Having tried Cafe Hiro before, I had to come back for a visit. It's recommended that you make reservations for the weekends since it can get pretty crowded and the restaurant is small. Japanese-Italian fusion might not be everyone's cup of tea but Cafe Hiro did it right. The uni pasta was creamy, balanced, rich, and savory. It hit the right spot and filled me up nicely. Portions aren't too big and prices are a bit high but the nature of the dish means you'll leave satisfied. Service was okay but the ambiance was nice. read more

Cafe Hiro - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

This little whole in the wall place definitely surprised me. I was recommended by a friend. We made day of reservations for a total of 8 people and they were very accommodating. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so I would suggest making reservations especially during rush hour. Appetizers: - Fried Chicken: 4/5 - Fries: 3/5 - Beef Tataki: 4/5 - Ahi Tuna Tartare: 2/5 This dish didn't taste as fresh, and I felt lacked in flavor. - Calamari: 3/5 This dish was a bit bland and had no accompaning dipping sauces. Entrees: - Sauteed Shrimp Risotto: Such a mouthful of flavors. The shrimps were jumbo and cooked perfectly. The risotto had great texture, and you really tasted the cream of mushroom. 5/5 - Uni Pasta: Creamy, and just the right amount of umami. I wish it came with an extra piece of uni though. 4/5 Definitely worth giving this place a shot because of how unique it's fusion dishes are. read more

See all

How in the world have I not reviewed Cafe Hiro yet - one of the best restaurants in Cypress. I've been a big fan of Cafe Hiro and have been going for so many years. Parking is pretty plentiful when you arrive (although spaces right by the restaurant are usually full). I also recommend RSVPing ahead of time if possible as the restaurant can get quite busy. Once you come in, there are small tables scattered throughout the restaurant and some in the back. Think the best seats are more near the front of the restaurant versus the back. They have an awesome mix of Japanese/Italian fusion items. And cheap pints of beer (they also have wine and some soju cocktails)! They also recently put up a omakase menu that is pretty good for groups of 2-4. Breaking down my favorite items: *Seared scallops: Love their risottos. One of my favorites is their seared scallops - super plump and so flavorful. *Peking Pork: Know a lot of restaurants now carry this, but at least for me, Cafe Hiro was one of the first places to have it on their menu in this area and do it so well. Love the little bit of wasabi they mix in with the hoisin sauce. Comes in a pack of 4 and is a must get. *Uni Pasta: They admittedly don't give you much uni beyond their one bite but the pasta itself is super creamy and love how the nori moves on the dish as it is frying. The service is always terrific. Much like many small businesses in the pandemic, service can be a little slow at times but don't think it's too bad and again, the servers are doing their best! I'm so happy that they are still around and hope they continue to be for many years to come. My must try recommendation for anyone that is in the area! read more

Loved this place! Came for the first time for a birthday and the whole family was happy with this place. We were a party of 5 and the restaurant was full but they were able to squeeze us in a table for 4, but we were very comfortable. We got the omakase for $45 per person which was a great deal and I'd highly recommend for anyone in the future. Here's what we got and ratings for each: Calamari Frit : 3/5 (nothing special) Ahi Tuna Tartare: 3/5 (good, also not super special) Peking Pork: 5/5 (surprisingly one of the best, most flavorful and most tender pork bellys I've ever had) Asian Beef BBQ Salad: 3/5 (nothing special) NY Steak Entree: 4/5 (tasty) Seared Scallop Risotto: 5/5 (so rich and delicious, perfectly seasoned risotto topped with perfectly seared scallops) Mentaiko Pasta: 4.5/5 (delicious in every way, just a touch more salt would be good but still delicious otherwise) Uni Pasta: 5/5 (nothing else to say but hands down delicious) Mango Sorbet: 5/5 (yum, special) Bread Pudding: 5/5 (yum yum, special) Chocolate Creme: 3/5 (good, but other desserts better) Berry Parfait: 4/5 (yum) Creme Brulee: 4/5 (yum but standard) For everything we got, and some of the star highlights, I'd HIGHLY recommend coming here for $45pp omakase (min. party of 4 needed). read more

