Well, this sucks...and only partially because this place ended up closing just when I finally finished writing my review. While I never thought Capital Noodle Bar was the best noodle joint that you could find in/around Irvine, this place was always so tasty and convenient! Even though they weren't our favorite place, the times we stopped by Capital Noodle Bar was usually on our way to/from the airport for a quick bite. Not only was the restaurant large (snagging a table was never an issue), but our food (typically) came out relatively quick. In addition, their menu was stocked with so many delicious options. It felt a little more Malaysian than Chinese to me, but, regardless, their collection of appetizers, dim sum items, congee, noodle soups, stir fried noodles, entrees, fried rice, and rice plates was so enticing, we couldn't help but come back to try more and more! -- HOT SAUCE TRAY I know it's kind of weird to mention this, but I love their dish of hot sauces. In particular, their jalapenos and chili oil go well with everything we've had here. -- CRISPY TOFU This may not have looked quite like what I had expected, but this was pretty good! The tofu was pillowy soft and piping hot while the outside of it was surprisingly crispy, given how it's not really battered. -- WONTON NOODLE SOUP - Pork & Shrimp Wonton, Egg Noodles We got this as part of their weekday special ($12 all-day, dine-in only), so I'm not sure if the portion size is any different. Either way, this was great. The wonton skins were a little thin, but each piece was plump and juicy, the noodles had a nice bite, and the broth was solid. -- CHAR KWAY TEOW - Shrimp, Chinese Sausage, Bean Sprouts, Egg, and Large Rice Noodles I've been on a bit of a kick ordering this whenever I see it and this was one of the better ones. The noodles were cooked really well (very bouncy), the dish had a slight kick yet it wasn't overly salty/seasoned, and the dish wasn't overloaded with beansprouts. -- SPICY GARLIC CALAMARI Ehh...this wasn't "bad", but it was definitely underwhelming. Although these were seasoned well and had a nice crispiness, the calamari itself was chewy and reminded me of the generic type you get at most other Chinese restaurants. -- TRIO OF BEEF NOODLE SOUP - Sliced Tenderloin, Beef Ball, Beef Stew (Beef Shank, Tripe, Tendon, Carrot), and Egg Noodles I was super hopeful for this one, but it turned out to be just okay. For me, the ingredients tasted fine, but the portion seemed a little light on the beef shank and the broth needed a bit more body to it (felt a little thin). -- CRISPY HAINAN CHICKEN - Deep Fried Dark Meat, Pickled Vegetables, Ginger Rice, Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Chili Sauce Not very traditional, but no less delicious. Boneless Hainan Chicken is appealing enough, but fried, too? While I wish there had been more of it, each piece was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The ginger rice was quite tasty as well! -- WAGYU BEEF POSTICKERS Pretty standard, though, not necessarily in a bad way. Although there wasn't much of a browned bottom/crust on these, I love how big and plump these were and how the filling had a nice, beefy flavor to it. -- HONG KONG STYLE CHOW FUN WITH CHICKEN, Seasonal Greens, Carrot, Mushroom, Egg, Gravy Sauce, and Large Rice Noodles This was just okay for me. The dish had a good ratio of vegetables and meats to noodles, but the gravy didn't do much for me - there was so much of it, it felt more distracting than additive. -- MANGO GREEN TEA Surprisingly, this wasn't nearly as sweet as I feared it would be. The mango flavor in this wasn't super intense and went well with the green tea. Along with how satisfying most of Capital's dishes have been, the other thing that I liked about this place was the staff. Every time we came here, the workers were always friendly and really attentive, even despite how they usually only had one server working. That being said, it has never been all that busy either, which might help explain why their closure. As genuinely bummed as I am to learn that this place has closed, it should be said that it's not like Capital Noodle Bar is gone forever. If you missed your chance to try them, or just want to eat here again, they have another location in Costa Mesa that's still open and just a short drive away. And, as it turns out, it's even closer to the airport, so our pseudo-ritual of stopping off can continue to live on. Thanks for the memories, Irvine Capital Noodle Bar! read more

