Peony Chinese Kitchen

"We went in for dinner. Everything was delicious! Service was awesome! We started with the Egg Rolls and chicken dumplings, so good! For entrees we had the sweet and sour chicken and the orange chicken, both were cooked perfectly, chicken was high quality, sauces were on point and they didn't go overboard with it. We also have the Vegetable chow mein which was also really good. This is our new go to Chinese spot going forward, we will be back anytime we want good Chinese."

"Allergy friendly Gluten free (gf) safe options The food was delicious, it has plenty of seating indoors and outdoors with wonderful views. Wonderful food and staff, located right near the PCH and downtown Laguna Beach."

"Very beautiful location. Kind and patient waiter and the food was amazing. My family ate in the patio area, the atmosphere was calm and quiet. When we came, they didn't have their alcohol service license yet and ethically didn't serve us alcohol (I hope they got it now!) I only visited Cali when I went here, but if I ever come back, I know I'm coming to this place again."

"Great fresh food. My husband and I got the dumplings, rangoons, kung Pao, and general chicken. All were yummy! The breading on the chicken was light and crispy. The apps were so good I forgot to take pics >."

"We were in the area early for the Pageant of the Masters, and surrounding eateries all hand a longer wait time. We walked past this area, and they had a to-go menu tucked away along the sidewalk. We checked it out, and the pricing was good. As luck would have it, there was no wait to be seated, and we chose a shady corner outside. Service was quick and friendly, and knowledgeable. The waiter made sure to check allergies and spice levels, an extra bit of service we were happy to see. We ordered the vegetable egg rolls, the kung pao chicken, the orange chicken, the black pepper beef, the chicken fried rice, the chicken dumplings, and the chicken wonton in szechuan sauce. Starting with the appetizer items, the veggie egg rolls were a surprise! The veggie blend inside was hearty with hints of fresh herbs. They were perfectly fried. The chicken dumplings were pan fried. The filling was unique, as it was visually just chicken, but it was so flavorful. It was almost like XLB but in a different form. So good! The chicken wonton in szechuan sauce was unique. Not exactly my favorite, but it might be for someone else. For me, the spice level was fine, but it had too much of a lemon essence in it. I'm not sure if they used lemon oil, but it didn't taste like natural lemon, and it was definitely the overpowering flavor of the dish. The chicken fried rice was perfect and basic, nothing fancy, but was a great base to build a plate on beyond white or brown rice. The kung pao chicken had a spicy kick! The veggies were fresh, the sauce was exactly what I expected, and the peanuts added a great crunch. The orange chicken was pretty much perfect, not overly sweet or otherwise pungent. The chicken pieces were cooked thoroughly without drying out. The black pepper beef was my favorite dish, and yes, there's a lot of black pepper on it. The beef chunks were tender and the sauce was umami goodness. If I would have had leftovers of this one, I would have tried to make a black pepper steak sandwich at home. It was delicious. If you can't tell from the pictures, the portions are generous, family style. This is as close to nostalgia home-cooked Chinese food as I've ever had. They are currently working on getting their beer/wine license, so that wasn't available yet, but this is on the list to visit again if I'm ever in the area. I would definitely recommend this place to friends. I can see why the reviews so far are amazing."