CHANG'AN — Restaurant in Tustin

So there seems to be a lot of varying reviews here, but I would say that as OC residents, we are lucky to have an upscale Chinese restaurant like Chang’an here in our backyard. It’s worth noting that there are also two other locations in Vancouver and in San Gabriel - two cities known for their Chinese food. I’d rather not have to drive over an hour to the SGV to go to a similar restaurant. That aside, I’ll start off by saying what is hopefully obvious - this is not your ordinary Chinese restaurant. They’re trying to elevate every item on the menu, but still staying within arm’s length of tradition. Onto the review though, we had a phenomenal experience for a large group on a Saturday night.

Reservation process: I worked with Lin to make our large group reservation and he was professional, patient, accommodating and not pushy at all while I took a few days to decide. My wife and I stopped by the restaurant a week beforehand - Lin gave us a tour and showed us all of the potential spaces where we could have our group seated - both the private rooms and the specific areas in the various dining rooms.

Ambiance: The owners spared no expense on this buildout. The restaurant is dimly lit, with traditional Chinese interior design. It feels upscale, but still relaxed. While we had our own room, I would say that the dining room was not overly loud. Sure, there might’ve been a group or two celebrating and having a good time, but nothing out of hand or out of the ordinary..

Service: Lin also served as the lead server for the evening and he had a dedicated team for our group. He elevated our experience in many ways, from his honest opinions about which items to order to sharing the background of everything from the origins of the tea to details of the multi-day preparation process for items like the roasted duck and the roasted beef short rib (both of which I’d highly recommend). And about the chrysanthemum tea, yes, it was $28, but it’s some of the best tea you’ll ever taste - no hyperbole. Lin can give you the background and the origins behind that, too. The staff must have refilled our tea 10+ times. Totally worth it.

Food: Lin guided us on what to order and also ensured that we didn’t over-order any specific dishes, which we really appreciated. We ended up ordering a lot of the popular items, and we also opted for 3 seafood specials of the night. Of course, they brought the live seafood to show us before cooking it. Here’s what we ended up ordering:

1. Chang’an Roasted Duck - the duck is prepared 2 different ways and you get a wonton soup.
2. Cold Dressed Okra with house special sauce
3. Crispy Beef Tongue
4. Roasted Beef Short Rib
5. Australian Lobster prepared in the house special fried chili style (seafood special) - you get 2 dishes from this, the 2nd one being a lobster fried rice.
6. Spot Prawns prepared steamed with the house sauce (seafood special)
7. Thornyhead Grouper (seafood special)
8. King Mushroom casserole
9. Crispy Black Tofu with house special sauce
10. Chef Selection Japanese Wagyu Fried Rice
11. Seasonal Vegetables

We didn’t order any dessert items because we brought our own cake, but wouldn’t hesitate to try some next time. Our party enjoyed EVERY single dish. OK, maybe the seasonal vegetables were ordinary, but we were just trying to get our veggies in. Everything was delicious, presented beautifully and not greasy/oily at all. I think the standouts were the Australian Lobster, Spot Prawns, Thornyhead Grouper, Beef Short Rib and Crispy Beef Tongue.

Summary: If you can appreciate fine Chinese food and are willing to pay a different price point, you’ll be rewarded with a memorable dining experience. It’s worth bringing a large group here for special occasions, but also great if you just want to treat a smaller group to a nicer meal. It deserves to be mentioned as one of the best...

The Best Peking Duck in all OC!!!

If you’re searching for the best Peking Duck in all of Orange County, look no further than Chang’An in Tustin. This is not just dinner — it’s a presentation and an experience. The duck is brought out whole and carved tableside with such precision that it feels almost ceremonial. The skin is glistening and perfectly crisp, while the meat is tender, juicy, and full of flavor.

What makes it even more special is that the Peking Duck is served both smoked and non-smoked, so you get to enjoy the best of both preparations in one meal. They’ll present slices of each style so you can taste the contrast, and it’s truly unforgettable. Just make sure to pre-order the duck in advance when making your reservation, because it’s the highlight of the menu and always in demand.

It’s served with pillowy buns, thin pancakes, and the classic condiments so you can build your perfect bite. The balance of textures and flavors is outstanding.

I usually pair it with their cilantro onion salad, which is light, refreshing, and the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the duck. It rounds out the meal beautifully without overshadowing the star of the show.

Truly, the Peking Duck at Chang’An is unmatched in Orange County. From the flawless presentation to the unforgettable taste, this dish alone is worth the trip. Highly recommend for anyone who wants an authentic and elevated...

We have eaten at ChangAn several times before but this last time was awful. This is our experience for a dinner during the week of 10/29/22:

The floor around the urinals in the men’s room was covered with urine at 5 p.m. as they just opened for the evening seating. The roast duck was $99 when ChangAn was first opened. Over the years, they began to serve some of the meat in a plate covered with a dome for “smoking”, and raised the price to $118. One could hardly taste the smoke. In our opinion, it is a price increase disguised with a show. Do not order anything labeled as made with Matsutake. Fresh Matsutake is a seasonal mushroom served from October to November and has a distinctive, aromatic and exquisite taste. Theoretically, they can be preserved in a freezer and served year round. We believe ChangAn is untruthful about their Matsutake. What they claim as Matsutake has no mushroom taste nor the aroma. The peppercorn ice cream used to be our favorite but we noticed that the peppercorn taste has been lightened to the state that one could barely taste the peppercorn. They claimed that it was because they had to cater to their customers’ preference. We would rather have a choice of full-body, medium and light. The furnishings are cheap if you look closely. We have a friend whose chair collapsed during dinner.

We would never eat at this...