Wok & Grill

I’m a sucker for good dumplings, and this unsuspecting spot tucked away in a Laguna Hills strip mall delivers great xiao long bao.
I’ve never seen xiao long bao made with chicken. I was dubious about the flavor, or lack of, but the chicken version was just as good as the traditional version made with pork. The XLB were soupy and the skin was just the right thickness.
This is a great South OC spot for those who don’t want to brave the drive north to Din Tai Fung or the San Gabriel Valley.

Very authentic Chinese. The juicy «soup» dumplings are very good and remind me of the large breakfast dumplings I get in Yangzhou. Nothing fancy just great food. Nice people.

My friend told me about about this great Xio Long Bao place in Laguna Hills. Since the wait at Din Tai Fung at the South Coast Plaza turned me off, I am willing to try any place that could be just as good. I thought to myself… Xio Long Bao in Laguna Hills??? I live in Irvine, which is the mecca for Asian cuisine… but ok, let’s try it.
AMBIENCE
Small mom & pop hole in the wall place with about 6 – 7 tables. We got seated at the table right near the entrance next to the soda fountain. My friend said that she had come the day before to reserve a table since it’s really small & also because no one picked up the phone… but I don’t think that they do that kind of thing, take RSVPs, that is. Pop doesn’t really speak English, so I don’t know if he understood what my friend was trying to do.
FOOD
There was a lot of things on the menu… we decided to have juicy pork Xio Long Bao, pork bun, sautéed string bean with garlic, and shrimp and pork dumpling.
Everything was really tasty, but I felt like the wrappers on the Xio Long Bao and the dumplings could have been a little fresher. They tasted like they had been frozen and not just made. I feel like places in Irvine have such high volume that the food is fresher because they are making them more often.
SERVICE
Bad. Honestly, I didn’t really have any expectations on it being good. The «mom» of the mom & pop is the only server. When we sat down, I asked for 4 iced waters… we got 2. We had to ask for 2 more. Also, after our hot tea ran out, no one was in sight for a while so I had to get up and call out to the owners to refresh our tea.
OVERALL
Good place. I wouldn’t say it’s a hidden gem because it’s a dime a dozen in Irvine and probably a little better with all that competition!

This place has great sushi & spicy chicken bowls.
It’s never busy which is odd, word hasn’t gotten out yet? Anyways, great spot for take out!

The owners make it painfully obvious they are primarily interested in serving their own ethnicity.

Needed something to eat with the boyfriend. Came in. No one took our order for about 15 minutes when there was no line. Finally a lady came out, gave us the dirtiest look and asked we ordered by phone. We said no. She looked us up and asked «What do you want?» And my boyfriend just stormed off annoyed. So yeahhh. Didn’t even need to try the food the service was already disgusting.

Love the employees here they’re so nice and sweet, and I don’t get it why people complain about the food and the portion coz I’m born and raised in China and I don’t see any problem with the food it’s got great flavor and it’s very authentic it’s simply not American Chinese food like panda, and I asked for a 4.99 small and they stuffed that box!

I loved this place to eat. I came here 3 times a week. Than new owners took over and it is horrible no taste and small portions. I am very unhappy. I work close and we stopped eating here. So sad!!!

