It isn't in the style of Taiwanese bento chicken cutlet. Let's get that out of the way. But it's a $13 chicken and rice bowl in 2026. A solid meal, well fried and fat rendered, not much batter in this style. Seasoning is there, and they have an excellent chili oil-sauce thing on each table to add for deep flavor and spice. If I had to change something... I'd add bok choy as a side rather than chopped into the rice? Still solid choice. Service is as usual at an Asian restaurant--order, and they'll respect your meal time and leave you alone unless you ask for attention. read more

A & J Restaurant - Chinese Style Fried Chicken on Rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Here is what I ordered and how I score the dish with my comments. Sorry I didn't take pictures. Each dish has a number. I am not Chinese so take that into consideration. 122 beef soup clear broth - This was a 5/5 - so good we got one too go. The price is good but it is a small portion with just a little meat. It's the broth that tastes so good. 111 noodles with ground pork, sprouts and cucumber 5/5 - I really liked this dish. It's like a Chinese chili on wide noodles. Addictive. Good value too. 139 beef wrap - 3/5 - This is the chinese pancake surrounding overcooked beef that you can get anywhere. Thankfully they didn't use too much cilantro like other places. It was dry. I would not order it again. Needs a sauce too. The vinegar from the table wasn't helping. 137 1000layer pancake - 3/5 This was made fresh and it's puffy! ---probably exactly what it's supposed to be. It, too, needs a special sauce. There just is no flavor by itself. Plus, I only counted 900 layers. Just kidding. I would skip next time. The service here is great. Food comes out fast. read more

One of the best values around for authentic Taiwanese food! The prices feel very SGV and yet this is in a prime OC location. I went to the A&J in SGV over a decade ago and was thrilled there is one in Irvine. They have the usual Taiwanese staples like nu rou mian (beef noodle soup), beef roll, and green onion pancake but they're done exceptionally well and have abundant portions. Bonus for me is they have a very cheap zhua bing, which I don't usually see on menus. The Beijing style meat pie / hand pie was absolute fire and should be enjoyed immediately upon serving when it's still burning hot. It's sold by the each so you'll have to buy multiple if you're dining with people since I'll can't split one with all the e juicy broth inside. They have other basic items like Chinese zhajiangmein (perfect for kiddos) and lots of other noodle dishes. Avoid the potstickers -- something was really off with the flavor th3 day I went and I usually don't turn away fried dumplings. Plenty of parking! read more

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A&J restaurant! I wish I have known about this place 10 years ago! This is a very very authentic Taiwanese beef noodle soup place. We had to wait about 20 mins to get the table, but it's totally worth it. As soon as I walk into the place, I hear Taiwanese and saw the Chinese words only menu. I was brought back to Taiwan! The service is very quick and direct. You look at the menu, decide what you want, then mark on the sheet of paper. They will come and confirm your order. We had some appetizers, which were really good. I liked the tofu skin and vegetables dish and the tofu curd string one. The cucumber one was okay. I love the beef noodle soup! The noodles, the soup, the broth were all just perfect! I was so happy! We will come back again! read more

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The spicy beef noodle soup was disappointing. They skimp out on protein & veg. The broth wasn't spicy either. I've had much better in Monterey park. The on fried dumplings were really good though. Just disappointed with their most popular dish. read more

A & J Restaurant - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Solid Taiwanese spot! We came around noon on a Saturday and were seated promptly. They were bustling with people constantly coming in but there's a good amount of tables. Service was friendly and food came out quick. -Pan fried pork dumplings (4/5): came with 8 big pieces, juicy and good amount of filling, could be crispier -Soup dumplings XLB (4/5): filled with thick and juicy meat, good amount of broth -Spicy wontons (3.5/5): flavorful but pretty small, mostly wrapper and not filling, not too spicy -Beef noodle soup (clear broth) (3/5): large portion and came with lots of noodles and beef, broth was clear and light but needed more flavor, noodles were nicely chewy read more

