50 Best Chinese Restaurants near Laguna Beach

“I love Peony’s so much! The prices are great for being right in front of the beach and their portions are excellent! I work nearby and love to order food from here when I’m feeling hungry. Staff is nice and the service is quick. The food is always so delicious no matter what I order. I’d highly recommend Peony’s to anyone who comes to Laguna Beach!“

“This is one of our very favorite restaurants in laguna beach. We used it frequently during COVID.. my friend Nancy and I lunched there about every two weeks..food and service is excellent. Unfortunately health issues has slowed us down. Nancy is recovering. My daughter takes me on our way back from my dr. Appt in Newport Beach. We love Mandarin King. It's run by family. Priscilla and her husband and their kids when they are on break from college. The food is delicious whatever we order. The service is A+ friendly staff.“

“We came for Sunday dinner with our 2.5yo toddler (part of the Irvine Company kids eat free special). Our server Yazzie was very accommodating and patient with all of our spills and messes. We were seated within 5-10 minutes. Everyone at this location was very friendly and in good moods. We definitely enjoyed ourselves and would come back in a heartbeat during the kids eat free season (other times during the year it’s just much easier to eat at home with a toddler haha).“

“Whatever they’re paying Michelle, TRIPLE it. What an absolute gem of a woman. Most attentive and kind server I’ve ever had. She made our dining experience unforgettable. The food was just okay, but I’d come back just because of our exceptional server. Thank you for making our night easy and fun. Michelle, you rock!“

“By chance, my wife and I had stopped for lunch at Hai Master Restaurant and discovered that this restaurant is definitely a cuisine that we HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The prepared food distinguishes their dishes from the regular Chinese restaurant and is a taste that is incredibly delicious. The owner and chef is definitely one of a kind that incorporated the taste of her original province in China with her own spin. Tammy is the owner and chef and she just hired another chef with skills preparing Sichuan dishes if you want spicy food. This restaurant is becoming more popular each day because the restaurant is more packed every time we come there. Introduce yourself to Leo who can welcome you and lead you to the different delicious dishes they prepare and the service you can enjoy. 5 STARS“

“FYI this is a kitchen only so online orders only!

The grilled cold noodles were so good !! The normal one comes with pork floss sprinkled on top. (It's also warm by the way)

My friend got the chicken noodle soup and it comes with a container of salt so you can control how much goes into it which I love! It was delicious and hearty“

“I’m really glad we found this place, and it’s highly recommended if you are slightly adventurous and trying out some ethnic Chinese flavors.

Everything we ordered was excellent. We knew the crispy lamb buns (aka Chinese Burger) was going to be good, but not sure about the $20 fried pork which was #1 chef recommendations, it turned out to be delightful.

The lamb soup came out first, it was tasty and refreshing, Liang pi was cool, you don’t get it in many places. String beans were nicely done, a delicious necessity to balance out the meal.

The first bite of crispy lamb buns was a delightful surprise: crunchy layered thin bread and lamb with slightly cumin, it was an amazing feast.

Fried pork is an even more interesting surprise that I would not spoil. Ha ha. Try it to find out!

Service was fine, we were seats and water was provided quickly. Orders are done by scanning QR code, browsing the online menu, and order directly. I find this efficient but lacking some personal interactions.

We did purposely ordered a lot for the two of us, we obviously didn’t finish. I was surprised the bill wasn’t as much as I expected. We got a lot of leftovers to go and enjoyed rest at home.“

“Our first time at Sunny’s Dumpling House. What an amazing experience, reaching them make each and every dumpling by hand. This made us enjoy the dumplings even more. We had them suggest some of the favorites and they didn’t disappoint. Try Sunny’s, we will be back, so much more to try!“

“Clean, fresh vegetables in their meals. Excellent dishes, wide choice.“

“I like YGF-Malatang because you can choose your own toppings and flavor, which makes it fun and customizable. The food itself is good and satisfying.

