Daniel B.
Yelp
Since its opening in June 2019, Yelp reviews for Chef's House Peking Duck have been all over the place. This restaurant is polarizing. I'm surprised this place has a three-star average rating after 110 reviews. Our experience was great. I thought the food was outstanding and service was very good. Maybe we went on a good night. Maybe a lot of the bad reviews were left by people who didn't know what to order. Maybe Chef's House has gotten better.
I first learned about this place years ago when I happened to catch one of my friends' Instagram stories showing video of the restaurant's Peking Duck tableside preparation. While the tableside prep and dish presentation help make this place stand out from a lot of other Chinese restaurants in metro Atlanta, my friend thought the food tasted sub-par and left a two-star review. She did think the service was good though. A couple of my Taiwanese-American friends, whose food opinions I trust, like this place and bring their families here. It's one of their go-to spots. So, from just a couple examples of opinions of people I know, it's a mixed bag, consistent with the reviews.
My opinion: Five stars. Definitely at least a solid four.
Chef's House used to be Kung Fu Kitchen. Kung Fu Kitchen was open for only a brief period beginning in May 2018: https://bit.ly/41K3ee3. I noticed Yelper Wing K's photos of Chef's House, Kung Fu Kitchen, and Royal China (also in Duluth: https://bit.ly/433RKmq). The photos appear to connect them with the businesses in some way (e.g., owner, staff): https://bit.ly/3pKyoED. For example, they have original menu images and in-kitchen photos. It wouldn't surprise me if all three restaurants are connected in some way. The restaurant concepts look similar, from the nicer-looking interiors, furniture, and tableware to the big, glossy, picture menus that more resemble magazines than traditional restaurant menus (Food Terminal is the same way). I like the picture menus because they make ordering easy.
This isn't your typical Cantonese joint. While Peking Duck is the draw, Chef's House is an "authentic" Chinese restaurant, like Royal China and others in the Atlanta area, with a big menu that offers much more including high-dollar items. They have two menus, in fact. I refer to them as "Menu A" and "Menu B" because of the numbering. Menu A has dishes A01 to A137. Menu B has dishes B01 to B97. When I asked one of the staff what the difference between the two menus was, he said one was regular and one was spicy. That actually wasn't the case, strictly speaking, but Menu B did contain the spicy dishes. And they have specials/off-menu items too.
Chef's House serves Chinese cuisine you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in Georgia. A few examples include A28. Braised Abalone, Goosefoot, and Sea Cucumber in Abalone Sauce ($108 for one), A70. Braised Soft Shell Turtle with Chicken (special price), and B35. Lu Ding Ji Shrimp and Frog Charcoal Hot Pot ($48.95). Below is what five of us got:
A01. Peking Duck - two courses sliced and soup ($43.95 first course + $15.00 second course)
A48. Grilled Beef with Cumin Garlic and Mushrooms ($19.95)
A93. Japanese Tofu Clay Pot ($18.95)
B24. Sizzling Intestine Clay Pot ($23.95)
B54. Spicy Chicken in Grill Pot ($21.95)
Unlisted. Kōngxīncài (空心菜) in Mandarin / Ong Choy (蕹菜) in Cantonese - water spinach (price unknown)
Like they do in China, Chef's House uses the same duck to serve multiple courses. Here, the first course is sliced meat with Chinese pancakes, spring onion, cucumber, and tianmian sauce (sweet bean sauce) and the second course is bone-in duck soup with tofu and greens. I recommend everything we had listed above. All of the ingredients were fresh and every dish was well-executed and delicious. This place is legit.
For something different, I suggest checking out the "Grill Pots," B51-B58. Super tasty, and fun presentation. I loved the Sizzling Intestine Clay Pot. For me, I believe it eclipses the intestines at La Mei Zi on Buford Highway for best Chinese/Taiwanese intestines dish in Atlanta. So good. Finally, bonus points to any Chinese restaurant that serves my favorite Asian veggie, Ong Choy. Not only that, but they make an excellent version too.
This is a great spot for families and groups. They have several large tables with Lazy Susans and private rooms. One of my friends came here for a baby shower
This restaurant caters to and is popular with the local Chinese community. As I was seated, our server kept talking to me in Mandarin even after I told her I didn't speak Chinese.
Pay in cash and get a discount.
Note: I'm leaving this for the end of my review because I normally don't pay attention to nor put much stock in restaurant inspections (though admittedly, I probably should). Chef's House failed inspections in 2021 and 2022. They scored an 85 B on their latest inspection on 7/24/2023: https://bit.ly/3o7rhFW. I couldn't see into the kitchen, but this restaurant felt very clean to me.