A friend brought us to try this noodle spot in Lake Forest…read more This restaurant is part of the Shang Shui group, which has two locations next to each other. We visited the simpler Shang Shui Noodle House(Frank's dumplings and noodles) while the restaurant next door, Shang Shui Bistro(Frank's bistro Chinese cuisine) , focuses more on elevated Hunan and Cantonese dishes. Once we walked in, we could just find a seat and order through the QR code menu. It was convenient since we could take our time looking through the options. We ordered: 1. Roasted Duck Noodle Soup $19.99 2. House Special Fish Fillet Noodle Soup $15.99 3. Pork Knuckle Noodle Soup $16.99 Everything tasted pretty good! I ordered the signature fish fillet noodle soup, which was one of their recommended dishes. My husband thought the fish soup had the best flavor among the three dishes we tried. The portions were just right, and the prices were very reasonable. For the noodles, I would recommend choosing udon or ramen. My husband and our friend chose rice noodles, but they became too soft and broke apart easily when picking them up with chopsticks. After dinner, we stopped by Frank's bistro Chinese cuisine next door to take a look. The interior is much more upscale, and they also use a QR code menu. Most dishes are around $20 and up. We chatted with one of the staff members, who mentioned that they opened in August last year and focus on authentic Cantonese and Hunan cuisine. He was also proud to share that their dishes are freshly prepared, not the typical pre-made food you might find elsewhere. Will definitely come back to try the dishes at Shang Shui Bistro next time. Sharing this spot for anyone looking for Chinese noodles or authentic Chinese cuisine in the area! Frank's Dumplings & Noodles 20651 Lake Forest Dr STE A-102, Lake Forest, CA 92630

We've been meaning to try this place for awhile now. We've tried their sister restaurant Frank's…read morenext door and wasn't impressed when they first opened. It's been awhile so I'm willing to give it another shot. Plenty of parking outside, the restaurant itself is really cute with tasteful decor. You order with a QR menu from the table. We ordered fish noodle soup, the 3 dumplings and soy sauce chicken with rice. Everything was pretty good! The fish noodle soup had a good fish profile in the soup, with a kick of white pepper which I liked. It tasted clean and healthy. The dumplings were really good. It definitely tasted like in house made dumplings. Much better quality than other restaurants in the area. The soy sauce chicken rice wasn't bad. But I thought the price was a little egregious. It should be max $15. All in all I'm glad we gave this "chain" another chance.

This is a hidden gem in Lake Forest where you can get the best braised beef noodle soup and the…read morebeef pancake that was the best I've ever had! I love the clean taste where the food wasn't too oily and greasy. The cucumber salad was super crunchy and perfectly seasoned and the walnut shrimp was delicious! Overall the food is authentic and the ambience is very welcoming. Perfect for takeout and catering too! Prices are very affordable and there's plenty of parking. It's a must visit!

Went to Kirin Noodle House after catching a movie at the Regal Movie Theater…read more Everything we tried was delicious. We started with the Beef Roll and the Three Delicious Ingredients Dumplings. The roll was so fresh and flavorful. The dumplings were soooo good! I don't normally eat as many as I did. The Diced Chicken W. Chili & Pepper was my husbands favorite. He loves szechuan spice and this hit the spot. Will definitely be back.

Our order was made right in front of us. How could it be any…read morefresher? The place is very small but clean. Someone was nice enough to guide us through the menu and everything we tried was delicious. What's not to like?

Authentic vibez :) My girl introduced this place to me cause she wants me to take yelp skills to…read morethe OC haha. I noticed when I arrived, most of these people are locals and this place can get pack. I immediately reserved a spot, so she doesn't need to worry about waiting (a hungry girlfriend means a bad day.. so remember that fellas lol). The ambiance is pretty cool cause they show to their customers how they make their homemade noodles and dumplings through the kitchen window. The service is not bad either since I got quickly seated before my girl arrives. I even get to ordered their appetizers, sauteed black mushrooms and pickled cucumber, which is outstanding and refreshing to our pallets. My girl arrives and she immediately want me to order her Dan Dan noodles. Oh mann so good! I'm not a Dan Dan noodles kinda guy, but she got me hooked into it. The noodles are freshly made and the Szechuan sauce that they mix complimented the mince meat.. sooo good! Overall, I definitely want to go back here again no doubt :) PS: My girl got taste! I give her that :)

I just ate here and was thinking it's good and I should leave a review letting people know about…read moreit. Then I got an email from yelp asking if I ate here and would like to leave a review? well yes I did, and yes I do! The food is very cleanly and well prepared, good fresh ingredients and flavors. not like the other places which often tastes dirty or there's something off about it. its kind of light, clean, bright. enjoyed it for lunch, I recommend you try.

