Mandarin Roots

Nothing special. We had better. It's just average Chinese food for a bit higher than usual price. Garlic noodle was okay, but the price was a bit higher than what anyone should gladly pay. Orange chicken was probably the best, but again not for the price here. Mongolian beef was spicy, and nothing unusually outstanding. Beef with Chinese broccoli was okay, just average. Chilean Sea Bass was bit sweet, and really expensive. Spicy seafood noodle soup was good, but again why so pricey? String beans were okay. One server was nice. But another one, just didn't want to be there. He complained about opening the table leaves to expand the table to accommodate all the dishes I ordered. Well, he was not cute enough to be in a bad mood, and get away with it. Get your act together, or go do something else, okay? Just average food for more than what anyone should actually pay for. And time for attitude check.

I love this place, but the food isn't quite there. Ambience: 5 stars Service: 5 stars Food: 3.5 stars Value (food awesomeness vs price): 3 stars The plating and decor were always tasteful, but the food is a bit too Americanized and a bit bland or lacking. I'd bring someone here if we want a Chinese dinner in a nice place, more upscale, but only if they don't ask for 'legit' Chinese food. PS. Their desserts menu looks amazing. I had the green tea tiramisu and it was very good.

Good flavorful food with very good cocktails! It is a bit hard to find, there's a small and you can easily miss if you aren't attentive. There's parking at back in addition to the street parking. Had Firecracker Mojito interesting twist on the regular - worth a try. I also had the Penicillin whiskey drink, liked it very much. Others at the table pretty much ordered one of every cocktail on the menu. A couple drinks ended up on the sweeter side - so if you don't like it that way, let them know. For appetizers got the roti/scallion pancake and fried tofu. Both were good and we ordered seconds. For dinner got the orange peel, mapu tofu, fried beans, fried rice and noodles. Food was generally good, very flavorful. The chicken was crispy with a nice orangy spciy sauce and went down well with the fried rice. Others also enjoyed the food. The hostess managed to convince us to try dessert - so got two lava cakes - pretty decent. The service was very good, attentive despite being a crowded night. Highly recommend.

We enjoyed the Chinese Chicken Salad, Buddha's Fried Rice, Salt & Pepper Calamari, and the Wok-Tossed-Clams. Everything was delicious! We make it a point to come here every time we are in Palo Alto at lunch time.

This Asian fusion restaurant has a huge menu of both food and drinks. My bowl of spicy seafood noodles was really tasty and a seriously huge portion (~$17). The noodles themselves were a good texture, the soup was alright and not that spicy, and there was a very generous amount of seafood included in the dish. My lychee sangria was also very good and quite different than your typical run-of-the-mill sangrias. I sat in the beautiful outside patio area, but the inside looked quite nice also. Service was great and the wait staff was attentive. However, I wish the menu included more vegetarian options; specifically, the small plates section had next to none vegetarian options.

The food was nice and tasty. We ordered garlic chicken noodles with clay pot basil chicken and it was amazing. The cocktails were also nice, we had asked for some customisations to it like make it less sweet and they heard it

Their outdoor space is so nice and chill. I recommend you go there during their Happy Hour;cheap drinks and appetizers. Their Kalbi beef tacos was amazing! Puked duke was good but a little bit overpriced. Overall, i would go back there again.

I have been to Mandarin roots twice and on both occasions I liked whatever we ordered. This is upscale Chinese food which is not very spicy and has no smell or thick oil slick associated with Chinese cuisine. I will go there again.

I've been here twice and I've liked my food both times! This place doesn't get very crowded on weekends which is nice, not sure what's going on with the acoustics in the main dining area but it gets VERY loud even with only 50% occupancy. Service is fast and they serve complimentary tea if asked. Dishes do not come with rice but servings are sizeable 3 cup tofu: 4/5 a little too gingery but good texture and flavor Kung pao tofu: 5/5 good flavor and texture we got it 4 out of 5 spice which I thought was really good , could've gone 5/5 for spice too Veggie fried rice with egg: 4/5 tasted like regular chinese fried rice it was p good just a little bland on its own.. needs to be eaten with something else . I did really like the bamboo shoots in the rice though Overall good food, prices and portions, I will be coming back ! note: there's a lot in the back but I always miss the entrance and end up parking around the side

The good: nice ambiance. Staffs were nice The not so good: everything we ordered was extremely salty. I've been to the other location before, and that didn't really hit the spot for me either. The restaurant is hyped up to be a Taiwanese restaurant, but it's on the heavier side of seasoning. We ordered two dishes + noodle. It was not a smart idea to order both dishes with the same sauce, because we did not like the house special sauce at all. It was very salty and, according to my dad, too sweet.

