There aren't many Chinese-Korean places in the area (surprising, right?!?!?) so when I saw that this had opened up, I bumped it up on my bookmarks list and made my way here asap. Started off good enough. I immediately noticed prices were way higher from Ktown prices but I guess that's to be expected in OC for nontraditional cuisine. We ordered one jja jang myun, one jjam ppong, one tang soo yuk (sweet/sour deep fried pork) and one kkangpoong sae woo (sweet/sour fried shrimp). We then waited and waited and waited for our food. I kept locking eyes with one of the chefs in the kitchen but our food never came out. Then maybe 20 minutes later, a server came by to ask if we were ready to order. Um, what? So we all watched as he went back to the other lady who had actually taken our order, and we watched as she "remembered" the order in her pocket, took it out, then entered it into the system. Cue the kitchen chefs getting started on our food a minute later. Five minutes after that, our food was out. Wow, service is a bummer here huh? If the kitchen chef hadn't hounded one of the servers to get our order, we might still be sitting there waiting. So needless to say, we were all pretty annoyed. They didn't even apologize or acknowledge the wait in any way. But once we got to the food, all thoughts flew out the window. It was pretty on par with Ktown Chinese-Korean food. With the exception of the jjam ppong, which I found pretty bland, everything else was what I had craved. My favorite was the tang soo yuk, which came out lightly battered, just the way I like it. The shrimp sauce was a bit sweet, but that's per usje. Importantly, their kkakdoogee (pickled radish) was the exact over-ripe style I love to eat with my jja jang myun. They need to provide bigger side dishes for that because we had to keep asking one of the servers to refill it and we felt bad. Work on the service and communication here and I can easily see this place sailing far! read more

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Decent Korean Chinese food place. The place is clean and the food is good. Would recommend!

I've been living in Irvine for 10 years and there's always been a deficiency of Korean-style Chinese restaurants. I can confidently say that Chai Lan is a blessing to Irvine and one of the best Korean Chinese places I've been to. The servers are incredibly nice and the food comes out pretty promptly. The food also is not as greasy as most Chinese places. The Mapo Tofu dish is unique and delicious, and the Jjamppong has a good amount of seafood and is the perfect amount of spicy. The Sweet and Sour Pork is super crispy, and I like how they put the sauce on the side. The portions are also fairly hefty, although the prices aren't the cheapest. We waited for 5-10 minutes on a Friday evening around prime dinner time, which isn't bad at all. Will definitely be back :') read more

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Ok we wandered out on Sunday and came across Chai Lan. We ordered and ate outside. Our rating is 3.5 stars We ordered the sweet and sour pork and the black bean noodles(. There packaging was very good and separated the deep fried pork so it wasn't gooey. The pork was fried, but did not have any taste in the batter. Some pepper or five spice would have given it more kick. Sauce was light and good to balance the pork, not red and corn starch maddened like typical Chinese restaurants. The black bean noodles were cheery and more light onion flavored than strong black bean which maybe fermented or too salty. We also received Kimchee daikon and a preserved yellow radish. Nice to have. Service was friendly and fast. Fortune cookies in the car when you come in, they are a tad stale. read more

Chai Lan - Black bean noodle and sweet and sour pork - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Tried about 5 menu here. Pretty much all essential stuff i eat every-time i visit Korean- Chinese cuisine. Must try menu is sweet and sour pork! It's super crispy and crunch!! It is so darn good!! Their jja-jang is on spot too! And it is only $11 (10.99) Don't see that kind of pricing in Irvine. Chan-pong and fried rice was good too! I tried few more menu, but their name is too darn long. I will leave the rest to others. I would avoid typical lunch-dinner time. Cuz its full and you will have to wait a while. I ended up going elsewhere few times due to waiting line. Anyway good food here. It has become my go-to place. Try try read more

The food was good but maybe not as salty or flavorful as I would have expected. When we went there the service was just okay. Many of the reviews I saw were complaining bout the service. Portions were good. read more

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Phillip L. and I love this spot! (And we love how close it is to our house.) Great Korean-Chinese fusion food. - Spicy seafood noodle soup ($12.99): big portions and good amount of seafood - Black bean sauce noodles ($9.99): chewy noodles and ample of sauce - Sweet and sour pork ($16.99): also big portions and a lot of sauce - Deep fried shrimp in hot pepper sauce ($20.99): my favorite dish here! Love the shrimp flavors and the spicy kick. This spot is pretty popular too - we usually do take out, but the one time we dined in, we had to wait because both indoor and outdoor seating was completely full! read more

