We went for Sunday lunch around 12pm, it was packed but the wait was fast. Service was quick, and…read morethe portions were generous. There were only 2 of us, so we ordered 2 main dishes and one appetizer. For an appetizer, we got the shredded tofu salad. The two mains we got were House Special Sichuan-Style Fish with Pickled Cabbage & Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables. - Tofu Salad: light and filling (we chose this rather than ordering rice). 4/5 - House Special Sichuan-Style Fish with Pickled Cabbage: Love this! Great portion of fish and the pickled cabbage. 5/5 - Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables: Pork belly on top was very soft and just melted in your mouth. There's more pork below it with the preserved mustard greens, the meat below is more meaty and less fatty, which gave a great balance. 5/5 Overall, we would definitely come back again to try their other dishes. Follow @hangrytrails.us on Instagram for more SoCal foods!

Been here several times now, both as a small group and once for a big family celebration, my dad's…read more70th, in their large private room. The two experiences were pretty different, so I'll break it down. As a small party, this place delivers. Food comes out fast, fresh, and cooked with real flavor. There's a noticeable difference between here and other Chinese spots in the area like J Zhou in Irvine or Classic Chinese Restaurant in Laguna Hills. The ingredients are better, and you can actually taste more wok hei, which a lot of places just don't have. The outer dining room is also well decorated and comfortable, good spot for a smaller group. The large party experience is a different story. First of all, when trying to get the reservation, we were told we needed to put a 200$ deposit in person, and also were told that they may not have the day available if the boss had his own party there. A week later, my parents happened to be in the area and were told that a deposit was not needed. A little strange in my opinion! We had 14+ people in their biggest private room for my dad's birthday, and the AC just couldn't keep up. It was hot and humid the whole time, and the only backup was a single Dyson fan someone brought in. For a big traditional Chinese family dinner like ours, there's an expectation of how things should flow: cold dishes first, then the larger courses spaced out properly, consistent tea service throughout. None of that happened. The big dishes, lobster, whole fish, everything, came out all at once and way too fast, and even after we said something, it didn't change. We were kind of brushed off. Even simple things like getting high chairs or extra napkins for the kids were a struggle. The only reason the night wasn't a bust is that the food was still genuinely good, so my family let it slide since nobody wanted to make a thing of it on my dad's birthday. But they really need to fix how they handle large format dining, because right now it doesn't hold up. I'll keep coming back with my immediate family since we know the food is solid and honestly we're used to this kind of service at Chinese restaurants, it's just how it goes sometimes. But I'd imagine anyone less familiar with that dynamic would walk away with a much worse impression. If they can get their service up to par they will be great. Hoping for changes.

A friend brought us to try this noodle spot in Lake Forest…read more This restaurant is part of the Shang Shui group, which has two locations next to each other. We visited the simpler Shang Shui Noodle House(Frank's dumplings and noodles) while the restaurant next door, Shang Shui Bistro(Frank's bistro Chinese cuisine) , focuses more on elevated Hunan and Cantonese dishes. Once we walked in, we could just find a seat and order through the QR code menu. It was convenient since we could take our time looking through the options. We ordered: 1. Roasted Duck Noodle Soup $19.99 2. House Special Fish Fillet Noodle Soup $15.99 3. Pork Knuckle Noodle Soup $16.99 Everything tasted pretty good! I ordered the signature fish fillet noodle soup, which was one of their recommended dishes. My husband thought the fish soup had the best flavor among the three dishes we tried. The portions were just right, and the prices were very reasonable. For the noodles, I would recommend choosing udon or ramen. My husband and our friend chose rice noodles, but they became too soft and broke apart easily when picking them up with chopsticks. After dinner, we stopped by Frank's bistro Chinese cuisine next door to take a look. The interior is much more upscale, and they also use a QR code menu. Most dishes are around $20 and up. We chatted with one of the staff members, who mentioned that they opened in August last year and focus on authentic Cantonese and Hunan cuisine. He was also proud to share that their dishes are freshly prepared, not the typical pre-made food you might find elsewhere. Will definitely come back to try the dishes at Shang Shui Bistro next time. Sharing this spot for anyone looking for Chinese noodles or authentic Chinese cuisine in the area! Frank's Dumplings & Noodles 20651 Lake Forest Dr STE A-102, Lake Forest, CA 92630

