Great time at Afuri. Delicious tonkotsu shio ramen. Fresh sashimi. Yuzu lager, pineapple spritz, and yuzu sour were all refreshing cocktails. Zi our server was attentive and provided wonderful service. Highly recommend!! read more

Afuri Ramen has finally landed in Orange County, and for ramen enthusiasts who have made the effort to their LA locations, this is a very exciting news. The menu spans the full spectrum. Their signature Yuzu Ramen with clean, citrus chicken broth is deeply complex. For those spicy lovers, you will love the Tonkotsu Tantan (what I order this time) for its rich, spicy and layered flavor. They also offer Tsukemen (dipping noddle) for those that wants concentrated flavor without compromise. I paired my spicy Tantan with Tori Karaage and a glass of Yuzu Sour this time. The fried chicken was crispy and well seasoned, one of my favorite. And the Yuzu Sour was very refreshing, perfect to wash down the spicy creamy tonkotsu broth. Afuri isn't just another ramen shop. It has a refined, yuzu foward, izakaya vibe. For the many times I have visit Afuri, the taste is consistently Great. read more

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No remote waitlist or reservation . I went on a Saturday around 3pm and waited about 45 minutes for a table for two, which felt a bit long for an off-peak hour. if I'm waiting during off-peak hour, I'd expect the food to be mind blowing. Quiet, and well lit, has an open kitchen setting. Price-wise, it's reasonable for the quality. The food is good and well-executed, but nothing particularly memorable or crave-worthy. It's the kind of place you'd return to if you happen to be in the area and there's little to no wait--but not somewhere I'd go out of my way for. I got the Yuzu shio. Very light soup base so you don't feel as heavy after eating a whole bowl, which I'm assuming thats why they're popular! I guess it could use another piece of chashu in the ramen and I wish it was more tender. Karage has a thin batter and not the super crispy kind. It has an egg salad sauce on the bottom that went very well with the chicken! It was my personal favorite of what I ordered today. You can skip the tofu, it's underwhelming! read more

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The quality of the ramen was great and I love that they have interesting flavors like yuzu shio, yuzu shoyu, tan tan men, etc. Usually those types of flavors are only in Japan so it's nice to have it in the OC! The reason I'm taking off a star is because of, the wait. We were told the wait was 20-30 min, and it ended up being longer than an hour. PLEASE Afuri, make an online wait list on yelp or your website. The restaurant is quite small so this would help your business and the wait time immensely! Another reason I'm taking off another star is because of the price/amount. My tonkotsu tantan was $20. The ramen is kinda small and skimpy on the toppings. Disappointed there was no egg (had to pay $2.50 for one) and they don't allow any substitutions either read more

Afuri - Yuzu shoyu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We got seated right away even on a Sat evening! It was so beautiful in there, very intimate and peaceful. I like how there's bar seating or tables. We ordered the homemade ginger ale, the crispy tuna rice which was AMAZING, the citrus roll which I highly recommend, the crudo, the ramen, and the chirashi. We would definitely come back again! The service was very friendly too. Everything came out fast and well plated. read more

Honestly, kinda mid. The yuzu in the ramen doesn't really shine anywhere, and the ramen is small given the price. Karaage was good but not enough for me to want to come back by myself. Service is great though read more

Most popular yuzu ramen chain Afuri from Japan finally opened its new location in Costa Mesa CA Yuzu tsukemen/dipping ramen is most popular. Different from ramen with broth tuskemen has more yuzu flavor from the dipping sauce. Comes with chashu pork and veg. I wanted to try their gyoza but it was sold! So I got Wagyu beef on sizzling plate which is a bite pricy but totally worthy! Big portion and juicy Wagyu meat. Smells so good~ Their Yuzu cocktail was delicious as well, with a refreshing citrus taste. Restaurant offers tables and bar seatings. Friendly stuff with fast service. read more

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READ IF YOU ARE GLUTEN FREE This place claims to be gluten free. They have "gluten free options" and "gluten free" broth is labeled, however it's not *actually* gluten free. When I started asking questions, they stated that everything on their menu has soy sauce in it, including the options marked gluten free. I explained to them that if they aren't using gluten free soy sauce, then the item is not gluten free. Their reply was "thats not gluten, it's soy. It's different. If you are soy free then you cant eat here because there is soy sauce in everything." If you need to eat gluten free this is not the place for you, I sat here and watched my husband eat while I starved Editing to reply to the owners reply: I specifically asked if their soy sauce is gluten free and they said no. The waitress even got another person plus the chef involved in this, so it's weird that not a single person in the restaurant (including the person making the food) knew that they have tamari and are supposed to use it when ordering the gluten free version. read more

