A&J Restaurant

One of the few spots in OC where you can find authentic Taiwanese food. The pork chop and vegetable rice is a true stand out dish. The green onion pancake and pan fried dumplings are decent but you can probably find better in Rowland or SGV. Service is quick and they always made sure we had water. Parking in this plaza is always terrible but that's expected in Irvine.

If you want authentic Taiwanese food in Socal, this is the spot. I have been dining here for over a decade now and they deliver every time! Their cold noodles with ham, beef wrap, thousand layer pancake are a must but I also love their appetizers, such as the bean curd with celery, and seaweed and bean sprouts. The environment is mid and the service is often unfriendly but the food seriously makes up for any faults. So delicious and flavorful, and most importantly, approved by my Taiwanese mother!

It was worth waiting for delicious foods, especially noodles was perfectly cooked I had to order extra noodle lol We will definitely come back again soon One problem most of customers were very loudly speaking each other’s

Been going to A& J Restaurant since I was a kid. My favorite is their Cold Peanut Noodles and Beef Rolls. The menus include both photos of the food and a checklist of what to order (mainly in Chinese, but you can match the order number to the checklist). Note: Weekends can get busy, so you will be asked to leave when you are done dining in. Overall, a great place if you are craving Taiwanese food like Beef Noodles Soup, Noodles, Green Onion Pancake, and Beef Rolls.

The overall experience was a good one. Parking is always tight in that parking lot. The fried chicken on rice was primarily dark meat. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The beef roll was interesting, a bit salty but good. You need the order price guide to mirror up with menu to see what each item costs. A unique way to fluctuate the prices.

This restaurant is an absolute gem. True to Taiwanese cuisine its beef noodle soup is authentic and delicious. The braised pork belly and cucumber dishes are also amazing. Service is notably friendly too. Just beware that this is a popular spot so there can be a long line during noon and early evening.

The front of the plaza is always hard to find parking. The trick is to park at the back, and there is always parking available. I was there on a Sunday, and we waited about 15-20 mins to get a table. After we got seated, we felt they rushed us to place our order. They checked with us once every 30 seconds. I would say it is great customer service and I totally understand because they have a line. The prices are reasonable and not overly expensive. The food tastes authentic. I felt the dining area a bit tight, tables are very close together.

The beef noodle soup (szechuan style) was delicious, where it was nice and warming to the heart! The szechuan style is definitely better and what I really think of when I think if beef noodle soup, but the clear broth was also good, giving a lighter experience!

this restaurant has been around for as long as i can remember, and they've always been extremely consistent and reliable. would say they are known for their beef noodles, which are absolutely wonderful. i found myself craving the tendons today. i also highly recommend the 烤麩 which is a nice cold savory glutinous treat that balances out with the noodles very well.

This place is an oldie but goodie, and I make it a point to take the fam here when we find ourselves in the area. I used to go here with my college roommates over a decade ago for some comforting Taiwanese noodles when there weren't too many nearby options (rough for an SGV girl)! Thank goodness we had sweet ol' A&J and their delicious noodles for any cold night (and at a price that didn't and still doesn't hurt the wallet too much). Their noodles, dumplings and baos are made in-house, and you will literally see the ladies sitting and making it at a table some afternoons. They ask you what kind of thickness for noodles you want and I always recommend the thick noodles, which have such a good bounce and chew that will make you come back for more. Service has definitely improved over the years. The lady at the front was always kind of standoffish and would laser eye your $20 bill back when they took cash only (but now they do take cards), but the past few times have been more pleasant. The Hispanic older waitress is such a sweetie and I love that she's still working there the last few times we came. Their dan dan noodle (sesame paste noodle) is still THE BEST. I love throwing 2-3 dollops of their chili paste with a dash of white vinegar to give it some spice and bit of tartness too. Their spicy beef noodle soup and scallion pancakes are also delicious, especially the latter when it comes out hot. Would definitely come visit again! :)