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Yummy Taiwanese spot! My sister and I came around Saturday at noon and were quickly seated but it was pretty full inside already, and parking was busy! Service was fast and friendly and the food came out quickly! Beef Noodle Soup Clear Broth (3.5/5): large portion with plenty of noodles and beef. The broth was a little too light for my taste, granted it is a clear broth. I might try the spicy one next time Spicy Wonton (4/5): flavorful and not too spicy! There was a good amount of wontons but each one was a little small in size lol Pork XLB (4/5): plenty of soup inside and it was hot and aromatic Pan Fried Pork Dumplings (3/5): they were thick and lots of filling, but I would've liked it to be crunchier and it needed soy sauce read more

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I thought everything here was pretty good to eat. The beef noodle soup was the right flavor. The broth was flavorful and not too oily. And the tendon and beef were well cooked. The noodles are also the right texture. The other stuff also tastes good. We got the beef roll and pig ear. All was good and tasty. Parking was a bit difficult though. We went a bit earlier on the weekend and we had to circle around a couple times before we found a spot. read more

A & J Restaurant - Beef tendon noodle soup - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special. I liked how there wasn't a wait. Service was good. Too much rice to meat ratio. The pig ear had a very jelly texture not like a crunchy one you'd expect. I'd probably eat here again for the convenience read more

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This is an irvine staple. Simple food. Adequate priced. Great meal and just tastes amazing. It's always packed so just be careful of the wait times. The service is per usually Asian restaurant. They have such a huge selection of food you can get anything from noodles to XLB to apps. The ambiance is that of an Asian restaurant. You know what I mean! Go here and try for yourself you will not be disappointed! read more

A & J Restaurant - Chicken and rice - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

A wide selection of menu items that is worth exploring each visit. Came on a weekday night and it was not busy. The wontons and beef roll were both flavorful in the chili sauce and the beef marination. I enjoyed how all the dishes were not too salty. I did wish though that the beef noodle soup was hotter and it was a little bland. The service was accurate and quick, but as I was about to pay on the card reader, the waitress took the reader away to assist a different table. The inside is bright and there's plenty of seating. read more

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Decent enough Taiwanese restaurant in Irvine. The locals love this restaurant and it's always high on their recommendations lists if you ask about Taiwanese food. I think their stars are their appetizers. I wasn't particularly hungry today so getting some cheap appetizers is the way to go. My husband really enjoyed the beef tendon noodle soup he ordered. I tasted the broth and it was a bit too herbal for me. They also don't give any pickled vegetables with the noodle soup, which I think is a must for any classic beef noodle soup! I've been here multiple times now and have never been wowed. It's just subpar in terms of taste. I've definitely had way better Taiwanese food outside of Irvine. read more

A & J Restaurant - Beef tendon with wide noodles - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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A&J is an Irvine institution!! Can't even remember how much times I've visited in the last ten years because it's probably my favorite Taiwanese spot in the area. It's about time I reviewed them! My number one dish goes to the minced pork rice- it's a pretty simple dish, but it's sooo good here for some reason. I've ordered this dish at other Taiwanese restaurants and nothing compares to the one at A&J- the pork is always SO flavorful, never dry and enough to coat all the rice, the egg is perfection, and all the little garnishes compliment the dish so well. It's also just as amazing takeout which I always appreciate. Other go-tos are the spicy beef noodle soup- the beef in it is always so tender and I love getting the thick noodle option because of the rough texture it adds. Beef roll and pan fried dumplings are always a good option for sharing. Have tried a lot of things on their menu and nothing so far has disappointed! read more

A & J Restaurant - beef roll, spicy beef noodle soup, minced pork on rice, sour noodles - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

