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    Haidilao Hotpot Irvine

    4.8 (4k reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Soup
    Open 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    Order Haidilao Hotpot Irvine Takeout or Delivery

    Haidilao Hotpot Irvine Photos

    HAIDILAO HOTPOT IRVINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy

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    Queena T.

    Best friendly service the night we went to HDL. The guy was surprised at how busy that night was Food was good and delicious like all other Hai Di Laos. It's a staple and they always have the most friendly service and staff. Good job to that It was a busy night so many students and people and families. Lively atmosphere and had a good time. I forgot his name but shout out to our servers

    Chris H.

    Haidailao, located in a shopping plaza that gets really busy and parking may be hard (recommend using the parking structure if you can) is definitely a place that can satisfy your hot pot craving, especially for the quality of food you are getting. From the moment you arrive, you know that they want to take care of the customer and make sure they have an amazing experience from the snacks provided while you are waiting for your seat to the conversation th host/ess provide to the smiles everyone has. Haidilao is a great little spot for hot pot. Like all hot pot places, what you order can really determine how well your meal is, and I am glad I had a great meal from start to finish. Everything was quick, efficient, and I felt well taken care of.

    Hannah Y.

    I wanted to give a 5 star shout out to Denny, our server last night! He was super helpful in explaining the menu to my friends and I, and gave honest recommendations about items we should try, even when we didn't ask for suggestions! Also, one of my friends is vegetarian, and Denny gave us this extra tall wall to place around his broth to prevent splatter. I've been to Haidilao quite a few times but this was by far the best experience I've had here. I'll make sure to ask for Denny every time I come!

    birthday cake slice
    James A.

    Haidilao Irvine is the third location of this popular Chinese Hot Pot chain that my wife and I have been to (sometimes for lunch, other times for dinner) and we've been impressed with the food and service each time: three for three, with intention to visit other locations in the future. We had an opportunity to again visit the Haidilao in Bellevue when visiting our daughter a couple weeks ago, and tried it for lunch for the first time. I was super impressed with the taste and value, so when the opportunity came to see O.C. family friends for lunch on a Friday, I suggested this location in Irvine. It opens at 11 am weekdays, so made a reservation on-line for that time, remarking that we were celebrating a birthday. It is located in the L-Shaped Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center, a two-story strip mall with a design so prevalent in Southern California (especially in the areas dominated by Asian businesses). There is a lot of free surface parking, but it fills up quickly, thus creating a common site/sight: an expensive auto just holding up through traffic by waiting minutes for a parking spot to open up, thinking it is 'OK' because they have their turn signal on. Waits are common at the popular Haidilao, and this location's waiting area is outside, with water and Chinese-branded snacks available while marking time. It was available when we came around around 10:45, and at exactly 11 am, the host popped his head out and invited us in. A booth for four had been set-up for us, with signs indicating that it was a birthday. It was tight for the five of us, but they had chosen the booth near the wall, so were able to use a nearby cart to put our raw meat and vegetables before cooking it, giving us enough dining space. There was already a small plate full of various cold side dishes, including a serviceable kimchi, all of which can be refilled from the buffet. Daniel, our server, greeted us immediately and was present and helpful throughout our entire meal. Lunch specials are different at each Haidilao, and this location did not have the one I was hoping for. Instead, an option for a lunch combo for $15.99 (choice of meat plate, a veggie/tofu plate, rice/noodle, and a drink) was the non-AYCE option. One still has to add up to four soup bases (about $5.99 to $7.99 each for the 1/4 version) and the seasoning/fruit buffet ($3.99). They didn't force us to get 5 combos, instead we were able to share four. The ordering is done through table-side tablets, with Daniel helping us through it. The table had an electric burner for up to 4 soup bases. The pork stomach and chicken was one (which I really like), with the other chosen choices being Mushroom, Sukiyaki, and Pork Bone. Thought the Sukiyaki was too sweet, mushroom bland, but the Pork Bone is the safe choice. Like before, my favorite things on the veggie/tofu plate is the tofu sheets and fish cakes. Everything was fresh and firm (not wilted). For our table, the obvious choice for meat was the angus beef short plate, but other choices are pork belly, lamb, and chicken. Hot pot dining is not quick (even for lunch), and we were there for over an hour, with frequent trips to the buffet to replenish each person's dipping sauces. Towards the end of the meal, Daniel talked to me privately, asking how my wife would like her birthday cake to be presented. I chose the 'loud' version, and it definitely was that, with everyone in the restaurant knowing that it was my wife's birthday. The complementary cake was like a castella cake, except it had many, many layers (10 in all). As expected, it was super moist and very creamy delicious. As a birthday gift, my wife got a matching set of Haidilao chopsticks, perfect for hot pot at home (my daughter gets the take home Haidilao hot pot kit, and has told me it is quite good). Another thing to note are that the bathrooms have one-time use mouthwash, toothbrushes, and combs. They want you to be able to return to work after having garlic/onion hot chili hot pot. When the bill came, it was exactly right, including only charging for 4 seasoning buffets. Trying to use a loyalty number requires access to the identifying phone number (since a security code gets texted), so I ended up creating my own loyalty membership (needed to get the combo price). It looks like the accumulated points can be exchanged for product. As we went our separate ways, I looked for the ice cream cups that are usually offered...learned that they no longer are at this location.