However, the staff aren’t very friendly, which makes the experience less enjoyable. Overall, the food is nice, but the service could definitely be improved.“

“The food is really good. Just a heads up for spicy choices - they are HOT! My husband enjoyed all the dishes. We ordered the duck soup, fried rice with vegetables and beef with cilantro - all delicious! Service was courteous and friendly. Very helpful with first timers like us. The ambiance is quiet and relaxing.“

“Lots of reviews mention Panda Express as comparison.
I see why, as it’s very close to Panda, but with much more generous serving sizes.
The shop certainly doesn’t have the ambiance of Panda nor the number of item selections.
But my Orange Chicken was tasty, noodles very good, fried rice was OK, spring roll yeh. For $9, it’s a bargain.
Recommended.“

“Helen, the hostess and owner, is such a sweetheart! She welcomes you with a smiling face and explains anything on the menu, which is quickly served and abundant. Her plates are beautifully displayed with included side dishes, and full to the top (you'll probably need a take home box).
My only recommendation is she provide Chinese music to set the mood instead of her nice quiet classical music. BTW, the restaurant is in a quiet section of the shopping mall with no loud vehicles racing by. You can have a nice quiet conversation while enjoying your food. The restaurant provides booths or tables for your pleasure, which is a nice change from normal cafeteria-style Asian restaurants.“

“Thank you to Mrs. Valerie and her family/team for the tasty food and the wonderful service! The restaurant is always clean and they are so friendly. I also love that they have vegetarian options as well. I love making the drive to come here. Reminds me of home💜much love🌝“

“Great spot for a group event!
We hosted an informal rehearsal dinner here on a Thursday evening for a group of 27, and everything was fantastic. The service was excellent—friendly, attentive, responsive, and professional.
The restaurant is located in a beautiful shopping complex with plenty of parking, which made logistics easy for our guests. Since I live in the SF Bay Area, I coordinated the event remotely with Ken via phone and text. He was amazing—super helpful in planning a menu that fit our budget and made the whole process smooth and stress-free. Ken and his team even went out of their way to accommodate one of our gluten-free guests, which we really appreciated.
The food was delicious—from the individually prepared, fresh and flavorful Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls to the hearty combination chow mein, everything was a hit. The Garlic Tofu & Vegetables were especially popular with the group, and my personal favorite was the Black Pepper Steak.
They set up a private patio area for us that felt intimate yet still connected to the restaurant’s relaxed SoCal vibe. The white tablecloths and flower arrangements added a lovely touch to our pre-wedding celebration.
Everyone in our party had a great time—great food, warm atmosphere, and top-notch service.

Highly recommended for group gatherings. Thank you, Ken and the Asia Kitchen team!“

“I recently tried Show Hotpot and was blown away by the quality of their broth!
The MalaTang here is genuinely the best I’ve had, it’s so rich and flavorful that, for the first time, I finished the entire bowl.
The atmosphere and service were also great, making the whole experience enjoyable from start to finish.
Highly recommend Show Hotpot for any hotpot lover, especially if you’re a fan of MalaTang!“

“Happy to hear they have a Northern Cafe here now! I remember when this place used to be a ramen shop lol. BUt I also remember it being more expensive that I could afford as a college student. But I'm happy to hear NC is here instead! I recommend trying their spicy beef hot pot if you can handle and like spicy food. It's very flavorful and it kicks you in the mouth a bit, but not so much that you're downing cups and cups of water. Will be coming back!“

“The best service ever. Delicious food. 💯 recommend“

“This has become my go-to canteen-style Chinese restaurant in Irvine — I literally know the menu by heart at this point! My coworkers and I often come here for dinner after work, and everything always hits the spot.

⭐ Grilled Skewers: Don’t underestimate their BBQ! It’s hard to find good skewers in Irvine, but these are legit — juicy, smoky, sizzling when they arrive. Must-tries: lamb skewers, chicken cartilage, and wings. I also love their nostalgic Chinese-style sausage (淀粉肠) — so good!

⭐ Stir-Fried Dishes: I’ve pretty much tried them all and none disappoint. Every dish has real wok hei (that smoky “breath of the wok”). Favorites: scallion beef, fish-flavored eggplant, and sweet & sour ribs (tastes like Hong Kong-style “sweet-sour pork”). Perfect with a bowl of rice.

⭐ Mini Hot Pot: No explanation needed — go for the spicy beef or golden soup beef pot. Big portions, packed with flavor, and super satisfying.

⭐ Chicken Soup Noodles: I order this every single time. The broth is rich and flavorful, with tender poached chicken and plenty of veggies. Comforting and delicious!