Came here when their express menu was available which is available from 10am-3pm. This is when…read morecertain foods are discounted and you can also add a drink for an extra $4. I got the combination fried rice and the lychee lemonade. The combination fried rice came with an assortment of meats such as shrimp, chicken and beef. It was super flavorful and came with a good portion. The lychee lemonade was a really light, I wish it was more flavorful but it was refreshing on a hot dog and had small yummy bits of lychee in it.

Food was delicious! Service was great!…read moreWe even got to watch a World Cup match while eating so ended up being a plus. Will definitely come back to this place while in the area.

This is gonna be a mixed review. Few days ago we ordered the beef tomato noodle soup and also the…read morebeef wrap super happy with it. Although it's not the best beef wrap that I've had, but it does hit the spot. Today I went for a wonton noodle soup. Honestly, I wouldn't order again next time because number one the meat is too dense and not soft enough. The wonton skin is nice. I discovered that they actually have two type of noodles depending on what comes in through the order. One is more flat and the other is more round. I prefer the round one that came with beef noodle soup the other day but they told me it just depends on what comes in and every day could be different. I do recall in the past that I've tried their buns and was not impressed.

This is one of my wife's and my favorite go-to spots. The food is good and tastes like home cooking…read morein the best way. We also really love the service. The front-of-house staff has always provided great service and is very attentive and friendly. We come here almost once a week. If you're looking for a good, hearty Chinese meal, I would definitely recommend this place.

Traditional Taiwanese cafe with your basic beef noodle soups, dumplings, and shareable plates. I…read morewas hungry for some chow fan with beef. I'd say it was just like every single Chinese place - pretty good. You don't get a lot of food but it's not too expensive. Parking can be tough in the afternoon around lunch time.

This is one of my favorite local Vietnamese restaurants when I'm reallyyyy craving pho or bun bo…read morehue but I don't want to drive to garden grove or Westminster. They offer dine in, carry out, and delivery. This place is my guilty pleasure doordash splurge. I love their spicy beef noodle soup and my boyfriend loves pho dac biet. Everything on the menu looks delicious and I can't wait to try more but I'll probably keep ordering bun bo hue lol

Worst lo mein ever. For $19, it was six shrimp and a tiny amount of almost completely raw bell…read morepepper and onion on a small portion of bland oily noodles. I added salt just so I could eat them. Honestly, after the first bite, I considered dumping the entire thing and spending more money to order something else for dinner. The (admittedly massive) tofu spring rolls had a weird smell and very little flavor except too much mint. I ended up tearing them open and dipping the tofu in peanut sauce and leaving the rest. I do not understand why people like this place. I will never try it again.

Menya Hanabi did not disappoint I got the mazesoba and it was SO flavorful. The noodles had the…read moreperfect chewy texture, and all the toppings came together really well. I loved the savory, garlicky flavor and how everything mixed together with the sauce. Definitely a spot I'd come back to when I'm craving something rich, comforting, and different from your typical ramen. 10/10 would recommend!

The Original Spicy at Menya Hanabi was really good. The noodles had a great texture, the sauce was…read moreflavorful, and the spice level was balanced without being overwhelming. Mixing everything together made each bite better. The portion was filling, and the ingredients tasted fresh. I'd definitely order it again.

Such an amazing spot, I love the vibe of this place!! So underrated, I'm surprised it took me this…read morelong to come here. The service and food were both perfect. I got the udon with duck dipping sauce and it was delicious. The udon had the best texture ever, super bouncy and fresh. The dipping sauce was so flavorful, and the pieces of duck in it were really good too. We also got a side of the veggie tempura, which was super light and crispy, and the veggies tasted really fresh. I definitely want to come back for their dinner menu and try more of the izakaya dishes!

