If you're looking for authentic Chinese comfort food with a handmade touch, Noodle Nest is a must-try! I ordered the beef noodle soup, sweet-and-sour pork, beef wrap, pork potstickers, and the four-flavored dumplings--and every dish was delicious. The beef noodle soup had a deep, flavorful broth with hand-pulled noodles that were cooked perfectly. The sweet-and-sour pork was crispy, tangy, and satisfying without being too heavy. The beef wrap was flaky and savory--definitely a favorite. The dumplings and potstickers were fresh and juicy, with the four-flavored dumpling plate offering a fun variety in one order. The space itself feels modern, clean, and casual, perfect for stopping by with friends or family. Service was friendly and quick, and the quality of the food really stood out. Definitely one of the best noodle spots in Irvine--I'll be back! read more

Amazing, amazing, amazing!! I am extremely picky when it comes to food. I absolutely enjoyed our lunch. Great service and great tasting food. read more

Saw this restaurant featured on IG as an "affordable Din Tai Fung dupe" so my expectations were pretty high. After trying out everything, it was honestly just ok. The Xiao long báos were not as flavorful or soupy. Not long after the came out, the felt dry. The chili wontons was also lacking flavor. The chicken skewers we got were drenched in cumin and had a very funny taste - I couldn't continue eating it. We also got a beef noodle soup special, which was alright but nothing special. No issues with the service or the ambience of the restaurant. I think the food does the job if you're craving some Chinese cuisine and can def be a more affordable option, but if you want DTF, go there instead! :) read more

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This restaurant is located in the corner of the Diamond Jamboree strip mall. You order off the QR code on the table and the food comes out pretty quickly. We had ordered the sweet and sour pork ribs, veggie stir fried noodles, pork pita burger with and without peppers, and the original beef noodles. My favorite dish was the veggie stir fried noodles. The noodles are really good as they are hand pulled noodles and they have a great wok hei flavor. The sweet and sour pork ribs were tender and more sweet than they were sour. They had an artificial looking red color to them which was slightly unappetizing. The beef noodles also had hand pulled noodles and you could specify the thickness which was nice. The beef was on the tougher side and broth was a little too salty. The pork pita burgers were good, the meat was tender and the peppers gave them a nice crunch. If you don't like interacting with people, this is the place for you. You can order off your phone and pay from your phone without even needing to talk to any of the staff. The tables are already preset with silverware and napkins. I would go back for the stir fried noodles and the pork pita burger. read more

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I have great things to say about this place. We took my parents here because they just flew into town and were super hungry. They absolutely loved it. I actually really like the order-as-you-go off the phone. They gave us an iPad since my parents like bigger screens. Both devices synced with the order so they can easily see what I'm ordering. Some great things to try: Chicken skewer (a bit better than the lamb) Fried rice veggie or chicken are both good Chicken dumpling Xiao Long Bao Spring beans Fried noodles with chicken Don't get the Shumai. It's very different. Got rice in it instead of shrimp. We came here two days later and took 10 people. Basically we were coming from a funeral service and needed some privacy so I noticed they had a large room which was easy to book and they set up the table and everything! It was so worth it and everyone enjoyed themselves. read more

Hello, this message is for the manager. I've tried to call several times however the phone goes into VM and it's full so I can't leave a message. Please check the company email as I just sent details about my order last night . I ordered take out and was given someone else's order. I realized the mistake upon arriving to my destination. Please call me soonest to rectify this unfortunate error which left me without a meal. Thank you, MJ M read more

Meet my friend for lunch today, have some leftover bring home for dinner. I found a piece of Stainless Steel Scrubbers in my Fried Shrimp egg noodles read more

Noodle Nest - Stainless Steel Scrubber - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Wide selection of Chinese/Taiwanese dishes that it was hard to decide what to order! We can't resist XLB but it was probably our least favorite dish. We also got the pork burger which didn't have a ton of flavor but was juicy, tender, and the breading tasted very homemade and fresh. The braised beef and potato noodles were the highlight of the meal. With thick hand pulled noodles and tender beef and great szechuan spice. read more