Red Hot Wok is a solid spot for comforting Taiwanese food, conveniently located on El Camino in Palo Alto. Parking can be a bit tricky since you'll need to turn into the side streets, but it's manageable. We came for dinner on a Wednesday, and the restaurant was about half full, so there was no wait. The service was excellent--our server was incredibly kind and helped us navigate allergens in our group, making sure we had dishes everyone could enjoy. We ordered the popcorn chicken, minced pork with rice, salted duck egg with tofu, and chicken clay pot. Everything was hearty and homey, perfect for sharing family-style. The flavors were rich and satisfying, and the portions were just right. Prices ranged from about $13-$20 per dish, which felt reasonable for the quality and portion sizes. Overall, Red Hot Wok is a great choice if you're looking for a casual, welcoming spot with comforting Taiwanese flavors. Would definitely come back!

Food 4.5/5 Honestly one of the top Taiwanese restraints I have been to. The salt and pepper pork spareribs is a must order! Came out hot with the perfect amount of crisp. The garlic string beans and hot sour and soup were average. The three cups chicken was a little disappointing because it contained quite a lot of tiny bones, I was also hoping for a more ginger and basil fragrant in the dish. But overall, the portion and the food you get for the price is far better than most Taiwanese restaurant out there. Service 5/5 Came for dinner time on a Sunday and it was not pack. The servers were very attentive and refilled our waters. They even packed our to-go's for us. Ambiance 5/5 Not a very big restaurant but feels very cozy inside. Suitable for all party sizes.

I've been to and loved the Cupertino location so I was ecstatic when I found out there was a location in Palo Alto as well. Happy to report back and let y'all know this location is just as good as the Cupertino one! Came to introduce my friends to some SUPER yummy food and Red Hot Wok did NOT disappoint. Here's everything we ordered (we loved all of them!) - Three Cup Chicken (with bones in): 10/10; a must EVERY time - Salt and Pepper Spare Ribs: probably some of the best ones I've had in a while - Tofu with Salted Egg Sauce: this is in the veggies section haha but YUM; the sauce is ADDICTING - Sizzling Beef w Bamboo Shoots: I'm not the biggest bamboo person so I'm surprised that I loved it so much - Taiwanese Sausage Fried Rice: flavor was so tasty BUT wish the sausage was a little crispier (still tasty tho) - Braised Pork Rice Bowl: shouldn't be a surprise but this was also a hit! - Mango Shaved Ice: honestly, I was a little skeptical (and so full from everything else) when we ordered this but honestly was the best way to end the meal. Balanced everything out and loved the amount of mango they gave us. Other than the amazing food, the service is great and it's a clean restaurant! Parking isn't my favorite but there is usually a pretty fair amount of street parking.

Came by to have lunch at Red Hot Wok, and I've gotta say, it's a solid spot to grab Chinese food. The menu is pretty extensive but we went with 3 items: combo fried rice, 3 cup chicken, and the salt and pepper pork spare ribs. We had asked for the 3 cup chicken boneless, but there was an error and it came with bones which honestly was a bummer bc I had to be super conscious about not biting into the tiny bones. The flavors are good though, just would've been more enjoyable and easier to eat boneless lol The fried rice was good, but could've definitely used a bit more flavor. My favorite was the spare ribs though, great flavor, little pieces of peppers added a nice kick, and good size pieces of meat. I'd get this again but asked for it extra crispy. It's a little hard to find because there isn't a big sign, and space next door looks vacant but once you know where it is, it'll be easy to find. Plenty of street parking while I was there. From a price and portion standpoint, I thought there's good value there. We definitely had enough to take some leftovers home.

