Chai Lan Irvine's Best Korean Chinese Dining Experience. Serves delicious food, excellent dine in service, immaculate staff, and outstanding togo orders that are simple, accurate, and always ready on time. Truly one of the best Korean Chinese restaurant in City of Irvine. read more

First time trying the Chinese place. I was craving a noodle dish, but the pictured menus convinced me to try their Mapa tofu with fried rice. I loved that the menus had an option of Champong soup for only $5. Overall was a great value and taste served by very attentive service from friendly staff. Would love to come back to try other dishes. read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cozy strip mall Korean / Chinese restaurant - went for a quick bite after golf.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Friendly, attentive staff, clean simple location.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Ja ja mein was enjoyable and legit. Mapo tofu with fried rice lacked seasoning which was surprising for a restaurant. Also ordered Jampong Togo and it also lacked seasoning, soup was gritty, and didn't have much seafood to write home about. Maybe it was an off night, might come back if geography and cravings prevail as the staff was welcoming and service was nice. read more

We ordered jajangmyeon and the deep fried shrimp in hot pepper sauce, both of which were delicious. The jajangmyeon isn't too salty even though the sauce looks like it might be a sodium bomb, and the shrimp is tasty, although I think I was hoping for a little more batter/crisp. Service was quick and easy. They provide various banchans to munch on while you wait for your food, which is a nice touch. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The interior of the restaurant is simple with no frills, good for friends and family. Definitely a casual vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would be happy to come back here for some more comforting food and would recommend giving this place a try! read more

Chai Lan - Jajangmyeon - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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For the longest time, I've been wanting to try this place after a friend recommended it for their jajangmyeon--and she was absolutely right. We ordered it and it did not disappoint. The flavor was spot-on, and the noodle-to-sauce ratio was perfect, making every bite so enjoyable. Of course, we had to order a few other dishes as well, and I let my Korean friends do the ordering since I fully trust their recommendations. The shrimp was fantastic and ended up being my personal favorite. I'll definitely need to come back soon to try their tangsuyuk--we completely forgot to order it this time! read more

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Not sure why the reviews are bad but service is fast and food is tasty! My fiance and I came here for dinner around 6 Pm on a Sunday. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It got very crowded past 6:30 Pm so recommend coming on the earlier side on weekends.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their menu is Chinese Korean fusion. I got the seafood soup with noodles and my fiance got the mapo fried rice. We also got a soju. Food came within 10 min. Seafood soup-light and flavorful, lots of seafood large portion for me! Mapo fried rice-spicy and hearty, fried rice isn't too greasy. Wish they had more banchan since it was only radish and kimchi. Overall solid would come back here to try other dishes read more

Chai Lan - Seafood soup - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Wow! Korean-Chinese fusion! They are popular for serving noddle with black bean sauce. I was in OC/Irvine area visiting and came by for an early dinner. I ordered seafood fried rice with beef. It was served with egg drop soup. Delicious and flavorful. The portion was huge and shareable. The service was great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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A pleasant time it was being introduced to a near and dear restaurant of my sweetie. She raves about this joint quite often and we celebrated her achievement of a milestone in life woo!! At first, we unfortunately did not enjoy our initial time here as the service seemed to be very understaffed causing the initial greet to take about 10 minutes. we didn't get a menu or water during that time, which is a long time when you're hungry! The waitress served us very nicely though when she got around! so no hard feelings. However, the food definitely saved the day and made up for the little lag in the beginning. the black bean noodle is a the billboard dish here, i haven't found anywhere that offered something this yummy! 2 dishes (black bean noodle and sweet and sour pork) came out to $45 including tip! not too shabby of a joint! If service amped up and maybe having more side dishes would make this a 5 star cuisine no doubt! read more

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It's pretty good. I can't say it's FANTASTIC but I think it tastes decent and prices are pretty standard. They are always quick and service is always good. I've ordered jajangmyun, jajabap (rice), and tangsuyuk (fried pork), and tried other dishes here, but the food is always consistent and it's like your neighborhood Korean-chinese spot. read more

