Reviews for Charlie Hong Kong in Santa Cruz, CA
One of my favorite places in town to eat at that is quick and yummy. The Pad Thai is amazing and I love their peanut sauce. It's... always fun to bring a newcomer into this place to share the delish foods and awesome atmosphere. Read more
So yummy and affordable place for vegans, vegetarians and GFs. The workers are so friendly as well. Happy to be here and... definitely will come back. Read more
It definitely is the best bites on a budget. This place was super generous with the portion, their flavor, and their additional... sauces. With the price we didn?t expect to be served with big bowls completely filled up. We ordered hoisin pork rice bowl,chili sesame noodle salad and Thai coconut mushroom soup. The mushroom soup was very creamy and flavorful. The pork in the ricebowl was very tender and not too strong in flavor. The noodle salad sauce was addicted. Their veggies were very fresh, and thepickled radish and carrots were a wonderful flavor addition. They also offered self serve hoisin sauce, home made chili sauce(best with the noodle salad) and Sriracha sauce. They had limited space for dine-in and required you to self serve, so don?tforget to clean after yourself when you are done eating. Read more
Confession: I love junk food. Now this food is anything but junk - fresh, local, high-quality ingredients. At the same time,... however, it satisfies my craving for something fast and flavorful. It's plant-based, hyper-local, healthy fare that's satisfyingand uniquely Santa Cruz. If you spend any time in Santa Cruz you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Read more
It?s getting late and after a flurry of visiting old friends and fancy restaurants, I am finally kicked loose with no clear... itinerary, hungry, but tired, too early to go to bed, but too late to call old friends, so I stumble into Charlie Hong Kong?swhich looks like a love child of Blade Runner and The Beach Boys. If you've traveled in Thailand on the hippy trail, you?ve seenplaces like this. Here, it where the locals go. I?ll have to say their Thai Curry soup seems a little watered down and otherthan mushrooms, there isn?t a pea, a pod, a tiny bit of vegetable of any kind, but it?s not bad, just not great. Then come theTeriyaki Chicken which has ample perfect rice-house rice with a good chewy grain that reminds me of shops all across Asia and asavory chicken that has simmered to tenderness and is saturated with flavor. The teriyaki soy appears to be home made and theginger announced itself like a rooster announcing the morning. Not too sweet, not too complicated, not too fancy, but if I livedhere, I?d eat there twice week for the rest of my life. They?d get so sick of my ugly old mug that they?d run and hide when Ishowed up, except I tip well. It's one of those places that drip character like an old roof drips water. Can?t wait to go thereagain. Read more
I had the Gado Gado w/ Hoison Pork. It had lots of peanut sauce and was very filling. The pork was very soft and tasty. Lots of... green onions and peanuts too which added to the meal. My friend had the curry chicken and I had a piece and the sauce was freshand the chicken was soft. Less sauce on the curry chicken than the gado gado which is good if you?re watching yourwaistline. The atmosphere is fun and casual. I liked the lighting and how it?s outdoors but covered. I came back and had theGreen Curry Noodles with Green Curry Chicken. It was tasty. Same level of tastiness as the Gado Gado in my opinion, butdifferent in large part because the sauce wasn?t peanut based. The Green Curry Noodles were similar to the Gado Gado in beingvery filling and having a lot of sauce. I think if you want something cheaper with fewer calories then go with a rice bowl likethe Green Curry Chicken rice bowl. That?s just my guess. I threw out part of the Green Curry Noodles and Gado Gado because I wasfull and didn?t want the calories, but if you?ve been surfing all day the extra calories and sauce could be exactly what youwant. Read more
My go to spot in Santa Cruz for takeout. A friend showed me this place years ago and I make sure to stop by every time I visit... the area. Best rice bowls and Spicy Dan ever! They also carry Boylan's root beer Read more
I'm sure there's many places in Santa Cruz that are wonderful to eat but this is the only place I ever go to. I discovered it in... 2003 and have been going ever since!! My absolute favorite!! Hoison Pork Bowl!!!! So yummy and satisfying!!! So happy, thisplace is here!!! Read more