I came here with two friends and it was mostly empty at 7:10 pm on a Tuesday night! Good: - Food came out fast and it's as good as I remember! - The egg tofu was so chewy and soft, and savory! - The veggies here are tasty and healthy - The fried rice was flavorful and well salted Bad: - It was hard to flag down a waiter - Not a big fan of the salted egg yolk dish in the clay pot - just had a bit too strong of an aftertaste for me Overall it's a casual place with good Asian food and predictable quality!

Nice traditional Taiwanese place that serves Taiwanese style bento boxes! We went for lunch so all got the lunch special, which we would highly recommend. The home special bento box included a variety of meats, including Taiwanese sausage and pork chop, which were both great! The pork chop was especially crispy and good. The accompanying vegetables were also a hit as well.

This is a very unassuming restaurant off El Camino in Palo Alto that serves authentic Taiwanese food at very reasonable prices. What we got: - Minced Pork Belly over rice (Lu rou fan): Tender, flavorful chunks of pork belly with egg, mustard greens, and a bowl of rice. Delicious. - Sacha beef + veggie: Super flavorful dish, not overly salty, with tender pieces of beef - Salted duck egg yolk tofu: Fresh, silky tofu with great flavor and a departure from the "regular" salted egg yolk dishes you may be used to seeing at restaurants Waitstaff was super attentive/polite and the food came out quick. Definitely a winner over here if you're craving Taiwanese food in the area.

My kids love the ground pork rice bowl so I thought I give it a try. I was too lazy to go to Palo Alto , so decided to order through DoorDash . Ground pork rice bowl -- very good and comforting. The pork is essentially stewed pork and pork belly, very tender and juicy, the pickled vegetables also provides the flavor a perfect balance of crunch and tartness. The egg was a bit too tough. Clams in black bean sauce -- the clams were tiny but the taste was good and fresh. String beans -- nicely wok blistered , tender and crispy. Three cup chicken -- this was the least favorite. The chicken came with bones as advertised but the meat was tough and the chicken didn't taste as fresh. Overall a good Chinese restaurant and I Wil come back to try other dishes.

So my partner said the Cupertino location is much better. Red Hot Wok is hit or miss and I've dined in and gotten take out. Their three cup chicken is pretty dry and it's supposed to be their main signature dish. Also tried the kung pao shrimp which was OK Pricy though for the portions you get. Haven't tried much else besides the shrimp toast which was pretty good. Would like to compare to the Cupertino location next time.

It's a great spot with a parking lot in the back (narrow), but a great place to meet for a meal. It was a treat we had soup, clams and lamb. Soup was the best. Clams were small, but plentiful. Lamb was fresh and well seasoned. Service is very good. clean bathrooms and clean dinning room. Pretty modern, I think it's about 2.5 years old.

Red Hot Wok is the go-to choice for Chinese food for my husband and I whenever we happen to be in Palo Alto, usually after visiting Stanford. We really like their menu selection and the service here is really fast. We've dropped in as late as 8pm on a Wednesday (they close at 8:30pm) and we've been out of the restaurant by the time they close....maybe this is also a testament to how quickly my husband and I are capable of eating, haha. Prices are pretty reasonable for the Bay Area; portions aren't HUGE though, and somehow we feel the to-go portions are even slightly smaller than dine-in. Our favorite dishes here are: - 3 Cup Pork Intestine: soo flavorful and a must-try if you like pork intestines (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!) - Stir Fried Eggplant in Garlic Sauce: the eggplant is super tender! Overall, RHW is solid and will continue to be a Palo Alto go-to, but we likely wouldn't go super out of the way to get here!

This place was recommended as a hidden gem for bento boxes, so we decided to check it out. We opted for takeout, and even during lunchtime, it wasn't very crowded. If your total is under $25, they only accept cash and won't take credit cards. So, instead of ordering just one bento box as we had planned, we ended up having to order two. The food was tasty, clean, and generously portioned, with the Taiwanese sausage being especially delicious. There's plenty of seating inside if you prefer to dine in, and there's also a parking lot in the back, making it convenient to park. However, I can't say the overall customer experience was great. It would be much better if they made the payment options more convenient. If I don't have cash on hand, I probably wouldn't go back.