See all

Dropped by Capital Noodle Bar in Irvine for lunch, and it was a surprisingly smooth and quick experience. It wasn't busy at all during the lunch rush, so we were seated right away. They have a beautifully simple menu that covers a great variety of dishes, ranging from dim sum to various noodle and rice options. The Beef Chow Fun was excellent. It had that classic, smoky wok hei flavor I was looking for. Highly recommend if you love chow fun. My friend ordered, The Capital Street Noodle, a dry noodle dish. It packed a ton of good flavor and came with a very generous amount of toppings. The Salt and Pepper Fried Fish was lovely. The batter was wonderfully light, and I really enjoyed the distinct peppery punch it had. Overall, everything we tried was hit. It's a solid, clean spot with great execution on classic flavors. I would totally come back here again whenever I'm looking for a quick bite! read more

I ordered takeout from Capital Noodle Bar on Barranca and had a pretty disappointing experience. I got the crispy shrimp rolls, but the shrimp clearly wasn't properly cleaned, the vein (digestive tract) was still intact, which is just not acceptable, especially for a fried dish where it's very noticeable. Aside from that, the texture and flavor were decent, but this kind of oversight really kills the appetite and raises concerns about quality control in the kitchen. For the price and reputation, I expected better attention to detail. I'd recommend double-checking your food before eating if you order shrimp here. Hoping they improve their prep standards because this shouldn't happen. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Crispy shrimp rolls with digestive tract. - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

First time back since the 2020 and I have to say, the food and quality has remained great. This is where I would go for fast, nostalgic comfort food. Service remains attentive and interior is spacious. If you have a large party and looking for an easy hangout for lunch or dinner, Capital Noodles Bar should be on your list. From what we ordered, the chicken chow mein remained our top pick. It is simple and enough to share with a partner or a group. The capital noodle was chewy (in a good way) and just warms the belly. Did I mention that the portion size is here are generous? Located in the Target plaza on Barranca, there's plenty of parking so it's a relief. read more

See all

I haven't been here for so long so stopped by for a quick bite at lunchtime. Walked in at noon and there wasn't a single person in the restaurant. Few people came later. I ordered the lunch special, wonton noodles. It was disappointing. The broth was bland. The wontons were overcooked and mushy. The meat with the little smashed shrimp stuffed inside wasn't as good as it used to be. I didn't even finish it. Left a half of the bowl behind. read more

See all

My daughter wanted lo mein, so we found ourselves trying Capital Noodle Bar. We may have come for chow mein, but we'll definitely be coming back for their wonton noodle soup! Everyone agreed that this was their favorite of the dishes we ordered. Lo mein and char kway teow were decent. We came on a weekend during lunch, and no problem getting seated. They also have a dim sum menu, which seemed to be popular. Service was attentive. If you like your food spicy, they will give you a side of hot sauces. They have a $12 wonton noodle special for dine-in only from Monday-Friday. We'll have to come back for that! read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Wonton Noodle - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Good spot with lots of variety for decent pricing Took home leftovers too! Siu Mai 4/5 Not 626 quality, but the flavor is there. They were decently sized and were informed it would take 15-20 min for them to come out, but they came out quicker than the allotted time. Better than seafood cove in Westminster. I would order these again when the craving hits Fish noodle soup with rice noodles 4/5 The wide rice noodles are very wide. They're slippery, but also broke apart in the super hot soup they come in, maybe I can ask the noodles to be al dente somehow lol dish comes with lots of fish ! Soup was nice and well flavored without being too salty Crispy hainan chicken rice 4/5 Found the rice to be ok, chicken was better when dipped, esp with the green onion oil and a little bit of the soy sauce. I also enjoyed the pickled veggies it came with! Huge portions on this one Service Nice and easy to flag someone down if need be. read more

See all

The perfect spot on a rainy day. This is one of my go to noodle places in all of OC. The capital noodles is my go to dish and brings back some traditional soul food. The team here in Irvine is amazing, the service can't get any better! Also this is most likely one of the cleanest authentic noodle places you will find. read more

See all

Saw a sign outside for $12 wonton noodle soup and I couldn't resist! The broth was comforting and delish and noodle soft and tasty. Any wait to try other dishes in their menu. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - $12 Wonton w/ Soup special - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

