Chi Extraordinary Kitchen

The food is excellent!!! Don’t get me wrong but what happened today completely turned me off. I got an entrée here one lunch and was charged the lunch special. Today, I got the same entrée and was charged $ 4.50 more. I asked why and how that happened and was told that it was only for dine-​in only. And that I’d have «more». Please tell me that it’s not a tactic to overcharge its customers… despite having the same exact entrée in their lunch special menu. Again, I’m rating
The customer service vs the quality of their food. A little disappointed since I support this local establishment.

After reading all the great Unilocal reviews, I expected so much more from Chi!
I have to say the restaurant itself is beautiful. The décor is fancy, super modern and sexy; a great place to come for a date or dinner party with friends. But in terms of their food, I was unimpressed. The flavors were unbalanced (too much lemongrass in our panang curry; not enough flavor in the pad see ew) and tasted «off». The portions were smaller than most other Thai restaurants but their prices were easily $ 3 – 4 more per entrée.
When I think about Thai food, I want to eat something hearty and flavorful. Unfortunately Chi did not meet those expectations.

A little Thai place with big tasting food. The waiter definitely added to the experience. Super nice guy. Will go again.

In North Park there seems to be endless corners of delicious finds and cultivated creations, Chi is one of them. Chi has a straight to the point menu where it’s easy to be a vegetarian here. I ordered the spicy noodles at a level 5. They stay true to spice and don’t hold back. I’m glad my waitress warned me to go down from a 6, my 5 was the perfect in-​between. My dish had a great amount of veggies, tofu, spice and perfectly cooked noodles. They have a great beer menu and an even better dessert menu! I’d definitely say if you don’t plan on eating dessert at Chi you’re missing out. If you get the lava cake make sure to try the red leaves first. It’s a must.

I love this place! The Pad Thai is my favorite. The noodles are different (thinner than usual, with chew), the sauce is tangy, and they give you a lot of shrimp! We had it with tofu the first time and with shrimp the second time. We loved it both times.
Another favorite, that we ordered twice, is the catfish filet. It’s crisp, and with the red curry sauce, it’s so flavorful.
We want to try other things, but it’s hard not to order what you know you love!

My wife and I wavered between 2 & 3 stars. We certainly had higher expectations from prior reviews.
Having lived in Thailand, and enjoyed Thai food in America, I sadly have to state our three dishes tonight we’re merely mediocre/​average.
The shrimp pad thai, though relatively inexpensive @ $ 13, only had 2 shrimp. The dish was very bland!
The Red Sea mixed seafood, $ 19, had some flavor, but again missed on the richness that could easily, and should have been in the broth.
Interestingly, both dishes came out within 5 minutes from ordering… you make your own conclusion!
Due to the scarcity of protein in the pad thai, and the minimal assorted seafood in the mixed seafood dish, we promptly ordered three pan-​fried scallops to supplement our meal ($ 5 ea.). I had to send them back for extra grilling.
Best part of the meal were the drinks. …very reasonably priced wine at $ 7 glass.

Good, albeit pricey. If you like seafood and/​or you have a pescatarian diet, you may like this place. When it comes to Asian food, I’m not really a huge seafood person, but I decided to try this place because I love Thai food and I went by the reviews here.
My roommate and I came here a while back; she got the fried rice with crab legs and I got some curry with mixed seafood. I asked if they could make it extra spicy but it wasn’t spicy enough for me. Oh well, not a big deal. The food was still pretty good, although halfway into it, I wish I had gotten pad thai instead. I think that might’ve tasted better. My dish just didn’t scream amazing to me. My roommate liked her fried rice a lot, though; I tasted some of hers and thought it was good, too, but again, nothing amazing on my end. Truthfully, I think I’m just hopelessly spoiled after eating at Plumeria (which, by the way, is vegetarian and much cheaper).
The service was pleasant and the place is small but pretty. We came during an off hour, so I don’t know how busy this place gets, but I can imagine it would easily get full since it is tiny. Anyway, if you’re in the area, try this place; otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to eat here.

