Kung Pao Kitty

R.I.P.
Rest In Pieces… of pork fat.
That’s what I got when I ate here. Ordered a noodle dish with pork — there was no meat involved. Every single piece was fat — the part you trim off and throw away. I honestly thought someone was playing a joke on me.
Who’s laughing now?
Bim!

I was here on 12÷4÷10, I made reservations since I’d figure it would be crowed since it was on a Saturday night, but since my reservation was early we didn’t really need it.
This is a great spot, the food is really good they have plenty of dishes to choose from. each dish is enough for two people to share which is good since u really do want to try more than one dish .
In light of the bushy «Hollywood» «LA» scene which if u have done it u know it can be a bit aggravating, this place is a breath of fresh air. great food, great prices !!

Fun atmosphere. Great food. It’s a little too spicy for my tastes, but they do have a nice menu and I find ways around the spice. Staff is good, too.

If it wasn’t for the cool ambiance and every day happy hour, I probably wouldn’t rate this place as high as I do, because with the exception of a few dishes (and the cream cheese wontons!) the menu is filled with the same dishes you would see at any Chinese restaurant… But the fact that I can have decent Chinese food in such a cool setting on Hollywood Blvd without having to pay through the nose is pretty great. Also, 5 stars for offering Foursquare specials! Don’t forget to check in.

We came here for lunch, while on vacation, back in September. The atmosphere was very unique and worth coming here to see but needed maintenance (burned out lights here and there… as seen in my photos). The food was okay. I had the kung pao chicken. I have to give the disclaimer (before what I’m about to write) that I live in an area with a very large Asian population and we’ve got a lot of good/​authentic Chinese food. The kung pao chicken was gringo style. It wasn’t bad. It was just very Americanized. Great for tourists or people who can’t stand authentic. It was good for what it was. Set your expectations correctly before coming here (Think a step up from Panda Express).
The prices were very reasonable. The restaurant was pretty empty at the time (we like eating during non busy times) so we had great service. If I were in the area, I might drop by for lunch again.

You probably arent aware of this but ever since we have started serving absinthe here, you may be surprised to know that there are even such concoctions here at the kitty. In fact, you may even be hard pressed to find a place in Los Angeles with a selection of Absinthe as large as they have.
While biast because I work serving absinthe there on special event nights and occassions, the selection is usually great there everyday and should you want an absinthe when The Los Angeles Absinthe Club isnt there, any bartender there will be happy to pour one for you!
If absinthe isnt for you or you cannot pull $ 10 out of your wallet per drink, then their $ 3 Tiger Beer and $ 5 small Sake’s are definitely the way to go!
Also, should you want a cosmo/​martini make note that $ 8 will get you 2 since the bartenders shake enough to pour another whole glass in a small carafe and sit it right beside your Martini glass.
Food is sooooo yum! I must’ve turned at least 10 people onto this place alone just because of the food.
When I can find time to dine I usually go with the flat noodle dish, a spicy beef dish or the calamari but Its not unusual to find me snacking on their $ 2 Cream Cheese Wontons on a late night! I recently tried their nachos and those are yum too!
I also consider this my first choice local hangout because everyone here is quite friendly and its nice to go in and know you will find a smile or open ear.

Happy Hour Review
**2.5 Stars**
Is there ever a thing as too much good service? There must be because that is exactly what JB & I got during a Saturday afternoon happy hour at Kung Pao Kitty. While we may have complained about bad service at Checkers Downtown, Malo, & Kay ‘n Dave’s Cantina there’s something to be said about checking on a table no less than 15 times in an hour and a half.
Now, to be fair, the server was plenty nice and helpful. He helped us decide on appetizers — crunchy moo-​shu chicken tacos ($ 2 each) for me and wonton nachos ($ 3) for us to share. We joked that we maybe should have just hit up a Mexican joint instead. The tacos were tasty, but a bit spicy for my sensitive pallet.
For drinks, JB went for the Yanjing Beer ($ 3) and I had my own bottle of sake ($ 5). Our server returned plenty of times to ask how we liked the appetizers and if we were ready to order anything else. I guess in addition to being a good server, he was probably lonely since there was hardly anyone at happy hour and the tv’s playing Phenomenon might not have been doing it for him. I suggested to JB that they play The Wizard of OZ to sync up with the Dark Side of the Moon soundtrack that played, kind of strange background music for the Chinese-​themed restaurant with its lacquered red and gold walls and Eastern décor.
We later ordered the sesame fries with wasabi ketchup ($ 4). The fries were my favorite since I love steak cut fries and the twist on the ketchup was nice — not spicy, just a kick. I also tried the Asian PearSake-​2-​Me drink ($ 7). I thought that the drink was going to be a cocktail based on price, but it turned out to be a baby beer bottle of flavored sake. Although it was good, I would never pay $ 7 for that size of drink again. Once we were nearly done with our food (and staff desperately wanting to clean our table), I wasn’t much in the mood to stay much longer even though we had the time. The constant check-​ins was just too much for me, so we closed our tab and headed back to The Happy Hour Tour headquarters.
While Kung Pao Kitty may not be for me, it may be the perfect happy hour for someone looking to try new foods that can appreciate the attention of a server who will be more than attentive with their likes & dislikes. It may also be the perfect Hollywood happy hour for a tourist in need of a break from the Walk of the Fame.