See all

Date night and celebrating my achievement of becoming a notary so my bf and I decided we rather come here instead of some fancy place. We both have been here before so we knew we'd be happy with the food. I made reservations the day before and thankfully I did because this little restaurant gets packed! The restaurant is located in the same plaza as California Fish Grill and Sweetie Thai. Huge parking but the restaurant itself is intimate and charming. (Small). As we arrived right when they open for dinner 5:30pm, we got seated right away but our waitress took a little long to take our orders; it seemed they only had 2 waitresses so we were patiently waiting. My advice don't chance it with walk-ins you should just call to make your reservation!!! Food came out 15 minutes after and we were hungry and happy. BF ordered the spicy chicken mushroom pasta $21 and I got the miso marinated salmon risotto $31. I also ordered the cucumber Waterman margarita $10 which was deliciously light. Pasta was good but my bf said it was not as flavorful like my risotto. Overall, this place always serves you good food can't complain everything on the menu is great. Definitely choose the risotto when you come in. It also comes with a dinner salad. Anyway I would recommend this place and making a reservation. Staff was ok, our dinner was tasty which means we will be back. (Photos are from my previous visit). read more

See all

We went to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary last night. We made a reservation and were directed to our table without having to wait. The layout between the tables felt borderline claustrophobic. We also felt a shock of cold air every time someone entered the restaurant, even though we were on the opposite side. I ordered the uni pasta, which had a moderate portion size of noodles. I took home the tasty leftover cream based sauce. My spouse ordered the osso bucco. The beef shank was tender and satisfying. She was pleasantly surprised that it came with a dinner salad. The dressing had a mild flavor with a subtle kick. We were disappointed to find out that they do not do anything something special for anniversaries. We were the most dissatisfied with the 3.75% non cash adjustment (NCA) fee on the $59 check before tax without being told ahead of time or given the option to pay with cash. We have to think twice before returning based on the value of the meal, the so-so service, and our customer experience. read more

My friends and I are always on the hunt for delicious Japanese-Italian fusion restaurants and we were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon this spot. We were originally planning on going to Pasta E Pasta, but it was closed the day we decided to go. Cafe Hiro had a similar concept so we decided to give this place a try. We came on a week night so we were able to get seated right away. The servers were really nice and attentive. The interior of the restaurant was really cool - they painted the walls and ceilings to make it feel like you're actually eating in Italy. There were so many small details from the lights to the pictures hanging on the wall that made the restaurant feel so homey while you're eating. I ordered the seafood and uni risotto, which was really rich and creamy. A bit on the heavy side, but delicious. The risotto seemed to have lots of Parmesan in it which made it a touch too salty for me. I asked for some chili flakes on the side to cut some of the saltiness and it helped a lot. We also ordered the beef tataki as an appetizer. The beef was perfectly cooked and the ponzu sauce paired well with it. There were a lot of interesting appetizers here and I'll definitely come by to try some more. This would be a great restaurant to go to for a dinner with friends or for a date night! I highly recommend giving this spot a try if you're ever in the area. read more

See all

Super cute restaurant and loved the cozy feel of the place! The main reason we came to this place was to try their risotto, and their Scallop Risotto did not disappoint! Scallops were nicely seared and risotto had the perfect texture. We also got the calamari, which was decent but tasted like something you can get anywhere else. The braised beef tongue was also pretty decent as well, as it was superrrr tender, but tasted pretty bland for my taste considering it was covered with sauce. Ended the meal with their bread pudding which was super tasty, but did get a little overwhelming with the sweetness from the caramel sauce. read more

See all

Would highly recommend this food place to everyone! I love how the uni tastes in the pasta, i feel like I am always disappointed when I eat uni pasta but this place makes it perfect. There are not a lot of places that do Asian fusion but this place does it perfectly. It is a small little restaurant and the staff is friendly! read more

The family course meal was amazing. 1 apps, 1 salad, 1 entree, 1 pasta, and 2 desserts were incredible. Service was nice and quick, although spacing is a little tight. Ambiance is just lovely and full of energy. Would definitely come back. The Osso Bucco was delicious. read more

Great service and excellent Japanese style Italian food. Love the local ownership and attention to guest experience. The hamburg is excellent and also love the seafood pasta. Desserts are just the right size and not overly sugary. read more

My husband and I had the calamari, chicken cutlet curry, and Uni pasta. Service was great. The server was really nice and gave us recommendations. Uni pasta is my favvvv here. We were craving it and mainly came for that! The restaurant is small but the plaza it's in has a parking lot. read more

What everyone has been saying about uni pasta is no exaggeration. In fact, that's the only reason I braved the cold and come out for something tasty. True to form, the sauce is so smooth and just enough creamy texture to linger after the first bite that makes you take another and another bite to make sure it's THAT delicious (4/5.) I was kinda sad that I finished my meal in less than 10 min. This I would order again On the hand, I would skip the seafood pasta (3/5) without any remorse. Sadly, the seafood pasta was flat and underwhelming--skip this on next visit. Service was prompt and attentive. Love the cosy restaurant that is typical of Japanese restaurants where the noise level is modest so that we can still have a nice conversation without raising our voices. They have Yelp waitlist for reservations for your convenience; just know that weekend the waitlist is not active and you must call in... read more

See all

Amazing food! I would no doubt recommend this place! Almost everything here you order would make you smile . Every bite is flavorful!

