Sam Woo Seafood - Irvine

Regrettably, I must have missed the closure sign during my last dozen visits. When I arrived on December 13th at 1:30 PM, I was horrified to find the lights off, except for one staff member inside stacking steam trays. Even then, I was in denial until someone pointed out the sign to me. That sudden realization hit me hard, and I’m still heartbroken. I have so many cherished memories from over the years, and I am grateful to the staff, who have always been so friendly and welcoming, especially during takeout. I will truly miss this place. I wish I had the chance to thank each staff member in person. Thank you to Edith, the owner, and her family for an incredible 28 years.

Recently, our group visited on a weekend for a Friendsgiving dinner. We made our reservation early and arrived at 5 PM, being one of the first groups seated in the dining area of the seafood restaurant. The venue can accommodate around 80 guests, but they don't have enough staff to handle a full house efficiently. Originally, we planned for everyone to order a dish to share, but as the conversation flowed, only a couple of people ended up placing all the orders. Our dinner included: - Peking Duck - Yang Chow Fried Rice - Honey Glazed Walnut Shrimp - Mongolian Beef - Sautéed Black Mushrooms with Baby Bok Choy - Fish Fillet with Spicy Salt The standout dish was definitely the Peking Duck, served on two plates. One contained the sliced, crispy-skinned meat along with twelve soft buns, while the other held the leftover meat from the bones. Scallions and hoisin sauce were provided for topping the duck before wrapping it in a bun for a delicious bite. I also really enjoyed the sautéed black mushrooms, which were plump and juicy— a nice complement to the proteins. The only additions that would have made the meal more complete would have been a soup and a pork dish, like char siu. Overall, I had minimal complaints about the quality of the food. The cost per person, including tax and tip, was $20, which provided excellent value for six dishes.

I visited this restaurant for lunch with my family. The food was served promptly and consisted entirely of traditional Cantonese dishes. We enjoyed salted fish fried rice, which wasn't on the menu, along with string beans, beef with Chinese broccoli, roast pork, taro with fatty pork, chicken feet, siu mai, and honey walnut shrimp. The waitstaff spoke Cantonese, and there was a diverse mix of customers. It's unfortunate to see this place closing, but I'm grateful we had the chance to try it at least once before it did!

Pretty decent quality dim sum for OC -har gow, siu mai, rice rolls, fish balls, bbq pork buns all very good. My only quibble is the shrimp rice roll that's visually a total disaster though tasted good. Reservation required, but if you come early when they open you might get lucky. A line usually forms before their 10:00am weekend opening.

Ordered takeout from them through Fan Tuan app, we got $15 off when ordering $40+, what a good deal!! Got the whole duck and the bbq pork for meat and seafood tamarind soup. The duck is very flavorful, the leg meat is a little bit dry, and the duck breast is my fav. Overall, the roasted duck is probably the best in Irvine Bbq pork is great, it's sweet and meat is on the dry side. Seafood tamarind soup is so good!! Sweet, sour and spicy, perfect for the summer day.