The Noble Chef (豪記私房菜)

Noble Chef is hands down one of the best spots for authentic Cantonese food in San Diego! The roast duck was absolutely perfect. Tender, juicy meat with crispy, flavorful skin that tasted just like what you’d find in Hong Kong. The beef chow fun noodles were another standout, with that classic smoky flavor and perfectly cooked wide noodles that soaked up all the savory goodness. We also loved the garlic pea shoots. Fresh, vibrant greens with just the right amount of garlic! Service was quick, friendly, and efficient, and the food came out hot and fresh. The portions were generous and perfect for sharing family-style. If you’re craving real Cantonese comfort food, Noble Chef is a must-visit. We’ll definitely be coming back again!

If you ask me about my favorite Cantonese restaurant in SD, it has to be 豪记! I'm not from Guangdong, but I fell in love with it after my first visit. My friends from Hong Kong also said it's incredibly authentic! I crave it every now and then. Highly recommend their BBQ and marinated dishes—the crispy roasted duck with sweet and sour sauce, the tender boiled chicken with scallion oil, plus Macau-style barbecue, Peking duck, honey-glazed char siu, soy sauce chicken, and braised pigeon. Also, don’t miss the garlicky Chinese broccoli, seafood tofu pot, pea shoots, French-style diced beef, beef chow fun, scallops in oil, pumpkin taro shrimp, white radish beef pot, garlic green beans… So many delicious dishes, and none of them disappoint! The service is great too—they serve complimentary tea when you sit down and offer free sweet soup after the meal, which is delicious! The only downside is that the restaurant is always busy, so remember to call ahead for a reservation!

Nobel Chef Restaurant was recommended to us and we decided to try them for an authentic Cantonese dishes. We were surprised by how small this restaurant was as we entered. Then we were surprised again by how expensive their dishes were. By the front entrance there were hanging ducks in the window. We ordered the pan fried seafood chow mein noodle dish. Also, we ordered the BBQ char lieu and roasted duck as side dishes. The pan fried noodle dish was delicious with right portion of the crunchy noodles and seafood. The deli side dish was okay but nothing scream at us to go back to have it again. The plum dipping sauce for the roasted duck was the star of the dish. Waitstaff was attentive but did not offer the sincere recommendations when requested. We were told that everything was good and delicious. Overall, we probably won’t go back to this restaurant as food was good but not exceptional and definitely not worth the high price point for their dishes.

If you’re searching for the best Chinese food in San Diego, look no further. I have no idea how they cook the garlic beef…but my gawd it was melt in your mouth tender and the flavor was fantastic. Duck, phenomenal. Noodle, lovely. BBQ pork, amazing. Can’t write any longer…food comatose kicking in.

(Lunch on 2025/07/03) - Garlic Beef was really good - Honey BBQ pork was above average: pork was consistently cooked and easy to chew - Roast duck was pretty good but it takes a bit of work to chew the meat off each piece - Seafood claypot was okay. I'd like a bit more texture and flavor.

Went based on recommendations from friends and also reviews. We were rather disappointed with this restaurant. The portions were small, some of the dishes they really skimped on the ingredients, and the quality of ingredients were no better than other restaurants we have been to in the area. Based on that, we were paying more for the same dish elsewhere. We were seated quickly but at a table right next to the door. Restaurant is small so reservation is a must, otherwise you will have to wait. Lots of ppl waiting when we went. We were seated promptly by the door. Unfortunately the door kept opening and closing, letting in cold air. Not very pleasant. Had to put on jacket to eat. Staff worked brisk and efficient. Not very friendly. For food, the best dishes were garlic beef and black pepper fish. The beef was tender, sweet peas were crunchy and sweet. The fish was fried, light and delicious. Those were the 2 dishes that came out well. Portions were small but they were good. House Clay pot was decent too, it had bbq pork, chicken, squid, shrimp, tofu and cabbage. The dishes that were disappointing were: winter melon soup. There were barely any ingredients in there. There were 5 pieces of winter melon, chicken feet and some soy beans. It seemed like they threw in scraps to make the soup. Beef chow fun had lots of noodles, but where was the beef? There was only 6-7 pieces of beef in there. That's quite sad. Honey bbq pork was a average, a bit too dry. Given the options available in the area that offer good food and better portions we will likely not return. Free mall parking.

Tiny little restaurant with super authentic Chinese food. There were at least three banquet tables filled with so much food the waitress actually split some of their dishes into smaller plates so that they would fit on the table. We got their specialty dish, the French beef. It came with super tender chunks of beef quickly stir fried in a delicious sauce. The meat was medium rare and amazing, and served in a bed of onions and lettuce. We got the pea sprouts with garlic for a simple and delicious vegetable dish. Scallops with XO sauce also had chilies, onion, and a delicious sauce. The waiter warned us that it was spicy, and it was very tasty and not too hot. My hubby's favorite was the French cooked beef. Mine was the duck and taro clay pot, as it was fragrant with taro, and the roast duck with bones was tender and tasty and deeply flavored the thick sauce. It was all good, came quickly, and the waiters packed up our leftovers quickly and easily.

It’s as best as you can get for Cantonese/Hong Kong style food in San Diego. While not as good as in Los Angeles, it gets your fix in San Diego. Everything was hot and fresh.