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this place is solid. i've been coming here for years now and while i would not say its the best, it's good. my favorites are the 짜장면 (black bean noodles), 짬뽕 (spicy seafood noodles), and 새우 (shrimp).
First time trying the Chinese place. I was craving a noodle dish, but the pictured menus convinced me to try their Mapa tofu with fried rice. I loved that the menus had an option of Champong soup for only $5. Overall was a great value and taste served by very attentive service from friendly staff. Would love to come back to try other dishes.
My friend and I got a large jjajangmyeon to share and it came with two side dishes. The large jjajangmyeon was more than enough to share with two people and we still had a little bit left over. The noodles were cooked perfectly however, the sauce was not salty enough and they didn't give the red peppers flakes to add to it if we like. The yellow radish was good but the cube marinated radish did not taste fresh, it was too sour. The store was pretty big but it was empty during dinner time on a weekend and the services was okay. There's definitely better Korean food restaurants around the area.
We ordered jajangmyeon and the deep fried shrimp in hot pepper sauce, both of which were delicious. The jajangmyeon isn't too salty even though the sauce looks like it might be a sodium bomb, and the shrimp is tasty, although I think I was hoping for a little more batter/crisp. Service was quick and easy. They provide various banchans to munch on while you wait for your food, which is a nice touch. The interior of the restaurant is simple with no frills, good for friends and family. Definitely a casual vibe. I would be happy to come back here for some more comforting food and would recommend giving this place a try!
For the longest time, I've been wanting to try this place after a friend recommended it for their jajangmyeon--and she was absolutely right. We ordered it and it did not disappoint. The flavor was spot-on, and the noodle-to-sauce ratio was perfect, making every bite so enjoyable. Of course, we had to order a few other dishes as well, and I let my Korean friends do the ordering since I fully trust their recommendations. The shrimp was fantastic and ended up being my personal favorite. I'll definitely need to come back soon to try their tangsuyuk--we completely forgot to order it this time!
Not sure why the reviews are bad but service is fast and food is tasty! My fiance and I came here for dinner around 6 Pm on a Sunday. It got very crowded past 6:30 Pm so recommend coming on the earlier side on weekends. Their menu is Chinese Korean fusion. I got the seafood soup with noodles and my fiance got the mapo fried rice. We also got a soju. Food came within 10 min. Seafood soup-light and flavorful, lots of seafood large portion for me! Mapo fried rice-spicy and hearty, fried rice isn't too greasy. Wish they had more banchan since it was only radish and kimchi. Overall solid would come back here to try other dishes
Wow! Korean-Chinese fusion! They are popular for serving noddle with black bean sauce. I was in OC/Irvine area visiting and came by for an early dinner. I ordered seafood fried rice with beef. It was served with egg drop soup. Delicious and flavorful. The portion was huge and shareable. The service was great. Ambiance is nice.
A pleasant time it was being introduced to a near and dear restaurant of my sweetie. She raves about this joint quite often and we celebrated her achievement of a milestone in life woo!! At first, we unfortunately did not enjoy our initial time here as the service seemed to be very understaffed causing the initial greet to take about 10 minutes. we didn't get a menu or water during that time, which is a long time when you're hungry! The waitress served us very nicely though when she got around! so no hard feelings. However, the food definitely saved the day and made up for the little lag in the beginning. the black bean noodle is a the billboard dish here, i haven't found anywhere that offered something this yummy! 2 dishes (black bean noodle and sweet and sour pork) came out to $45 including tip! not too shabby of a joint! If service amped up and maybe having more side dishes would make this a 5 star cuisine no doubt!
