It's been a while since I last had Sichuan food around Irvine. A few days ago, I happened to see on Xiaohongshu-- Hu Yi Nan actually opened a new location in Irvine! After the weekend training, we immediately came to check it out. Overall, the food was as delicious as ever--the layers of flavor and the signature Sichuan spiciness were just right. If you're in Irvine or nearby OC and craving some Sichuan cuisine, this new spot is definitely worth a visit! read more

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It's a small and cozy place! Their Chinese food is really authentic. Specially love this eggplant pepper preserved egg dish! Compared to the ones I tried at the other restaurants, this one is flavorful and not greasy at all. Super yummy. read more

Master Hu - Eggplant - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

The flavors are on point. No doubt. You can also request to customize the level of spiciness. Not a big fan of the mobile order system. I'd rather just walk up to the counter to order. Can be crowded at dinner time. Very family friendly environment which tells you they can make food to be less spicy for kids. read more

Master Hu - Fresh Steam Red Chill Fish - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Master Hu is honestly the best Hunan-style restaurant I've had in Irvine so far! The flavors are very authentic. Even though these dishes look similar in color, each one tastes completely different and unique. We ordered the Stir-Fried Pork with Green Peppers, Peppercorn Chicken, and Stir-Fried Intestines -- every single dish was amazing. I'm literally drooling again just writing this review One tip: after you finish the meat, definitely pack the leftover green peppers to go. They're incredible mixed with rice later -- super fragrant and satisfying. The only thing I'm still waiting for is Dry Pot Fish Roe. That's one of my favorite Hunan dishes, and I really hope they'll add it to the menu someday! read more

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Master Hu replaced the former I-Tea Cafe in a busy plaza at the corner of Jeffrey Road and Irvine Center Drive. The reason I gave a less than stellar review was two-fold. The first was due to the subpar service which is consistent with what one might expect from a Chinese restaurant. A young man seated us and we were instructed to scan the QR code to view the menu and order. The two available servers only brought dishes to our table and showed up to collect payment for the bill, so we had very little interaction with the wait staff. They def did not check to see how we were enjoying our meal and they were also very difficult to call over. The second reason was due to false advertising. The restaurant has several large posters on their walls promoting their dishes, but it was extremely disappointing that they feature noodle dishes on a few of them, yet they no longer serve any noodle dishes. Having said that, we ordered four different dishes and they were all greasy and flavorful - just the way I like my Chinese food! If you're looking for a local Chinese restaurant with good food and can sacrifice the service, then Master Hu might be worth a try. read more

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This place has some contradictions but the food is very good. So, from the outside it has a little bit of the look of a cheap hole-in-the-wall place in a small plaza. And the dining room is small and also has the feel of a cheap quick take out place. The tables are pretty cheap with no table covers and you have to scan the QR code to see the menu. I'm fact, you have to order on your phone! But the dishes, the portions, and the prices are more like a nice white cloth full-service restaurant. My wife and I ordered two dishes and a vegetable side and we couldn't finish any of it -- the portions are large. The stir-fried Chinese lettuce was the best. Very nice flavor without being overpowering. The greens were nicely cooked -- neither under or overcooked. The stir-fried pork belly was good but a little tough for pork belly -- you expect pork belly to be really soft, but it wasn't. Also, there was some strong flavor that we didn't really like ... Maybe taro or something. The braised tofu was very good and very rich. It wasn't as hot as it looked, so that was good. Overall, we had a very good meal. We'll definitely come again to try some of the other dishes. read more