First time for me in this place. We got the cucumber salad which is so good, I just wished it was cut in smaller pieces. We ordered dimsum, fish dish, tofu, beef with potatoes, and fried rice. They were very good and tasty, on the spicy side so pay attention to the picture on the menu. The servings are big and can be shared. There were 2 servers at the time we were there. The male server was good and the female server was also good, but she has unpleasant attitude when I asked question if the order comes with rice. She gave me a look that my question was stupid and looked annoyed. We are looking at menu on the phone and it is hard to read and they don't really come to help you when you are ordering. You order on your phone inside the restaurant. Anyway, we enjoyed our meals but I don't want to return to a place where I don't feel welcome. read more

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Came here with some friends for a birthday dinner. I don't think any one of us has ever been here before, so we were all excited to check this place out. We ordered a bunch of food, but I only tried the beef noodles which was my order. Pretty standard taste for a beef noodle dish, but I was very satisfied and the quality was great. I would put it up against any other beef noodle place in the Irvine area. Serive wise was great, our waiter was very attentive to us and took our orders efficiently, and the food came out in a decent amount of time. Even despite it being a bit busy during the dinner time we went, service was great. Value-wise, I think it's pretty standard for a restaurant in this area. More expensive than I would have liked, but at least you're getting good quality food. I recommend this place if you're into this type of cuisine. I would likely come back for another special occasion and try more of the food next time. read more

Noodle Nest - N3. Braised Beef Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I wanted to like this place a lot more, but the food was mediocre and the service was awful. Our first hint should have been that we went at peak dinner time and the place was practically empty. We ordered zha jiang mian and braised beef noodle soup. The zha jiang mian wasn't hot and the flavor was really mild. The noodle soup was bland and the noodles were terrible. As for the service, the young man brought us to our table, said nothing, droppes the ordering iPad on our table and walked away. We weren't sure if we had to order ourselves on the iPad or wait for him to come back because no other table had an iPad. Eventually we ordered ourselves and the server took the iPad away. No server ever came to check on us and it took forever despite making eye contact to flag anyone down. We waited 15 minutes to get our check after asking for it and I watched as the 3 waiters on duty stood at the food service window chatting instead of attending to any of the tables (and other people were also trying to get their attention). Nothing was said when the bill was paid and nothing was said to us as we were leaving. Considering how completely not busy the place was the whole experience felt sterile. Definitely wouldn't come back. I'll give an extra star for the wide noodles in the zha jiang mian because that was the only decent thing. read more

Food here is great. You rarely find great Chinese food in such a big plaza but this definitely does fit in that great category. Noodles are definitely its strong suit so make sure to order that. Service was quick and order was very easy. Restaurant was very spacious and had good seating. Would recommend! read more

Stopped by for a quick late lunch and this plate did the job well. Because we went at a slow time, there was no wait and plenty of tables to choose from. The ordering is via QR code and the selection is really good. It has everything from their specialty noodles with soup and without, some asian flatbread 'burgers', and more. This is a place with a great variety no matter what you're craving. We tried two of their top soup noodle dishes and they were both great for the price. The quality was also better than other places, the soup wasn't overwhelming MSG and there was a good amount of all the ingredients. Everything felt fresh and flavorful, would definitely want to visit again and try more dishes. The prices are also lower than other places where the quality is lower. Parking is available in a huge lot shared with other businesses but may be hard to find a spot during peak hours. read more

This place was good. It's probably like a 4.5 but I'll round up for being child friendly. Appreciated the kidwear (plates, cups, utencils, even scissors to cut the food smaller for the kids!). Service was good! Walked in and got seated right away. Was given an iPad to order. Put in order and I swear maybe less than 5 minutes 1 of 7 items was on our table. Food came quick. All our food came out within like 10 minutes. Standouts were: lamb skewers, pan fried potstickers and the black pepper beef udon. Beef noodle soup was just ok- portion and noodles was good but flavor was just ok. (A&Js still has the best beef noodle soup.) Xiao long baos were ok... good flavor and will do the trick if craving dumplings but it's no Ding Tai Fung. Also we had the beef skewers which were good. Would pass on the chicken hearts - it was like sliced and not the whole heart as i normally get as a skewer making it a little chewy. Overall, would return for the food and service! read more