⭐ Dessert Discovery: Tried their Mango Sago Lava Bun for the first time — so good! Warm, creamy mango-coconut filling with chewy coconut bits. Not too sweet, just perfect (but be careful, it’s hot inside!).

The menu is huge — from northern to southern Chinese dishes — and everything we’ve tried has been great. The cold appetizers are also worth exploring. We came with five people, ordered a full table, and still had leftovers. Around $25 per person — definitely qualifies as an “Irvine Canteen” spot in my book!“

“When I visited, the place was buzzing with Chinese grandmas and grandpas enjoying the dim sum deals, which I took as a very good sign! I ordered the fish congee: generous portion, rich flavour, and super filling. I have to say it’s a steep price for what’s traditionally a humble, comfort-food breakfast. However, a good experience overall.“

“Very good food. Many choices on menu. Downside is they are very hard to get on phone. Also the hours they have posted online, even on this page, show “OPEN” Sunday, when we found out the hard way they are indeed NOT open. Please change your online presence to state correct days/hours. Including Yelp. This would be very helpful. Other than that, I give it “2 Thumbs up”.“

“Off night at one of our favorite restaurants. Food was served cold, meat in the beef and broccoli was mostly too tough to chew. Service was unusually slow. Seems the kitchen was off and staff was stretched thin. Disappointed but will be back!“

“Some of the best Chinese takeout in OC! Fast, friendly service and inexpensive to boot! The staff are very kind and will make dishes to order if the food you want isn't laid out when you order. Delicious, huge portions, always a great meal with leftovers after. Definitely recommend the Kung Pao Chicken! (They'll make it for you if you ask! ?)“

“This place is super convenient for work trips. It's right next to my office!“

“Nothing fishy about this place. It's a small family run business. Blame covid for the price increases and there are sign posted to make you aware of the increase. it's the best food and most reasonable prices in town. if you cant afford a 11 dish then don't buy or complain about it. These reviews are for the food not whiners.“

“Such a great location and amazing experience! The food was amazing and the customer service was out of this world. Something you don’t see every single day and I really appreciate that. I came here on my lunch break and Ed took care of me. I placed an online to go order and he remembered my name and made sure I had all my utensils and sauces. He also offered me a cup of ice for my water which I really appreciated. He goes above and beyond in his work and I really appreciate that. Thank you, Ed. I will be back for sure.“

“Unbelievable customer service.

Our GrubHub driver forgot half our order - They called me to let me know and then personally delivered it.

It cost them money to do that and they did it anyways. Then on top of that - they literally walked my wife her Amazon package that was at the front of our house when they got here with our food.

I don’t care what other review you read, these people truly try!

The food was also delicious!“

“Best Chinese food ever! My family and I have been coming here for over 20 plus years and we would never go anywhere else to get Chinese food! Amazing food and amazing people who work here!! Anne and family are the most amazing people we have ever met! You must try!! Best Chinese food there is!! Thank you for everything you all do we love you guys!! 💕🥰🥳😁😋“

“I just wanted to take the time to really thank Pick Up Stix at the Lake Forest location. I always have had a great experience here - whether it be for the food or the customer service.

Recently, I decided to venture off my usual choice - Chow Mein - which I think is the best ever. Unfortunately, the new dish I ordered was subpar, I called the restaurant and spoke to a nice lady (I forgot her name unfortunately), she went above and beyond just replacing the meal. And I really appreciated it. Customer service like this is now rare - but she was so nice about it. A) didn't make me feel low or stuck-up (I hate that feeling esp when the vendor makes the mistake) - this was not the case here B) replaced the meal with another of my choice C) And added a generous extra item on the house

Thank you so much! My family loved the dinner - per usual :)“

“We love this place! I'll never go to Panda Express again. its healthy if you get steamed veggies instead of rice or noodles. I can get 3 meals out of it!😋❤“

“Their service is great, and you can feel that they are paying a lot of attention to customers.

We brought our dog with us so we sit the outdoor area, and they have been very attentive all the time.

Food is great, they are noodle house but their rice is out of question also great as well.