    Bone broth and tum yum soup base
    Sam L.

    Good food and fast + super friendly service with good fresh meal = ur guaranteed haidilao experience The food was only $19.99 all u can eat!! The Irvine location has a good nice clean dinning area and easy parking with fresh ingredients 10/10 love it

    Fried Steamed Bun
    Tu-Quyen P.

    Came for Meat O'Clock and it was such a fun way to do hot pot at Haidilao. $19.99 includes AYCE angus beef, spicy marinated beef, basa fish, and shrimp, but you must pay $3.99 for sauce bar (do not miss out!), and then pay for broths. Comes out to about $40 pp plus tax and tip for a group of 4 (cheaper if you do fewer broths) which is pricey but worth it as their meat quality, sauce bar and service, plus free snacks are top notch. Definitely google all the fun recipes and hacks as it's part of the fun. Sesame noodles FTW! Came for weekday lunch so it wasn't very crowded, make reservations if you come during a busier time. Parking at second floor of structure will guide you to bridge directly to the restaurant. Pro-tip: their hair ties for those with long hair are a must as they're great quality!

    Chassidy T.

    I've been to many Hotpot restaurants, and this one seemed to be on the high-end side in terms of pricing and meat presentation but I'm not quite sure it was a 5-star worthy as most people have rated it. Their operations are a bit overwhelming, when you first arrive. They ask you if you want to join their membership which is quite off-putting, especially as someone visiting Irvine for the weekend. They then walk you through how to order on their iPad and then point at the corner station where you can build your sauce along with a dessert area next to it, where you have to pay extra to access. What I actually enjoyed: - Tom Yum Broth was flavorful and not too spicy (as I like it) - Top Blade & Beef Belly Meats were good - The Pork & Rice Bowl What I wasn't too satisfied with: - Sichuan Crispy Pork tasted like we were just eating fried batter, I probably had two good pieces with actual meat - The shrimp ball with duck egg in the center, not a fan personally The service was great, our two waiters were attentive and checked in frequently. Lastly, the ambiance, its beautiful, decorated in red & gold. But it can get a little noisy, which is fine. But like I said, it was a bit of a sensory overload.. especially since our hotpot stove was set up at an extremely high temp - it felt like I was rushing to eat my food because of how fast my food was cooking.

    FOOOOD!!
    Derek N.

    10/10 experience -- easily one of the most fun and satisfying hot pot nights I've had. First off, the service was AMAZING. Our server was hilarious and played along with us the whole time. We kept joking around trying to say "secret codes" to get free stuff like, "I love your soup base," and they totally entertained us. That's the thing about Haidilao, the hospitality is next level. They're so attentive, constantly checking in, refilling broth, switching out plates, and making sure everything's clean. You genuinely feel taken care of the whole time. For around $20 AYCE, we ordered SO much food and everything kept coming out fresh. The meat was super tender and juicy, thinly sliced and perfect for hot pot. I got the sukiyaki broth and it was so flavorful and slightly sweet, which paired really well with the beef. The dancing noodles were such a highlight. They did the full noodle performance: stretching, spinning, whipping them around, and at one point almost hit my friend which made it even more entertaining Definitely check out the videos if you've never seen it before. We also got seafood and it was fresh, not fishy at all. The sauce bar was stacked with tons of options so you can customize your dip exactly how you want it. And the little desserts at the end were a nice touch. The ambiance was great, super clean, organized, and modern, just like every other Haidilao. You can tell they take cleanliness seriously. The whole place feels high quality but still fun and energetic. Overall, 10/10. Amazing food, unbeatable service, and such a fun experience. I'd come back in a heartbeat.