We've been here twice and the food is quite tasty. They have wonton noodle soup all day weekdays for $12. Weekends it goes up to $15.95 or such. The wontons are plump with pork and shrimp, broth is thankfully savory and not sweet like a lot of places tend to make. So that in itself is a big plus for me! We've also tried the Hong Kông style beef chow fun with gravy. The beef is marinated and tender with assorted veggies over a bed of chow fun flat rice noodles. One of our favorites is the Spicy Calamari which is crispy and light and tossed with a salt mix, fried sliced garlic and green onions. This is a must try! Today we had the Capital Street Noodle which is a seasoned dry noodle with assorted shrimp, pork both sliced and minced, and fish cakes and fish balls. It came with a bowl of soup on the side. We decided also to try Pad see ew with beef. read more

It was my first time at Capital Noodle Bar and i had such a great meal with good company. Thankfully they were able to seat our party of 15 within 10 minutes on a Sunday and the waiters were really helpful explaining the menu and giving recommendations. The food came out shortly after considering how large our order was. I really enjoyed the dim sum daddy which came with a variety of delicious dim sum, with the bbq pork bao being my favorite. The restaurant has lots of seating and is the perfect place to eat with a large party. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Shrinkflation definitely showing. I ordered Hainan chicken plate which why I came to love this places dish . Ir used to be just the right amount, but the chicken shrank down to a nugget now. The skin covering it was larger than most pieces , I will have to say they are off my goto list now. Although there prices are still reasonable I would rather see prices go up to maintain portion and quality of the dish. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Where's the beef (In this case the chicken) Lol - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Delicious Hainan Chicken Noodle w small rice noodle , yummy spicy cucumbers, & ordered chicken fried rice & Beef Chow Fun ( which is always super delicious!) Brian was terrific, always providing excellent service! The restaurant is filled with long wood tables to sit at, and fun music playing in the background. The wok dishes are all very tasty as we ordered the chicken lo mein, super yummy too! Chefs cook very delicious food! Highly recommend Capital Noodle for delicious flavors, and comfortable lunch or dinner. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Spicy Cucumbers, very yummy! - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I had the driest Hainan chicken at Capital Noodle Bar. It honestly tasted like turkey. We ordered two takeout portions and definitely won't be making that mistake again. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I don't know why I haven't come here sooner. I've seen it on Yelp several times. I was having s hard time deciding what to eat. The server Brian was very helpful explaining my options. I went with the Wonton noodles and the Potstickers. The Wontons were pork and shrimp. The Potstickers were chicken. Everything was so good. I wish I had more. Luckily, I saw they have a deal where you get extra noodles. This is later in the afternoon. I'm definitely coming back. The food and service is outstanding. read more

See all

Came here for a family dinner and it was pretty great. The atmosphere was very warm and friendly . The staff were very friendly as well . I love that they have little crane machines that will keep you occupied while waiting for a table to seat down or when waiting on your food to come to the table. The food was very warm and comforting . Each bite was really good . My family enjoyed their meal as well nothing negative towards the food either so that is a plus. I'll be coming back to try what else they have to offer on their menu ! read more

See all

This place has really fallen off. When we arrived, a young Chinese waiter with glasses was staring at his screen. He briefly looked up, then back down, and told us to pick any table. We asked for a high chair, and he vaguely gestured toward a stack of them, saying it was "over there." When I asked for water, he snapped and said "as you can see, I'm really busy." I tried to defuse the situation and said there was no need to be upset. He quickly responded, "I'm not angry, you'd know if I was angry." My wife and I were shocked, and I decided not to engage further. There was no point in continuing with someone who seemed overly stressed and unable to handle the situation. I've never had a waiter speak to me or treat me that way before but I think he might've been on the spectrum. Another waiter took over, and I could hear the first waiter loudly complaining in the back. It was very unprofessional. The food was okay, but not as good as I remembered. In the end, I still tipped 18% because the second waiter provided better service, and I didn't want to stoop their level. I'll avoid this place going forward since bad service ruins the appetite and the lack of civility is unnecessary. read more