Afuri - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We are so happy Afuri finally opened in OC! Brought kids there during their soft opening. Besides ramen, the kids' favorite was the fried egg and we had to add one more order. The sashimi was fresh, and the soft shell crab was so yummy! The staff were all friendly and helpful. We liked the ambiance as well. Plenty of parking, and it is next to a lot of other popular dessert and shopping spots! read more

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It's always exciting to see chains from Japan come into OC, and with their speciality being yuzu flavors I had high hopes. The restaurant is pretty small but they do offer bar seating for less of a wait. I went on a Thursday night and waited around an hour for a table for 3. For drinks we got a yuzu sour and a frozen yuzu lager, both had that delicious yuzu flavor. I love that they serve the yuzu sour in a cup you would get in Japan. The lager was really good and the frozen part on top was a great way to keep the beer cold for our entire dinner. We ordered the spicy karaage for an appetizer, and it definitely has a kick. I think it could have been crunchier/crispier but the flavors were good. Although the menu says it comes with egg salad, the spicy version just comes with a spicy sauce (for an extra $1). Onto the entrees! The Yuzu shoyu had a strong yuzu flavor that matched well with the typical shoyu broth. I always prefer thin ramen noodles so it was nice it was paired with that. While it was good I think the broth was a little bland and depended a lot on the yuzu for flavor. The tonkatsu tantan was very rich and creamy and it was paired with thicker noodles that matched the heaviness of the dish. This one also could have had a bit more flavor outside the spice and richness, we also probably would have switched to thin noodles instead. The yuzu tsuyu tsukemen was my personal favorite, the dipping broth was much more flavorful and with the cold noodles and citrus flavors it didn't feel as heavy and was almost refreshing. Definitely recommend. I took a star off because they have a separate waitlist based on the size of your party and as a party of 3 we waited around 55 minutes with only two tables in front of us the whole time. However, the waitlist for 1 to 2 people were only waiting around 15-20 minutes. Overall we really enjoyed the drinks and a couple of the dishes, will probably return once the hype dies down and probably only in a party of 2. read more

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it was okay, i dont think i would come back again. this is based off how i felt the ramen tasted, which is what they are known for. pros: chasu was melt in ur mouth! the crispy rice with tuna was good! great interior and service. cons: the tonkatsu ramen had a strange after taste to the broth. i dont think im a big fan of the thin noodles either... kinda felt like spaghetti. as for the yuzu broths, i think they were way too yuzu forward, it was hard to taste any other note. the yuzu shio was better than the yuzu shoyu, but i dont think i would order either. read more

Afuri - Crispy Tuna Rice - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Amazing and love the atmosphere. Especially the chicken karagae. You have to try it if you have time.

The place is clean and quick with attentive staff. I ordered 2 items - The Yuzu Shio Ramen and the Soft Shell Crab handroll. The ramen was fragrant and the broth was clear but the broth is very citrusy so if you love lemon, you will love this. The softshell crab handroll was the star of the show for me, the flavor of the soft crab with the crispy outside on the seaweed was delightful. It was worth the taste and I would get it again. Overall pleasant experience! Would like to try their Tsukemen or more savory noodle dishes next round! read more

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One of the best ramen around, bar none. Dishes taste clean, many with Yuzu. Ramen is cooked to perfection. Delicious appetizers and fun drink selections. read more

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Come here for lunch with my coworkers. We were seated immediately, the server was attentive and the food was served promptly. I got the Yuzu Rattan ramen. It was spicy enough to be enjoyable and the yuzu flavor was refreshing. read more

Afuri - Yuzu rattan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The Costa Mesa location is too cheap on the yuzu juice/flavor. Having actually had Afuri in Tokyo, I loved the strong yuzu flavor and the Yuzu Ratan is actually sour. I understand people here who aren't used to yuzu may be turned off by how strong and sour it should be, but for those of us who've had Afuri in Japan, I wish they'd stay true to flavor. Even the LA location, while also weaker than Afuri in Kapan in terms of yuzu flavor, makes it stronger than this location. And when I asked for extra yuzu juice on the side, I was charged for it. The LA location doesn't charge for it. read more

Services and food quality are very good! All ramen are very good but my favorite one is Yuzu Shoyu .

