Met with friends from all over So Cal for an event down South. After the event our friend found a…read morenoodle house in Santa Ana, odd find location but lets go ... Massive parking lot so that was easy, one friend went ahead and let them know we had 10 incoming. They made room and we sat immediately. One of the spots that you scan a menu at the table and you review, order and pay all in the app. I was really not familiar with the line up and went with the "House Special Beef Pot Roodle" (Roodles are their rice noodles). It was a weekend only item and I tried that. The noodles came separate from the soup. Over all it was very tasty. The meat was a bit fatty and the soup had tendons too. I took that part home and my wife loved it. I tend to avoid the fatty meat and tendons are not good to me. 10 of us so some of the appetizers got passed around. The smashed cucumbers are excellent, and my buddy also got some friend potatoes of sorts, reminded me of a fat French fry. Because my buddy and I sat at the same table we scanned the same menu, he ordered a bunch of stuff and also House Special Beef Pot Roodle. That confused the kitchen and they asked me if I meant to order 2, I said no and didn't realize I cancelled my buddy's order. Part of the confusion of a large party and many scanned menu orders. My buddy was struggling to order and our initial waiter seemed to not understand my friend and that took a little bit to work out, young lady came from the back and was able to quickly resolve some of the confusion and get questions answered as needed. In the end he had lot of food to explore. One thing that caught my eye was several couples there and sharing a large soup item served with a tray of various food items for the soup. Kind of a date night visual and something that looked very interesting. Several couples around us had that same dish and its got me more curious. Might have to come back with my wife and try this one.

I decided to give this place a try because I heard their noodles were very authentic, and as…read moresomeone who loves noodles, I was excited to try it. I ordered their most popular dish, the A1 set, but honestly, it didn't really live up to the hype for me. The broth tasted pretty underseasoned overall. From what I understood, you're supposed to mix all the toppings into the soup with the noodles, but even after doing that, I still felt like the flavor was lacking. Yes, they provide seasoning on the side, but personally, I wish the broth already had enough flavor on its own without needing to adjust it myself. Would I come back? Probably not. Nothing really stood out to me enough to return, and it felt more like a one-time experience. Overall, everything was just okay.

Service was good. Food was great. Definitely would come back here…read more The beef rib was tender and flavorful. I appreciated how they cut off the bone for us into smaller pieces. Side of beef soup was flavorful and light. Celery and tofu skin salad was a little spicy, but still really refreshing. Marinated beef tripe was flavorful, tender, wild spicy. Pricing is good. Don't really recommend this place for a very large groups, but if you do plan on going with a lot of guests, I would advise to go off hours or potentially wait; it's not the largest.

The sauce & Noodle were the star of the show at Six Alley Biang Biang Noodle…read more I took the time to visit this cute establishment on Wednesday. It's tucked away in a small plaza next to Starbucks a liquor store and a few other food spots. I arrived a little after 2pm and there were quite a few people in there. Still spacious for a party of 1 even though it was busy. What immediately stood out to me is that every noodle is hand pulled fresh after you place your order. No two noodles are exactly alike, and honestly, you can taste the care and freshness in every bite. I ordered the Mahi Beef Noodles, the Dry Mixed Dumplings, and the cucumber salad. Let me just say... every single dish had me saying, "Okay THIS is my favorite," and then the next dish would come along and change my mind again. The cucumber salad was refreshing and the crunchy cucumbers were covered in like a garlic sauce bath. Be careful because this is the kind of sauce that could stain your clothes. Lol I also ordered The Ma hu Beef Noodles and The Dry Mixed Dumplings. The Ma Hu beef noodles were delicious! The noodles were soft, tender, and the beef was incredibly tender as well. The Dry Mixed Dumplings were equally delicious. They come dry with the dipping sauce on the side, which I personally preferred because you can dip each dumpling exactly how you like. The pork and cabbage filling was flavorful and juicy too. I have to say, my favorite part of each dish was honestly the balance of flavor. The traditional spices and sauces were layered perfectly without being overly salty or overpowering. I chose the mild spice level, and it had just the right amount of heat while still allowing the flavors of the dish to shine. The sauce truly brought everything together. There's something special about how they've mastered simplicity here, the ingredients are not overly complicated, yet the sauces and seasonings create so much depth and flavor without overwhelming the dish. Everything feels intentional and balanced. I couldn't even finish all of my food because the portions were generous, so I happily took the rest to go. The staff was incredibly kind and even packed me extra sauce to take home, which honestly made my day because the sauce is THAT good. The restaurant itself is smaller, but don't let that stop you from going. The flavor completely makes up for the size of the space. The establishment was clean, service was fast, and even with a slight language barrier, I still felt welcomed and treated kindly. One thing I really appreciated was how attentive the staff was. The moment tables opened up, they were immediately cleaned and prepared for the next guests. The staff stayed on top of everything without missing a beat. Authentic, flavorful, fresh, and absolutely worth visiting.