My husband YELPED this place and it has really high ratings and reviews so we decided to give it a try! It was 20 minutes away from the Pacific View Mortuary so we decided to come here after my husband visited his dad... GREETED UPON ENTRY! Quite nice and loudly by a nice lady! I believe I only saw ladies working in the restaurant which is pretty cool! Women power!! SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP: 10/10 I love the TENDONS so much!! They were nice and TENDER!!! Not chewy at all! The flavor of the broth is good and not too SALTY or SPICY so you can easily adjust it if you need more Salt or Chili oil...Better than SHANGS in Las Vegas in my opinion!!!... SPICY WONTONS: 9/10 The wontons were small and fell apart easily but, the sauce was DELICIOUS!!! It was such a TEASE because it was a small dish that was PACKED with so much flavor so I finished it as REVENGE!!! Mwahahaha!!!!... BEAN CURD WITH ASSORTED MUSHROOMS: 9/10 Loved the bean curds!!! I finished it too!!! There was only ONE MUSHROOM though so that's why I took off a point... SCALLION PANCAKE: 8/10 In not usually into it. My husband loved it and it reminded him of ROTI... PAN FRIED PORK DUMPLINGS: 9/10 It was nice and juicy! The portions were HUGE!!! Definitely had to pack this one home to finish it later... SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT!!! AMBIANCE was nice! The tables were set per close to each other towards the front of the restaurant so there wasn't much room to walk in between tables. It reminded me of the walkway that's similar to being on an AIRPLANE!!! If you are a Big person I would recommend sitting at the tables towards the back because there's more SPACE there!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND TRYING THIS PLACE !!! A & J RESTAURANT MAKES YOU WANT TO COME EVERYDAY!!!! read more

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We went on a Saturday and it was packed! We were able to be seated in 5 minutes which was great. We got the beef noodle soup, turnip pastry, beef roll, green onion pancake, vegetarian delight, pork chop, and beef pan fried dumplings. Everything was super tasty. I will say that the green onion pancake had so many flakey layers but was very drying. I might just be used to the thinner pancakes. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and food. I felt like I ate my way around Taiwan for a bit. Will be coming back! read more

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The ambiance is regular but the staff and the food continues to be remarkable. We have been coming here for more than two decades now. It never disappoints you. read more

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I have been coming here for many years. My go to dish here is the beef noodle soup, chicken rice, beef bing, and spicy wontons. The restaurants is loud and super busy with the seatings always packed. Restaurant staff have been there for years and is always hustling around to deliver food. These days it's more efficient to take my order as take away instead of dining in. I can call in my order and pick up on my way home. read more

A & J Restaurant - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I've found my go-to spot for spicy wonton at A & J Restaurant on Jamboree. What I love about theirs is how clean and vinegary the sauce is, without any peanut butter flavor. I don't mind the peanut sauce version at other places, but I definitely prefer this vinegary approach. It lets the wonton itself shine through without being overwhelmed by heavy sauce. Quick service, convenient location, and consistently good execution. Highly recommend if you're in the area craving quality wonton. It was a takeout for me but the restaurant looks spacious. I wouldn't mind sitting down for a nice meal next time read more

The best beef noodles in OC. They have amazing pancakes, dumplings and side dishes. Lots of other rice and noodle dishes but everytime I ended here I still order 101, beef and tendon spicy noodles. Tried both wide and thin noodles, they are good in their own ways. Thin noodles grab onto broth better and it's delicious. Wide noodles are more authentic, I think that's how Taiwanese people like to eat at least from what I have seen from my friend's preferred choice. The service is fast and they bring food within minutes. Inside is extremely loud, idk what it is about the Chinese culture but ifi it's impossible to be quiet lol read more