The lunch specials are worth it. Lots of food. Food was good, just be careful if you can't handle spice. The cucumbers are a must to help cool hour palette. Northern Chinese food so some flavors are pretty different from other Chinese places. read more

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I had been meaning to try this place since it opened, and my sister and I were finally able to come by for dinner on a Friday. There wasn't a wait at all, and the process to order here is incredibly efficient. You basically order on your phone and then they bring it out to you fairly quickly. We got the Chicken Skewers, and I got the Braised Beef Noodles, while my sister got the Dun Huang Shaozi Noodles. The Chicken Skewers were amazing, and I'd come back for skewers alone. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and the price was super reasonable. I'm not the best with spice, but the Braised Beef Noodles had the perfect hint of heat. My sister's dish was definitely spicier, but she really enjoyed it. The portions are also very generous! read more

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My friend and I were craving noodles and decided to try this place that was only a 6 minute drive from the AMC movie theater we were at before arriving. We just wanted to see how it would be. I would say that Noodle Nest is a competent establishment. It's not amazing or the best, but it gets the job done. I had a nice full meal with my friend. The prices are fair and decent. The customer service was great. It was a chill smooth time eating there on a windy chilly day. No notes. read more

The xiao long baos taste like peanut butter, service was alright, they checked in are table like normal waitresses do. The ambiance is a modern look. read more

I was very unsatisfied with the food here. I ordered the marinated cucumber salad, curry fried rice, sesame and peanut paste noodles, and the pork xiao long baos. The cucumber salad was very good, sweet, a little salty, which is fine, with a hint of spice for flavor, 4/5. The curry fried rice was bland in my opinion and had about 8 small pieces of shrimp, 2/5. The sesame and peanut paste noodles was way too salty and not enough sesame/peanut taste, 2/5. Lastly, the pork xiao long baos were the most disappointing of them all. They came out deflated, popped, and flat with no soup inside. The flavors were there but the inside of the dumplings were dry, 1/5. The reason I am giving this place 2 stars is because the servers were kind and patient. The ambiance was very peaceful as well with slight music playing in the background. I would come again to give it another chance, but I will have to try other items on the menu because these were not it. read more

Noodle Nest - Marinated Cucumber Salad, Curry Fried Rice, Sesame and Peanut Paste Noodles, and Pork Xiao Long Baos - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm not experienced in the noodle options in Irvine/OC but I enjoyed my meal here. On a Monday night, it was empty so we were served our food very quickly. We got the pork pita burger, sesame peanut noodles, and braised beef noodles. The burger is pretty plain in terms of flavor but I dipped it in my leftover soup broth and it tasted better. The sesame peanut noodles were really tasty, just wish you could add a protein. The beef noodles were filing and had a delicious broth that was slightly sweet. I think this is a good choice especially if you want freshly made hand pulled noodles. read more

the food is excellent . the price is very reasonable. the boss Jack is also very friendly . i will come back again

It sound like changing your name from Dun Huang to the Noodle Nest hasn't changed the quality of the food. I think I will pass. Sorry guys.

Very affordable price for lunch with my coworkers! And we both ordered the noodles! I like the thick flat option! The service was pretty friendly and nice! But their plate is kind of dirty, so maybe need to improve on that! Hard to find a parking in this plaza! 8/10 read more

Noodle Nest - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Not sure why this place doesn't have a lot of customer because their food is GOOD. It's quite similar to Lanzhou Hand pulled Noodles but flavors are a bit different, in a good way. Their pork burger with garlic and pepper was indeed very garlicky and flavorful. Their lamb skewers are very tender and flavorful (not gamey). Their chili oil noodles are vingary and nutty. The noodles have a nice chew and they were delicious. They beef in the beef shank salad are thicker than what I'm used to but it was still very tasty. The beef noodle soup wasn't very spicy even tho it said spicy on the menu, but the soup was very flavorful. I got flat noodles with it and they were nice and soft. The braised beef was also extremely soft and tender. I would come again. read more

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I came again unaware of the NAME CHANGE. I thought it's a new restaurant. Ugh. The food was still bad, but I did swallow...

