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    Yunnan Restaurant

    4.1 (66 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Noodles
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Yunnan Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Yunnan Restaurant Photos

    YUNNAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Yunnan Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cumin lamb
    Lilian Z.

    Food: - Steamed fish with tofu was our favorite dish! The fish was QQ texture and fresh. It compliments well with the soft tofu and light soy and ginger sauce. Smoked duck was flavorful but slightly fattier than last time. Cumin lamb - ok, lamb cubes were cut too large and thick. Lack of lamb flavor. Seafood tofu pot - good, lots of seafood including squid, snakehead, fish, shrimp and mushrooms Dessert - FREE dessert stand - free grass jelly dessert and orange slices :). Nice touch! Service - average, typical for Chinese restaurant. Ambiance - it's packed and full of people for a Friday!

    Menu
    Jae C.

    Food from northern part of China called Yunnan. The food is very different from your typical Chinese restaurant and the spice level is different. The spice was numbing but it was addicting. The food was great! There is a lot of food. If you have a large party, there is a separate room that can fit 9 comfortably in a circular table. And they have 2 of these rooms. Casual vibes, A lot of self service, but otherwise really great for big parties.

    1. Yunnan Noodles in Chicken & Pork Broth w Bones
    Joanne C.

    Been here a couple times within the last few months, and it's a family favorite! Depending on the dish, it can be pretty spicy! Highlights: - crossing the bridge noodles - garlic pork ribs - seafood egg tofu pot - snakehead fish with pickled vegetables - eggplant - side dishes from the deli counter (pig ears, mushroom, tripe) - brown sugar rose jelly dessert that you can grab on your own. Very refreshing if you ordered a lot of spicy dishes Only note I have is that some dishes aren't always consistent. Like the pork ribs were definitely less meaty before compared to the most recent time. And that the smoked duck this time was a little more dry and less meaty too. They have 2 private rooms for larger parties, and their portions are pretty large. No complaints on their service either! Though they forgot our bowl of rice for a while, but we eventually got it!

    Cauliflower with cured dry pork dry pot, Stewed pork noodle in chicken and pork broth
    Matt H.

    First time visiting this new place in Lake Forest. In general, we've found restaurants in Lake Forest to be overrated and most of the time we leave underwhelmed despite high yelp ratings. So much so that I chalk it up to a low standard that the local residents have for ethnic food in particular. All that to say, that I was surprised to find this place to be authentic and a decent dining experience. I came around 2pm on a Saturday and was a bit surprised to find the place full with about half a dozen parties on the waiting list AND most parties were Chinese. This place must be legit :). We were seated at a small table and I was pleased to see that they offered me a larger table to give me more space. Most Chinese places won't offer this courtesy. The decor and ambiance is modern and the seating was comfortable. The cauliflower dry pot was served in a large sterno heated dish. It was a larger portion that I expected. We asked for mild but the dish still has a bit of heat to it. The pork noodle soup was pretty good as well. I like the al dente rice noodles that they they call "cross-the-bridge-noodles". My wife prefers the noodle at Noodology in Irvine which she claims are springier.

    Vegetable fried rice.  Yum
    Diane E.

    I love spice so this is the place for me. They also do non spicy but... They have an appetizer bar. Order a bunch of dishes and share. I had Dan Dan Noodles which were great. They have a free desert bar with fresh fruit and other stuff. Try them. Our waitress was exceptionally helpful as it was our first time. I think four people would be a great group size. There are two more private rooms for larger parties. The place is bright and clean. I can't wait to go back.

    Crossing-the-bridge noodles
    Jason S.

    We had lunch here the other day. There is plenty of parking available. The decor is simple and there is plenty of seating inside. We ordered a number of dishes. We started with the fried rice cakes. The rice cakes had a mochi-like texture. And mixed with the black bean sauce, vegetables and various types of meat made it a must-have dish. We also ordered the xiao long bao. They were warm and delicious. The crossing-over-bridge noodles were next. The "Chinese pho" was amazing, from its presentation to the flavors. I loved the rice noodles and the rich, flavorful broth. The braised pork with buns was next. The pork belly literally melted in my mouth the buns were warm and sweet. Just perfect and I could have eaten the entire plate by myself. Last but not least, the smoked duck was easily the star of the show. While I loved everything, the smokiness of the duck was something I couldn't stop eating. Everything was fantastic and cannot wait to come back with more friends!

