Chef Tian's Restaurant delivers an exceptional, authentic Hunan dining experience that balances fiery spice with immaculate textures.

Love the food! It's authentic and delicious. We ordered the spicy crab, stinky tofu, and spicy beef tongue pot. The crab was on the smaller side but it was flavorful and pretty spicy. Stinky tofu was crunchy. We like the beef tongue pot the best - we specified on the note to have it less spicy and they toned down the spiciness. You ordered via a link by scanning the QR code which is efficient and convenient. Food came out promptly. Restaurant is clean and tidy. Overall a great experience and we will be back! read more

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There seems to be a plethora of chinese chain restaraunts opening in Irvine, I wonder if its a coincidence. As someone who is hunan, this place is approved and had the characteristic wok hei and spice, though on a more simple level. Waitlist can be a bit of time, its popular amongst chinese chinese people. They have a whole ice chest of Popsicles with chocolate and orange creamsicle flavor you can get. The servers are efficient and trained in like china service with their ipad. They show the giant you tiao (a bit pricier) in the front. QR code ordering, fast service, drawer with cutlery and nice aunties. I would say the spot we had that is near the private room and bathroom has no air conditioning vent so I definitely recommend a fan. Its not too spicy but has that characteristics wok fried flavor. Abalone and meat dry pot- abalone super tender, thinly sliced meat, solid. Stinky tofu- five pieces solid. On the softer soup side bit does have the characteristics stinky Rice was good Mushroom dry pot was my favorite and hidden gem. They use a special chinese fungi to make this nice really dry flavorful experience without feeling heavy Preserved meat with bamboo - the preserved meat is authentic and not the sweet kind. Classic dish. Itd be nice if they used more red fresno peppers but I think harder to source (maybe its serrano). Overall solid easy to order spot if you want a chinese lunch. You might have to ask server to cook it mild if you're sensitive to spicy. The only thing is they don't have everything they offer on the picture menu and no mention of their special deals for grand opening. It is pretty chinese so not sure how the English is but QR code ordering makes it easy. read more

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Came here for lunch with my friends. Food was stellar again, the beef cubes is absolutely amazing. I also like that the chef adjusted the spiciness level on the dishes upon request. What was NOT amazing was their ac or lack thereof. It was so hot, we were sweating! I mentioned it to one of their waitress and she agreed but said it was on the highest setting already. I will avoid coming here until they figure this out. No one wants to eat spicy food in a sauna. read more

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Plenty of parking spaces. We got the Chinese donut, Dry-Fried Green Bean with Garlic & Chili, and Wok-Fried Angus Beef with Garlic & Homemade Sauce, and 2 bowls of white rice. Everything was so good, but super spicy! I usually don't eat spicy foods, but this one was super good, but definitely needed to take breaks in between. The Chinese donut was good, but they ran out of soy milk. I really enjoyed their food and it was all so flavorful Recommendation(s): - Chinese donut - Dry-Fried Green Bean with Garlic & Chili - Wok-Fried Angus Beef with Garlic & Homemade Sauce Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Plenty of parking spaces - Scan QR code to order - Restrooms available - Their food are super spicy! read more

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Great chinese restaurant for big gatherings! If you love spicy, this is also the place for you We got lamb, pork, yuotiao, stinky tofu, stir fry cauliflower and more. The flavors are great balance between the spice and spiciness. They have a large variety on their menu as well Parking is plenty but heritage plaza do get filled up during dinner time Seating are plenty inside and out Staffs are helpful and greets you with kindness upon entry. read more

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This is a new spot in Orange County that deserves a spot on your list. The bad news...it was almost already a full house on a random Tuesday for lunch, and they haven't even officially grand opened yet! But the good news? EVERYTHING is a banger. They're best known for Hunan wok-fried dishes AND it's the only place where you can get the viral giant youtiao 油條! It's kind of like a Chinese donut but they made it 3 times as big! The portion and taste of the dishes here are INCREDIBLE and I'd recommend this spot on that alone. Some of my favorites: the braised lamb scorpion pot--a 20/10-I DREAM of this dish. And the salted egg yolk crab is absolutely insane. I also love their pork intestines dry pot. Thanks for reading! ^-^ read more

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Located in the mitsuwa plaza so you already know it's going to be busy but there's a decent amount of parking. For starters the food was alright but most of the dishes we ordered were extremely oily. Additionally, we didn't get one of our dishes after finishing all our dishes and we asked if we could cancel it.... Instead of communicating with us that we couldn't cancel it, they just brought the food out later without any acknowledgment about forgetting it. All in all, the place was alright. Not great, not bad but just somewhere in the middle. read more