We went in on a Wednesday night around 8pm and there was no line. The waitress was super kind and friendly and sat us down and was able to get us water and side dishes right away. We were waiting on another friend to arrive, but they still sat us and patiently waited for our friend to arrive after telling them there was one more person. They took our order promptly and got our food out asap. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside was also super clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The side dishes are just okay. I've definitely had better radish kimchi. It had great crunch and crisp bite to it, but the flavor wasn't too strong. The yellow daikon on the other hand was very yummy with a nice sweet flavor and crunch. The jajangmyeon was good, but not my favorite. 6.8/10. It was too sweet and there were so many onions and not enough meat. I feel like if there was more noodles, it could have balanced out some of the super strong and sweet flavors, but they do have an option to order more noodles for a little bit extra money. Other than that, it was very tasty. The noodle texture was perfect. Not too hard, not too chewy, and a nice bouncy texture. The sauce clinged onto the noodles perfectly and that was the star of the dish. The spicy seafood jjampong was my favorite of the two dishes. The broth was rich and full of flavor without being too heavy. I love spicy food and this hit the spot. Often I am afraid that these types of soups are way too fishy, but I didn't get that from this bowl. The flavor was great and they use the same noodles as the jajangmyeon so they were great as well. Just a warning, with all soup noodles, the longer you let the noodles sit in the bowl without eating, the more soup they soak up and the texture gets softer. We got the large size for both dishes and let me say that the portion size is HUGE. Between me and my 3 other friends, we couldn't come very close to finishing everything. It was just so much food. I ended up getting a Togo box and brought a bunch of leftovers home. Overall solid place. I might come back in the future if I am craving this type of food. read more

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We stopped by this restaurant today and unfortunately didn't have a good experience. There were two empty tables available, but we stood waiting for several minutes and were completely ignored by the staff. Eventually, one waitress came over, and we told her we needed a table for two. She didn't respond or acknowledge us, and simply turned away to continue doing something else. We understand restaurants can get busy, and we're usually patient, but even a simple "We'll be with you shortly" or a small acknowledgment would have gone a long way. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The lack of basic courtesy made us decide to leave before even being seated. First impressions matter, and being ignored right at the entrance did not feel welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Glad to have good a really good Korean-Chinese restaurant that serves jajangmyun and jjampong nearby! I wasn't expecting much to be honest but it really hit the spot. Service was prompt. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is nice and clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food is delicious and portions are great. The sweet and spicy fried shrimp was so addicting. The jjamppong had a clean taste to it. It didn't feel overly salty or oily which I appreciated. I really want to try their mapo tofu next time! read more

Chai Lan - Sweet and lightly spicy fried shrimp - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Friends and I got to celebrate and spend time with a dearly beloved little sister. There is typically a written waitlist to put your name on. We waited for about 10 minutes to get seated. Many Asians gather about here! The service is speedy and diligent. For a group of three adults and a high school mentee we got three individual dishes and one main to share 1) tangsuyuk - the sauce had a good amount of vegetables and the meat was a good portion that filled our stomachs!! 2) jjang pong and rice - I love the variety of seafood included in here and the vegetables as well 3) jjang pong and noodles 4) jja jjang myeon (black noodles) The spiciness of the jjang pong wakes up the taste buds in a good way! We all ate quite happily. I wish service wasn't too hasty however. For the remaining food, we got to take to-go. I love the side dishes offered - spicy radishes 깍두기 and pickled yellow radishes (takuan) 단무지. It pairs nicely with the dishes we got. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance reminds me of a fast food restaurant to some extent.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The place is great to grab a hearty Chinese-Korean fusion food. God bless you all. read more