Super authentic Taiwanese flavors! One of the pillars of a "solid" Asian restaurant is if I see older Asian families eating...and that was definitely true . We got the sizzling beef hot plate which was delicious! Healthy-sized beef slices within this delicious savory marinade--I did find the beef to be a bit tough, perhaps being overcooked in the hot plate. Loved the baby corns and found myself trying to fish through the dish to find them hidden amongst crunchy bell peppers and onions (which I thought was a bit undercooked). I thought there was too much sauce for my liking and found myself trying to get rid of the sauce from the food bits. We also got the House Special Grounded Pork Rice Bowl which was so yummy! It's one of their recommended items and I found the pork to be so melt-in-your-mouth tender. There was a decent amount of fat, but the veggies help ease some of the heaviness from the fatty chunks of meat. I thought the ratio of meat to rice was a bit off (too much rice). Staff are very respectful (and move fast!) and food came out in like 10 minutes. Will be back soon! Parking was along the busy El Camino Real but there were quite a few spots. In the past, I'd drive by and there'd normally be a wait during peak hours, so plan accordingly

I could have Red Hot Wok every week. Just wish it were closer. The Taiwanese dishes here are the definition of comfort food. Everything is so delicious. My bar is pretty high for Taiwanese food coming from LA, but this is the kind of food you would find in Taiwan. Some of my favorites are their tofu with egg yolk, fried pork chop, satay noodles, leek with Taiwanese sausage, and sautéed gourde with garlic. Don't forget to save room for dessert! They have several options for shaved snow. We always top off the meal with some shaved snow. Service is always quick and there's never a wait. Good for small and large groups.

Ordered take out (which came out on time) and the food was on spot. The portion was consistent with dinning in. Besides our must-order house special grounded pork rice bowl and moon shape shrimp cake, the lamb in satay sauce was an amazing find.

I love Red Hot Wok in Cupertino and I'm so glad they opened up one up here. They have awesome lunch specials where you get a couple of nice sides. I'm regularly ordering the 3 cups chicken, salt and pepper pork, any of the noodles, green beans, lamb, anything satay. You really can't go wrong ordering here. I really like the sizzling tofu in black bean sauce with rice.

Came here with a large group of 13 people and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Staff was super quick and attentive. Dishes came out fast. Everything had good portions and flavor was fantastic. Highly recommend their noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Had a great time here. Ample seating, need to find good parking though.

This place was delicious, I must say. Some solid Taiwanese food in Palo Alto. - 3 cup chicken: very flavorful and saucy. The chicken absorbed the sauces, although it wasn't the softest - beef: the stir fried beef on the other hand, was so tender and cooked perfectly. - pineapple fried rice: I thought it was pretty standard, but still hit the spot and large portions. - overall great service. dishes were on the saltier side but tasty for sure!

I'm unfamiliar with the food scene in Palo Alto, but turns out that the city has some really commendable Taiwanese dishes being served up at Red Hot Wok! I went on a Saturday afternoon with two friends. Not much of a wait time since we came around 1:30pm. Plenty of seating inside and 4-5 tables outside. We ordered several dishes: Three Cups Tofu clay pot, House Special Grounded Pork Rice Bowl, and Stir Fried Beef w/Kang Kung in Satay Sauce. Let's start with the start of the show: the Three Cups Tofu Clay pot. A server brings out the dish piping HOT, as it should be. The tofu is braised beautifully and silky in texture, flavored by a dark soy sauce, basil, ginger slices, and garlic. At first, I was caught off guard by the ginger slices, but they were aromatic and soaked up all that savory soy sauce. The ginger is good enough to eat on its own! Phenomenal dish, you know the food is good when you can simply eat the sauce with plain white rice!!! Next up, the stir fried beef. My only critique is that the beef was tenderized, which affected a bit of the texture. The satay sauce was more like a shrimp paste, rich in umami flavor but not overly salted. Veggies were stirred in and had a nice 'bite' to them. And third, the pork rice bowl. It was alright, I just wish that it was served warmer. That aside, the pork's flavor profile was a dark soy sauce combined with a noticeable five spice taste. The rice was cooked perfectly. This is a restaurant I'll have on my radar when I visit Palo Alto again. Great food!