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We ate here today for lunch, the wait was about 15 minutes with 4 parties in front of us around 12:45pm arrival on Monday. We sat down and ordered via their menu scan code. 1) stinky tofu 5 pcs for $7.99 - this was delicious, we will order the 10 pcs next time 2) signature hunan baby abalone & sliced pork - a sensational dish for us, loved it 3) 3 bowls of white rice 4) mashed pepper w century egg and eggplant - interesting and tasty 5) Yong Zhou blood duck - spicy but flavorful, too many bones though 6) Hunan style smoked bacon & ribs - pretty good, but likely would not order again 7) Chinese donut $8.99 - takes 10 min to fry and they cut it in front of you, chewy and soft with crispy exterior, must get for kids This place is a must visit and a highlight for us this week! read more

I kept seeing ads for Chef Tian at the airport and finally gave in. I guess the marketing worked. The restaurant itself is clean, modern, and still feels very new. As soon as you walk in, you can smell all the spices coming from the kitchen. They also have complimentary ice cream near the entrance, and I thought it was funny that all the different flavors were just mixed together in one freezer. You never really know what you're going to get. The food was definitely the highlight. We ordered the sautéed fresh fish, potato sticks, stinky tofu, and bamboo with smoked pork. The sautéed fish was incredibly tender with a silky texture, coated in a savory Hunan-style sauce that had plenty of chili heat without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the fish. The potato sticks were one of my favorite dishes. They were crisp-tender with just enough bite left, tossed in a bright, tangy vinegar sauce that balanced the richness of the rest of the meal. It was simple but really refreshing. The stinky tofu was exactly what you'd expect if you've had it before. Pungent aroma, crispy outside, soft and custardy inside, with a deep fermented flavor that tofu lovers will appreciate. The bamboo with smoked pork was also excellent. The bamboo shoots stayed crisp and fresh, while the smoked pork added a rich, savory flavor that infused the whole dish. It was smoky, slightly salty, and paired really well with steamed rice. My only complaint was the service. It wasn't unfriendly, but it wasn't very welcoming either. We had a few questions about the menu, even after reading it, and were basically told to just read the menu. Sometimes you just want clarification about a dish, and it felt like questions weren't really encouraged. If you have dietary restrictions or allergies, I'd probably be extra cautious. That said, the food came out quickly, water is self-service, and the overall pace of the restaurant was efficient. That style of service is also pretty common at many Asian restaurants, so it wasn't completely unexpected. Overall, I'd still come back because the food was genuinely delicious. I just wish the service matched the quality of the cooking. read more

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I tried Chef Tian and had a mixed experience overall. It is located in the Heritage Plaza near Ralph's. Food: The menu has a wide selection of vegetable,meat, and rice dishes. We ordered 3 different dishes. My favorite dish was the cabbage dish. It had a lot of flavor. The albaone and sliced pork dish tasted good as well. However, the portions are not very big. Service: The employees here are friendly but not very attentive. Ambiance: The decor inside is nice. However, the booths are cramped and can be difficult to get in. read more

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Chef Tian is a new Chinese restaurant in Irvine. It replaces Tex Mex, a landmark Mexican spot.. This place has a more established location in Industry. You can join the waiting list and wait for a text. Our time came, and we entered. Immediately, I notice they spoke to us in Chinese. I don't mind that, but it might turn others away. Look at my profile picture, it's lucky I know how to speak Mandarin. We sat down, wait, no, we climbed into our seats. There is something wrong with the tables. The table legs impede you to enter?? Very, very, very strange. You have to climb in. Look at my pictures. This is not ADA compliant. Ugh. You order on your phone. Ugh. This means you can't ask for recommendations, you can't be greeted by a server, and you can't ask for anything extra. I really do not like this new trend in dining. Less and less human contact in dining. AI is taking over. We won't need to talk to each other soon. Why not just install vending machines? And we are expected to tip!! Well, that is not fair. Anyway, besides the awkward set up and layout of this new restaurant, the food is really good. We ordered pork and green peppers, pork and abalone, and sweet and sour pork. The first two dishes came in pot heated with a candle. I loved the way the dishes stayed warm. The food was delicious. We will be coming back for more. read more

