I always order the same jjajangmyeon whenever I visit the Source OC and want some food. Price is fair for what it is although I will say it's more sauce than there are noodles to the point where there's still a pool of sauce at the bottom. I fear a ratio adjustment would satisfy this dish a lot more but also the meat swims in the sauce to where you can't tell it's pork. BUT I still like it just wish there was better read more

Mao - Jjajangmyeon - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

As mentioned by other reviews, staff leaves prepared dishes sitting on the counter until the entire table's order is complete. This means that most of our food arrived lukewarm to frankly cold, which compromised the quality of food. The only dish that was served hot was the very last one prepared. One and done for us after the disappointing experience. read more

My girlfriend and I were looking for some lunch at the Source and we stumbled upon Mao at the food court. You order via a kiosk and the food comes out relatively quickly, we had the Beef Jjampong and it was decent! Smoky, spicy, and the portions are large. Prices are a little high but the food is decent nonetheless. Service is nonexistent so don't expect any of that. read more

Mao - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

If you want delicious Jjamppong and jajangmyeon, this place is the the gf and I have had the OC. She grew up in Seoul, I grew up in Cerritos, and Mao is the only spot we've found that both of us were both in agreement of the quality of these two dishes. Jjamppong is on the spicier sides of the broth. Has a complex and full flavor broth, tastes like it's been stewing, and not just made on a whim. The seafood options weren't overcooked and the vegetables (onions, green onions, cucumber, and carrots) weren't overly soggy. Noodles had plenty of chew, and were not overcooked to be too soft. Loved this!!! It made me sweat so def on spicy side. The JJM I can't put into words. Like what? How did they get that flavor??? I took the sauce home and made rice just to eat into it. Don't skip this spot and it's worth driving to the Source just for great korean Chinese food. The best spot we've found! read more

Influenced by TikTok, I decided to give this place a try. My friend said her dad comes here for the 2. Seafood Jjamppong, so that's what I went with. The flavor of the broth was good and there were plenty of seafood, but when I couldn't finish the rest (not sure how anyone can at one sitting), I asked for a container and the owner wanted 50 cents for it! Come on now...really? They make you pay an additional 50 cent for each item you take to go. As decent as food is here, I probably won't be coming back and getting food somewhere else at the Source. read more

Mao - 2. Seafood Jjamppong - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Located in the fourth floor food court of the Source OC, Mao is a convenient place to get Korean Chinese staples like black bean noodles, jjampong, and tangsooyook. And it's especially nice if your friends and family are not craving it because there's plenty of other options and you can all share different things! The highlight for me here is the jjampong which has great portions, a good amount of toppings and actually spicy broth - a non-negotiable for me. I recognize that service is important and this place really really lacks in that category, but it's good food with reasonable prices and considering it's a food court, I'm willing to sacrifice. :') read more

Mediocrity at best and that's actually a compliment! Located at the Source Shopping Center in Buena Park on Beach Blvd., it's a convenient area to congregate with friends and grab a quick bite. Shiho & Mao is a combination cutlet and Korean-Chinese food court affair. I have eaten at this restaurant before and it is definitely spiraling down into the abyss. The only reason I see it still being is business is because it's the only establishment within the food court that serves up Koran-Chinese favorites. First of all you order from two kiosks located at the front counter. That's a nice touch and adds to the convenience of being able to order and pay in one swift motion. Prices are overly inflated. For what you are paying, I would have expecting larger portions especially when prices are on par with local dine in eateries. Food is mediocre at best, bland and starched up to the max to appear like a normal serving. From what my taste buds tell me is that everything is fried on the same old frying oil and all comes out tasting like stale Cheetos. Customer service or just being courteous to your customers is long gone. Staff is short with their answers to requests for plastic cutlery and togo boxes. I can forgive mediocrity when it comes to food but add bad service to that makes this an absolute place to avoid for the rest of my life. The people that I was with agreed. Do yourself a favor and stay away. read more

We came on a Wednesday at 12 PM and there was no wait in line. The ladies were very attentive to us and food came out within 10 minutes. The jajangmyeon was very filling and delicious but I do believe it could've used more pork. Portion size was great though. This is located inside the food court so it can be very noisy depending on the day! Jajangmyeon - 7.5/10 read more