This area has been in need of a good jjajangmyun spot for a while now, and Chai Lan certainly fits the bill. Although the classic Korean-Chinese dishes served here won't eliminate my jaunts to Garden Grove any time soon, they do a more than adequate job in satisfying my cravings. The menu is pretty concise but contains all of the classics that you'd expect, like sweet and sour pork and fried dumplings. But the real test was their jjajangmyun which I found to be quite good. The noodles came with a great texture, and the black bean sauce had a nice thick consistency and was flavored properly. The premium fried rice we ordered was surprisingly tasty and came loaded with big chunks of seafood. The sweet and sour pork was fried lightly and tasted a bit less greasy than some other places. Overall, the food was satisfying and delicious. Considering that in Korea, there are jjajangmyun places strewn around every corner, it's nice to finally have one open so close to home. I imagine that we'll be ordering take out here quite often, which means that my jjajangmyun loving wife approves. Believe it or not, that's actually a big deal. read more

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I just visited today again. They are very crowd. We waited about 15min. The Lady who serving in hall Vary kind and fast flowing our order. Food is delicious read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been to Chai Lan more than 6 times and each time this place has never failed on its qualities of food. My go-to dish is the black bean noodles. I went on Sunday at noon and it was pretty packed. So waited 20 minutes or so to be seated. Ordered the usual black bean noodle (two orders of it). It took 10 minutes to arrived. However the sauce were not as tasty as before!!! Both bowls the same. I am not sure if it is because they were too busy to do a good job or what. It tasted like it was watered down from boiling the noodles and it didn't drain out completely. VERY DISAPPOINTED THIS TIME. I will give it a try once more during non peak hours to give my final verdict on their quality. read more

When Chai Lan opened in Irvine, I was really excited to try it out. I've been driving to Buena Park for Paik's Noodles to get my fix on Jajangmyeon and Jjampong (Korean-Chinese food, black bean noodles and spicy seafood nodles) and this shop opening up in Irvine got me hyped. However Chai Lan really misses the spot. The noodle dishes are too watery and the quality of the noodles is mediocre. The sauce and flavor doesn't really cling to the noodles and I lost my appetite. We also got the tangsuyuk (sweet fried pork) and it was too bready and lacks much meat. However! Don't let the poor ratings of Chai Lan affect you from going to K-Pop next door and by the same owners! That place is decent and the food is good read more

Great Korean Chinese fusion. Had the beef with buns and spicy fried chicken. Both excellent.

Foods are 4/5 , BUT.... what the point if they dont open the restaurant during their business hours. Seems like they closed 9:00 PM and dont want to get bother after 8:30 PM. Got confirmed by head waitress about last call order, its 9 PM and closed at 9:30 PM Either they need to fix their hours or fix their work habits. read more

Although food is good, customer service is slow. Like a typical Korean restaurant they are usually under staffed. I don't do dine-in for that reason but will only do take-out if it's up to me. If you're not in a rush or need fast service during your meal, then it should be ok. I am a big fan of jjajang (black sauce noodle) so I do go occasions here. read more

I ate dinner here with my family after my sister in law's graduation. 5ppl total. It was clean and had enough seatings for groups. We ordered 2Jja jang myun, 1 fried rice, 1 jjambbong and 2 dishes. Each dish came out every 10~15mins. It wasn't even busy. I got my dish when others were about to be done with their food. My jja jang myun was so watery that it looked like a soup. I recommend going to the one in H mart food court. Food and service were horrible. Never going back again. read more

Found my new local go-to Korean-Chinese food joint. The jjajangmyun is so good, a little on the sweeter side but still has the strong jjajang flavor, lots of chunky onions and huge bits of meat. The sweet and sour pork was also good, perfectly fried. They use a rice flour batter which I'm typically not a huge fan of because of the chewiness but they achieved the perfect crunchy to chewy ratio. I also asked them for a side of jjamppong soup and they happily provided it. I saw a bad review of the fried dumplings, but the last time I had them, they were amazing. It's hard to find dumplings that are fried but still juicy inside. Most importantly, every time I go I see several tables of middle-aged Korean people eating and drinking beer and soju which is always a good sign. I've only ordered takeout from here but I'd love to go back soon to dine-in and have some soju with all the yummy food! read more

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They have a very mediocre jiajiang myeon (black bean noodles). They have a sweet and sour pork that's massive but isn't particularly good. Also their friend rice isn't good. read more

Every once in a while get a craving for black bean sauce noodles aka aka jja Jang myun and for some reason our usual Paik's noodles inside Zion market said it had special hours aka were closed. Figured it was a sign to try somewhere new and picked up from Chai Lan. Happy to report that it's a little teeny bit pricier than Paik's but yummy, and probably worth the difference. I like that they have a large option which is great for sharing without buying two orders, and my husband LOVED their deep fried shrimp in hot pepper sauce (). We also got an order of the steamed rolls which feel like part of the experience, and note they provide danmuji (yellow picked radish) and onions and black bean (?) sauce, if you want it. Tip: you can see the menu and order online but there's a small fee, so I'd call in your order to save that. read more