We've been meaning to try this place for awhile now. We've tried their sister restaurant Frank's…read morenext door and wasn't impressed when they first opened. It's been awhile so I'm willing to give it another shot. Plenty of parking outside, the restaurant itself is really cute with tasteful decor. You order with a QR menu from the table. We ordered fish noodle soup, the 3 dumplings and soy sauce chicken with rice. Everything was pretty good! The fish noodle soup had a good fish profile in the soup, with a kick of white pepper which I liked. It tasted clean and healthy. The dumplings were really good. It definitely tasted like in house made dumplings. Much better quality than other restaurants in the area. The soy sauce chicken rice wasn't bad. But I thought the price was a little egregious. It should be max $15. All in all I'm glad we gave this "chain" another chance.

Yummy beverages, solid food and good vibes - I especially like the beef carpaccio. One of my go-to…read moreplaces in Heritage Plaza

NEP Cafe is an exquisite take on Vietnamese fusion cuisine. We tried the steak frites and the 15 oz…read moreribeye, and both were amazing in their own right. The standout for me was definitely the 15 oz ribeye. The flavors were beautifully infused throughout the steak, and the fish sauce was absolutely on point. It added such a unique depth without overpowering the dish. The texture was incredible as well: tender, juicy, and cooked to perfection. The steak frites were also delicious and definitely worth trying. To top it all off, our server was incredibly kind and attentive, which made the whole experience even better. Overall, NEP Cafe is a great spot if you're looking for Vietnamese fusion with bold, creative flavors. The ribeye alone is worth coming back for!

Always a great experience at SUP Noodle Bar in Irvine! One of my favorites is the Anthony Bourdain…read moredish. The filet mignon is incredibly tender and practically melts in your mouth. The flavors are fantastic, and it's one of those dishes I keep coming back for. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant has a great vibe. Great food, great service, and a place I always enjoy coming back to. Highly recommended!

Four of us went to SUP Noodle Bar in Irvine on a Tuesday evening. We arrived at 6:00 p.m. and…read moremanaged to snag the last available table without a wait. Judging by how quickly the place filled up, coming much later would probably have been a different story. The Food Between the four of us, we ordered the Parmesan Fries, two variations of pho, the Filet Mignon Fried Rice, and the Cajun Garlic Noodles. The Parmesan Fries were a very generous portion, exceptionally crispy, beautifully seasoned, and--in terms of flavor--just about perfect. My only complaint was that they were noticeably oily. Other than that, I couldn't find much fault with them. The Filet Mignon Pho was a treat. The beef was exactly as promised: tender and flavorful. What surprised me was the distinct kiss of cinnamon in the broth. Personally, I would have preferred to suspect the cinnamon rather than clearly taste it, but that's entirely a matter of preference. My wife loved every bite. I also managed to steal a taste of the Filet Mignon Fried Rice. While I certainly didn't regret my own order, I immediately knew what I'll be having next time. The filet was wonderfully tender and juicy, and the rice had a beautifully rounded, savory flavor. A real winner. My Cajun Garlic Noodles were excellent. The sauce had just the right consistency--rich and creamy, yet still delicate enough that the garlic and seasoning weren't buried underneath it. It was certainly on the heavier side, but somehow managed not to leave me feeling weighed down afterward. Rich without becoming exhausting is not an easy balance to strike. The Atmosphere SUP has a modern, distinctly Asian noodle-bar feel. Hard surfaces, no carpeting, and very little acoustic dampening mean that, in polite restaurant language, the atmosphere is lively. In less polite restaurant language: it's loud. That didn't bother us, and it actually suited the casual, energetic atmosphere. But I probably wouldn't choose SUP for a quiet, intimate dinner--or for hearing a lengthy story in which every single word matters. The Service This was the standout. We were not the world's easiest table. Between four first-time customers, individual likes and dislikes, questions about the menu, and various dietary requirements, we gave our waiter plenty to work with. Chase was patient throughout. He explained things, repeated things when necessary, answered our questions, and helped guide each of us toward something that suited us. By the end of dinner, all four of us were convinced we'd ordered the right thing. I'm fairly difficult to impress when it comes to restaurant service, but Chase impressed me. This isn't fine dining, nor should it be judged as such. What stood out was something much simpler: at every opportunity, Chase did a little more than was required of him. He was attentive without hovering, knowledgeable without lecturing, and patient without ever making us feel that we were being difficult. That deserves recognition. The Bottom Line We thoroughly enjoyed the food, the service, and our evening at SUP Noodle Bar. The food was flavorful and well prepared, portions were generous, and the service--particularly from Chase--was exceptional. The only caveat I would mention is the noise level, and that certainly won't stop me from returning. In fact, I already know what I'm ordering next time: That Filet Mignon Fried Rice. --- And Then, Two Days Later... Well, that didn't take long. Two days after writing this review, I was back. My daughter ordered the Filet Mignon Fried Rice I'd been planning to have, so, in the interest of not ordering the same thing, I changed course and ordered the Pho Anthony Bourdain. An instant classic. Absolutely delicious--and now I have a new problem: too many great things to choose from. You won't hear me complain. That's a pretty good problem to have.

