Located in the busy area of Diamond Jamboree, so parking is atrocious. Definitely carpool if you can. This place is upstairs and typically has a line, if you don't make reservations. This was my first time here, and my friend made reservations for my birthday dinner. It was so loud and fun, but a very tight squeeze. The tables were so close together, with no room to spread out or move really. The food was good and the server was friendly and attentive. You get an apron, so you don't soil your clothes with broth or sauces. Overall it was a fun experience, minus the screaming kid behind us, and the tight seating area.

My friend and I are huge fans of Jackson Wang the kpop/cpop artist and we were beyond thrilled to find out he has a collab with Haidilao showcasing his personally picked meal and exclusive photocards. When we arrived at Haidilao we were greeted warmly by the staff and we ordered the Jackson Wang meal. There was a big photo wall with Jackson to take pictures with and we loved our exclusive photocards. The Jackson meal included two broths - tomato soup broth and pork bone broth as well as beef and lamb Shabu meal, spam, fishballs, dancing noodles, etc. The meal can easily feed 3-4 people so the two of us were beyond stuffed with our meal! The broth was flavorful and the meat was very tender. The water only broths are for you to clean your utensils in between use. We loved the ayce bar full of sauces, appetizers and desserts. The staff was very attentive and we even said secret messages to get some exclusive gifts. The dancing noodles performance was very entertaining! I loved ending the meal with the Chinese pudding and jelly desserts as well as picking from an assortment of Asian ice cream flavors. I chose black sesame ice cream and it was very fragrant. When we were leaving they gave us a $20 coupon to use for our next visit. I was very impressed with the food, service and ambiance and we especially loved the collab with one of our favorite celebrities! I was so full I had food coma when I got home and took a long nap.

Good food and good. service! I would recommend. Come and get the combo!, I will recommend my friend come to visit

Haidilao is one of my favorite spots for hot pot as they have consistent service, high quality food, and their sauce bar brings flavor to the next level. The drawback is that it can be quite pricey. On weekdays, however, they have a $20 lunch special before 5pm that includes a basic soup base (I chose sukiyaki), one protein (I chose angus beef short rib), one veggie plate, rice, and a sweetened tea. Access to their sauce bar was an additional $3.99, but it's a must-have addendum to your meal. Having sauces loaded to the gills with garlic and herbs brings all the flavor that you need. Aside from this, the sauce bar also has desserts that are great to finish off your meal. They do have a $25 lunch special option that includes a few more options for your protein and soup base, but I got what I wanted in the $20 option. Given that the normal cost of one beef plate is $16.99, the lunch special is a no-brainer and a great time to explore Haidilao. Because one plate of short rib costs $16.99 normally is what makes this place four stars instead of five for me; however, you get five-star value for their lunch special on Monday through Friday. Apparently, they also have this angus short rib plate for $1.99 prior to 5pm on weekdays, and I wish that servers told me about this as I may have gotten additional plates or a different meat for my lunch special. In general, service is kind, and it is very attentive. Every time I took a sip of water; they refilled the cups within a few minutes. If you are not familiar with hot pot, servers will welcome and guide you and help prepare delicious sauces for your meat and veg. Hospitality is next level as they provide you with anything you need. They gave lens wipes for my glasses upon arrival and offered an apron. Because I ate alone, they put a cute plushie across from me for "company". After my meal, the bathroom was stocked with mouthwash, toothpicks, toothbrushes, and combs. The mouthwash was refreshing after having a very garlicky lunch. They offer snacks and tea if there is a wait prior to being seated. The service is why this chain is world-renowned. The lunch special, exclusive to this Irvine location, is a great reason to visit Haidilao Irvine. $20 is a no-brainer when you consider the quality and service. Given that I only had one plate of meat for this cost, it isn't the largest quantity for the price; however, I definitely got my fill during this experience.

First time customer, they have great customer service! Loved the food. Look up the hacks before coming.

Service very friendly and food was very yummy. They had face mask performance, noodle guy doing a great job throwing the noodle

We absolutely love Hai Di Lao and have visited their branches in other countries, including Singapore and Indonesia. So glad they've finally opened in Irvine! Last week, we decided to celebrate our Galentine's Day dinner here, and it was one of the best decisions we made. The service was amazing--attentive and friendly as always. The sauce bar was fantastic, offering so many different flavor options to customize our dipping sauces. The only thing we wished for was a bigger table since there were five of us, and we ordered quite a few different dishes. But overall, everything was excellent. HDL is easily our top choice for hot pot in Irvine, and we can't wait to come back!