First time coming here and the food is so good. Can't wait to come back to eat the cold noodle again. read more

Min Chef - First time coming here and the food here is very good. Can't wait to come back to eat the cold noodle again - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

Stop by on a Friday night. There there were about 3-4 tables. Service is great. We order the following to share: Spicy cold noodles -liang pi Spicy pot Fried cauliflower Beef noodles Pork hock in house special sauce This was my first time trying liang pi. Both flavors and texture were unique to me. It's refreshing and addictive. Spicy pot was too oily for me. Love the duck blood. It'a soft and tastes really fresh. Also love the tofu skin and tripe. There was a good amount of both. The intestine was a little gamey. Fried cauliflower was cooked perfectly. Beef noodles was ok. Not a lot of flavors. Pork hock was tender and tastes very homey. The flavors were good but it was a little too greasy for me. read more

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Must order! sweet and sour pork tenderloin! Second option is sweet and sour house meatballs. You will definitely comeback for them! read more

Min Chef - Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin must order！ - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

4 Visit Review Unassuming spot with world class food. I stumbled on this spot accidentally my first visit. And I've gone back twice in a week. The flavors are well balanced, and dishes are unique. The type of dishes should belong in a typical Chinese banquet, but the hole in the wall atmosphere is a strange background for this level of detail in their menu offering. Stir Fry Assorted Vegetables (5/5) Fresh, well balanced, crunchy vegetables. Meat Pie (4/5) Solid execution. Flavor varied across my different visits. I would ask them to pan fry is crispier. Pan Fried Chive Pockets (5/5) Amazing. Delicate in taste, well executed. Stewed Tofu w/ Cabbage & Shrimp (5/5) Must get! This dish is simple but difficult to execute. Many other mainland style restaurants can't get this dish right. Min's does it so well! House Special Pork Hock (3/5) Every table ordered one of these. For me the flavor was too strong and too salty. Sichuan Spicy Shrimp (1/5) This is a miss for me. I ordered this twice on two separate visits. The shrimp isn't fresh and the flavor overpowered the natural sweetness of the shrimp. Sautéed Prime Beef w/ Ginger Scallion (4/5) Very tasty but also very oily. I'd go back as much as I can cause I want to try everything. The service is your standard local Chinese spot, with the inpatient order taker. But everyone who brings out the dishes seem to be good spirits. There was once, I came right at opening and allegedly the owner was yelling at everyone is the kitchen, but food was still good. read more

A small restaurant serving food with excellent flavors. We ordered Steamed Cold Noodles w/ Sesame Sauce, Sichuan Spicy Chicken, Meat Pie, Pork Hock in House Special Sauce, Sautéed Ground Pork Cabbage with Vermicelli, Stir-fry Cauliflower for 6 people and left feeling full. Service was excellent, all the staff were super friendly. read more

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Busy new parent surviving off takeout here. Ordered based on Howard Z's thoughtful review. We ordered the cold sesame noodle, meat pie, chive pie, house made pickles, wintermelon and pork rib soup. The food was SO GOOD -- homey, flavorful, varied (eg the noodles were a flavor bomb, the soup subtle and nourishing, exactly as they should be) -- it stopped us in our multi-tasking, constant survival mode tracks and had our first sit down meal in goodness knows how long. I can't wait to take my own mom here and I texted this place to my best friends midway through my meal. read more

So glad I found this super authentic hole-in-the-wall Northern Chinese restaurant. The name of the restaurant perfectly embodies the type of food they serve: home style dishes your grandma makes when you visit (Min Chu means the people's chef or home chef). House special ribbon fish- my favorite because I grew up eating it but the non-Chinese bf didn't like it because it had a ton of little bones and was hard to eat SO BEWARE! The soy sauce based sauce is very flavorful and slightly sweet and tangy goes so well with rice. Meat pie- absolutely wonderful! Not sure how to describe this but I can eat this everyday. The mom next to me said her son demanded to come here because of this meat pie lol Zha jiang mian- this is the original version of the Korean jjajangmyun and is better in my opinion. It comes with marinated garlic (sweet and sour), which is a nice cherry on top. Braised eggplant- the eggplant was glossy, tender, and saucy. It's a little greasy but that's just the way it is. read more

Service was not great but the food was authentic. I like ice n my drink , we had to ask for ice and they will bring a little cup for three people. We will be back for take out only. read more

Min Chef - I didn't like this much , but other dishes were good - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

Min Chef was a great little authentic Chinese food place! I went on lunar new year and even though it was packed, they were able to seat and serve me really quickly. I got very cozy vibes, and it definitely felt like a little mom and pop shop, which is a big change from the big fancy Chinese restaurants that have popped up all over SoCal. The food was fairly priced and tasted great! I recommend Min Chef as a place to try to get a nice bite of authentic Chinese food. read more

