I've had my eye on this Szechuan restaurant for a while since it's in the same plaza as my gym, and last week, I finally got to try it! Four of us went for lunch, and we were all really impressed. The spice level was just right--perfectly balanced and flavorful, without overpowering the dishes. I'm so happy to have found this place, and we're already looking forward to coming back soon to explore more of the menu. Definitely recommend if you're into flavorful Szechuan cuisine!

Even though I've lived in China for nearly 20 years, I'm pretty picky about food, which makes finding a Chinese restaurant that suits my taste in the U.S. quite a challenge--whether on the East Coast or the West. However, the Sichuan restaurant Kuan Zai Alley in Irvine, CA, is probably the best Chinese food I've had since coming to the U.S. It's a casual place, but the flavors are so authentic that I'd even say it might be tastier than some of what you'd find in mainland China. Considering how much prices have gone up recently, I also found it reasonably priced. The only downside is that the restaurant isn't very big, so there's usually a bit of a wait during peak hours. Absolutely amazing! I'll definitely be back soon, 200% sure! 我在中国工作及生活了将近二十多年，但因为我对食物的口味比较挑剔，所以在美国找到合口味的中餐馆真的不容易，不管是在美国东部还是西部。不过这次在加州尔湾的"宽仔巷"川菜餐馆，可能是我在美国吃过的最棒的中餐了。 虽然这是一家比较普通的餐厅，但味道非常地道，甚至比我在中国国内吃到的还要好。真不错~ 消费是近期美国的物价飞涨的情况下也算合理。唯一有点可惜的是店面不大，所以用餐高峰期可能需要等一会儿。 店里的服务员老板娘都是很亲切。真的太棒了！我肯定会再来，信心满满200%！ 나는 중국에서 20년 가까이를 살았음에도 불구하고 음식의 맛에 대해 까다롭기 때문에 미국에서 입맛에 맞는 중국식당을 찾기는 매우 쉽지 않은 일이었습니다. 그것이 동부이든 서부이든... 하지만 이번에 방문한 CA. Irvine의 Kuan zai alley 사천식 중국 식당은 미국와서 먹어본 중국음식 중 감히 최고라고 말할 수 있을것 같아요. 캐쥬얼한 식당이지만 음식의 맛이 정말 중국 본토와 대비해서 어쩌면 더 맛있었다고 표현 할 수 있을것 같아요. 가격도 최근 너무 많이 오른 물가에 대비해서는 괜찮았구요.. 단지 매장이 그렇게 크지 않아서 식사시간에는 약간의 waiting을 해야 한다는 점이 조금 아쉬웠어요. 한국식당 BCD(북창동 순두부)가 한국에서 먹는 순두부보다 맛있듯이 그런 느낌이었어요~ 최고에요~!! 조만간 또 방문할 의사 200% 있습니다.

Our go-to for Szechuan/Sichuan food! Great service, quality food, tasty dishes, reasonable prices! Been here more than 20 times and they are always consistent. The restaurant is also clean and spacious. So many dishes to recommend but I would say the must-try's are: - Chef's Special Dry Chili Chicken - Mapo Tofu - Crispy Japanese Tofu With Salted Egg Yolk - Double Fried Pork Intestine - Sliced Pork Belly in Garlic Sauce - Spicy Dry Pot with Cabbage - Fish in both the Spicy Chili Broth and Sour Pickled Broth Highly recommended!!

Drinks / Food: Very pleasantly surprised by this unassuming Chinese food restaurant in Irvine Spectrum. We ordered a vegetable lo mein and spicy dry pot cauliflower. The lo mein was perfectly al dente and nicely flavored. The cauliflower was so delicious. The chili was not overpowering, allowing us to savor the delicate flavor of the Chinese cauliflower. We were impressed with the sophistication of the food. For dessert, we ordered a plate of the pumpkin pancakes which were satisfyingly crispy and chewy, filled with tasty pumpkin and red beans. The pumpkin cakes were light and not excessively greasy. Vibe: Relaxed, clean, nice touches of elegance throughout including the well-designed menus, gilded chopsticks, serving plates, down to the water pitcher. Staff / Service: Friendly and helpful servers. Very efficient service. From the time we ordered until our food started to arrive took only about 10 minutes. Location / Parking: Ample parking in a large lot within Irvine Spectrum. Sustainability: Not too much waste noted. All the utensils and serving ware were reusable. Plastic containers for leftovers, which is difficult to escape. Notes: Vegan and vegetarian friendly modifications. Could do with a few more vegetarian/ vegan protein options, but we'll definitely be back to try other dishes.

