Lake Forest - Shang Shui Restaurant (2) 🌲🍲

Deciding what to eat every day is truly a struggle! We tried Shang Shiao Guan earlier this week and found the quality a bit inconsistent — some dishes surprised us, others disappointed. So we decided to give it another try. Originally planned to order four different dishes, but a friend suggested we get the intestine stir-fry we loved last time, just in case the others didn’t hit the mark. Total before tip: $115. Ranked by deliciousness: 1. Roast Duck 🦆 From the same kitchen as Xie Ji BBQ — we all agreed it was really good! Much better than other local roast duck spots. The duck was well-balanced in fat and lean, and cleaned thoroughly (no leftover feathers!). 2. Honey Pepper Potato Beef Cubes 🥔🥩 The beef was tasty, but the potatoes felt out of place — bland inside and didn’t absorb the sauce. Would be so much better with king oyster mushrooms instead. 3. Stir-Fried Intestines 🌶️ A favorite from last time, but this round was noticeably undercooked. Definitely confirms the inconsistency in their kitchen. 4. Tofu & Eggplant Hotpot 🍆 Very oily — the low point of the meal. The eggplant wasn’t coated or fried beforehand, and both it and the tofu seemed pre-fried but then cooked again in lots of oil. We all felt a bit heavy and greasy after eating it. #IrvineLife #IrvineEats #CaliforniaLiving #SoCalFood #LAEats #UCI #UCIFood #IrvineFoodie