Rougamo千层肉夹馍 — Restaurant in Irvine

I was on a mission for good fried pork chops yesterday and stumbled upon Crispy Rougamo, a place I'd never even heard of before. Being quite picky about how my pork chops are cooked (crispy, flavorful, and not at all dry), I decided to place a takeout order. The only thing I found a little unusual was that they don't accept phone orders. However, any minor inconvenience was instantly forgotten once I got my order and snuck a few pieces right away before even getting in the car! They were simply phenomenal! Perfectly cooked with a delightful crisp and incredible flavor. It was the kind of taste that makes you smile. What I also really appreciated was that the fried pork chops themselves didn't have that strong, sometimes off-putting porky smell and taste that you can occasionally encounter. They just tasted purely delicious. Of course, as with any fried food taken to go, by the time I got the rest home, some of that initial crispiness had softened from being in the box. On that note, it might be a great idea for the restaurant to consider cutting small vents or corners in their takeout boxes to allow steam to escape, which could help maintain the crispiness a bit longer and prevent the meat from sitting in condensation. Even with a slight loss of crispness during the drive, the flavor was still outstanding, and the restaurant's simple and clean setup reminded me of some fantastic eateries I've experienced in Asia, where the focus is truly on the food. While I can't speak to their other menu items, I can 100% recommend Crispy Rougamo for their outstanding fried pork chops that are flavorful without any unpleasant porkiness. I'll...

I watched a blogger’s video and was genuinely excited to try this place—but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.

At 7:45 PM, I called the restaurant and asked if I could dine in if I arrived around 8:10. They said dine-in wasn’t available, only takeout. Fine. I quickly looked at the menu and called back one minute later to place an order. To my surprise, they told me I couldn’t order over the phone.

I asked, “Then how am I supposed to order?” The staff said, “Use Fantuan.” I said, “I don’t have Fantuan.” She replied, “Then I can’t help you.”

That was it. No offer to help, no alternative, no effort whatsoever. I was shocked at how rude and unprofessional the service was.

Honestly, instead of putting money into influencer promotions, they should seriously work on improving their customer service. I won’t be going back—and I definitely won’t be recommending this...

The food here hits home and tastes like a Chinese grandma made it fresh just for you. The liangpi or cold noodles are quite literally some of the best I've ever had. They use extra wide noodles, and mixed with the garlic peanut sauce? 10 out of freaking 10.

And they can take the same extra wide noodles and stir fry into like a chow mein--also delectable.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't lowkey turned off the first time I heard about spicy beef and “offal”. But don't knock until you try it. It's got that numbing spice which is SO addicting, AND none of that usual gaminess.

And the main event, Chinese hamburger. I got the beef filling that's sandwiched between two of the crunchiest, crispiest buns. No freakin' notes, bomb.

Thanks for...