For over a decade, Wok & Grill served party trays stuffed with Americanized-​Chinese food and $ 5 express meals scooped from a steam table. The food was a healthier alternative to Panda Express since the chef cooked with light oil and sauces. The previous owners even used home-​grown oranges to prepare the orange chicken sauce and orange peels.
3 months ago, the business was passed down to new owners. I believe it is now a husband/​wife/​son operation. The Chinese name is «馬家面點坊» and the English name is unofficially «HDX Noodle House». The steam table remains, the combo meal prices have not changed, but I noticed that there is a significant reduction in variety.
The focus of this new restaurant is the addition of a traditional Chinese menu.
Tianjin steamed buns (狗不理) is their new famous homemade signature. The owners prepare 4 varieties: stuffed buns with pork, red bean, vegetable, or pork napa fillings. You cannot find this regional specialty in Orange County, not even in Irvine. You would have to drive to the Tianjin breakfast joints in Monterey Park or Rowland Heights for this breakfast/​lunch snack. At Wok and Grill, you can eat the steamed buns in the restaurant or take dozens home in frozen form.
The remainder of the new menu consists of northern Chinese fusion cuisine, ranging from cold seasoned appetizers to Sichuan-​style fish to Shanxi seafood noodle soup to the generic Wuxi spare ribs. I noticed that the chef was wearing a black «Spicy City» uniform. She may have previously been an employee at the Sichuan eatery in Irvine.
I ordered the cold appetizer platter and a Sichuan mala noodle. Both were considered mild on the heat level compared to the Sichuan spectrum. My appetizer platter (a special order) was the standout, it consisted of thinly sliced beef paired with bean curd, both lightly coated with mala sauce. Very well seasoned, the numbing effect was present, generous portion for an appetizer.
The Sichuan noodles were a bit of a disappointment to me because it was overall quite dry. There was not enough fiery soup base in the bowl to balance the amount of noodles given. The standard proportion may have been held back by the chef because they realized I am from the southern part of China where people have relatively low heat tolerance. However, I did enjoy the chewy texture of the noodles, and the bright savory flavors from the sauce were especially satisfying.
Wok & Grill is definitely a hidden gem in Laguna Hills that people in the area should notice.

Went in today to buy food for the whole family and they just got some new owners!!! They must have had 6 trays of food to pick from. Super disappointed with the food and the baby portions that the young gentleman served me. My family and I have been coming here since I was a little sperm and now sadly I will never come back. Seriously it use to be Mr Wok then Wok and grill, now this! FML

At first sight, we were a little worried. The food was sparse and old looking. They did just reopen, so I persuaded my husband to order anyway and try it out.
I was happy that they offered to cook whatever we wanted if it wasn’t already prepared. I took advantage of that and ordered two items that weren’t readily available.
It definitely isn’t as commercially produced as say, Panda Express, but the food is honestly quite tasty!
Even the chow mein and fried rice had obviously been sitting for awhile, neither were dried out, and both were as flavorful as one would expect.
Teriyaki chicken and spicy beef were made fresh for us, and both had great flavor. The portions were generous, even with the meat! $ 7 for a two item; not bad!
As we waited, the owner unexpectedly emerged from the back, carrying a brand new stuffed panda puppet and offered it to my three year old. There couldn’t have been a better day for that! She just got her cast removed today (mean boy, long story) and she’s upset bc she didn’t expect her arm to still be sore. Anyway, that panda puppet made her so happy!
Wok & Grill meets my expectations, and I love great customer service. We will definitely be back!

Surprisingly good. Since I work in the area it’s hard to drive to north oc like garden grove for good Asian food during lunch. I was iffy at first since it looks like just another Panda Express but it’s actually quite good considering the location. It’s own by a Chinese couple. The husband cooks in the back and the wife is in the front serving.
Honestly I would recommend it for lunch to any want who has a Chinese food craving.
They also have decent pricing for catering. I’ve catered here a couple of times for work before.

Today is the last time I’m ever going to this place. I’ve been forgiving with the new ownership, but it has gone down hill in service and quality for the past few years. I’ve been a patron of this place for about 15 year now and fell in love with their mandarin chicken which was seasoned with bell peppers, garlic, green onions and other flavorful ingredients. Whenever I was in the area, I made an effort to stop by just to grab the three item combo filled with just that item. The old cook and server always knew what I wanted and cooked a fresh batch making sure to add the tiny crispy seasoned veggies in my combo. It was the best mandarin chicken I’ve ever had and I’m really bummed that I can never have it again. To make things worse, their portions are getting smaller and smaller and after eating it. I get terrible rashes. It’s super annoying when people acquire already good eateries and make it bad with their little spin. Argghh!
If anybody knows where I can find mandarin chicken like the old wok and grill, please let me know:-)