The best fresh and true Chinese food . Crisp , flavorful,healthy and yum !…read morePs Sophia who works there is very attentive !

Taibat Noodle House is known for their affordable hand made noodles. I came here for lunch with…read moreseven other people. When we arrived it was busy but no wait. The restaurant itself is small and casual but they had lots of tables and chairs. The lady working there was really nice and set up our tables and gave us waters right away. We decided to just share everything. They brought items out as soon as they were made. We tried several noodle dishes, one cabbage dish, and a few protein dishes. We ordered their popular Traditional Hand-pulled beef noodle soup and the Big Plate Chicken with Noodles dish they were known for. I wasn't a fan of the traditional hand pulled noodle soup but the big plate chicken with noodle dish was pretty good. Everyone's favorite noodle dish was the Stir-Fried Shanxi Knif-Cut Noodles though. It was super flavorful and delicious. For protein, my favorite was their orange chicken. We all found the Kung Pao chicken to be wayyyy to salty. It was edible with the stir fried cabbage though. The lady working there was really nice and made sure to bring us everything we needed. She also refilled our waters. The pricing of food is super affordable and portions were pretty large. We had some food left over and was able to to bring some home. The inside like I mentioned is very casual. They even had a to go section where you can pick up pre-made foods. There's payment through the kiosk or you can pay with the cashier. It was good experience for a casual lunch.

Food is always solid and very filling…read more Came around 4:30pm and it was great, arrived before the hectic dinner rush and crazy parking. Got the dry seafood noodles, beef stew noodles and deep fried dumplings. The dumplings were alright, it's basically deep fried wonton with pork and shrimp. My usual dry seafood noodles was scrumptious and side soup was packed with lots of seafood. I typically add a load of red vinegar to give a good tang. The beef stew was also really good and meat was tender except the tendon, there's 3 level of spicy however level 1 mild is still very spicy especially for people who don't usually eat spicy.

Small hidden gem with a "hole in the wall" vibe in the Asian Village right across from Asian Garden…read moreMall - may God be with you finding parking on a weekend My dad suggested this place for lunch one day a few months ago and I came in with high expectations as his recommendation for Vietnamese food is essentially a seal of quality. Mai Phat still exceeded them! It has since become our go-to lunch spot, as well as a local favorite for my wife's family. They specialize in egg noodles - served either dry (with broth and main protein on the side) or wet like a conventional soup bowl. My personal go-to is the dry mì sủi cảo - egg noodles with sliced / ground pork, huge wonton dumplings, a shrimp cracker, and broth on the side. The wontons come in a super rich and delicious sauce that I actually got scolded for pouring over my noodles lol. The light and clear broth is very refreshing and well-seasoned. Excellent mix of perfectly balanced flavors from every component. Add chili crisp for extra oomph. My wife loves the mì gà quay - fried chicken leg & thigh with the signature egg noodles. This is honestly one of the most perfectly seasoned and cooked fried chicken I've ever had, and I've had a LOT of fried chicken. Service was prompt, friendly, and attentive Highly recommend Mai Phat for hearty, expertly crafted, and relatively guilt free Vietnamese comfort food

Frog Hot Pot You can tell the difference right away. The…read morefrog is fresh (not frozen) -- big pieces, tender and bouncy, and incredibly flavorful. Frozen frog doesn't even compare. Portion is a bit small for the price, but it's so good we wished there was more. Grilled Fish (pleasant surprise!) The fish was thick, juicy, and very tender -- not dry or over-fried like many grilled fish dishes. The sides were generous (lotus root, potatoes, celery, wood ear mushrooms, cauliflower). We ordered mild spicy, and even kids could enjoy it. Perfect for 2-3 people and great value. Overall, a very satisfying Sichuan meal -- bold, flavorful, and worth the visit.

