are uninspired, so stay away. Very reasonable prices and I always get prompt service. Good atmo, and they even have a bar where you can sit and watch the game on tv if you want.

Posted 06/05/02

I can see from the reviews that some people do not appreciate Chi Dynasty, but then again, people from West LA should probably just stay there and let the Eastsiders enjoy "old school" LA.

Posted 05/27/02