Went here as last minute dinner for New Year's Eve and was definitely happy! We ordered calamari, uni pasta and scallop risotto. Food came out quickly and we were pleasantly surprised. The calamari was okay, nothing to write home about but the pasta and risotto were amazing! Already making plans to come back with friends to get them again. read more

Cafe Hiro - Scallop Risotto - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

Great service. Low key. The food was absolutely amazing. We ordered the uni pasta and scallop risotto. Everything was up to par. Very small and quaint. read more

Easy parking, everything was delicious Family friendly but also good date spot For lunch we get side salad included read more

See all

Great Japanese and Italian type of fusion. We all in the group really enjoyed our dishes which were the scallop risotto and uni pasta. The sparkling sake nicely complemented our meal. read more

Came here on a Friday this place gets busy I suggest making a reservation or arriving early. Well worth the wait this food was really good. Other than the pork cutlet curry, fried chicken and hamburger steak with scallop potatoes I have in pictures, I also got the beef tataki, seafood pasta and bread pudding desert and everything was amazing. The restaurant is small and staff is friendly. Great food read more

See all

The uni pasta was perfectly creamy with a balanced flavor--rich but not overwhelming. Unlike other places where the flavors can be too strong or monotonous, this one was exciting to eat with every bite. read more

See all

Wow....I expected this place to be good from the pics and it was..if not better. I ordered something that was on their special wall menu: hamburger and menchi katsu combo with ponzu sauce and it was really good and filling. The prices are kind of high, but I think that's true with most places now. I will definitely come back here. read more

Cafe Hiro - Hamburger steak and menchi katsu combo with ponzu sauce. I hope they always offer this - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

I don't usually like to write reviews on places I've only been once, but that one time I went, the food was so memorable I have to share! First good sign was, when I went there was a slight wait. Go where the crowd goes! We were given a phone call when our table was ready, which I appreciate, because I like to browse/walk around usual if I need to wait. The second good sign was that their main menu was relatively small. You know they really have the opportunity to refine their dishes. So, this is a Japanese, Italian fusion type of situation. Mainly pastas and risotto. When we were ordering the uni pasta, the waitress thoughtfully asked us if would like the Wasabi to be put to the side. Why? Because she noticed I had a toddler with me. Love it! And when it came, I was surprised to find out that the Wasabi they used was REAL Wasabi. Did you know most places just give you horseradish that's dyed green? But here they give you the real stuff - it's a root vegetable, similar to how ginger grows. And to be honest, I really thought the Wasabi made a huge difference. The uni pasta was so good as is, but the when the Wasabi got mixed in, it became great. Next we got the carbonara, which honestly was ordered to cater to the picky palette of my 3 year old, but parents get to taste it still! And it was also delicious. Tons if panchetta. The third dish we ordered was the risotto, which was our "try something different" dish, and we loved it. The miso salmon was perfectly charred and full of flavor and the risotto was creamy but not too heavy. It's been a couple months now since I visited cafe Hiro, but I find myself still savoring the memory of each dish. read more

Cafe Hiro - Top: uni pasta, bottom: carbonara - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

See all

Risotto and calamari were delicious! Would eat again. Didn't like the seafood pasta however. Dessert croissant bread pudding also delicious. Thought about ordering a second. Lovely staff. Will come here when I have risotto cravings (scallop and seafood risotto were both yummy) read more

My cousin and I went to Café Hiro tonight. Although we both grew up in Cypress, neither of us had ever been to Cafe Hiro before--I can't believe it took us this long to try it. The food was outstanding. I ordered the clam spaghetti, which came with clams still in the shell, and my cousin had the scallop risotto. Both dishes were absolutely phenomenal. For dessert, we shared the croissant bread pudding, and I can honestly say it was the best bread pudding I've ever had. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, offering great recommendations and making sure we had everything we needed. We'll definitely be coming back, and we'll be sure to spread the word to our friends and family. read more