really underwhelming, im giving it grace because maybe im not used to taiwanese food. service was amazing they were really helpful and nice though. spicy beef noodles- the soup tastes like the vietnamese bo ko dish but watered down. wasnt spicy at all and i felt like it was really lacking flavor. i love the wide noodles tho beef noodle soup- just your average noodle soup but i did enjoy this more than the spicy one, good mild flavors thousand layer pancake- i did enjoy this and i dipped it into my soup because it reminded me of a chinese donut beef roll- i was actually super excited for this but heavily disappointed. it was so dry like the meat was pretty tough and i also had to dip this in my soup. barely any meat btw none of the food was like terrible i just didnt rly fw it heavy

It was my first time coming here and it did not disappoint. I ordered the beef noodle soup after seeing a few recommendations, and it was so yummy. The beef was tender, and the thick, chewy noodles were super good. Everything paired really well together. It usually comes with bok choy, but I decided to skip it this time. They also have a good variety of other items to try. Overall, a solid spot!

On a cool evening night, there's nothing better that hits the spot with the combo of the cucumber infused in garlic hot sauce & Szechuan beef noodle soup (request the thick noodles). The spices do creep up on you with the noodle dish, but the savory soup, thick handmade noodles, and slow-cooked beef are a home run every time. Every time I've gone, the service is swift, and what I love is that you're quickly in & out after finishing your meal. The people are welcoming, and the food speaks for itself.

I finally made it to A & J Restaurant to try some of their famous Taiwanese staples. Overall, it's a solid spot, delivering on certain dishes and providing exceptional service, though some of the items I tried could use a little more flavor. The experience is pretty straightforward; it's a typical busy Chinese/Taiwanese restaurant. You sit down, the servers are attentive, and the food starts coming out almost immediately. Service: 5/5 We came on a Friday night at around 6 PM with a party of 7 and we were seated within 15 minutes. The service here was fantastic and our waters were constantly being refilled, and the food came out incredibly fast. The servers were friendly and very communicative, making sure to announce when a hot plate was coming in or when they were walking behind us. They were really on-point and clearly prioritize customer attention. Food: 4/5 This was a bit of a mixed experience, but the hits were truly great. The absolute standout dish was the Ground Pork over Rice. This dish was incredibly flavorful and mixed perfectly with the rice, I highly recommend ordering it. The Scallion Pancake was also a winner. While it was a bit thicker than I'm used to, the flavor and satisfying crunch were excellent. The side dishes were good, the spicy cucumber was slightly sweeter than I expected but delicious, the Veggie Delight (marinated tofu, seitan, mushroom, and edamame in a sweet soy sauce) was a solid vegetarian option, and the Pig Ear and Potstickers were your typical Chinese/Taiwanese dish. The two main dishes that fell a little flat for me were the Beef Noodle Soup and the Beef Roll. The Beef Noodle Soup (tried both thin and thick noodles) was just okay, it lacked the rich flavor I've found in other spots, especially compared to places like 101 Noodle Express in SoCal (though it was definitely better than Northern Cafe). The noodles didn't seem to be hand-pulled or have the satisfying chewy texture I look for. The Beef Roll was also fine but needed more meat and stronger flavor overall. Ambiance: 3/5 The ambiance is standard for a Taiwanese restaurant. It's clean and functional with tables throughout, but there's nothing particularly unique or memorable about the decor or atmosphere. You come here for the food, not the setting. Overall: 4/5 Pros: -Exceptional and attentive service -The Ground Pork over Rice is a must-try -Scallion Pancake has great flavor and texture -Food comes out very quickly Cons: -Beef Noodle Soup lacks deep flavor compared to other restaurants -Noodles are not chewy or hand-pulled -Beef Roll is sparse on meat and flavor

My fav Taiwanese spot! Fast and efficient service! Lots of tables so the wait is quick. Menu is extensive with lots of cold plates. My favorite is the spicy beef noodle soup with wide noodles. They make everything well and taste fresh. It's a great spot to grab a quick bite to eat.