    Very clean restaurant
    Darie Jane C.

    This was our first time here and we had a great experience! The service was amazing! Wunna helped us and was very attentive to our needs. We ordered various meats and a seafood platter. There's a dessert bar and a sauce bar that you can customize for your meats. We will be coming back for sure!

    Zootopoa collab
    Karen C.

    If you're craving quality hot pot but don't want all you can eat, this is your spot to go. We came in on a Saturday evening for the Zootopia collaboration and it was about a 45 minute wait. Parking at Diamond Jamboree is always a pain but if you get here before the dinner rush, it isn't too bad. Our party had never tried any of the "hacks" before and our server really hyped us up for it. I really wanted the fairy wand but they unfortunately did not have it that evening, so she got me another toy and got our table a round of fried mantou without us having to share the code. I generally like their soup bases. Very flavorful and honestly, you don't need the sauce bar, but if you cannot resist the sauce bar, just know that it's about $2 per person. There's also some desserts and fruits there as well. We loved the face mask changing show and the dancing noodle show. It's what makes them stand out from all the other hot pot spots. Would come back next time when I'm not craving all you can eat hot pot.

    sauce bar
    Hope J.

    I LOVE HDL!!! Every time I've been to this location, it's been great. The service is amazing with the waiters always being very attentive, helpful, and friendly. Shoutout to Kelvin who was awesome this last time I went. When I called in to make a reservation and ask about services earlier in the day, the person on the phone was also very friendly and helpful. I went for meat o clock, which they have every day after 9pm. It's basically $20 AYCE for 5 specific meats. I didn't want to eat meat, so the staff was accommodating and let only my boyfriend pay for meat o clock. (The rules say that everyone at the table needs to get it if one person does, but I really didn't want to eat any.) It was super worth it for him cause he ate a ton of meat. Items of note are the tomato soup broth, hand-pulled noodles, and shrimp paste. There are combos for things like mushrooms and tofu, but for some reason, certain items in these combo sets are not available as individual items. The dessert bar is also great with different fruits and jellies. The sauce bar has lots of options. This location is very clean, though it's not as spacious as the Century City location (the only other one I've been to). I will say sitting at the tables can be a bit uncomfortable because there's not a ton of leg room where the boiling thing is. I love coming here. Only complaint is that it gets expensive as you pay for each item you order, and things add up. You pay for each soup separately, and you pay extra for sauce bar access as well. If you don't want 4 soups, you can ask for hot water in one of the soup sections, which is free. If you eat a lot, this isn't the best place for value. Better off going AYCE if you're just trying to eat a lot. But I still want to come here all the time

    4 flavor soup base
    Kiet T.

    Amazing service and delicious food! The staff were very friendly and attentive, and everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Great experience overall -- highly recommend Haidilao!

    Lunch combo with beef plate
    MyChi N.

    I always enjoy Haidilao. Whenever I'm craving hot pot, this place always hits the spot. What's not to love about hot pot? Meat--great. Veggies--great. Tofu--great. Fish balls--amazing. It always warms my stomach, especially when it's a bit cold outside. The food is so good and filling. I recommend coming on a weekday during lunch and getting one of their combos--it's extremely affordable and surprisingly filling. One combo can low-key feed two people. I also love their open sauce bar concept. You can mix and choose whatever sauces you want and come up with some pretty crazy combinations. This place is also perfect when you need a "reset" from greasy food. Comforting, satisfying, and still feels light.

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    Kid friendly place and professional service. Our group will come back soon next OC trip

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    Page 1 of 101

    Haidilao Hotpot Irvine Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Haidilao Hotpot Irvine

    How do I make reservations?

    https://haidilaohotpotirvinereserve.com/

    Does this restaurant offer any birthday discount? Thanks

    No birthday discounts. Although they do a pretty fun "Happy Birthday" song with a Chinese pop song and props which I thought was so catchy.