Unique ramen flavors, but don't think it was anything spectacular. We ordered a yuzu shio and a yuzu shoyu. The yuzu shoyu was a bit too sour for my liking, but the shio was good. The inside of the restaurant felt clean and nice, service was good. Only reason I'm docking a star is because I don't think it was really worth it for the portion size and flavor. read more

Saw that this new location was gaining some social media attention and, since I do enjoy a good bowl of ramen, I decided to give it a try (never had it at any other locations). We got the Yuzu Shio since hearing that this is a very popular option, and also the Tonkotsu Tantan with added pork chashu. Yuzu Shio was very light and refreshing, using a chicken broth base that felt very clean, but with so much flavor - definitely something that you can just keep sipping on. Tonkotsu tantan was a pork bone broth base, very rich and creamy, with a little bit of a kick from the spice. They were both good, and I typically gravitate towards a tonkotsu ramen, but I would say that the Yuzu Shio was the standout and I get why it's so popular. Would come back for that again and possibly try another one of their other yuzu options. Great service and, though we got lucky finding parking, it's located in a plaza with lots of restaurants so I could see it getting quite busy. read more

Afuri - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This place is top notch. I started with their crispy rice with blue fin tuna. Great texture and fresh ocean flavor. Had their yuzu tsukemen for my main and I was genuinely blown away. I've had cold dipping noodles all over the world and honestly don't enjoy them very much. This place is a totally different story. The noodles have a delightful bounce and the dipping sauce was cool, citrusy and umami. It was the first cold dipping sauce that felt like an actual part of the meal. The flavors were so refined and well balanced. I never finish a bowl of noodles but before I knew it I had scarfed the whole thing down. I could not recommend it enough. The environment was extremely clean and well designed as well. We always had water and the server consistently checked up on us. All of the staff was extremely friendly. Prices are what you would expect from an establishment like this. Not too low and not too high. If you have the chance I would absolutely stop by and try their menu out. read more

First time here to dine with my family in this ramen / sushi place. Ordered Tori karaage ,yuzu shio, yuzu shoyu, yuzu tsuyu , tonkatsu shio . Food is great and delicious however Service sucks!!!!! Servers were rude, they ignored us you on top of that they forgot our karaage and we are almost done eating right before they can serve our appetizer . We have to wait 5-10 mins our water to be refilled and ask for napkins!!! Prietty expensive for a small portion of ramen serve.... Poor service Overall!!! read more

Wanted to try this place out because they replaced my favorite ramen restaurant but turned out to be very underwhelming :( We started off with the chicken karage and it came out cold and soggy. The egg salad under it was good, but couldn't save the chicken. The ramen was good, nothing special. The tonkotsu shio came with one slice of meat and a little bit of mushroom and ginger. The hazelnut tan tan had good flavor but was lacking. Service was great though! They were very nice, but probably would not return again. read more

Afuri - Hazelnut tan tan (back) and tonkotsu shio (front) - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Honestly just a little disappointing all around. We were seated promptly on a Monday at 6. The server went over the menu with us which was nice! After a few minutes she came back to take our order. When she took our order she informed us that several things were out of stock including 2 of the main proteins for the ramen. Why didn't she review this with us when she reviewed the menu? We received our order and everything was good and fresh. However, the Chashu portion was incredible stingy. Only 1 slice! Also only half a ramen egg. With competitors in the area like Ramen Nagi, and Hironori, I'm not sure their unique broth will be enough to bring me back. Also, they don't accept Amex. Not their fault but this always sucks. read more

I visited afuri during a busy weekday lunch and ordered the Yuzu Ratan. The pork was sweet and flavorful, perfectly complementing the refreshing yuzu broth, which had a nice tang without being overly spicy. I only had to wait about 10 minutes, which is pretty reasonable given the lunch rush. The service was excellent--warm and friendly, which made the meal even more enjoyable. Overall, it was a satisfying experience, and I would happily return for another bowl of that delicious Yuzu Ratan. read more

Went back to Afuri Ramen for a second visit and it definitely lived up to the first! I had to get the Yuzu Ratan again. This time we also tried a few more starters, and they did not disappoint. The fried chicken was juicy and full of umami! A must order. We got there around noon on a Saturday, line was expected but they text you when the table is almost ready so that's a plus. Service was just as friendly and efficient, and everything came out quickly even during a busier time. read more