Food for the soul! I really enjoyed the soup and the dimsum here. I suggest going with a group as is the usual style for Chinese restaurants. Nothing better than sharing good food with family or peers. There's a few good things to try, my favorites are the Szechuan soups, fried chicken and pork chop on rice, cucumber salad, and the scallion pancake. Of course that only scratches the surface since there wasn't a single bad dish in this menu. Even the pickled mustard greens were awesome! If you had a few dishes and wanted to try more, just order! Everything comes out fast!

When I'm craving authentic Taiwanese/Chinese, freshly made, chewy hand-torn noodz..I always go to A&J in the Arbor Village Center (by Taiko). In my opinion, it's the best of the best hand-torn noodles that I've eaten in SoCal (my ultimate fav of all time btw is Magic Noodle in Las Vegas..go check out my RxFoodie Yelp review for that yummy joint). They don't take rezos, no Yelp check-in..just OG take your name down, give you a numbered ticket and wait..so be prepared during lunch/dinner peak hours. The parking in this plaza can get cray, esp. with them Asian drivers, so beware! The restaurant is very minimal inside, no decor whatsoever but so long as it's clean, I'm just there for the food so that's fine with me. Lol My go-to 100% is always the spicy beef noodle soup, with a side of cucumber salad in hot garlic sauce and depending on my hunger level +/- a five spice flavored egg, fried tofu, scallion pancake, or pan fried pork dumplings. I personally like to add some white pepper, chili oil and a dash of the vinegar to my spicy beef broth for that extra oomph flavor to take the noodz to the next level, but it's not needed. The broth has a lot depth and flavor on its own. Everything is always on-point deelish here and the service is consistent. The OG ladies are efficient with taking your orders and clearing the table. Definitely a RxFoodie recommended/must try. Thank me laters!

I went here for an early dinner so definitely there were plenty of seats. We got the spicy beef noodle soup (beef and tendon), beef roll, fried chicken, scallion pancake, and XLB (soup dumplings). The spicy beef noodle soup was decent, with a good amount of beef and tendon in it. The noodle was on the softer side. The beef roll is delicious and filling. The fried chicken is more air fried / grilled and did not carry the Taiwanese popcorn chicken seasoning, so it was a bit different from what I'd have expected. The scallion pancakes were nicely made but not the best I tried. The XLB was okay. Service is very hands off - it can be a bit of effort to flag a server to fulfill requests but otherwise the meal is pretty solid and quick.

A & J Restaurant is a classic Irvine staple - homely, warm, and hearty :) I've been coming here since I was young and it's like nothing has changed. The women who work here are so hardworking and lovely, they always welcome you in and say goodbye as you leave. The food here is reliably delicious and served quickly, best shared. Many items on the menu are on the heavier/salty side, but everything is always yummy! I especially love the cucumber salad and pork dumplings.

Was seated very quickly for a party of 5! Service was polite and frequently checked in on us. The food was amazing especially for this type of weather. Szechuan wonton with any noodle soup bowl hit the spot. Restraunt itself is relatively small but they managaed to make it work. Highly recommend 11/10 stars!

Food -Dumplings (4/5) Really good meat to wrapper ratio! I really enjoyed how juicy the dumplings were. I do like eating dumplings with chili oil but I think their chili oil was a bit underwhelming for me -fried pork chop (5/5) Good flavor, exterior is very crunchy with juicy meat. Rice is cooked perfectly and it comes with pickled veggies which creates a well balanced dish Service Everyone was so friendly and all the food came out decent time! Parking sucks! Small lot so be prepared to find a spot during the weekends

The dishes offered here are Taiwanese. I ordered the Beef Wrap and Minced Pork on Rice. Both were yummy, but the pork to rice ratio was not great. Too much rice for the amount of pork they gave. I was also shocked that they charged 2.50 for tea.

