Chiko - Encinitas

This is a cute location close enough to the beach. I came here hungry on a beach day and the food did not disappoint. The items and tastes were very unique to me since I usually eat Chinese and Korean food separately. Every part of the dishes I tried were well made. The restaurant is pretty much self-service. We paid and ordered through a QR code. Water was self serve as well since water was in a glass beverage dispenser. I'm not a fan of the self service experience when tipping is involved. It also felt weird since the food was pricier. I'm used to getting banchans at Korean places, but the sides here were pricey especially if you'd want a few sides. I came here on a colder day so I got some hot water to drink. I was a bit confused but there was a lot of cooked rice in my water? It tasted like I got hot rice water. Nothing was bad about that, but it was odd. How did chunks of cooked rice get into my water? It was an interesting experience.

Overall the place is amazing. I really loved their open, innovative, creative approach to cooking! Every dish was definitely noteworthy and cool! I loved their spring rolls and would highly recommend them! I also love that they give rice for free and their rice is extremely tasty! A lot of attention on their rice, which I believe are the fundamentals! The only disappointing thing was that not all the dishes were available at the time! Also, the restaurant could use some AC! Awesome vibes in the restaurant though! Service was also very attentive and the servers were very nice too! Keep up the great work! I'll be back for sure :

Conclusion first: The best, most exotic flavors I've ever had outside Asia. Definitely a restaurant to try and return. The mixture of textures, spices and temperatures were amazing. Asian foundation (Chinese Korean) that takes food to crazy, memorable places. Perfect afternoon outside with the sunset. A very casual place where outdoor seating is necessary just because the huge chicken wings are so crispy yet tender and juicy. Ordered the big appetizers plate of 6 dishes. Also pork gyoza, chicken wings, rib eye with rice cakes and dessert (OMG). The dishes altogether were a fresh, tasty, spicy, crisp compliment of flavors and combinations that truly are five star. Yet the ambience is so casual and eclectic. Great personalized service. Worth the visit and the return.

Came here for dinner and everything was amazing! My boyfriend got the XO shrimp with porridge, chicken spring roll, orange shrimp, rib eye and rice cakes. I really like the XO shrimp with porridge, it has so much flavor and a sauce makes perfectly with the porridge. I can eat this everyday for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The orange chicken is served with sauce on the side so if you're someone that doesn't like too much sauce on their orange chicken this is the dish for you. I never thought I would like rice cakes and ribeye but Chiko prove me wrong. The chicken spring rolls were perfectly fried and it's not your typical egg roll. Chiko is looking towards the end of Encinitas. There is a few parking spaces in the front and then there is a dirt parking lot to the left of the restaurant. They have indoor and outdoor seating. When we came it was pretty crowded but we were able to get a table pretty quick. It is a counter style service order restaurant. The staff is all pretty friendly and are attentive to what you need. You order through a QR code that set to your table, I really like this because you don't have to rush to order and you can order as you go.

The food at this restaurant is delicious. If you dine in, you can choose your own seat and serve yourself water and sauces. Orders are placed through an app, which incurs a $2 service fee. The server only delivers the food to your table. I'm not sure if this warrants a 15% tip (which is the minimum option for gratuity when paying). I tried the wings and potstickers, both of which were very tasty. However, the fried rice had a strange texture, perhaps because it was not freshly fried but instead had been sitting in a pot for a while.