Mao - Jajangmyeon - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

Ordered the Jajangmyeon (black bean) noodle with pork and vegetables. Was greeted with friendly service with the total amount being about $13.95 with tax. Portion sizes were plentiful and the sauce was a nice compliment to the dish. Really liked the pork and vegetables ( radish and potatoes ) with the addition of the soft and stringy noodles. I felt that they were a good consistency and that I was able to share it with my girlfriend and still be full. Eating can be through takeout or at the food court. Don't understand the hate for this place, highly recommend! read more

Mao - Jajangmyeon with Pork and Vegetable - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

Food is mediocre at best, people are rude, prices went up but don't include rice when it used to. They don't even provide water...excuse is it's due to Covid. I would not come here again. Why pay for mediocre food with very rude service. Purchased a pork dish that used to come with rice, now it doesn't. When I saw that it didn't come with rice, I tried buying rice for $1, didn't have cash, she said credit card would make it $2.00. She said I should have known it didn't come with rice. read more

Mao - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

Today, I ordered takeout from this restaurant. But the food I ordered was served on a dine-in plate and sat out for a long time, attracting flies because no one claimed it. After it got soggy, a staff member took the plate back inside and packed it into a takeout box and gave it to me. They didn't admit their mistake and just kept lying. I will never go back to this place again. read more

Located at the source, this Chinese restaurant is located on the 3rd floor of The Source. The lady who took our order didn't care much and was clearly annoyed that we showed up to order. The food was okay. It wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. No water so you'll have to buy bottled water or go to another counter to ask for a cup of water. Order: jiajiangmyung and Tang suyuk Comment: rude staff and okay food read more

Mao - Jiajiangmyung - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Located inside one of the food court in The Source, service can be a little slow during peak dining hours, but that is understandable. There are plenty of seats but again, because of the peak dining hours, they can be limited due to being shared with other restaurants in the food court. I ordered the jajangmyeon. Portion was huge for the decent price and very shareable for two people. Compared to other places, I would say that their black bean noodles were more on the sweet side and the sauce was thicker--I enjoyed both a lot. The dish was very flavorful and the noodles were perfectly cooked. The meat, however, was dry and hard to chew. Overall I enjoyed it though and would definitely come back! read more

Mao - jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

3-4ish stars. As others have said there was no line but it took a while to get someone to take my order and a really long time to get the food. Not sure how I feel about nothing but bottled water either. The food was fine. I think jajangmyeon is one of the more simple noodle dishes around so it's hard to not be decent. I also got the kung pao tofu which flavour-wise was pretty good (but sort of expensive) and for how long it took to come out, it would be better, in my opinion, if the breading had some crisp to it instead of the squishy tofu breading. Overall it was ok. I wouldn't say don't eat there if you saw something you wanted. read more

Mao - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Got food poisoning after eating here. The food wasn't even good to begin with, and the service was rude and slow. No apology or concern when I reached out. Never going back. read more

Best black bean noodles around the area. No frills, just good food. Quick service, nice people, no wait on a monday night.

We got some crab Rangoonies from here!!! The sauce is so good with the rangoonies. Service was quick. Would come back if I'm in the area! Craving satisfied (: read more

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I came here with some coworkers on a Wednesday, late lunch hour, and our overall experience was good. First of all, I really want to point out that if you read reviews for an Asian place and they are bad regarding service, it is pretty typical. It's okay, I'm Asian, and I can vouch for that, I think overall Asian establishments don't do well on service, but that's just how it is, and another topic. Secondly, in my personal experience, if a place is known for a specific item/dish, go there only for that dish. If you want to be adventurous and try other items in the sea of menus, you will likely be disappointed. That's how Asian places are lol! I was recommended to come here for jajangmyeon (black bean noodle), and that was exactly what I got! The jajangmyeon (black bean noodle), is very good here and is in huge portion. I couldn't finish mine and asked for a togo box. Their Tangsuyuk was also very good, crunchy and they serve it with the sauce on the side. It is accurate that they do not offer water in a cup, you need to buy. Also, on the day we went, their wifi was not working so they only took cash. read more

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Located on top floor (4th floor) food court. This place is one of my favorite places to get jajangmyeon. They make the sauce fresh so it can take some time for them to get your food out but it will be worth it. Trust me and try it out for yourself. read more

Ate their fried rice while visiting The Source last week. Bland, predictable food. Very little taste. The soy sauce they give you that are in those little packets really tore up my stomach and I spent the rest of the day holed up in my bathroom. Very low quality soy sauce. Lots of other options for food nearby so I'll skip this place in the future. I ordered right when they opened so service was reasonably quick. It's a food court so atmosphere is a little loud and energetic. read more

