Absolute gem in the Walnut Village Center in Irvine, serving authentic Uyghur cuisine. The interior…read moreis very lavishly decorated, with lots of regional design choices and very large tables, perfect for large groups and parties. - Small plate chicken: 10/10. Fiery chicken stir-fried with potatoes, bell peppers, leeks and served on hand-pulled flat noodles. Sooooo freaking delicious. The flavors were definitely melting on my tongue -- wonderfully spicy, aromatic, well seasoned. A really good portion of chicken despite the fact that it's called SMALL plate chicken. Chewy, springy hand-pulled noodles that were coated in sauce. - Tomato eggs Laghman: 7/10. Hand pulled noodles with stir-fried eggs and tomato. It's pretty hard to mess up tomato egg; the scrambled eggs were fluffy and not overcooked, the tomatoes were fresh and sweet. The noodles were different than in the small plate chicken, but just as fresh and springy. - Fresh yogurt: 7/10. A wonderful refreshing dessert to end the night. Sweet honey that grows thick and viscous atop the cold yogurt. Crunchy walnuts and sweet raisins.

This was our first experience with Uyghur cuisine and it was pretty good. We didn't have much basis…read morefor deciding whether this was a good example of the cuisine though The big plate chicken was good and the plate was indeed big. We had to take that home. And it's pretty spicy, so be prepared. The fried naan with beef was good as well. Frankly, I didn't think the fried naan really added much to the dish, and there were a couple of random French fries in it as well. The naan was fine, but not at all like naan from an Indian restaurant. This was just a piece of bread. The big tower kabab was just ok. I didn't think there was anyone special. The service was good and the interior decor was much nicer than the plain exterior would suggest.

Had an awesome experience here! The food was delicious, the service was outstanding, and the hookah…read morehad amazing flavor and was nice and strong. Everything was well worth the price. As well as the overall vibe inside is so fun. A special shoutout to Tommy, he provided excellent service and made the experience even better. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food, great hookah, and top notch service. Definitely ask for Tommy!

Came in on a Saturday night, we didn't have reservations but were greeted kindly and they were able…read moreto accommodate us and have our party of 6 seated in about 20 mins. We waited about 15 mins for someone to come and offer us menus or beverages but it seemed as though we had been forgotten. It felt like we were an inconvenience. My husband ended up calling over a waiter and asked if we could order as we had looked up the menu's online. Our waiter, George, was phenomenal! Super kind, apologetic and kept us updated throughout the night. He understood that we were not having the best experience, and was trying his best to make us feel comfortable and welcomed. We had a baby with us so we asked that we be seated away from any hookah, and they really honored that request and made sure nobody near us was smoking. The food was decent, well seasoned and tasty, but nothing mindblowing. Slow to arrive but it seemed like this evening in particular was just a new kind of busy for the restaurant. In any case, I think if you've got time to sit and chat and wait for food and service, you won't feel it as much, but we had a baby, and a group of hungry adults who felt every minute of the waiting. I'd probably come back on a weeknight and try it out again; hoping that we don't get forgotten about by our first waitress.

** this is from several months ago** t'was sitting in my drafts for a bit,…read more... Several beer pitchers in @ HACHI (just next door-shout out to them)-- for a celebration of a breakup, the end of midterms, or simply the triumph of continuing to exist (in THIS economy?? were all needing to praise ourselves for simply surviving) -- we found ourselves drawn, like moths to a fluorescently lit flame, to Halal Guys. Now listen. The food? Solid. Reliable. The kind of food that understands you are not here for nuance. You are here because life has punched you in the throat and you require a plate of rice, chicken, gyro meat, and mysterious white sauce to spiritually stabilize. I used to go to the OG one in NYC when i was getting punched in the throat there too. (PUNCHED IN THE THROAT BY ACADEMIA, FIGURATIVELY, y'all haver crazy imaginations outthere). BUT it;s the people... It's always the people... The staff. My siblings in falafel... it was 10 PM. You could feel the collective energy of "we have been serving drunk people since sunset and you are the 437th group tonight explaining your breakup story while pointing at the menu." Not judging, just warmth and the quiet aura of people who have seen things. Who have witnessed humanity at its lowest point: ordering extra hot sauce and then immediately regretting it. JC looked in my soul and I think he understood,,, everything. AND JESS! (my fairy wielding a spoon scooping the heavenly meat and talking to me like a therapist??) And they fed us. Efficiently. Respectfully. Would I return? hell ya i would. only to see if Jess and JC remembers me. JK the food is always reliable. y'all stay away from the hot saucres,

Easy and fast place for lunch. The sauces are the best part. The spicy sauce is so good and makes…read moreeverything better.

