Chef Chu's
{{Short description|Chinese restaurant in Los Altos, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox restaurant
| name = Chef Chu's
| logo = Chef Chu's.png
| coordinates = {{coord|37.4005821|-122.1162576}}
| established = 1970
| current-owner = Lawrence C.C Chu
| food-type = Chinese-American
| street-address = 1067 N San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94040
| website = {{URL|www.chefchu.com}}
| mapframe = yes
}}
Chef Chu's is a Chinese-American restaurant in Los Altos, California owned by chef Lawrence Chu. The restaurant opened in 1970 and has been operating since, and is known for hosting several state of heads, tech elites, and celebrities such as Steve Jobs, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, Serena Williams, and Justin Bieber.{{Cite web |last=Hung |first=Melissa |date=2018-11-14 |title=How Chef Chu's Became Silicon Valley's Favorite Chinese Restaurant |url=https://www.eater.com/2018/11/14/18036548/chef-chus-chinese-american-restaurant-silicon-valley |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Eater |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Boudreau |first=John |last2= |first2= |date=2012-08-14 |title=Chef Chu's restaurant has served tech elite, from Steve Jobs to Jerry Yang |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/08/14/chef-chus-restaurant-has-served-tech-elite-from-steve-jobs-to-jerry-yang-2/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}} The proprieter Lawrence Chu is also the father of director Jon M. Chu, known for directing the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and the musical fantasy Wicked (2024).{{Cite news |date={{date|2024|07|24}} |title='Crazy Rich Asians' director plugs his dad's Bay Area restaurant to Stephen Colbert |url=https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/chef-chus-los-altos-late-show-mention-19594591.php |url-status=live |access-date={{TODAY}} |work=SFGATE}} The restaurant is currently managed by Larry Jr., Chu's oldest son.{{Cite web |last=Kadvany |first=Elena |date=2020-01-30 |title=As Chef Chu's turns 50, Larry Chu looks to the future |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/ae/2020/01/30/he-built-his-chinese-food-empire-on-potstickers-proverbs-and-passion-now-as-chef-chus-turns-50-larry-chu-looks-to-the-future/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Palo Alto Online |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Goard • • |first=Alyssa |date=2024-08-04 |title=Director Jon M. Chu speaks in San Francisco about his Bay Area roots, hopes to inspire the next generation |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/director-jon-m-chu-speaks-in-san-francisco-about-his-bay-area-roots-hopes-to-inspire-the-next-generation/3613777/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=NBC Bay Area |language=en-US}}
History
Chef Chu's started as a take-out restaurant in a location in a strip mall, a former laundromat that sat alongside an appliance repair shop and a beauty salon in 1970 by Lawrence C.C Chu and his partner Ruth Ho. Chu's father operated a restaurant called Mandarin House where he learned the fundamentals of Chinese cooking from the head chef.{{Cite web |last=Le |first=Anh-Minh |date=2020-02-03 |title=Chef Chu's Marks 50 Years |url=https://www.nobhillgazette.com/food_and_wine/wine_and_spirits/chef-chu-s-marks-50-years/article_ea14ab1d-5939-5216-b2c9-9845c446a259.html |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=nobhillgazette.com |language=en}} Over the years the restaurant expanded to occupy nearby businesses eventually occupying the whole building, including a second floor.
Reception
Chef Chu's is widely considered to be one of the best Chinese-American restaurant in Silicon Valley,{{Cite web |last=Intern |first=Chelsea Nivison-Town Crier Editorial |date=2017-08-09 |title=Chef Chu's achieves national ranking in restaurant roundup |url=https://www.losaltosonline.com/food/chef-chus-achieves-national-ranking-in-restaurant-roundup/article_428ad8d0-63ea-5f94-91d1-5f6700ff4cfa.html |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Los Altos Town Crier |language=en}} including tweet endorsements from Serena Williams and Justin Bieber. It was ranked three on the list of America's 50 best Chinese restaurants by CNN in 2017.{{Cite web |last=Wei |first=Clarissa |date=2017-07-12 |title=50 best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/america-best-chinese-restaurants/index.html |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=CNN |language=en}}