Pretty delicious jajangmyeon! The noodles had a great texture, but they are REALLY long noodles. The black bean sauce is a bit on the sweeter side. The portions are pretty decent. The customer service was a bit annoying. Though my friend and I stood there for a good 5 minutes, none of the employees seemed to acknowledge us and were mainly just focused on handing out food to the customers that already ordered. Not sure if they were understaffed... or maybe they just didn't care to let us know that they saw us waiting... Also: This place is located inside the food court at The Source. They get pretty busy on the weekend. They specialize in a lot of different Korean-Chinese fusion. read more

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I'm always on the hunt for some delicious black bean noodles, ever since having them for the first time at a fave Chinese restaurant in the city. The day we visited The Source OC, I was for sure having a craving. I'm probably not the best judge of jjangmyeon, or "good" jjangmyeon, but I do know what my tastebuds like. What we got: *Jjangmyeon w/ Pickled Radish *Fried Dumplings The noodles had the perfect chew, and I loved the consistency of the sauce and its veggies. However, the dish was overall pretty bland and needed a bit more flavor, in my opinion. The fried dumplings were crunchy and flavorful, so paired together, the meal was pretty decent. I always enjoyed a less sweet version of black bean noodles, so these were to my liking. However, they still missed the mark on flavor. I can't say that I expected a top tier meal since this was being served at a "fast food" caliber. Overall, it was mediocre at best, so I will probably forego eating here again unless I'm looking for a quick bite to eat. read more

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Food was tasty. Service was slow. The staff are friendly. That sums it up. My son ordered the broccoli beef which was a hearty plate of food. Generous portions were served. My wife ordered the shrimp fried rice and that was better than most I've had at other locations. Prices were a little higher than Panda Express or other establishments but overall a positive experience. read more

Mao - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

We tried this place, located on the third floor food court in the source. We orderes both the Jajangmyeon (Black Bean Noodles) and Katsu. And im not sure if you can tell from the picture but the portion is HUGE. You'd definitely get the mostest out of your money here. I'd also recommend sharing lol we had a hard time finishing because the portion was that huge, and we were sharing! The katsu's sauce is interesting.. it has a hint of sweetness, and I never had anything like it before. Definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

Mao - Jjajangmyeon - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

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I ordered an orange chicken entree from place last night and found it quite disappointing. It could be due to the Korean/Asian fusion but it definitely didn't tingle any of my family members taste buds. We have tried many different version of orange chicken and this was the least desiring. Though they just covered with the plastic lid, it was ube soggy and no tempura crunch in the batter at all. The sauce was very light brown and didn't seem to taste much like regular orange chicken. The price was super steep for such a small portion and we waited at least 20mins for this one item. Needles to say I will not be returning. Pros: free rice that comes with the meal? Cons: price and wait read more

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Worst JJaJangMyun I ever had... I believe the owner of the restaurant was trying to save JjaJang sauce or doesn't know what is Jjajang sauce is supposed to taste like... It was so bland, it really felt just like I was eating plain packaged noodles without any sauce ... I asked the owner if I could have any more sauce and they were extremely rude about it even after reluctantly giving me extra. Wouldn't come here again. Save your money. read more

Mao - Jjajang mein - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

I got the Jajangmyeon here and the portions is enough for two people to share. Some places skimp out on the sauce but this spot had alot, which was nice. The Jajangmyeon was good and tasty. read more

Mao - Jajangmyeon - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

When we first arrived at the counter, the ladies had ignored us for quite some time. I usually am okay about this because I understand that you get busy, but they didn't even acknowledge us. The food itself was a little bland. The fried pork was crunchy and I liked all the stuff that came in the sweet and sour sauce. The portions were very large for the price but overall everything was just okay. read more

Mao - sweet and sour pork - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

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I was eating the black bean noodles when I noticed a sharp thing in my mouth. Spit it out and found it was a piece of metal! I took it back and the lady was not really apologetic about it. She gave me a refund for the dish, but was not offering to remake it which was disappointing. I didn't expect much from this place because I already know they have bad/mediocre service but finding a piece of metal in the food is not okay. Definitely won't be going back. read more

Mao - This metal piece was in the sauce - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

