Gui BBQ Restaurant & Bar 簋街 — Restaurant in Irvine

They have outdoor seating which is nice but it is more like ordering takeout and eating it outside as all the dishes are served in togo containers. I understand it's only a covid precaution so it makes sense!

13 spices crawfish (hot): This was pretty good! My first time eating crawfish so I was terrible at getting meat out; crawfish flavor is like a more fishy shrimp in my opinion. The sauce has a nice peppers heat to it. Save it to dip the rest of your food in.

Jelly fish salad: Pretty good! The jellyfish itself has no flavor and the texture is like crunchy jello. The actual flavor of the dish is muted and has no spice. It's a refreshing dish.

Cucumber salad: Very similar flavor to the jelly fish but I'd say it's more refreshing and light.

Lamb skewers: Really yummy! Nice and soft and is seasoned with that typical spicy cumin powder that works so well with the meat.

Beef tongue skewers: Cube cut so it's more chewy and it tastes a little more organ-y compared to the thin strips that I've tried before in kbbq or in soup. I'd pass on these.

Shiitake bbq: Really yummy! The flavor didn't pop out to me but it was good.

Enokitake bbq: Tastes like peppery mala hotpot. Pretty good!

Asparagus bbq: By far the best tasting dish even though everything was delicious. There's something about the seasoning that just makes it so addicting; garlic, pepper, soy, chili are the notes I tasted. Must have!

Eggplant bbq: Pretty good! More of a smokey flavor compared to the rest but it has a similar garlic chili seasoning. The skin of the eggplant is more charred so it doesn't work well with the softness of the rest of the eggplant but it wasn't an issue for me.

Matcha beer: Tried a sip and it barely has any matcha flavor but it does have a more herbal component that makes...

Gui was a first time Chinese style BBQ experience for me. I came with people who have been here already so I let them take the lead on ordering, but ordering is pretty simple and you just mark all the items you want, like at Din Tai Fung.

First off, the appetizers and dishes that are not on the grill: Spicy Pork Trotters: if you like pig's feet and spicy flavoring, get this - I really enjoyed this. The fatty/collagen texture was chewy and soft, and the spice made this a great dish. Cucumber Salad, Pig Ears Salad, Jelly Noodle with Chili Sauce - these cold appetizers were all so yummy and would recommend.

The BBQ items were amazing. Here are some of my highlights: signature chicken wings, chicken gizzards, jumbo shrimp, premium beef, and okra. Please keep in mind though that everything comes marinated in that spice, so make sure you're okay with that constant taste/spice. I enjoyed it for sure, and next time I may want to order a hot pot or other dishes that doesn't have the spice, just to break it up and give my mouth a break haha. I would come back again for sure and do...

While the food looks good, I never got to try it because the service provided by this particular waiter was the worst I have ever encountered.

I entered the restaurant around 9 PM and was ignored for five minutes before the waiter finally approached us to get seated. After placing our order, my brother and his friends arrived from graduation ceremony, so I gave them our table. I informed a waitress that my brother’s table needed new menus and requested that our previous order be reassigned to our table.

Shockingly, the waiter who had seated us intervened and instructed the waitress to "ignore him," referring to me. When others in my group approached the waiter about our order, he looked us in the eyes and then walked away without a word. This blatant disregard for customer service prompted me to leave the restaurant in frustration.

Throughout the entire experience, I treated the staff with respect. I cannot recommend this restaurant due to the appalling service. If you do decide to dine here, I suggest going during a less busy time and lowering your expectations...