50 Best Chinese Restaurants near Laguna Beach

“Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Very close to the beach, close to center of everything. I personally thinks it’s more for American palate. Not for Chinese palate. But given it’s in a touristy place, I think it’s very very good Chinese food, speaking as a Chinese eater. lol.“

“It was my first time there. Lovely staff and wonderful food“

“Super good westernized Chinese restaurant with lots options and good value. The Changs lettuce wraps are their most popular dish and definitely a must try. All of their dishes are packed with flavor and very delicious. The sushi rolls are on the smaller side so I would recommend skipping those and getting their main dishes. Beautiful interior with plenty of outdoor seating as well and friendly staff.“

“P.F. Chang’s never disappoints! As usual, we had a great experience from start to finish. The food was delicious, the portions were perfect and generous, and everything was served fresh and well presented.

The service was excellent—friendly, attentive, and professional throughout our visit. The atmosphere is always enjoyable and consistent, making it a reliable choice whether you’re going for lunch or dinner.

Another very satisfying visit to P.F. Chang’s. Great food, excellent portions, and wonderful service. Definitely a place I’m always happy to come back to!“

“Really enjoyed the malatang here. The broth has great flavor with a good balance of spice and numbness, and the ingredients taste fresh and clean. Portions are generous and pricing feels fair. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to come back and try different combinations. Overall a solid spot for malatang.“

“Food here tastes really authentic, like proper home-style flavors, not watered down at all. Portions are solid and the price, for the US, feels very fair, tbh kind of rare around here. Seasoning is on point, you can actually taste the spices, not just salt. Staff moves fast but still friendly, casual vibe, nothing fancy, just comfortable. Strongly recommending this place to anyone who cares more about flavor than decor, works for me.“

“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“

“Our go-to restaurant when we are starving at night. Authentic Chinese street food with right-on-the-spot seasoning. Location is in a shared kitchen facility together with many other small businesses. Clear window showing their kitchen so you know all the food are made fresh for you. A must try place overall!“

“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.“

“One of the most authentic and yummy XLB places. The waitlist can be a bit long during peak hours, but their system takes care of it. Services are fine too, just sometimes a bit monotone as they are very focused on their tasks. Simple and clean environment while we can also buy togo frozen XLB to steam at home. All their greens and veggies dishes are wonderful!“

“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.“

“Good food and staff. They always do a good job and fast.“

“Taste was good here, exactly the kind of spicy comfort food I wanted. I liked that it’s self-selected ingredients and broth, so I picked a bunch of veggies and some tofu and went with the bone broth mala soup, nice heat but not too much, lips tingling a bit. Place looked clean and hygienic, tables wiped, no weird smell. Staff was friendly in a low-key way, helped explain the sauces and smiled when I kept adding more chili oil, lol. Overall felt like an easy, no-fuss meal that hits the spot.Taste was good here, exactly the kind of spicy comfort food I wanted. I liked that it’s self-selected ingredients and broth, so I picked a bunch of veggies and some tofu and went with the bone broth mala soup, nice heat but not too much, lips tingling a bit. Place looked clean and hygienic, tables wiped, no weird smell. Staff was friendly in a low-key way, helped explain the sauces and smiled when I kept adding more chili oil, lol. Overall felt like an easy, no-fuss meal that hits the spot.“

“Food is very appetising but I find it not spicy enough.
The Lemon Iced Tea used Jasmine based tea which I didn’t quite like. It was not stated on the menu as I would not have ordered that.
Ordering is by scanning the menu which can be switched between Chinese or English. In English mode, choice of Less Salt, Less Oil, Less Spicy was still in Chinese. Staff helped to translate for me.
Pork Belly skewer was a bit too thin. I preferred the Lamb ones which was listed as ‘Beef’.
Eggplant and Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetable were good. I got more hungry as I ate them.
Sichuan style Chive n Pork Dumplings were juicy.
Will come back again.“

“Oh my gosh! This is actually such a hidden gem, came in expecting the usual chewy meat or cold rice and came out with some BOMB orange chicken, steaming hot rice and some actually good Thai tea with boba, the cashier was SUPER sweet, letting me try samples and overall just being super kind and patient with me. Love this place and will DEFINITELY come back.“

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

“(October 2025 visit): Helen, the hostess and owner, is such a sweetheart! She welcomes you with a smiling face and explains anything on the Chinese-American 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.“

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

“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.“

“I was first introduced to Mimi Garden getting take out. We ordered Boa Buns on a whim. Boy were we pleasantly surprised!
We have also had a seated dinner here. The interior is beautifully styled, elegant and inviting. The service was excellent and our food was delicious. We will definitely be back.“

“I have been coming here since they first opened and every time it is consistently made fresh and well as well they have fair pricing on lunch specials. Their broccoli beef is actually packed with beef not just broccoli unlike other Chinese restaurants.“

“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”.“

“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.“

“So we usually have gone to the Capitol Noodle in Barranca. It was closed permanently recently so we tried this location. phe-no-me-nal.
I think this is even better than the barranca one with a more varied menu.
Thumbs up. Must go with the fam. Highly recommend the Hong Kong style crispy noodle, cold cucumber salad, fried rice and lychee drinks.
Ps. I’m very stingy sideye reviewer of things so giving 5 stars for me is not a habit. This place deserves all 5. The service here was excellent.“

“Great food, great service. We liked their cocktails, I had a blackberry whiskey drink and it was amazing. Can't go wrong w the lettuce wraps or the wonton soup. Hubby joined the Chang's reward thing and we get good little incentives. Definitely will be back.“

