I order take out from this restaurant regularly, I used to love their dry pot beef and spicy boiled fish. Today I found a bug in the spicy boiled fish and it made me question the hygiene of this restaurant. This is really disappointing as this was my favorite Chinese restaurant in Irvine.
Spicy City, please keep your hygiene standards up!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Roc Chen
After class today, I went straight to Yunchuanyuan, a restaurant specializing in Chongqing-style Sichuan cuisine. The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by a clean, elegant space—soft lighting, calm atmosphere, and a faint yet unmistakable aroma of chili in the air. It wasn’t aggressive, but quietly seductive.
We ordered three dishes: Twice-Cooked Pork, Beijing-Style Shredded Pork in Sweet Bean Sauce, and Cumin Lamb. Each dish struck a perfect balance between heat and flavor—nothing flashy, just the kind of pure, honest taste that lingers in memory.
The Twice-Cooked Pork was the soul of the table. Each slice was cut to the perfect thickness—fat but not greasy, lean but never dry. The wok’s heat brought out the deep aroma of the doubanjiang, which intertwined beautifully with the sweetness of garlic shoots. The flavor evolved from a subtle sweetness to a savory spiciness—a mesmerizing slow-motion transition on the palate.
The Beijing-Style Shredded Pork was elegant in its restraint. The sweetness of the sauce was controlled, never overwhelming. The shredded pork was tender and glossy with a rich but clean finish. Wrapped with thin pancakes and scallion strips, every bite unfolded layers of sweet, salty, and umami notes—delicate in texture, yet lingering in fragrance.
The Cumin Lamb carried the boldest character of the three. The aroma of cumin arrived before the spice itself. The wok heat was expertly timed—the edges slightly crisp, the inside tender. Each bite pulsed with warmth and spice, a dance of flavor that felt both fiery and refined.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Richard Chang
Legit spicy Chinese food, to go cold dishes are legit!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Painted Bird
The servers were polite and attentive. The food was as authentic as it gets—definitely not your typical Americanized Chinese restaurant. The dishes weren’t overly sweet, but instead spicy, flavorful, and true to the taste of home-style cooking. I ordered the pea sprouts, Mapo Tofu, and lamb on tiny skewers.
Before I could even snap a photo, the pea sprouts dish was already gone, and the other two dishes were quickly finished. I can’t believe I missed this place until now. I’ll definitely be coming back regularly.
zhou lin
The best authentic spicy Chinese food in Irvine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wenqian Ye
The store is closed for kitchen repair, but the Google map store info is not updated, came all the way to find it’s closed :(
KH
I’m still going here it was good food and it was delicious and my family was going this place
Boxuan Zhang
good good
Jing Zhou
The service here was disappointing. The cashier(a guy in his 60s) had an attitude problem, which wasn’t just directed at me; I overheard him being rude to the customer ahead of me as well. Both of us were only asking simple questions about prices.
I haven’t tried the food yet, so I won’t comment on that. However, in Irvine area, this store isn’t appealing enough for me to return and deal with the poor service again.
Service: 1
Cloud
If you want some spicy Szechuan food this is the place to be, the food was spicier than some other restaurant and was fresh and hot. The service was better than most of the Asian restaurants out there don't have to wait to order drinks and refills. My favorite dish including boiled fish fillet with hot chili oil, salt and pepper shrimp, lamb with cumin sauce, and most of their cold dishes are awesome too. Definitely will be back for more yummy dishes. They are very busy on togo and dine in orders so you know they gotta be good.
I order take out from this restaurant regularly, I used to love their dry pot beef and spicy boiled fish. Today I found a bug in the spicy boiled fish and it made me question the hygiene of this restaurant. This is really disappointing as this was my favorite Chinese restaurant in Irvine.
Spicy City, please keep your hygiene standards up!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
After class today, I went straight to Yunchuanyuan, a restaurant specializing in Chongqing-style Sichuan cuisine. The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by a clean, elegant space—soft lighting, calm atmosphere, and a faint yet unmistakable aroma of chili in the air. It wasn’t aggressive, but quietly seductive.
We ordered three dishes: Twice-Cooked Pork, Beijing-Style Shredded Pork in Sweet Bean Sauce, and Cumin Lamb. Each dish struck a perfect balance between heat and flavor—nothing flashy, just the kind of pure, honest taste that lingers in memory.
The Twice-Cooked Pork was the soul of the table. Each slice was cut to the perfect thickness—fat but not greasy, lean but never dry. The wok’s heat brought out the deep aroma of the doubanjiang, which intertwined beautifully with the sweetness of garlic shoots. The flavor evolved from a subtle sweetness to a savory spiciness—a mesmerizing slow-motion transition on the palate.
The Beijing-Style Shredded Pork was elegant in its restraint. The sweetness of the sauce was controlled, never overwhelming. The shredded pork was tender and glossy with a rich but clean finish. Wrapped with thin pancakes and scallion strips, every bite unfolded layers of sweet, salty, and umami notes—delicate in texture, yet lingering in fragrance.
The Cumin Lamb carried the boldest character of the three. The aroma of cumin arrived before the spice itself. The wok heat was expertly timed—the edges slightly crisp, the inside tender. Each bite pulsed with warmth and spice, a dance of flavor that felt both fiery and refined.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Legit spicy Chinese food, to go cold dishes are legit!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
The servers were polite and attentive. The food was as authentic as it gets—definitely not your typical Americanized Chinese restaurant. The dishes weren’t overly sweet, but instead spicy, flavorful, and true to the taste of home-style cooking. I ordered the pea sprouts, Mapo Tofu, and lamb on tiny skewers.
Before I could even snap a photo, the pea sprouts dish was already gone, and the other two dishes were quickly finished. I can’t believe I missed this place until now. I’ll definitely be coming back regularly.
The best authentic spicy Chinese food in Irvine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The store is closed for kitchen repair, but the Google map store info is not updated, came all the way to find it’s closed :(
I’m still going here it was good food and it was delicious and my family was going this place
good good
The service here was disappointing. The cashier(a guy in his 60s) had an attitude problem, which wasn’t just directed at me; I overheard him being rude to the customer ahead of me as well. Both of us were only asking simple questions about prices.
I haven’t tried the food yet, so I won’t comment on that. However, in Irvine area, this store isn’t appealing enough for me to return and deal with the poor service again.
Service: 1
If you want some spicy Szechuan food this is the place to be, the food was spicier than some other restaurant and was fresh and hot. The service was better than most of the Asian restaurants out there don't have to wait to order drinks and refills. My favorite dish including boiled fish fillet with hot chili oil, salt and pepper shrimp, lamb with cumin sauce, and most of their cold dishes are awesome too. Definitely will be back for more yummy dishes. They are very busy on togo and dine in orders so you know they gotta be good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We got a cold dish to take out. It was good (as usual). Good portion and reasonable price ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s really Chinese food !!!!!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: cured pork w leek 蒜苗腊肉
Best place for a cheap and tasty Chinese food in Irvine. Fish, beef, chicken, vegi are all excellent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sauce, fish in dried pot干锅鱼片, lamb with cumin孜然羊肉, braised beef brisket pot with potato mild spicy 土豆牛腩 微辣
Delicious ? loved
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s really Chinese food !!!!!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: cured pork w leek 蒜苗腊肉
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