Tsing Tao

If you find yourself in the charming town of Los Gatos on the southern edge of Silicon Valley, you’ve got to check out Tsing Tao. This Northern-style Chinese spot actually got its start in neighboring Campbell before moving to its current corner location on Los Gatos Blvd (taking over the space where Boulevard Bites and Brews used to be). The sign out front reads "Tsing Tao Mandarin Cuisine" in both English and Chinese, and they run both a lunch and dinner shift. They’re closed on Mondays, but they do a brisk business in phone-in takeout if you’re looking to grab a meal on the go. The vibe here is all about big, shareable portions. A total standout is the *Liang Zhang Pi* (a classic cold appetizer)—a vibrant dish where savory pork, shrimp, and cabbage are piled in the center, surrounded by a rainbow of shredded egg, cucumber, and carrots. The "skin" (silky, translucent starch sheets) comes in a separate container with a sauce packet, so you can have the fun of mixing it all together yourself. If you’re into sweet and savory combos, the Honey Walnut Shrimp is a must; the shrimp are lightly battered, fried, and drizzled in a creamy sauce with a generous sprinkling of candied walnuts. For something hearty, the Tsing Tao Chow Mein features thick noodles loaded with beef, shrimp, and chicken. If you’re a fan of spice, their *Chao Ma* Soup (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup) is the real deal—a bold, aromatic red broth packed with dried chilies, wood ear mushrooms, and plenty of seafood. They also do a light, clean Wonton Soup served with bok choy and sliced mushrooms if you want something a bit more mellow. There are two names on the menu that are worth a quick deep dive. First is *Liang Zhang Pi* (literally "two skins"), a staple of Shandong and Korean-Chinese cuisine. You’ll often see it listed as "Double Skin Dish" on English menus. The "skin" refers to the chewy, slippery sheets made from mung bean or sweet potato starch. Since all the toppings have to be perfectly shredded and arranged before being tossed in a zingy yellow mustard sauce, it’s considered a real test of a chef’s knife skills. Then there’s *Chao Ma*, which comes from the Shandong dialect—*Ma* basically translates to "toppings," so *Chao Ma* literally means "stir-fried assortment." This dish traveled from the Shandong region of China to the Korean Peninsula, where its broth was originally white — Japanese residents during the colonial era saw it and named it after *champon* (ちゃんぽん), the Fujianese-derived noodle dish popular back in Japan, which is how the Korean name *jjamppong* came about. From the 1960s on, cooks started cranking up the chili powder and oil, giving us the fiery red bowl of noodles we know today. Perfect for family gatherings, those craving Northern-style noodles, and anyone looking for a big, satisfying lunch or dinner spread.