Paik’s Noodle

I didn't get any pics since I ordered takeout, but I ordered their regular seafood jjamppong and satisfied my craving for sure. Was it the best I've ever tried? No, but for being located in H Mart it was still delicious and the portion they give you is enough to share between 2 people or have leftovers for another meal. I thought it tasted even better the next day.Need to go back and try their tangsuyuk and jjajangmyeon soon.

This franchise moved from the Zion Market to HMart a few years ago (not the same franchisee, I believe). In the beginning, the quality of food and the ingredients, and the portion, were all great. However, they began to cut costs here and there, little by little, over the years.I regularly dine here, so the reduction in quality, while gradual, was definitely noticed. The most popular dish, jjampong (spicy seafood noodle soup), is now reduced in portion, taste, and ingredients compared to what it was before. First they began to decrease the amount of seafood. My last visit was just 2 days ago, when I noticed that the bowl had just one mussle in shell. In the beginning, there were at least 4. The quality of the squid decreased when they switched to those low quality factory-cut pine cone shaped squid. The amount of vegetables per bowl was reduced. They began to serve it in smaller bowls to reduce the overall portion.They began to use cheaper utensils (low quality plastic spoons and chopsticks) and lower quality napkins. While I rarely order the black bean noodles, when I last ordered it (about a month ago) because I had a craving, the dish that I got was so bad that I wanted to just throw it away.This spot is still the most popular stall in the food court, and despite the reduction in quality, it still offers good value for the money--for an Irvine food establishment. However, as someone who remembers what it was before, I can no longer highly recommend this place. The frequency of visits will greatly reduce for me, as the last visit was kind of the last straw. I am sad that this place lost its original vigor, and has now turned into a run of the mill restaurant that cuts costs at every chance it gets.

Paik's Noodle, owned by Chef Jong Won Paik (one of the judges from Culinary Class Wars), provides korean-chinese comfort food in the H-Mart located in North Irvine. And does it deliver!!Paik's is known for its Jajangmyeon (fermented black bean noodle stir-fry) and Jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup). Their noodles in all of their dishes are perfectly chewy, and satisfying for hearty noodle lovers. If you're new to these dishes, the noodles are like a mix between an udon and ramen noodle, typically using thick, wheat flour.The Jajangmyeon hits that spot when you want a comforting meal with an umami punch. This dish has a perfect balance of sweet and savory (more on the savory side), with flavors oozing from caramelized onions, the salty, smoky, and decadent fermented black bean, and a generous portion of elongated ground pork adding a nice meaty touch. For meat lovers, you can order this with extra meat, and for vegetarians, they offer the dish without meat at all. They even have a seafood version of this dish!The Jjampong uses the same noodles, swimming in a spicy broth infused with seafood umami. With muscles and chunks of tender squid and the occasional baby shrimp, the soup is so rich in flavor and satisfying. While there are other strong dishes here, the noodles are the star. And each dish is accompanied by Korean pickled radishes to provide fresh, crisp respite between indulgent bites.Sitting within the food court, there is no traditional service, but the staff are friendly and very quick - even during peak hours. It's easy enough to find seating, but during busy times, it's best to secure seating earlier if you can unless you plan to take the food to go.If you're looking for comforting, filling, and delightful noodles to switch up your Asian noodle-ventures between ramens, phos, pad thai, and more, you should explore the menu at Paik's. You might just find yourself hooked by the flavors - after all, that's Chef Paik's most important criteria when judging good food.

This is the best Paik's noodle franchise location I've been to in the US!!! Don't be disappointed with the fast service from a food court located in H-mart as their Chilli jjampong is so so so x good with heaps of seafood on a huge portion large enough for 2 to 3 adults. Adored the chili jjampong and spicy shrimp so much that it overruled the disappointment we had with jjajang myeon. Having cravings for and would love to get more chilli jjampong especially with the weather getting colder.