    Is 椰子鸡 (coconut chicken?) on the menu?

    Unfortunately, it is currently discontinued for the near foreseeable future.

    Is this Chongching style Hot Pot?

    Yup

    Are any of the broths vegan?

    Yes, we do have mushroom, tomato and filter spicy are vegan broths

    What are your hours on Thanksgiving?Can I make reservation for thanksgiving?

    yes, call us to make a reservation, we open at 11am-11pm

    Are there nut free and sesame free options? Can you accommodate for food allergies? Which broth does not have nut, sesame, and shellfish?

    So many options that can be nut free and sesame free. Order raw meats and veggies that are not marinated and you should be safe. However, their condiments station does have sesame and peanuts in the close proximity with other condiments. So it… Read more

    Are there gluten free options?

    Yes, there are.

    Can I order for pickup ? Do you offer that

    Do they have all you can eat menu?

    No, you order meat, vegetables, appetizers through their iPad. Different price points for different cuts of meat.

    Is the Australian lamb halal?

    yes it is halal

    Which broths are pescatarian friendly?

    Mushroom Green chilli Tomato… Read more

    Are combos available on weekends? Are soup bases included with the combos? Thank you so much!

    Unfortunately we don't serve combo any more, but we do have limit time happy hour now from Mon-Thur 11AM-3:00PM all the dishes 20% off ( not including soup base, wagyu, sauce bar, cold dishes and appetizers). Also we have student discount 12% off… Read more

    Hello, when and what time for your happy hour? Is it 20% off?

    It's Monday to Thursday, 11am -3pm, happy hour. 20%off all dishes but no soup base no sauce bar no drinks. Let me know if you have any questions.

    How do you cook the spicy pork bone soup base from delivery? How much water do you add?

    Hello Alyssa If you order 2 flavors size you will add 2.5L water If you order 4 flavors size you… Read more

    Do you use MSG in your sauces or broths?

    Yea

    Are they open on christmas day?

    Asian restaurant rarely close on Christmas unless they're Christian~

    Do they take reservations?

    Yes they do. Some branch accept reservation via Yelp. For the rest, you can call into their branch to make reservation.

    I was wondering if anyone knows what peanut sauce they use? It was good I wanna buy some

    They sell a lot of their products in the restaurant such as soup bases and stir fry sauce. I'm sure they probably sell sauces, too.

    Are they still doing the dancing noodle?

    Yes! They still do that and are AMAZING at it.

    View All 47 Questions

    Northern Cafe

    Northern Cafe

    4.2
    (455 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Delicious Chinese food and great for family style! Near full house each time I visit but no worries…read more- got seated quick. Casual restaurant with a selection of cold dishes displayed up front. Lemon water in pitcher is provided once you get seated. Order via QR code. A standout dish was the pork pancake, which was layered almost like a savory crepe. The exterior was crispy and slightly oily. Plenty of flavor packed into each bite mmm I also ordered the spicy sauerkraut lamb hot pot. It comes with flames & reminded me a bit of Boiling Point. Lots of napa cabbage in the broth. The lamb was excellently fatty... tender and soft! I've recently had another hot pot place with lean lamb so this was on point. Portions were generous and the price felt very reasonable. My favorite dish of the meal was the fatty beef with scallions. The beef was indeed fatty and rich flavor, with what I think was a nice subtle Shaoxing wine or cooking wine flavor. The natural sweetness of the onions balanced the savory, salty sauce nicely.

    This is located in Irvine in the same plaza as H Mart…read more Plenty of parking spaces and open late. They have a QR Code to order online and they will bring the food at your table. We ordered beef noodle soup, shrimp wonton soup & chicken noodle soup. All soup are different, but flavorful. My favorite is the shrimp noodle soup. We also ordered beef wraps and scallion pancakes - it was crispy. Service is excellent - food came put really quickly after ordering.