    The Perfect Szechuan Braised Pork Bite
    Samara G.

    Located in a decently busy shopping center. We went right at opening, after being there for a little bit, it got decently busy! The inside is decorated beautifully, there's some plants at the entrance, as well as some amazing artwork. Service was great, our server made sure to guide us to the best food options for us! They were really nice and made sure we got what we needed! What we Ordered: Yunnan Noodles in Chick and Pork Broth with Bones: This was super refreshing, the broth was light but flavorful. The additions just enhanced the experience. Yunnan Style Fried Rice Cakes: These were so good, honestly this plus the duck would be great! Szechuan Braised Pork with 8 Buns: These, oh my goodness, it bursts with flavor, the right amount of saltiness. Szechuan Smoked Duck: I just wanted this with some rice and be on with my day. The smokiness of the duck just brings a depth of flavor. For the price, this was a bargain! Overall fantastic place, please check it out, don't be afraid to try new things!

    Beef and bamboo shoot spicy noodle Soup
    Michelle S.

    First time here with my asian lunch bunch. We got seated right away (11:45a) but it filled up over time telling us that it's already a popular place. The menu is extensive with lots of noodle, soup, rice and protein options. They have a chilled food table where you can choose various organ meats, chix feet and veggie options too which I've never seen before. We got the 3 item with marinated spicy cukes, bamboo shoots and foojook (beancurd sheets) & celery salads to split. They were so good! Highly recommend the garlic pork ribs and string beans and pork. We got the bamboo shoot and braised beef noodle soup and it is SPICY! So beware of that. We were intrigued by the crispy rice and seafood soup which had a great assortment of seafood and veggies but was not as tasty as we had hoped so we don't get that again.

    酸菜魚 兩葷一素的涼菜 (土豆絲、麻辣牛肉乾、牛百葉)
    Christopher B.

    服務不錯 味道也不錯 值得推薦! My Translation: (September 2, 2025) My wife is from Chongqing, and she LOVES the food at this restaurant. So do I... !!!

    Nancy L.

    We saw this new Chinese restaurant open and wanted to give it a try. When we walked in, it was pretty full and all the customers were Chinese which is a good sign it's truly authentic! We didn't know this is a chain that came from SGV which made it even more legit. This place is authentic and is not for those who are not comfortable with authentic Chinese cuisine that uses different offal parts. We ordered the Yunnan noodles and its literal translation means crossing bridge noodles. We didn't expect it to be actually served on a bridge serveware that came with different ingredients such as fish, quail eggs and other items. The soup base is chicken broth and the noodles were big enough to share between 4 of us. We loved the presentation of the crossing bridge noodles. I also loved the cold appetizer station where we can choose 3 items. We picked a spicy chicken dish, beef lungs, and chicken gizzards and they were all spicy and flavorful. We also ordered a spicy dry pot of pork intestines that came with many vegetables such as potatoes and other veggies. We enjoyed the spice level as well. We ordered the xlb for the kids, although it is not that soupy, it does come with a lot of meat and it is moist so my kids liked it. Our last dish is spicy stir fried kidneys dish which they prepped it perfectly with good amount of heat and spice. If it's not prepared correctly this dish can come out tasting gamey but they did a great job executing it, I did not taste any gaminess. The decor is modern and clean, the wait staff was very attentive, refilling our water often and always getting items we asked for for us. We loved the self service dessert station where they had 3 different types of sweet soup - a silver ear soup, a red bean soup with purple rice and a black sugar jelly soup. We also enjoyed the oranges and watermelon to end our meal with a refreshing taste. I am so happy to have legit Chinese food in south OC now. I will definitely be coming back often!

    Phattharaporn S.

    A lovely Chinese restaurant in Lake Forest. It's Yunnan cuisine which is like southern China. Their noodles are very good. The noodle portion is very large; for $15 a bowl, it can feed three of me. The servers are friendly. We ordered the meat wrap, which the server told us later that it's the most popular amongst non-Chinese customers. We laughed so much because that's our favorite dish. Nice atmosphere.

    Accompaniments for pork noodles
    Joseph C.

