Chef Zhao Kitchen

Regional Chinese cooking with bold wok-fired dishes and dumplings popular with the Stanford community.

Chef Zhao Kitchen gives its West Bayshore Road menu a distinctive Shanghai thread. Pork buns, vegetable buns, bean curd preparations, and thick stir-fried noodles offer more to explore than a standard Chinese takeout selection. We like the detail in dishes such as Four Happiness Bean Curd, which combines bean curd with wood-ear mushrooms, dried lily, peanuts, and a sweet soy glaze. Pan-fried pork buns bring another texture to the table, while spicy streetside chow mein and cilantro fried rice provide bolder noodle and rice choices. Familiar kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef, and mapo tofu remain available for a straightforward rice-based meal. Sweet rice with red bean filling and sesame rice ball soup extend the regional character into dessert. Chef Zhao Kitchen is appealing for diners in Palo Alto who want familiar favorites alongside a few dishes that invite closer attention.