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Wahaha guess what! I'm back, for a big party and they definitely made some changes after soft opening. First off, the prices are more expensive but the portions are also different ( no longer the small clay pots). However, rice has become more on the expensive side per portion. AUTHENTIC HUNAN CUISINE no seriously, it will be a spicy rice thief. I definitely recommend bringing someone here to show them reaI chinese food if they can handle the heat. Still popular as ever so definitely expect a waitlist when you arrive, or come at opening as seating is a bit tight and best suited for 2 parties. Bowls/plates are more casual and extra utensils/napkins found on the side of the table. Service is limited as there isn't much staff and they aim for quick turnaround d/t limited space. Also the tables might be too small for your dishes lolol. !! This restaraunt is really yummy however i highly warn against the chili fish and to stick with their dry stir fry dishes. For some reason the fish we ordered had an incredibly bad fishy taste instead of fresh and it went into the sauce as well Green peppers with beef- fried well, wok hei, tender Braised pork w/ dried pickled mustard- really tender and perfect presentation. Big portion. Like Chinese version of bossam? It is not too strong in braised flavor, but enjoyed and looks good. Big pot Beef with cilantro and chili- kinda taste the same, but tender as well, basic young? (Smaller) lotus root w/ meat- apparently this kind of lotus root is hard to find here. A bit sour but tender/crunchy, native approved Spicy beef noodles- their noodles are kind of ehh, the noodles itself good but broth can be oily **** cured meat w/ dried radish stirfry- my absolute favorite, hits the target. Must eat with rice. Its wok hei, oily, spicy, dry. Delectable hunan style. Pickled veg rice- kind of basic and a bit empty they really cut down on rice Braised pork ribs - didn't try too much again think good flavor but don't remember if specifically tender Dried tofu strip noodles- great if you need something fresher/not spicy. Has solid Braised flavor Braised tofu- a meatier/firm block of tofu also with the distinct slightly sweet/soy sauce Braised taste, not spicy Green peppers with century egg- a must try hunan dish, it was cooked tender and can be a fun experience to smash ( as it should be). staple food. It ended up being in the pricy side with around $45 a person ( biig party and big meal as can see above) read more

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尔湾为数不多能吃的餐厅 猪油混油现炒 各种湘菜调味味型都没问题 下饭 辣度低 一人食 瓦钵饭OK 稳定不错的食堂选择 一行人点菜不推荐 菜量偏小价格高 【小炒肉】 豆豉蒜香没错 配菜这次问题大了 辣椒满可口 可惜切太碎一非常挂油二没口感 肉片切的都快找不着了 没啥可说的 【衡东脆肚】 挺特别的部位 猪小肚 细卷脆韧，甚至咬不断 脆肚用苏打粉抓洗 洗的干净 什么味都没有的 泡椒酸藕带的调味也没进去猪肚 不大好吃 配菜里找肚丝 藕带自身脆嫩酸辣还可以 【脆笋炒腊肉】 笋片水沥得不够干 盘底油水深 烟熏腊味是很香的很够湖南风味 肥糯皮带劲儿 好吃夸夸 【米汤芋头青菜钵】 中规中矩 口味偏重 用的小豆苗 汤吃不出芋头香气 【米饭】 烂米饭 刚开业时候非常好吃 生意火爆得不得了 老板娘每天在店里接收反馈认真改进 告诉我们菜是怎么做的鱼是哪里来的 地板永远是油光呲溜的要小心地滑 瓦钵蒸饭 炒码粉 鸡汤都是我们爱点的 那是我们第一次体验瓦钵蒸出的饭粒的惊喜 由于太费时慢慢都不再做 菜也是做的越来越随意 只能说体验一次不如一次 我们过来的频率也一直在下降 出菜很快现在 应该不会再去吃 read more

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Overall pretty good and food arrived fast! Portions were good and the meat wasn't too fatty. Inside was nice and clean and you order yourself through QR code. I don't know if I would back though just because I've had better hunnan food nearby. read more

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The service is super nice, and the food is delicious. We had the signature spicy fish, the steak and baby lotus (my favorite) as well as the pork intestine and pickles. And a vegetable side. My dinner partner is from the Szechuan province and he also gives this place a thumbs up. Portions are quite large and shareable, so price and value is fair. The restaurant is nice and clean and comfortable. No complaints here and would come back anytime. read more

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Absolutely loved this spot! They have a wide selection of food: noodles, rice dishes, stews, dessert, tofu, etc. You order from a QR code and the food comes out very quickly! Everything I ordered was delicious and I especially enjoyed the sour lotus root and steak and the osmanthus milk white dew, a milk pudding/jelly with osmanthus syrup. Most of their dishes are a little spicy, but I didn't find any of them to be unbearable. This place seems pretty popular and typically has a line, but I only waited about 10 minutes for a table of two. read more

