1. Good lunch spot. They have a great lunch special where you can select three dishes. It comes with rice or rice porridge. 2. Good variety. 3. Good value and enjoyed the flavors. read more

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The food is excellent. Great local spot to grab home style Chinese favorites. You can't beat their pricing and the vibe is incredibly chill.

My go to place for home style comfort food in Irvine, it's quick, the food is delicious, and it's really not that expensive for the amount of food you get. There's always a line when I go and the selection may be limited at certain hours, usually later in the evening. The portion sizes are very generous here, 1 3 item combo can last me up to 3 meals. read more

This is a long overdue review. Been to this place for midnight snack or late night dinner after long working hours and it never disappoints. Store is easy to find, 2nd shop next to the gas station on the East (right) side of the plaza. Parking can sometimes be difficult if you come at dinner hours but no issues past 22:00. They share a plaza parking lot with other stores but may need to walk a bit if it's busy. This is probably the most authentic home-style Taiwanese food you can find in the area, with unbeatable pricing of around $8 for 3 dishes and a choice of rice or sweet yam porridge. The yam porridge is amazing. Warm and easy to swallow, perfect "when-you-have-a-cold" food. They have good vegetable options and the bamboo shoots are amazing, just like back home. Little sour and salty, perfect with rice or porridge. The chicken and port are really good as well. Service is wonderful with the lady always greeting you with a smile and friendliness. Attentive serving when you sit down at the table as well. Will always come back for late night dinner or snack when I get a chance. Either to-go or sit down. Keep up the good work Yu's Garden! read more

Love the food, Taiwanese food. The staff are so nice and very friendly. Totally recommend to go here. Cheap and the food are good.

I used to love this place and the owner (I think) has always been very friendly. This time I went and as I was leaving, one of the waitresses actually yelled "you didn't tip enough!" So that the entire restaurant looked at me. This is a restaurant like Panda Express where you choose the food and it is brought to your table. There is virtually no service but I still tipped. And was shamed in front of everyone? I like the food but by principle, you should never do that to customers. Very rude. I really wish the owner can do something about this. The one waitress is ruining your business. read more

2nd Stop of our food cravings. We just left 101 Noodle Express down the plaza and we just had to get some yummy grubs here. The line was crazy long and everyone seemed to be ordering the same things we wanted. Here our food list: 01. 2 Item Combo ($5.50) - 4 Stars Chicken & Chinese Spinach - Their chicken here is so good. A lil sweet, a lil tangy with a crispy bite. The sauce they have for this chicken is really good. I always ask for more spoons of it to go with the rice. The Spinach is steamed with a light tasty oil. It's so good for being a veggie. I can eat a ton of this. 02. 2 Item Combo ($5.50) - 4 Stars Eggplant & more Chicken - I always compare eggplants with Sam Woo's but I have to admit, we liked Yu's Garden version better. Omg...my friends and I inhaled this dish. We ordered more chicken since there were a lot of us eating. Okay, all that and with 5 containers of rice, our total was just under $20.00. We fed about 10 people with this and some other stuff at 101 Noodle Express. Now that is dining on a budget, smart budget if you ask me. I'm so glad my friends live in Irvine or I would be one very HAPPY but sad girl. Why sad you ask??? Well, I would need to go and work off most of what I eat EVERYDAY! There's just too many good places to eat in the close proximity. Yikes...what's a girl to do for a hungry tummy! Good eats + Irvine = Deadly GOOD Habits! read more

Yu's Garden - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Hot food counter with rice porridge. Food taste homemade and everything is delicious. Love Taiwanese food.

Love the pricing: 3 item combo with rice or porridge for about $9, the big portions, and the everything laid out so you can see all the variety showcase. Not so much the msg and oil, the huge chunks of fat and little meat in the pork belly, the attitude, or the $30 minimum to use credit card. read more

the food is good, However, i don't think is good customer service! the person who serving the food is not friendly at all. They will give extra amount to customer who can speak mandarin, but to customer who can't speak mandarin they give less. This is ridiculous rude and not respectful! read more

4.5 great authentic Taiwanese food. The place is definitely a little small-actually way too small, but the staff was super friendly and the food was good! The parking sucks too by the way but you're in Irvine so what do you expect. I'll add pictures to this post so you can see what I got. The sweet potato porridge is really good. I also heard that their stinky tofu is really good from my aunt who frequents this place really often. Too bad they were out when we went today. Great food! I'd definitely come back again. read more

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Was craving some Chinese breakfast items, so randomly swung by here and ordered the following items: (1) tofu and intestine soup w/ glass noodle - the soup flavor was plain; just eat the noodles, bok choy, and the intestine. I had to dip the intestine in some spicy sauce in order for it to taste good. haha (2) salty soy bean soup w/ chinese donut - this was good, but super salty. I couldn't drink all of it; only ate the soggy chinese donut soaked in the soup, and had a couple spoonfuls of the soup before I had to set it aside. (3) beef roll - this was not that great. I've had better beef rolls at other restaurants, where they actually use pan-fried dough to wrap the beef rolls. This place was OK overall, didn't think anything was too special. If you want congee, they only have 1 flavor (plain congee w/ pumpkin or squash). read more