    My second time here but first time dining in. Had the Crossing the Bridge Noodles (noodles in pork broth). Decent but slightly on the blander side so I wouldn't order it if you're looking for spice. There are plenty of other dishes for spice-seeking diners. The chicken cube with Szechuan chili was very good (think popcorn chicken with numbing spice). Overall, prices are on the higher side but you portions are decent-sized. Definitely try to come with a larger group to share the dishes

    IG @ FoodandPooch
    Ryan T.

    I hate it when a restaurant is not giving a cozy family vibe. Luckily I found Yunnan, serving modern Chinese cuisine, located in Lake Forest.  We stopped by for lunch and tried some of their best sellers. Here's what we ordered. Garlic pork ribs. Stir-fried pork belly with veggies. Szechuan smoked duck. And braised beef noodles with bamboo shoots. The smoked duck was definitely the highlight. Service was quick and friendly. Definitely will come back to try the rest of the menu.

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    8 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Terrible service, they turned a simple order into a huge mess, avoiding this restaurant would be good.

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    4 months ago

    The food is okay,atmosphere is okay,service is good.there is a lot to improve,but it's ok.

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    Yunnan Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Yunnan Restaurant

    What is the maximum capacity for your private dining room?

    Does anyone know if Yun Nan Restaurant in Lake Forest is opened again? If not, when do they expect to reopen?

    Hi Stephanie! Yes — Yunnan Restaurant in Lake Forest has reopened! 🎉 We’ve made a few exciting upgrades and are now fully open for dine-in and takeout. Come try our signature… 

    This restaurant has been closed for a while now, what's going on?

    I visited their San Gabriel location a couple weeks ago and asked them about their Lake Forest location. The staff said Lake Forest location was opened for a short time but had to temporarily close (she didn't tell me the reason). But, good news is… 

    View All 4 Questions

    Frank’s dumplings & noodles by sheungshui

    Frank’s dumplings & noodles by sheungshui

    4.4
    (407 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Buns
    Buns
    Bone-in bangbang chicken

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    Bone-in bangbang chicken
    Soba Izakaya Minami

    Soba Izakaya Minami

    4.2
    (539 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Another amazing soba find! The soba here are handmade and they offer 2 portions of soba for each…read moreorder. It's recommended to get 1 portion and order more as you go since it'll be fresh and not soggy. I tried their recommended dipping so as, the beef and the duck. Both of them had amazing flavors that made me keep wanting more! The soba was nice and chewy with the perfect al dente texture, and it paired perfectly well with the dipping sauce. Also tried the shrimp tempura soba and was pleased with the portion they provided. The tempura itself was also nicely coated, not too heavy on the crumbs. The staff there were all very friendly, and helped guide the menu since it was my first time. Amazing service and great food. Definitely a must try if you're in the area!

    I have been to this restaurant many times and finally have the time to do a review. For anyone who…read moreenjoys udon or soba, this place is a must try. I don't think many restaurants offers cold soba option so if you never tried it, here is the probably the best place in south OC to give it a shot. This restaurant is located in a large plaza so there are plenty parking. The wait is usually not long at all. I have been here a few times with my family during lunch and dinner and it is never that packed. I think it is located in a pretty secluded area so it is not busy but the food is very good. The decor is simple but clean and has many tables. This most recent visit I ordered the marinated beef hot udon and my daughter ordered the Kakiage cold udon. I didn't know what Kakiage is so the staff kindly educated me that it is a ball of Tempura vegetables. Please don't mix it up with Karaage which is Fried Chicken. They are two different dishes. The broth of my beef udon is deep with umami flavor. The soup base has a legit dashi flavor, not the instant udon flavor. You can tell the difference right away. We also ordered the grill squid. The grill squid is tender and has a unique tastes like the dried squid snacks that I get from the Japanese market. The staff even offered hot water for my daughter's left over dipping sauce. She mixed her dipping sauce with hot water to drink it as a soup. Overall the food is great and we'll definitely be back for more.

    Photos
    Lots of seating with bar counter seats as well
    Lots of seating with bar counter seats as well
    Curry Udon with side of Agedashi tofu
    Curry Udon with side of Agedashi tofu
    Beef Hot Soba

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    Beef Hot Soba

    Yunnan Restaurant - chinese - Updated August 2026

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