Mr Chow
Restaurant · Beverly Hills
344 N Camden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Highlights
Beijing duck & hand-pulled noodles, chic art-adorned space
Beijing duck & hand-pulled noodles, chic art-adorned space
"We're not sure what aging-defying serum Mr. Chow is applying nightly, but we want some. This glitzy spot opened in the '70s and received its last decor update in the '80s, but it's still where celebs in the middle of a publicity crisis drink lychee martinis and give poorly advised quotes to TMZ. The price of admission includes dropping hundreds on extremely forgettable Chinese food, but what you're really paying for is a front-row seat to a type of Beverly Hills frenzy that rarely exists anymore—and probably involves watching Kathy Hilton eat hand-pulled noodles." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park
"Mr. Chow, named after restaurateur Michael Chow who now goes by artist M, helped usher in a new era of Chinese fine dining in Los Angeles with its debut in 1974. Immortalized in celebrity rags and even a Steely Dan tune, this throwback dining experience has plenty of naysayers for its high prices. But Chow set out to redefine what American Chinese food could be — a departure from the more casual fare passed down from immigrants and instead inspired by upscale preparations in pre-revolution China. The Beijing duck, served tableside, would impress any fan of Chinese food, but the dumplings, noodles, and stir-fry all taste terrific. Just make sure either the corporate card has plenty of leeway or someone who doesn’t mind a splurge is picking up the tab." - Matthew Kang
"Anyone who says that their favorite thing about Mr. Chow is the food needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. We don’t believe you. But we also don’t judge you for choosing to spend a heart-palpitatingly large sum of money at this iconic restaurant if your goal is to feel like you’re at the center of the Beverly Hills universe. Mr. Chow—now a global chain owned by an eponymous celebrity CEO—has kept its lychee martini-fueled party flowing every night since the ‘70s, a quality that for many eclipses whatever lackluster Chinese food is on the table. You come here to spend, to see and be seen, and to brag the next day at Soho House about who you saw at the one and only Mr. Chow. photo credit: Mr Chow photo credit: Mr Chow photo credit: Mr Chow photo credit: Sylvio Martins photo credit: Mr Chow Prices here are so outrageous, Mr. Chow even smells expensive. There’s a Kardashian-sized floral budget at the front of the house, perfuming the checkered dining room with white lilies. Diners in designer suits slip waiters cash tips as they walk out, and at least a few business deals are going down over fluorescent red chicken satay at any given hour. Celebrity sightings are common, if not expected. And once you’re done craning your neck around the packed room, your server will be quick to push one of the prix-fixe menu options on you. We say go for it. Á la carte portions are small, and the cheapest dish is a single $16 crab claw, so unless the plan is to stick to cocktails and scallion pancakes, you’re going to run up a big tab either way. There’s a two-course menu for $118 per person, and a $124 three-course menu, which adds on an unpleasantly oily beijing duck. But whether you choose the overly sweet and gloopy walnut prawns, or the impressive-looking emperor’s crab stuffed with salt-deprived egg whites, nothing on Mr. Chow’s menu will hold your attention as much as the room itself. The one exception is the nightly hand-pulled noodle performance that draws raucous applause, but even the fresh noodles don’t taste like much. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of better Chinese restaurants around Los Angeles, as well as other Beverly Hills haunts that are just as glamorous, but with much better food. There is, however, only one Mr. Chow. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Lychee Martini Everyone here is drinking one of these, so when in Rome. Compared to some headache-inducing lychee martinis we’ve had in the past, these aren’t too sweet and the vodka lets you know it’s there. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Scallion Pancakes Scallion donuts might be a more accurate term for these. Curious shapes aside, though, these are very heavy on the scallions, which is a plus. photo credit: Mr Chow Glazed Prawns With Walnuts Imagine the sweetest honey walnut prawns you’ve had at a Chinese food fast spot, then double the sweetness. Maybe that sounds appealing to you, but it doesn’t to us (or our dentist). video credit: Sylvio Martins Vermicelli With Lobster Mmm, salty noodles. That’s about as complex as these hair-thin noodles get. At first, you taste mostly soy sauce, followed by a subtle waft of shellfish, similar to eating a whole prawn, shell and all. photo credit: Sylvio Martns Emperor’s Crab Your server will caution you with, “You know this dish is mostly egg whites, right?” They are correct. It’s a tall pile of soft, gently cooked egg whites that looks cool inside a crustacean. However, the egg whites are fairly underseasoned, which is painful once you remember you spent $70 on this dish. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Beijing Duck Who massacred Daffy? And why is there a thick, oily crust that coats our mouth like a canola-flavored lozenge? There’s incredible peking duck out there in LA, so we suggest indulging elsewhere. photo credit: Mr Chow Ma Mignon Now this we’re into. The thickly sliced filet is slightly overcooked but still tender, and the sweet-savory glaze tastes like equal parts soy sauce and tangy steak sauce. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Berry Tart We’re suckers for a dessert cart. It reminds us that we’re out on the town, and this moist berry tart is a solid send-off to whatever is next on the evening’s itinerary." - Sylvio Martins
"A renowned restaurant in Beverly Hills where comedian Jamie Foxx was reportedly injured by glass during a dinner." - Mona Holmes
"I usually get Mr. Chow alone, so I'm gonna give my go-to solo order. I always order it in. So if it's me—and let's just say it's one other person—I do an order of water dumplings, an order of Mr. Chow noodles, a vermicelli with lobster. I do a beijing chicken and I do a vegetable fried rice. I keep it really simple. If we're eating with three people, we get the duck. The duck is amazing and it does deliver well." - brennan carley
