I was craving some cold soba and saw that Echizen offered Zaru Soba! We waited about 15 minutes or so for a table for 2. Under their Light Dinner section, they offer a Zarusoba for $12.00 and a Tempura Udon/Soba with Shrimp Tempura for $13.00. However, if you want Zarusoba with Tempura, they charge an extra dollar. The Zarusoba was good, but it would be nice if they gave a bit more sauce for dipping. I also got a Sashimi Salad, which had a lot of sashimi! It had salmon, tuna, and a white fish. Pretty good, but it could have used a little more dressing as well. The Combination Plate with Salmon and Tempura was enjoyable. It comes with a piece of salmon, a variety of tempura (shrimp, broccoli, sweet potato, onion), side salad, miso soup, rice, tempura sauce, and teriyaki sauce. Salmon was cooked well, and I liked all of the tempura! Their Lunch Specials are originally what caught my eye, but it seems like they don't have anything similar for dinner. Instead, everything is a la carte with the exception of a few combination plates. I wish they would do dinner specials similar to their lunch specials! Parking here is pretty difficult. The lot gets packed with several cars circling around hunting for a spot. They're also going some construction right now which doesn't help. There is a large parking lot where the Home Depot is next door, but they specifically have signs posted to say you can't park there. read more

See all

Been coming here since 2014. Started as a broke Cypress College student now working in corporate. Authentic Japanese-owned, mostly Japanese staff, with a couple of long-timers who have clearly found their forever workplace - over a decade and counting. New owner took over when the original retired, a few small changes here and there, but the food and service? Barely touched. That is the highest compliment a ownership transition can get. Check IG for their lunch specials from M-F. I am leaving this review purely out of self-interest. This place cannot close. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

I've been sleeping on this place for so long. Glad I finally got to try it yesterday for dinner. Interior is super cozy/intimate, and staff is extremely nice. Ordered the miso beef tongue and shrimp tempura cold soba. 4/5 beef tongue was tasty. Parts of it were a little too chewy, but I'd still order again. 5/5 soba was super refreshing. I do wish they gave more broth. I could've used just a little bit more. Shrimp tempura was phenomenal. The best tempura I've ever had in OC. Light, crispy, and the shrimp is not overcooked. read more

See all

This place never disappoints. Saw their special of the day on their instagram and booked it over 30 minutes before lunch ended. Got my favorite eel bowl so delicious. They added these nice cloth dividers to give people more privacy and its great! As usual, the staff was friendly and welcoming. Always a pleasure. Dinner here is great too. Till next time! read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Their lunch special is on their instagram! - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

See all

Haiku: Echizen Japanese Restaurant Best priced lunch specials Check Insta for today's meal Cozy, eatery. --- Echizen is a cozy, unassuming establishment serving Japanese comfort foods. During lunch, they serve their popular Teishoku lunch set meals (IYKYK), which typically include a main dish, a bowl of rice, miso soup, and homemade pickled side dishes. I enjoy their broiled fish (flavorful & flaky) and tempura (light & crispy) meals. Tip: Check Echizen's Instagram around 11-11:30a to see what they're serving that day. They have rotating daily lunch specials. Some of my favorite lunch special meals: - Eel bowl w/ Assorted Tempura with cold tofu, miso soup, Japanese pickles, rice ($18) - Chicken karaage & Pork cutlet with cold tofu, miso soup, Japanese pickles, rice ($15) I have yet to try their Salmon sashimi with Assorted Tempura and Marinated Salmon Come early. I come 10 minutes before opening to secure first seating. The place isn't too big, so it'd be difficult to accommodate large parties. Service is efficient and sweet. read more

See all

Maybe Echizen isn't an izakaya in the true gastropub sense, but for a quick, satisfying Japanese lunch, it does the job very well. I've been there many times, and I've never left unsatisfied--especially when they're serving fresh fish. Their house specials consistently hit the mark. The French say, "Chacun son goût"--"to each his own." If you're feeling more Zen, maybe the Japanese Buddhist version would be "to each his Zen." If that's you, why not head to Cypress and check out a restaurant called Each His Zen... or, rather, Echizen. read more