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Not ready yet. As it presents and operates currently, AFURI is not yet ready. My friends and I were eager to try this new ramen restaurant boasting its origins from Japan and already established domestic locations, but unfortunately we were left with an overall upsetting experience. The space is small with limited seating (counter seating and a row of tables) so we joined the waitlist with 4 tables of medium parties (parties of 3-4) ahead of us. We waited 1 hour and 20 minutes and then noticed that on the waitlist website it stated "Online Waitlist has been expired." Maybe the system they use just automatically deletes waitlists over an hour, idk. However, we never got a follow up text regarding our status or an available table. We had to go inside and alert one of the staff of the issue and luckily a table of 3 had just finished and cleared out so we got seated finally. They definetely need to switch to the Yelp waitlist system and should look into enabling the online waitlist and/or reservation system like the LA, Brooklyn and Oregon locations ASAP. Unfortunately it seems like the long wait times are partly due to the understaffing of the restaurant and lack of urgency from the staff. There was I think 3 FOH total, with one server also handling expo on top of everything else. I think operations could be smoother with even one more person, maybe a dedicated expo or a dedicated host on a busy night such as the weekend. We ordered 1 yuzu shio and 2 yuzu shoyu, which was reflected on the receipt, however we received 2 yuzu shio (with one spoon missing) and 1 yuzu shoyu. In regards to the ramen itself it was average, but nothing to write home about compared to the other great ramen spots in OC. I will give props to their noodles however, pretty good texture! As it stands right now, I would hesitate to recommend this spot as it stands now. I would feel more inclined to suggest and dine at other established spots like Ramen Nagi, Hiro Nori, Kitakata Ban Nai, Ramen Tsukemen & TAO, etc. Hopefully AFURI can work out its kinks (im sure it's wonderful in Japan!), but until then a return will be unlikely. read more

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Yuzu shio is definitely a hit. Super recommend the spicy karaage. Great service. Was about a 45 minute wait on a Sunday night but worth it. read more

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Afuri, the fine ramen spot from Japan just opened in OC! Known for their yuzu ramen, and it's definitely a must-try. I've been to their LA locations a few times and really like the Yuzu Ratan. Broth is flavorful yet not overly salty like traditional ramen. It also has a nice refreshing yuzu kick. My friend got the Yuzu Shio as a lighter option for its pure, clean yuzu flavor. Plus, their noodles are all made in-house. The service was fast and attentive. Love the atmosphere here and really liked the bar seating super chill vibe and great if you're dining solo! $25-$30 /person Can't wait to be back again for their cocktails! read more

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Light but flavorful chicken broth. Drank the soup, bamboo shoots strips are a good match. Of course the Chai Siu is nice and tender. read more

Afuri - Yuzu Ramen Shio - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

4.5 stars Thought the ramen was very good. Didn't quite taste the yuzu element in the shoyu ramen. Maybe next time I'll get the shio (without soy sauce broth). Noodles were super good as well as the yuzu lemonade. Great spot. Already a 25 minute wait on a Sunday around noon. read more

Went to Afuri specifically to try their tsukemen, Yuzu Tsuyu. My husband and I ordered the exact same thing, and somehow mine came out wrong as the spicy Kara Tsuyu. Not the end of the world, but yeah... it was spicy enough to actually matter. If you're just "average tolerance," this isn't a joke level spice , it's "makes you cough" level if not careful. The setup is classic tsukemen: one bowl of noodles already loaded with braised pork bellies, veggies, egg, bamboo shoots, and a separate dipping broth. You get to choose hot or cold noodles, go cold. Seriously. The texture is way better, more bounce, more chew, and it just makes more sense since the broth isn't cold anyway. Feels more refreshing instead of heavy. Flavor-wise, this is where they nailed it. The Yuzu Tsuyu broth is bright, citrusy, slightly tangy with a clean umami backbone. Not greasy, not overwhelming, just sharp and refreshing. Honestly one of the best cold dipping noodles I've had. The Kara version is basically the same thing but dumped with chili, which for me ruined the balance, so I ended up stealing my husband's broth instead. I'm docking a star for the mix-up because... come on, same order, how do you mess that up? But the food itself? Strong. Like, strong enough that I'm already planning to come back and try their ramen and sushi. Perfect, definitely worth your time. read more