The food didn't match the photos/expectations. What I saw on Xiaohongshu (little red book) looked…read morelike Photo 1, but what I actually got was Photo 2. The menu has changed too -- they no longer have Taiwanese braised pork rice. They only have a "braised pork rice" option, and the pork comes in big chunks (not the usual finely braised style). We also ordered Fuqi Feipian, and it was basically flavorless. Isn't this place supposed to be Sichuan? The chili wasn't spicy at all, and overall the taste was just completely off for a $10 dish. Overall: pretty average. I won't be coming back. Came here because of Xiaohongshu and felt misled. 宣传与实物不符。小红书上的是图一。实际上拿到的是图二。菜单也有改动，没有台式卤肉饭了，只有卤味猪肉饭（这特么什么玩意？中国有这菜？）卤味猪肉饭猪肉还是一块一块的，你们餐厅做菜的在中国吃卤肉饭吃这个是吧？ 夫妻肺片，没有味道。餐厅不是蜀风小厨吗？辣椒完全不辣的，不止是辣椒，夫妻肺片10刀味道完全不对。 一般，不会再去。被小红书骗过来的。

I just stopped here for a quick bite before the airport and I HIGHLY recommend the PHO BRISKET ON…read moreRYE sandwich. This was the best sandwich I've ever had!! It comes with a little bowl of broth for dipping or sipping and some pickled carrots and radish. The two men working were very sweet and the food came out quickly. It is located in the food hall which has some other options as well as a bar. It's a fun atmosphere with plenty of options. I will definitely be back!

1. I definitely enjoy this concept of pho being reconstructed as a sandwich! I love that the bread…read morereally held the content well, and the fries really paired well with the sandwich! 2. The spot is part of a food hall with a casual ambiance! The store is small, but the food hall is huge! 3. There are areas of indoor and outdoor tables! The outdoor area also has shade! 4. The staff were friendly, and they gave me a buzzer for my order! The order was done within 10 mins! 5. A parking structure, meter parking, and neighborhood parking are available! For the weekends and nights, you get two hours of free parking in the structures! Note: This spot does not have their own restrooms, but there are customers restrooms nearby in the food hall! Photo: Pho Brisket Sandwich, Seasoned Fries, and Soda

This place has quickly become one of my go to spots at South Coast Plaza ever since they've opened!…read moreThey offer four different tonkotsu ramen bases, with further customization available from like oil richness, veggies, salt, and more, to tailor your ramen to your desired flavor!! Even with the unlimited customization options, they also offer limited-time ramen bases as well , like a pumpkin ramen, crab ramen, or even a curry ramen just recently. These limited-time ramen flavors are always so creative AND tasty, so the announcement of a new limited-ramen always gets me rushing over to try it!! The ambiance is excellent as well, and the addition of the patio provides a nice and private scenic breeze, with extra bonus points in practicality for providing a nice space for pet owners like myself when I have my dog with me! Not only is the food and ambiance great, but the service is spectacular as well. The servers are attentive friendly and quick, so I'm never waiting long! Extra special shout out to servers Bao and Kenny!!! Both Bao and Kenny have been my server time and time again, and both of them provide beyond exceptional service at lightning speed!! The managers too have been so wonderful to me as well, with Nike, Brandon, Britt and Chuong facilitating such wonderful dining experiences every time I visit!! I can't recommend this place enough to all of my friends. With their continuous dedication to quality, quickness, and care, I've found myself coming back again and again

Ramen Nagi is THE best ramen in OC! I especially love the Green King and that each bowl is custom…read moremade to fit your tastes. The bean sprouts are delicious as well. The staff are incredibly attentive, especially Justin. He was very attentive and even offered me a bib when he noticed I was wearing some nicer clothes.

A family favorite. This place has been around for quite a while. You have to come here early to get…read morea donut before they run out. Service is very quick to sit and order so be ready. My go to is the combination beef with egg noodle, soup inside. If they have it, with a donut. Parking is not the best but if you can find it it's worth the wait. I frequent here at least twice a month. Even more during a cold day!

