QJ Kitchen 秋金川味小炒 — Restaurant in Lake Forest

I visited QJ Kitchen today, with high hopes after a disappointing experience at a neighboring bubble tea shop(That shop used artificial jam and low-quality tea, yet charged high prices while marketing it as premium fruit tea). Hoping to turn my day around, I decided to try QJ Kitchen, especially after seeing many positive reviews online. However, after my visit, I now seriously question the authenticity of those reviews, as my experience was equally disappointing.

Upon arrival, I stood awkwardly at the entrance for nearly five minutes before any staff noticed me, as they were all turned away from the entrance. Once seated, the service remained slow, and the wait time for food was excessive.

The food quality did not meet expectations. The 回锅肉 (twice-cooked pork) had thin, almost broken slices and was served cold, lacking the rich texture and flavor I anticipated. The 秋金炒饭 (shrimp fried rice), which should have been fluffy with a strong, appetizing aroma of eggs, was instead clumpy, flavorless, and completely lacked any fragrance. It didn’t even have the basic savory taste I expected—I’m honestly unsure if they forgot to add salt. Additionally, the food tasted like pre-made dishes, with no wok hei (the distinct smoky flavor from stir-frying over high heat), making it feel lifeless and lacking in freshness.

To make matters worse, I discovered a piece of steel wool in my dish, which raises serious food safety concerns. This was not only unpleasant but also alarming, as it indicates a lack of proper kitchen hygiene.

Additionally, I found the tipping structure misleading. The system calculates tips based on the post-tax total, which results in a higher tip amount than expected. While this might seem minor, it felt deceptive and left a negative impression.

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. I sincerely hope QJ Kitchen takes immediate steps to improve its food quality, service efficiency, and attention to detail. I’ve been living in Irvine for 13 years, and I sincerely hope that every restaurant here can thrive. I never wish for any Chinese restaurant in this area to struggle—unless it truly disappoints me. That said, I genuinely hope they improve, and I plan to give them another try in the near future to see if there have...

This Sichuan restaurant, Qiu Jin Sichuan Cuisine, has been trending among Irvine locals for a while. After my daughter’s Latin dance class yesterday, we finally went to try it out — and it truly lived up to the hype! ✌️

🍃 About the Environment There’s plenty of seating, perfect for all kinds of gatherings. Since the restaurant just opened recently, everything is new and clean.

💁 About the Service The service was great — the staff offered helpful recommendations based on our preferences. They were also very efficient in clearing empty dishes, making the whole experience smooth and pleasant.

🌶️ About the Food (Highly Recommend‼️) • Pickled Pepper Beef Tripe Each slice of tripe was huge and generously portioned. The pickled pepper flavor was deeply infused — incredibly flavorful and addictive! • Spicy Fried Chicken Made with boneless chicken thigh, fried to a golden crisp. It looks super spicy but is actually perfectly seasoned with a rich, savory aroma. Even the peanuts mixed in were crispy and delicious! • Qiu Jin Twice-Cooked Pork The pork was beautifully marbled and savory, with extra cured pork slices adding even more depth to the flavor. I especially loved the scallions, soaked in the meat’s juices — absolutely mouthwatering! • Qiu Jin Mapo Tofu Perfectly balanced — numbing but not overwhelmingly spicy, making it very kid-friendly. Even my daughter kept saying how delicious it was!

‼️‼️‼️ Besides the signature spicy dishes, we also ordered Corn Chicken, Handmade Sticky Rice Cakes, and Fried Noodles for our little one who can’t handle spice. There are plenty of options for everyone...

The inside was clean, but there was only one table filled a dinner time. I ordered for pick up, and when I got there, all my food was in a bag, except for the tiramisu I ordered. When I got there they told me they were out after arguing about it, and then subbed a cheesecake for me. That's fine, but then it took them another 20 minutes just to get me a single slice and make 2 smoothies. They were apologetic and offered me coupons for next time.

My food was extremely mid. Shrimp were overcooked, no doubt from them steaming for over 30 minutes because of how poorly food and time management were from them. The smoothies were awful-- hardly blended. Like drinking faintly fruit flavored ice chips.

All this to say..... anyone want my coupons? Won't be going back....