Mike L.

Since SF is criminally lacking when it comes to Taiwanese food, pretty much every trip down to OC has to include getting my fix. Typically, that has always included an order of Beef Noodle Soup and/or Braised Pork Rice Bowl (I'm on a never ending mission to find the best of both), but, lately, I've been finding myself craving fried pork chops more and more! So, after randomly coming across Kingchops during my most recent visit, it almost felt like a sign that the world wanted me to come check this place out! From the outside, there may not be much about Kingchops that stands out in any sort of way, but the interior is another story - the decor reminded me so much of some of the eateries/cafes I've been to in Asia. More importantly, though, the menu is pretty interesting. As their name suggests, pork chops are their specialty and offer it as part of several different dishes, but they have so much more to offer. Whether you want something light or heavy, they have a solid selection of classic appetizers, soups, street foods, braised dishes, rice plates, both dry noodles and noodle soups, and dumplings to choose from! -- BRAISED PORK RICE Sadly, this left me feeling super conflicted. On the plus side, the pork was super tender and had a sort of lusciousness to it. On the other, the portion of pork felt light relative to the rice bowl and both some of the pork and the sauce felt rather fatty. -- DRY PORK CHOP NOODLE Ehh...this was fine. Not surprisingly, the pork chop was my favorite part of this dish, as the batter was crispy and the pork was decently juicy. However, while I liked the egg and the noodles, the ground pork was a bit dry and there was a ton of bean sprouts. Even though nothing that we tried impressed us as much as I had hoped, everything was far from awful. A small change here and a tiny tweak there easily could've changed things. Plus, service here is pretty solid, as the workers were friendly and our dishes came out quickly, and the prices are relatively budget friendly, especially for what you get. It's just that, given how it's Irvine, it feels like you don't have to go far to find alternatives that taste the same or better. All in all, I definitely wouldn't mind coming back, especially given how popular Kingchops seems to be and so that I can try a few items in particular, but, in the mean time, THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now.

Abbe W.

The pork chops are crispy and very tasty. The place hasn't been super busy but there were quite a few takeout orders. Service is self ordering kiosk or QR code ordering at the table. The staff are always very friendly and happy. My daughter and I really enjoyed the pork chops here.

Esli P.

Good experience overall. Their popcorn chicken rice plate was good and simple. Ordering is super straightforward, scan the QR code on the table, place your order, and choose whether you want to keep a tab open or close out right away, then your food comes out. It's quick and convenient. The setup is efficient and low-pressure.

Jin P.

This is my second time at Kingchops and once again I really enjoyed the food. The large portion of food you get for the price is such a good value! The porkchop is so delicious and I love the vegetable sides it comes with. We ordered the green tea and black tea with our meal and they were the perfect compliment. You order through your phone using the QR code on the table and pay up front. The lady working today was really nice and welcoming. She greeted us immediately with a smile and got us water. Great customer service from her. The ambiance in the store is so so pretty with the vines hanging from the ceiling. I should have taken a picture of it but I actually said wow when I walked inside.

Angela C.

This is a great spot if you just want some Taiwanese food that hits the spot. I got the signature beef noodle and the chicken leg rice. The signature beef noodle came with your classic daikon, pickled mustard flavoring, and the noodle was nice and QQ! The chicken leg rice was nice and crispy without being too oily, and the rice typically comes with the minced pork topping which we opted out for since we didn't eat pork. The rice dish also came with a side of seaweed egg drop soup. Great flavors and great portions! I also got a side of jasmine green tea for only an extra $3! The service was nice and quick, and everyone was very friendly! The tables comes with drawers of utensils so you can get them yourself, and ordering is done through the QR code located at each table. Ambiance was your typical casual dining, and had nice music in the background. Definitely give them a try!

Allison M.

I love the pork cutlet and all of its sides. It's juicy and has a good crunch. I got the regular size. Previously, the regular size came with more pork chop and a soup. Maybe they changed their menu since then. Would still recommend. Lots of parking and the interior is very cute and woodsy looking. Service is always very fast

Steve Y.

I'm sorry but spicy wonton should not be 90% soy sauce. Called and lady just said, Uber Eats you call them. No accountability. That's all folks!

Dagoberto P.

Service was quick, but we also went when they first opened (5pm crowd). I like that you order off the menu via website. It makes the experience more enjoyable when you can order when you feel ready, but they still checked on us before to ask if we had any questions. The popcorn chicken was good, it had a strong basil flavor too. I am not a fan of wood ear mushroom, so I just left it to the side. Food came out quick as well! The had a cold noodle on the menu that I'd like to try next time as well. The restaurant can get a little noisy, as the volume felt a little high and there were only two parties in there, but it's a casual dining experience so I didn't expect quiet either.