Chai Lan - Jangpong rice - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Stopped by for dinner on a whim, can't believe this place is by the Hmart that I go to all this time! Parking is no big deal as it's in a plaza shared with a supermarket and several other businesses. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The shop is decently-sized and does not feel cramped.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was decent and quick. Got their Jjajangmyeon, Jjamppong, and Sweet and Sour Pork. We got some radish kimchi and pickled daikon for our food too. The radish kimchi was more on the sour side and was so addicting to eat as a palate cleanser. - Jjajangmyeon: Their black bean noodles is a solid option. It's pretty basic and not oily at all. Bouncy noodles, generous sauce, and good portion. With the side dishes and the Sweet and Sour Pork, it's just a great combo! - Jjamppong: Spicy broth, bouncy noodles, and hefty amount of seafood! I enjoyed their noodles and broth but unfortunately found the seafood a little fishy. They are pretty generous with the seafood, but it's average tasting for me. I can skip this dish as part of the order next time I come here. - Sweet and Sour Pork: This was so good! Very crispy and light, and the pork does not have a porky smell or taste. Paired with the sweet and sour sauce (that automatically comes on the side), so yummy! Their sweet and sour sauce was nicely seasoned and a nice compliment to a crisp piece of pork! This was my favorite of the three dishes! Overall, this is a great spot to satisfy your craving for jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork! Despite the average star rating, this is a solid spot to stop by for a great filling meal! read more

Chai Lan - Jjajangmyeon, Sweet and Sour Pork, Jjamppong - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Great place when craving jia jiang bap! They offer the staple Korean/Chinese cuisine. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Clean establishment with good food and service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Wait staff were very friendly. Overall the food was delicious. The jjajangmyun was on point and the garlic chicken. Kkangpunggi was really good. Not many places offer this type of garlic chicken in irvine. The only thumbs down would be the jjanpong. It had all the good stuff in it. But the soup was a little too watery and bland imo. read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

This is my family's go-to place for Korean-Chinese cuisine! We of course love their jjajangmeon (black bean noodles), the jjampong (spicy seafood noodles), and their fried pork dishes. They all taste really authentic to what you would actually get in Korea so I highly recommend trying it out. We also have tried their other main dishes and my two personal favorites are their japchae bap (stir fried glass noodles with rice) and yusanseul (stir fried pork, seafood, and vegetables)! We've been there at both busy and slow hours and the service has always been pretty good and quick. read more

This used to be our favorite place for jjambong until the Hmart opened next door, but it's still the best kang-pong-seh-oo -- fried shrimp with hot pepper sauce. The shrimp is fried just right and it's still crispy even with the hot sauce. (At some places the shrimp batter gets soggy.) The jjambong is still good and it comes with half a crab -- which most places don't have. It doesn't have as much vegetable topping as the place in Hmart, but still good I also like some of the other dishes like yoo-san-sul-bap. It has a mild but still rich flavor and served with sides of egg drop soup as well as some sauce from jjajangmeon if you want to mix it in with the rice I also took a picture of the mug with ice that they gave me for my diet coke. A lot of Asian places don't have big cups of ice, so this was welcome. We always get great service. The staff is very friendly and very fast. read more

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We had some colleagues visiting from Korea for work, and they had tried this place last week and wanted to come back for the third time since then, so it must be pretty good. If you're craving Korean-Chinese food like jjajangmyun or jjamppong, this place hits the mark. Today, I tried something new--mapo tofu with fried rice--and while it was a bit bland and not overly greasy, that's exactly what I wanted from the tofu dish. There were a lot of older Korean patrons, which always signals a traditional spot. Everything we've tried so far has been great, and I know I'll be back the next time I'm craving jjajangmyun or jjamppong! read more

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We came here with two friends because we were craving Korean-style Chinese food. We ordered the spicy jjamppong (extra large), samseon jjajangmyeon, and sweet and sour pork. The noodles were chewy and overall delicious. The jjamppong had just the right level of spiciness and a generous portion, perfect for sharing. If you like it spicier, there's chili powder on the side so you can adjust the heat to your liking. The sweet and sour pork was great because the sauce was served separately, so it stayed nice and crispy. I really liked that -- some places pour the sauce on top, but here you can enjoy the crunch. Lastly, the service was amazing! The server was very kind, explained everything clearly, and stayed attentive from start to finish. I highly recommend this place! read more

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Chai Lan in Irvine is such a great find! I ordered the black bean sauce noodle with pork, and it was fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The servers were very nice and friendly, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the whole place felt clean and cozy -- a really comfortable spot to enjoy a meal.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Free parking is a big plus! Highly recommended if you're looking for tasty food, great service, and convenience. read more

