Order Chai Lan Takeout or Delivery
Chai Lan Photos
Business Info
CHAI LAN ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Chai Lan
Recommended Reviews - Chai Lan
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
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.
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).
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.
4 years ago
Went here for my favorite - Mapa Tofu. It must have been an off night because my tofu was sour, the fried rice was old, and the whole thing was barely warm. It was brought to me almost immediately after ordering, but the rest of my party had about a 10 minute wait. I guess mine had been sitting around at room temperature waiting for someone to order it. This is my only bad experience here, and I've been 4 times. I really hate giving them such a low score, but I'm literally laying here praying I don't have food poisoning. Also, no one gave us the usual thanks and bye when we left. Sadge. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Most tasteless noodles I have ever had. The noodles are so thick and undercooked and zero seasoning. This place use to be ok but now it's absolutely garbage. So bad... read more
Pretty authentic Korean. I observed many Korean elder generations and mothers and their children dining here while I was here. Noodles with seafood in bean paste (double serving) 4/5 - Really hit the spot for that Jajangmyeon craving but didn't blow my mind. The noodles are LONG so definitely have to cut the noodles once down the middle or maybe even twice. Deep fried shrimp in hot pepper sauce 5/5 - a MUST, bouncy, fresh shrimp tossed in a tingly, crispy and slightly sweet sauce. So delicious Sweet and sour pork 4/5 - thick pieces of pork. Fried lightly crispy. Sauce has a forward bell pepper taste but is sweet and sour not too much of either flavor Prices are more steep than other Korean-Chinese establishments I've been to but the ingredient quality and taste were top notch. All this food stuffed my date and I AND we left with leftovers! Although the fried items didn't quite keep the same so would recommend trying to consume those within the day or better yet immediately after serving read more
noodles with seafood in bean paste: 9/10 rich sauce with a good amount of seafood in the sauce. noodles were cooked to perfection and married well with the sauce black bean sauce noodles: 8/10 noodles were a little stuck together, but the sauce was delicious and had nice chunks of meat read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Decided to take my family here for Mother's Day as it's close to home. It's located next to HMart so this my local "Diamond Jamboree...didn't want to deal with chaotic parking so I'm giving this restaurant a chance to try. It was busy here but had to be patient. I got the noodles with black bean sauce, spicy seafood soup, etc. Bill was reasonable as I factored inflation. Mom, sister and I enjoyed it. Will swing by here because it's local and don't need to drive because it's not too far from Irvine Marketplace and Regal Theatre. Another plus is the free Irvine shuttle near the restaurant at Culver Drive and Irvine Boulevard. read more
4 years ago
Awesome place for Chinese Korean fusion. More Korean influenced though, But very good! Loved the black bean noodles and the fried chicken with rice!! Gotta try the spicy seafood noodle soup (jjampong?) I always get all three when I go! read more
I can't believe I haven't reviewed Chai Lan before. I must have come here at least 20 times in the past few years, usually with work but this is a place I'd be willing to drive out of my way for--it's that good. The go to's here are obviously the #3 jjajjang myun (black bean noodles). You can ask them for a bigger portion for a few dollars more which I recommend for the especially hungry (or those looking to share). However, the dish that I look forward to the most is the #15 Deep fried chicken in hot pepper sauce with garlic. This dish is simply divine. I don't know what they do to prepare it, but it's unlike anything I've ever tried at a Korean/Chinese fusion restaurant (of which I've visited many). Seriously, don't come here and not try the garlic fried chicken. It's not "fried chicken" in the traditional sense a la Popeyes or KFC but more bite size. It's kind of hard to describe but if you don't mind a little spicy, this dish is the BOMB. read more
Food portions were very generous in size. The black bean noodle was bland, which was disappointing and the noodles tasted over-cooked. The enjoyed the ma po tofu and the dry spicy chicken. I would come back for the tofu and chicken again. read more
came here for the first time with my sisters. despite the slow service and given some dirty utensils with bits of food still on it, the food is pretty decent and there are really nice proportions for sharing/family style eating. the mapo tofu is a pretty safe dish, not too overly greasy. i REALLY liked and would rec the sweet and sour pork here. sauce is great, good fry and crunch to it, big pieces and meat without the fatty. we got some jjajangmyeon as well. good noodles, huge portion, and overall delicious. read more
1 year ago