Delicious! The plaza has many food options and there are a ton of people every where! The parking is horrible and the wait for the popular restaurants are even worst. So we out our name in BCD tofu house and it was a 2 hour wait... we were like 28th in line... we were hungry and saw Dun Huang with no wait. We said eff it and decided to eat here. We were not disappointed. We got their beef noodle soup, sweet and sour pork, huge chicken plate and a shrimp noodle dish to go. Everything was good except I would skip the sweet and sour pork. They didn't even give you rice for it. It was too much on the sweet side. Everything else, especially the huge braised chicken plate were amazing. read more

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I walked in for my first time, because Ajisen is closed between 2-5pm. The place was empty and the server sat me immediately(of course), with a cup of water and the menu. I had braised beef noodle soup and cucumber salad. The beef was super tender and the cucumbers were tasty. Both dishes were great. The 2 star deduction came from the weak service. I had to wave the server to have a refill of water. He never brought the check, never followed up, and didn't bring the soy sauce and hot sauce rack that the other table received. Yes, they had soup noodles too, so we should have the same service. They rely on their food to survive, but should improve their service. read more

Noodle Nest - N3. Braised Beef Noodles A1. Marinated Cucumber Salad - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Very impressed with this joint being that it was the only restaurant without a 1HR wait this lovely Sunday afternoon. We stumbled in starving and left oddly with a few to go boxes so that we could continue our delight at home. The four items we tried were delicious and strongly recommend: beef noodle soup, big chicken plate, sweet and sour pork, and the noodles with shrimp. Parking is a nightmare, but park in the garage to make it somewhat easy. read more

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Great noodle spot, the beef is tender, soup flavorful, and noodles chewy. Also like the string breads and the cucumber salad. Was a great spot for a quick lunch. read more

Came on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. The wait was pretty much non existent and the service was quick and friendly. There's ample seating, tables seem geared for family style or larger parties, and its brightly lit. As it was our first time we weren't sure what to order so we went for a little bit of everything and as we had toddlers at the table optend for either low or non-spicy options: lamb skewers, you get one per order, chicken skewers, variety xiolong bar (the shrimp with fish row was my favorite), mini steamed fried buns (even better than the xlb), spicy pork and shrimp wonton (they were good but might pass on these next time), and one beef noodle bowl to share. The broth on that noodle bowl... chef kiss! It was full body flavor, I liked that they had a variety of noodle thickness options, and you know its good when the littlest ask for more. We ordered more to go for lunch: stir fried green beans, lamb skewers, and chicken wings... all great! We will definitely be coming back, whether dining in or take out. read more

A Chinese style restaurant specialized in handmade noodles. It has a reasonable size dining area with an attached private room for parties. It was not very busy on a Friday at around 1:30 pm. Their famous hand made noodles come in different thickness you can choose from. The noodle soup we ordered was the thinner variety (like Angels hair) and was very good except the soup base was a bit on the salty side. The pan fried noodle was of the thicker kind and was just so so, but the favoring was great and not salty at all. The sweet and sour spare rib came piping hot and tasty with lots of gravy. The meat stuffed house made flat breads were OK. Both prices and serving portions are reasonable. Overall not exceptional but not bad. read more

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Finally decided to give this place a try and surprisingly I really like it. It's a oily which is why I don't usually have a craving for it. We ordered mung bean noodles, lamb skewers and big plate chicken. Everything was flavorful. The mung bean noodles was refreshing and garlicky. The lamb skewers was tasty. The big plate chicken a large plate and can probably feed 3. The hand pull noodles had a good chew. The braised chicken was tender and tasted like a cooked meal. I also loved the potatoes. The mala spice was not overwhelming either. I really enjoyed this dish. read more

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A hidden gem in the diamond jamboree shopping center! I was craving some Chinese food and this spot didn't have a long wait like much of the other spots in this center. We were very pleasantly surprised! The food is focused on northern Chinese cuisine, with lots of noodle dishes. My favorites would be the pork burger(not pictured), lamb skewers, and the signature noodles. The big plate chicken was also very good, just a little bit on the oily side. All in all, a super solid choice for traditional northern Chinese food. Service is good and the food comes out quick! Just a note that they currently do not serve alcohol. Worth a visit for some tasty and fresh noodles and lamb skewers! read more