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I was thrilled when Chef Tian opened since I'm half Hunanese, so I couldn't wait to try it! We came for lunch at noon on a Saturday and only had to wait about 5-10 minutes for a table. We ordered five dishes to share, and every single one was excellent. The signature dish, Spicy Pepper Pork & Abalone, was outstanding. Abalone isn't normally included in this type of dish, so it definitely makes it unique. The pork was incredibly flavourful, tender, and absolutely delicious with a bowl of white rice. My favourite was the Eggplant, Peppers & Thousand-Year Egg (焦雷皮蛋). The eggplant had an amazing texture, and the combination of rich flavours with the perfect level of spiciness was incredible. The Sweet and Sour Pork (糖醋里脊) is definitely a kid-friendly choice. The pork was lean, lightly battered instead of overly fried, and coated in a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce. The Sesame Chicken was also very tasty, but just be aware that it contains bones, which may not be for everyone. The Stinky Tofu... well, it's stinky tofu! I'm glad I tried it, but I still don't quite understand the appeal. The Golden Beef Soup was rich, flavourful, and satisfyingly spicy. Every dish was spot on, and the service was excellent from start to finish. As a nice bonus, they even offer free ice cream at the end of your meal. Highly recommend Chef Tian! I'll definitely be back. read more

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The ambiance is nice with a noticeable improvement over the LA location. The service was also better with the server coming over to light our food when it was getting a little cold. Only thing we didn't like was that the portions were a bit smaller than the other location. The food's flavor was the real star here. We especially loved the abalone & sliced pork which had a phenomenal texture & aroma. Our second favorite was between the fried rice and taro + pork. read more

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Was looking for a different taste from the norm while searching for dinner. We walked by this spot and gave it a chance. Must say, love the flavors of each individual dish! If I remember correctly, this use to be the TexMex spot. Also, its been a while since I last tried Hunan style dishes. Hunan chicken is usually what I think of when hearing about Hunan cuisines. But this establishment broaden that knowledge a bit more and boy were we glad we tried. Service here were also friendly and patient with our curiosity. That goes a long way when exploring a new type or style of food. Inside is nicely decorated and well kept. Cleanliness is an important cornerstone for any business operations. They maintained this category well. I love that the tables have drawers that house napkins and utensils in case we need additional items. Overall, enjoyed our meal and would love to return in the future. Don't forget to grab the complementary ice pops on the way out. Cools the mouth and tummy which is nice. :) read more

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glad a location opened in irvine! used to go to their rowland heights location. there was a long queue but we didn't end up having to wait too long. i loved their stinky tofu, it was very flavorful. the beef tongue was also super tender and not too spicy, even though the peppers could look intimidating. also got their signature pork dish, it was little oily but flavor was good they also have ice cream bars for you to eat after the meal read more

Chef Tian - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

We celebrated a birthday here and had a fantastic experience! The food was delicious, and the restaurant is bright, modern, and spacious. A huge shoutout to our server, Kevin--his service was truly top-notch. Thank you, Kevin, for taking such great care of us! We'll definitely be back. read more

Food is good, and flavorful. The only complaint that I have is their chicken in fragrance camellia oil, the flavor is good. The whole pot of chicken was just bones, in small pieces. It does looked like there's a lot of chicken even it is in small pieces but, every piece I picked up turn out to be bone. I feel like I was cheated for paying for such a price! And it cost $22.99, which I think you all should avoid. read more

Chef Tian - Sesame Chicken - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Excellent food! So much flavor and good amount of spice. The staff is also excellent and service is great, They have many options and I liked all of them, especially the stinky Tofu dish. Textures and sauce was delicious. This is the type of place where you can try anything and like it This place is also very clean and has a lot of seating and great interior. read more

Chef Tian - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Excellent Hunan style dishes especially the beef stirfry and pork specials on the menu read more

Chef Tian - Corona beer - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

In my experience, a restaurant review system has 4 levels: Bad, Good, Nice, and Wonderful. · Bad = I'd never go back. · Good = It's fine, but nothing I'd miss. · Nice = Better than good -- I'd return someday. · Wonderful = Everything is excellent -- I'd love to come often. This one? Nice. You can go there for some spicy food and enjoy a tasty meal. read more

It was amazing. We were doubtful at first, but everything is really clean! (No bugs at all) and the food was extremely good. Hot and heartwarming. The beef got a slight touch of sour and the pork is spicy and amazing. The stinky tofu is also shocker for being so good. Will come back soon.... Everyone is so nice and the server make sure to make the experience personable. Don't forget about the ice cream at the end. read more

Great food with authentic Chinese flavors! Everything we ordered was delicious and tasted just like traditional Chinese cuisine. The restaurant has a welcoming atmosphere, and the service was excellent. Kevin was especially friendly, attentive, and very helpful throughout our meal. He made sure we had everything we needed and provided outstanding service. We really enjoyed our experience and will definitely be coming back! read more