Kirin Noodle House — Restaurant in Lake Forest

I would not recommend visiting this restaurant. I had noticed it often while passing by and, given its decent online ratings, decided to try it today. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from the very beginning.

Upon being seated, we weren’t provided with menus, nor did any staff member come by to explain how to order. After waiting for some time, I noticed a QR code on the table, which we used to place our order. Since it was our first visit, I assumed this was their usual practice. However, I later observed that all subsequent customers were given menus by staff, who also took their orders directly at the table. This inconsistency left a poor impression. At first, I wondered if it might be due to a language barrier, but this was not the case.

We ordered their signature spicy noodles, but the dish was far from what the pictures promised. The amount of meat was significantly less than expected—at most, half of what was shown in the menu photos. Thankfully, the meat itself was tender. We later ordered a soup dish and asked for bowls to share it, but getting the server’s attention was a challenge. When we finally succeeded, the server forgot our request, and we had to wait quite a while until another staff member eventually brought the bowls.

When we wanted to take our leftover food home, the experience was equally frustrating. While I noticed staff packing leftovers for other tables, we were handed takeout containers and told to do it ourselves. This lack of service stood out starkly. Finally, when it came time to pay, a kiosk was brought to our table, and we were prompted to select a tip amount. Despite the poor service, we still chose to leave the default tip. However, it seemed our tipping choice displeased the staff, as they bid farewell to every other table except ours.

Overall, the inconsistent service, lack of attention, and unprofessional attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. I will not...

If you're dining with a party of five or more, be aware that an automatic 15% service fee will be added to your bill without prior notice. This fee is not communicated upfront, leading to confusion and potential over-tipping. In our case, we unknowingly left an additional tip on top of the automatic charge, effectively handing over 30% in gratuity—a frustrating and deceptive practice.

As for the food, it was mediocre at best. Some items were acceptable, but others were lackluster, especially considering the inflated price due to the hidden service charge. To make matters worse, certain dishes took an unreasonably long time to arrive, disrupting the flow of the meal. Overall, the experience felt poorly managed and left a sour taste—both literally and figuratively. Proceed with caution if you decide to dine here.

Do not order the shumai, it was literally all rice, devoid of taste and meat. It was pretty gross and I regret ordering it.

Service was slow and once you got your free cup of water there...

The food was extremely disappointing—either completely bland or overwhelmingly salty. Most dishes tasted like a mouthful of salt, masking any real flavor, or had no taste at all.

We ordered the beef noodle soup, spicy incense pot, Mao Xue Wang, dumplings, and Sichuan fish. Out of a party of six, not a single person enjoyed any of the dishes. (I’m not exaggerating) The beef noodle soup was the best of the bunch, but even those were just average at best.

Portion sizes were also shockingly small. The incense pot came in a tiny bowl, the Mao Xue Wang was 90% watery broth with barely any ingredients, and the beef noodle soup was small and mediocre, with beef that was tough and hard to chew.

On top of that, the service left much to be desired. They didn’t even bring us plates until we had to go up and ask for them directly.

Overall, this was a 1-star experience. Save your money and dine elsewhere. Very expensive, $30 for a small bowl of food. Very...