Hello, local residents and travelers! It had been a LONG moving day, and by dinner time, our whole family was starving. We originally planned to try a Japanese restaurant in the plaza, but then we turned around and saw the Asian food options nearby. Something about it immediately reminded me of the food I grew up eating. Then we saw TigaWa! We were happy to see a familiar name because we had tried their Irvine location before. Their prices are reasonable, and I like that they offer a good variety of dishes. You can also choose smaller bowls if you want to try a few different things. When we got to the door, the posted hours said they closed at 8:00 PM. We were so disappointed because it had already been such a long day, and we were REALLY hungry. But we noticed there were still customers inside, and our family always says, "We never give up!" So we decided to ask anyway. Good thing we did! They told us they were actually open until 9:00 PM. Since this location has only been open for about three weeks, I think they probably just haven't had a chance to update the hours on the door yet. By the time it was our turn to order, they had run out of the rice options--fried rice, steamed rice, and Taiwanese braised pork rice. Honestly, after moving all day, all I wanted was a bowl of white rice. I was tired, hungry, and definitely did NOT want to go home and cook dinner! They told us it would take another 5-10 minutes, and at that point, we were seriously considering going next door and trying another restaurant. Then the owner came over and explained what had happened. They had tried to prepare another batch of steamed rice, but it didn't cook properly. This was actually the part that changed my impression of the whole experience. Instead of serving us rice that he knew wasn't cooked properly just because we were the last customers of the night, the owner chose not to serve it at all. I really respected that. He would rather be honest with us than serve something that wasn't up to his standards. So I asked, "What else do you have?" They made us fresh chow mein, and it turned out to be such a nice surprise. The flavor reminded me of the food I ate growing up in Taiwan. Their orange chicken was also really good, and everything tasted fresh. We ended up being the last customers of the night. Was everything perfect? No--and that's okay. They're a brand-new location, and they're still working out a few things. What impressed me most was how they handled the situation. The owner came out, explained what happened, listened to us, and cared enough about the quality of his food not to serve something he wasn't happy with. For me, that says a lot about a business. They've only been open for about three weeks, so give them a chance! Based on our experience, I feel like they're the kind of people who genuinely listen to their customers and care about what they serve. I truly hope this location succeeds. I'll definitely recommend it to my friends. We've been to the Irvine location before, but it can get very crowded and sometimes have a long wait. This location has more seating, feels less crowded, and I think it deserves some local support. Sometimes an imperfect experience can actually tell you more about a business than a perfect one. We walked in exhausted and hungry after a very long day, and we left happy that we decided to stay and give them a try. Thank you for ending our long moving day on such a positive note. You made our family very happy tonight. We'll definitely be back! read more

The food was good and the staff, michael, was nice. Good portion as well. They need to have more marketing so people will recognize them

Great food and great service, and Carlos likes work out at the gym is the best worker!

My new favorite fast Chinese food! Way more authentic flavors and choices vs chain Panda Express and just as fast and convenient. I usually have to invite family/friends to dine at authentic Chinese restaurants with me so we can order multiple dishes to share family style. The portions here are perfectly sized and a great deal when you're looking to grab a quick meal on your own but still want that variety. I love the fried rice with Chinese sausage or I do half noodles with half mixed veggies as the base. You can order a 2 or 3 item combo with base and it's easily two meals for me for under $15. Also, their complementary in house Wagyu beef chili sauce is to die for. Must try if you're in the area! read more

Tigawok - 3 item combo - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place is right off Lake Forest and Muirlands east of the 5, where that big center is with a hotel, Starbucks, a bunch of different restaurants... parking gets crowded at lunchtime but you can always get a spot. This restaurant is clean inside, light and bright so we assume it's relatively new. Food is good with a nice option of these little cups for like $5 for a variety of choices. I tried a small cup of the orange chicken and another small cup of the kung pao chicken.. just wanted to get an idea of their quality. Kung Pao was the better of the two but the orange was fine as well.. just not as crispy as I am used to. The challenge for us was that there was 1 person working who had to prep and cook the food so we had to wait a while to get any sort of service. Can't blame the employee who was doing her best to get the noodles and food into the big turning woks but as a customer, you get one shot at good service. I assume the owner doesn't hire enough people to cover cooking and counter service. Would we go back? Doubtful but not out of the question... read more

Clean place with friendly service. Steamed rice - ok Orange chicken - good Kung pao chicken - mainly all chicken and not enough other ingredients. They made sure to replenish new items when some were sitting out too long. read more

