Long overdue review! I used to order their chicken tartar bento from when they had their Fountain Valley location. They were packed so nicely each time and always tasted fresh and delicious! I'm glad to see that they are still actively making bento and visiting farmer's markets. I'll definitely stop by a market for their bento boxes again! read more

Picked up lunch today because I was craving for Japanese food. This place offers only pick ups with delivery available. Follow me! Highlights of the menu: 1. Kushi katsu - eat with B sauce, green onion, and its own sauce 2. Grilled chicken bento with shiodare 3. Charcoal grilled chicken typed with green onion and Shiodare side of lemon 4. Wagyu don - marinated wagyu beef with onion. Topped with green onion with ginger They are also available at Costa Mesa Certified Farmers Market every Thursday 9am-1pm. And more locations will be opening! read more

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A while back, I remember seeing a social media post or something about a Japanese bento place in Costa Mesa & decided to bookmark them here & follow them on IG. Well the time & the hankering for the bento came 2 days ago & I met these guys at the Laguna Hills Farmers Market. They rotate to various Farmers Market in the area. On this day, they were cooking up some yakitori on hot sumi-coals, for the casual passerbys at the FM. Gave me ideas about having a chicken skewer party at my place of business. As for bentos I brought back to work. I had the grilled saba, 2 of my coworkers had the wagyu, & 4th member he had the yakitori bento. All the food & sides were cooked to perfection. A bonus, Yosuke-san gave us some skewers hot off the grill. read more

Ichirin - Yosuke & Kayako-san - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Had a potluck style Christmas party this year with my friends and since I had no time to make food at home, last minute decided to get my food catered from here. Best decision I've ever made! By far it was guaranteed to be the parties favorite! Folks all went for the food I brought in and it was devoured within minutes. My favorite was definitely the mentai udon but my friends contest and say the karaage chicken but all in all every dish ordered came out delicious! I love finding unexpected hole in the wall places and this place did not disappoint. Highly recommend! It was also a huge plus that the service was A++. since they were a small family run business with husband and wife duo, they were very attentive and communicative. I would for sure be ordering from them again. read more

Ichirin - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Had no expectations going in since there aren't many reviews but the food left me disappointed. Overpriced and the quality didn't make up for it. I ordered the Steak Don and Chicken Karaage and the total came out to about $26. The steak rice bowl was $18 on its own and was totally not worth that price at all. The portion is small and there was no flavor or seasoning. Judging it based on the appearance, I expected it to be dry and tough like jerky but it was surprisingly still moist. The steak did not have a good sear on it so it wasn't very appetizing to look at. The sauce didn't do anything for me and the fried garlic was burnt which left a bitter taste in my mouth. The chicken karaage left me wanting more as it had potential but didn't hit the mark. The chicken itself was nicely cooked and was juicy and tender but had no flavor on its own. I found myself having to try and add the very little sauce they put on the side in order for it to taste like something. Luckily I noticed the chalkboard indicating where the business was since the sign is rather small and all the buildings blend together. The lady sitting outside was nice enough to hand me my order while I sat in the car. Unfortunately I didn't find the food here to be all that great and will most likely not be returning. read more

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My absolute favorite spot for a comforting and home-cooked meal. Not only is their food amazing, but their service is unmatched. The lady that works there always offers water despite being a grab-and-go place, and she always has a smile on her face. The chicken is so juicy and tender, and it's all the more fun to eat with the side dishes. The presentation is unmatched. You can feel all the time and effort the owner puts into each dish. If I could eat here everyday, I would. My only complaint is that they need to extend their hours! I used to drop by after getting out of school, but with a new schedule, I've found it difficult to find time nowadays. Oftentimes, they're only open for lunch hours. read more

Ichirin - Top to Bottom: Wa-gyu Don, Chicken Tar Tar Bento - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We discovered ichirin through Yelp recently and has been coming back multiple times for lunch! My partner and I have only tried the tartar and karaage bento, and so far we are in love with the tartar bento. The chicken tastes healthy, yet buttery. The rice is good and the side salads sauce is great, I love that I can get in some heathy greens during a weekday lunch. The owner puts in a lot of effort to make sure the presentation is nice, which I really appreciate. You will not regret getting this. Be aware that right now they are only open on certain days of the week, so my partner and I plan ahead and make sure to call them to order before they close for the day, or for multiple days. We are sad when we crave the Tartar chicken and they are not open. Right now they are only doing to go orders. The first time you get there it might be a little bit confusing because it's hidden away in a business/warehouse area. When you are on newhope, turn left/or right into the Los caballeros vlg and keep going, ichirin will be located to the right. We are looking forward to trying out more items but so far the tartar bento is a winner! read more

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This place is a hidden gem, with an emphasis on the word "hidden". The storefront is tucked away along the road to Los Cab Sports Village with just a modest sized sign to help you find this culinary treat. But in this hungry man's opinion, the reward is completely worth the adventure. I ordered the Chicken Tartar bento and the presentation of the food was a 12/10. A wonderful mix of colors packed into a rather tiny, but robustly filled lunch box. The chicken itself was extremely tender and juicy, but the homemade tartar was the star of this dish. It was creamy, sweet and delicious, yet not overwhelming at all. My order also came with rice, salad and 3 special side dishes. On this occasion, I was lucky to receive gobo (burdock root) salad, boiled spinach and two pieces of sweet rolled egg. Each item had a unique flavor that complimented the main course extremely well. To summarize, this place is delish AF. Do yourself a favor and hit this place up ASAP before it blows up! read more

Ichirin - Chicken Tartar Bento with Rice, Salad, Gobo, Spinach & Sweet Rolled Eggs - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Delicious. I got the chicken katsu bento box and it was very tasty. I'm a chicken lover and I can be critical. This was delicious. Will order from Ichirin again for sure. :) And thank you for the good service. read more