I felt very welcomed at this place. I think the overall food was a little salty. I had 4 different plates and everything was well prepared and plated. I just wished it was less salty as it made me drink a lot of water. The servers were super nice as well. Love the ambience because is quiet and warm. read more

Cafe Hiro - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

cute little Japanese-Italian restaurant, felt like I was in a small alley in Italy! each entree comes with a salad! for appetizers we got crispy tofu & fried calamari! tofu had an amazing gingery-miso sauce. calamari was lightly fried & tasted fresh with that squeeze of lemon on top. truly the star of the show was the seared scallop risotto, 5/5 !! it had a creamy mushroom-y flavor that complimented the fat pieces of scallop which was nicely cooked. 2nd best would probably be the salmon over the veggies! it was grilled to get this nice crispy layer on the outside but still so moist when you cut into it. the uni pasta was not as creamy as I thought it would be, I feel like it should have a hint more of that uni flavor & have a nice orange color. I did appreciate that the pasta was aldente! then we got a Chinese chicken salad which was nothing special! I could make it at home . thank you to our servers that always made sure that everything was to our liking! he kindly switched out my moms drink for a new one since she didn't like it! would def be a cute date night spot or to just even take yourself out! will come back to check out their omakase! read more

See all

First off, the workers here were soo kind/helpful during our experience! Came here with a reservation for a large party on a Friday night for a loved one's birthday dinner and the staff were extremely accommodating and the food was delicious. Our entire group did the omakase deal, which was definitely filling (three appetizers, salad, two pastas, steak & risotto all shared by your table of 3 or 4 + individual dessert -- our table of 3 was basically full by the time we finished the pasta). My absolute favorite was the risotto which was so flavorful and rich, followed by the bread pudding for dessert and the carbonara. Thank you to the staff here, and I'd especially love to come back for their risotto! read more

See all

I've had Cafe Hiro saved in my bookmarks for a few months now, what instantly drew me was the beautiful plating and interesting fusion dishes. I had the chance to try it for the first time with my family and we were all impressed. Our starters were the Calamari, and the Beef Tataki. The calamari was light and although there wasn't a sauce accompanied with it, the flavor was good. The tataki came with daikon radishes, scallions, and a ponzu sauce. All three tasted well with the beef and I enjoyed the beef more than the calamari, but both were great. We also ordered the Uni Pasta and Seared Ahi Tuna. The uni pasta was creamy and not too spicy. The ahi tuna was delicious and soft. The service was very attentive and seating is very intimate and packed, try getting a reservation as it filled up quickly right after opening. Overall, Cafe Hiro is Japanese and Italian fusion done right, I would definitely return if I'm in the area. read more

See all

I stopped by here with my fiancé on a Wednesday night for dinner, and there was plenty of seating. I found the ambiance to be very charming, as it had a quaint, old school yet romantic vibe. We ordered the tuna tartare, fire fries, calamari, and kurobuta pork katsu to share. The tuna tartare was presented beautifully, but I found the tuna was a bit too salty for my liking. I would have also liked the bits of tuna to be thicker instead of minced. You can't go wrong with fries! They were crispy, thick cut, and subtly seasoned. The calamari was very good. The squid meat was thick and juicy, and the batter was light and crispy. I also loved the Parmesan and parsley seasoning it came with. I only wish it came with a side of sauce. I think a blend of kewpie mayo, miso, and sriracha would have paired really well with it. As for the pork katsu, the dish overall was great and I loved the potato gratin and pasta salad that came with it! The kurobuta pork was just not as marbled as I expected and it had some burnt edges. The service here was excellent and we really enjoyed our meal here. I would come back, possibly to try some of their pasta dishes, but definitely to enjoy some drinks and appetizers. read more

See all

I had been craving an uni pasta for the longest time and Cafe Hiro seemed really promising, so I made a reservation on Friday night. Despite its higher prices and cuisine type, Cafe Hiro is surprisingly casual. The ambiance is pretty loud and they fit a lot of tables into the small space. It's not the best place for an intimate kind of dinner. The casualness of the restaurant is also evident in its uncoordinated assortment of utensils and plates. Yes, it's a bit kitsch. All to say I found the food a bit average. The Peking Pork was a decent starter. The Uni Pasta, like some other reviewers experienced, was regrettably on the watery end. The Beef Short was tender but devoid of flavor. Portions were pretty small too. Overall, I can see this being a nice place for locals but not sure I'd recommend making a trip for this. read more

See all

My cousin and I tried a ton of dishes when we went, and every dish we tried was so good. You won't regret going to Cafe Hiro.