A & J Restaurant - 101 Spicy Beef tendon Noodle Soup (Szechuan Style) - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Love me some A&J :) I've been coming here since high school, so about 25 years now... and A&J is still the same. The menu looks slightly different since the last decade, but the food is still the same. Which is rare when you think of a lot of restaurants sometimes go down in quality over the many, many years. But not A&J. I love to come here for a quick bite. Food is great and delicious, they make the noodles in house, it is affordable, service is quick, and just overall I love eating here. I usually get the: Chinese Spice Fried Chicken or Pork Chop (depending on my mood), spicy cucumbers, pan fried beef bun, and spicy wontons. And they always "hit" every time :) Thank you A&J for the delicious bites! read more

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Was craving hand-pulled noodles and decided to try this popular Taiwanese restaurant in Irvine. The interior and service felt very traditional. The spicy hand-pulled noodles soup dish was decent but not memorable. We've had better at other spots. The broth has good flavor but it doesn't pack a punch. The noodles are nice and chewy. Overall, a solid 4/5 but probably would not return again. read more

A & J Restaurant - Spicy Beef Tendon Noodle Soup (Szechuan Style) - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

My favorite Taiwanese spot in Irvine! I think this review is long overdue, but this place is the place to go, if you're craving Beef Noodle Soup! Hardy and spicy, the beef is flavorful, the noodles are springy and prefectly chewy! The service was fast, the apps and soup came out in like 5 minutes! The inside of the restaurant is cozy, but can accomodate larger parties as well. read more

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Food: fried chicken with soup noodles, fried chicken with rice, potstickers, onion pancake, spicy cucumbers. I like how crispy the chicken is. This place is nostalgic as we used to go to the one in Cupertino, CA. I wish they had this in Las Vegas! Service: friendly and fast. Ambiance: a few tables of varying sizes. read more

A & J Restaurant - Potstickers - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Great service and affordable prices with so many options available. Definitely recommend the spicy wonton, beef wrap and the side appetizer dishes. read more

Went to A&J with a few friends on a Friday night. There was about a 15-minute wait. We checked in, told them our party size, received a numbered ticket, and were seated shortly after. We ordered a variety of dishes to share, including the beef noodle soup, minced pork over rice, spicy wontons, fried pork chop, and scallion pancake. At first, the portions looked smaller than we expected, but the prices were reasonable and the food ended up being more filling than it appeared. We actually thought we'd need to order several more dishes for our group of four, but by the end of the meal we were completely satisfied. My favorite was definitely the spicy wontons. The wontons themselves were great, but the sauce was flavorful, slightly spicy, and addictive! read more

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Excellent dumplings & noodles. Very good service and very friendly. Always busy ambiance and crowed and busy. read more

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My family and I were craving Taiwanese food, so we headed over to try A&J for lunch. It wasn't too crowded when we arrived at 11:30AM; however, it got busy with people waiting outside once we finished eating and paid. A&J serves Taiwanese food as small plates to share, so we ordered a few for the table. We got pig's ear (mild and not spicy, but excellent crunchy texture), seaweed salad (umami and refreshing), beef roll (flaky pastry, albeit slightly salty beef), sesame noodles (rich and with a bit of spicy kick!), and lu rou fan (heavy, yet comforting). Total cost was around $50-55, which is not bad for the number of dishes we ordered; we even had leftovers! A&J is a no-frills restaurant that, while it might not offer new flavors, it offers familiar ones that take you back to Taiwan. read more

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Nice little spot in a small plaza in Irvine. Same plaza as melo melo, which was a great dessert afterwards. Walking in, you get a nice welcoming warm, and homey vibe. The ladies working are really friendly, and to add to the homey vibe, there's people just casually wrapping dumplings on one of the open tables. As for the actual food, it's solid. I enjoyed the pig ears as an appetizer, but for the food as a whole, I wouldn't consider it the best I've had in its category or anything that stands out in general. I will say, the filling was very tasty and flavorful. I like textures for food a lot in general, and the dumplings were decent, but I did feel the potstickers were lacking that pan fried crunch you kind of look for in pan fried dumplings. This is one of my favorite dishes at dumpling places, which may have made the experience not as favorable as I would have hoped; however definitely solid food and friendly vibe! read more