Casual spot for a quick sit down lunch. Service was fast and food was served very quickly. The menu was large, but not overwhelming. You order by marking down what you want on a paper ordering form. I got the spicy beef noodles, beef roll and a side dish (Bean curd strip with mustard greens and soy beans). The side dish was an unexpected hit. It was cool and a good refreshing addition to the other two dishes. I might try more of the side dishes the next time I come. The noodles in the soup were thick and chewy (you get to pick from two types of noodles), the beef was ample and tender. The beef roll was good, but probably could've benefited from a little more flavor and fillings. Overall a positive experience for some yummy food at a good price.

It has been awhile since my last visit to A & J, mostly because it usually has a line out of the door and I despise lines, especially when I'm hungry. An out of town friend specifically asked for A & J today for old time sake so here we are. I was pleased to see many familiar faces when we got in, almost the entire waiting staff. It may not be obvious from outside, but it has a few round tables, so our party of 8 were seated promptly. We ordered enough food for a banquet, from appetizers to noodles, pancakes, dumplings, beef rolls, & fried rice. XLBs are still served in metal dimsum containers, 4 per order. I was surprised that we ate them all. They cleared empty plates as fast as we finished them, just in time for new arrivals. Happiness is as simple as enjoying a good meal with friends.

One of my favorite go-to spots! This is such a great spot for comforting Taiwanese food, the ladies there are like your local aunties and the service is always amazing! A super cozy spot for a meal! We ordered the Spicy beef noodle soup, tomato and pork sauce noodles, fried chicken and rice bowl, and a seaweed appetizer. Spicy beef noodle soup is always a good choice, the broth was perfectly seasoned, and the meat was really tender! You get a choice of thin or thick noodles for all the noodle dishes and I chose thin. Though if you can't handle spice we'll like me, this dish might be a little too spicy. The tomato pork sauce noodles were not spicy at all even though it had a spice sign next to it. Perfectly seasoned and not too overpowering in flavors! I believe they make their meat sauce in house too so it definitely tasted homemade and comforting. The seaweed salad is honestly one of the best ones I've had in OC as a Taiwanese myself. So definitely recommend to give it a try! Refreshing and garlicy!

When we are at A&J's, WE ARE FEASTING. I discovered A&J's my freshman year at UCI (2015). I don't live in California anymore, but when I do visit-- I need to eat at A&J! So this was that time. A&J's is a great place to meet up with your college friends, grab some lunch/dinner, and reminisce about living in Irvine and missing all of the good food that is there (including A&J's). To be quite honest, ordering at A&J's is not difficult at all. Just try everything! However, the non-negotiable and must haves for the table are the following: - pork chop with rice - spicy wontons - xiao long bao - beef wrap - peanut sesame noodles - spicy beef and tendon soup - scallion pancake - house dumplings Make these items at least 2 orders (trust me, you want to be eating this for your leftovers the next day). A&J's is a staple in Irvine. A mom and pop restaurant that serves the best food and is so nostalgic.

This is one of my favorite Taiwanese food spots! It's so delicious. It's located in a busy plaza and I usually have to circle around to find parking. Depending on what time you come and party size, there's will usually be a 10-20 minute wait. Once seated, they provide a paper where you mark what you want to order. I think it's in Taiwanese so you can match by the number. spicy beef noodle soup - 5/5 it's really flavorful and so good with their thick noodle. spicy wonton - 5/5 it's the perfect amount of spice tomato noodle - 5/5 a nice mix of spicy and sweet cucumber salad - 4/5 it's so refreshing, but I wish it was more crunchy Service is quick and they're kind and attentive!

This is, without a doubt, our go-to restaurant in Irvine. The food is consistently outstanding and incredibly authentic. You must try the Beef Noodle Soup--it's the real deal and the reason we keep coming back. For appetizers, our standard order is the trio of deliciousness: the refreshing Spicy Cucumber, the perfectly textured Fried Tofu, and the savory Braised Eggs. If you're not in the mood for beef, their Fried Chicken Noodle Soup is also a fantastic choice.