Ordered to-go from here for a burrito and a wonton dish. Estimated pickup was at 6pm. We arrived on…read moretime, and still hasn't received our food as of 6:40pm. Aside from us, 5+ groups piled in for pickup after us. The worker kept insisting they've already started prepping the meal, once at 6:15, then at 6:30. Yet when we FINALLY received our food at 6:48pm, the food was hot. So all in all, we waited a ridiculously long time (almost an hour more than estimated) + had staff lying to our faces about progress and how much longer to wait... I dont know if their food is good, but their kitchen and staff are certainly not ready for service. For faster *and honest* service, there are plenty of other Chinese places like Mimi Garden and Classic Chinese in the area.

I never knew this existed, but it's so awesome that the old classic restaurant New Shanghai in Lake…read moreForest is trying out some pretty interesting new things. Asian burritos are a trendy dish that honestly not enough places do, where you basically have to go all the way to Pasadena for the Panda Innovation Kitchen or Disney California Adventures offers one variety that rotates seasonally. What you get here is the classic Chinese lunch options like pepper beef or chicken and fried rice, wrapped in the convenient form of a burrito to make a very filling meal. Their sauces are also delicious, one that's a green sauce and one that's like a sweet and sour for a delicious flavor combination. Online order makes it convenient, but I will say I wish I could customize ingredients. They didn't list that there's avocado in it, which I'm not a fan of in general but also don't find it fits the flavor profile though I'm sure most people like it. It's only a few pieces and easy to navigate around. If you're looking for a new spin on the Chinese lunch special, head into New Shanghai to try their new menu with Anna's Kitchen! TIP: You can online order and they make it pretty fast.

Place was great, vibes were amazing! Our server Alyssa T. was amazing the whole time, very quick…read morewith everything. 10/10 recommended ! Drinks and food was great !!

the place is super private and clean ! service 10/10 they…read moreattend really good and are always on task. Jonathan our server was always on top on attending us. Food was super good, the fried rice was a 10/10 recommended !

This is our go to Japanese place for take out as they offer 30% discount for all takeout orders…read more You'll notice right away that this is just a. Gimmick because even after 30%, it's not that cheap. But it's still okay for us. We recently tried their AYCE dine in option. While the menu isn't impressive? I do like their rice to fish ratio. Skip the scallop, they smother it in a nauseating amount of mayo. Since the menu was limited, we mostly stuck with salmon and the basics. For $30 I think it hits the spot and you get a good bargain.