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Stopped by this location for pickup tonight and was surprised they ran out of some items - nooo, not the fried rice! They def do things a bit differently here. Tried the chicken with basil for the first time and it was delicious but damn spicy! In a good way! I thought the lo mein portion was very very skimpy. I feel like they aren't as generous as the Tustin location? Docking a star for running out of food before 7pm and stinginess. read more

Tigawok - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This is a newer location, and while the space itself is nice with much more seating than the Irvine location, the service definitely needs some work. We ordered the braised pork belly, garlic eggplant and green beans, Hong Kong crispy fish, and rice. We have been to the Irvine location before and had a great experience, so we were excited to try this one. We arrived around 7:30 pm when it was not particularly crowded. Everything came out except the Hong Kong crispy fish, and the staff member who took our order told us it would take another 5 to 10 minutes and that they would call us when it was ready. We started eating, but after about 15 minutes, we were nearly finished with the rest of our food and still had no fish. I went up to ask, and the same staff member told me it would be ready soon. Another five minutes passed, and my partner went to check again after we noticed tables that arrived after us already had their fish. This time, the staff member actually asked whether we had paid for it, which was frustrating considering this was the same person who took our order and had already spoken with us about it. We eventually got the fish, but unfortunately it was just okay and was not crispy at all. After all that waiting, it definitely was not worth the trouble. Food-wise, the braised pork belly was easily the best dish. It was tender and very flavorful. The eggplant and green beans were good enough, though a bit salty. The rice, however, was surprisingly dry, which was particularly disappointing for an Asian restaurant. I really wanted to like this location since the Irvine one has been great and this space is much more comfortable for dining in. Hopefully this was just some opening-period growing pains, but based on this visit, 3/5. read more

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Good food for good prices. I appreciate its consistent with Irvine's location in operation and taste. I will say that instead of getting your own radishes and spice, it is packaged for you, which I don't mind. They have ample seating inside. It's located in a plaza so plenty of parking and you can eat outside and if your party order from multiple places. Staff is friendly and helpful, but it seems that they're not all on the same page yet. I went during their grand opening weekends and they were not sharing the same deals during the 10 minutes I was in the restaurant. One person said "spend $25, get a $25 gift card" and when we went to the register, a different person said "no, it's buy a $25 gift card and get another," so that was frustrating. read more

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Lake Forest, Tigawok is finally here! They're celebrating their soft opening with TWO weeks of amazing promos. From September 4th to 11th, get a free Mini Bowl or BOGO Tiga Bowl coupon with any purchase. Then September 12th to 18th, buy a $25 gift card and get $25 FREE! So if you're in Lake Forest, definitely add Tigawok to your foodie list! Come hungry, bring a friend, and take advantage of these soft-opening deals before they're gone!" Come check them out at 23622 Rockfield Blvd, Suite 703, Lake Forest! read more

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Excited to try Tigawok, newly opened in Lake Forest! Think of it like Panda Express but way fresher, and they've got robot machines cooking in the back that you can actually watch, which is a fun touch! When I went, the fried rice on the warmers was looking a little sad and dry, but they let me know if I waited about 5 minutes, a fresh batch would be coming out, which I really appreciated! I got a bowl with two entrees and a base (rice or noodles), but they also have "mini bowls" where you can try multiple entrees à la carte, which I think is such a cool idea if you're sharing with someone or just want to sample a few things. The eggplant dish I got was tasty, though a bit oilier than I expected. That said, it's Chinese fast food, so I wasn't expecting anything super light or healthy to begin with, and honestly it still feels like a better-for-you option compared to a lot of other fast food out there. Overall, not a bad spot at all, definitely a step up from Panda Express! The staff was also so kind when I went, happy to help if you have any questions or preferences. read more

I saw this place and was excited to give it a try. The food does have a very authentic Chinese flavor, and the spice level is actually the kind of Chinese spicy I was hoping for. Unfortunately, the service really took away from the experience. They don't seem to have things figured out, and the service was pretty disappointing. The portion was also quite small for $15.85 after tax. For comparison, I can get three 3-item combos from Panda with delivery and a discount for around $36, so the value here just doesn't feel great. The food itself was good, especially if you like authentic Chinese flavors and real Chinese spice, but overall I probably won't be coming back. read more

I liked this location better than the Irvine location actually...the portions were solid and the food was cooked well! Staff were super patient and kind and there is a lot of seating indoors. Parking is plenty so no problem there. read more

Tigawok - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Very good! Came here couple of times and I Highly recommend this place. Their service is also good! read more

Tigawok - Very good - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Fast and friendly service! The food is tasty and the concept is pretty interesting to see the robot stir fryer.