Echizen never disappoints! I've been here many times and every visit has been consistently excellent. It is a Japanese-owned restaurant and you can really tell because everything feels and tastes authentic, from the flavors to the care they put into each dish. The food is always made fresh to order and the quality and presentation are outstanding. They give a very home-ey vibe which is always nice. Everything I have ever tried here has been delicious from the zaru soba to the grilled shishamo to the chicken zosui. The service is also great every time: friendly, welcoming, and attentive without feeling rushed. It is clear they take a lot of pride in both their food and customers and that is why they consistently have regulars come in. Echizen is a reliable, go to spot for authentic Japanese food! read more

This is an authentic Japanese restaurant. It's a hidden foodie place that offers comfort food as well as the requisite sushi dishes. My favorite snack is onigiri : rice wrapped around a small filling of bonito flakes, salmon or sour preserved plum (ume). Raw tuna cubes over grated Japanese white yam is so delicious. (Maguro Yamakake) Mazuko seaweed with vinegar was surprisingly delicious and also served mixed with more yamakake. The soups here are so good!! Any of the chazuke ( we get the sake or grilled salmon): delicious broth and very tender salmon. All the porridge here is very bright, thinner than Chinese congee or Korean juk. Topped with fluffy egg, mushrooms and onions; I got the Kani or crab porridge. It is large enough to share. Fresh sashimi available, also can be made a combo. They accommodated a request for a small chicken Katsu for our little girl, making it a combo for less price. Very gentle and efficient waitress. Kitchen is absolutely buzzing. Offers lunch specials but limited hours. Quite small space but there are several tables. I often end up having dinner late so thankfully they are open later. read more

See all

A cozy, well-loved izakaya in an unassuming strip mall in cypress. I have passed by this location many times, but didn't realize it was hiding a gem. Great menu selection, with lighter and heavier fare, all tucked in a cozy spot with friendly service. The udon is perfect for cold evenings, and the grilled fish dishes are hearty but not too heavy. I may have found my new local gem! read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - nabeyaki udon - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

I've been coming to Echizen for its authentic Japanese fare and excellent service. Tucked in a small plaza across from Cypress College, this is one of my go-to spots for the izakaya and daily lunch menu. Although their lunch menu is limited, many good options exist, especially if you prefer a lighter lunch. Daily lunch specials are displayed at the door and on their Instagram, @echizencypress. The dinner menu at Echizen is extensive, izakaya-style, with a variety of small plates, grilled fish, sashimi, and entrées. Compliment your meal with Japanese Spirits (sake, shochu), beer, wine, or soft drinks. Here are some of my favorites: * Zarusoba with tempura shrimp - a classic light dinner or lunch item * Nabeyaki udon - Udon in a clay pot is hot and satisfying * Onigiri (rice ball) - I usually get the salmon, but they have other fillings as well * Fried soft-shell crab - always light, crispy, and delicious * Surume tsukeyaki (grilled dry squid) - firm texture, dipping sauce adds a nice additional flavor, great with beer or sake * Spinach and garlic - a nice starter * Agedashi Tofu - 4 lightly fried tofu pieces with a flavorful sauce. * Fresh sashimi and grilled fish Seating is limited inside, with tables and counter options. Sometimes, there can be a wait, so please be courteous and enjoy your meal quickly when people are waiting. They also accept reservations over the phone or in person. I'm happy to support this local establishment and can't wait to visit again! read more

See all

beef tataki is where it's at, will repeat getting that, i like it way more than the fish version. filet mignon is solid option. this place is more solid than i remember! should come back more, authentic and good food! and not overpriced gave us a small tuna dish that was good on the house. read more

This is my go-to restaurant in OC. I come here for celebrations, for rainy days, when I need to satisfy my japanese food cravings. Just good, simple basic food, so many options. I like the lunch sets but prefer dinner because I get to order a variety of dishes. Some of my go-tos: cod roe, hamachi collar, agadashi tofu, kimchi pork, spinach & garlic, sashimi salad, deep fried oysters, udon to end a meal! read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

Went on a friday for lunch. The waitress told us we can only order salmon or mackerel and nothing else. No explanation other than they were closed yesterday because of some problem. Two waitresses running back & forth talking to each other in Japanese. We wanted to know what the lunch included other than the fish but the waitresses did not respond to us trying to flag them down. After a few minutes of waiting, we decided to not eat there as we weren't even sure what the problem was & how thst may impact the taste & quality of the food. Also the waitresses mot coming by after dropping off the menus seemed like a bad sign of what to expect if we dined there that day. We told the waitresses we are leaving as we are not sure what's going on with the restaurant & they seemed rather relieved & apologized but immediately back to being frantic... Hope everything is ok with the restaurant. read more