Love this place!!! For the culture, the ambiance, and most importantly the food The price is reasonable, especially for a lunch place. I got the classic street noodles which is so reminiscent of the egg noodles I used to eat every week growing up. Super clean and the servers speak English. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Hong Kong Capital Street Noodle (Seasoned Dry Style) - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Still one of my favorite soup places in OC. I come here strictly for their Hainan soup! Looks like they are currently offering a special on all you can eat noodles. Some tables are communal. read more

See all

This place deserves higher than a 3.5. It's the only legit Chinese noodle place in Irvine. The wonton egg noodle is perfect and very generous. Monday through Thursday is unlimited noodles! read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Wonton egg noodle - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

The staff are super welcoming and professional. The ambiance is very clean with refined decor and furniture layout. The presentation of the food and condiment sauces is simply outstanding. The food is pretty solid, but not as sensational as everything else. The seafood fried noodles came with a sauce that was lacking in depth and was rather strong. Granted, the vegetables and seafood and everything were very clean! Then, the wonton noodles my mom had apparently had the pork inside that was clearly undercooked so we took it home to heat up and cook more thoroughly. In retrospect, we probably should've asked the restaurant about this but it was our first time dining here so I guess we just wanted to see what it was like. The har gow is super awesome and so is the mustard and soy sauce you can get with it, in fact, the har gow is our favorite menu item so far. The people are awesome and we live closeby so we will be back for more dim sum! read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Wonton noodle - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Everything was great Only been there 4 times but loved it on all visits Loved the soup/noodle bowl with Duck Others that joined us were very pleased and have become regulars read more

For their breakfast stuff the only thing I'll say is that it's mid. Not their speciality. You'll have a 3star experience if you order stuff like dumpling, so just save yourself the misery and order noodles. Their noodles are AMAZING. I've been to this place probably more than a dozen times in the past few months and they're wonderful. The flavour is on the milder side, so if you are used to strong spices ask for hot sauce / chili oil. Excellent service, after like the third time the waiter remembered my usual orders and that was wonderful. The only main complaint I have is that there's not enough sofa seating, sometimes the nice corner seats are taken already. I guess that's just the aesthetic they want with many wood benches. For the food in the picture those r my favourites from what I've tried. Especially the cinnamon dessert, that was amazing. I'd also recommend their trio of beef noodles. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Singapore Vermicelli - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

The quality has gotten so bad at this place. We ordered a hainan chicken rice and when we got it, the chicken was rancid. It smelled so bad- I don't know how they couldn't tell it was way past the expiration date. I'm never ordering from here again. read more

Great service here, food was very delicious, it's nice and relaxing here. I didn't post any pictures because I ate it all.

Is ok, I was hoping for more authentic but it's not bad. We got the seafood chow fun and chow mien and they were both 7/10. Prices are decent, the star of the show were the green beans! Almost like DTF- crispy, salty deliciousness! read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Was very disappointed when I last ordered here. I've eaten here multiple times in the past so I'm hoping that what happened last time I was here was a one off. I ordered siomai, fried wonton and jumbo shrimp fried rice to go. The meat in the siomai and wonton that that was given to me was still raw and it made me sick the entire day. The chili sauce packet had an expiration date of 10/20/25 (i was there 12/5/25). I am including the photos of what was given to me to show how bad it was. I was throwing up the entire night. read more

See all

This is one of my favorite restaurants - the Hong Kong style chow fun with noodles is fantastic! Service is always great with friendly staff and prices are reasonable for the quality of the food. read more

Love coming here for the lunch special! So good and always great service. Wonton noodle soup is reasonably priced for lunch . Only downfall is that there is no take out for that price. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Wonton noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

We came, we hungry, we chowed Chinese style! Place is clean and food is a good as always. Love their fried rice and chicken wings! Service is good enough. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Pork chop rice - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Big fan of beef chow fun and this place came through. Large portion and lots of big chunks of beef! They don't skimp. I add chili oil/sriracha to mine because I love spiceee. Their Chinese donuts were good too. Airy yet crunchy. A little oily though. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Beef Chow Fun and Chinese donut (IG: @mylifeaskat_) - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Unfortunately, the restaurant was understaffed. I felt bad for the two servers. The food was really good with a lot of flavor. When we arrived most of the tables weee full, and it took them 30 minutes to clear so we could sit down. The ambiance was nice for families or groups of friends. read more

