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    Chai Lan

    3.7 (468 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Korean
    Open • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
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    CHAI LAN ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Chai Lan

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    Peter S.

    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.

    3. 해물짬뽕/ Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup with Assorted Vegetables
    emilee r.

    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).

    Jenny C.

    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.

    Jajangmyeon
    Sophia J.

    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!

    Katherine S.

    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!

    Seafood soup
    Yurie H.

    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

    Jagruti L.

    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.

    black bean noodle
    Brandon T.

    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!

    Spicy Seafood Jjampong
    Brandon C.

    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.

    Sweet and lightly spicy fried shrimp
    Emily W.

    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!

    Jangpong rice
    Michelle C.

    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.

    Jjajangmyeon, Sweet and Sour Pork, Jjamppong
    Michelle T.

    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!

    Lana K.

    Great place when craving jia jiang bap! They offer the staple Korean/Chinese cuisine. Clean establishment with good food and service.

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    8 months ago

    What the e. Found hair in my soup and i look over into the kitchen and no one in the kitchen is wearing a hair net. Disgusting

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    1 year ago

    My go to for cha cha myung and tansuyok. Family friendly pricing. I happen to frequent this place once a month

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    9 months ago

    ordered the jajangmyeon w pork and it was really good, def good ratio of sauce to noodles

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    2 years ago

    Chai Lan feels like an average Chinese restaurant--nothing special, but not bad either. It's a decent spot for a casual meal anytime.

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    Page 2 of 12

    Chai Lan Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chai Lan

    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… 

    View All 4 Questions

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