We went in on a Wednesday night around 8pm and there was no line. The waitress was super kind and friendly and sat us down and was able to get us water and side dishes right away. We were waiting on another friend to arrive, but they still sat us and patiently waited for our friend to arrive after telling them there was one more person. They took our order promptly and got our food out asap. The inside was also super clean. The side dishes are just okay. I've definitely had better radish kimchi. It had great crunch and crisp bite to it, but the flavor wasn't too strong. The yellow daikon on the other hand was very yummy with a nice sweet flavor and crunch. The jajangmyeon was good, but not my favorite. 6.8/10. It was too sweet and there were so many onions and not enough meat. I feel like if there was more noodles, it could have balanced out some of the super strong and sweet flavors, but they do have an option to order more noodles for a little bit extra money. Other than that, it was very tasty. The noodle texture was perfect. Not too hard, not too chewy, and a nice bouncy texture. The sauce clinged onto the noodles perfectly and that was the star of the dish. The spicy seafood jjampong was my favorite of the two dishes. The broth was rich and full of flavor without being too heavy. I love spicy food and this hit the spot. Often I am afraid that these types of soups are way too fishy, but I didn't get that from this bowl. The flavor was great and they use the same noodles as the jajangmyeon so they were great as well. Just a warning, with all soup noodles, the longer you let the noodles sit in the bowl without eating, the more soup they soak up and the texture gets softer. We got the large size for both dishes and let me say that the portion size is HUGE. Between me and my 3 other friends, we couldn't come very close to finishing everything. It was just so much food. I ended up getting a Togo box and brought a bunch of leftovers home. Overall solid place. I might come back in the future if I am craving this type of food.
Glad to have good a really good Korean-Chinese restaurant that serves jajangmyun and jjampong nearby! I wasn't expecting much to be honest but it really hit the spot. Service was prompt. The place is nice and clean. Food is delicious and portions are great. The sweet and spicy fried shrimp was so addicting. The jjamppong had a clean taste to it. It didn't feel overly salty or oily which I appreciated. I really want to try their mapo tofu next time!
Friends and I got to celebrate and spend time with a dearly beloved little sister. There is typically a written waitlist to put your name on. We waited for about 10 minutes to get seated. Many Asians gather about here! The service is speedy and diligent. For a group of three adults and a high school mentee we got three individual dishes and one main to share 1) tangsuyuk - the sauce had a good amount of vegetables and the meat was a good portion that filled our stomachs!! 2) jjang pong and rice - I love the variety of seafood included in here and the vegetables as well 3) jjang pong and noodles 4) jja jjang myeon (black noodles) The spiciness of the jjang pong wakes up the taste buds in a good way! We all ate quite happily. I wish service wasn't too hasty however. For the remaining food, we got to take to-go. I love the side dishes offered - spicy radishes 깍두기 and pickled yellow radishes (takuan) 단무지. It pairs nicely with the dishes we got. The ambiance reminds me of a fast food restaurant to some extent. The place is great to grab a hearty Chinese-Korean fusion food. God bless you all.
Stopped by for dinner on a whim, can't believe this place is by the Hmart that I go to all this time! Parking is no big deal as it's in a plaza shared with a supermarket and several other businesses. The shop is decently-sized and does not feel cramped. Service was decent and quick. Got their Jjajangmyeon, Jjamppong, and Sweet and Sour Pork. We got some radish kimchi and pickled daikon for our food too. The radish kimchi was more on the sour side and was so addicting to eat as a palate cleanser. - Jjajangmyeon: Their black bean noodles is a solid option. It's pretty basic and not oily at all. Bouncy noodles, generous sauce, and good portion. With the side dishes and the Sweet and Sour Pork, it's just a great combo! - Jjamppong: Spicy broth, bouncy noodles, and hefty amount of seafood! I enjoyed their noodles and broth but unfortunately found the seafood a little fishy. They are pretty generous with the seafood, but it's average tasting for me. I can skip this dish as part of the order next time I come here. - Sweet and Sour Pork: This was so good! Very crispy and light, and the pork does not have a porky smell or taste. Paired with the sweet and sour sauce (that automatically comes on the side), so yummy! Their sweet and sour sauce was nicely seasoned and a nice compliment to a crisp piece of pork! This was my favorite of the three dishes! Overall, this is a great spot to satisfy your craving for jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork! Despite the average star rating, this is a solid spot to stop by for a great filling meal!