Dizzy Bird is located inside the Mission Viejo Mall food court. It is one of the first places…read moreyou'll see in this food hall. We came on a Monday afternoon. The service could've been a little more friendly. The young guy working at the register didn't say much and didn't seem to really promote the menu, even after I told him it was my first time there. I was really excited to try the food here with my friend. I was in the mood for whole pieces of chicken and I'm so glad I chose the half chicken plate. The plate comes with two sides and there were a few options to choose from. I selected a side salad and roasted lemon garlic potatoes. I was trying to be a little more healthy. Otherwise, I probably would've chosen the french fries. The dressing on the salad was really good and all of the ingredients were fresh. I really liked the pickled red onions that came with the salad. The potatoes were alright. The plate also comes with a large soft pita. And the garlic sauce was just right with everything . The star of the show was the juicy and flavorful chicken.I enjoyed this lunch so much. I can't wait to come back!

I've been to this location multiple times. The Classic Bird is my go to. The wrap is filled with…read moretender pulled chicken, garlic sauce and their own DB sauce. The garlic sauce is scrumptious! FYI Dizzy Bird is located in the food court of the Mission Viejo Mall, second floor.

First time visiting and it was a great experience. The staff were very friendly and patient, which…read moremade it really comfortable for someone trying the place for the first time. I ordered three tacos and they were very filling and delicious. Everything tasted fresh and well made. I also tried the mint yogurt drink. The owner was very thoughtful and even opened a bottle for me to taste first because he was worried I might not be used to the flavor. It turned out to be really good -- not sweet, but very refreshing. Overall a really nice experience.

$30 for two rice bowls w/ protein, olives, hot sauce…read more Great for a post workout meal! If you eat the whole bowl you will be super full, or if you save part of it you will have another meal Prolly been here at least 15x now, every time has been wonderful. Can't go wrong with chicken, fish, shrimp, or beef Vegan options available! I did like the garbanzo beans and they carry a lentil soup. Closed tuesdays ============ One of the most consistent spots for amazing and filling food! Some favs - all their meats are marinaded! #6 chicken bowl - comes with cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, white sauce, + hot sauce (but it's not spicy for me) White fish is cooked wonderfully for a nice crisp outside with tender inside Ribeye is cut a little smaller, but the flavor is there and it is well seasoned Shrimp is also a tasty contender (not huge shrimp, but not teensy tiny) and not plasticky Whether you go with a filling rice bowl, a baguette (soft and chewy), their wrap which is like a bigger version of their "Turkish taco", the taco variety which comes with soft, pliable bread.. cannot go wrong here at all. Kunufe I fell in love with, really enjoy the smaller size that's available for less guilt. Comes with cheese and a not too sweet syrup for a nice sweet, salty sensation. Hot sauce Bae loves it, it's a bit tangy for me Green olives Also a bit tangy for me , but bae loves as well Spinach feta pastry with potato I tried a sample of this and it blew my mind. I'll need to get more when I come back in. Not greasy and it was flakey and I'm drooling thinking of it. There are seats and tables available, but it gets a bit warm inside during the day. At night is no issue. The owner is always friendly and welcoming! Thank you for sharing your food with everyone!! (I swear a wrote a review for this spot..o.o)

Easily one of the best Indian restaurants I've had in SoCal. The ambiance feels upscale without…read morebeing pretentious. The interiors and decor are *chef's kiss. One detail I loved was the screen playing old-school Indian movies in the background. It adds a layer of nostalgia to the experience that's hard to describe, almost like the feeling you get watching classic black-and-white films. The food does take a little while to come out, but it's absolutely worth the wait. Service is friendly. Samosa Chaat (9/10) - An explosion of flavours. I loved that they leave larger chunks of samosa throughout the dish instead of turning it into one giant mashed potato bowl. Great texture and balance. Dahi Puri (8/10) - Refreshing, slightly spicy, sweet, and savuory all at once. Plus, it's a fun dish to eat. Lamb Curry (7.5/10) - The meat was tender and the curry itself was rich and flavuorful. Butter Chicken (8.5/10) - Packed with flavor and hands down the best butter chicken I've had in Orange County. My only complaint is that the portion wasn't bigger. I ran out of butter chicken before I finished my naan

