QJ Kitchen has the best mapo tofu that I've had so far in OC! You know this Sichuan restaurant is legit because they have frogs and rabbit on the menu. Since my tastes aren't quite as adventurous, we ordered the Sichuan sweet and spicy chicken and the mapo tofu. I wasn't sure what to expect from the chicken dish, but it reminded me of a chicken in garlic sauce. The portion was very generous. full of meat, and not very spicy at all. Likewise, the mapo tofu wasn't that spicy but it had a lot of Sichuan peppercorns, which provided that mouth-numbing feel. The serving was large enough that we had leftovers (and the chicken dish, too). Maybe because my husband is not Chinese, they toned down the spice level - which is funny because I'm the one that can't handle spicy. The restaurant is nice and modern. They have QR codes for the menu, but they also have physical copies as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the menu was much larger than the menu pics I had seen uploaded on Yelp (I added a bunch of new ones). Service was fine (though they were arguing over whose fault it was that a customer was ignored, which gave it that authentic feel). Plenty of parking in the lot. read more

QJ Kitchen - Sichuan sweet and spicy chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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As of 5/19/2026, Google Maps shows Thanh Binh, a Biryani restaurant, and QJ Kitchen depending on how close you view the building in the street view. I am not from the area and wanted to go to this restaurant on Thursday. I wanted to see where it was and confirm it exists since Google Maps got it wrong. There is a heavy language barrier if you do not speak Chinese (which I do not). The host / waiter was barely able to confirm the address which was a match to this page. I plan on attending and will update my rating if I go or delete it if my guest does not like Sichuan food and I don't get to go. She might also had trouble hearing me. read more

It's super easy to find--right off the I-5 freeway. We came late at night and were pleasantly perfectly grilled, and the chow fun had amying. Highly recommend for late-night cravings. Definitely coming back! read more

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One of the few restaurants that opens late in the area. It has plenty of parking and seating area. They get fresh seafood flown in overnight and they get ordered quickly so make sure you go early in the day. The taste is very authentic for Chinese skewers and the spice just hits the spot. They do use peppercorn and Szechuan peppers in their cooking, so beware if you can't handle the heat. Portions are large and the remaining food can be packed for another meal. The place gets busy with the takeout orders too, so the only downside is that staff won't have the time to go through menu recommendations, however, you almost can't go wrong with anything that you order from the menu because they all taste amazing read more

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Solid food! Creative dishes. Great flavors. Nice staff. Enjoyed our lunch. Will come back read more

QJ Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

My fav dish is fish filet with pickled veggie! The ambience is great and nearby highway 5. read more

QJ Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Just grabbed some takeout from QJ Kitchen and wanted to share me experience. First off, the service was super efficient. I called in a to go order for the Kung Pao Chicken, and it was hot and ready literally the moment I walked through the door. Can't beat that for speed. The restaurant its nicely decorated with a fair amount of seating, looked like a comfortable spot to dinenin next time. Now for the food, the Kung Pao chicken looked fantastic and the flavor profile was excellent. It was seasoned juat right (not spicy at all) and very tasty. My only slight disappointment was that it was made with dark meat chicken instead of white meat, which i personally prefer. Overall, great flavor and incredibly fast service makes this a good choice for Chinese takeout. read more

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If you like spicy Chinese food then QJ Kitchen should be on your short list of places to eat. The dining area is basic one open space with tables and chairs. We picked a table by the window and I can see people walking by. We ordered 2 well-known Sichuan spicy dishes and a stirred fried vegetable for my friend who can't tolerate heats as much. We also had a pot of hot tea and 3 bowls of rice that's not included automatically. Mapo tofu was on the spot. I was surprised to find bean sprouts in the boiled beef but it tasted great. It wasn't busy when we arrived but it was pretty full when we left. There are a few of dishes I want to try so I'll be back soon. read more

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Easy take-out experience. The food was ready in 15 minutes so I was able to get in and out pretty quickly. Great, large portions with great value. I loved all three dishes - mapo tofu ($16.99), braised eggplant and green beans ($14.99), and wonton in spicy & sour chili oil broth ($12.99; I picked the one without mala spice). Everything was devoured by two ppl in one and a half meals. The mapo tofu did have mala spice in it, but it wasn't overdone, which I loved. The tofu chunks are big - also a plus. Can't wait to try new dishes here next time! QJ Kitchen is going on my personal top places to get spicy Chinese sichuan style food in socal. read more

