Nice staff, ambience was nice…read more They let you select your sake cups We ordered skewers platter -decent nothing spectacular Grilled ribeye ponzu - not overcooked was nice and tender Oysters Standard Uni wrapped in Wagyu -nice blend very flavorful would ordered again Jodori egg omelette -not too sweet, very delicious Shabu Broth was the perfect blend, better than some standalone Shabu restaurants in the area

Majority of the food pictures you see on Yelp are not on their menu as of April 2026. The waiter…read moresaid their menu has changed. I prefer Manpuku which is just around the corner. Service was okay. Food was okay. Not worth $70pp.

This place serves some of the best yakitori I've had in a while. Portions are fair, prices are…read morereasonable, and the vibe is casual and laid-back, just like a cozy Japanese izakaya. Staff is friendly and efficient. If you love grilled skewers and authentic Japanese street food, this spot is a must-try. I left full and already want to come back. Highly recommended! BUT reservations only!

Let me preface this: I've been to Takaya more times than I've admitted to my wallet. The food?…read moreStill excellent. AUTHENTIC AND REASONABLY PRICED yakitori. The kind of flavor makes you question why you ever spent $8 on yakitori at Osen (no shade, just facts--my bank account has a lil celebration when I go to Takaya instead). The cartilage still slaps. The Orion on draft saves my dry, sad soul. I come here for small victories in life, like "woot I didn't cry this week" or "I made it through Monday with minimal spiritual decay." So yeah--Takaya has been my go-to for joyful moments. This time, though? The food was still great. The service? Shockingly rude. And I say that with all the restraint of a culturally repressed millennial who usually just eats the bad experience and leaves quietly. Now, I'm Japanese. I don't walk into American Japanese restaurants expecting omotenashi to descend from the sky like sakura petals. We're in Costa Mesa, not Kyoto. I get it. Expectations are calibrated. But this? This was rough. Like, rough by American standards. Like, "I've been treated with more warmth at a DMV in NYC" rough. We were rushed to order, like we'd interrupted a hostage negotiation. The tone was clipped. The energy was "please leave yesterday." And then, just to tie it up with a little bow of bewilderment, we were loudly told "two-hour seating, OKAY!" at the 1.5 hour mark like we'd tried to squat there and build a second life. Spoiler: we were not. We were calm, like law-abiding grilled meat enthusiasts. Realistically, how crazy can a few PhDs and my quiet rice plant of a partner be?? It wasn't a language issue. It wasn't cultural misunderstanding. It was just... needlessly unpleasant. And it stung more because I've had so many lovely experiences here in the past. So yeah. Three stars. Because I'm not out to tank a business. The food still delivers. But next time? I'll be ready. Probably with a legal pad to prove we're on schedule.

I have no words to describe the incredible lunch experience we had at Meiji Seimen. It's in an…read moreunassuming strip mall and a true local, hole in the wall restaurant with only a few tables and always a long wait. I recommend checking the current wait time and getting on the Yelp waitlist before heading over. Staff was all so friendly and accomodating and as soon as they noticed I had a purse with me, provided me with a bag hook I could borrow while we dined! That seems like such a small thing but it was truly so considerate and I appreciated it so much!! My fiancé and I shared their delicious fried chicken appetizer (this is a must get - incredibly crispy large pieces and perfect ratio of meat to batter), he got the pork katsu curry udon set which he loved and said was so flavorful, and I got the tempura udon with extra fish cake. The broth was so light and perfect! Absolutely delicious. This is now on our date night rotation. Thank you for the amazing meal and service!

First time here and thoroughly enjoyed it. Came on a Friday evening and the place was crowded. A…read morequick 5 min wait so not bad at all. I have always been a fan of soba and this place gives you a decent portion. We each got one soba and shared a few other dishes. The good came out relatively fast and it was delicious. We also got a sparking sake - which was a little sweet for my taste and pretty low abv. Chicken karaage - big pieces and crispy. Pork cutlet - crispy and juicy. Soba with tempura - nice portion. Flavorful broth and the tempura was light. Overall I would come back here

Great food and good lookin dudes, cool art through dim light and many unique drinks for a nice long…read morenight.

this was one of the best restaurants i've ever been to! my boyfriend and I sat in their speakeasy…read morewhich was dim and fun, and they played the best music. great date night vibe. we got their yellowtail salmon poke which was so light and flavorful. their black miso cod which was buttery and rich. the wagyu skewers which is some of the best steak i've ever had, the flavor is insane and it was so buttery on the inside. and the chicken and scallion skewers which were amazing and the char flavor was immaculate. they brought us out a free dessert for my birthday which wasn't for another week! so nice of them! we got their salted caramel gelato which was some of the best ice cream i've had. and their ube banana pudding which was amazing. so fluffy, perfectly sweet, and a great size. this is my new favorite spot! absolutely incredible!