Generous portions, mouth numbing spice, and modern ambiance. The portions here are HUGE - be sure to have a party to share with. My parents and I had the mapo tofu, xlb, and spicy dry pot with fatty beef. Mapo tofu had that classic Szechuan spice but we found it to be overly salty. Perhaps we're not used to heavily salted cuisine, but do be aware of what you're getting yourself into! The xlb was full of soup and had yummy delicate skin. The fatty beef was oh so juicy and slightly over seasoned veggies to complement it. Service was super attentive and accommodating. When we told them that we found the food too salty, they did not hesitate to take the food back and make us a new one to our taste!

The staff was really nice, parking was great and the restaurant was cutely decorated. It wasn't busy at 5pm on a Tuesday but they did have a lot of to-go orders which is a shame since the food tasted delicious fresh. Everything was delicious and actually spicy. But the good spicy where it's a lot of flavor and not because they want to burn your soul. It's been awhile since I've been to Schezuan Impressions but I like this place a lot better. Portions were perfect as well. I appreciate that the Chrysanthemum tea was made with real flowers. The seaflood platter with crunchy rice and pork soup XLB dumplings were delicious and a great break between the spicy dishes. The chili dry chicken was like elevated popcorn chicken with actual seasoning and made with a lot of care. My friends ordered a lot of the pork and short rib dishes and also really enjoyed them. I wouldn't recommend the mung bean jelly noodles because they weren't very cold and difficult to eat. They also soaked a lot of the chili oil so it was too oily as well. I liked the idea but maybe less oil. Overall, fantastic place and would recommend for anyone looking for a flavorful evening.

I was a little hesitant to try Kuan Zhai because I don't have a high spice tolerance. However, I saw some Yelp reviewer say that it wasn't too hot so I figured I'd finally try it. They recently remodeled and it looks very modern and stylish. We came for a weekend lunch before noon on a hot day and was surprised to see that the place was full. Turns out the menu items with one chili pepper are the perfect level of spicy for me! We ordered the cold noodles with spicy chili sauce and fish in sour pickled broth. We chose carp for the fish dish, which I would not do again because of its unusual texture. The broth and pickled veggies were great though, and the noodles were delicious too. The fish dish came in a gigantic bowl, so we had leftovers (my fave). I wish I had a higher spice tolerance so I could try more items on the menu!

First time at this place and I would say I am mighty impressed. It's located just a little bit away from the Irvine Spectrum and it has its own parking lot. I didn't have an issue parking but there are a lot of trees that drop stuff. From the outside, it doesn't look like much. It looks like a really small restaurant that is narrow from the outside. However, once you step inside it's actually a pretty decent sized place and they also have outdoor seating. It's nicely decorated and clean inside. I ordered a bunch of things and everything was pretty much delicious except the Kung Pao Chicken. It's weirdly sweet and we only ate like 2 pieces. The portion size of everything is really generous except the Garlic Bok Choy, I think they could have been a little more generous with vegetables. Service is good as they check up on you often. They don't refill your water since they leave a jug on your table and there are extra napkins on the table. As I was asking for the check and for boxes, I stated I didn't want to take the Kung Pao Chicken home as I didn't like it as it was too sweet. The waitress kindly removed it from our bill without us asking since we didn't like it. I really enjoyed that gesture and definitely pushed it over the edge for me to give them a 5 star rating on Yelp. Overall, most of the food is good. Interior is nicely decorated. Service is good. Portion size is good for most items, and it isn't super expensive either. I recommend this place. 5/5!