I think the last time we ate from here was over the pandemic, so it wasn't a dining experience. My daughter was craving Japanese and she suggested we go to Echizen. So off we go. Bottom line: they are good. Not fancy, or trend setting. Just solid Japanese food that I expect when wanting to eat Japanese food. The style of dining is Izakaya, smaller plates (a la carte) unless you order a bento (combo). The service was good. A bit on the slow side, but not horrible. There was only 2 people working the dining room, and they were hustling a full dining room. Tea and water cups were full and we were checked on twice during our meal. The food had all the flavors that you would expect and the portions were right for this style of dining. The sashimi was fresh and delicious. Tempura and cutlet was crispy and not oily. The Miso butterfish collar was of good size and delicious. The only ding I have is that the sauce and miso soup are on the salty side. Other than that, I was content with what I received. Value wise, it is what you expect post pandemic. 3 adult dinners added up to just under $100 before tip. It's our new dining reality. I'll be back when that late night Japanese craving sets in - they are open till 10 Fri-Sat. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Butterfish cheeks (collar) - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

I'm so bummed out, the ownership has changed, unfortunately a lot more has changed too. The food quality and taste are not what it used to be here, and the style of cooking has changed a lot in many of the dishes. This used to be one of my favorite places, but sadly I'm not sure I'll ever be back. For instance, the onigiri (rice ball) used to be grilled and the grilling made them amazing, now they're just a lump of rice with a small amount of filling, nothing exciting. The natto with tuna and yamaymo is no longer (although they did make it for me with the yamaymo (mountain potatoe) however, they don't have ANY nori (seaweed) that used to be the best way to eat it (making a small cone with the nori and filling it with the natto, tuna, yamaymo). The grilled squid is not grilled the same (maybe it's no longer basted with sauce while cooking???), I'm not sure but I do know it's changed, and no where near as good as it used to be unfortunately. The iced green tea is no longer made with fresh matcha, and the selection of fresh sushi is a fraction of what it used to be. I sure hope the new owner realizes he's loosing his customers with his changes. Don't get me wrong, sometimes change is good, but changing from perfection to a lower standard is not a good thing. Please please please go back to the style the old owner did, and bring back the old (very high) standards. read more

Great service at this authentic Japanese restaurant. I came in for the lunch special, eel or unagi-donburi, which was a delicious traditional set meal with properly prepared tempura. It was perfectly filling with green hot tea, to add up to the minimum $20 credit card charge. The evening sashimi menu looked excellent. The ambiance is efficient small restaurant that reminded me of Japan. read more

Great service! First time returning to the Restaurant after the new ownership. The restaurant was quite crowded and everyone looked happy. Since I had only one type of food, I cannot actually comment on all experience yet. I tried the most difficult dishes to perfect. It was fried oyster and beef Kuniaki. Both need to be prepared with perfection of frying the food. In my opinion, it was too heavily breaded. Needs to be lightly breaded and finish with light crispiness.. I hope the Chef changes his method of preparing these dishes. Since the service was super nice, and I like that atmosphere, I would like to go back and try perhaps something that is not fried. Such as. Sashimi and some of the side dishes. Looking forward to going back again. read more

See all

Delicious food with good service. Their lunch specials are a nice deal. My husband enjoyed the miso mackerel and various tempura. It also comes with miso soup, pickles, and cold tofu. The black cod was delicious but on the smaller side portion wise. The nabeyaki udon was cooked well and came with a boiled egg, two slices of fish cake, and a shrimp tempura. I loved how quaint the inside of the restaurant is and the waitresses were very nice. They gave my toddler a little treat post lunch (which he thoroughly enjoyed). Would love to come back to try their dinner options in the future! read more

Best lunch special around! Waitress and cooks are so genuinely kind. We are so thankfully they stay true to their culture and continue sharing their wonderful cuisine with us, along with their humbling hospitality. read more

