Spicy Noodle House — Restaurant in Santa Ana

I thought this place was really good based on reviews, but what a disappointment it was. I went there with my coworkers and friends for lunch. Our boss kindly treated us. Seating was very cramped and tight spaced. It wasn't that clean either. Food was ok but they were not authentically Chinese as I hoped they would be. I would rather go to a real Chinese restaurant like Capital Seafood. This restaurant added basil and other ingredients that do not make it purely Chinese. It's like they are adding a South East Asian twist to it like that of Cambodian, Laotian, Indonesian, or thai. Of course all the dishes were very Chinese in Origin like the Lo Mein, Wonton, Fried Rice, Orange Chicken, Chow Fun, etc... Well, the thais are Chinese descendants so that's not really shocking. They were Chinese Pirates escaping Chinese authorities who landed in the Khmer/ Cambodian empire. They do mostly like to integrate their foods with Cambodian and Indian and call it "thai" but never really acknowledge their true origins. It's been happening for centuries. All of the thai Non- Chinese dishes and desserts are mostly Cambodian and some Indian, taken from Cambodia (Ex.Curry, Chicken Pineapple Curry, Mango Salad, Papaya Salad, Banana Fritters, Steak Salad, Mango Sticky Rice, Corn Tapioca, etc...)

The worst part about this restaurant is the service. The owner was not very welcoming and friendly. He didn't even smile at us or greet us kindly. He also gave us strange hateful looks when we asked for NON-SPICY dishes. It's as if he expects everyone to like and order spicy foods. It's ridiculous! Seriously, what is his stupid problem? Not everyone have to like spicy foods or especially overwhelmingly spicy foods like thai and korean foods. Foods are meant to be enjoyed in a comforting and delightful way. They are not to make us have unpleasant awful experiences with numbing tongues, burning sweats, and runny noses. It's gross and vulgar! That's not relaxing and enjoyable at all. That is not how I picture a great meal. Most delicious cuisines do not need to be spicy. The delicious seasonings are what matter. A lot of times, spicy chillies take away the delicious seasonings of the cuisines or cover up non existent flavors. Just take delicious cuisines around the world like Italian, Cambodian, Indian, Persian, Lebanese, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Greek foods. They are very delicious and flavorful and are some of the best foods in the world. Indian food can be spicy but not excessively spicy (unless you want it to be) and they are so deliciously full of flavors!

Anyway, the owner should have happily accommodated us all without a negative attitude. I went back with my fiance the following weekend to test it out one last time. We experienced the same negative bad services. We won't be returning nor do we want to. The owner needs to learn good human sense of decency. I would rather go to a real good Authentic Chinese restaurant with better food and services if I feel like Chinese food next time. I love Capital Seafood in Garden Grove and Irvine. Seafood Paradise in Westminster is also great. Din Tai Fung and Paradise Dynasty in Costa Mesa are great as well.

I would highly recommend all the other ethnic foods above! They are so yummy and flavorful without the need for chilli spices....

I would give negative stars if there was an option.

I was looking to try something new, found this place and decided to go and that's where I made a BIG mistake!

I had the worst experience here because of two reasons.

I ordered the Szechuan Style Tofu with Fried rice and paid extra for the family portion because it was a meal for me and my parents. We'll get to the worst part after I talk about the fried rice which just looked like they've got it out of the fridge after 2 weeks and had nothing but cold oily rice. Now let's get to the main thing. The so-called Chef Recommended Szechuan Style Recipe which was the worst thing I've ever tasted. It was the most oily soup with a ton of salt. I couldn't even eat more than 3 spoons because it was that nasty. And I would like to point out that I really tried to eat it.

I thought of letting the bald guy in the front know and that was another HUGE mistake. He tried to justify it by saying that this is their style of making the Szechuan and the other places make it different. He showed me a picture on the menu which had 14 items and 5 pictures next to it. He said that we have a picture of it here, like that's supposed to justify the taste and quality of the food. I requested him and asked if I could get something else because I can't let my parents eat that. He had the audacity to say "I don't think the owner would like that and we'll lose money if we replace it." I was nothing but nice to him and just left the place without taking the food because it was that disappointing of an experience.

Tip: If you ever want to get revenge on someone, make them eat Spicy Noodle House's Chef Recommended "Szechuan Style". This is what they serve to people in hell. You should hurry before they change their recipe or remove it from the menu.

PS: Losing the money didn't hurt but the fact that it was a meal for...

I would love to give you ZERO or NEGATIVE stars as you deserve. The food was ok and services were terrible. The bald tan guy at the front desk or owner needs to learn common courtesy and good customer services. The place has a really strange unwelcoming vibe, especially coming from the owner. The dining room is also filthy and gross! They need to practice better hygienes and sanitation. I saw them take out the trash or garbage and then handle food right afterwards before cleaning their hands with water and soap or sanitizing their hands. I have no desire to return. There are better good Chinese restaurants with better food and customer services. They also have authentic real good Chinese foods unlike these copycat no good versions of it. I would recommend Capital Noodle Bar, Hong Kong Express, or Din Tai Fung in Costa Mesa or Irvine.

As for the owner, why don’t you want to provide real good customer services or learn to make it better instead of lying and faking around?. Learn to be a genuinely good kind decent human being who actually cares about their customers, especially nice customers. As a result, there wouldn’t be so many comments grading your customer services and food quality so poorly. Your lying deceitful responses to all of these other comments in the reviews just to fool and manipulate people, are not working. You deserve 0 or NEGATIVE stars. I am glad that many others feel they had bad experiences with the owner, restaurant food, or both as well, so I am not the only one. The truth always shows and comes out no matter how much you try to lie and fake about it. It’s horribly disgusting when the owner doesn’t serve their good customers with dignity...