This is a traditional Taiwanese restaurant with fast service and decent food. One thing to note is most of the workers only speak mandarin, so it was hard communicating. We got seated right away on a Saturday night and we're able to order really quickly. Here's what we got: - eggplant with garlic: not the best eggplant I've had. I prefer them to be saucier, and they were a bit more firm than other restaurants. 4/5 - chicken clay pot: a pretty good chicken dish with a lemongrass-y taste. It was very tender and fresh, but I didn't find myself wanting more than a few bites. 4/5 - sizzling black pepper beef: super tender and the best dish of them all! Sauce was delicious and everything was to perfection. 5/5 Overall the food did its job, but would I come back? Probably not because it didn't impress me more than other restaurants.

Cant complain about the food it was good and they had Taiwanese beer but felt uncomfortable from the stairs we felt and whispers just made it a bit uncomfortable but ones they brought our food our everything was good

I love the Red Hot Wok in Cupertino and so I wanted to come here to try the (relatively) new location in Palo Alto. This location is better in some ways and worse in others...and I do prefer the Cupertino location. However, Red Hot Wok Palo Alto does live up to its name - delicious and piping hot Taiwanese food that is cooked super quickly! Both locations have talented chefs and efficient service. Below, I will go into detail the differences between each location: Palo Alto (here) is better: -- plenty of seating and large interior. Cupertino in comparison is much smaller. -- seems like it has more servers Cupertino is better: -- SOMEHOW the food is slightlyyyy better in Cupertino. Both my fiance and I agree. don't get me wrong, the food here in Palo Alto is great, but the Cupertino food is just next level delicious. Better cook and flavor. -- Ambiance. The decor in Palo Alto is plain in comparison. I like the homey benches in Cupertino -- special menu! I could not find the special menu at Palo Alto, while the Cupertino location has daily specials on a chalkboard.

Moving to SF means a lot of things. Beautiful views, insane cost of living, Blipping. But the Asian food. Oh my god. Red Hot Wok is no exception. Decent prices immediately provide financial relief. The food brings you up to another level. The service was really good - I came in from a delayed flight, and even though it was 10 minutes before the kitchen closed, they let me stay. I had the Moon Shrimp Cake, Sizzling Beef, and this dish I can't remember the name of. But I do remember the vivid flavors taking over my mouth, forcing me to get more and more from each dish. This is an amazing Taiwanese restaurant, and I would highly recommend for anyone in the area.

Such a delicious and comforting meal! Was really excited to discover this spot in Palo Alto. There was no wait for a table around 6pm but by the time I was leaving there were people waiting to be seated. Very cozy interior and great service- so attentive and quick. I got the shrimp fried rice, pork with kang kung, and green beans. All had such generous portion sizes and great flavor. Such good value for the food, especially in the Palo Alto area. Definitely will return to try more menu items soon!

Yay! I didn't know they opened Red Hot Wok in Palo Alto (border). We came here for lunch after a morning of tennis. Luckily we were able to get a table for a party of 6 during lunch time. It wasn't too busy honestly. There's also a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. Once you sit, they hand you paper menus and will give you a few minutes to order. The service here is good - you can always ask them questions and they don't seem annoyed despite how busy they are lol. We ordered a soup, 1 veggie dish, and a couple other proteins for the table. I don't think I took pictures of everything, but everything I did have was delicious. Would do I suggest? Hmm. Soup for sure. I don't think you can go wrong with anything. Just make sure to get white rice since some of the darker sauce dishes gets salty!

If I could give 0, I would. The food is sooo bad, it was extremely salty, even my daughter wouldnt eat the foods. I will never come back.

Just like the original location: amazing! I'm so glad Red Hot Wok is upping the competition for Taiwanese food because the Bay Area sorely needs it. I visited as a party of 3 for a weeknight dinner and we experienced a short wait to be seated. Upon seating, the service was prompt and friendly. We ordered the pineapple shrimp (a variation of honey walnut shrimp), the bean curd & pork & squid stir fry (I can't recall the name of the dish but these were the main ingredients), and a minced pork rice bowl to share family style. Our table's favorite was the pineapple shrimp but my personal favorite will always be the minced pork rice bowl. Despite being located in Palo Alto and their original location still operating in Cupertino, the prices were very reasonable given the quality, portion sizes, and quick service. My group was only small eaters so we ended up with leftovers but if you come with larger appetites, I estimate only one more dish would be needed to fill up a party of 3. Please open more locations around the Bay Area (SF and East Bay maybe?) so I can keep giving you business, Red Hot Wok!