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Their #6 noodles with seafood in black bean sauce was absolutely delicious! It's the soft and chewy texture of the noodles for me and how I got to control adding as much bean paste as I wanted. Although I could have used more cabbage than onions in the black bean sauce, but thats okay. It was still good nevertheless. The seafood included shrimp, mini bay scallops, and mussels? I'm not entirely sure on that but I gave those to my husband if there were any. We also got their fried rice that came with a side of soup. He said it was pretty good, but a bit more on the oily side than he'd like it to be. We will be back again to try other options! read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

We needed to pick up a bag of rice at Hmart and was planning on eating lunch at the food court but decided to pivot last minute and try a new spot. Chai Lan is right next door and we were greeted with a friendly welcome as soon as we walked in. We went with the jjampong and jjajjangmyun and was happily surprised with the generous portion sizes served. The noodles were cooked al dente with a nice bounce and the jjampong broth was flavorful and not overly spicy. The seafood was plentiful along with a good variety thrown in with my only comment being that the broth is a tad on the saltier side if you tend to like your broth milder. I'm glad we checked this spot out and will definitely be back on future grocery shopping trips. read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

The amount of quality Korean restaurants popping up in Irvine in recent years is astounding! This is easily in my Top 3 for Jajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk. I am sooo disappointed I haven't found this place sooner. First off, their portions are HUGE. The double portion of Jajangmyeon could have fed a minimum of 3 people and it was under $20! It wasn't the best but very close to being the best I've had. You can tell they use quality ingredients because the pork they used in the Jajangmyeon was so tender and not to mention generous! I opted for their take on sweet and sour pork which came as a salad with generous green onion and lettuce. The pork was tender, fried to perfection and the batter was just the way I liked it - crunchy yet chewy! Service was exceptional, they constantly filled our kimchi sides and we didn't have to wait too long after ordering. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Found a fly in my plate, and the server acted like it was completely normal. She picked up my spoon, scooped the fly into another one of my dishes (contaminating that too), then used a napkin to take the fly away after confirming it. No concern at all, just brought out a new sauce bowl like nothing happened. The food itself was actually pretty good, but the way this was handled was careless and off-putting. My family and I won't be coming back. read more

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Friendly service & delicious meals Great location and good parking spaces Would love to go back read more

Service here was good, and food portions was large. The pork had no seasoning. It could have used salt. I wasn't a fan of the sweet and sour dipping sauce. They seem to have a more traditional Chinese menu. I didn't see much that I wanted. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The Asian diners love the place because it was filling up.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Give them a try, you might like it i just didn't care for them. I'll go for Sushi a couple doors down. read more

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Irvine has a plethora of restaurant options from all cultures, yet it's tough to find a decent jjajjangmyun spot. Korean grocery store food courts offer it, but it's not that tasty. This spot pretty much nails it. Noodle dishes are pretty solid. The entrees; shrimp, chicken, fried rice are pretty tasty too. Big gap from LA Koreatown or GG spots, but cravings will be satisfied. Great service, very attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Vibe is good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I saw a reel about this place on IG and it has been on our list since then. I was really excited to finally get to check it out, and to my disappointment, this place does not live up to the hype. This Chinese korean restaurant is located in Irvine, and there's plenty of parking. Ambience: [[HIGHLIGHT]]Typically Korean restaurant, most of customers here are Koreans.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food: Sweet and sour pork (5/10): As many people have mentioned, the pork here was so bland, even with the sauce. Jjamppong (7.5/10): The jjamppong is decent. They gave a good amount of seafood and the soup it not too spicy. Overall, my experience at Chai Lan was alright. I would not come back as there are many other Korean restaurant in town that has better quality food. read more

Chai Lan - Jjamppong - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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It's hard to find a place that has great chajiangmyun, great tangssyuk, and great cchamppong but Chai Lan hits the spot with all three, every time. The staff here is so friendly and clearly love the work that they do. It's so nice to know that I can go for consistently excellent food and service whenever I'm craving Chai Lan. 10 stars plus read more

Favorite restaurant in Irvine for Chinese korean food. Their seafood spicy noodles & black bean noodles are delicious. Their fried rice is nice with lot of chopped vegetables. Loved their tangsuyook pork with sweet sour sauce. Interior is big but not many staff inside. The restaurant has many seats & tables !! read more