The workers were very hardworking, and I had a great meal here. Even though it was very busy, their service was excellent. Overall I was impressed. Even on Christmas, this place is awesome. read more

This is a new place that replaced TK which was one of my family's favorite. The new comer is a Korean-Chinese (Kor-Chi, love the abbreviation) restaurant. Our visit was the weekend after they had opened. My husband and I love Korean BBQ but at the same time we also enjoy Korean noodle soup. Their menu is not very big but covers a good variety. I always love Champong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup). I was excited to see they have it on their menu. It's pretty spicy for me. The flavor isn't as seafood-ty as I would like but has a decent taste. We order their Deep Fried Shrimp in Hot Pepper Sauce. This is pretty good. It's not too spicy but very good flavor and definitely very unique. Their dumpings were very good. A good size and not too greasy. My daughter is probably one of the few kids that doesn't like noodle so she always wants rice and meat. We decided to get her the Stir Fry flank steak with vegetables in savory brown sauce, with rice instead of buns. The flank steak is very tender and very good flavor. She ate very well there. Overall, I thought the service was OK. They are probably new and still improving with the influx of customers. Their prices are on a higher end with decent portion. Typical of Irvine prices. I saw a lot of tables ordered jajangmyun and sweet and sour pork (sauce on the side). Those will probably be my on to-try list. read more

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I was in chai Lan for dine in dinner today. Two group in front of me, six tables has been served. It was kind of long before a lady start to say Hello to us. I was kind of annoyed. Then I realized that is only one Korean lady she has to set the table, clean table, check the bill and serve to go. Omg! I decide to wait patiently, see how was her attitude of doing multi jobs at one time. I sit and order, she serve with smile and apology for the delay. I totally pay high respect on her, and blame the owner for stingy. After dinner, I ask her name and she was kind of shy and politely declined for the glory. What a respectful , delighted, diligent lady, employee, she deserves a high raise I insist she wrote down name to me. She is Su Hee Kim I will come back and reward anyone who respect their job! I am a new Chinese immigrant, never leave review, but I think good people deserve good result. read more

The prices are super reasonable and the portion sizes are huge. The server was so nice and helpful today! They are pretty authentic - specifying chinese-korean which is a very specific type of cuisine. We will definitely be coming back. read more

Unreal!!! A great into into a Korean food that isn't Korean bbq. This place is a Chinese Korean Bistro! I go 2x's a week.

Good food and good service. Shared one order of jajangmyeon and an order of salt and pepper fried chicken. Noodles are pretty big so it was definitely enough for two and we had leftover chicken. Definitely like this place more than Lunar. Tastes better and is cheaper as well. read more

Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Based I two dishes I tried it was great. Nice individual taste to each dish. Fairly priced with plenty of food. Fast and good service read more

yummy yummy get in my tummy. truly masisseoyo. i have never been blessed more by a nice korean noodle spot.

FOOD - jjangmyeon: portion size was pretty small compared to other restaurants, it didn't taste that much better than the instant packets - jjamppong: needed more flavor - sweet and sour pork: too much batter to pork ratio, I tasted more oil than I did meat SERVICE I gave this review the 4th star because of the service. The servers were really friendly, quick and attentive. AMBIENCE The restaurant had modern decor and was very clean. read more

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Never knew Koreanized Chinese food was a thing! My friend has been talking about it for months and I finally got to try it. Spicy Seafood and Vegetable Noodles - delicious! Definitely has a kick to it so beware. The texture of the noodles we're on point! There were a mixture of clams, shrimp, octopus and squid along with vegetables. Definitely a comfort food kind of dish. Black Bean Paste Noodles - I'm used to the more salty almost fermenty taste of the Chinese black bean sauce, but this version had a bit of sweetness to it. And it wasn't salty. Nice taste. Would have been nice if there was a bit more meat. The pieces of beef were very tiny. Sweet and Sour Pork - this dish was a let down for me. The batter was too doughy and chewy. I was not expecting that. I was hoping for a crispy texture. read more

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I ordered my food to go. I arrived on time they said but the any servers didn't greet me and treated me like a ghost. Even my food wasn't ready. One server wanted me to be out and wait more because the food wasn't ready yet. Their service was really poor. read more

Food is good and service is okay. They spilled hot jjambbong on my dad while serving. I did not like that at all but the server seemed like he was not experienced as much as other servers. Humans make mistakes so i understand but did ruin our family vibe during our mothers day out celebration. Despite the spillage, my dad really loved the jja jang myun and the jjambong. This is the classic korean-style chinese food you would get. This place is still my go-to for chinese food cravings. read more