The overall rating is only considering food, not the service or price My opinions: - Deep-Fried Pork Chop: (9/10 - Great) - Three Cups Chicken: (6/10 - Fine) - Too many bones. I know that's not uncommon in Chinese cooking, but this was just too much Wife's opinions: - Deep-Fried Pork Chop: (8/10 - Very Good) - Three Cups Chicken: (7/10 - Good) Other notes: - Takeout

Good Taiwanese food. We like the 3 cups chicken and bento box. Hard to imagine to find real Taiwanese food in Palo Alto area.

This location seems a lot less busy than the original Cupertino one, but the menu and quality are consistent -- I came here in a large group so got to sample several different dishes, all of which were solid. Generally, we tend to order one dish per person plus a bowl of white rice and an order of lu rou fan (house special grounded pork rice) to share, which comes out to be a good amount of food at a reasonable ~$20 per head. I particularly enjoy the STIR FRIED SILK QUASH WITH SALTED DUCK EGGS ($16.95), which I don't see at too many restaurants. The HOUSE SPECIAL GROUNDED PORK RICE BOWL ($12.95) is also a popular must-order, and incredibly flavorful albeit perhaps a little oily and heavy given the generous sauce serving. The fluffy MOON SHAPED SHRIMP CAKE ($16.95) is another bestseller that's definitely worth a try, but I actually prefer the simple BAKED EGG WITH SHRIMP ($16.95). Otherwise, I personally prefer other dishes to the three cups clay pots, but those tend to be crowd favorites so we usually always get one anyway -- I recommend the chicken. The mango snow ice also makes for a super refreshing + sweet but relatively light dessert, with a good portion for sharing! All in all, while this isn't necessarily the most memorable or special Asian food in the area, it's a tasty, no frills spot at good value, and (admittedly without much competition) easily the best local option for Taiwanese food

The Cupertino location is one of our favorite Chinese restaurants in the Bay so we were ecstatic when they opened a much closer location in Palo Alto. Our go to's include the three cup chicken (5/5) which is a MUST order. I love the savory, slightly sweet sauce, the fragrant notes from the Thai basil, and the tender chicken. It's one of their most popular dishes, and for good reason. Their Taiwanese sausage fried rice is also solid and a good carb-filler for little kids. We also like their braised pork over rice, also known as Lu rou fan (4/5): typically the pork used is ground pork but here, the restaurant minces pork belly, which gives the dish a wonderful richness that is super flavorful and homey tasting. For vegetable sides, we like the fried green beans in garlic sauce and stir fried eggplant with basil. We've also gotten the sizzling beef, which I found slightly salty but is nothing that a glass of water and a large bowl of rice can't fix. The beef fried noodle in Kang Kung sauce is also yummy. Honestly you can't go wrong here and we've liked nearly everything we've tried!

Really glad they decided to open a location other than Cupertino! Sad to see Hunan Garden/Mandarin Roots shut down as I've been eating at that extended family's restaurants for over 3 decades and they're all gone now! The dishes here are a good portion for the pricing; we consistently rotate through all the various 3 cup options including the intestines which they do a good job of cleaning out all the fat inside. 3 Cup Tofu is really good but can be a bit on the saltier side. The shrimp fried rice is a huge hit with my toddler along with the loofah. Definitely can't pass on their shaved snow ice desserts!

Excellent food and great service. The just was very accommodating and took a feedback for the dishes we wanted in a specific way. The ambience was neat and clean and not very crowded.

A really great spot if you're craving Taiwanese food! I enjoyed their lunch bento special which came with soup, rice, the main entree, and two side dishes. We've also been here for dinner and ordered a la carte before as well. Everything is super tasty. You can't go wrong with your order!