Noodle Nest - N1. Signature Lanzhou Beef Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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The food here is alright. With so many other choices around I would not come back here again. We were the only table in the restaurant on a Sunday 4pm. The food tasted strange - we got the signature noodles (forgot actual name) but it was way too peppery. I love pepper taste but it tasted like they poured an entire jar of white pepper into the broth. The big plate chicken was an average dish, it was too salty but it tasted good enough. The beef skewers were tasty but dry. Too many inconsistencies for a restaurant for us to come back to when there are other solid choices in the same plaza. read more

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Not bad! I tried the Signature Lanzhou Beef Noodle while my friend got the Braised Beef Noodle. I really like how you can choose what noodle type you want for your dish. Both dishes came with lots of meat and the serving size was good. I just wished the broth had more richness to it since it tasted a bit too light compared to other place. I choose the thick noodles for the Signature Lanzhou Beef Noodle and thought it tasted a bit uncooked. The red oil on top of the dish makes it look like it will be extremely spicy but surprising it wasn't at all! The noodles also came with a tea egg which was really delicious and flavorful compared to a regular egg. My friend got the extra thin noodle Braised Beef Noodle but said it was a bit over cooked for her. The broth was lacking a bit in flavor but it still had a distinct beef taste to it. The interior is this place looks very modern and bright. They use the QR code for their menu and ordering system. The service was very quick as well! The food came out in less then 5 minutes after we ordered. read more

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I stopped by Dun Huang on Lunar New Year because they were able to seat my party of seven without wait. The restaurant was bustling with activity, but it was not too busy. As such, I expected the service to be better. Our waiter did not check up on us at all, but I did not really mind this. We were given paper cups, though, and I still don't understand why, as the other tables seated before and after us were given the regular, reusable cups. The food didn't take too long to come out, so I was pleased with that. Also, the interior of the restaurant was nice and open. The ambiance of the restaurant was very pleasant and made for an enjoyable dining experience. As for the food itself, I recommend the fried noodles and the dry fried string beans. Both were very flavorful and tasty. I would, however, not recommend the shrimp fried rice. I can't pinpoint it, but there was an odd taste or spice that lingered in my mouth after every bite. We couldn't finish this. We also ordered the grilled fish; it was an impressive sight, but unfortunately, the taste was also a little off. The seasoning threw me off, but the fish was definitely cooked nicely! Our table also got two orders of the braised beef noodles--spicy and non-spicy. I liked the spicy one better, but it honestly wasn't that spicy. The noodles were just okay. Both were good but not exceptional; I've definitely had better, but I still enjoyed it. Overall, my experience at Dun Huang was pretty good. There's so many food options nearby that I don't necessarily see myself driving out of my way to eat here, but I would definitely be open to the idea of returning. I can't rave about it, but it's still a solid restaurant spot! read more

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This place was a little disappointing for me. Replacing the old noodle restaurant, my friends and I had high hopes for this establishment. I got the Original LanZhou Beef Noodles, and I really did not enjoy the noodle texture. I think they were a bit overcooked and soggy. I would try to opt for a thicker noodle if you're here and want to avoid that. The broth was so too salty and the beef was just okay, nothing exceptional. read more

Noodle Nest - N2. Original Lanzhou Beef Noodles - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

+ Food was yummy. Especially the the BBQ skewers! + Price was quite reasonable Note to Management: - Waitstaff needs to clear out dishes from empty tables much faster so that waiting customers don't have to stand in line so long to be seated. (While waiting at the entrance, I saw 3-4 tables that were vacated, but had dishes lingering on them for at least 10 minutes. Totally unacceptable.) read more

Tried the dry fry string bean and I was very displeased with the lack of spiciness even though I had asked for it to be extra spicy. It tasted bland and I asked them to make it spicier, which they refused at first and then they agreed and took it back to the kitchen. The beef noodle soup was alright but not a lot of flavor. I don't think this place is good if you're looking for spicy food or authentic Chinese cuisine packed with flavor. The service was pretty bad too, having to use a QR code to order on a website that is pretty glitchy and it's hard to ask for more water and napkins. I do not recommend it here. read more

Solid noodle soup and they have extra wide noodles which I like. The lamb skewers were also big.