This place feels like it's still stuck in the 90s. The food is average at best, yet many of the…read moreregulars seem to be older customers who swear by it. Maybe it's nostalgia or maybe they've just lost their taste buds. What really bothered me was the service. Why hand customers a menu if you're not even going to give them time to look at it? I had barely sat down before a waiter rushed over asking what I wanted. I told him I had just sat down and hadn't even opened the menu yet. He rolled his eyes and walked away. I kid you not....about 30 seconds later, another waiter came rushing over asking the same question. I felt rushed and annoyed at the same time. What's going on here? To be fair, I grew up eating here and have returned about three times as an adult. Unfortunately, each visit has been worse than the last. The restaurant seems to have no motivation to improve. The place feels dirty, the food is mediocre, and the customer service is pretty terrible.

Hue Kitchen got a glow up and I'm here for your girl…read more The menu covers all the Hue classics. Here, you can customize your bún bò huế with whatever your heart desires. They even offer tongue which I've never ever seen on a menu before except at my mama's house. I ordered just a regular bowl of bún bò huế. They give you so much meat, it's insane. Moreover, they include broth bones where there are still tiny morsels of meat still attached. As of it wasn't already giving my mama's house, you can also find nước mắm on the tables where you can concoct a whole dipping situation. Ten. What really sold me was #23 - tôm chua đu đủ Đặc biệt. It's so simple - fermented shrimp, pork belly, herbs, and some rice. This is my favorite comfort dish. The combination of papaya/shrimp, pork belly, herbs along with a bite of rice is the most perfect bite. Again, I've never ever seen this dish offered at a restaurant so I was absolutely beside myself. Not only do they serve this dish here, you can buy a jar of the tôm chua to go. Okay, bookmark this place and come tomorrow.

I was craving banh canh early morning on a Saturday, and this was one of the only places open. You…read moreknow a restaurant is going to be fire when they only specialize in a handful of items. We got the bun bo hue and the banh canh with thick soup. Both dishes came out really fast in massive bowls. I was a little skeptical at first because the broth in the BBH looked pale, but was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful it was. The banh canh was flavorful as well. Both dishes had a decent amount of meat. I inhaled every last drop of the soup. I will definitely be back!

Solid!! Besides My Phat, this is my favorite egg noodle/hu Tieu noodle restaurant! There are really…read moreonly a handful in OC that stand out, it's hard to find a good Hu Tieu place, this one is at the top of the list! Ordered the Hu Tieu Nam Vang, which is the clear noodles with seafood, pork, and wontons, and also came with the crunchy shrimp chip. I can say the noodles, broth, and proteins were all solid! I really enjoyed this dish! Also ordered the mi kho dac biet, which is the dry egg noodles with soup on the side. This came with fried wontons instead of steamed wontons like in the Hu Tieu, also came with the same proteins and the shrimp chip. I also really enjoyed this dish! Solid broth, noodles were not too chewy, proteins tasted delicious! I will definitely be back! My only complaint is that the pickled jalapeños in the container had a weird white coating, wasn't sure if it was mold, but wanted to be safe and threw it away.

Woke up hungover after a night of heavy drinking. Typed in "cheapest noodles in OC" and this place…read morewas the first to pop up. After perusing through their menu and pictures, I noticed a photo of their homemade shrimp cracker, which caught my eye, so I had to check it out. **Pro Tip: They have a Happy Hour every day from 2pm-5pm offering 10% and each meal comes with a free canned soda ** I arrived exactly at 2 PM to find an empty dining room and ordered the House Special Egg Noodles (Mì Đặc Biệt). This dish typically comes in a broth, so if you're not in the mood for a soupy meal, be sure to ask for it "dry." I opted for the dry version because I wanted something different. I noticed that the wontons are prepared differently when you order them dry: they are deep-fried to make them crispy, while the soup version features boiled wontons. The dry option was served with a special sauce and a side of broth. The dish satisfied all my cravings, with a mix of seafood, BBQ pork, crispy wontons, and a giant shrimp cracker on top. I'm not entirely sure if I'm doing this right, but I once saw an elderly gentleman mix some satay and broth into his dish to create a sauce. Ever since then, I've enjoyed my dry noodles that way. The store itself wasn't particularly impressive in appearance, but that didn't matter because I was so focused on the meal. The owner was incredibly kind and attentive; she even turned on the portable air conditioning and made sure the airflow was directed towards me. They were enjoying their lunch at the other end of the room, which made me feel like I was part of a family meal. Overall, the meal was incredibly satisfying and fulfilled all of my cravings. They even provided me with a stamp card that offers a free meal after I purchase ten meals. The restaurant has only been open for a year and is a low-key spot that deserves more attention. I highly encourage others to check it out!