I’ve tried this place 2 times now. Wasn’t really watching too close the first time, just noticed the portions seemed smaller as they use a smaller depth box then some places. I remember the food was okay, but was not fresh as you would see in a Panda Express.
Anyway, I tried this a 2^nd time, and the lady was pleasant in greeting. Put in my order with ½ and ½ for the sides. She put in a much less amount of rice and noodles, it didn’t even reach the half top of the short box. Seriously, you guys are pinching on your sides after the lunch rush is done?
She added the other 2 main dishes at normal levels… just normal portions. The food was very old as in hours in appearance and taste. It would have been good if it hadn’t been under the heat laps for the last few hours. The 2 item came out to over $ 7 with tax. Basically the same price for lunch as Pickup Stix across the street, but not even as fresh or tasty.
There is a stigma on chinese food places for pinching pennies. Unfortunately, this place is not helping that label. They charge the normal prices, but don’t deliver even average portions or quality. There is no excuse for independent to be outdone by a chain like Panda Express. Yet, it happened here.

I rarely go out to lunch on workdays, but every so often I end up with no food in the house, so I have to take myself out to eat. Today was one of those days, so I went to Wok & Grill. I’ve been here before, and it is consistently good. The food is always fresh and the service is great. I get the 2-​item combo, and it is always hard to decide which 2 entrees I want because they all look so good. The husband and wife team that own it are really friendly and super nice to everyone. She seems to know every customer that comes in, and what they order. Kinda like Cheers! Best of all, it’s super cheap: the 2-​item combo, which will preclude me from having to eat dinner, is only $ 7. Hard to beat that!

I work down the street and occasionally stop by here for lunch. The food is your typical American-​Chinese cuisine. But it’s a step above the other places as I could actually eat the whole combo without feeling queasy (My stomach don’t lie) The teriyaki chicken and bbq pork here is great. Especially after you get to know the owners, she’ll give a little more. Like the other reviews said, service is great and they’ll remember your face after a while.

We are so glad we stumbled upon Wok & Grill. The food is always fresh and the service is exceptional. Plus I get that personal satisfaction of knowing that I am helping support a local «Mom and Pop» (literally)!

I was looking for Chinese food in the area and didn’t have a pleasurable experience at Pick Up Stix, so I thought I would try this place out. From the moment we walked it we were greeted with a very cheerful «hello» from the cutest old lady. We got the food to go and she was so sweet! She threw in extra cookies for my little girls and they loved her! We had the Chicken fried rice (tasty), chow mein noodles (bland), and Orange Chicken (very good). Loved the small place, but loved the sweet lady behind the counter. Will definitely be back.

Amazing food and people. Husband and wife running the business together. If your in the mood for great Chinese food, look no further. Best Chinese food I’ve ever tasted. I took my work team out and they loved it.

To me 75% of the reason for loving a place is the food. 25% is the way the employees and owners make me feel.
This place excels at both.
The food is delicious and they do NOT skimp on portions. Oh my gosh — they just keep loading the food in. Unlike other places — the entrees have FLAVOR.
And did I mention portions ‘o plenty? A two-​item entrée is typically two meals for me. And I am not a «I’ll just have a salad» kinda girl.
Next — the people that work there /​run the place. I am always greeted warmly when I walk in the door. Today she said something like, «What no hockey?» Somehow she remembered that last time I came in, I was wearing a hockey jersey and it’s been months since I was there. That blew me away.
And since it is Christmas Eve, I was stopping in around lunch time to ask how late they would be open since my husband and I were going to have Chinese food for dinner. She said, «What time do you want to come? I will be here.» Are you kidding? When was the last time a place offered to stay open for a customer who wanted to come back later? On a holiday? Seriously?
My husband and I decided to get our food right then and there. She said whatever they didn’t have made they could make fresh for us. Then she threw in some egg rolls.
The parking c an be a pain because of the sports bar, but there is generally 20 minute parking up front by the car rental place. GO HERE. GET FOOD. ENJOY!