Min Chef - Pork Hock in House Special Sauce - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Excellent services and dishes We enjoy very much after long day of working After 8:30 pm to find a great place to eat read more

Very delicious dishes, spicy chicken gizzards and fried vegetables are really good! Came around 1:00 PM, not a lot of people there, but the service is very nice. Food also came out really fast~ Recommend spicy dishes if you can eat spicy! read more

Possibly the best Beijing restaurant in the area, nothing fancy, just what you will see in an ordinarily family dinner table. Some flaws, but won't overshadow the meal. Limited menu, but they make everything from scratch and everything taste great. There are differences in some dishes compared to what I'm used to having when growing up, but each chef do it differently, and everything on the menu is at least a safe bet to try, even without fully agreeing with the dish, you won't be disappointed. I personally recommend the Braised Pork Spareribs(手撕大排),Dough Drop Soup（疙瘩汤), Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin(糖醋里脊), Beijing Style Noodles(老北京炸酱面), for the noodles, make sure to ask for double portions of soybean paste, one isn't enough to cover the whole bowl. For a small and busy place like this, don't expect too much service such as checking on the table of how's everything doing, if you need anything just wave at the waiters and they will come to you, and whatever you're asking will be fulfilled quickly. read more

Flavorful food. Tender beef stew. Service animal friendly. Quick service. Hot plate food. read more

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Visited many times and food taste is still so original, taste quality have never change. I always bring my friends and family and they love it too. If you really want authentic Chinese food, I mean real good original Chinese cuisine, well guys this is where you must try, service is absolutely great but sometimes they are too busy we can understand, the environment is clean. A perfect place for young and old. I have been living in China for many years and I highly recommend you to try their unique dishes, judge for yourself ! read more

every dish we ordered was so delicious, the taste is so authentic Beijing style, when i am back in the area, it's a must go place, I am craving it again after 3 days read more

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This is an authentic Chinese restaurant, a hole in the wall kinda place. Though lacking in aesthetic appeal, they make up in flavors. We ordered the Liang Pi ( Chilled spicy noodles) for appetizer, meat pie, pork hock in house sauce, and their spicy cold noodles. All the dishes were fresh with great flavors. I was truly impressed with most of the dishes. The meat pie was a bit underwhelming but still pretty good. It was a great experience and I will definitely return. read more

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This place gave me that "WOW" factor that I haven't felt for a long time. This place used to be my go to comfort food "O'shine" until the owners retired and moved back to Taiwan. Now it's "Min Chef" the Family Beijing restaurant, I saw some pictures online and had to come find out myself. First time, I ordered Stir Fried Assorted Vegetables $9.99 (和菜戴帽). I haven't had this dish for ages but once I had my first bite, I knew it's what I had before and I loved it so much though I normally don't like bean sprout. The flavor of the vegetables (mainly bean sprouts) and the egg all went well together. Noodle with soybean paste and pork, Beijing style, it's slightly different than I expected as the server dropped couple small dishes on the table. I must had looked confused so she decided to mix them up for me. It's similar to Zha Jiang Mian. The proton is huge, perhaps too big for one and perfect for two. The only thing I didn't like was the vinegar. Some would argue it gave a more refreshing taste but I would remember not to mix in the vinegar next time. Wintermelon short rib soup, absolutely love this soup except I think there's a bit too much white pepper in it. I can see myself order this again when the weather gets colder. Then I got another chance to try more dishes on my 2nd visit...after all, not too many people would come to Tustin for Chinese food :p Here's my new favorite, the Braised Pork Intestine! $15.99 It's cooked perfectly and had very rich flavor without feeling heavy. I could finish a bowl of rice just with this dish. Meat pie $15.99 , I saw this pic while ago and wanted to try it. It's also different than I had expected. I thought the crust would be more crispier and the filling would be saltier. I really can't say if I love this dish or not perhaps I was already full by the time meat pie served. Service is always friendly and polite. I feel like it's also a family run restaurant and I like it. Interior is bright and clean compare to old O'shine. A tab too bright for my like but I am a fan. Can't wait to come back to try hot pot and other dishes. read more