Great place when craving jia jiang bap! They offer the staple Korean/Chinese cuisine. Clean establishment with good food and service.
5 days ago
3 months ago
First time trying the Chinese place. I was craving a noodle dish, but the pictured menus convinced me to try their Mapa tofu with fried rice. I loved that the menus had an option of Champong soup for only $5. Overall was a great value and taste served by very attentive service from friendly staff. Would love to come back to try other dishes. read more
My friend and I got a large jjajangmyeon to share and it came with two side dishes. The large jjajangmyeon was more than enough to share with two people and we still had a little bit left over. The noodles were cooked perfectly however, the sauce was not salty enough and they didn't give the red peppers flakes to add to it if we like. The yellow radish was good but the cube marinated radish did not taste fresh, it was too sour. The store was pretty big but it was empty during dinner time on a weekend and the services was okay. There's definitely better Korean food restaurants around the area. read more
We ordered jajangmyeon and the deep fried shrimp in hot pepper sauce, both of which were delicious. The jajangmyeon isn't too salty even though the sauce looks like it might be a sodium bomb, and the shrimp is tasty, although I think I was hoping for a little more batter/crisp. Service was quick and easy. They provide various banchans to munch on while you wait for your food, which is a nice touch. The interior of the restaurant is simple with no frills, good for friends and family. Definitely a casual vibe. I would be happy to come back here for some more comforting food and would recommend giving this place a try! read more
10 months ago
For the longest time, I've been wanting to try this place after a friend recommended it for their jajangmyeon--and she was absolutely right. We ordered it and it did not disappoint. The flavor was spot-on, and the noodle-to-sauce ratio was perfect, making every bite so enjoyable. Of course, we had to order a few other dishes as well, and I let my Korean friends do the ordering since I fully trust their recommendations. The shrimp was fantastic and ended up being my personal favorite. I'll definitely need to come back soon to try their tangsuyuk--we completely forgot to order it this time! read more
Not sure why the reviews are bad but service is fast and food is tasty! My fiance and I came here for dinner around 6 Pm on a Sunday. It got very crowded past 6:30 Pm so recommend coming on the earlier side on weekends. Their menu is Chinese Korean fusion. I got the seafood soup with noodles and my fiance got the mapo fried rice. We also got a soju. Food came within 10 min. Seafood soup-light and flavorful, lots of seafood large portion for me! Mapo fried rice-spicy and hearty, fried rice isn't too greasy. Wish they had more banchan since it was only radish and kimchi. Overall solid would come back here to try other dishes read more
1 year ago
Wow! Korean-Chinese fusion! They are popular for serving noddle with black bean sauce. I was in OC/Irvine area visiting and came by for an early dinner. I ordered seafood fried rice with beef. It was served with egg drop soup. Delicious and flavorful. The portion was huge and shareable. The service was great. Ambiance is nice. read more
1 year ago
A pleasant time it was being introduced to a near and dear restaurant of my sweetie. She raves about this joint quite often and we celebrated her achievement of a milestone in life woo!! At first, we unfortunately did not enjoy our initial time here as the service seemed to be very understaffed causing the initial greet to take about 10 minutes. we didn't get a menu or water during that time, which is a long time when you're hungry! The waitress served us very nicely though when she got around! so no hard feelings. However, the food definitely saved the day and made up for the little lag in the beginning. the black bean noodle is a the billboard dish here, i haven't found anywhere that offered something this yummy! 2 dishes (black bean noodle and sweet and sour pork) came out to $45 including tip! not too shabby of a joint! If service amped up and maybe having more side dishes would make this a 5 star cuisine no doubt! read more
1 year ago