This review is for their online ordering…read more This is my first impression of Mint. I live in Irvine and always eat at Southern Spice, Clay Pot or Natraj when I crave Indian food. However this time I thought I would try something different. So I ordered online with Mint. All the pictures and reviews were decent so why not? Well I should've stuck with my OG's because this was not it. I ordered x2 buttered chicken that was in a very small container (see photo attached) for $20 EACH! Garlic Naan that was $5, Mango Lassi also $5 and Gelato. First, if you guys are paying $20 for a small tiny container of butter chicken in LH please please do yourself a favor and go try Southern Spice. Their flavors are mouthwatering and the portion is huge. I understand inflation but this is ridiculous and the flavor is blah. It's like there is no spices in there at all just butter and tomato sauce AND the kicker...no rice! Super weird to me that they do not automatically give you rice! Like who just orders butter chicken or any Indian,Chinese, Korean dish for that matter without rice! I mean rice has to cost you guys a pretty small fraction no? Just give people 1/2c of rice! If not, at least you should make note of that on your menu so people know ahead of ordering. The garlic Naan is decent really no complaints there, the Mango Lassi they gave me was the size of a kiddy cup (see photo) Literally a child's sippy cup is bigger than what I received for $5 insane! And just to make matters worse, when I opened by bag they placed my gelato directly on top of the hot food! So when I took it out, it had completely melted. $10 for melted pistachio creamy soup, just what I wanted. You guys have to do better for your customers. I get the price increases but for what you are giving and the immense amount of lack of flavors...is wild. Save your money, drive a little bit further and eat some true Indian food in Irvine/Tustin cause this place is not it. The pictures posted are truly beautiful but pictures are not everything especially when it comes to food quality and flavor. I am only giving two stars bc the Mango Lassi and Garlic Naan were decent tasting.

Wagyu smash burgers?! Count me in! My husband and I ordered the skinty gully smash with pastrami…read moreadded to it and the Bhangra smash to share. From the two, the gully smash was our favorite--it's like a classic smash burger but the addition of pastrami enhanced it! The Bhangra smash was definitely different than any burger I've had before but you can definitely tell the south Asian influences in this one. The burgers were both enjoyable, however, they were on the oily side and felt a bit heavy. I'd say prices here were also pretty steep for what you're getting. I'd say that this is a great option for halal burgers, but I think if you're not restricted to eating halal meat, there are burger options that I like more. The restaurant itself is in a food court that has a decent amount of both indoor and outdoor seating. Service here is friendly and you could really tell that they're passionate about their food here (which is always positive points in my book).

Gully burger is located inside of a quaint little food court style area. When I walked through the…read morefront entrance, it wasn't quite what I expected, but it was nice. I had the opportunity to meet the chef and informed him that this was my first time visiting the restaurant and he said that I wouldn't be disappointed. Gotta appreciate a chef that's willing to stand by there product. And he was right, all of the food was amazing. I ordered the- GULLY SMASH 100% Smashed Wagyu Beef, American Cheese Sauteed Onions, House Pickles & Boom Sauce. JANGLI FRIES: 2 Smashed Wagyu Patties, Fries, Cheese Sauce, Boom Sauce, Raita Aioli, Yellow Hot Peppers & Grilled Onions.

Chicken Bonless with rice and salad Very delicious, well…read moredone chicken bonless juicy and delicious. And our server was Parto very good , friendly and polite We were here many times and enjoyed persian foods and music!

It was my first time trying this place. I had heard a lot of mixed reviews, but overall, I had a…read moregood experience. The restaurant was clean, and the ambiance was very nice. The food was good and definitely not traditional Persian, but I actually enjoyed the creative mix of Persian and Mexican flavors. The quality of the food was good as well. I especially loved the cucumber lychee martini--it was delicious! The samosas were also excellent, although the order only came with three pieces. Compared with other places that usually serve four or five, I felt the portion was a little small. I also tried the lamb plate, which was good, and the koobideh tacos were excellent. The service was okay, but there is definitely room for improvement. For dessert, I ordered the tres leches, but unfortunately, they were out of it. Instead of coming back to ask what I would like as a replacement, the server brought me tiramisu without asking. I would have preferred to choose my own substitute. On top of that, the tiramisu didn't seem very fresh, so I didn't feel it was worth the $12 price. Overall, though, I enjoyed the food, drinks, and atmosphere, and I would come back again.