I never would have noticed this Chinese restaurant if a Yelp search had not made me aware of it. We ordered: - Dry-fried Green Beans, $13 -- tasty preparation, tender green beans; - Braised Whole Fish with Scallion, $22 (featured special. Regularly $30) -- hubby commented on the small portion size given its price (comparing it to other whole fish we've ordered). While we consumed the entire fish (which was moist and tender), we found that it lacked the savory flavors we were anticipating. In addition, we were expecting its sauce to be more of a light, thin broth vs. the thickened sauce in which it was served. The interior is very bright and clean, with comfortable padded chairs; I've confirmed that there is 1 large round table for a larger party behind the room divider; in addition, there are a few outside tables, too. As others have noted, the service was, indeed, impressively pleasant, welcoming, and helpful (5-stars) -- especially given this cuisine. read more

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This is my second time at Qiujin, and this time I came with friends for a group dinner! Since we all had kids with us, we ordered both spicy and non-spicy dishes, and everything tasted great . It's a very family- and group-friendly spot because the menu can really satisfy everyone's needs. Just a heads-up: there's only one big round table, so during busy hours you might want to make a reservation. Right now, the Spicy Crab and Braised Fish with Scallions are on special, and they're totally worth it! The crab lived up to the hype--so flavorful--and the kids especially loved the fish, which disappeared first. The bullfrog was tender and fresh (they said it's killed the same day), and both the cold noodles and liangfen were delicious, with that authentic Chengdu flavor. One thing I noticed this time is that the portions are huge! I don't remember them being this big on my first visit. If the portions stay this generous, I'll definitely be coming back more often. read more

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What a find! Truly a local gem hidden amongst the hotels and office buildings. We were looking for a place that was open on Christmas Day and was truly happy to have found this place. While the inside is unremarkable, the food surely wasn't! We started with spicy wontons, perfectly steamed and bathing in a spicy Szechuan sauce. Next was mapo tofu, silken and served bubbling hot! Along side weee the sautéed string beans, tender and crunchy with garlic. I'd eat more vegetables if they were all made like this! Decor is minimal and service is ok. Plenty of parking and clean bathrooms. read more

If you're looking for amazing authentic Chinese food, this is definitely a place to check out. I've been there twice now with the family and both times we were very impressed with both the food and price. I'd say the quality and favors are right on par with Meizhou Dongpo and much more affordable. A place you can go to regularly and not break the bank. The staff is polite and attentive. It's very clean inside and the food comes out quick. Both times I've been there it was busy so be prepared for a short wait if you go around dinner time. read more

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Amazing authentic Sichuan flavors with fresh ingredients and generous portions. The spicy fish and beef dishes were perfectly seasoned, service was fast and friendly, and the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. Definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants around! read more

QJ Kitchen - Really good Sichuan cuisine - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Very authentic and tasty Sichuan flavor. They balanced their flavor very well with their fish and soft tofu, our kids also loved the pineapple chicken. They provided great service even with two employees out. In general it was one of the best Chinese cuisine you can find in lake forest. read more

QJ Kitchen - Leshan style sliced beef soup - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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QJ Kitchen 秋金川味小炒 is stellar Chinese food ! Honestly, I did not expect it to be this delicious. I took three items to go home, with us: a pork, shrimp, and a chicken entrée. (I need to go back in properly add the names to this review of the dishes). Regretfully the plump shrimp there was only four of them on top of the container, I was hoping for more hidden shrimp at the bottom . The crispy onion, beef, was perfect, but a little bit too hot for my preference, too much heat taste. (with heat I told him eight out of 10) so I received what I asked for! Firstly, The shrimp noodle delicious tasting, but only had four delicious shrimp in it, next time I need to request extra shrimp then it will be perfect. Service was very good, the ambience was authentic, the decor was culturally representing the food. The prices rang from $15-$18, Eager to come back here again, and try more things from the menu! read more

QJ Kitchen - Reheating the Chinese food leftovers from yesterday and YES , it was still delicious! - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

A great spot for some late night noodles. The owners welcomed us warmly and introduced us to the menu. The bbq pork skewers are fire read more

QJ Kitchen - Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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First time in this restaurant. Coming from NorCal ordered 99 dollar set menu for 3 people. Plenty of choices and my husband said it's as authentic as when he travelled to Chengdu. Definitely will Be bringing my family and friends over more in the future. Want to try the bullfrog hot pot next time. read more

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I was not exactly sure what type of food it was going to be at first, the sign just says "Asian food ". Turns out it's Szechuan and it actually is some of the best Asian food I have ever had. Open late, friendly, but above all 10/10 food. Soo good. Go eat their noodle/beef soup. read more

I really enjoyed the delicious Sichuan cuisine here. All the dishes were very flavorful. My favorites were the spicy wontons and the bullfrog. As someone who has been to Sichuan several times, I feel the food is definitely authentic. I ordered a mild level of spiciness, and it came out just right--not too overwhelming, but still very flavorful and natural tasting. The portions were very generous, and the service was attentive. read more

