Taba Taba China Bistro — Restaurant in Los Gatos

It’s been a year and a half since I wrote my first review of Taba Taba China Bistro, so I think that an update is long overdue.

This is a small family owned business. Ming (co-owner with her chef husband) emigrated from southern China in 1989. She’s proud of their restaurant and her relationship with their many regular customers, and she always greets me with a smile, by name, even if I haven’t been there in a while.

Their enormous menu, with over 200 choices, offers everything you can imagine from a Chinese restaurant (with the possible exception of duck). It’s mostly Cantonese but they also offer Mandarin style dishes such as MooShu Pork, Sichuan style Kung Pao Chicken, and popular Westernized staples such as Vegetable Chow Mein. Their Sichuan hot-and-sour soup is perfectly spiced, and their Wor Won Ton soup (“wor” means “everything”) is a meal in itself.

The dining room is small but it does have one round table that seats up to eight and another that’s large enough for six. There are a couple of cozy booths as well. It’s nicely decorated with an elaborate mural covering the entire back wall.

Based on continued excellent food and service over the years, I’m raising my rating from four to five stars. But I’m not alone in praising Taba Taba China Bistro. They just won a 2022 award for “Best Chinese Restaurant” in Los Gatos!

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Taba Taba is Yummy Yummy! There are many fabulous restaurants to choose from in downtown Los Gatos. But sometimes you just crave some classic Chinese food. If that’s the case, then join the many locals like me and my wife who have become regulars at Taba Taba China Bistro. This family-owned and operated restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. They offer lunch specials, dine-in service, and take-out (including party platters). You’ll be greeted with a genuine smile and made to feel very welcome. My wife and I have ordered take-out often over the years, and everything we’ve tried has been good. Portions are generous and always cooked fresh to order. Heads up: Although their address is 20 S. Santa Cruz Ave., the entrance is around the corner...

Overall dining experience was very pleasant.

Despite the small venue, the staff accommodated our group of 9 with no problem

Coming from a Chinese family, we are always a bit hypercritical of the food, and I would say it was good, but not outstanding. For instance, the scallops dish contained a lot of water chestnuts but not so many scallops...

We did pre-order our meal, so the food came out quickly which was nice.

The atmosphere was inviting, and the portions were generous, even enough to take a bit home for leftovers

Ample parking, which is nice considering the downtown location

One minor gripe was that the tea was barely lukewarm, even after being replaced several times, same issue.

I would recommended for fairly authentic Chinese fare ... this is our second visit, and would return and suggest to...

We were standing on the street wondering if we should try it when a passerby raved about how good it was. They were not wrong! Truly delicious, well-made food. Meat, sauces, and vegetables cooked perfectly, wonderfully spiced. Had sweet and sour pork that tasted like real spices instead of just red rice syrup. The mango lamb was savory and tender with just a hint of sweet. The eggplant in garlic oil was fantastic and made with great attention to texture as well as flavor. Love, love, love.

Edit: Back to visit in 2025. Service was wonderful, but the flavors were not as magical. Still enjoyed our meal, but we missed that...