Cate Zone Chinese Cafe - Chinese restaurant in University City - 8148 Olive Blvd, USA

This place has been busy no matter what time we have gone. This is some of the best sweet and sour pork I have ever enjoyed - crispy and saucy. It is absolutely delicious. The staff are so helpful. The only problem here is how addicting the food is. Staff are helpful and make recommendations. Pictures are with almost no food because we ate so fast I forgot to grab some!

Hidden gem! Extremely busy, inside and out. There were lots of call-in orders waiting to be picked up. I finally got a chance to try the Hot Crispy Fish after hearing so much about it. Now, if you don't like spicy, then this dish may not be for you. Fish crispy, yet tender inside. It's definitely an explosion on the tastebuds!💥💥💦 Delicious! Satisfying.

Generous servings, tasty and small space! What I went with 2 other coworkers and we got a couple of dishes to share. The triple delight was really good, this had eggplant, bell peppers and potatoes. The mushroom chicken pot was also great! There are potatoes and glass noodles (sweet potato noodle) in this dish. great mushroom taste. The hot crispy fish were also really good! This was a big serving! It was like fish and chips without the chips and you get rice... We opt for the not so spicy so it was not spicy at all! I also think they went a little heavy on the MSG... Overall it was great. Environment The space was really small, but they turn around the tables really quickly. Niceness of the staff The staff was quick. Def get your order and get your food in a timely manner. The staff was nice and quick to serve you Dollar For the size of the dishes, it was decently priced! Yes? I am not local to St Louis but I would return here and try some of the other dishes.

Must having a reason that there were many students from around college town, the restaurant was known for famous dishes from Chinese northeast provinces, as well as (typically) a few Szechuan specials. Guo-bao-rou (锅包肉 / Traditional Sweet and Sour Pork) was the best comparing to all (even including the authentic one in China mainland). The only regret was no chance coming back to try others on the menu. Packed a Homemade Beef Jerky to go, it was quite tasty - dry and spicy - it could be better if it mixed with more Szechuan peppers (再多点四川的“麻”就好了).

Great little Cafe serving Chinese cuisine. The Best sweet and sour pork I can ever recall having. Servings are large, family portions so be warned before you end up ordering more than your stomach can handle. I will definitely return when I find myself in the St Louis area.

With a menu that far exceeds typical Americanized Chinese restaurants, this small place provides authentic dishes not found frequently in town. The food was fresh and flavorful, the seating area was clean and well lit with natural sunlight, and even though the restaurant was packed (mainly Chinese patrons... a very good sign), the food arrived quickly.

The service was kind of rude, but the food was so amazing that they get 5 stars. Walked in at 2:20 and was told we didn’t have time to look at the menu because their kitchen closes soon, which was weird because their hours said they close at 3. We just ordered the first things we opened the menu to, which was the spicy boiled fish and the chengdu chicken. Waitress was pretty absent and frosty for the rest of the meal. Had to go up to ask for drinks, was annoyed when we asked for a spoon, etc. HOWEVER, their authentic Chinese food is the best I’ve ever had in a restaurant. The spicy pepper chicken was the perfect balance of sweet and melt-your-face-off spicy. The spicy boiled fish was fresh, plump and flavorful. You could see that they used fresh spices and whole chunks of real ginger. It was simply amazing. Portions were generous, and the spice levels were awesome for a chili head like myself. Just get through the service and you won’t be disappointed.

TLDR: Small place, slightly expensive, but on-point flavors. Must get "Cumin Lamb" and "Hot Crisp Fish". Come early, or the line gets crazy. Table of 4, got 6 dishes (1 cold dish, 1 "dessert") and had leftovers. Great service, food came quickly, and nice small-restaurant ambiance. Dishes: Clear Noodle with Special Sesame Sauce (东北大拉皮): Sesame sauce isn't quite rich enough, and the noodles are a bit too firm. Otherwise great. 6/10 Cumin Lamb w/ Cilantro (孜然羊肉): Must get. Probably one of the best dishes the restaurant has to offer. Rich in flavor and well-balances out the mutton flavor. 9/10 Braised Beef Brisket w/ Tomatoes (西红柿炖牛腩): Good beef and vegetables, comes with tomatoes, Bok Choi, and Mu'er. Good flavors and nice beef, but, personally, should be a stew, not a soup. 7/10 Hot Crisp Fish (蜀香风暴雨): Imagine Fish & Chips but with a lighter, crispier batter & flavored with Chinese chili oil. Absolute dime, not as spicy as it seems, 8/10. Dry Fried Pork Intestine (干煸肥肠): First time I've had intestine served thoroughly fried to a crisp, and that really brings the classic dish down: Deep frying the intestine only makes it greasier & heavier, harder for the right flavors to enter the meat, and loses the texture sought after. 4/10. Crisp Pumpkin with Egg Sauce (蛋黄焗南瓜): Nice sweet dish. Abundant. 7/10. Definitely will come again. A must-go spot for any authentic Chinese food enthusiasts