3.5 stars and a great start. We’ll check it out again to see how things are going.
The ming kai was amazing if a little skimpy on the shrimp. The fried catfish was perfectly spicy at a 6 and very flavorful, albeit a tad too sweet. We enjoyed the fish larb although we were very surprised at the large chunks of fish. As much as we appreciate the extra fish, we wished there was more surface area/​sauce to fish ratio.
A good, different from the usual, new option for Thai.

I usually get some variation of spicy noodles at a Thai restaurant, but my friend who had been here before said that they weren’t great. So instead we went with a couple of seafood dishes.
The Red Sea was nice. It was a mix of seafood in a thin, red sauce. The seafood was fine, but the sauce was amazing. I poured every last drop of it over my rice to enjoy. And speaking of rice, the «brown» rice is a delicious medley with red rice berries.
I was excited to try the catfish as it’s supposed to be a signature dish and has some great reviews here on Unilocal.The paste on top of it was certainly delicious, but it seemed more like the start of a sauce than the final product. It was just sitting in blobs on top of the dry, fried fish.
This place has a nice atmosphere, but ultimately I want delicious food. All in all I’d rather go to Sab E Lee for better food at half the price.

another 4.5 star experience!
Walked in on a busy evening, so lively! They quickly sat us at a table just next to the kitchen (which we didn’t mind), you could see all the action and people watch as they wait for their tables.
The staff were really attentive today, a couple times they realized we needed to stabilize the table and worked on it, and they saw that we need a container for the crab leg shells since we ordered 3 crab dishes.
Mango iced tea ($ 3): comes in a large drink, slight sweetness and flavorful. Quite a deal!
3 dishes:
Po Tak: I hesitated ordering this the first visit and subsequently ordered the same soup at another venue (but overwhelming sour). This time, I decided to see what edible Po Tak tasted like, they did not skim on those seafood! Crab legs, mussels, shrimp, fish, and squid in the broth. I found shimeji mushrooms and nicely thin lemongrass. It was much much more delicious, but tbh, the seafood flavors didn’t quite make it into the broth, but because the broth has such strong acidity, the rather bland seafood actually balanced the acidity quite nicely.
Fried Rice with Crab: you could get it with shrimp, or with veggies/​tofu but we picked crab. Oh boy that fried rice is charged with super wokness flavors. So scrumptious and it lures you to return for more. I was a bit disappointed that the crab was not in the wok with the fried rice, the crab was still delicious, but those flavors just didn’t get incorporated into the rice. I do like Banh Thai’s version much much more, but this was really nice too, especially that they used king crab legs.
Curry noodles: OMG these noodles are as thin as my hair!!! And still slightly al dente, with loaded curry flavor and just perfectly seasoned. The crab and the shrimp on top is just icing on the already delicious cake.
They do have desserts (sticky rice/​ice cream/​fried bananas) but too bad our stomachs were so full we didn’t make it to dessert!
Thanks Chi!

This is some fine Thai eating! Fish and vegetables dominate the menu (in fact no beef/​chicken/​pork/​duck) among curry, noodles, soup and other Thai staples. The emphasis is on healthy, tasty fresh food and Chi Kitchen makes a great addition to Adams Ave.
The real winner here is the Catfish Fillet. Billed as a Thai delicacy and flavored with red curry paste and basil, this crispy fried piece of heaven is worth the visit alone. For $ 19 you get four separate fillets, perfect for sharing among 2 — 4 folks. The spicy noodles also stood out. Our party of four shared four dishes and had a few bites leftover for what turned out to be a reasonably priced evening out.
For drinks: 7 craft beers (3 local) + Singha; red and white house wines and saki, plus soju which they use to make their signature martinis. Service was a little slow but we weren’t in a rush.
Almost feels like a rainforest inside with water features and greenery on the walls. Great ambiance to compliment the delicious Thai food in front of you.