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Chinese food in Tustin. You read that right. In Tustin. On Red Hill, right off the 5 Freeway, in the same plaza as Sichuan Impression and Big Lots - you'll find authentic, tasty Northern Chinese Cuisine. You'll also find ample free parking in the lot however, I can't comment on wait times because when I ate here, I walked right in to an empty restaurant. There was a fairly steady stream of takeout customers up until fifteen minutes before closing. However, I was the only one dining in that night. Which meant - excellent service. The dining area is small enough that the staff didn't need to hover but my teacup didn't stay empty long and the food was served hot and fresh. The dishes weren't as spicy as I was craving, but still to my liking. Not overly oily either - just tasty and reminiscent of the time I spent in China. Try the Braised Pork Intestines. Cooked well - not overdone and chewy like I've experienced at other restaurants. It was the standout of the three dishes I tried that evening. Prices might seem higher than you're used to however, for me - I felt it was worth it. Enough so, that I can say I'll be back to try other dishes they offer. read more

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Excellent food and service. Super friendly. Tasty dishes. Dine in, pickup, or catering. Highly recommend!!!

Very nice Beijing cuisine , just like back in China , not very expensive as Irvine restaurants read more

Min Chef - very good beijing cuisine - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

Small restaurant but taste so great!!!! My favorite place to eat now! Pretty much all the food are excellent!!! So much to recommend but don't know English name: 1, Dough soup 2, duck blood 3, some fish 4, lamb $22.99 for 4 big pieces and some Chinese special bread -- they do spicy and also nom-spicy. -- get set package: $66 is great for group of 2-4ppl The owner has more than 30+ years of experience, he has restaurant in Beijing for many many years. 【highly recommended】 read more

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It offers good service and serves the most authentic hometown dishes I have ever eaten in the US. read more

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Great taste food but a little pricy. Taste is fairly authentic- the best Beijing taste I could find. It's also clean and organized. read more

Hot new Chinese place!! We accidentally stumbled upon this place Saturday night. It was crowded and it looked new so my bf and I walked in to check out the menu and it smelled really good. We decided to give it a try and cancelled the other restaurant we were planning on going. The waiter was very nice and quickly sat us down. I really enjoy menus with pictures of their entrees it makes it easier to order and you know what to expect. Everything looked good and it was hard to choose since we wanted to try every dish. We finally decided on the sauteed eggplant, the beef noodles, cumin lamb and the bread buns. Prices are reasonable about $10 per dish and portions are generous. The broth from the noodles was very good and the noodles were nice and chewy. We slurped every drop of broth and dipped our buns to soak up all the broth. The bread buns were nicely toasted and I ate them both with the noodles and the lamb. I'm not really an eggplant fan but this dish was mouthwatering! The sauce was delicious and each veggie was cooked perfectly! The cumin lamb was also delicious! It came with yummy caramelized onions and we pretty much wiped the plate cleaned! read more

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This place is an authentic chinese restaurant serving delicious dishes. I was so excited to try their liang pi (cold skin noodle) and it was so so yummy. I've been looking for a good liang pi in OC/irvine area and finally found Min Chef. The duck blood was really good too: big portion, a plate full of spicy numbing duck blood. The spicy chicken pot was also on point. We definitely come back to try more dishes. read more

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We are leaving in san diego and we always drive for one hour to visit here. This is a very delicious restaurant. The first time I tasted it was like made from my hometown. Good service and Good food!!!!!! read more

Min Chef - spicy tofu - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Excellent food with decent price and atmosphere. Can't find elsewhere in town with Chinese home cook food of the same quality. I've been here several times and dishes are served promptly read more

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Authentic northern China cuisine in Tustin? Yes, it exists. My family is from northern China and the food here brings back the flavors of home. Every menu item is delicious as we have tried everything on our multiple visits. The service is also kind and efficient. While everything is quite good on the menu the must orders in my opinion are definitely the bean noodle appetizer, spicy duck blood and braised pork ribs. Everything is family style so bring some friends and get many things to try. read more

Mapo tofu, house chicken, braised eggplant, and cold noodles were all very good. Good service as well. We'll be back

The taste was very good and the service was very warm Food is also served very quickly！Very authentic Chinese food read more

Min Chef - The taste was very good and the service was very warm - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

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I enjoyed having dinner with my family there. The food was quite authentic. To my surprise, my husband and kids enjoyed the pork intestine dish that I didn't expect them to like. The ribs was tender and flavorful. The layered meat pancake was delicious too. The Zhajiang noodles didn't stand out but was good enough. In terms of service, I actually didn't have high expectations from reading earlier Yelp reviews. It turned out to be quite good. The owner was very straightforward upfront about the potential wait time for food. The style may be a bit strange to someone but I found it quite typical/normal from a Beijing/northern Chinese man - he simply wanted to set the expectations right at the beginning so customers wouldn't be upset later. I quite appreciate the honesty. In reality our food came out in very reasonable time. Another customer misunderstood him and thought he was targeting her non-Chinese companion, which is very untrue because he treated us (my husband being non-Chinese) exactly the same way. Anyways, I would recommend anyone interested in Beijing food to try the restaurant. With a bit more patience, tolerance and understanding, your experience will be great. The enjoyable sense lives in our heads, and we have a choice to feel it, or not. read more