Had a takeout and found their food decent. Liked their menu choices. Good variety. Spicy "seafood" noodle soup is a nice option when someone does not eat meat. Want to try their other dishes. read more

Chai Lan - Spicy seafood noodle soup, Black bean noodle, Eight flavors of seafood and veggies, Fried dumplings, Sweet & sour pork - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I moved into the general area about a year ago and found this place because we were looking for some good Korean food, especially black bean noodles and the sweet and sour pork. Needless to say, we found our new favorite local Korean spot. Note: we've only had takeout due to the pandemic, duh. Cost: I think the price for the black bean noodles is a good deal and pretty fair considering the quantity they give. At first, I was skeptical about the price for the sweet and sour pork, but I remember other places charge about $2 less but the quality is nowhere nearly as good as here. Food: The only issue I have with the black bean noodles for takeout is that the noodles themselves are stuck to each other so you'll have to work for it at home to separate them. Otherwise, they give a generous amount of black bean sauce. The texture of the pork is amazingly crunchy which sold it for me. Service: Very polite and kind staff though the only interaction I've ever had had been strictly limited to a takeout so I can't say too much otherwise. Atmosphere: N/A read more

I wanted to like this place so badly but the noodles really missed the mark. The jjajjangmyun sauce is not bad but the noodles themselves were very starchy and left a sticky film with every bite. The jjampong is all about the broth and this shop's broth didn't taste like an authentic jjampong broth. I thought the service was a bit lacking because we needed to hail the staff by waving at them every time we needed something. Truthfully, I'd rate the food between a 2.5 and 3. Edible but not worth writing home about. read more

Chai Lan - Jjampong--sadly the broth missed the mark. - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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We picked up a to-go order of jajangmyun, jambong, fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and stir fried glass noodles. I only ate the glass noodles and fried rice, and both dishes were bland. My friends also thought their noodle dishes were just okay even though they make their noodles in house, which is always a plus. I believe this place is the sister restaurant of K-Bop right next door because their take out containers had both restaurant names on there. This is an easy place to grab a quick meal, but none of the food really stands out. read more

My husband came gere all the time fir their Jampong- spicy noodles and Jajangmun- black sauce noodles. The food was ok with a huge portion of each. The atmosphere was great. They follow the Covid guidelines. Mask required. read more

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리뷰가 좋아서 갔지만 the taste was below average. I personally would not come back when I crave Chinese food. Service is good.

This is DISGUSTING! A fly in my sweet sour pork sauce. Never eating here again. This is DISGUSTING! A fly in my sweet sour pork sauce. Never eating here again. This is DISGUSTING! A fly in my sweet sour pork sauce. Never eating here again. read more

Chai Lan - This is DISGUSTING! A fly in my sweet sour pork sauce. Never eating here again. - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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When the host is calling your name and you follow her inside, the host is suddently gone and they never told you where your table is. We waited 5 more minutes inside and nobody bothers to come to us and show us the seating. The menu is confusing. they listed items under noodle, rice....etc. however If I'm not wrong, all the items from number13th aren't rice items anymore. The menu makes you think all the dishes from number 13 onwards comes with noodles or rice. It's very confusing. Being a Kdrama fan for such long time, they showed people eating Jia jiang myun in almost every Kdrama series and movies. It makes you think Jia Jiang Myun is the a must eat thing in Korea, It's like if you haven't tried Jia Jiang Myun, then you are not hardcore KDrama fan enough. I often pictured myself rolling the perfectly mixed Jia jiang myun on my chopsticks and put it slowly into my mouth in slowmo mode. After having Chai Lan's Jia Jiang myun, I stopped watching every tv series that shows up with Jia Jiang myun. It's a freaking lie. ---Jia Jiang myun: It's almost vegan. It's sweet, gluey, there is only onion cubes inside together with 3 pieces of broiled pork meat that as big as my top pink nail. The only good thing about this dish is the noodle. Noddle is perfectly cooked. it's al dente. Don't come wearing light coloring clothing, cuz the sauce is going to dangle everywhere. -++Spicy seafood noodle: Noodle is al dente, broth is bold and beautiful, vegetables are crisp and generous, seafood selection are a bit chewy and boring. --- Sweet and sour pork: Pork sticks are all glued together, the pork meat is chewy and dry, sauce is boring. Not a big fan. We will probably try their other dishes, hopefully their other dishes will be better than that freaking Jia Jiang Myun that breaks my Kdrama foodie tour. read more

Chai Lan - Chai Lan - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Service was so bad. Will never visit again. Servers did not take our order for 20 mins even we called multiple times. We just left the store and none of servers realized. read more

This place was terrible food tasted like a coal it was burnt to a crisp. The cooks need to prepare better.