    Photos
    Northern Cafe
    Szechuan Mala Pot 麻辣牛油鍋 | IG @moniquedao
    Szechuan Mala Pot 麻辣牛油鍋 | IG @moniquedao
    Half a Smoked Chicken

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    Half a Smoked Chicken
    EverSpring Modern Chinese

    EverSpring Modern Chinese

    4.3
    (460 reviews)
    3.4 mi
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Casual dining

    Leaving this review after an almost bad experience to help the restaurant or anyone else that may…read morehave eaten here today. 5 stars for fixing the problem immediately for us. We've been here several times before and what keeps us coming back is the quality of the food. Today, they had a new chef cook our food and it was terrible. Green beans were extremely sour (way way too much vinegar). Mapo Tofu had a ton of oil but not enough sauce, so it was just flavorless except the oil. The fried pork chop was over fried where some pieces you can't even bite through. The rice had too much water in it and was mushy. I rarely return food but this time it was so bad we had to let them know. We returned all of our dishes back to them. They let us know there was a new chef today, and they would remake all the dishes for us with the original chef. The replacement dishes were just as good as all our previous visits and it was excellent again! So thanks to the staff for fixing the problem. I'm not sure if they are training a new chef to take over, or as a backup, but they need to be careful as serving bad quality food like that would drive most people to never come back. We knew the food was good from prior experience, so we knew we could ask why the food quality changed. For first time customers, or those that may have ordered to go - if you had bad food today, it may have been a fluke due to the new chef. Service however was a amazing as usual. For all our visits including today, the staff has been kind and always looking for ways to help out and make sure we were having a good experience. So besides the food being good, I would say excellent service is also huge plus here. Don't be fooled with the automated ordering and robot delivering the food into thinking there is no service. The people behind the counter are awesome! Hope management takes care of this new chef issue quickly since their food quality is the main reason people come here. There was a night and day difference between the original food we got today, and the replacement!

    We have eaten at EverSpring many times ever since they opened and my family loved it because it…read moretasted like authentic cantonese dishes. It had been a couple of months since we were last there and my parents and my daughter had been asking to go back and were really looking forward to eating there. However, we were so disappointed when we went back 2 weeks ago! The menu changed a bit, which was fine, and all our usual dishes were still there. We did notice that the cooks have changed and the original Cantonese chef was not there. I think the kitchen staff really changed how the flavors of the dishes for the worst. My 7yo daughter used to love their shrimp fried rice, but as soon as the fried rice came out, the first thing she said was "how come it looks so different from before." Not only did it look different, it was BURNT. It was like they fried the rice in a burnt wok so every grain of rice was coated in tiny black burnt bits. It was essentially inedible. They also just topped the rice with some tastless blanched shrimp instead of actually stir frying the shrimp into the rice. The green onion pancake used to be flakey with layers and expectedly oily for this dish, but the pancake we got this time was essentially a tasteless tortilla. It literally looked and tasted like a tortilla. No layers, flakes or oil at all and was the worst green onion pancake I've ever had anywhere. The fish with black bean sauce was acceptable, but it was definitely not the same. It tasted more like American Chinese flavors instead of the previous authentic Cantonese flavors. The only dish that I thought was still good was the stir fried eggplants, although my parents said it also tasted more Americanized. We are so sad that the food here has changed so much and it was one of the rare places my Cantonese dad actually said tasted authentically Cantonese in the area. The restaurant was full during our latest vist but we did notice that 90% of the diners and people ordering take-out were non-Asians. When we came previously, there was a good mix of Asian and non-Asian diners, so it seems like the clientele have shifted, which might explain the flavor changes or vice versa. The staff is still very nice and friendly, but it seems like the robot server has been laid off. I don't think we will be coming back again unfortunately as the food is no longer what we loved before. However, they seemed to still be doing well so others must still like it.