We arrived about 15 minutes late with three children, two, four and five, which, if you've ever…read moreattempted to move three small children from one destination to another, should require no further explanation. The restaurant was nearly empty, so I was a little surprised by the mildly dramatic reception about wondering where we'd been. For a moment I thought perhaps a search party had been organized. Fortunately, that was basically the end of the weirdness. Our server was excellent. Friendly, patient with the kids, knowledgeable about the menu and most importantly, honest. We came in wanting to try a little of everything and he steered us well. When a table wobbled, they fixed it immediately. The kids got the right utensils without us having to conduct negotiations. He even suggested putting the grilled squid in early because it would take longer. Small things, but restaurants are largely collections of small things. The reason to come here is the soba. MINAMI makes it in house and you can tell. It has that slightly stubborn chew good soba should have, not miraculous, not the greatest bowl of soba I've encountered in my life, but very good and unmistakably made with some care. I switched my order to cold bukkake and added grated mountain yam and a poached egg. Delicious. The additional $7.75, however, briefly made me wonder whether the yam had been carried down from Mount Fuji by hand. I understand restaurants are expensive now. Ingredients are expensive. Labor is expensive. Existing in Southern California is expensive. Still, $7.75 for grated yam and an egg is $7.75 for grated yam and an egg. Even our server seemed aware of the absurdity, which somehow made me like him more. The grilled squid was another winner. Cooked properly, tender instead of being transformed into the rubber gasket squid so often becomes. I would've happily eaten a larger piece, especially for the price. The fried oysters were more complicated. Beautiful crunch, nicely fried, but ours carried enough of that funky, ocean floor oyster flavor that nobody at the table was fighting over the last one. The hamburg steak was fine. Perfectly competent. Nobody will write home to Japan about it. The lightly battered shrimp was much better. Crisp, airy batter with a creamy roe style sauce that worked beautifully. The shrimp themselves had a slightly stronger seafood flavor than I prefer, which keeps the dish out of masterpiece territory, but I'd order it again. Oddly enough, one of my favorite things on the table was the simplest, the kids' hot udon. The broth was light, clean and comforting rather than beaten to death with salt. The children absolutely demolished it. They were considerably less impressed by the soba, but they are also two, four and five, so I will not be consulting them on noodle craftsmanship just yet. The room itself is comfortable and reasonably clean, though there are little signs of wear. A few tables weren't being used, ours needed stabilizing and the place doesn't have that immaculate precision you sometimes get from a great Japanese restaurant. Nothing alarming. Just noticeable. That's basically MINAMI. A few rough edges surrounding some genuinely good cooking. It isn't cheap. Order enthusiastically, as we did, and the arithmetic starts getting adventurous. Some dishes feel fairly priced, others make you stare at the receipt for a moment and reconsider your understanding of root vegetables. But the handmade soba is good. The squid was good. The udon broth was excellent. There were enough interesting things on the menu that I left already knowing what I'd try differently next time. And our server turned what could've been a merely decent meal into a genuinely enjoyable one. That's worth something. I'd come back, just perhaps without accessorizing my noodles like a Porsche.

If you are craving Korean food, I highly recommend this restaurant!…read more They make all their side dishes themselves, even the kimchi. It feels like a special neighborhood Korean restaurant where you can enjoy a meal with homemade side dishes. The food is not too sweet or too salty, and it really tastes like homemade Korean food. I truly enjoyed it. I stopped by with my family today, and even though they were busy, the two servers (Sally & Eric) were very kind and welcoming. I'm so happy to have a Korean restaurant like this in our neighborhood. I wish you great success and continued growth! Plenty of parking!

Han Bop is a small, family-friendly Korean restaurant serving up good food at a great value…read more I ordered the $20 kalbi beef lunch special, a Korean dosirak, similar to a Japanese bento box, and it came loaded: six pieces of kalbi beef ribs, soup, a small salad, kimchi, pickled jalapeños, a butterflied fried shrimp, a potsticker, gimmari (crispy fried seaweed-wrapped noodles), and purple rice. That's a LOT of food for $20! Great taste, good quality, and a very reasonable price for K-food. Definitely worth checking out. Highly recommend! Happy eating!