JA Jiaozi Authentic Dumplings — Restaurant in Irvine

You stroll into Ja Jiozi and immediately feel at home, much like being transported into that comforting Central Perk café from "Friends". The ambience is warm and inviting, the kind of place where you can visualize Ross and Rachel arguing over whether they were on a break.

First things first, let's talk about the true stars of the show - our servers, Phyliss, Adrian, and Gwen. In the vast universe of hospitality, they shine bright as the "Star Trek" crew navigating through the cosmos of customer service.

Phyliss is like an old-school maître d', a true Dame Judi Dench in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" - overseeing everything with a keen eye, ensuring every customer is well-attended, every order is precise.

Adrian, on the other hand, is a blend of Tony Stark's charisma and Harry Potter's resilience - always at the ready to sweep in with his quick wit and helpful suggestions. His knowledge about the menu is as impressive as Tony Stark's tech-savviness.

Gwen is the Hermione of the group - detail-oriented, meticulous, and proactively stepping up to ensure your dining experience is nothing short of magical. It's like she's got a "Time-Turner", effortlessly managing multiple tables while still having the time to check on each customer.

As for the food, the Jiozi takes center stage - just like the epic fight scenes in a Marvel movie. Every dumpling is a labor of love, as intricately put together as an "Inception" plot, brimming with flavors that explode in your mouth like a climactic twist in a Tarantino film. The seasoning is always on point, each bite tastier than the last, making it hard to resist ordering round after round.

To sum it all up:

Warm and inviting ambience reminiscent of "Friends". Stellar service provided by Phyliss, Adrian, and Gwen – your "Star Trek" crew of customer service. Food that's the perfect blend of craftsmanship and flavor, akin to the detailed plotting of an "Inception" or a Tarantino film.

A visit to Ja Jiozi is like a movie night - filled with familiar comforts, surprise twists, and a promise to leave you thoroughly entertained and satisfied. It's a place where good food, exceptional service, and a delightful atmosphere collide to form the perfect dining experience. So, take your seat, enjoy the show, and don't forget to order another...

NOT authentic at all! Remove the "authentic" label or change the cook please. Visited on the evening of Jan 5, 2019, and ordered "steamed vegetable jiaozi." Now I am almost completely dissatisfied with what I got with the $11 bill. The appearance of food and environment may be nice, but far from what most people of origin would consider "authentic."

Unauthentic (1): The skin of steamed jiaozi is supposed to be made from leavened dough, appearing much larger than boiled jiaozi, but theirs are unleavened of the same size as boiled ones.

Unauthentic (2) Jiaozi stuffing is supposed to be marinated or seasoned. Their stuffing may be fresh, but of unpleasant taste with nothing savory.

Unauthentic (3) Jiaozi sauce is typically rice vinegar (e.g. Zhenjiang fragrant vinegar) sometimes accompanied with fresh minced garlic. With misleading illustration on their menu, the item I ordered is printed with dry seasoning power in the center of the plate, whereas the dish I received came with two types of mixed liquid sauce that do not match well with jiaozi.

Unauthentic (4) Steamed jiaozi is supposed to be served in a bamboo steamer, sometimes delivered within a food hamper. They used regular tableware instead.

Unauthentic (5) A restaurant showing authenticity of the food's Chinese origin is anticipated to carry certain design elements, such as jiuqi (a flag signalizing a restaurant at entrance), food hamper, red lanterns, wooden inner modeling, indoor plants such as bamboos and orchids, and artificial rockery and stream. None of these elements were found in this venue. Their design is modern and flashy, with little conceived authentic.

This restaurant may operate and profit well despite serving food different from the typical of its origin, like Panda Express, but claiming it a venue of "Authentic Dumplings" constitutes false and dishonest advertising. Instead, use the term "innovative" or "modified" to best represent the style of the food and...

The dumpings are made fresh. The dumplings are good but I feel that they are a bit undercooked. I ordered the Shrimp Jioazi which was OK. It was not amazing and not horrible. The outside dough part and texture of the dumplings is good but the inside filling is another story. I ordered the roasted Angus beef skewers and after the first bite the "roasted" part sunk in to my kind. The Angus beef was soft and chewy at the same time. Meat quality used is average for the skewers. I also ordered the steamed beef and onion Jiaozi which was also average. The fillings used is what is average here. Staff were friendly and customer service was very good here.

Update as of 03-08-2024 Teas are still bad. No good Chinese teas. Would be great if they turned bar area into a tea bar offering and serving great Chinese teas. They now do a better job on dumplings provided you ask them to cook longer. Hand made dumplings are very good. My favorite are the Scallops and shrimp ones. What would be great is if they had and made Wagyu beef dumplings for the pan fried ones like they have in Taiwan. What also would be good is if they got and offered better quality drinks and teas. The teas are horrible. Taiwan is famous for Great teas. Why not bring in some nice teas and offer them on the menu for customers who want great teas with their meals..? If they offered the Taiwan spinach for their stir fried spinach would be great also instead of the standard American spinach. The roasted Angus beef skewers is not so soft and tender. A better and softer beef would be great. I ordered a few times they gave up as meat quality was not so good. Need some Prime Beef for those Skewers. For the fried beans they should also use the French Beans instead of the standard regular green ones then they would be more gourmet and authentic like the ones in Taiwan. Coosemans in downtown LA supplies them for...