So we were in the area and spotted Kanji. They had plenty of customers inside enjoying ace sushi. I…read morewasn't hungry for that so I ordered ramen. It's was NOT Good. Super salty and oily...and I'm a ramen girly. We thought since they had ramen specials too for lunch their ramen must be pretty good. We were disappointed. Everyone around us was enjoying their Ace Sushi. They seemed to have a great time. It's not the cleanest restaurant but if you are after the whole in the wall feel with super friendly staff and great pricing. This would be the one to go to.

I just ate here and was thinking it's good and I should leave a review letting people know about…read moreit. Then I got an email from yelp asking if I ate here and would like to leave a review? well yes I did, and yes I do! The food is very cleanly and well prepared, good fresh ingredients and flavors. not like the other places which often tastes dirty or there's something off about it. its kind of light, clean, bright. enjoyed it for lunch, I recommend you try.

Came here when their express menu was available which is available from 10am-3pm. This is when…read morecertain foods are discounted and you can also add a drink for an extra $4. I got the combination fried rice and the lychee lemonade. The combination fried rice came with an assortment of meats such as shrimp, chicken and beef. It was super flavorful and came with a good portion. The lychee lemonade was a really light, I wish it was more flavorful but it was refreshing on a hot dog and had small yummy bits of lychee in it.

The food here is excellent and tastes very good. However when I went there the service wasn't the…read morebest, some servers completely ignored me. The ambience was very good and made this restaurant look very good and cozy.

I thought Seven Grams was a 9 out of 10! Although the Seven…read moreGrams XLB was not quite as good as Din Tai Fung, it was pretty good, 8/10. The chicken Katsu was not as good as Mrs Futagaki's homemade, but still a 10 of 10. Although I wasn't a fan of the Lava Custard Buns, they were a little too eggy for me, I would give them a 7 out of 10 for the portion size and the presentation. I will definitely come back to try new things and I enjoyed my conversation with Benson ... one of the servers.

Such a fun fusion restaurant with so many good options! Everything we've tried has been really…read moretasty. My favorite thing on the menu is the Saltado Fries with steak. You can upgrade to garlic noodles, which are also delicious. The lychee lemonade is really refreshing too! The staff is attentive and so nice. Definitely a fun spot if you want something a little different!

I was honestly ready to leave a 1-star review based on how our experience started, but our server…read moreJoseph completely turned things around and bumped this up to 4 stars. We joined the waitlist and were quoted 10-20 minutes. After waiting about 20 minutes, we could see that we were #2 in line, but people kept getting seated ahead of us. I checked with the hostess and was told we would be seated soon, so we waited. More people continued to get seated. When I asked again, the hostess seemed a little flustered, checked the tablet, then pointed to a patio table and said they were setting that one up for us. Another 10-15 minutes passed and we were still waiting. By this point, I was hangry and went back to the host stand. Another host explained that they were seating reservations first, which I understand, but we had also seen multiple names called for people who appeared to have arrived after us. She checked with the original hostess, who then pointed to a completely different table INSIDE and said that was the table they were preparing for us. I pointed out that 15 minutes earlier, she had specifically told us we were waiting for the patio table. After that, they finally got someone to clean the table and seat us. The whole seating process felt disorganized and unnecessarily frustrating, especially because we kept being told we were about to be seated without anything actually happening. BUT THEN... Joseph came to the rescue! He was exactly the server we needed after that experience. Super attentive, genuinely friendly, and just had a great personality and sense of service. He kept our drinks filled, checked on us at the right times without hovering, and completely changed the mood of the meal. The food was great as always. We had the ceviche, which came with a sweet potato garnish that pleasantly surprised us. I got my usual Lomo Saltado and swapped the rice for garlic noodles. So good. Food: 5/5 Table service: 5/5 Host/seating experience: 1/5 Overall, this probably would have been around 3 stars for me, but Joseph absolutely bumped the experience to like 4 stars!