We went in on a Wednesday night around 8pm and there was no line. The waitress was super kind and friendly and sat us down and was able to get us water and side dishes right away. We were waiting on another friend to arrive, but they still sat us and patiently waited for our friend to arrive after telling them there was one more person. They took our order promptly and got our food out asap. The inside was also super clean. The side dishes are just okay. I've definitely had better radish kimchi. It had great crunch and crisp bite to it, but the flavor wasn't too strong. The yellow daikon on the other hand was very yummy with a nice sweet flavor and crunch. The jajangmyeon was good, but not my favorite. 6.8/10. It was too sweet and there were so many onions and not enough meat. I feel like if there was more noodles, it could have balanced out some of the super strong and sweet flavors, but they do have an option to order more noodles for a little bit extra money. Other than that, it was very tasty. The noodle texture was perfect. Not too hard, not too chewy, and a nice bouncy texture. The sauce clinged onto the noodles perfectly and that was the star of the dish. The spicy seafood jjampong was my favorite of the two dishes. The broth was rich and full of flavor without being too heavy. I love spicy food and this hit the spot. Often I am afraid that these types of soups are way too fishy, but I didn't get that from this bowl. The flavor was great and they use the same noodles as the jajangmyeon so they were great as well. Just a warning, with all soup noodles, the longer you let the noodles sit in the bowl without eating, the more soup they soak up and the texture gets softer. We got the large size for both dishes and let me say that the portion size is HUGE. Between me and my 3 other friends, we couldn't come very close to finishing everything. It was just so much food. I ended up getting a Togo box and brought a bunch of leftovers home. Overall solid place. I might come back in the future if I am craving this type of food. read more
Glad to have good a really good Korean-Chinese restaurant that serves jajangmyun and jjampong nearby! I wasn't expecting much to be honest but it really hit the spot. Service was prompt. The place is nice and clean. Food is delicious and portions are great. The sweet and spicy fried shrimp was so addicting. The jjamppong had a clean taste to it. It didn't feel overly salty or oily which I appreciated. I really want to try their mapo tofu next time! read more
1 year ago
Friends and I got to celebrate and spend time with a dearly beloved little sister. There is typically a written waitlist to put your name on. We waited for about 10 minutes to get seated. Many Asians gather about here! The service is speedy and diligent. For a group of three adults and a high school mentee we got three individual dishes and one main to share 1) tangsuyuk - the sauce had a good amount of vegetables and the meat was a good portion that filled our stomachs!! 2) jjang pong and rice - I love the variety of seafood included in here and the vegetables as well 3) jjang pong and noodles 4) jja jjang myeon (black noodles) The spiciness of the jjang pong wakes up the taste buds in a good way! We all ate quite happily. I wish service wasn't too hasty however. For the remaining food, we got to take to-go. I love the side dishes offered - spicy radishes 깍두기 and pickled yellow radishes (takuan) 단무지. It pairs nicely with the dishes we got. The ambiance reminds me of a fast food restaurant to some extent. The place is great to grab a hearty Chinese-Korean fusion food. God bless you all. read more
4 months ago
1 year ago
Stopped by for dinner on a whim, can't believe this place is by the Hmart that I go to all this time! Parking is no big deal as it's in a plaza shared with a supermarket and several other businesses. The shop is decently-sized and does not feel cramped. Service was decent and quick. Got their Jjajangmyeon, Jjamppong, and Sweet and Sour Pork. We got some radish kimchi and pickled daikon for our food too. The radish kimchi was more on the sour side and was so addicting to eat as a palate cleanser. - Jjajangmyeon: Their black bean noodles is a solid option. It's pretty basic and not oily at all. Bouncy noodles, generous sauce, and good portion. With the side dishes and the Sweet and Sour Pork, it's just a great combo! - Jjamppong: Spicy broth, bouncy noodles, and hefty amount of seafood! I enjoyed their noodles and broth but unfortunately found the seafood a little fishy. They are pretty generous with the seafood, but it's average tasting for me. I can skip this dish as part of the order next time I come here. - Sweet and Sour Pork: This was so good! Very crispy and light, and the pork does not have a porky smell or taste. Paired with the sweet and sour sauce (that automatically comes on the side), so yummy! Their sweet and sour sauce was nicely seasoned and a nice compliment to a crisp piece of pork! This was my favorite of the three dishes! Overall, this is a great spot to satisfy your craving for jjajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork! Despite the average star rating, this is a solid spot to stop by for a great filling meal! read more