“Wowwwww… tried this place for the first time tonight for dinner and I was blown away!! I ordered the Chongqing chicken and spicy pork wontons with white rice and loved everything. Service was fast for dinner time and the cashier was so kind and helpful and even gave me some recommendations too. The chicken was just the right amount of spicy and the wontons were some of my favorite I’ve had. Portions are also big enough to share. I wish I lived closer so I could come here more often. Easy parking too. I will be back…“

“Watching TV and saw Pad Thai and had to have some. Wanted chix/shrimp and couldn't get any of the platforms to give me that option. Pad thai near me got me to Thai Dara 2 and my order had lots of both perfectly cooked shrimp and big white meat chicken pieces. The order left me with enough for dinner. I will definitely be back.“

“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.😊“

“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!! 💕🥰🥳😁😋“

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

“Amazing authentic Chinese duck spiced perfectly. For me it was a quiet hometown environment with attractive employees. A great place to getaway for a while. I’m not sure if they were open because google said they were closed but they took care of me anyway.“

“These are the types of food joints I look for! Authentic owners and flavor. I enjoyed the Chicken Tom Yum with some Sticky Rice and Prik Nam Pla.... But they actually serve you up with a full spice rack anyhow as they should!

The soup was flavorful plenty of protein and encapsulated all of the ingredients, sticky rice done to perfection!“

“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!😋❤“

“Stopped in here for a quick lunch and had orange chicken, black pepper beef and some various dim sum items. Everything was good, the chive dumplings were HUGE and so flavorful we went back two days later to order more. Staff were very friendly, service was quick and the outdoor patio was nice.“

“Cannot skip the big plate chicken and scallion beef at Northern Cafe Irvine! Portions are incredibly generous with spot-on traditional tastes. The servings are so substantial that a full spread will fill you up completely. It’s such a no-nonsense local eatery serving hearty, flavorful northern Chinese comfort food that always hits after a busy day.“

“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! ?)“

“The hotpot I eat most often with friends is Lao Pier. The first time I ate flying pancakes was at Lao Pier. Now that I think about it, it still tastes delicious.“

“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 :)“

“This place is amazing!!! Authentic food with such a wide variety of options!! Everything is cooked to order and tastes so fresh and amazing! Portions are well worth the price too! Also, the lady who runs the place is insanely nice and has amazing customer service!!“

“Good authentic Chinese foods. We had sizzling seafood combo, house specials veggies (very fresh), sizzling beef very good, shrimps in lobster sauce. For 5 people is plenty. Services is fine. There's no wait time for seating at 4:20pm on Saturday.“

“Great food, friendly staff and clean atmosphere.“

“I’m really pleased with Le Shrimp Irvine. Their Hainanese chicken rice is the best I’ve had locally so far—the rice was flavorful, the ginger sauce was excellent, and the broth was rich, though slightly on the salty side.
My only disappointment was the chicken. I’m not really a fan of plain breast meat; I prefer the bone-in breast and drumstick pieces with skin, which I was told was an option. I was also informed they were out of the skinless breast meat, so I expected to receive the bone-in option I had ordered, but I still ended up with breast meat.
Overall, I’d rate the Hainanese chicken rice a 4.0. It tastes very authentic, with that Malaysian/Singaporean style I really enjoy.

I also tried the Shrimp Broth Trio Noodles with veggies, prawns, prawn balls, and wontons, and I loved the shrimp flavor. The broth reminded me of the Har Mee soup base I’ve had before, but with a richer, creamier, ramen-style twist. The fusion works well, and the flavor was delicious, but with a bowl packed with noodles, shrimp, wontons, and toppings, it became a bit too rich by the end. I would personally prefer it a little lighter and more brothy, but overall it was still very satisfying.

I’m excited to try more dishes. I also heard the owner is Singaporean and the chef is from Malaysia—fabulous!“

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

“One of the BEST Chinese food restaurants i have had the pleasure of eating at. The staff friendly. The vibe chill. The food OUT of this world! I loved every minute of eating here. I usually order my regular friend rice that I always get at Chinese restaurants but this place really made me feel like I tasting authentic Chinese food. We had the house special friend rice and chairman Mao pork belly and to say it was superb is an understatement. Please if you have a chance give this restaurant a try either dine in which has a nice cozy space with light music playing in the background or order for delivery. You will not be disappointed. 20/10 must visit! P.s sorry for half eaten food pics but thats what happens when you really enjoy the food and forget to take a pic.“

“I ordered for take out twice in two days. The tomato and brisket noodle soup was a bit sweet but tasty. I like that noodles were chewy just about the right texture. The brown sugar sticky rice dessert was crunchy on the outside and soft inside, which was great. I came back to order more food the second morning when it just opened. The cashier wasn’t there. The kitchen staff came to help me. They were friendly and apologetic and offered us water and extra food while we waited for our order. I liked popcorn chicken. The pan fried pork buns were juicy. Overall, the food and the experience were great. I’d come back to try more food.“

“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 👌👌👌“

“I genuinely recommend the First Sandwich. We ordered from here multiple times, and they never disappointed us. The food is fresh and tastes amazing. I love the avocado walnut salad; it’s very refreshing. The sandwich is flavorful. The clam chowder bowl is creamy and well balanced. They gave us so much food with reasonable price. The owner is always so kind and attentive. Highly recommend!“

“Came here shortly after they opened. A lot of the food was not yet cooked but I was told they could quickly make whatever I order. I got a 2-item combo with string bean chicken and a steak entree. Sure enough, my order was ready in less than 10 minutes. Service was friendly. Food was on-par for what you would expect for a Panda Express. Restaurant was clean. Plenty of free parking.“

“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.“