Date of Visit: 7/9/2023 Red Hot Wok is one of the most popular Taiwanese Restaurants in the Bay Area. The original store located in Cupertino was opened for many years, and the second store in Palo Alto was newly opened this year for a few months! Bamboo Shoot Chicken Soup $13.95 We ordered the chicken soup with bamboo shoot, the chicken was boneless with bamboo shoot in slices. I personally prefer chicken with skin on and bone in for soup. Pork Intestine Clay Pot $18.95 If you like pork intestine, this is a must-order! Flavorful pork intestine in a clay pot with sauce and basil, super good with rice. Loofah Clams $17.95 Loofah with clams is good too! Chewy and sweet loofah with fresh clams, is the best supplement to all other meat dishes. Rice Bowl with Meat Sauce $12.95 This is one of the most popular rice bowls in Taiwan, with pork belly marinated in sauce, and a marinated egg and pickles on top. Shrimp Fried Rice $15.45 Ordered this to-go for my lunch on the next day. Tasty fried rice with shrimps, carrot, fried eggs, and green onion. Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-hot-wok-palo-alto

My visit to Red Hot Wok in Palo Alto left me with mixed impressions. While the interior lacked inspiration and felt monotonous, the noise from the crowd talking was overwhelming, often requiring me to raise my voice to communicate with my friend. The lack of sound absorption may be a contributing factor to the noise issue. On the bright side, the food was satisfying, with an ample selection of authentic dishes. The attentive and fast-responding staff added to the positive experience. The flavors of the food leaned towards authenticity, with a notable absence of excessive oiliness. However, some dishes tended to be slightly salty at times. I particularly enjoyed their well-prepared vegetable dishes, and the chicken rolls were absolutely fantastic, albeit a bit on the pricey side. On the downside, the three cups dish lacked flavor and came across as somewhat plain. Overall, while Red Hot Wok had its flaws, it still offered a decent variety of authentic cuisine with attentive service.

I think there is a sister restaurant (not sure) in cupertino near mainstreet as the menus were exactly the same. As for taste of food, the location in cupertino was definitely better with better flavors and quality. The food we ordered at Red Hot Wok was not bad, but everything was lacking flavor except the eggplant which was not only fresh but flavorful. Despite this, the food came out piping hot and fast although it was lunch and I do have to say the place is spacious and clean. Service was okay considering it was lunch, but that might be because there was only one person taking orders and serving dishes. Dishes are quite hit or miss but if you need something quick, I would say this is the perfect place!

I like the simplicity of the decoration, family-friendly vibe. They also have an outdoor area as well. The service was fast and the quality and quantity of foods they gave were generous. I ordered sautéed lamb with satay sauce and Kong Pao tofu, and I really wanna go try something else at this place again.

No wait to get in on a Saturday and lunch, and the food is good - lots of flavor, meat is tender, and they have a lot of items that are not seen as often at Chinese places (like the sigua). The tables are a bit close to one another, but the staff are super nice. There's smaller tables and biiiig tables for bigger parties (10-12). You can also pay in cash for a discount.

Came for the three cup chicken but unfortunately it was bland. Texture on the chicken was good but flavor had not soaked in. After being disappointed, we got the sizzling beef which turned out to be much better. Shrimp fried rice was average. Veggies looked good but didn't taste very fresh. Back to the grind to find good Chinese food around

Came here for a dinner with friend on a rainy night. This place gave me a very homey vibe as soon as I stepped in. We ordered 4 dishes: - Three cup chicken (highly recommend, the chicken was really really tender) - Minced pork rick (I like it a lot, probably my fav dish out of the four) - Salted egg with sponge gourd (very interesting combination of ingredients, tasty, and apparently a popular item on the menu!) - Sour and spicy soup (not my fav, probably should go for other non-spicy options) The service was great too and the store location is very convenient for Stanford folks. I look forward to trying more menu items in the future!