5 months ago
Wait staff were very friendly. Overall the food was delicious. The jjajangmyun was on point and the garlic chicken. Kkangpunggi was really good. Not many places offer this type of garlic chicken in irvine. The only thumbs down would be the jjanpong. It had all the good stuff in it. But the soup was a little too watery and bland imo. read more
This used to be our favorite place for jjambong until the Hmart opened next door, but it's still the best kang-pong-seh-oo -- fried shrimp with hot pepper sauce. The shrimp is fried just right and it's still crispy even with the hot sauce. (At some places the shrimp batter gets soggy.) The jjambong is still good and it comes with half a crab -- which most places don't have. It doesn't have as much vegetable topping as the place in Hmart, but still good I also like some of the other dishes like yoo-san-sul-bap. It has a mild but still rich flavor and served with sides of egg drop soup as well as some sauce from jjajangmeon if you want to mix it in with the rice I also took a picture of the mug with ice that they gave me for my diet coke. A lot of Asian places don't have big cups of ice, so this was welcome. We always get great service. The staff is very friendly and very fast. read more
20 days ago
We had some colleagues visiting from Korea for work, and they had tried this place last week and wanted to come back for the third time since then, so it must be pretty good. If you're craving Korean-Chinese food like jjajangmyun or jjamppong, this place hits the mark. Today, I tried something new--mapo tofu with fried rice--and while it was a bit bland and not overly greasy, that's exactly what I wanted from the tofu dish. There were a lot of older Korean patrons, which always signals a traditional spot. Everything we've tried so far has been great, and I know I'll be back the next time I'm craving jjajangmyun or jjamppong! read more
1 year ago
We came here with two friends because we were craving Korean-style Chinese food. We ordered the spicy jjamppong (extra large), samseon jjajangmyeon, and sweet and sour pork. The noodles were chewy and overall delicious. The jjamppong had just the right level of spiciness and a generous portion, perfect for sharing. If you like it spicier, there's chili powder on the side so you can adjust the heat to your liking. The sweet and sour pork was great because the sauce was served separately, so it stayed nice and crispy. I really liked that -- some places pour the sauce on top, but here you can enjoy the crunch. Lastly, the service was amazing! The server was very kind, explained everything clearly, and stayed attentive from start to finish. I highly recommend this place! read more
10 months ago
Chai Lan in Irvine is such a great find! I ordered the black bean sauce noodle with pork, and it was fresh, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The servers were very nice and friendly, and the whole place felt clean and cozy -- a really comfortable spot to enjoy a meal. Free parking is a big plus! Highly recommended if you're looking for tasty food, great service, and convenience. read more
1 year ago
Their #6 noodles with seafood in black bean sauce was absolutely delicious! It's the soft and chewy texture of the noodles for me and how I got to control adding as much bean paste as I wanted. Although I could have used more cabbage than onions in the black bean sauce, but thats okay. It was still good nevertheless. The seafood included shrimp, mini bay scallops, and mussels? I'm not entirely sure on that but I gave those to my husband if there were any. We also got their fried rice that came with a side of soup. He said it was pretty good, but a bit more on the oily side than he'd like it to be. We will be back again to try other options! read more
We needed to pick up a bag of rice at Hmart and was planning on eating lunch at the food court but decided to pivot last minute and try a new spot. Chai Lan is right next door and we were greeted with a friendly welcome as soon as we walked in. We went with the jjampong and jjajjangmyun and was happily surprised with the generous portion sizes served. The noodles were cooked al dente with a nice bounce and the jjampong broth was flavorful and not overly spicy. The seafood was plentiful along with a good variety thrown in with my only comment being that the broth is a tad on the saltier side if you tend to like your broth milder. I'm glad we checked this spot out and will definitely be back on future grocery shopping trips. read more