Another amazing location bringing great food for an exceptional value! Service did its best on the opening day ad the ambiance is modern and teal. read more

Tigawok - Dining Area. - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Carlos was amazing! He provided great service, was attentive, and made sure we had a great experience. His friendly attitude really made a difference. Thank you, Carlos, for taking such good care of us. We'll definitely be back read more

Thomas is amazing, Carlos was mehhh. Just kidding. They both were great staff and their customer service was on point! Food is always bomb.org and no complaints! read more

Carl and Noah were very helpful:) best authentic food for good price! You can order many dishes as you like

Super yummy food and good service Enjoyed it very much Come try it. It's clean and welcoming read more

This place is very cool! There are a lot of interesting options on the menu, and it's very customizable. The staff were very friendly and even let us try samples. The garlic broccoli had a very nice sweet garlic sauce, and the basil chicken was tender with a nice kick of spice. read more

Tigawok - Garlic Broccoli mini bowl (left side) Basil Chicken mini bowl (right side) - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Finally there is a chinese fast food restaurant that stays faithful to the original chinese heritage flavor with some (not too far) modern twist. The food is yummy, and the price is not bad too! Definitely we will be a frequent here as it is here local in lake forest read more

Tigawok - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Maybe it's because it just opened that they are working out a few kinks. The staff was very helpful and the place was sparkling clean. Prices are very reasonable. However, the food was not that great. I found the vegetables were greasy. The mapo tofu had a weird flavor and was extremely salty. My wife said the honey walnut shrimp tasted like the shrimp was frozen then over microwaved (not saying it was microwaved, just tasted like it) then breaded and cooked. She did say the chicken dish (not sure which) was good. I'd probably come back but I would try something different. Note: be sure to ask if something is suitable for vegetarians. They don't mark it when ordering and even something like noodles have oyster sauce in them. read more

Carlos is awesome!! Really rare to see someone so young with such great customer service skills. He gives heathy scoops and is super friendly. Like this location much better than the Irvine. Food is great and perfectly priced. read more

Carlos was super nice. We really enjoyed our food. we ordered mapo tofu, chilled garlic brocoli, and pepper kurobuta pork. Loved them. read more

Tigawok - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The place is clean & bright, a great atmosphere for a laid-back casual quick lunch. Great service and a fun variety of options to choose from. Would recommend and return again. read more

The fake reviews got me. The quality is tbh, a lot lower than Panda. It's a fun new concept that it's freshly cooked but it also is NOT though. Food is not even warm or appetizing. Place was pretty empty around 6:30 pm and that should have told us to walk out. Well, lesson learned. Chow mein 1/5 typical noodle, cold, boring flavors Orange chicken 1/5 stale, muddy and unbalanced tastes weird Sausage fried rice 1/5 waste of money, rice was so dry Walnut shrimp 1/5 batter was stale, needed refund tbh Cola chicken 0/5 at this point give me a horrible chicken dish from a Westminster wanna be Chinese place take out instead. The only legitimate Cantonese Chinese restaurant is Classic Chinese in Laguna Hills. Nothing else don't waste your time or money. These fake 5 star reviews are normal, what do you expect read more

Tigawok is such a delicious Chinese fast food spot! I love that you get the convenience of fast food without sacrificing the quality of the food. Everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and seriously satisfying. The popcorn chicken is one of my favorites--crispy, juicy, and packed with flavor! The Hong Kong fish was also so good and definitely something I'd order again. If you're craving quick Chinese food that actually tastes high quality, I definitely recommend giving Tigawok a try! I'm always happy to come back and eat my heart out here. read more

Tigawok - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Really enjoyed my meal here! The food was delicious, and I had a great experience overall. Would definitely come back! read more

Tigawok - Very nice and clean food here - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Amazing service, top of the line food, always clean, they let you try most entrees and are extremely polite. Carlos assisted me today and I couldn't have asked for better service! read more

Tigawok - Orange Peel Chicken and Kun Pao Chicken on Fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Grand opening today! All good are made fresh and yummy. Lots of varieties to choose from.

Awesome food and customer service! Clean and nice atmosphere. Food super tasty and will definitely be coming back!

The new Tigawok is so spacious here, and plenty of AC. Love that they have HK style crispy fish now. The workers are friendly and welcoming here. My go-to's are the orange chicken and garlic eggplant & green beans. The tiga cola chicken is a unique item. I also love the Brussels sprouts but I don't see it currently on the menu. read more

Tigawok - Chinese Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Tigawok is expanding quickly and Im all for it! Everyone compares it to Panda Express but that is not a fair comparison. Tigawok serves up authentic and affordable Chinese food cooked by robotic woks in a cafeteria setting. Must trys are the wagyu curry, pepper pork, mapo tofu and orange chicken. This new Lake Forest location is spacious and theres plenty of seating. Absolutely a place you should visit. read more

Restaurant is good with many options. Staffs are friendly and helpful. Highly recommended!