Came here at 2 pm on a Tuesday and the inside was definitely consistently busy for dine in and take out. I could tell at peak hours the restaurant would definitely be even busier. Ordered the spicy wontons in red sauce and spicy beef noodle with the fat noodle. Loved both dishes but would definitely say the wontons were the highlight of my meal! Their homemade hot sauce was excellent

I wasn't sure if I should give a 3 or 2 but since there was some good things I'll give a 3/5 stars. The good: when we sat immediately served water and when we dropped a chopstick they heard it and instantly came with fresh ones. Service was fast but we did come at 4 pm on Tuesday and the only ones there. Also Feels pretty clean in there, they were also cleaning while we were walking in. The bad: the food was nothing special. I came because I saw multiple reviews raving about this spot. I felt the dumplings were made sloppy and some had little to no meat. I felt everything had no flavor. We even paid an extra $3.75 for a side of sauce to throw on everything for it to be better.

We've gotten takeout from here a couple times before, but this was our first time actually dining in! We came on a Thursday night and it was pretty packed -- we had to wait a little, but it wasn't too bad. We got the spicy beef noodle soup, spicy tendon beef noodle soup, clear beef noodle soup, scallion pancake, and a few appetizers. Everything was really good! The spicy beef noodle soup was a little too spicy for me, but I mixed it with the clear broth and it was just right. The appetizers were super tasty too -- not sure what the English names were, but they were really yummy! Definitely coming back whenever we're craving beef noodle soup!

This is one of my favorite Chinese-Taiwanese restaurants in OC. I have been going to this restaurant with my family for years since I was a kid. We always get two bowls of their spicy beef and tendon noodle soap with their handmade large noodles, peanut sauce noodles, two orders crispy potstickers, and beef wrap to share as a family. I like how everything here is homemade and it shows. You can see the workers wrapping fresh potstickers by hand. Their homemade spicy sauce is so good too. I always try to go here at least once a month to satisfy my beef noodle soup cravings.

Me and my friends came here instead as the Japanese restaurant in the same plaza was packed and we were really hungry. It wasn't crowded at the time and we were seated right away! Also, the food here is awesome! The beef noodle soup was really good I would recommend to get that. The food came out right away within a few minutes as service was pretty quick! The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty casual looks good for big or small group of friends of family. Also, parking here on a weekend can be rough so just be prepared. Overall I would highly recommend to come here!

A&J has the best Taiwanese food -- pure comfort in every bite. Everything on the menu is delicious, but my go-to is the Vegetarian Delight, while my son always orders the beef noodle bowl. Their hand-cut noodles are perfection, and the thick ones are definitely the way to go. I recently tried their sesame noodles with the hand-cut thick noodles, and they were just as flavorful and satisfying. The thousand layer pancake is flaky, chewy, crispy, and absolutely delicious, and the pickled cucumbers are the perfect refreshing side. I also love their thousand year old egg -- rich, savory, and prepared just right. The service is always quick, the food comes out fast, and the prices are right. It's the kind of food that tastes like my mom's or aunt's home cooking -- comforting, familiar, and full of love. Every dish here just hits. Comforting, flavorful, and always a 10/10. Highly recommend.

One of my favorite meals is a good bowl of beef noodle soup. I generally prefer the Taiwanese style soup but like the Northern Chinese style noodles. Also, when I want spice, I prefer the Szechuan type of spice. Some places like A & J combines the best attributes from all those separate regions and that's what brought me in. I got the Spicy Beef and Tendon Noodle Soup with the wide hand pulled noodles. It was delicious and exactly what I expect when I want really good beef noodle soup!