Master Hu - Hot braised tofu, osmanthus milk, picked beans with beef noodles, sour lotus root & steak, hand torn cabbage, aromatic spicy beef brisket - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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A relatively new restaurant, Master Hu still had a sign that said "soft opening" on the door. The menu is only partially available as of this review. The waitress stated they have been open 1 month. Ambiance: Clean and cozy, the restaurant has contemporary Chinese music playing and is well lit. Seating is relatively limited due to the small size of the restaurant. It was not busy when I dropped in on a Saturday night around 6pm. English speakers beware, the staff may not be able to fluently communicate with you, but they try hard! Menu: their online menu accessed through the QR code on the table was pretty decent, but most items are grayed out (I assume due to soft opening). There are not enough pictures of the menu items and some are only in chinese, so this may be hard for non-chinese patrons to figure out what dish to order. What I tried: I was originally looking for a Chinese restaurant with a good beef noodles soup. They only have rice noodles, no flour noodles, so I opted for I their Aromantic Spicy Beef Brisket with rice ($15.88), a Soy Sauce Rice ($9.88), and a Plum drink ($5.88). Thoughts: Beef Brisket: very flavorful and spicy. Tender beef with bell pepper, garlic, hot peppers. Went well with white rice. Beware, the rice portion is deceptive in the pictures. They use a large bowl and the rice is only approx 1" deep, which was not enough for me (I have a normal appetite). The portion of the brisket is also too small for an almost $16 dish, but would definitely try again. Note: another serving of rice would be additional $3. Soy Sauce Rice: refer to my comment on rice portions above. It is the same size as the rice that came with my Brisket. I ordered this dish thinking that it was something more, but it is literally white rice, with a drizzle of Soy Sauce in the middle, some loose corn kernels, a tea egg, and scallions. Not worth almost $10! Plum drink: I ordered this drink thinking it was something more as well... not worth almost $6. I would probably just drink the water provided. I came in thinking I would find my new chinese food fix for when I am craving a taste of home, but not quite what I was expecting. I will probably come back when their full menu is available to try some more items, but portion size to cost ratio is a deterrent. I finished essentially 2 entrees and a drink and it was over $30 to be just barely satiated. read more

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Food is excellent... Dining atmosphere is warm & welcoming. (But a little bit busy, with only a few tables.). Order anything that includes noodles !!! read more

Master Hu - Spicy Fish Soup - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Full menu of Hunan specialties. May be related to Master Hu Kitchen in San Gabriel. Crazy busy already. read more

Master Hu - Tomat and Egg - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Soooo good cannot wait to come back and eat more! I love authentic food and this is it!!!!

Coming from Alhambra/Arcadia/Monterey Park, Master Hu is a good option when you are craving Hunan or Szechuan food; however, it's still can't beat the king of Hunan/Szechuan food such as Hunan Chilli King, Dong Ting Chun, or Szechuan Impression. Today, I tried the beef tripe, oh boy, never again, that's one of the worst plates I've ever tasted. The dish is overpowered by Lemon Grass. I have never tasted any Szechuan/Hunan dishes with Lemon Grass. I think the chef was trying to make this a fusion dish. Not good IMO. I wasted $30 just to try it out, thinking it would be the same version as Hunan Chilli King. So, I would come back to try the rest of the food, but currently I can't give that more than 3/5 because I tasted a much better version of these cuisine. read more

We waited 30 minutes for our order, while watching other customers who came in later finish their food. We left and eat elsewhere. We arrived around 5:45 pm and ordered pork intestine rice noodles and braised pork rice. When we asked about our order, the staff simply said the kitchen was short-staffed. I don't understand how other customers get their food so quick If they're short-staffed. There's no communication with us. They could've notified us and suggest us to change our order. It's clear they do not value customers equally. read more

The food is good and consistent. We were impressed by the signature clay pot. The service was great. The food came fast and the waitress kept checking on us making sure we were comfortable. The place is pretty clean. read more

We have tried a few times for some dishes.. the taste is very good but almost all food are SUPER OILY, have a lot of oil in it which is very unhealthy to eat frequently.. also we heard from one of the staffs saying that they use PORK OIL, that's why the foods are very tasty... PORK oil is very bad for health.. so we decided to stay away from this restaurant although the foods are yummy.. read more

Ordered 4 dishes, they all taste the same just with different meat. Not all items are available to order. Server says I must note to go in the comment area, how about create separate link for to-go orders? read more

Master Hu - It is assigned to the tiny table, but one is suppose to use this to order. - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

The food and service here are truly wonderful. The staff is very warm and welcoming. Dishes came out quickly, and everything was incredibly flavorful. The cilantro beef is absolutely worth trying--so fragrant and tender. The pumpkin dish felt so comforting and special, and the braised tofu, with those delightful little pickles, was such a nice surprise. Highly recommend this place! read more