Welcome to Lake Forest! I've been traveling to Irvine for that Mapo Tofu and so happy it's closer. A friend used to make it for me homemade, and I have yet to find a proper restaurant that makes it as well. Ha! Tigawok did it! The addition of the Wagyu beef is the kicker, and the spice level is just right. I have tried a few other dishes that were yummy too - kung pao chicken, cola chicken and the eggplant. Highly recommend. I also love that the containers are reusable and have lasted me several months so far. Josh was an excellent server and very kind. Of course I didn't mind a few minutes wait for fresh food, yet he was so apologetic. I'll be back many times! read more

Food is good, enough space to talk and eat. Pricing is on point. Would definitely come back for more cheap and good eats

"i think I found our new Chinese food place" I texted my wife who was in Italy. I was looking for a place near Panera because I was going to be hanging out there getting my unlimited sip club. I looked at the reviews and it looked like it was pretty well reviewed with five stars. Only six reviews, my wife pointed out, but since they just opened, what can you expect? We are always kind of suspicious when there are so few reviews that maybe it's just the employees and friends and family that leave the reviews. One of the reviews looked kind of like an advertisement so brush that one off. I looked at other locations and they had a bit more reviews and still in the five star range. I figured I would give it a shot. I would be our scout ant since she is in Italy right now enjoying fresh Italian food. Anyhow, we used to go to Panda "just because". We always left disappointed and said never again... At least until the next time. Pick up Stix leaves us even more disappointed. We want our food that is supposed to be served. Hot served hot. That's not too much to ask for, is it? I went into this place. I immediately noticed that it looked completely empty. I did see a couple heads in the very back but otherwise the two employees were just sitting there twiddling their thumbs waiting for somebody to come. I kind of suspected with wok in the name that they were going to wok up my food while I waited. However, going in there, I realized that it was just a buffet style bins. And no steam coming out of those bins. I feared for my enjoyment. But I had already made such an ordeal to get here taking a bus that left me off at Muirlands and Rockfield and having to travel over the bridge to get here. I was going to take my chances. I mean, one of the reviews said to think of it as panda express but way fresher. I should've noticed that the same review mentioned about the robot machines cooking in the back that you can actually watch. The same review said that they cooked up fresh rice within five minutes because the one that she saw was looking a little dry. I had asked about the freshness of the food and was ensured that it was just made. I kind of wanted Kung pao chicken, but since I'm allergic to peanuts, I was hoping that they would be able to present it without peanuts like other Chinese food restaurants can do. Unfortunately, that's not an option. So, I ordered the orange peel with chow mein. They don't have a one item entrée with base, you have to commit to two items, but I really only wanted just the one. So I had to buy them à la cart. It was about nine bucks all told. I looked at the orange peel that they had up on top being displayed, and I looked down at the bin and they did not look alike. The one on top looked orange and fresh. The one in the bin looked brown and soggy. I asked him about that and he said "oh... These aren't real". Disappointing. So, he was getting ready to put both items in separate bowls, and I just asked if I could just have them all together. So he did that for me, although it seemed like he was going against company policy to do so. After paying and getting to my table, I began to start eating. The moment it touched my lips I knew this was not what I expected. It was lukewarm, at best. The chow mein was even less lukewarmier. After about a minute and a half of sitting there on the table, it tasted like it just came out of the refrigerator. Yeahhhhh.... I think I'll pass. Still on the search for a Chinese food place that is good and fresh and actually comes to the table hot. Oh...in their defense (and this by no means should be used as a defense) it was 6 o'clock and like I said, the place was essentially empty, so maybe it wasn't a popular time. But you would imagine that with a place like this just opening up, they would want to do their absolute best to impress the customers that come in this close to opening. Sorry Tigawok. Your food should be served hot. Please ensure that it gets served hot. Maybe think of a way that you could wok it up to heat it up so that somebody could eat it hot after it is scooped from the bins. I see you do pickups. I would be so disappointed if I picked up this food to go after it was just sitting there waiting for me. I was really thinking of taking advantage of the buy a gift card for $25 and get a $25 gift card but I don't wanna commit to $50 of this food. read more

Clean , friendly staff , nice deco atmosphere, decent restaurant with great menu options!

Very friendly and helpful staff Jonathon was extremely helpful and patient!! the portions are a must after working out :))