Just an update for lunch specials! It's such a deal. For $14, you will definitely walk out feeling satisfied. This day, the lunch special included: zaru soba - cold buckwheat noodles veggie tempura small beef bowl - loaded with grilled onions, ginger, nori simmered kelp - so healthy for you! Rich in iron and other minerals! tsukemono - pickles Service is super nice and pretty quick. Lunchtime, usually, is crowded and requires a wait. But you never know! If you can, don't take your time. Be courteous so the next party can enjoy the meal too and for the restaurant is able to accommodate more and serve more customers. We love supporting our neighborhood businesses! We need them as much as they need us. Itadakimasu! read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Today's lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

See all

I found an old school authentic Japanese restaurant in North OC!! The food and service are excellent. Highly recommended!! read more

See all

It's been a year since the owner chef changed, but they still serve a lot of delicious food. Lunch is also posted on Instagram every day. Every dish is delicious. The staff are also very kind and helpful. Every time I come here, my stomach and my heart are satisfied. It gets busy on Fridays and Saturdays, so I recommend making a reservation. read more

See all

So glad Echizen was opened for Christmas Eve, hit the stop for that authentic Japanese comfort food. Love their lunch menu, it's a perfect portion of delicious food that has great variety. Wish I had an Echizen close to my work, I'd love to eat here daily. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Daily Special, pork belly with vegetables in a miso broth with deep fried tofu, steamed rice and pickles. - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

See all

Echizen delivers solid, decent food that gives well-developed flavors; it's nothing amazing nor are the flavors bad at all. So why the two stars? Expedition and execution; for a party of three, and for being the first customers to arrive but having to ask our last main dish to be ready after 1.5 hours upon being seated is not acceptable at all. On top of that, we asked to cancel at the 1.5 hour mark for that dish but we were responded with "Sorry we already started cooking it" without trying to make it up to our party is highly unacceptable. First table in, not even first be be checked upon and receiving a main course so late leaves a very undesirable impression. Flavors though? They're solid. Miso soup was well balanced with balance of umami and sweetness, and wasn't over salted like most instant miso soups at most restaurants are. Clams with sake and butter? Not briny at all with a lot of natural clam sweetness that followed with the richness of salted butter without overpowering the clam flavor. Everything is seasoned well, but not a flavor bomb. Execution however could be worked on. Tonkatsu dinner had the salad with dressing, which you could tell it was slightly rushed as there was a pool of dressing/water from the salad that seeped into the breading on the tonkatsu. The tonkatsu itself was pounded so thin such that it was very tender, but the ratio of meat to breading was slightly too breaded such that most of the tonkatsu was breading (although nicely crispy on the top, but soggy on bottom). They did refill our waters without us asking, but it's extremely awkward when there's that one person who hasn't received their dinner and the rest of the party has already finished their meal. It's also pretty cramped too such that if there's a lul in conversation, you could hear the conversation of the people sitting next to you because there's only a paper divider separating the tables even though they're squished together. That said, first impressions are not good at all and I can't recommend this place even though it's japanese-run. read more

This is our go to dinner place for our family. Food is amazing and just makes us feel like we are at a small cozy restaurant in Japan. Recently I started following them on social media and they have a daily lunch special that's is so worth it. They post the daily special every weekday at 11:30am. This place is a 10/10 for me. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Daily lunch special. - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

Amazing customer service. The servers were very attentive. It was pouring rain and a customer forgot their purse. The chef saw it and ran out with just a piece of styrofoam to cover his head to ensure the customer got their purse back. I ordered the tempura soba which was warm and flavorful. Perfect for a rainy day. Very delicious. I'll definitely be back. read more

One of just a very few authentic Japanese restaurants in the Cypress area. Located in a small plaza off Valley View on the side of Home Depot. The decor is worn but don't let that fool you. Attentive service, authentic food, and big variety await here. Lunch and dinner have different menus as well. Lunch is always special of the day ($14), udon (ex: nabeyaki is $12, combo is $1 more includes steamed rice and a side), and combo lunches like the broiled fish lunch. Best way to check the special is on IG @echizencypress, they post daily what it will be. Dinner is izakaya style with a huge variety of smaller offerings. You'll want to get a bunch as they're all moderately sized. Dinner offers sushi, yakisoba, yakitori, and other small items. Dinner has a greater variety with the full menu and a better experience but lunch offers the better deal. It's not fast food cheap but considering the regular price of drive-thru, this restaurant offers some of the best Japanese food in this area at reasonable prices. read more