After my last trip down to Irvine, it seemed like almost everyone asked me essentially the same question - "did you go to A & J?". It was bad enough to realize I missed out on something so tasty after the fact, but it was even worse to (unintentionally) get reminded of it again and again! To be fair, this wasn't the only place that I got asked about more than once, but I made it a point to not repeat the same mistake when I was back in town again. In fact, I even managed to come here twice! Like I said - I definitely wasn't going to miss out again! Now, before my first trip here, despite how confident I was that A & J wasn't going to let me down, I still had some level of fear that it could happen. That is, until I saw the crowd of folks waiting outside - with so many other Taiwanese restaurants around, surely there was no way they could disappoint! Thankfully, we only had to wait about 10-15 mins for a table (it was mostly larger groups ahead of us). Looking over the menu, just about everything they have to offer sounded so enticing. It's even more impressive when you consider all of the different dishes they have to offer - tons of noodle soups, rice dishes, small plates, and appetizers. We came in with a few dishes in mind that we knew we had to try, but there so many more that piqued my tasted buds! -- (#129) FRIED CHICKEN...$8.95 This wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still pretty good. Even though it lacked a crispy coating like the ji pai dishes I've had elsewhere, I liked how juicy the chicken itself was and how it had just the right amount of seasoning on it. -- (#101) SPICY BEEF & TENDON NOODLE SOUP (SZECHUAN STYLE)...$14.50 Easily my favorite dish here! I love how tender the chunks of beef were and how the tendons were so soft, but the star of the dish was the soup - rich, flavorful, and with just a slight kick. Also, while both types of their noodles are good in this one, I liked the thin one more. So good! -- (#127) MINCED PORK ON RICE...$12.95 Honestly, it didn't look all that appealing (like a very wet chili), but this was actually pretty decent. While I wish this had some chunks of pork belly in it, the minced pork was flavorful with a nice meatiness to it and I loved the marinated egg. -- (#130) FRIED TOFU...$8.50 Not that I didn't think this was going to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised how tasty this was! The tofu had a nice crispiness to it yet the batter isn't super thick, which is great. However, it was (literally) the sauce that made this so flavorful and delicious. -- (#139) CHINESE BEEF WRAP...$15.50 This might be one of their most popular dishes, but it fell flat for me. The roll was fairly plump and the beef was decently tender. However, it was also rather dry, both in terms of the pancake (it's a bit thick) and the lack of sauce. For the money, I'd rather pay less for another bowl of noodles! -- (#106) SHREDDED PORK & MUSTARD GREENS NOODLE SOUP...$11.95 Not too shabby, but, admittedly, not as good as I was hoping for either. I liked that there was a good amount of mustard greens and pork in this, but the meat felt very lean and the taste of the soup wasn't very robust. I also liked the bite of the noodles, but wish we had gotten the thin variety. -- (#102) SPICY BEEF NOODLE SOUP (SZECHUAN STYLE)...$14.50 Since this one didn't have any tendons in it, it felt a bit beefier and leaner by comparison, which may or may not better depending on your taste. Personally, I liked having a few tendons, but this is almost just as good! If there was one "knock" to be said about A & J, it's that finding a parking spot in the lot can be a little challenging during peak hours. In part due to the number of folks that come here, but also because the complex isn't all that large and there are several other popular eateries (and businesses) here as well. That being said, it's not incredibly hard to find a space, especially if you circle around to the back, and it's actually pretty easy if you come here outside of the prime lunch/dinner hours. Either way, the food at A & J is well worth the effort. My only fear now is finding out that there was a really good dish I missed out on trying. That is, until the next time I come back! FOUR AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now.

First timer! Wednesday night dinner and didn't have any trouble finding parking. Seated right away. Service is really fast, food came out minutes after ordering. Staff member came by often to refill our water.

The food was delicious and service was fast. Lots of options at different price points. Fun to try multiple dishes.

Came for lunch. I ordered the clear broth beef noodle because I was hungover and gf got the zha jiang mian. Everything was solid but I was feeling pretty roughed up. Would come back to try again when my insides are melted.