Great food and service. The servers are punctual and helpful. All the ordering is online via web portal: food arrived quickly. Each food was distinctive and not overtly spicy. The flavors were excellent. read more

DO NOT COME!!! They will INTENTIONALLY DELAY your small order when they're busy, even if the small order CAME FIRST!!! Last night, my husband and I dined at Master Hu, and the experience was EXTREMELY disappointing. We arrived around 5:45 pm with NO WAITLIST, and our order was confirmed around 6 pm: a bowl of pork intestine rice noodles and braised pork rice. We started waiting, but by around 6:30 pm, NONE of our food had arrived, and NO server came by to explain or apologize. Even more frustratingly, three or four tables that came AFTER US were ALREADY BEING SERVED, while we had received NOTHING. When we had to ask about our food, we were ONLY told, "The kitchen is short-staffed, and the food will be out soon." After waiting a bit longer with no sign of our order, we gave up and left to eat at the Taiwanese pork chop place next door. If the kitchen was short-staffed, WHY were guests who arrived later served first? WHY didn't anyone communicate with us to suggest switching to a faster-served dish? Throughout the whole experience, there was NO COMMUNICATION or SOLUTION offered by the staff, showing a complete LACK of SERVICE awareness. This visit was thoroughly disappointing. read more

Probably the best Hunan Food in Irvine (but I guess being 1/1 or 1/2 isn't that big of a claim to fame?). Aside from that I'd say it's genuinely good as a chinese option as well. The food was made fresh to order and the flavors were unique compared to the normal fare/options of the other restaurants. The price was also reasonable. read more

I ordered two dishes, one is steamed beef short ribs with taro, took a long time--probably about half an hour--because it was supposedly to be freshly steamed. By the time it was finally served, we had already finished eating. We took a bite and it was icy cold. It wasn't even room temperature or warm. I used to love this restaurant and went to San Gabriel for it. I was really happy that it opened in Irvine. But I feel like the quality of food has dropped and I will not come back. On the side note: the beef short rib is sweet. It's purely personal taste but I doubt any Hunan cuisine lovers would appreciate a sweet beef short rib. read more

Unique decoration，special flavor dishes. If you like spicy HuNan restaurant，will be a good choice！ read more

Master Hu - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

This food is absolutely amazing though it is a little bit spicy and you may not be able to handle it. The service was quick. It was a nice cozy place, a prefect meal for a perfect time read more

We ordered a few dishes and this is how we felt after eating: Pork belly with pickled mustard: The pork belly little too dried and too few leaves, and lacked the bright color from the cooking process. Spicy fish soup: the fish fillets fell apart and was too salty, overcooked. Spicy Beef Brisket Rice My personal opinion is that the above dishes all have the characteristics of "Premade Dishes". We come to the restaurant just like to enjoy the fresh ingredients and the chef's skills. If you want to eat premade dishes, Simply, just go to the supermarket or buy them online at no extra cost. read more

Rocked my socks off, authentic Chinese Hunan food! Service is typical Chinese eatery but you should focus on the quality of food instead.

Food is really flavorful! Desert is the star, so good. Price is very reasonable. Will return!

Every dish was deep fried before stir fry.. super greasy , stomach felt strange after we left the restaurant. Not authentic at all.. service was bad, all the staff were wearing blue latex gloves and gloves were so duty handling food. Would not recommend to anyone. read more

We ate Hu Yinan's chopped pepper century eggs and stir-fried meat with cowpeas, and two days later the whole family experienced diarrhea and fever. Since the entire family had lunch and dinner at the church over the weekend, the only meals we bought were these two dishes on the evening of October 12th. The only family member who didn't eat these dishes, the eldest son, is fine. Everyone else suffered from various symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. We are not sure about the exact cause of the food poisoning, but we hope attention can be brought to food safety. read more

Taste is okay, not very good cost reward ratio, food portions are very small, Chinese portion but charges US price. The dining environment is terrible, 2 seats table even doesn't have enough room for 2 dishes, not coming back read more

It was my first time dining at this restaurant today. There was generous large slices of beef brisket. Soup taste different from other chinese noodle restaurant, ie, it is really good and I am do not detect msg in it. Staff provided great customer service and was patient to explain the menu content. A highly recommended restaurant for great noodle soup. Definitely will return. read more