I'll come here soon again.“

“Best place for doing a birthday party if you want Chinese food and you have 10 people or more since they have a second restaurant next to the main restaurant for a group of 10 or more. Sometimes, when the main restaurant is full house, they open the second restaurant for 6-8 people too. Pecking duck & walnut shrimp are the best but other dishes are very good too.“

“So good. I know of no other place near here with Cantonese BBQ, especially duck. I primarily only get the duck but I have had the honey walnut shrimp and the green beans and have never been disappointed.
I use to have to drive to Irvine to get some duck but now that Sam Woo has closed this I the only place. I would argue it is better than Sam Woo was when they were still in business.
So happy this place opened so close to me.“

“Introduced a friend to this place via takeout and the crispy honey chicken was soggy and lacked any flavor, tasted more like vinegar. I believe this was an isolated incident as this was the first time I experienced this. The manager was very apologetic and made it right. I really appreciated the response!“

“Amazing food and atmosphere. The food is surprisingly delicious and very reasonably priced. Vicky is a helpful sweetheart! Try the new onion pancakes and sesame balls.😊“

“Unexpected great food, very unassuming place. They don’t serve alcohol, but we got a beer at Ambers to go and enjoyed it with our meal. They didn’t have music playing but since we were the only ones there at the time, we played our own. Hot and sour soup and Szechuan Beef were 👌👌👌“

“Great service and the best food. One of our favorite places to go for many years.“

“Great food, friendly staff and clean atmosphere.“

“I recently visited this Chinese restaurant and was thoroughly impressed with the authentic flavors and warm atmosphere. The menu offers a wide variety of traditional dishes, each prepared with fresh ingredients and rich in taste.
The service was attentive, making the dining experience even more enjoyable. The portion sizes were generous, and the prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity of food served.
I highly recommend this place for the authentic Chinese cuisine.“

“Thai Dara 2 is great! I went in today to order takeout for our medical office staff. I noticed a mistake when I picked up my food (likely poor communication on my part), and they fixed it very quickly and kindly. Above 5 stars on service! The food is fresh and delicious. The lunch specials are priced very well and are big portions. There are options for everyone's dietary restrictions, too, which is so great to find.

The interior of the restaurant is cozy and would be a great place for an intimate lunch or dinner.

I'm writing this as I gobble down my delicious pad Thai with shrimp, and I'm also very impressed at how well the food was packaged, it's still piping hot.“

“Great panda express store, I've been to other locations and have gotten mediocre after rush food where the quality is just not there. This panda express is always bringing out new fresh entrees. It seems like they are constantly making sure quality is up to better than you come to expect! I'd rather go to this location than any other panda express within a 10 mile vicinity because of how good it is!“

“Golden Dragon is always my go-to spot for Chinese food! The food is consistently fresh, and the flavors are spot-on. My favorite is their beef Mapo Tofu—crispy, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. The service is always friendly and fast. It’s a cozy and clean environment, making it a great place for both family dinners and quick takeout. Highly recommend!“

“Great Food!!! Can’t wait for remodel“

“We’ve been going to Capital Seafood for MANY MANY YEARS now and just realized I haven’t made any reviews yet! Well, here it goes… we so love this place! We always go during dimsum hours and we love their dimsum choices! The foods are all amazing and first class!!! The service is even better! Our drinks are constantly filled and they always check if there’s anything else we need. Their manager will also go around and help serve! Eventhough we live an hr away from Irvine now, we still make sure we go to this place at least once a month! Excellent food and VIP service!“

“kindness. Moved to Irvine from the San Gabriel area. In comparison, the food here is delicious and the price is very reasonable. It feels cheap and the food tastes delicious. Of course, it may be that I am too hungry. Overall, I am very satisfied with this meal. Good reviews. Will come again.“

“The food here is amazing and they give you your money's worth. I am used to going to panda express and getting a 3 item plate and still feeling hungry afterwards. I ordered a 2 item plate from here and was unable to finish the whole thing. Now I have some tastey leftovers. The quality of the food is also very good!“

“My family orders from Diho Siam probably about once per week. Would absolutely be 5 stars as I love their food and the employees are super friendly, but it’s really disappointing how dramatically they’ve raised their prices (literally from last week to this week). Orange chicken went from $13 to $18 overnight, cream cheese wontons went from $9.50 to $12.50 etc. To raise prices so significantly really sucks for your customers.“

“It was surprisingly good over the top service delicious good good atmosphere hip cozy friendly . I’m definitely coming back w/ friends!!!“

“Chicken pot thing was weird. Noodles were bomb!!!!!!“