Christina T.

Cozy Taiwanese spot for a quick lunch/dinner, with some dishes being better than others. The restaurant is fast-casual, and you are required to scan the QR code for the menu and to order your items. There was one server working at the restaurant, who was very friendly and dropped off our ordered items. Ambiance is so-so, as you can see and hear everyone else in the restaurant. The plates average between $16-18 now, and we ordered popcorn chicken rice, pork chop rice, and pork chop noodle soup. The best item was the popcorn chicken rice, as the popcorn chicken was perfectly fried and had a ton of basil (which i love). The pork chop was tasty, but not the best I've had. The rice dishes came with a side of rice and (tiny bit of minced pork), sauteed cabbage and steamed broccoli. Sides were nothing to write home about. They also came with a seaweed soup starter, which was too salty to finish. The noodle soup was not good, the broth was flavorless, the vegetable was boiled lettuce (?) and noodles were overcooked. For me, the only thing worth coming back for is popcorn chicken or porkchop.

Kenny L.

We had the braised pork rice bowl, fried pork chop rice, and popcorn chicken. When we went I think we smelled that someone ordered stinky tofu. I honestly don't mind the smell as I like stinky tofu, but it's not for everyone. The braised pork with rice is great, I've always loved braised foods and the Taiwanese version of it hit the spot. Great flavor and a soft bite. The fermented greens goes hand and hand with braised foods. The fry on the pork chop was crunchy and not too oily. It was not dry at all and it paired well with the pickled veggies that it comes with. The popcorn chicken was decent, always love eating the crunchy bits of basil it normally comes with.

Archie S.

I had to come here and try their Crispy Pork Chop. I've been seeing too many pics pop up on my feed and I have been craving it for a while. Their menu seems like it may have a lot of items but it's a variety of starters, soup and rice dishes. I had ordered the Crispy Pork Rice, Cold Cucumbers, Spicy Wonton, and Braised Pork Belly Rice to try out. The verdict on the crispy pork is as I expected, it was delicious and that in itself would probably be the one item I will order again. It doesn't have the super crunch like a fried pork belly but the seasoning was very tasty. The cold cucumbers went so good with everything and even itself as it had a good flavor, and crisp to it. The wontons were nice, spicy and soupy as they should always be. Lastly the Braised Pork was very tender but the best item was the Crispy Pork for sure. The restaurant itself has a nice casual vibe as it's a small family owned restaurant and I'm glad I finally tried it out.

Amy C.

There are so many better Taiwanese places in the area than Kingchops. We've been here a few times, and I keep hoping it will get better, but it doesn't. The service is non-existent, and you have to do everything yourself. You order via their app and pay via the app, and all they do is bring the food out. And they're always in a rush! It's never really that busy. Plus, the music is super loud here; I don't know why that's necessary. The food leaves much to be desired, as they use the same vegetables for different dishes. For instance, "seasonal vegetables" are just napa cabbage and have always been napa cabbage. Why even say seasonal vegetables? It's so misleading. The popcorn chicken is a decent dish, but it is pretty heavy and does not have flavor. Avoid the beef curry at all costs; the beef is not edible. Bamboo shoots are okay but come with a lot of liquid. I found it overall disappointing and with bad service, it's a hard pass.

Kaylee L.

I ordered the pork chop rice, spicy beef noodle soup and tofu with preserved egg through Uber Eats. The pork chops came in a separate container from the main rice dish which also Included some minced meat, glass noodles, veggies and half a boiled egg. The pork chops flavor was savory and delicious and even better after I stuck it in the air fryer for a few minutes with a pleasant crisp in every bite. The glass noodles was also rather flavorful and enjoyable. The rest of the dish wasn't impressive though. There was only about a spoon of the minced meat on top of the rice and it was rather bland. The veggies were more or less a side of what appears to be boiled cabbage. And also some pickled greens on the rice. Next, the spicy beef noodle soup was a bit of a disappointment. The noodles were a bit overcooked even though it was separated from the soup in another container. I noticed it was already soggy at the bottom as I mixed it into a bowl with the soup. Despite it being called "spicy noodle soup" it was not in the least bit spicy. In fact it tasted a bit sweet with also a possible hint of cinnamon. There was only one piece of what appears to be Daikon in the soup, tiny bits of tendon and a few slices of beef. I also was not a huge fan of 2 large leafy greens, the kind that seems to be best suited for burgers rather than for soups. This noodle soup lacked flavor and spice, not indicative of the typical Taiwanese beef noodle soup one reminesces of. The tofu with preserved egg was a nice way to end the meal. While it was light, the green onions, soysauce and other garnishes really brought out a bold flavor for such a delicate dish.