I travel to OC once a month and so happy that I don't have to drive further when I'm staying at the FairField in Tustin to get a decent noodle spot. Capital Noodle Bar is in a huge plaza (towards the back next to LA Fitness/Target) and there is plenty of parking. I ordered the Trio of Beef, Chinese donuts, and a chrysanthemum tea. All were great. (Btw, I have to shout out that they pack their to-go orders great and the phone service was awesome) I realllly loved the Trio of Beef with flat rice noodles. And the chinese donut was super fresh! Don't order the chrysanthemum tea if you are expecting the really sweet tasting one (like the ones you get from the asian store in a plastic bottle, IYKYK, lol). It's a very mild sweet, but I don't discriminate between sweet or semi-sweet tea-- it's all good to me :) read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Trio of Beef - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

The food is a bit on the pricier end compare to how much I pay at Trieu Chau, the noodle place I grew up going to, but the food tastes good and the restaurant is kept clean. I had a couple of items here: Hong Kong chow mein, Hong Kong chow fun, trio of beef dry style noodles, and youtiao. All of which are delicious. Definitely recommend this if you're in the area and craving some good Chinese noodles. read more

One of those evening when I didn't want to cook, I order take out from this place. I ordered Beef chow fun and HK style fried noodle (chow main) with seafood. The HK style means the noodle is fried and crispy with the big tub of sauce on the side you pour over the noodle when you are ready to eat. So the texture is crunchy yet with sauce. Anyway, the beef chow fun was unexpected because for the many times I have had it at the restaurant, it was done as dried fried flat noodle. This time it has a lot of sauce. I guess ordering over the phone lost some details. But the beef chow fun was tasty. Lots of vegetable (gailan) and beef. Not so much noodle :) but again, it is tasty. The seafood chow mein on another hand didn't have much seafood. But the sauce was on point. It is tasty. By the way, my phone in order was ready in 10 minutes and I went pick it up. So speedy service. The packing was secure. No mess in the car. read more

I come here specifically for the lemongrass chicken rice, which is one of my all-time favorite dishes in Irvine. I wish it wasn't so expensive, but this dish has been super consistent for so many years so I find myself coming back. I feel like this place used to be a lot more crowded but it's much less busy now, I wish they would lower the prices, but it's still really good and the portions are pretty decent read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Lemongrass chicken rice - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food a bit bland. So,the unlimited noodles promotion is only Monday to Thursday for lunch only. read more

This is the first time I have visited this place. The dining room is inviting and spacious. Plenty of light. The food selection is fairly modest; you have your typical dim sum dishes and their regular noodle bowls. I do believe, however, the dim sum is just mediocre at best, the shumai is nothing to write home about, very mediocre, and the pork ribs are a bit tough. We tried the Char Kwe Teow and the beef noodles; these are the highlights: the meat is tender, and the soup is tasty. On the Kwee Teow side, the taste reminds me of pad Thai but slightly more spicy. I am not sure if this is an original Kwee Teow recipe or if it is Thai-influenced. Overall, the experience was nice, but the dim sum,not so much. Again, I reckon you should probably go to a dim sum place to get authentic dim sum. The pricing is also fair, for this kind of meal. I would totally come back to try other dishes! read more

See all

My husband and I like coming here every few weeks for hong Kong style chow mein with beef, Chinese broccoli with garlic, pork barbecue buns, and juicy pork dumplings. Simple Chinese food but very tasty! Bryan is truly awesome! We come here also because of him! read more

Review is from using DoorDash. I ordered the Hainan chicken and House Special fish filet and I asked for extra dipping sauce for the Hainan chicken since the carry out container for the sauce is tiny (I know since I've order this a couple times before). I'm assuming they read it as no sauce. So I ended up with no dipping sauces at all for my Hainan chicken and in addition, they didn't put any sauce in the house special filet as well (see picture). Usually I would give one or two stars for this but I called the manager and he was apologetic and offered to redo the meal. Unfortunately I using doordash this time because I had a nasty fall from bike earlier and can barely walk so I couldn't drive to the store to pick it up. I would recommend their food, still tasty but maybe not doordash it. read more

Capital Noodle Bar - Hainan Chicken, House special fish filet - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California