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I've mentioned before on here I have my beef noodle soup go-to's in the Los Angeles area. Yes I'm going to be somewhat controversial by lumping in Orange County with LA area lol. When I have a spare day in my LA trips to head down to the OC to visit my cousins, A&J is almost always a stop for me to devour some beef noodle soup. Actually, the place is so good that I used to purposely time out my flights to arrive at John Wayne Airport around lunch time so that I could easily rent a car, hop off the first exit off the highway, eat at A&J, and then head to LA. It's that good. So yes, needless to say, the (spicy) beef noodle soup is on point. The meat is tender. The soup is flavorful. The veggies are a good mix. The hot sauce on the table pairs well with the soup. You have your choice of noodles, thin or wide. I usually opt for the thin noodles. It's not just the beef noodle soup that's good here though. My cousins and I have shared a few meals here. A few of the highlights, other than the beef noodle soup: the scallion pancake. Very yummy, great appetizer. And then a dish that likely doesn't get enough love here and I'm very surprised more places don't have this dish - the hot 'n sour sauced noodles. Admittedly, I grew up a huge fan of hot 'n sour soup, with a tendency to really like more vinegar. So when you give me those flavors with some noodles? It's really really good. Just that the beef noodle soup will always take center stage for me. This place does tend to get packed, and has for years, so service knows how to quickly get tables turned over to the next customers. This also means they are quick to get you your order. When you sit, they give you a sheet where you can mark down orders. That way, when they come by to take your order, it's pretty simple. But yes it gets packed, so either an early or late meal would be advisable, especially if it's the weekend. Otherwise, expect a bit of a wait. But that's also kind of a good sign if you think about it, right? CLEARLY, a good number of people think this place is legit. And they are right. Parking is in a plaza, but if it's packed, it can be challenging to find a parking spot. That said, if you have the patience for looping around, if needed, until you see someone about to get in their cars, you're good to go. The food is worth the wait. If you're a beef noodle soup connoisseur as I consider myself to be, trips to Irvine would not be complete without a stop at A&J. read more

A & J Restaurant - Beef noodle soup with thin noodles. Yes I added some of that hot sauce in the background. It pairs well with the soup! - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm finally taking the time to write a review here. My family and I have been going here for a long time and have had a wonderful, overall experience with the tasty dumplings and beef soup among other dishes. The service usually is pretty fast as the servers are attentive to our requests. Even when the place is packed with customers, they manage to find a way to bring the food out relatively fast and fresh. It seems to be better to come during the week days with less of a crowd waiting to get a table. read more

Grabbed lunch with coworker at this Taiwanese restaurant. Popular place that got super busy soon after we got seated. The spicy beef tendon noodle soup with wide noodles were delicious, the cucumber salad was good, but the soup dumplings were a little disappointing - they were small and a little dry. read more

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Everything was excellent -- delicious food, great service, and a clean environment. Just be prepared for a long wait. Highly recommended!

Fast service! We had the beef noodle soup , beef wrap and cold dishes with the sea weed dish, tofu dish, and cucumber dish! I also find out they are the Cupertino ,ca restaurant we loved! 半畝園！ We found them while traveling to Irvine for lunch! The plaque has the same name and I asked! I feel like I found the old friend! Thank you! read more

Very delicous food. I had the beef noodle soup and the potstickers. The food came out really fast and the waiters were very nice and comforting. I loved the texture of the potsticker skin and the noodles were to die for. read more

A & J Restaurant - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Beef tendon soup good! Solid 8.7/10 thick noodles good texture. Needs more meat probably 4 small pieces Pan fried dumplings ok 6/10, wish it was fried all around not just one side. Idk if I would get this again Fried pork is good 8/10 would get again just so I can have some protein I love the spicy wontons but they are small but flavor is bomb. 8/10 Scallion pancake is pretty dense but I like it when I rip the layers for a lighter flaky texture 8/10 Minced pork was comforting but the meat to rice ratio is really bad. Maybe 2 teaspoons of meat. Hella rice. 6/10 wouldn't get again unless they had more meat :/ But they're pretty fast! Solid comfort meal read more