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This Sichuan restaurant uses very fresh ingredients and delivers truly authentic flavors. I highly recommend the bullfrog, cold rabbit, and twice-cooked pork -- all of them were outstanding. This is honestly the best and most authentic Sichuan food I've had in the U.S. The spice level is perfectly balanced -- flavorful and aromatic without being overwhelming. You can really taste the quality, and everything feels clean and natural (no artificial aftertaste or excessive additives). I didn't even feel thirsty after the meal! Definitely coming back to try more dishes next time! read more

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With the growing number of Chinese restaurants popping up all over OC.... it's getting harder and harder for any one place to stand out. But QJ Kitchen, despite only being open a few months, has already made a name for itself through word of mouth, and for good reason. This place delivers super authentic Szechuan cuisine with flavors that hit all the right notes: bold, spicy, and satisfying. The portions are generous, perfect for sharing. My personal favorites are the La Zi Ji (辣子鸡) stir-fried spicy chicken buried under a mountain of dried chilies. It's crispy, fiery, and absolutely addictive. The stir-fried string beans are another must-try, perfectly blistered and packed with umami and beat the ones at DTF. read more

QJ Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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很好! Went to check this place out and actually surprised me! Food was delicious and authentic, great dining area, and fast service. read more

QJ Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Food was very good and the staff was very welcoming and friendly, the restaurant was bright lively and clean.

Highly Recommended for Authentic, Flavorful Chinese Cuisine I had a great dining experience at QJ Kitchen. The food was incredibly flavorful and well-prepared, with rich spices and authentic taste. Every dish was fresh and satisfying, especially the spicy selections, which were bold without being overwhelming. The variety of dishes made the meal enjoyable and perfect for sharing, and the overall quality easily justified the price. Service was efficient, and the atmosphere was comfortable for dine-in. If you enjoy authentic Chinese food with strong, well-balanced flavors, this place is definitely worth a visit. I would gladly come back and recommend it to friends. read more

QJ Kitchen - 99.99套餐 - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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service is prefect. The food is authentic and very good taste. I like the frog and crab a lot! read more

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Awesome service - they gave us complimentary drinks and rice! Loved the mapo tofu and tender beef- the mala was the perfect amount of numbing and tasted delicious. They had a spacious and clean seating area that made me feel right at home! read more

QJ Kitchen - szechuan beef - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This is a great place to get Sichuan Food. The cashier was also really friendly Menu is fairly small compared to traditional chinese places, they have about 20ish items vs other places have like 100+, but what they do have it's solid. Overall it's a bit on the pricer side, but i feel it's justified as the portions are good for 2 people with some leftovers. Ordered: Double cooked pork - 4/5 solid choice, plenty of pork belly with good spice, not too over powering unless you eat the chili straight Fried spicy chicken 4/5- don't let all the chilis fool you, as it's not terribly spicy, had a decent amount of fried chicken pieces, but not super large. Think popcorn chicken size, but a bit smaller mapo tofu - 3/5 comforting, but mid nothing to write home about, also not a ton of ground pork in it. wonton in chili sauce 4/5 - almost at the level on dintaifungs wonton in chili black pepper beef fried rice 5/5 - super tender beef and had great pepper flavor. They also do not skimp on the beef. read more

QJ Kitchen - Black Pepper Beef Fried Rice QJ Mapo Tofu 10 Piece Pork Wonton in Chili Sauce QJ Double Cooked Pork Belly Stir - Fried Spicy Chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

One of the best Chinese restaurants I've tried in the area! Every dish was flavorful, well-seasoned, and served piping hot. Portions are generous, and the menu has a great variety without feeling overwhelming. The staff were friendly and efficient -- our food came out quickly, and they were attentive without being pushy. You can tell they really care about customer experience. Overall, amazing food, great service, and a clean, welcoming atmosphere. I'll definitely be back and will be recommending this place to friends and family! read more

QJ Kitchen - Pickled Cabbage Fish - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This place is somewhere if you live in SoCal you ABSOLUTELY should go to! The ownership is the kindest souls I have had the pleasure to encounter. Everything there is delicious and made to perfection! Service is incredible and the atmosphere was everything. Will be returning very soon! read more

QJ Kitchen - 100 year old company pear cider - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Second visit to this restaurant. Very satisfied with lunch. We ordered only 2 dishes this time, dan dan noodles and Kung pou chicken. The chicken platter was more than adequate. The noodles serving was not as large, although it was adequate for us. In all the service was good, not intrusive, and we took home some leftovers . The spiciness was not overwhelming and we were happy with our visit. read more