I’m a happy hour junkie, and they have a great one. Perfect sized dishes to share for SO cheap — egg rolls, spring rolls, wontons, calamari, dumplings, pot stickers — and the small sized egg drop soup was so warm and tasty, and seriously enough food to feed a family of four in winter. The food also comes out pretty fast.
I’ve had great experiences with the servers as well. They’re so friendly and helpful! Only sat at the bar once and I was smashed, so I can’t comment on the bartenders with any conscience.
I’ve only had one dish here that I hated — chicken lettuce cups — and I have to tell you, it was incredibly lame. All onions and none of the good stuff! No biggie… everything else is stellar.

Possibly the best happy hour within this area.
Apps are like $ 2: Egg rolls, cream cheese wontons, mushu tacos… mmm
And cheap. Better than the faux happy hour at Lucky Devil’s.

Kung Pao Kitty is AWESOME!
All of the meat dishes are very well done, and the Black Cat is my favorite beer in Hollywood. For the unenlightened, it’s Chimay and Guinness.
The loompia with dipping sauces is also amazing.
Parking is fend for yourself, but it’s around.

After all the mixed reviews– my husband and I decided to try something new and form our own opinion– so we tried kung pao kitty. The food wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t memorable. The thing that really turned us of was the abundance of fillers. They put so many fillers, that there was hardly any meat. What a complete rip off! I even took a picture of my husband’s plate which was full of huge carrots, snap peas, and onions. There were only a few pieces of chicken and beef in each dish we ordered.
Can I post a picture of it on here? Needless to say, we won’t be returning to the kung pao shitty. Definitely not the best chinese in la! I have no idea in the world how anyone could possibly think so. Those people have no idea what tasteful, succulent, and high end chinese taste like.
The food was bland, everything tasted the same, besides the fried rice (which was the only thing that even filled up my stomach), and the fillers– way to ruin the food!!! Oy!

Love this place — came here on a rainy Saturday after trolling Hollywood Blvd and stopped in for some hot tea, cold drinks, and warm food. Kung Pao Kitty delivered on all levels.
We ordered a pot of tea, two rum and cokes (only $ 3!), and a few different appetizers which were also only $ 3 during happy hour. Our server appeared to be covering the entire restaurant, including several large tables, but she held the fort down with friendly and efficient service. Our drinks came quite quickly and food was hot and tasty. We ended up ordering way too much food: a plate of calamari with sweet chillis, spring rolls, and leaping dragon dumplings filled with shrimp. All very tasty and incredible value for the price.
I’m also a huge fan of the funky décor, red lacquer everything with a huge tree overlooking the room. Overall I’d come back for lunch, dinner, or late night drinks if I was in the area.

I haven’t been to the kitty for a while and the last time I went I was meh about it. I went back because I had a coupon and met up with a friend who needs veggie selections. I have to say, I was quite pleased.
We had the tofu lettuce wraps and they were excellent. Next time, I’ll make my whole meal out of it… it was SO good. THe tofu was fried crispy and it was perfect with the cool lettuce cups. Then I had the shrimp in lobster sauce which I found to be quite divine… very flavorful and delicate. I was very pleased overall.
Here’s the rub – our service was terrible and the place was empty so I don’t get that. She was nice but just s l o w. But for lunch, I will definitely be back for more lettuce cups.

I don’t eat out often in Hollywood. ‘Never’ would be a better description, so when I found myself hungry in the hood I turned to my Unilocal phone app to find me a good restaurant. It was 9pm on a Friday and we wanted sushi and headed to Murakami on Wilcox. Just like in the movies there was a «loading zone» parking space available at the corner. But it turns out Murakami closed its doors, so since Hello Kitty, I mean, Kung Pao Kitty was right there we decided to check it out.
When I want authentic Chinese food I will drive to San Gabriel and although I wouldn’t consider KPK authentic, it is tasty and well priced. A small egg drop soup is $ 4.50 and comes in a huge bowl enough for 4. The Chili Crusted Calamari is amazingly delicious and the huge salad version costs only 10 bucks. Throw in some Sweet and Sour Chicken and $ 3 sake and you have more than a meal for two.
It seems most of the complaints here on Unilocal are for delivery so I suggest getting off the couch and heading into KPK for good food, good service and a good vibe that’s open late and priced right.

