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Taiwan Popcorn Chicken Info
Amenities
Service options
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Outdoor seating
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Delivery
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Takeout
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Dine-in
Highlights
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Fast service
Popular for
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Lunch
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Dinner
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Solo dining
Accessibility
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Wheelchair accessible entrance
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Wheelchair accessible parking lot
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Wheelchair accessible restroom
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Wheelchair accessible seating
Offerings
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Alcohol
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Beer
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Comfort food
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Late-night food
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Quick bite
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Small plates
Dining options
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Lunch
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Dinner
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Dessert
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Seating
Amenities
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Restroom
Atmosphere
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Casual
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Trendy
Crowd
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College students
Planning
Payments
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Credit cards
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NFC mobile payments
Children
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Good for kids
Best WLM Reviews
Electronic non-person ordering system, which I really liked. The food took unexpectedly long to prepare, around 20 minutes for a beef noodle soup and cartilage chicken. The music playing inside seemed a little inappropriate to me, I heard obscenities. That said, the beef soup was pretty good. The cartilage chicken was mostly cartilage, so I threw it away.
Stopped by Taiwan Popcorn Chicken in Irvine for a quick lunch and yikes what a disappointment. There is zero human contact and the food was legit burning hot in some spots and frozen in others. It was kinda surreal having burning hot noodles and frozen meat all in one bowl. Can't even mix in the peanut sauce as it's congealed No need to say more
Zero service. You place your order and wait for your number to appear and you go pick up your meal.
Clean restaurant with plenty of parking.
I've had lunch here 3 times and a bit disappointed each time. Both their pork chop rice and pork belly rice aren't very good, meat were chewy, although the side dishes and veggies that came with were good. Their fried chicken skin were bad, the two times I tried it. Their milk tea were very basic and watery, although the boba was ok. Not coming back for sure.
I really wanted to like this place. I love popcorn chicken, fried chicken skin and gizzards. I’ve read the reviews and decided to give them a chance.
I hate to write negative reviews but I hope management will do something about it.
The place was very dirty. The tables were gross and sticky. We got there around noon and there wasn’t any customers at the time. I went with my son and every time he drops a toy, I cringe because the ground was dirty and he’d pick up some hairs along with the toys.
He didn’t want to finish his food and frankly, neither did I. It felt like they were fried in old oil.
I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think I am conflicted because everything was cute. We got fish balls, popcorn chicken and mushrooms, non was seasoned just thrown in a bag with very little seasoning. The mushroom was I don't know what so hard, can't even chew it. I am a big support of small businesses. Many businesses are struggling under the current climate, I feel bad for the business owner for losing loyal customers over this kind of employee. Being rude to the customers isn’t way to help your business. I was excited to try this place because I do like popcorn chicken. As for my first experience it wasn’t pleasant that is the reason why I will be going back.
So glad we stumbled upon Taiwan Popcorn Chicken the other night. Having grown up in Taiwan, this store is literally the fried carts commonly found in day/night markets in Taiwan. If you're not familiar with these fried carts, they will literally throw everything and their kitchen sink into the deep fryer, fresh, for you. Everything just tastes better freshly fried, and that includes popcorn chicken (the name of the store), calamari, oysters, and even pig's blood cake. They do sell other stuff like bento boxes (also filled with fried goodness) if you're looking for more of a meal. Parking is quite good as it is located within a large strip mall.
While it can be labelled as snack food, the galleria of Taiwanese fried foods at Popcorn Chicken pack a heavier punch than most trendy restaurants at food halls.
Ordering used to be done through a scantron, which I may prefer now as some cashiers don't always capture what your order is. That hiccup aside, there are just so many options that you're unlikely to find anywhere else. The biggest standouts were the taro items (taro egg ball and taro mochi(?) cake), cartilage, and oyster. The taro egg ball, our favourite and often sold out, is a dense ball of taro battered and fried, with an egg in the center. It's not comparable to anything I've had before, and the starchy sweet taro contrasts so well with the seasoning used at the store. The egg just adds additional richness!
The other items are just what you'd expect. The main attributes that make Popcorn Chicken stand out are the quality of the fry (using some kind of starch such as tapioca) giving it a bit of a chew and ruffled texture on the exterior, and the seasoning. The seasoning reminds me of hot broths at hot pot condensed to powder form, and mixed with the salt and pepper seasoning on fried pork chops. This isn't your typical basil and garlic popcorn chicken, this is something that would hold strong in a bowl of rice.
The only knocks I have against Popcorn Chicken is the consistency. It seems that some days they're much more heavy handed on the seasoning and spice, and others they're incredibly light despite providing the same level of desired heat each time. Which is unfortunate, since that's what makes the food stand out and keeps me returning.
Be sure to ask for the sweet and sour dipping sauce! This isn't provided unless asked for, with no charge!
Ordering is very easy and the food is amazing! The touchscreen is user-friendly and traveling through the menu is a breeze. So many options...we chose popcorn chicken - you can adjust the spiciness- and fried mushrooms, with a green tea, for less than $20. The chicken was juicy and perfectly spiced and did not need a sauce or any add-ons for taste. The mushrooms were spectacular and exactly what we were looking for! Big savory taste, not too salty. Their green tea was so flavorful, with blooms of floral explosions over cold ice. I can't wait to come back and try the calamari and different types of fried mushrooms and chicken!
Quick Facts About Taiwan Popcorn Chicken
Today
Opening Hours
| Monday | 11:00 AM - 09:00 PM |
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| Tuesday | 11:00 AM - 09:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:00 AM - 09:00 PM |
| Thursday | 11:00 AM - 09:00 PM |
| Friday | 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM |
| Saturday | 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM - 09:00 PM |
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