The wife and I met up with our old friend and fellow Unilocaler Jack M. He picked the place and we were excited to try something new and unique. Although they don’t have their own parking we were able to find parking on one side of the restaurant which was a bonus. The ambiance inside is very nice and has a somewhat romantic feel.
I got their Mango Martini to start off the festivities and it was perfect. Good Mango flavor and a nice kick. Just what I needed after the long day. We started out with the Shrimp and Crab spring rolls which were very nice. Lots of real crab and tasty shrimp and a delicious sauce to dip then into. For the main course the wife got the catfish special which was amazing. I was surprised that even with the tangy sauce they came coated in they were still nice and crisp. She was quite pleased with her choice. I got the Fish in Green Curry and loved it. To be honest I was pretty apprehensive as I only like a few types of fish and never had fish curry before. I was impressed with the whole dish and enjoyed every last bite.
The service was perfect — attentive but not bothersome. We wanted for nothing and felt well taken care of. Their prices are very good considering the high quality of the items they serve. Fresh ingredients and healthy items are their motto and they truly hit the mark. I never had anything like this at any other Thai restaurant so they are truly a unique gem. Looking forward to trying more of their dishes on my next visit to San Diego.

I was a little skeptical about coming here given I knew I was not going to be able to order chicken with my curry, but I decided to give it ago and have my red curry with white fish.
I came in with some friends from Vegas, and ordered the Red Curry with the fish at a level 5 for $ 12.95 and a small serving of Tom Kah soup with Shrimp $ 5.95. We also ordered some crab spring rolls to start, including my friend’s entrees. For my beverage, I tried one of their organic loose leaf spearmint teas at $ 3.
The crab spring roll was a delight to eat. They put a generous amount of crab into the roll and the crab was sweet in flavor and very delicate. The carrots, cucumber, and greens were fresh and crisp, but what really had my taste buds humming was the house made chili sauce that came with the rolls. It was well balance between a little sweet, then a bit a sourness, and then smack of seasoning. We kept the sauce and used it on our other dishes.
The Tom Kah was great, perhaps a little over the top with its traditional sourness via the lime juice, but the coconut flavor was spot on. The soup had a light creamy viscosity and came with a good amount of medium size tender shrimp, a very good amount of mushrooms, and just a tinge of chili. Another words, it was just right, for a lack of better words. A good way to start a meal here.
Red curry with fish was quite the treat and I loved that they did not hold back on the fish. At a level 5, the heat level was just right for me. It’s considered medium by their standards and it was. It had just enough heat to let me know it was there, but not so much that it interfered with the quality ingredients and their flavors. The curry also had a nice red orange color with some yellows, honestly it hard for me to describe, but its flavor was king and so was its creamy texture. I liked the way it lightly coated the ingredients in the curry. The red curry paste was full flavor and the added coconut milk give a mild sweetness.
The white fish was prepared just right. It was very flaky, tender to the touch, and mild in flavor. It was a good fish to use because it complimented the aggressive nature of the red curry well. The curry also came with eggplant which was very good, bamboo shoots which I did not care for (I do not like them in general), and fresh basil which I liked.
Service was very cordial and polite.

10.2.15 Hungry, where to go? Wanting a place close to home we decided to head to Chi. When we got there we had to sign our name in, put out number down and wait. A few things I noticed:
— It’s really nice of Chi to let people leave their number so they can leave the restaurant, I say take that out. This place is busy as is we don’t have time to wait for the host to call someone to tell them to come back cause their table is ready. A bit ridiculous since it’s not like there’s anything next door. I saw people really leave leave. Seeing the host trying to call several times was annoying for someone who is sitting there waiting.
— I noticed only one server, one food runner, and the host trying to help out in the dining area. A few times she was delivering food or doing something and loads of people were coming in. She was not there until 5 minutes later. Since the front area was so small it was super crowded, I was lucky to have gotten a seat so I was comfortable. The host was really nice but I think she can help out by printing the receipts for tables and taking care of the check. Just a thought. The server was so busy that would help a lot. That way she can focus on the front and go back to see when tables are almost done and since she’s back there she can drop the check off.
— There was a table in the patio available when we arrived. Not until 35 minutes later we were sat at that table. I was yes super duper annoyed I waited 35 minutes to sit at a table that was all along available. UGH… So as I stated above the host could have noticed that but maybe she didn’t because she didn’t walk back there? I don’t know if the communication needs to happen between the server and host. BTW when i say walk back there it really is like 5 – 7 steps, this place is small.
So above are things I noticed that they can improve on. Then the real experience starts. Sitting out in the cold we decided to order two beers anyways. I thought the server might forget about us but she didn’t. She was very attentive and checked on right away when the beers were delivered. After awhile I noticed a couple left from inside, it was getting a bit chilly and so we asked to be moved. They moved us but had to check with the host first. Once inside we were happy. :)
We ordered two entrees. The prices were a bit higher than most Thai places.
I have to say I really didn’t expect much but because the reviews were so high I was hoping everything would be good. AND IT SURE WAS.
Red Curry with Fish. The fish was not overly cooked at all, it was perfect texture and perfect flavor. The red curry was just the right amount of spice with a nice kick at the end. I definitely love this dish it had more flavor than what I’m used to for curries, I don’t know what it is. Must order for sure.
Spicy Noodle. The flat rice noodles are always easy to eat, so we had this with mixed seafood. We weren’t sure exactly what comes with it but saw that it was $ 16 for a noodle dish on the menu. Once we received the order it was pretty, it wasn’t until we started chowing down that we saw these nice pieces of king crab legs. OH that’s my favorite. That’s why it cost so much. They have big pieces of shrimp as well. I do like the added squid. Very impressed with this dish as well. It looked so plain just noodles and seafood, but oh so flavorful.
Once I started eating I forgot in that moment the beginning of our experience. This is it. The food and the service. Although the server was running around like crazy she did an amazing job keeping things on track.
I can’t wait to eat here again. YUM!