Love this place
Love their name
Had to take this pic since my nick name is «Kitty»
=]
Had a great time
Davey and I can’t wait to go back

Boooooo. I just tried to order some General Tsos chicken for take out from here. The phone rang about forty times before someone picked up. Then I was put on hold forever. Then the chick on the phone didnt know what dish I was talking about. She finally figured it out, but when I wanted to get noodles instead of rice they said no. Fair enough.
So I asked if I could buy a side of noodles. The girl on the phone yelled to someone to ask them and I heard them in the background rudely say no. If I wanted noodles I had to order a whole noodle entrée starting at 10 bucks. Wtf. Two entrees making a 30 dollar chinese food dish for one person? No thanks.
I respect restaurants who refuse substitutions because they believe it would compromise the dish. But to rudely say no when I want to PURCHASE a side of noodles is just being shitty. Especially since its a CHINESE FOOD restaurant and I’m pretty sure they have noodles laying around.
Who knows. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they are a special Chinese food restaurant that only magically creates noodles when someone orders a 15 dollar noodle entrée with meat. Regardless, to be completely unaccomodating and rude loses my business and my Unilocal stars!
Update: just as I had finished posting this glowing review I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize. Guess who it was?! Yep. Kung Pao Kitty. I got a bitchy voicemail saying that if I ever called for a to go order again they would not serve me. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Apparently the chick on the phone placed my order even though I said no, never got a time to pick it up and never got a phone call. There should have been no confusion. I guess when I said «Nevermind, cancel my order» and hung up, it must have sounded like «Go ahead and place the order and then call me almost two hours later and leave me a bitchy voicemail»!
The thing that really gets me is had I ACTUALLY placed an order, rather than calling me to let me know it was ready, they would call me two hours later and bitch at me for not showing up!?! I’m not even mad, I’m impressed.
And I am kind of thinking that they didn’t really make my order, they just wanted to yell at me.

Maybe I just don’t like Chinese food anymore?
I’ve eaten here twice now for lunch and gotten their lunch specials. I was thoroughly underwhelmed the first time but since my co-​worker wanted to go there again, I gave it another go. I shouldn’t have bothered.
Specifically:
A) EggRoll — have you ever heard of a doughy egg roll? there was so much wrapping and hardly any filling. It’s usually the first thing i finish… but I was done after 2 bites.
B) Beef Lo Mein — the beef was rubbery. the noodles were greasy. again — underwhelming. I left half the plate. I didn’t even want to take the rest to go.
C) Service — considering we got there at 2pm — after all the lunch rush — you’d think the server would be more attentive and would be on the ball. no. she took her time with us — so by the time we got our food — we had to inhale it practically and run back to work to get in on time.
Perhaps the place is more fun when it’s full of people or at night when there are djs… but the food is mediocre at best.

AMAZING!!!
I am forced to believe that all the complaints about this place are due not to the place itself, but due to the personalities of the people who wrote the bad reviews. it’s no surprise that if you are a jerk yourself, your waiter will leave you sitting there.
Anyways, enough said on that.
The goods: The atmosphere was SEXY, the food was scrumptious, the sparkling sake was out of this world!
I gave a 30% tip I was so pleased. A great find on Hollywood blvd that stays open late and is near all the theaters. Go Go Go!!!
MEOW!!!

It’s a very old hollywood type of place. Dark, red, and not too packed with people. Granted it was a Monday night, but still.
We came here for some drinks before heading to Nacional to dance.
Had 2 blueberry vodkas over ice and got a niiiice buzz. $ 8/​each, so drink prices were not too bad. Bartender was really quiet, and not very social, but at least he got the drinks right.
I’m not sure I would come back here, but its a good pit stop.

I like the name. That’s about it.
Dropped in about 45 minutes before last call for a quick drink. It was still semi-​crowded. Shitty, haphazard décor– like a mixture of Victorian goth and cliché Asian-​y B.S. like dragons and paper laterns from Ikea and such. We stood by the bar and were ignored by the bartender for a good 10 minutes. Then we finally got to order our drinks: a beer and glass of cabernet set us back about $ 17, which seems exceedingly expensive. Lots of douchebaggery here, which reminded me that I do typically avoid the Hollywood bar scene with good reason. I dunno. I would come back here for the food, maaaybe, big maybe, but probably not. Disappointing, good location, has a lot of potential to not suck.