Yu's Garden - Beef roll, intestine tofu soup, salty soy bean soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Yu's Garden is one of my fav Irvine eats. The owner always makes me feel right at home. Food is always fresh and delicious. We love coming here after hockey games. read more

I was craving something soupy and warm. We were going to a Korean restaurant in the same plaza, saw this place and decided to give it a shot! The food taste pretty good, a lot of variety The price is reasonable, $1.5 rice per person (unlimited) $6.75 (on the weekend) for 2 dishes (they give a lot) The service is really good, they will always make sure you have enough water, tea and rice with good attitude The environment - overall is clean, the restroom is consider clean too! I'll highly recommend this place if you want some real Chinese food! read more

Yu's Garden - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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First time here and this Taiwanese style breakfast brought back memories of my time in Taiwan a couple summers ago! Ah, nostalgia! Not exactly the same taste but this place is pretty good! My dad loved the squid here. I really liked the bok choy with it's hint of delicious sesame flavor. Also the green beans and eggplant were yum! I think the owner lady had served me and she was super friendly! I want to come back and be friends with her. Haha read more

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A wonderful place for casual meal. It's taste and quality are pretty consistent. the price is reasonable it is recommended.

The service is fine but the food just so so . I order hot beverages but it's cold. The veggie tastes gross...... Be honesty, turn back to Taichi lol I will never go this place for breakfast. read more

Yu's Garden - The chicken is too hard cannot eat it Waste - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I don't come here frequently, but each time I have been, I've had good experience :) The owner, Tracy, is very welcoming and is attentive to her customers. I always opt for the porridge, which has small chunks of sweet potatoes that adds a slight sweetness. Their entree plates are definitely a good deal. My go-to's are the three cup chicken and mapo tofu. Also, their green onion pancakes are a must! read more

Really 2.5 stars, but since we went at 10pm we were grateful that they were still open and friendly. The food wasn't quite up to the mark. The Taiwanese noodles with yellow bean paste and cucumber was too salty once the paste was mixed in. We put the paste on the side and asked for more cucumber to balance it our. The fried squid with black bean was ok. It was hashed and battered, although it did look like it came from Panda Express with the big chunks of onion and peppers. Is that good or bad? The final dish was okra with shrimp, although really it was cucumber stir-fried with shrimp. Samantha said the shrimp should've been the dried, more flavorful kind. Instead we got the little "fresh' ones still with their guts. It's ok... See pics for the food. It's not my favorite place, but if you stick to the deli-counter probably you can't go wrong - or at least you get to see your food before you order it! read more

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The food is amazing here. Really authentic and so affordable!! You can come in on your lunch break and grab a combo of whatever you choose. I really recommend the cold tofu noodles, lions head meatball, and the dumplings are handmade. Also can ask for this bomb garlic sauce for the dumplings the nice head chef makes. It'll really stink up your breath but it's so worth it. I get food from here anytime I'm in the Irvine area! read more

I heard that Chinese food at 3.5 is the best, that's true!lots of traditional foods are available, the service is good too, and the price is lower than regular restaurant. i wish i lived nearby. read more

This is very different from what I am use to. The atmosphere is very homey like they were all family. Their service was quick and friendly....a bit of a language barrier....but I got by. I would be happy to visit again. read more

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The food reminds me of South East Asian Chinese food The squid, chicken and eggplant is awesome Opt for porridge instead of rice as the porridge is really fragrant The owner is so nice, friendly and polite Been eating here since over 8 years read more

The owner lady initially was nice but turned out to be pretty rude at the end when it comes to time to tip. This will be the last time we visit here. Losing a potential long term customer over a dollar. Really smart move. read more

If you are looking for a super quick bite of some home made simple Chinese food, this is a good place to come. You can choose two things per dish and it is served super fast. You can also choose the porridge or rice. The porridge was well made with sweet yam chunks. The things we ordered were the chicken with basil, spinach, tofu skin and squid. All were good. the service was friendly as well. All in all, a solid place for a quick bite. read more

Super service!!! From the moment the customers walk in all the way through head out the door. Rarely see such an excellent management! Plenty of selections of dishes! Came back to visit. I felt the ownership had changed. Can anyone confirm this? Too bad! No more welcoming pleasant service! read more

I can always count on Yu's to satisfy my grandma cravings for a simple breakfast or dindin of porridge with some simple dishes. I've been going to Yu's for years and I think the only thing I ever get is the three item combo with the sweet potato porridge. There's more than enough in terms of the dishes they give you and I always find myself with enough leftovers to pair with more rice at home. Some of my favorite dishes here are: boiled bamboo shoots, bean curds, tofu skin, green mustard with edamame, tomato and egg, and seaweed. The only meat dish I've gotten here is the three cup chicken, which is not bad but nothing amazing. I love the green onion pancake here because it's super crispy and fried. The pancake has just the right amount of green onion and the crispiness is perfect as a side to the porridge. Ever since I started noticing a little breakfast menu near their cash register, I've been wanting to try their breakfast items. Finally was able to make it before 11am on a Sunday (breakfast menu is only available till then), and I ordered an egg pancake, a sesame pancake, fried cruller, and some soy milk. Everything was really cheap and it was only about $13 for two people and we left super full. The thing is, I think I still prefer Four Sea even though it's really not that amazing there either. The egg pancake here was reallllly dry and the sauces were just really mediocre. Definitely found myself missing the soft layer of egg on the egg pancakes and the warm lightly sweetened soy milk from Four Sea. So all in all great place for porridge and a light satisfying Taiwanese lunch or dinner, but I don't see myself coming back for the breakfast items any time soon. read more