Continue to love this place. There was once an A&J near me but sadly rising rents. This one still hits the spot. Honestly my favorite Taiwanese spot in the OC. The beef noodle soup with thicc noodles is warming, flavorful, and just right spice and oil. Tender cooked beef with chewy noodles is perfection. Fried pork chop was crispy and perfectly cooked. Dumplings had ample filling and crisp texture. Scallion pancake, crispy though I wish it were bigger. Service is always prompt and friendly, especially if you speak Chinese! Always a comfortable place to relax and eat some great food! When you got native Taiwanese ranking this place alongside places in Taiwan, you know this is the place to be. read more

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This place is an oldie but goodie, and I make it a point to take the fam here when we find ourselves in the area. I used to go here with my college roommates over a decade ago for some comforting Taiwanese noodles when there weren't too many nearby options (rough for an SGV girl)! Thank goodness we had sweet ol' A&J and their delicious noodles for any cold night (and at a price that didn't and still doesn't hurt the wallet too much). Their noodles, dumplings and baos are made in-house, and you will literally see the ladies sitting and making it at a table some afternoons. They ask you what kind of thickness for noodles you want and I always recommend the thick noodles, which have such a good bounce and chew that will make you come back for more. Service has definitely improved over the years. The lady at the front was always kind of standoffish and would laser eye your $20 bill back when they took cash only (but now they do take cards), but the past few times have been more pleasant. The Hispanic older waitress is such a sweetie and I love that she's still working there the last few times we came. Their dan dan noodle (sesame paste noodle) is still THE BEST. I love throwing 2-3 dollops of their chili paste with a dash of white vinegar to give it some spice and bit of tartness too. Their spicy beef noodle soup and scallion pancakes are also delicious, especially the latter when it comes out hot. Would definitely come visit again! :) read more

A & J Restaurant - My dan dan noodle (sesame) with chili paste and white vinegar. - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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We were up here for a Padres game against the Angels and stopped by. Got here around 11am and the restaurant was pretty full already. There was no wait but about 15 mins after we got there, there was a line. The service wasn't the best, but I don't really expect much from these smaller Chinese restaurants. I didn't get a good picture of the food as I almost forgot to take a picture. So I snapped one really quickly before I dug in. The cucumbers were very crisp and refreshing.. I had to add more chili but they were still good. The spicy beef noodle was very good.. reminds me of my mom's growing up. The noodles were the perfect consistency of chewy and thickness. The meat was super tender and although the soup could've been a little spicier (for me, but I eat pretty spicy)...I think for the general public it was a good balance of spice. Will definitely be back to try some other items on the menu (when we are up in this area again). read more

A & J Restaurant - Cucumber Salad in Hot Garlic Sauce and Spicy Beef Tendon Noodle Soup (Szechuan Style) - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Love this place. Ordered the spicy beef and tendon noodle soup and it was delicious. Beef and tendon were super soft and tender. The noodles were nice and bouncy. The highlight was the sides! The beef pancake roll and dumplings were so good and flavorful. The pancake had a nice exterior with really yummy beef and the dumplings were juicy. Highly recommend. It's a no frills place. read more

A & J Restaurant - Taiwanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Food for the soul! I really enjoyed the soup and the dimsum here. I suggest going with a group as is the usual style for Chinese restaurants. Nothing better than sharing good food with family or peers. There's a few good things to try, my favorites are the Szechuan soups, fried chicken and pork chop on rice, cucumber salad, and the scallion pancake. Of course that only scratches the surface since there wasn't a single bad dish in this menu. Even the pickled mustard greens were awesome! If you had a few dishes and wanted to try more, just order! Everything comes out fast! read more

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