CHIKO

"Set along the train tracks in Encinitas, this local favorite is the only West Coast outpost of the Fried Rice Collective (four branches dot the Washington, D.C., area). The Korean-Chinese fusion restaurant features menu favorites like Korean garden noodles, galbi beef skewers, spicy ribeye and rice cakes, and pork and kimchi dumplings along with other Asian dishes like spicy cumin lamb stir fry and XO shrimp lo mein. Don’t skip on the Full Monty with all the banchan sides and rice with furikake butter. Chiko’s veggie and gluten-free menus are also robust." - Helen I. Hwang

"We’re obsessed with what Chiko calls their “orange-ish chicken” (actually, the whole city is), which comes topped with crispy garlic and candied mandarins. The tiny Chinese-Korean spot on Barracks Row (they also have a Dupont location) is our go-to for weeknight ordering, but their dishes are so flavorful and complex that it doubles as a move for impressing out-of-town houseguests. Chiko has counter seating inside, as well as a few tables with backless chairs, but we typically opt for ordering out." - madeline weinfield

"Chiko will expand to Bethesda Row this winter with a location at 7280 Woodmont Avenue, which was most recently the home of chef Michael Schlow’s fast-casual Italian place, Prima. Fried Rice Collective founders Drew Kim, Lee, and Drewno debuted the brand on Capitol Hill in 2017, followed by subsequent outposts in Encinitas, California, and Dupont Circle. Options will include Sichuan hot fried chicken sandwiches, pork-kimchi pot-stickers, wok-charred noodles, and Wagshal’s chopped brisket bowls, notes Washingtonian." - Tierney Plumb

"One of the San Diego eateries currently preparing and delivering meals." - Candice Woo

"The casual Encinitas eatery, which serves a menu inspired by both Chinese and Korean cuisine, recently announced that it will only be open for takeout or delivery service until further notice." - Darlene Horn