Paik's Noodle, located inside HMart in Irvine's Northpark Plaza, is a great spot for a quick and flavorful meal. Getting there is easy with plenty of parking in the plaza. When you enter HMart, head to the left past the Tous Les Jours Café bakery, and you'll find Paik's Noodle at the end of the food market hall. The setup here is casual and convenient, with plenty of cafeteria-style seating so you can sit wherever you'd like after ordering your food.This eatery is one of many created by Paik Jong-Won, a well-known South Korean chef, TV personality, and businessman who's a judge on Netflix's Culinary Class Wars. According to the show, he has 2,700 stores world-wide. His restaurants are known for serving crowd-pleasing flavors at affordable prices, and Paik's Noodle lives up to that reputation.I ordered the Meat Jajangmyeon for $13.95, which was highly recommended on the menu. It did not disappoint! This was easily one of the best-tasting Jajangmyeons I've had. The stir-fried pork added a rich, savory depth, and the thick, chewy noodles were cooked to perfection. While it had a good amount of sauce, it wasn't overly saucy--just the right balance to coat the noodles and enhance the dish without overwhelming it. Often, black bean sauce has a strong, pungent flavor, but this one was mild and umami-rich without the overpowering "funk." I couldn't get enough!On a Friday night, I was pleased that there wasn't a long wait; my food was prepared and ready in no time. The food court setting is great if you're dining with friends who may want to try different vendors since there are several other options available nearby.If you're in the area and craving Korean comfort food, Paik's Noodle is definitely worth a visit for its quality, speed, and delicious flavors!

It's nice to see Paik's open in a more prominent center that focuses heavily on not just Korean produce, but Korean cuisine all ready for you and served up in a warm plate. In this case, Paik's delivers this opportunity fully and delightfully. Inside the H-Mart market lies not only Paik's but a full food court filled with other surprises and mini eateries here and there. Let alone the service feels all automated as once you take your order, just listen for the number and you'll know your food is ready! Perfect for a chance to sit down and chat without ticking the clock for your food to be ready. My favorites from Paik's; the Stir-Fried Jajangmyeon which delivers the savoriness of not only the blackbean sauce but the crispy shrimp, tender beef and the portions! The portions are literally enough for two whole different meals. The Chili Jjampong is also a kicker! Just the right amount of spice for seafood and a bunch of vegetables to sink into! Carrying the right amount of spice is important, but when the noodles, seafood and beef carry it with even more juicy tastes, it just gets better!

I was craving tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) so my fiancé and I decided to eat before we did some grocery shopping!We ordered the tangsuyuk and the chili jjampong. The tangsuyuk is my absolute favorite here. It has a crispy chewiness that I have never had at other restaurants. Truly, the texture of their tangsuyuk always brings me back. Otherwise, their jjampong was underwhelming. I like my jjampong with the taste of the wok, but this broth was missing the smokiness. The portion is pretty big so I would definitely recommend just ordering extra noodles ($3) and you'll have enough broth for two servings!

The H-Mart food court is one of our favorite spots to dine, especially with our toddler. It seems to be popular with other families too, as we often see many young kids around. They have high chairs available, which is really convenient.We love getting the jjampong from Paik's. Whenever I crave this dish, Paik's Noodle is always the first place that comes to mind. I appreciate the generous amount of cabbage that comes with it--it makes me feel a little less guilty about all the sodium, knowing I'm getting some greens!

We think this is the best place for jjambong in Irvine. It's pretty spicy and unlike some places you can't request a less spicy broth. The amount of ingredients is impressive -- it's probably the biggest bowl of jjambong you'll get in Irvine as well. We particularly like the many variations such as chilli, meat, or with rice instead of noodles. The tang-see-uk is good as well. The one thing not to order is kang-bong shrimp. That's pretty bad.

#5 Jjampong was full of veggies and seafood. Broth was rich and flavorful. Noodles had a great chew. Came with a small side of pickled radish. Large portion. Located inside the North Irvine HMart food court so don't expect too much in terms of ambience or service. Would come back if I was in the area!