A nice local Korean-styled Chinese food that my family frequents. Note: these are more family style portion sized dishes and good to share My recommendations: 1. The mapo tofu with fried rice: really good combo together. Personally I like it because nothing is too spicy or greasy and so this is a must 2. Sweet and sour pork: I really like the sweet and sour pork here because they don't seem to reuse the oil to fry the pork. Lots of other restaurants don't really care but here the pork is never burnt or the deep brown color when you know the oil is reused. It feels a little cleaner and the sauce is great 3. Noodles with seafood in bean paste ( ): if you like jjajangmyun, you should get this instead of the regular! The seafood is so good and adds a deeper flavor to the regular dish. 4. Stir fried sliced pork and seafood with vegetables: a bit pricey but good to share with the family. Other yummy stuff: - the udon has lots of good seafood - the eight flavors with vegetables is yummy but a little expensive - mixed seafood and vegetables with mustard sauce: the mustard is strong! they give you two packs but personally think one is good enough. Get it with the rice and so hearty and filling read more
1 year ago
4 years ago
사천탕면 먹었어요 ! 국물 얼큰하고 맛있었어요 ! 친구가 짜장면 먹었는데 짜장면이 더 제 입맛에 맞았긴 하지만요 ! 옆 테이블 탕수육 먹던데 엄청 맛있어보여서 다음에는 탕수육 하나랑 짬뽕 하나 먹어보고 싶아요 read more
5 years ago
Been frequenting this place since they opened and am hugely disappointed in their service. I called and was asked to hold...she forgot she left me on the phone for 3 minutes. They were not busy she just forgot. Hung up and calked back later, placed my order only to show up and wait and wait, while my order sat on the cart they made me wait. Again, they were not at all busy. When I finally got my food home the kkang pong shrimp portion was incredibly small, but worse than that there was a hair on the carton. Speechless & thoroughly disappointed in this place I hope to not return there. If anyone knows any alternatives to similar restaurants nearby please share! read more
4 years ago
Such good food... Their Black Beans Sauce Noodle is as I remember it from my childhood. It's a simple, no-fuss eatery, great for quick takeout orders but also with plenty of seating inside and outside. The service is fast and efficient. I will return for more. Highly recommend! read more
7 years ago
Ive only really ordered the jjajjangmyun here! Great price for the portion they serve. Service is pretty fast. Wish they were a bit more personable but nonetheless, pretty decent jjajjangmyun! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
I visited Chailan after a long time. After going to H-Mart, is it possible to do Togo? Is Dining possible? I asked the server. The last order is due soon, but he guided my family to Dining and go. We ordered in a hurry, and the food was served in a short time. Wow... Was Chai Lan's food this delicious? Seafood jjamppong, green onion beef, and pork tangsuyuk are really... All three were really delicious. We finished the paid in a hurry. The male server's service was friendly and excellent. The food was good, and the service of the men's server was the best. He told us that there's still time until the 9:30 deadline, so please feel free to eat. The tone of his voice was kind, and his eyes also smiled and said... We would like to give him 10 stars for being considerate to eat comfortably. I'm sorry because it's a picture of me eating already. I have to film it before I eat it. It's so delicious.^^ I think this kind of server should receive a lot of tips. Today's Chailan made us happy. read more
Ever since moving down to Irvine from LA last year, I've been craving really good jjajangmyeon (Zzamong in Koreatown LA is my go-to), and I would say this place's food meets the high standards that I have about Chinese-Korean food. I love that they don't skimp out on the onion and pork in their jjajang, and they cook their onions to the perfect consistency, where it's not too raw nor completely caramelized. Also, the portion they give is HUGE. My boyfriend and I split one jjajangmyeon and pork tangsooyuk, and we couldn't finish either. Their pork tangsooyuk (not pictured) had an interesting texture of breading (kind of reminded me of mochi?), but I didn't mind it at all. The outer layer was crisp yet the inner layer was nice and chewy. Sure, their food is a bit pricier than other Chinese-Korean restaurants, but I'd pay more for the quality as they serve the food here at Chai Lan. They have outdoor seating, but we did takeout and drove to a nearby park. The only downside is that it's far on the east side of Irvine, but that's where all the good food is at (haha). Really hoping they'll survive through COVID because I don't know a better place around Irvine that has legit jjajangmyeon! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Love the food and awesome place to vibe and eat to your hearts content! Service was fantastic as usual! read more
4 years ago
Great food and staff. We had sweet and sour pork, spicy seafood noodles and black bean noodles. read more
8 years ago