Looking for an affordable AND delicious sit-down restaurant in Palo Alto is like unicorn hunting. Tho, you can easily find overpriced and mediocre food. So, *hands up* emoji when you find one. Soft opening last week is Red Hot Wok in the former Mandarin Roots space. Red Hot Wok is a local Cupertino fav and this is their second Bay Area location. They're open for takeout, delivery (HungryPanda), indoor dining, and patio dining. M E N U Taiwanese Cuisine - same lunch and dinner menu. Affordable pricing with the most expensive dish at $21.95 (salmon clay pot). Lunch Bento Box Special: Choice of protein, rice, two sides, and soup ($16.95) available Tuesday - Friday, 11 am - 3 pm. Complimentary tea for dine-in. Soft Opening Special: Complimentary Baobing, Taiwanese shaved ice dessert; choice of mango, matcha, or taro. Dine-in only. F O O D * 酸辣湯 Hot & Sour Soup (Small - $12.95): https://tinyurl.com/wwmv946s The Taiwanese-style hot and soup hits on a cold drizzly day! The soup was rich, savory, tangy, and mildly spicy (could be spicier). It's chockfull of soft tofu strips, crunchy wood ear mushrooms + bamboo shoots, silky ribbons of egg, and small slices of bacon. Even the next day, the soup maintained a good viscosity and wasn't watery. * 月充蝦饼 Moon Shaped Shrimp Cake ($16.95): https://tinyurl.com/2wme8hk9 One of Red Hot Wok's most popular app for good reason. Think a crispy shrimp ball in a cake form - a layer of shrimp paste draped with two thin wrappers and fried to a golden brown. The shrimp cake is crispy on the outside with a seafoody bouncy center, served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. *滷肉飯 House Special Grounded Pork Rice ($12.95): https://tinyurl.com/2n5ctxrt A Taiwanese staple, the Lu Rou Fan was generously portioned with steamed white rice crowned with saucy, savory braised and gelatinous pork belly, tangy pickled mustard greens, and a soy egg. Minor gripe: heavy handed on the sauce as almost all the rice was covered it in. *三杯肥腸 Three Cups Pork Intestines ($18.95): https://tinyurl.com/3nku7tps I usually go for three cup chicken (be careful of the little bones) but I'm glad we went for the pork intestines this time. It was bomb! The intestines were deliciously rich and chewy, and braised in a sweet and savory broth until it transforms into an umami-rich, sticky glaze. The basil leaves added freshness and a kiss of anise and pepper flavor. So good with rice. * Complimentary 芒果雪花冰 Mango Snow Ice: https://tinyurl.com/bd4t4tyd The mango flavor snow ice (shaved sheets) was refreshing, sweet and smooth, topped with tart diced mango and a drizzle of condensed milk. It does run on the sweeter side so good for sharing with a group if you don't have a major sweet tooth. S E R V I C E Friendly, warm, and welcoming. Fast food service. Sue, the owner(?) was very kind and you can see the smile behind the mask. I asked for boxes to wrap up the leftovers and she insisted on wrapping it up for us even though she was busy. A M B I A N C E Same casual décor and 90s vibe from when this space was Mandarin Roots though the lights are blinding now. The outdoor patio is like an extension of the restaurant and covered from the elements. P A R K I N G The restaurant has their own private lot in back but there's only one way in/out (to fit one car) so personally, I prefer to find street parking on El Camino Real. Overall, I'm glad to see Red Hot Wok make their way to PA serving affordable and delicious legit Taiwanese fare. And, with O2 Valley and MJ Sushi also opening in the last several weeks, hopefully more wallet-friendly restos to come!

Yummy Taiwanese restaurant with a large variety of dishes! This is their second location; the original one is in Cupertino. We ordered their seafood sizzling plate and a squash vegetable dish. Both were delicious with a good amount of seasoning/flavor, not too salty or oily. Service was fast and friendly. We parked on the street on El Camino, but there may be a small parking lot in the rear. The side streets also have plenty of parking.

Food and service were incredible! This was our first time going there and it was an unforgettable experience. Waiter was so friendly and helped us with the menu. Portions were huge and we had plenty of leftovers! Would 100% go there again.

Food is delicious! Ambiance is very warm vibrant, a lot of families with kids come here because of the great variety of light flavors! Service is also very fast. My first time having Taiwanese food and I was very impressed! I highly recommend the Chinese spice lamb soup. The gamey flavor that lamb is usually associated with is almost completely cooked out and you are left with a fragrant soup with very tender meat!

Very generous portion of three cup chicken for the lunch special / bento. Tender and flavorful. Excellent value for lunch at 16 dollars. Friendly service and beautiful view of the blooming plants outside.

Great service and super fast cooking. Everything is like street market fashion, speedy stir fry and delicious fresh ingredients. 3 cups chicken and pork blood rice cake with sour mustard are very authentic. I only gave 4 stars because it is too salty for Taiwanese cuisine. I grew up dining at night market and know the standard flavor profiles of Taiwanese dishes. The ingredients like on choy and squid are so fresh, you don't need much oil and seasoning on them. I like the overall flavor but wish it can be less greasy. It's a great meal after a day of hiking.