The amount of quality Korean restaurants popping up in Irvine in recent years is astounding! This is easily in my Top 3 for Jajangmyeon and Tangsuyuk. I am sooo disappointed I haven't found this place sooner. First off, their portions are HUGE. The double portion of Jajangmyeon could have fed a minimum of 3 people and it was under $20! It wasn't the best but very close to being the best I've had. You can tell they use quality ingredients because the pork they used in the Jajangmyeon was so tender and not to mention generous! I opted for their take on sweet and sour pork which came as a salad with generous green onion and lettuce. The pork was tender, fried to perfection and the batter was just the way I liked it - crunchy yet chewy! Service was exceptional, they constantly filled our kimchi sides and we didn't have to wait too long after ordering. I'll definitely be back! read more
3 months ago
3 months ago
1 year ago
Found a fly in my plate, and the server acted like it was completely normal. She picked up my spoon, scooped the fly into another one of my dishes (contaminating that too), then used a napkin to take the fly away after confirming it. No concern at all, just brought out a new sauce bowl like nothing happened. The food itself was actually pretty good, but the way this was handled was careless and off-putting. My family and I won't be coming back. read more
8 months ago
Service here was good, and food portions was large. The pork had no seasoning. It could have used salt. I wasn't a fan of the sweet and sour dipping sauce. They seem to have a more traditional Chinese menu. I didn't see much that I wanted. The Asian diners love the place because it was filling up. Give them a try, you might like it i just didn't care for them. I'll go for Sushi a couple doors down. read more
4 months ago
1 year ago
I saw a reel about this place on IG and it has been on our list since then. I was really excited to finally get to check it out, and to my disappointment, this place does not live up to the hype. This Chinese korean restaurant is located in Irvine, and there's plenty of parking. Ambience: Typically Korean restaurant, most of customers here are Koreans. Food: Sweet and sour pork (5/10): As many people have mentioned, the pork here was so bland, even with the sauce. Jjamppong (7.5/10): The jjamppong is decent. They gave a good amount of seafood and the soup it not too spicy. Overall, my experience at Chai Lan was alright. I would not come back as there are many other Korean restaurant in town that has better quality food. read more
19 days ago
11 months ago
This place's food offers AMAZING VALUE. I came on a late Thursday night. There was no lines and it wasn't busy. It's located in the Northpark Plaza, so there's ample parking outside. The food portions were huge, filling, flavorful, and affordable. The food came out FAST! This is what we ate: 1) Jajangmyeon $13.99 - the black bean sauce was sweet and savory. The noodles were thick and chewy. The pork was so tender and nicely cooked that I thought it was beef 2) Side Soup $4 - a small but good size bowl of spicy seafood soup with veggies. It is decently spicy for those who can't tolerate it 3) Side Rice $2 - it was a big bowl of white rice that paired extremely well with the side soup and left over black bean sauce 4) Kimchi and yellow radish sides - they were free and added a great crunchy element to the meal The total before tip was $21.54, which is very impressive. The interior has nice, traditional looking decor. There's a hollow mini car that greets the front door with fortune cookies. read more
10 months ago
Favorite restaurant in Irvine for Chinese korean food. Their seafood spicy noodles & black bean noodles are delicious. Their fried rice is nice with lot of chopped vegetables. Loved their tangsuyook pork with sweet sour sauce. Interior is big but not many staff inside. The restaurant has many seats & tables !! read more
11 months ago
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More info about Chai Lan
3951 Irvine Blvd
Irvine, CA 92602
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(714) 389-1119
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Is Chai Lan still open?
Yes BUT their hours is random. Handful of times, they didnt pick up the phone when I tried to place an order around 8:40 PM…
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