This place is super good if you want a good Korean-Chinese cuisine! I got #3 black bean noodles and #15 deep fried pork salad with sweet and sour sauce. It's a lot of food but quality is definitely good. You can also order the spicy seafood soup itself for just $1! Even the service was good too where the food came out pretty quick. It just gets pretty busy during lunch hours since the place is pretty small. But definitely recommend it if you want some good Korean-Chinese food! read more
8 years ago
Yummy! Their jja jiang mian is what I come here for. It comes in a HUGE portion, and is just so worth the $10. There is often a short line, however I've never had to wait for too long :) When the workers give you the order, you can also ask for scissors to cut your noodles (the noodles are often way too long thus making it really hard to eat). I always put spicy powder in my order, and it gives the dish the perfect kick. The noodles are super flavorful and there is a lot of bits of meat in it as well. I've never once been here with anyone who can finish the order in one fell swoop. I've also tried their fried sweet and sour pork and that was good too. Located in NorthPark Plaza, Chai Lan has ample parking options and is in the same plaza as a gas station, Chipotle, Starbucks, etc. :) read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
This place isn't as good anymore. The jajangmyeon had like 2 pieces of meat and the flavor was okay. The fried dumplings tasted like the potstickers you buy from Costco just fried. The jjampong was okay not the best and not the worst. I do appreciate how large the portion sizes are though. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
2 years ago
Today I ordered togo from Chailan, but when I got home and opened it, I found that the soup was full of rubber bands inside and top.Then I called them and told them that there were a lot of rubber bands in it. They just said to make a new one for me. I didn't have to eat it, but I just wanted to see how they would deal with it. I drove 15 minutes to Chailan but they didn't do anything, just asked me do I wanted more onions and Japanese radish pickles. Do they think I haven't eaten it before? I don't know how the owner running business like this. read more
4 years ago
I'd always wanted to try Korean Chinese food, but my Korean friend kept telling me that it's not the same as "real" Chinese food, and is adapted to Korean's taste. Since I frequent this shopping center for other lunch spots located here, I happened to notice this place and it looked interesting......as in, crowded at lunch times. So, I finally convinced my friend to give this place a shot. It's a typical little shopping center restaurant, but obviously newly opened, and has a clean, casual decor. All the tables were occupied when we came here on a weekday lunch hour, so we were simply asked to write our name on the waiting list. I let my friend do all the talking since everybody seemed more comfortable speaking in Korean. We didn't have to wait long before a table opened up. I took one look at the menu and was totally lost. I had no idea what these dishes were......although they sounded somewhat like Chinese dishes. Although my friend was familiar with these dishes, I thought the best thing for me to do was to just gaze around the place and see what everybody else was eating.....anything that looked good, I would ask my friend and get her thoughts. One particular noodle dish that looked very popular and actually, pretty darn yummy.......the Black Bean Sauce Noodle and the Deep Fried Chicken in Hot Pepper Sauce. Ok, so the noodles may not look too appetizing at first glance, but gosh darn it, it was really quite yummy and oh so comforting. It definitely wasn't that strong black bean taste you'd get in real Chinese cooking, but perhaps a very mild version of it. For further flavor, I was told by my friend that you're supposed to add some dark vinegar and mix it into your bowl of noodles. I did add some, and it did add some punch to the flavor, but honestly, I was quite happy and satisfied without it. As for the fried Chicken, my friend found it a bit salty.....likely from the hot pepper sauce, but I actually thought it was yummy, and enjoyed it very much. Yes, it was rather spicy because of the dried chili peppers in it, but it had very good flavors, and nice sized pieces of chicken. Note that, by the time the chicken is deep fried and then tossed in the sauce, you're not going to get the crispy outer texture anymore, but that's just fine with me....it's a personal preference. Similar to other traditional Korean restaurants, you get a few included salad appetizers.....like pickled radish and daikon. All in all, a very good lunch. My friend told me that these noodles we ordered is a Korean favorite and this is probably why 99% of the diners were Korean.....hey, if Koreans like this place that much, then it must be good! According to my friend, she will definitely be bringing her family here to try this place. read more
More info about Chai Lan
3951 Irvine Blvd
Irvine, CA 92602
Directions
(714) 389-1119
Call Now
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
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…
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
18 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
8 years ago
3 years ago
9 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
9 years ago
8 years ago
5 years ago
2 years ago
9 years ago
4 years ago
8 years ago
8 years ago