Found my new favorite sushi spot in Costa Mesa. We did the $100 Mother's Day omakase and I was…read moreblown away by the value. Every course was delicious and the fish quality was top-tier. Beyond the freshness, I loved the creative touches--they clearly put a lot of thought into the garnishes and sauces. The service was attentive, and the restaurant has a great energy. For $100, this felt like a steal compared to other high-end omakase spots in OC. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented.

Great place to go with friends if you want to try some unique dishes, but just be prepared--it is…read moredefinitely on the pricey side. Some of the fish is genuinely high-quality and worth the tag, but the cost across the board is what keeps it from being a perfect 5/5 for me. Pro Tip: They do validate parking, which is a huge plus! Beef Tantan Nabe -- 5/5 This was my favorite thing here! It's creamy, delicious, and I've never actually had this dish at any other Japanese restaurant. A must-order. Miyabi Tai Carpaccio -- 5/5 So yummy. It has a great combination of flavors and the fish was buttery, it literally melted in my mouth. Toro Roll -- 5/5 Super tasty. They put real gold on it, which felt so extra, but it was actually a great-tasting roll. Blue Crab Hot Pot -- 4/5 This was really good, and I especially loved the char on the rice. Maguro Kajime -- 3.5/5 This was just okay. It wasn't bad, but it felt a little expensive for what it was--taste-wise, it was just whatever. Final Thoughts: Overall, all of the dishes were solid, but you're definitely paying for the experience.

I really enjoyed our date night at this sushi restaurant! Overall I felt like the sushi was…read morehigh-quality and had a lot of unique flavors that kept things fresh and exciting. You won't find your typical rainbow rolls at this restaurant (I do love a good rainbow roll though). The rolls we ordered were the Snowflake (which was flavored with yuzu), the Lobster roll (which was so much more than a typical baked lobster/langostino roll), and the Are You Kidding Me roll, which was big on truffle flavor and came topped with fried onions. I thoroughly enjoyed the Snowflake roll. It had multiple types of fish inside, and the yuzu flavor added the perfect fresh citrusy touch. It also came dotted with a tiny bit of sriracha (or some other spice) but it was just a hint and it's easy to wipe off if you don't want any spice. The Lobster roll was the star of the show. I give it a 10/10 for presentation, and it was also the best tasting one in my opinion. It was plated with a shelled lobster tail, which looks visually pleasing, but the most impressive part was right before serving, the waitress lit it on fire and handed it to us, as if it were flaming creme brulee or something. The flame actually wasn't on the roll itself, but was on what appeared to be a trail of salt (presumably soaked in some kind of alcohol to make it burn). It definitely was a cool effect and I've never seen anything like it in a sushi restaurant! Lastly, the Are You Kidding Me roll - this was my third favorite out of the three we ordered. It was pretty good but I think the truffle flavor was a bit strong. I'm also personally not a huge fan of fried onions on top of sushi since I think it clashes a bit with the freshness of the fish, and gives me too many bar food vibes. But it certainly was flavorful and my husband and I still finished it. We shared these three sushi rolls between the two of us and it was just the right amount of food to leave feeling full. Besides the food, the restaurant itself was nice although I'm not sure they really needed to have a live DJ there as opposed to having a Spotify Playlist. Didn't bother me but I don't think it really added much to the vibe. I would definitely eat here again!

Celebrated our anniversary !…read more Service was good and friendly. The flavors were beautiful! We sat like in the center of the restaurant. It's one of my fear LOL. But the flavors of the dishes eased my fear. It was delicious. I love salmon and uni when it comes to sushi and I would recommend others to try this place! Several people already saw my instagram post and asked the name of the restaurant! I'm very happy that the food turned out phenomenal! Toyko nacho (recommend) : it was messy to eat and had a kick of spice. I didn't mind the mess though. Lots of different flavors. Uni hotate yuzu: scallops topped with uni. Eating it was like butter. Sour flavor profile from the yuzu. A bit overpowering. And the maldon sea salt was interesting. So you get the texture of buttery soft from the scallop and uni and a crunch factor from the salt. 5pc Salmon nigiri: so fatty and buttery! If you love salmon then definitely get this. The presentation was so cute. It lays on a bed of ice. And throughout the dinner the pieces of salmon were chilled. Monster nigiri (recommend) : I don't think anything about this when my honey suggested order this. But once it got to the table and we ate it. Wow! This dish flavors stood out to me. The crispy sweet onions and sauce perfected the meal. Dragon: It was pretty tasty and decent. I know my honey liked it a lot. He prefers not to eat raw fish, so this was to his liking (I recommend to those who don't eat raw fish). Truffle essence (recommend) : The taste of truffle is weirdly addicting. The presentation was eye catching because the candle is keeping the truffle butter warm. The concept of dipping or pouring the truffle butter onto the roll was a fun way of eating. Snowflake roll: A lot of reviews mentioned this was a popular dish. I can see why it was popular. It's literally a bunch of fish in a roll! Haha, fish lover this would be perfect to order. Crunchy roll: It was a decent roll, but a bit dryer than I expected. Orders and ratings: Tokyo nacho 9/10. Uni hotate yuzu 10/10. 5pc Salmon nigiri 10/10. Monster 11/10. Dragon 8/10. Truffle essence 9/10. Snowflake roll 10/10. Crunchy roll 6/10. Thank you!

