Baccali’s literally is still holding it down since 2008.
This place is still my family’s favorite since then and we come here so often. Their lunch specials are pretty good and usually they are not cheap with their portions. We always order the curry beef stew which is a GIVEN. It comes with a side of rice. I would recommend ordering more rice on the side or on your other dishes because the curry is so darn good that you’re going to need it. We also get the sole fillet with korean lamb dish and that’s another big favorite with our family. I love the curry chicken wings too and they close pretty late.
We can never get tired of this place and I’m glad to see that this business is still doing so well after so many years! I would highly recommend coming here for other dishes and try it out. Come early on the weekends otherwise you will have to wait for a long time.
-Ana
I used to come here a lot with my family and friends over 10 years ago. We made friends with the servers and managers, and it kind of felt like “home” to us. One of the managers Jerry, was super attentive and treated my parents so well. Then he unexpectedly decided to leave and go on with his life. We were sad and the few times that my family and I went back was not the same. The energy and homey feeling was not there anymore.
Mid 2018, Jerry came back and it just so happened that we decided to try this spot again since we were craving chicken. Man, it brought back so many memories of the great food, service, and ambiance. This place raised its prices from what I remember but what restaurant hasn’t? The quick service, quality, and large portions makes up for it. Their lemon tea is pretty bomb too.
Thank you Jerry for coming back. My family and I will be coming back more often now!
-Kay
Great food, big portions, happy tummy’s, what’s not to love here? The chicken and beef are cooked to tenderness and juicy ness, and the pork cutlet is to die for!
My friend and I arrived around 10pm and the place wasn’t that crowded. Friendly, quick and helpful customer service. Their Thai ice tea mucho good. I haven’t tried their desserts yet, but I will and I shall someday (:
-Noah
Consistent, filling, good food!
I’ve been coming here for 10 years and the food tastes the same as when they first opened. This is a typical hong kong style cafe, but their portions are huge. Probably bigger than most of the hong kong cafes.
Food: I always order the baccali chicken. It’s tender, juicy, and the skin is crispy! It’s their signature rotisserie chicken so I will definitely suggest ordering it at least once. I have also tried their Singaporean noodles, curry, and short ribs. All were good too! The chicken and short ribs come with a side of veggies and a choice between rice or spaghetti. I always tend to lean towards the spaghetti. Don’t forget to order the lemon ice tea! A must for all hong kong style cafes. Unlimited refills too!
Service: Food comes out fast and waiters will bring you whatever you want without any attitude or being rude. Typical asian restaurant service. They actually come and ask if you want refills pretty often which is nice! I always end up drinking 4 glasses of lemon ice teas haha.
Cheap, filling, good food, fast service. The food isn’t super amazing, but it’s good. Do not expect a fancy dinner here. It’s a cafe!
-Claiborne
I love coming here to pig out. I’ve been coming here since 2012, and now I finally got to writing this review. The dishes are a little on the pricier side, but it’s definitely worth it because the food is delicious and comes in good portions. My go to will be and always has been the “Seafood with Sun-dried Tomato & Garlic Pasta in Soup” but this time I ordered the “Mussels with Sun-dried Tomato & Garlic Pasta in Soup. This place is always crowded for dinner, and parking is sometimes hard to find.
-Kim
I used to come here all the day as a little girl whenever my family and I visited Socal. Even after I moved to Irvine, this is still one of my GO TO SPOTS whenever I am in the 626! There’s not many places like this in Irvine unfortunately, so I always get pretty excited to come here!
WAIT: When you come during the busy lunch and dinner hours, this place is pretty poppin! However, it is definitely worth the wait! I really like that they open early and close late! It makes it very convenient for people to come here as a late night dinner!
PARKING: This place has a horrible parking lot because it’s so tiny and is always packed.. But there’s also street parking!
FOOD: I always come here for the New York steak with pasta and black pepper sauce. It’s a decent price for the amount of food you get! This plate was about $13! Also the triple crown is bomb too, which consists of beef, pork, and chicken. This is a protein heavy plate, so it’s the perfect plate if you’re looking to share it with someone!
Also, you can’t forget the iced lemon tea, which includes free refills!
OVERALL: I don’t care about the health grade for this place since I’ve been coming here for a long time with no problems! The food and price is just right and really hits it home for that Chinese comfort food.
-Jennie
My grandmas absolutely favorite HK style cafe. Each time I visit this place my grandma orders the the grilled lamb dish. It comes with either white rice or spaghetti and vegetables with a scoop of mash. This place has good HK lemon tea. I recommend this place since the food comes out hot and steamy.
-Lisa