    Photos
    Crispy Beef. Photo is for demonstration purpose only, not our actual serving size.
    Crispy Beef. Photo is for demonstration purpose only, not our actual serving size.
    Orange Chicken
    Orange Chicken
    Dry Chili Chicken

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    Dry Chili Chicken
    Kuan Zhai Alley

    Kuan Zhai Alley

    4.3
    (307 reviews)
    6.1 mi
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Free parking

    Kuan Zhai Alley is a really solid addition to the local Sichuan scene, I was super excited when…read morethey opened a few months ago. Tucked into the Los Olivos Marketplace, the inside is super modern and clean, making it a comfortable, nice spot to sit down. It's also super convenient that you can just order via the QR code right from your phone or wave down a waiter if you prefer. The food hits all the classic Sichuan cravings and comes out quick. The Laziji (Spicy Fried Chicken) is piled high with dried chilies and has that perfect, addictive crispy crunch. Another massive standout is the Stir-Fried Cilantro Beef--the meat is incredibly tender and tossed with a ton of fresh cilantro and green peppers for a great, fresh kick. If you want a dry pot, the Dry Pot Chicken Wings are awesome. The wings are perfectly seasoned and come tossed with lotus root and crinkle-cut potatoes that soak up all the savory, numbing spices. It's a little pricier than your average strip-mall spot, but the ingredient quality, bold flavors, and clean environment completely justify it. Definitely a go-to when you want authentic Sichuan food in a nicer setting.

    Another amazing meal at Kuan Zhai Alley. We got there on a…read moreFriday night and ordered out usual veggies, shrimp and steak. Tonight we did not need to wait too long. If I can make just a simple suggestion, please expand your menu. Please use Yelp online check in. This place could be five stars.

    Photos
    Kuan Zhai Alley
    Kuan Zhai Alley
    Kuan Zhai Alley

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    Six Alley Xi’an Biang Biang Noodle

    Six Alley Xi’an Biang Biang Noodle

    4.5
    (588 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Happy hour specials

    I came here around the end of the day absolutely STARVING. We got seated quickly and everything was…read morehandled promptly. The restaurant itself is a bit on the small side so you'll be close to your neighbors not that it was an issue personally. My buddy and I ordered our items and shared with each other for a good full experience. We got the three-in-one noodles medium heat and the Ma Hu Beef noodles with mild heat alongside the cucumbers with medium heat as an appetizer. Cucumbers were very fresh! However, they really were just cucumbers with a little heat on them so they weren't anything too special. Once the main entrees came in, I couldn't stop myself from digging in! I forgot to take a picture until after some damage was done to our meals. Three-in-one was so flavorful and sweet with the noodles becoming incredibly soft after having mixed it all together. The star of the show for me though was the Ma Hu Beef noodles. The beef was remarkably tender and delicious and the noodles had a firmer texture that complimented with the flavors. Oddly enough, the mild heat on the Ma Hu Beef was spicier than the medium heat three-in-one! If you find yourself in the mood for Biangbiang noodles, this is definitely the spot to go to. On a side unrelated note about the parking which did not influence my review; the parking here is rough. It's consistently packed so watch out for that. There is a structure across the street that allows parking for the food court. I parked in the structure but I had a bad experience because since it's also parking for the residents above, the gate was closed on us after 8pm. I had to wait for a vehicle to come out and open the gate for not only just me but for multiple other people that had also parked in the structure!Just something to keep in mind. Hopefully that doesn't continue being an issue for future guests.

    Food tastes good. Service perfect! Ambiance good. Comfortable at all! Lucy's service is very good…read more Definitely will come back soon!

    Photos
    Ranked #36 -- Among Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in Orange County 2025
    Ranked #36 -- Among Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in Orange County 2025
    N3. Mahu Beef Noodle
    N3. Mahu Beef Noodle
    Braised Beef Rib with Oil-Poured Noodle

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    Braised Beef Rib with Oil-Poured Noodle
    A & J Restaurant

    A & J Restaurant

    4.1
    (2.8k reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    A&J is an Irvine institution!! Can't even remember how much times I've visited in the last ten…read moreyears because it's probably my favorite Taiwanese spot in the area. It's about time I reviewed them! My number one dish goes to the minced pork rice- it's a pretty simple dish, but it's sooo good here for some reason. I've ordered this dish at other Taiwanese restaurants and nothing compares to the one at A&J- the pork is always SO flavorful, never dry and enough to coat all the rice, the egg is perfection, and all the little garnishes compliment the dish so well. It's also just as amazing takeout which I always appreciate. Other go-tos are the spicy beef noodle soup- the beef in it is always so tender and I love getting the thick noodle option because of the rough texture it adds. Beef roll and pan fried dumplings are always a good option for sharing. Have tried a lot of things on their menu and nothing so far has disappointed!