Yu's Garden - Egg pancake with Chinese donut stuffed inside - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Nah, the price is affordable, but to be honestly the food quality matches with what you pay. Do not expect anything more than that.

If I could leave zero star I would. Food is not good, look dirty somehow. Service is even horrible. The lady who serves us is with short hair and she is just too pushy and impolite. Talks very loud and not patient when we were ordering. So, no service at all. When we left, we thought this was a fast food restaurant and there's no need to tip since we didn't get much service at all, well maybe it's my fault or something. But that's not the case. The server literally yelled at me in front of everybody in the restaurant so rudely and so loud asking for tip! I mean, you didn't even treat me like a customer. Unbelievable. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. Our total was 13 something so I left 1 buck for the tip, and guess what, she chased after me and yelled again for more tip!!! This is so rude and disgusting. Will NEVER come back. read more

Great experience. We're usually eat porridge here together with plenty of foods such as stir fried, pork's ear, salted hard boiled eggs, and many more. The staffs are so friendly and welcome. read more

In a sea of Chinese restaurants found in the 99 ranch plaza, is Yu's Garden. You might think it's just like the others, as I did beforehand, but after having a nice dinner here on a rainy night, I realized I didn't give it enough credit as I should have. This restaurant is similar to a cafeteria in a way that almost all the dishes are precooked and out in the open for you to pick and choose. My dad said that it reminded him of his college data eating this kind of food in Taiwan. So it must be legit. Right after we choose our items, we returned to our table to find a pot of plain porridge and tea. Then we dug in! My favorites were the garlic pork belly, tofu sheets marinated in sesame oil, and the chopped up gizzard. Though the items were a bit in the salty side, they went great with the porridge. And these weren't even the best things there. Who knew that in a place like this that I would find one of the best green onion pancakes that I've ever had? It was perfection - with fluffy layers inside and a flaky outside. 3 plates with a total of 7 different side items, ayce porridge, and the perfect green onion pancake all came out to be $31 with plenty of leftovers. It was a simple yet more than satisfying meal. Though the ambiance isn't stellar, it's clean and the servers are nice. On another chilly day, I'll definitely return again! read more

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I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time and I finally made it on my way to the office today. Can't help but bought two three-item lunch boxes on my first try. The beef tripe is amazing, all other dishes were very tasty, too. I definitely will be back for more in the future. read more

Yu's Garden - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I love their foods. Lunch is $7.50 with congee and three choices of meals. And their staff are very friendly. (You can ask for regular rice instead of congee). Parking is bit hard to find during the lunch time. If you go there after 1:15pm you can find parking space. read more

Yu's Garden - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Found a dish washing sponge in my fish mixed in with spinach. Have ordered food there many times and employees are always nice. Not sure if I will return after this experience. read more

Yu's Garden - A dish washing sponge mixed in with spinach. - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

The food here is so delicious but I got food poisoning after eating here.. also when u walk in, look at the fly traps dangling above the food... nasty read more

Yu's Garden - It's nasty to look up & notice 3 green sticky fly traps dangling from the ceiling right over the food! - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

It is extremely dirty, do not come. If you like to eat bugs, you can try it. It's Really DISCUSS read more

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This place is a hidden gem! I ordered the fish fillet with black bean sauce pick up and my god... it was packed with flavor ! It may be a little hard to order on the phone but if you repeat a few times they will understand you. I was very satisfied with my order and would come back again. The lady also seemed very nice when I came to pick up my order. I appreciated that they also packed the container with wrap so that my food didn't leak or spill out of my box. Try it out! The price is also fair with so many different options to choose from. read more

I used to love this place. Went almost every other night. Then, I found a cockroach in a hot pot dish I ordered, it was at the bottom so I've eaten half the freaking thing already. Its been damn near 5 years and I'm really bummed that happened. Every time I think about going back my stomach twists and tells me otherwise. Yes its an old review but it still hurts - I lost a place that was my go-to on most nights. read more

Surprisingly good. Order ahead of time fresh food items and don't get the ready made buffet food. It'll take 20 minutes to prepare but worth the wait. We got dishes with lamb, eggplant, bok choy, chicken legs, chicken fried rice and a tofu soup. Reasonable prices. read more

It's was ok. Some was flavorful and other items I got was flavorless and I'm not a huge salt and sauce person to begin with so for me to say it's flavorless, u may want to think about it when you go. read more