First time here and the food is awesome. Sorry for the short review as there will be more, but this place is run very well and they care about fresh ingredients more than the competition. Definitely coming back. Great place to go to get a break from chicken, pork and beef.

Chi is certainly a lovely addition to the University Heights neighborhood. We need more restaurants in our area, and I’m glad Chi now provides us with another option when our cravings for Thai-​inspired cuisine occur.
Parking can be challenging, so if you make reservations for dinner do be sure that you carve out enough time for this. While the exterior of the restaurant doesn’t have much to boast about in terms of appearance, its interior is absolutely exquisite. I loved the thoughtful design, from the color palette to the choice in dining furniture. Well done.
My dining companion and I were both quite hungry. We, of course, started with a libation. Lychee martinis are always favorites of ours, so we both had one. I thought it was nice, but a little too sweet for my liking.
We commenced our gastronomical Chi experience by starting with an order of the Fresh Spring Rolls, with shrimp and crab, and Triple Mushroom Rolls. The Spring Rolls were a bit one-​note and flat to me. They were missing an ingredient that should have tied the fresh ingredients together. Unfortunately the dipping sauce they came with didn’t function to do that. The Mushroom Rolls, on the other hand, were outrageously delicious. I wish we had requested two orders of those! Because I love spice, I asked for a dish of chili sauce that really made them an absolute joy to consume.
For my entrée, I settled on the Spicy Noodle with mixed seafood. I really enjoyed this, however I was surprised it wasn’t more spicy, in spite of my specified preference made to the waitress. Notwithstanding, I really enjoyed the fresh seafood. For $ 16.95, though, I would have liked to have seen the portion size a little larger.
Chi Extraordinary Kitchen is doing great things with seafood. So don’t expect to come here for meat offerings. This is Thai with a seafood and vegetable focus. Probably not something I’ll be gravitating towards frequently, but certainly a place I’ll be returning to when I want a meal that is masterfully prepared.

First, let’s get it out of the way that the name is a bit confusing. «Chi Extraordinary Kitchen» wouldn’t tell you that it’s a pescatarian Thai restaurant. Notwithstanding, I was excited to see this brand new, stylish space. My husband and I went for dinner on a Friday evening. The place was packed, and we happily wait for about 30 – 40 minutes for a table. They take reservations, so I would recommend calling if you’re planning to go on a Friday or Saturday night.
Once we were seated, the service was noticeably absent. The food took a while to arrive. The three mushroom salad had all the right Thai flavors (sweet, sour, salty) but was seriously lacking in the herb department. I was really missing cilantro and maybe some mint and lemongrass. It tasted fine but was a rather sad looking salad.
We waited some more before our entrée arrived. Luckily, the house specialty of spicy fried catfish redeemed the evening. By the way, this is not an inexpensive restaurant either. The catfish entrée clocked in at almost $ 20. However, the portion of the entrée was huge with several filets. Plenty to be shared between 2 people. The garlicky, red curry spiced pieces of fried, meaty catfish was delicious – and must be eaten with white rice! (They also have brown and red berry rice if you’re into that.) I would go back for that spicy, crispy catfish. But until they figure out the service issue, I don’t plan on returning any time soon.