A&J is THE place to go to for comfort food! The spicy beef noodle soup is a classic that I order every time I come. The spicy wontons and pan fried dumplings are our favorite appetizers to order as well! If you don't eat spicy foods, the wonton noodle soup or rice dishes are great options. The service is fast and if there's a wait, it goes by quickly. The parking lot gets busy in the evenings/weekends but there's plenty of parking spots. A&J is definitely a spot to try if you're in OC!

Great place for Taiwanese dishes: spicy sesame noodles XLB, spicy wontons, fried chicken, pork chop on rice, pork dumplings, pickled cucumbers, scallion pancakes, boiled peanuts, vegetarian delight. Whew, we ordered a lot, but it's nice that the dishes aren't toolarge and pricey. That way you can get a great variety of things to try.

We got the beef noodle soup, beef rolls, spicy wontons, and fried potstickers. It was pretty good overall.

A&J sells some nice Taiwanese dishes. Knowing that, I already have a must-try list! Spicy oil wonton, beef roll wraps, and spicy beef stew noodle (wide noodles). Too bad they didnt have the spicy oil wonton. No worries, I sub'd it with the spicy cucumber salad. Really good and got nice chunks of garlic. The beef roll wraps came in a bit flat. Both in flavor and wrap, unfortunately. The beef stew noodle was pretty traditional. I like my noodles wider and broth heartier. But it had the traditional beef stew taste. Overall, quite nice but falls very well within standard for me. Though this place is quite popular, always full. I would recommend it overall!

A&J is a great spot to try new options of Asian food. The soups are quite large, and they give out individual bowls, so I would recommend sharing. They also have a lot of great sharable appetizers so you can get more to try. I would recommend getting things spicy, as the plain options are kind of bland. The price is really good for a sit down restaurant. The service is also really quick.

My boyfriend and I were heading up to OC to have a small "staycation" to meet up with his brother and some of his friends as he hadn't seem them for a while. However, we weren't meeting them until later that weekend and decided to meet up with one of my San Diego friends who happened to be in OC visiting her cousin. We randomly found this restaurant and decided to check it out. It's located next to Sunmerry Bakery and Evergreen Health & Herbs in The Arbor Village Center on Jeffrey Rd in Irvine. There's a huge parking lot with ample parking but could be very difficult to find a stall on a weekend. It took us a while to find a stall, and it was at the end of the shopping plaza. When we arrived, there was a line of people waiting to be called in to be seated. We didn't realize this restaurant was that popular but seems like it really was in the area. It took us about 45 mins to an hour to get seated. Luckily, there were small stores around for us to kill time at which included the SHIBUYALA. My group and I decided to order appetizers to share around the table. We shared the Pan Fried Pork Dumplings and Sliced Beef Tripe w/ Hot Red Sauce. The beef tripe was soooo good. The flavor, MMM! Loved it! It was a cold dish that was very tender and the spiciness show in the dish. It did look kind of sus (peep at pic) when we got it, but looks are deceiving as I really liked it! Definitely a hit for me. The pork dumplings were also really good. They were very plump and full of protein. YUM, great start of our meal. I ordered their Beef and Tendon Noodle Soup. There was a lot of everything in this bowl and for the price, it was super worth it! The beef and tendon were very tender which I fully loved as it indicated that they've been cooking for a while. However, I wasn't very impressed by the broth as it lacked flavor, and the noodles were overcooked for me. My boyfriend and my friend both got the Wonton Noodle Soup. The wontons were really sad. Tiny little pieces with barely any protein in them. Boooo. The soup was also very unimpressive. Unfortunately, the main courses could not match the energy we had with the appetizers. Overall, not a bad restaurant to have Taiwanese styled foods. However, I did wish our noodle soups were better. I would definitely come back to try other foods, especially the spicy wontons everyone raves about to see if it lives up to its hype.