I was extremely excited to try this restaurant, until the waiter with the upper right arm tattoo sold me Spicy Tori Karaage Chicken. I wanted to order regular Tori Karaage Chicken, but the waiter said the regular was sold out and they only had spicy left. When the Spicy Tori Karaage Chicken arrived, it looks that the spice are the chili flakes and the spicy sauced added afterwards. This means they do have regular Tori Kaarage Chicken, just not adding the spicy sauce. The table on the right of us (order after us) was able to order regular Tori Karaage. Reason: I wanted regular Tori Kaarage so I could enjoy the refreshing Yuzu Shoyu Ramen soup base. Conclusion: Either the waiter was a liar on not having regular Tori Kaarage or the restaurant doesn't make fresh kaarage. Pick a fault read more

Afuri - Yuzu Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Ramen was delicious. I got the spicy one with the citrus flavor, substituted the pork for chicken and added green onions. Service was good. The second our water canister was empty, they changed it out right away. The ambiance was nice. Went for lunch so I was not able to enjoy a beverage, but I will be back... read more

If you want to try a lighter, almost refreshing ramen definitely try this place out. Noodles were cooked perfectly and their yuzu shio is one of the most interesting ramens I've tried. Staff were super friendly and helpful as well (I got a chance to practice my broken japanese lol). And if you don't want a yuzu ramen, they have traditional tonkotsu ramen also. Karaage was different but excellent as well. ごちそうさまでした！ read more

Afuri - Yuzu shio ramen - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I had a party of two and we signed in on the waitlist machine right after we got there. Problem was the machine didn't even work when I questioned the waiter about it. There were two big parties waiting outside for 1 hour before us. They became pretty upset when the waiter explained to them they needed to sign in first. And when they insisted on getting seated due to a lack of clear notice, the waiter said to them he will let them this time but they still have to wait. At this point we decided to leave. This location is pretty disorganized and this is not what I expect from a chain restaurant. Very disappointing. read more

Bad service Won't even give me extra dipping sauce for my cold noodles after I spilled half of it. Made it sound like I was asking for them for Gold. Not worth the wait, and the waiter staffs are not friendly. I don't put up with shit attitude like that. read more

I recently came back from my Japan trip visiting many cities around Tokyo. One of the places I visited was Yokohama. I happen to go to a Afuri ramen in Land Mark Tower. I am sorry but the ramen in Costa Mesa is not the same. The ramen in Yokohama has a stronger umami broth. The broth in Costa Mesa was bland and lacked taste. As you know, 70% of a good ramen is the broth. The pork in Costa Mesa was hard and chewy. It was not tender as the one in Yokohama. I also could tell that the noodles were different and not the same as the one on Yokohama. The ramen in Costa Mesa is a little expensive. Wouldn't be so bad if the ramen was good but unfortunately it is not. Pictures posted is the ramen from Yokohama and the ramen from Costa Mesa. read more

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I've been to the Afuri in Tokyo, but didn't have the same expectations for this location for obvious reasons (this one is in the United States, different chefs, different ingredients and sources of ingredients etc etc.) However, this Afuri was delicious on its own style and we thoroughly enjoyed everything. The soft shell crab was amazing and I liked how they served it whole and not cut. The ramen was light and flavorful, and the noodles were different, but good. Even the drinks were yummy. Surprisingly, the dessert was good too, although the matcha could have been more carefully distributed on the lady fingers in the tiramisu. Menu is on the pricier end, but vibes and service were good. Would come again. read more

After an awkward encounter with the staff having no waitlist yet requesting us to wait 3 minutes to see if there was a party bigger than ours to have the table seating, we were disappointed further by the ramen. Yuzu Ratan was very citrusy yet it didn't taste like yuzu, more of spicy lemon. Incredibly salty, and stingy on the toppings with half of a boiled egg and only one thin slice of chasu that seemed reheated because it was cold. I will say that their noodles were well made and there was plenty. $18.50 for ramen of that standard is ridiculous. I recommend HiroNori, Ramen Nagi, I would go as far as saying Shin Sen Gumi... We wanted to give another ramen bowl a try yet we couldn't help, but overhear the table next to us also expressing their disappointment after ordering another bowl to give this place another chance. read more

A returning customer, except this time, we tried different dishes! Not only were their ramen delicious, their rice bowls and small plates like steak and sushi were superb as well! We love how the dishes came out all super fresh and hot and were all super tasty. The service was super smooth. My kids enjoy eating here. I'm sure they will be asking to come here again real soon! Good job Afuri!! PS: their yuzu beer is a must. Yums! read more