All I can say is Wow! The other night I was looking for some wild salmon, and boy am I glad I found this place! I had no idea there was a new Thai restaurant in University Heights, and if I hadn’t been searching for salmon, I might have totally missed this pescetarian gem.
First, the service. Everyone is friendly, constantly checking on you. They are helpful when you want recommendations (as my partner always does) and the recommendations were spot on. He tried the Catfish, which he claimed was the best meal he’s had in 4 years (and he’s a world traveling foodie), and I had the Wild Salmon Panang, which melted in my mouth with delicious tangy yet sweet yet spicy perfection. They also let me substitute fresh steamed veggies for rice, Awesomesauce!
Also on price– the curries are very reasonable, (around $ 12 I think) and the most expensive entrees are $ 18.95. Not too shabby for huge portions of delicious fish. They also have a fish curry which I tried and which is soft, moist and flaky. The green curry sauce with fish is a great combination!
Upon finishing our first dinner there, I told my partner I would eat there whenever he wanted. We went back two days later, and then again tonight. I think it’s our new fave place– and thank the gods, because we can never agree on where to go ;)

This eatery is kind of small, but has modern décor and additional outside seating. We sat in their high booth overlooking the rock painting with a somewhat scary painting behind us. I didn’t realize that this was a pescatarian restaurant when we came here, so one of my friends was disappointed when he was looking over the menu since he was craving for meat LOL. The menu is pretty limited too, but they had a few specials that night. They also don’t have any soda, so my friend kept getting hangrier by the moment hahaha.
We ordered 3 versions of their Thai iced tea– mine was the regular half and half, and my other two friends had soy milk and coconut milk. All teas tasted the same to me and definitely needed the cane sugar they provided to sweeten up the drinks to our liking. I was really hungry and wanted to try a lot of things, so we had the larb, tom kha, vegetable som tom, spicy noodles with mixed seafood, sea bass with garlic pepper, and a large po tak.
The larb was interesting since I always get that dish with beef or chicken. It had a nice flavor and came with sticky rice, but we needed and asked for more rice. The som tom (papaya salad) was good too and similar in flavor. The sea bass could’ve have been better, especially since this place specializes in fish! Overall, pretty much all the food is very tasty and has good seasoning and spices.
Dessert is BOGO if you’re celebrating something… and we were! We got the mango sticky rice, which isn’t on the menu and a special birthday surprise for me. I think it was just a chocolate cake, but it was plated nicely. I really like the mango sticky rice– that’s one of my favorite Thai desserts. We should’ve just ordered two of those… ;)

I was here for a private party which also served as a soft opening. The food present wasn’t necessarily all menu food. For example there was grilled chicken and satay which won’t be on the menu. Chi is owned by Patty, who also owns Plumeria, the smash vegetarian restaurant. I enjoyed my one trip to Plumeria so it was an exceptional treat to meet her as well as try other creations not on Plumeria’s menu. Food was served buffet style for the event so I hope my pictures don’t confuse Unilocalers. It is a sit down restaurant. All the food was awesome.
Po Tak: (menu item) this was a yummy soup. At first I skipped it because it was a fairly hot day outside. However my wife urged me to try a spoonful. Talk about a pleasant surprise. The broth was delightful and reminiscent of Filipino sinigang with generous amounts of shrimp, scallops, mussels, and squid.
Curry Noodles (menu item) I really liked this one and got a second huge plateful. The vermicelli noodles are totally screaming «yellow curry» at you as they dance around on your tastebuds. It also had huge shrimp and chunks of chopped snow crab legs!
Larb: (menu item) this was a seafood take on larb with minced sole and chilis. Served with sticky rice.
Ginger Fish: another dish just yelling ««Oh Yeah!» as I shoveled it into my maw. Soft white fish in a rich gingery sauce that just made eating white rice a national holiday.
Grilled chicken and chicken satay were both done well.
The staff were super friendly and efficient which is a credit since the buffet set up is not the norm for the place. Can’t wait to come back to try more!