Stopped for a quick bite, food was very good and portion was good. It was busy but minced pork rice and some sort of spicy noodle i ordered was great.

my friends took me to this place and it was a nice experience. the service is so quick when it comes to busting tables, bringing food out and taking the orders. i appreciate that they label their foods that have peanuts due to my allergy. the price is fair and def portioned well. the fried chicken was not oily and also juicy. the cold noodles were refreshing for the hot summer. i wish i could have chosen wide noodles but that's okay. cucumber salad had a good crunch and good size to share. i would come back again with friends to show them the food here.

My friend recommended this place after playing pickleball at Irvine. A & J is a noodles place that we used to eat at Ranch 99 of Rowland Heights. Then it moves to Diamond Bar, and I am happy it's still around at Irvine. I tried the beef noodle soup (tendon) for me (delicious and tendons are tasty and not chewy. The thousand layer pancake is same - hand made with right thickness and taste, and the pig ears is season just right. Recommended for lunch or quick meal!

I've been coming to this location since the early 2000's when I was attending university, is say that 90% of the staff working up front are the same people working here today. Talk about consistency. The quality of food has remained the same ass well (GOOD). Prices have gone up a bit over the years but it's still reasonable for what you get. I hope that when my kids get older and have their kids they'll be bringing their family here as the food choices are great and service is quick. I recommend their spicy beef noodles. I always get the fried chicken on rice and a plethora of their dudes dishes like spicy cucumber, pig ears, scallion pancakes and the steamed dumplings. Here's to many more years of serving quality food

I love love A&J! Whenever I'm in Irvine, that's where I'm eating. They have the best Taiwanese food and I always leave happy.

Probably have eaten here 15-20 times. Can't go wrong with the beef noodle soup (sichuan) and the fried chicken or pork chop on rice. We have tried other dishes but always come back and order the two I mentioned. I also frequently see others order the beef noodle soup, so you know it's good! Tastes authentic and service is also quick. I concur with my previous review still.

It was pretty busy when we went for dinner but we got in really fast. People were coming in and out quickly. Everything was amazing! Perfectly timed out for being brought to the table. My husband and I shared a soup, then got dumplings (the reason I came), a scallions pancake and beef bun. So delicious. How ordering works: use the menu and compare the item # and mark off how many you want of what on the piece of paper provided.

Long overdue review for A&J- authentic Taiwanese beef noodle. Can get really packed on a Weekday especially between 5-6pm. Service is fast so you dont have to wait too long once you get seated inside the restaurant. Very delightful flavors for the soup, beef are cooked to tenderness. I love their spicy wonton , the sichuan satee is not too spicy, remember to mix it thoroughly so all the chili oil sauces can coat outside the wonton. The Shirmp and pork fillings are crunchy and you can taste the freshness in their ingredients. Same quality as Ding Tai Fung , and what a steal for the price you pay here. Overall, it Feels like homemade meal despite the crowd

Solid Taiwanese food with great price point. Cucumber salad, bean curd roll with assorted mushrooms, won ton in spicy sauce, xiao long bao, and spicy beef noodle dishes were delicious. All dishes were promptly served by friendly staff. Interior decor was pretty ordinary and appeals to family style dining. Although Din Tai Fung is at another level, prices were half of what you would pay there. Would recommend expanding menu to include fried green beans in spicy chili sauce. Highly recommend.

Delicious Taiwanese comfort food with wide selection of noodles, soups, buns, chicken, and pork rice dishes and appetizers.

Parking in the plaza is always hard to find, but we never have trouble with the additional spaces in the back. We came around the 6pm on a Friday and the wait was not as bad as expected (around 15 mins). The staff were very quick and efficient. The food was okay... I heard a lot of hype around this place and the food did not live up my expectations. Their signature dish, spicy beef noodle soup, was too oily for my liking. The beef wrap was also okay-- meat was tender but the wrap itself tasted a little dry.

The beef noodle soup (szechuan style) was delicious, where it was nice and warming to the heart! The szechuan style is definitely better and what I really think of when I think if beef noodle soup, but the clear broth was also good, giving a lighter experience!