Authentic Beijing cuisine, the price is affordable, and the dishes are plentiful! The back kitchen of the family, if you don't want to cook, come to it and order two dishes! The dishes on the menu are not overwhelming at all. Personally, I like spicy prawns and dry croquettes. My husband likes pork ribs stewed with lentils! read more

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Lady was rude and not helpful ...I'm here to dine In and enjoy not to stress with someone ...I left immediately stay away

Very well made comfort food. Great ingredients. Perfect technique. Food service too. Top 5 OC Chinese easy. read more

Ordered chili chicken and got chili fish instead, and chili fish is not even an option on the menu, not sure how they mixed them up , kinda disappointed. read more

Min Chef - Chinese Near Me - Tustin, California

We went there for dinner on December 19th. Honestly, the food is ok, it's not Peking Style at all, since I came from Beijing! My girlfriend ordered 3 dishes include their signature dish which is called 家炖海鱼, however the fish was very rock-hard and fishy, I then asked the lady who was holding 4 or 5 payments from the customers and standing behind the cash register what kind of fish was it... She reacted saying that was yellow cracker, then I responded saying that's definitely NOT a yellow cracker at all, then she walked away from me just like that, she was the rudest business owner I have ever seen in my life! So, that dish costed us $22 and the fish was Pollock from Alaska... Anyway, the service there was ok and the servers were nice! So, DON'T waste your money and time, since the owner is not honest at all! read more

I am old Beijinger! My personal favorite Beijing restaurant is Min chef! Traditional Beijing food! No.1 in California!

the stir fry vegetable was sooo good! And the rib with green bean also delicious! Will come again, very traditional Beijing restaurant.

Going to give this place a five stars; in my heart it is probably closer to a 4 stars, but after reading a lot of the other reviews here, I feel like I want to show this place a little extra love, and will explain in my review. First off, going to address the elephant in the room, which is many reviews saying this place is "pricey". If you are saying this place is pricey compared to, other typical Chinese food places, then yes, it is. If you are saying that for the price, you should be getting a food experience like Din Tai Fung; mmm we could have a healthy discussion about this. I fully support the prices here and this is why: This is a small business, very homey inside, making home style food. The significant majority of the dishes are are uncommon, and use some uncommon ingredients. This food is good. And if you are looking in the local Tustin/Irvine area, I think you'd be hardpressed to find some of the items here. This costs money. I am unashamedly tired of people viewing Chinese food as supposed to be "cheap". Good food is good and costs something. In the Quality vs. Price vs. Portions vs. Service vs Atmosphere; if you cut the price, well, the only thing that would happen in response is either smaller portions of food, or less variety, or having to serve the same old that other restaurants do. To review: Free app: Pickled vegetables and peanuts. The pickled vegetables had a nice delicate spice and herb notes. Very refreshing. Can't tell you anything about the peanuts cause I'm allergic to them. Cold smashed cucumbers: very yum and fresh. Uses asian cucumbers so its more crunchy without that squishy middle part. Great to eat during the summer, still pretty good to eat when its cold out. Not too spicy as long as you avoid the pepper. Tomato/Egg/Dough Drop soup: I for the life of me can't remember how to translate this dish into English. I'll be the first to admit that this can be a little plain, but this is very home style and I have ties to this dish. Stewed beef and potatoes in brown sauce: Now this is the dish where I took my first bite and felt like "Hell yes, this is very similar to how my mom made it back at home". To many others, I can see how this dish can be just "good", but if you have a connection to this dish, it will taste very familiar and home Meat pie? can't remember the name of this either. Its the beef wrapped in dough and cut into squares. This is also a homey dish, and the proprietor was kind enough to provide us with some of his homemade black vinegar, which hit the spot and rounded out this dish. The vinegar is very subtle and not super sour like commercial ones. All in all, this is a very nice place and I hope it stays in business. The food here is simple, authentic, and approachable, even if you are not familiar with more uncommon Chinese cuisine. No, it is not as WOW as Sichuan Impression a few doors down, and you know, I don't want it to be. The service is as best as they can do as a family restaurant; you never see slacking and they are definitely working hard. They engage you and want you to have a good time. It isn't loud. There aren't long lines. Give them a shot. read more

Revisit：Yes Decent Chinese food. I have not try anything I don't like here. They have good taste as always for dining and take out. read more