See all

Naya san has since retired as chef and I had the pleasure of visiting with the new chef. He is not as adept as Naya san switching from Sashimi to cooked dishes but the quality of food was still great! Of course the two amigos were still there lending their support, Kobe and Luis, and they are a great part of making this place a success!! read more

This is a really authentic Japanese restaurant that isn't going for trendy and isn't focusing on sushi. So if you're looking for a Griffin (go Los Al HS!) roll made up of a ton of different ingredients, this isn't for you. But if you're looking for good variety, sensibly portioned, reasonably priced Japanese food, this place is really great. The lunch menu is not huge, but perfectly adequate to have enough choices to select from. My wife had the daily special, and I had the tonkatsu meal. My wife liked hers a lot, and mine was good too. I would have honestly liked leaner meat (parts of the pork were a little fatty), but the breading was good. The soup was good too, as was the rice, salad, etc. Service was also very efficient, friendly, and attentive. We were last here about 4yrs ago, and were happy we stopped by again to enjoy the good food here. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Daily special (mackerel with ginger sauce) - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

See all

This Izakaya offers authentic and excellent Japanese cuisine at a surprisingly modest location. The owner is also the chef, with the help of long term loyal assistants and wait staff. The place is renowned for its rotating "Lunch Special" during weekdays. Its setup is like being in the small Izakayas in Japan where Salarymen can enjoy the closest thing to home-cooked food during regular work days. read more

Great lunch specials! The salmon cutlet was nicely fried and wasn't greasy. The udon had a nice chew to it too. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Today's lunch special: salmon cutlet, clam chowder croquette, fried shrimp, & cold udon. - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

Under new ownership but looks like he retained the old staff. Previous owner retired after 40+ years. Legend. I asked if he could've created a cookbook for all his lunch specials and was told he can't since the recipes were all in his head. Here's hoping the new owner keeps quality and prices the same. read more

Not sure what happened to this place, but it has definitely changed. It took the chefs 90 minutes to bring out only 4/6 of our items. Not to mention one of our orders was wrong.. We were able to cancel the remaining items and get out of there. Never have I been to a restaurant and needed to get food afterwards because I was still hungry. Such a waste of time. The only good thing I will say is - The food is tasty but at what cost.. read more

My daughter and we went to dinner last night. We had the sashimi and tempura dinner plus beef tataki, and asparagus and enoki. The food was so fresh and sashimi and tempura were excellent. Then at 10:15 pm, we had an unexpected visitor at the door. The owner of the restaurant personally delivered the wallet my husband had forgotten in the restroom. It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture for the owner to go out of his way, especially after working long hours. We are truly grateful. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. read more

The service is good and helpful dont get me wrong. Really chill staff. But i feel like the menu was a little bit confusing and the food was mediocre. Perhaps it is my lack of taste or culture but the miso soup was over salted and the tempura seasoning was not quitw right. Man. I really wanted to love it but I cant lie. Mediocre at best. Maybe u try and lmk? read more

It is busy at lunch time. I like the vibe and friendly staffs. The food reminds me of eatery in Japan. Very tasty and fresh. Daily lunch makes it easy for me just to swing by and enjoy different kind of flavor. Highly recommended. read more

Went there with my friends who were visiting from the SF Bay Area. We all enjoyed the delightful Japanese dishes like the black cod, octopus, chawan mushi, sashimi plate, and lotus root. Went back for lunch and enjoyed the specials too. The staff were very friendly and accomodating. Far for us to travel but will definitely go again. read more

Place is small so it gets busy pretty quickly! The food is affordable and tastes pretty authentic. Would recommend coming here on a weekday! read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - udon - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California

When the old man was running it, food was exceptional, but felt like he didn't like me. He would say good bye and thank you to other patrons, but when I left just a cold stare. I go to this place a lot, so I know I'm not tripping. I don't know what I did? Wait staff though makes up for it. New owner is very nice. Says good bye and thank you , even to me. Food is almost there as before, but with time he will find his own. Looking forward to the new direction. read more

One of my fav Japanese restaurants outside of Torrance/CostaMesa/LT. Been here few times for company dinners, food is always amazing. Love the izakaya, sushi, yakitiri always yummy. Pro tip, lunch is only day chef speciAl lunch items, no full menu, no alcohol. Not even appetizers. read more

Echizen Japanese Restaurant - Yakitori! Oishii ne! Grilled Chicken skewers. - Japanese Near Me - Cypress, California