Hmm. What to say. Their website says they open at 11:30, coworkers and I arrived around 11:45 and all the lights were off. Including their "open" sign. We checked to see if they were open, and the door was open - after confirming they were in fact open, we decided to give them a try. The food was okay, but there were many, many red flags: - The lights remained off until about half an hour after we were seated. Keep in mind there were 2 other parties sitting inside too. - There was no heater turned on, everyone was freezing at our table - We asked them to refill our tea 3 times before we finally gave up - Their twice cooked pork had a taste that made it feel like it wasn't fresh - They served us day old rice. There were noticeable rice "blocks" if you will, that signaled it wasn't fresh rice - They rung us up incorrectly. We ordered their lunch special with an extra order of Stir Fry Spicy Chicken. They rang us up for lunch special + many, many orders of their stir fried potato strips. - When we complained about the day old rice, the server was very adamant about the restaurant serving only fresh rice daily Our favorite dish was their Mapo Tofu. It was def more on the spicy, numbing side and not too salty. But, judging by the service we got ... I don't think that 1 dish is enough for me to want to go back. read more

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Food**// I rarely give 2 stars but tbh their fried rice was subpar... I heard them discussed in the kitchen and the cook was just like "oh the rice is just what it is" this to me is a big no to serve some soft mushy stuff to customer. Service**// service was ok, I was expecting lunch special and the lady was offering it. Then later on she came over and say it can only be done if order in bulk like 10 Ambiance***// reg Chinese restaurant you will find. Feels new but you will see some details like restroom kind of lack frequent check ups read more

QJ Kitchen - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Wow! What a pleasant surprise! I saw the great reviews on YELP and decided to stop by and have a bite. The menu has beautiful variety of savory and spicy dishes. Eric was an attentive waiter and helped me make a choice based on his recommendations. I had a unique and delicious spicy fried chicken. The portions was generous and I brought much of it home (my husband was very happy). The restaurant is clean and welcoming to small and large groups of diners. I look forward to coming back and having a family style meal. read more

Reallly flavorful food. Variety of choices. Clean and open restaurant. The gizzards had really great flavors and they were cooked perfectly. Just the right about of heat. The curry noodles were also very tasty. We will be back to try more. read more

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Great food with a large variety of choices, friendly owner & staff, very accommodating.

We truly enjoyed pretty authentic spicy Chinese foods here !! This place showed up as new recommendation in Yelp, so we went there. Very high sealing, clean and mid-size restaurant. Numbers of dishes served there are not many like typical Chinese restaurants but enough to choose from pictured menu, so it was easy to select. They don't have 'orange chicken' in their menu (^_^) so it must be close to authentic Chinese foods. If you like spicy foods, you must try here. They also serve non spicy dishes. Fish w/pickled cabbage was soooo good. It will feed at least 4 ppl. It was soup with fish, clear noodle and sprouts. Next day we used half left over, add Ramen noodles, Oh Boy it became very flavorful Ramen dish!! read more

QJ Kitchen - L: Double cooked pork R: Fish w/picked cabbage - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California

If you are hunting for the most authentic Chinese food in El Toro area, QJ Kitchen is the restaurant you should try out, and if you are into delicious and spicy Sichuan dishes, you should not miss out QJ Kitchen. I just tried their hot chili oil chicken with veggies and the house special fish soup with vermicelli, oh my gosh! They were so good, so authentic, I haven't had anything like these for a long time. I am tired of a few Chinese restaurants in Irvine, now I found this one, I will definitely visit more often. I am a picky eater and don't usually write reviews, but I just can't help to tell anyone out there who was just like me looking for the authentic Sichuan dishes that you won't be disappointed you if you come and try. I also would like to mention about their service, the waiter and waitress are down to earth. The portion of the dishes are genuinely big, everything has been fantastic. The coolest thing is that they also cater to the big parties or company potluck, and they will deliver your party tray if you are not too far away. I highly recommend this restaurant to all of you. And hope you all have a great experience with QJ Kitchen. read more

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这家QJ Kitchen真的让我惊喜，烤鱼味道很正宗，香辣入味又不油腻，鱼肉鲜嫩细腻，配菜也很丰富。整体口味很接近国内水准，在尔湾附近能吃到这种水平真的不容易。环境干净，服务也不错，性价比很高，适合朋友聚餐，下次还会再来！

I've tried mapo tofu all over OC and this one is my favorite. They know what they're doing. Service is really good too and everyone's really nice. Highly recommend for the tofu. Could be enough for 2 lol read more

QJ Kitchen - Mapo Tofu with Ground Pork - Szechuan Near Me - Lake Forest, California