Can't believe this was our first time eating at Habuya -- such a hidden gem and totally worth the…read morewait! We joined the Yelp waitlist about 30 minutes after opening and waited around an hour to be seated. Since it was prime-time Saturday dinner and the restaurant is tiny, the wait made sense. Pro tip: come 30 minutes before opening or join the waitlist early if you can! White Corn with Truffle Salt -- 5/5 A must-order. I wasn't expecting much, but it was absolutely perfect and so good with drinks. Pork Cutlet Curry -- 4/5 Classic katsu curry flavor, but the breading was a little on the harder and darker side. Maybe just a bad batch, but still really good. Bluefin & Salmon Sashimi -- 5/5 Order it with the pickled wasabi. It melts in your mouth -- SO good. Purple Sweet Potato Fries -- 4/5 A great appetizer and perfect for snacking with drinks. Beef Sukiyaki -- 5/5 Served with a soft-boiled egg, tofu, mushrooms, and kimchi. I usually don't love sweet beef with kimchi, but this was perfectly seasoned. The BEST. Saving the best for last -- the owner and her team are the sweetest ladies. They work fast, check in often, and you can really tell they care about their customers becoming regulars. Best izakaya in OC! Thank you, Habuya, for a wonderful dinner.

Authentic, super delicious izakaya food!! Totally worth the wait. Wife and I had a great time. We…read morestuffed our faces. Service was great. Quirky music. Small space. Will absolutely come back! Our absolute favorite dishes were the Atkin Mackerel and Shrimp Curry. Highly recommend them. The only dish that was mid was the Chicken Karaage - we'll skip this dish next time.

Delicious food and friendly service! The new style sushi is my favorite. Especially the salmon!read more

Best sushi resto . Reasonably price and fast service . Try their scallop & tuna sashimi.read more

Decided to not fall for the uber eats trap and get some fake sushi place with BOGO deals and shop…read morelocal instead! I stumbled upon kakurega down the street from me and had a great experience! We got a crunch roll and two other rolls and they were fabulous. Just what we wanted, nice fresh sushi. I ordered at the restaurant for take out and sat at the bar, the waiter offered me water and tea and was super nice helping me with the menu. The place is small and quiet and makes for a very nice date night, I am excited to get back and try the sake menu and have a nice time with my wife. I am over the delivery app deals that suck me in! Local tasty family owned sushi!!

Came here on a Saturday evening at 7:30 and there was plenty of parking available. The restaurant…read moreis rather quaint so it's personable but great atmosphere for dates, family occasion, or even business. Server was attentive and food came out relatively fast. We ordered crispy rice for the appetizer and it was absolutely delicious except for the fact that the rice was a bit thick so it was harder to eat. Maybe if it was on the flatter side, it would have been more enjoyable. We got soft shell roll and also a variety of nigiri. The fish for the nigiri was fresh and the rice to fish ratio wasn't bad. The roll was alright. Nothing to rave about. Overall experience here was pleasant and I would come back again if I'm in the area.

Came here for dinner, and was very surprised by the quality of the food and their service…read more The ambiance is casual, a bit noisy, but great for having a good time with friends and family. The spicy miso Ramen was great, good flavor, with the right amount of heat to keep you wanting more. If you are in the area come check this place out.

Kin is a classic. We come here all the time specifically craving the Tom Yum Ramen. The ambiance…read morehere is great for drinks and going out with friends, or even a date night. It's definitely a solid spot that we visit often. Tom Yum Ramen -- 5/5 This is a must try. It's spicy, unique, and just perfect. Pro Tip: They actually have unlimited noodle refills, so you definitely won't leave hungry. Beef Belly Curry Bowl -- 3/5 The flavor was actually delicious, but the temperature was a total fail. The ramen came out steaming hot first, but this bowl came out lukewarm. I felt guilty saying something, but I told them it wasn't hot and they made it again. Even the second one came out lukewarm! I think they think if the rice is hot then the curry is fine, but it really wasn't. I was going to say the service was great, but I was disappointed they didn't really listen or change their cooking method the second time. Karaage -- 5/5 Everything you want in karaage. It was super crispy and delicious, and the sauce it comes with is great. Final Thoughts: I'd still come back because the ramen and the vibes are so good, but I'd probably stick to the steaming hot dishes next time and skip the bowls. It's a solid spot for a night out, just hope your food comes out hot!