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This place's food offers AMAZING VALUE. I came on a late Thursday night. There was no lines and it wasn't busy. It's located in the Northpark Plaza, so there's ample parking outside. The food portions were huge, filling, flavorful, and affordable. The food came out FAST! This is what we ate: 1) Jajangmyeon $13.99 - the black bean sauce was sweet and savory. The noodles were thick and chewy. The pork was so tender and nicely cooked that I thought it was beef 2) Side Soup $4 - a small but good size bowl of spicy seafood soup with veggies. It is decently spicy for those who can't tolerate it 3) Side Rice $2 - it was a big bowl of white rice that paired extremely well with the side soup and left over black bean sauce 4) Kimchi and yellow radish sides - they were free and added a great crunchy element to the meal The total before tip was $21.54, which is very impressive. The interior has nice, traditional looking decor. There's a hollow mini car that greets the front door with fortune cookies. read more

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We got jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk, which were both solid. Not my favorite that I've ever had, but portions were extremely generous and tasty enough for me to down everything. Servers were very accommodating for my large group of 15. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was lively and family friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would recommend! read more

팔보채를 오더 했는데 홍합 복음이 .........,.,,, 팔보채에 홍합 넣는거 처음본다 이럴려면 이름을 바꾸던지 .......... 여기는 갈수록 음식이 엉망 으로 하는게 다른 중국집이 없어서 그러는지 ...........,. read more

Chai Lan - 홍합복음 ? 팔보채 ? - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

The Korean Chinese restaurant in Irvine is the only dine-in restaurant in town. While all the menus are decent, I highly recommend trying their fried dumplings. They make them from scratch in-house, and they're incredibly juicy and flavorful. The servers are professional, friendly, and very prompt with their requests. read more

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Black Bean Sauce Noodles - $10.99 * noodles were cooked to perfect chewiness * sauce clung well to the noodles but lacked flavors/was on the blander side * tender pork pieces Sweet and Sour Pork - $17.99 * large meat chunks * batter was unseasoned and looked like it was fried with clean oil * generous portion sizes * pickled daikon and kimchi radish served as side dishes * friendly and attentive service * items ordered did not particularly stand out in taste 6.5/10 read more

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After my son finished his sports event in Irvine, we were near NorthPark Plaza. We saw a Chinese-Korean restaurant called Chai Lan Chinese Cuisine and decided to give it a try. They offer a simplified menu with six noodle options. We ordered the following: #1 Spicy seafood noodle soup with assorted vegetables ($16.99) #2 Spicy seafood noodle soup with vegetables pork broth ($16.99) #3 Black bean sauce noodles with pork ($13.99) My kids like the Jajangmyeon (#3), but I personally enjoy a bowl of half Jajangmyeon and half Jjambbong, although this option is not available. Advice to the Owner: Since the menu only offers six noodle options, customers may get bored of it. Please consider adding more creative choices like a bowl of half Jajangmyeon and half Jjambbong. Additionally, you can introduce a "Chinese-Korean Thali," similar to the traditional Indian thali, which includes a variety of dishes on a single plate. This will be an innovative way to offer diverse choices and attract more customers. read more

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This place is always a reliable spot to go to. The service is amazing, one of the ladies is super sweet and so attentive. Whenever we go, we get the jajangmyeon and the mapo tofu & fried rice -- which are both so good. read more

We were recommended to Chai Lan by our neighbor. Below the name in small print says: Koreanized Chinese restaurant. Never been to one so we were excited to try. 2 dishes our neighbor highly recommended were: #16 Deep Fried Pork was amazing but I recommend to finish it while it is still warm. #1 Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup was flavorful but will go with the not spicy version next time. Delicious food and service was superior. Special mention to Sue. Almost every table had the Black Bean Sauce Noodles so will definitely try that next time and some Fried Pork again. read more

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I prefer chai lan over the spot inside Hmart probably because there full service not a take out window and they also give you kimchi. They have bouncy noodles and the jjampong has a fire taste to it. It's delicious. I do feel like the prices are a little high but maybe you pay for what you get. Their tangsukyuk comes with the sauce on the side which is perfect for you dippers out there. Their roll bread is warm and soft and complements your meal as well. read more