    Went to A&J with a few friends on a Friday night. There was about a 15-minute wait. We checked in,…read moretold them our party size, received a numbered ticket, and were seated shortly after. We ordered a variety of dishes to share, including the beef noodle soup, minced pork over rice, spicy wontons, fried pork chop, and scallion pancake. At first, the portions looked smaller than we expected, but the prices were reasonable and the food ended up being more filling than it appeared. We actually thought we'd need to order several more dishes for our group of four, but by the end of the meal we were completely satisfied. My favorite was definitely the spicy wontons. The wontons themselves were great, but the sauce was flavorful, slightly spicy, and addictive!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    #151 sliced pork ears w/hot and spicy seasoning, #154 vegetarian delight (gluten puffs, bean curd, and mushrooms)
    #151 sliced pork ears w/hot and spicy seasoning, #154 vegetarian delight (gluten puffs, bean curd, and mushrooms)
    Chinese Style Fried Chicken on Rice

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    Chinese Style Fried Chicken on Rice
    Seven Grams

    Seven Grams

    4.5
    (1.3k reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    Been to Seven Grams multiple times, primarily for the delicious Xiao long bao. There is a Yelp…read morewaitlist, and you can also join in person. Seating consider is around 10 tables plus hjgh top stools, so if you are a large group the wait can be long. We stopped by yesterday to try out some new items, which were a mixed bag. First the Cheese Chicken Roll was surprisingly good. Imagine the Beef Roll and swap things around to get something off of a fancy KFC menu. It features a crispy flaky tortilla outside, wrapped around copious chicken (katsu texture), some lettuce for a crunch, some melted cheese, and then a spicy Thousand-Island type dressing. It all pairs well, has a good chicken portion, and texture variation too. My only desire would be for slightly more lettuce and slightly less cheese, otherwise perfect. Crispy Lotus Root Fries are solid, but not a replacement for typical potato fries. The lotus version was not as crispy or crunchy, but would be an Asian version. It comes with ketchup and the same spicy thousand island dressing as the chicken roll. Lastly we were let down by the Pan Fried Shrimp&Chicken Dumplings (Whole Wheat). The whole wheat wrapping had a very slight texture difference, not as chewy as the typical dumpling wrapping. But the inside was the main focus. It seemed like it was a fishball inside, a homogenous color and texture and more reminiscent of fish than of shrimp. It's possible we got the wrong dumpling. Based on this experience we would not order it again. Wheat wrapping would be fine, but the shrimp/chicken filling would be a no.

    Amazing spot for a dumpling fix later in the eve. We were craving dumplings and surprisingly there…read morearen't many open this late, so we were happy to find Seven Grams around 8PM and see that it was open till 9:30PM. The service was impeccable, they cleaned up a table for us and sat us right away. They got us started and we were ready to eat. There's a middle bar area that you could sit at for larger groups, we were a small group so we sat at the 4-person table. The vibes were modern and sleek. Naturally we ordered xiao long bao, beef rolls, cucumber salad, pan fried dumplings, and a ham fried rice. - Xiao Long Bao = amazing, the soup was not boiling hot, the skin was good, flavors were all there. - Beef Rolls = crispy, tasty, good ratio - Cucumber Salad = they paired the meal really well, wasn't too vinegary - Pan Fried Dumplings = also crispy, great flavors, lots of meat which is my favorite - Ham Fried Rice = this one was good, we wanted a rice dish but slightly oily, otherwise it was good. Overall very satisfied with my late night fix, would recommend and be back!

    Photos
    Inside seating
    Inside seating
    Wonton With Chili Sauce 6pcs
    Wonton With Chili Sauce 6pcs
    Pan Fried Shrimp&Chicken Dumplings (Whole Wheat) 8pcs

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    Pan Fried Shrimp&Chicken Dumplings (Whole Wheat) 8pcs
    Xishang Roodle

    Xishang Roodle

    4.4
    (244 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    We came from all over to meet at this Roodle spot in Santa Ana. Fun times.
    We came from all over to meet at this Roodle spot in Santa Ana. Fun times.
    Beef Stew Noodle
    Beef Stew Noodle
    Devil Chicken | $9.99

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    Devil Chicken | $9.99

    Haidilao Hotpot Irvine - chinese - Updated July 2026

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