I desperately wanted to like this Yoshoku restaurant, as they are very uncommon in the US. I've tried both takeout and dine-in. This place has rave reviews, so I tried this place multiple times to see if my underwhelming experience was simply a one-off. That's the inconsistency of Yelp stars unfortunately. There's a Yoshoku restaurant in San Francisco with only 3.5 stars, but their food is soooo much better. Service here is really slow. The restaurant felt cramped and loud. I tasted their special fried shrimp, seafood pasta, roasted miso marinated salmon, hamburger steak with demiglace, walnut creme brulee, and croissant bread pudding. The fried shrimp was not deveined beforehand, so this was disappointing and gross. The salmon was overly sweet and the salmon's skin was burnt. The hamburger steak was flavorless and desperately needed salt. The desserts were meh and I would've been happier grabbing something from the supermarket. I could easily find something higher quality and tastes better at half the price I paid here. Pasta e Pasta which recently opened in Cerritos has better Japanese style pasta. Neighborhood Bento down the street has a better hamburger steak. read more

Place was pretty busy. Waited 30 minutes. But food was absolutely disappointing. Not many nor much ingredients in dishes we ordered. Ume shisho pasta: sour taste. Interesting dish. Not much ingredients. Salmon risotto: risotto was too salty Mentaiko pasta with eggplant added: below average. Only mentaiko and seaweed pieces...lack flavor. Eggplants were yummy tho read more

Cafe Hiro - Mentaiko pasta with eggplant added - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

This place is such a cute and charming little hole in the wall that reminds me of small family owned restaurants in Japan. This is a Japanese Italian restaurant that is a very common theme in japan but very hard to find here. And they do it right! Their menu has some classic items and they also have specials on the boards so make sure to check everytime. I started off with their delicious chicken Karaage which was very nice and crispy and tender inside. The Peking Pork was another delicious appetizer I had ordered when I saw another table had it and it's displayed very nicely as you will see in the pics. The pork was just perfectly cooked and the buns were soft and warm. We for entree I had ordered the Hamburg steak and Menchi combo. That was definitely a hit for me as they come with 2 pieces and my goodness it was cooked perfectly. I like using a combination of Demi glaze and Ponzu with mine but try them separately first. Somehow with authentic Japanese food you never feel too full so I also had room to share the Walnut Crème Brûlée and the Berry Panna Cotta and that was the perfect finish to the experience. Everyone is super nice here which reflects in their good service. I will definitely be back! read more

See all

Uni pasta! This place been on my wishlist for a decade--ever since I was a high schooler but I never had the chance to try it out until recently. I love the cozy vibes in here--it gives homey japanese family kitchen vibes. The service was good! The uni pasta was a bit drier than I would've liked. I'd love to come back and try their other dishes though! read more

Cafe Hiro - 2 uni pastas! - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

This restaurant came up when I was looking for some seafood places to have a meal. I decided to stop in and try them. Glad I did. It's not a large restaurant but it was nicely laid out. The service was very good and the staff are friendly. I ordered a seared Ahi dish which also came with a nice arugula salad (wasabi dressing?). Delicious! If I'm in the area again, I will definitely be back. read more

Cafe Hiro - Seared Ahi - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

Came here for the first time and was happy we did. It would be a good idea to get a reservation since they don't have many tables (especially if you're coming from far away). The service was great and the food was pretty good as well. Will probably come back to try other dishes 4. read more

See all

food is very tasty. Price is not that bad either. Our new spot to eat Japanese food here

I've had Cafe Hiro bookmarked for several years now and am so happy to have been able to try it!! Came on a Friday night at 7:30pm. We called ahead and they were able to accommodate us at the counter without an advanced reservation. The menu all looks so amazing but we narrowed it down to the scallop risotto and Japanese eggplant soy garlic spaghetti. Our meal came with a complimentary salad as well! The scallop risotto was AMAZING. super flavorful and creamy mushroom risotto, with generous portions of perfectly seared scallops! The Japanese eggplant spaghetti was also yum, I love eggplant and bonito flakes, but it was a bit more on the noodle side for me than pasta. We also tried the croissant bread pudding with bitter caramel sauce which was super delicious as well!! Service is super friendly and efficiently run. Vibes are so great, really reminded me of eating in Japan! It was a busy night so our food did take a while to come out, but our seats had a view of the kitchen so it was great to watch Chef Hiro cook while we waited! Already looking forward to coming back! read more

See all

was excited with the sound of Japanese Italian fusion. the staff is friendly, the space is clean, the food is just OK. read more

See all