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I love jjajangmyeon but I don't eat meat. There aren't many place that serve jjajang without meat, but Mao's has a spicy seafood jjajangmyeon that is pescatarian friendly. It's always a treat to eat here. The dish is tasty and the portion size is big. read more

they charge for to go containers !?!?!!?!? food was okay kinda pricy it alrightttttttt

We were craving jajangmyeon, so we ordered take-out from Mao Chinese Restaurant, which is located in the food court on the third floor. Our order took some time, but it wasn't too long of a wait. The jajangmyeon had a small amount of meat and a large amount of sauce per portion of noodles. It satisfied our cravings, but we've had better jajangmyeon before. Since the food is from a food court, don't expect the best taste and quality. read more

First time eating jajamyeon (black bean sauce) noodles. Very filling and flavorful - very slightly sweet sauce - reminded me a little of Japanese curry but with noodles. It came with daikon radish - a little spicy kimchi on the side would help. Decent price. There are chinese items on the menu - I tasted my friends mongolian beef dish from this place and the flavors were spot on. But it definitely is more a korean food place that also serves chinese food rather than a straight chinese food shop as the name suggests. read more

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PROS: - Their Jjambbong (i.e. spicy seafood noodle) is freaking bomb. - Their noodles are so chewy and delicious. - The Jjahjangmyun (i.e. black bean noodle) is decent too. - Portions are very generous. - Prices are very fair. - Located at The Source, plenty of parking! CONS: - Takes a little while for your food to come out. read more

Bad service. They would charge you for EVERYTHING that even other fast food restaurants would charge. Food tastes are terrible. Noodles are not even cooked enough. Felt as if I was chewing the raw ramen noodles. Strongly recommend that you do not come to this place!!! Worst place ever in my 30 years of dining experience! read more

This place is on the food court of, "The Source" and it is not your american style Chinese food. It can be described as Korean version or influenced... the origin is debated... The seating is open to everyone on the food court so it's not lacking but the metal chairs are horrible in sense of noise... either way that had nothing to do with the restaurant. Water is self serve with the katsu house next door. On my first visit, i had the jajiang myun or I like to say black bean sauce with noodle... it is made with different type of vegetables stirred fried with animal fat and sauces is added later. Noodle is placed inna bowl with sauce on the top. This place is not too salty and it is not oily. However my batch was bit watery later due to vegetable, either way it doesnt feel heavy after eatting. read more

Mao - Jajiang myun ^^ Black bean sauce and noodle - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California

Their JjaJangMyeon and Fried Dumplings are okay; however, the customer service is awful. Arrived shortly before 8:30pm on a Wednesday night. As I looked over the menu with my friend, the lady at the register told us to "hurry up because the kitchen is closing" aggressively and condescendingly. I have been to countless Korean Chinese restaurants in both the United States and South Korea; this place has the worst customer service of all. Additionally, they charge extra for takeaway orders. I understand times are difficult during the pandemic, but this is very difficult to understand. Considering the quality of food and customer service, I do not recommend this place. read more

Located inside The Source mall, inside the food court! It's right by the entrance to the food court, so it's hard to miss. I'm not a huge fan of their jjajangmyun, but their jjambbong is AMAZING! My husband and I both love it. Theres lots of seafood in there and it's a very filling bowl of noodles. Tangsuyuk is pretty good as well! Bottom line: try their jjambbong!! (Fyi, there are no sizes for it. It's one size and it's pretty big. If you're not a big eater, you can probably share one with a friend.) read more

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Now that was a pleasant surprise. Stayed in the Marriott across from The Source. Was recommended by family that lived close by. We got there late, so most of the restaurants were closing. So we hit The Grub food court. Not sure what to get, I looked around to see what others were eating. We ended up at Mao, inside the food court, and I ended up order the spicy seafood noodle soup. Giant bowl for 1, I finished it!!! I also tried the other dishes my family ordered. Awesome!!! read more

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Seen this place in the food court many times, and seems one of the less frequently visited places in the food court. When asking for to-go, the cashier asked me multiple times if I truly wanted to-go and not for here. Additionally, she took off her mask when we had trouble communicating, which made me feel uncomfortable. With concerns of a possible surge with covid cases, we should all try our best to follow safety guidelines to minimize that risk. I like the amount of seafood they put in the jjampong. While I took home the food, the food was still delicious! read more

Mao - Jjampong and jajjangmyeon - Chinese Near Me - Buena Park, California