Ichirin - Chicken Katsu Bento Box! - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Found this place at Farmers Market in Irvine Regional Park on Tuesday. First time trying here. The owner Yosuke is Japanese, he is very friendly and informative about their food. I am Japanese who is allergic to wheat. He mentioned me any ingredients that might contain wheat. So this time I got Green tea pudding for myself and a Karaage bowl for my husband. Yosuke told me that he may consider some gluten free bento near future! My husband also a Japanese enjoyed Karaage bowl. Rice is perfectly steamed. Karaage chicken is very juicy! My green tea pudding is more like Bavarian cream, or I would say panna cotta. Soft and creamy. Matcha has good flavor in it. I am so happy that I found this place! I will definitely come back. I highly recommend this place to everyone. read more

Ichirin - Karaage bowl (Japanese fried chicken) and Matcha green tea pudding, Kinako powder on top. - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Tried this place today and it was ok. Take out only so we called to order in advance. Located in a weird industrial complex, next to a decor store. Plenty of parking. Saba bento was good, I enjoyed the flavor of the grilled mackerel. The beef was ok. Chicken karaage was a bit oily. For almost $17 per bento box, the food was just ok. read more

I doordashed so I can't give the full 5 stars. This was a super filling, flavorful bento box. The chicken was very moist and flavorful, but surprisingly not my most favorite food (although it was amazing) in the box. My absolute favorite thing was the salad surprisingly...I LOVED the salad dressing that came with the salad it was so delicious I wish I had more. The one thing I didn't love was the omelette that came with meal but that's a personal preference as I don't like eggs. I loved the sticker on top and the box had amazing presentation! Definitely gonna try them again! read more

Ichirin - Karaage Bento Box - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Definitely a hidden gem as the restaurant is a little hard to find but I'm glad I found it. Wasn't expecting much given the number of reviews but the food exceeded my expectations! I got the chicken tartar bento while my sister got the chicken katsu. The chicken tartar was very tender and surprisingly moist! The tartar add just the right amount of acidity to chicken making it a very pleasant surprise. My sisters chicken katsu did not disappoint. The katsu was crispy on the outside and very moist and flavorful on the inside. Probably one of the best chicken katsu I had. I got a free appetizer for my order cause I followed them on their Instagram. We got the karage which was just as amazing as the bento box chicken. Yes my sister and I love chicken ... All in all would definitely recommend and most likely will be coming back to grab for a quick lunch during my lunch break. read more

If you want to find the best Japanese food in the OC, this is the place to get it. You can only order pick up or delivery but man, is it worth it. I ordered the Chicken Tartar bento, and my fiancé ordered the Chicken Katsu bento and Oyako don, we also got Karaage as a side. I've never had chicken so tender yet perfectly flavored. Not only is the food good, the staff are the friendliest people I've ever met! I hope they open a restaurant or at least more kitchens soon so more people can try their amazing food! I will definitely be back. read more

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Stumbled upon Ichirin on a yelp search and it happened to be open. The lunch hour is hard to catch for working folks, but super happy I got to try it. Ample parking in a lot. It's to go only, so I called in my order. Credit card accepted. We got the mentai udon, ichirin udon with chicken tempura, takoyaki, and karage. Hands down the best takoyaki I have had in OC. Tender, flavorful, good ratio, and not all batter. Karage was juicy and tender, not too salty. I liked the karage too. Udon was firm and chewy, nice balance. I will return and try other things on the menu. when I open the bento, there is a feeling of gratitude for the thoughtful preparation of the food. Thank you for the generous yelp check-in and opening this year!!!! read more

Love Japanese food especially the ones here. Dishes were inexpensive and very tasty. Service was Quick Would come again

NEW SPOT ALERT! Came across this spot as i was looking for lunch in fountain valley. This spot is fairly new. If you are craving some japanese bento, this is your spot. I had the katsu don bowl, one of my favorite from this spot. This place is a little hard to spot. There is no big plaza sign for you to track this place down. This place is only open Tuesday to Friday. Make sure to come grab lunch here during the work week. Parking is limited, beware. GIVE THIS PLACE A TRY. read more

Really great bento place. Wish more hours open. Everything is done really well, fresh and high quality ingredients. read more

Ichirin - This is really really good. Wish they had more hours. - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I ordered the oyako don and the size was pitifully small for $18. It had no flavor, so thank god I had a packet of salt in my desk. The egg was undercooked and watery. Common guys!!! If you are going to charge that much for chicken, eggs and rice.... the dish better make me die of ecstasy at my desk! I don't believe for one second all the good reviewers think the portion size is worth what they charge. Instead of dumb fancy stickers on the container, just give us more food. This meal isn't worth more than $12 at best, we are talking eggs and chicken. This place is right next to my work so had to try it, but won't be back until their prices are lowered or the quality/amount is improved. Honestly, I think we are paying such a high price to make up for the lack of food traffic, because their location is terrible. But that's not my problem.... read more

The Chicken Katsu was the best bento I've ever had. You can tell it was personalized and made with great care. Absolutely Delicious!!! Will definitely be a regular from here on out! read more

This is easily the best Japanese food I've ever had. I've tried a lot of different Japanese restaurants that are good, but taste like any other Japanese restaurant. Not this place. You can tell the chef takes pride in making high quality food here. Their udon broth is perfectly balanced, not too salty, but full of flavor. Likewise, the karaage and gyu don I had were fresh and used high quality ingredients. This isn't just another Japanese restaurant, these people are experts at what they do. I will definitely be back!! read more

Tried this spot twice now. Steak Don bowl and the Gyudon bowl. Both times I felt that it could use more flavor and more sauce. The Gyudon bowl can use slightly more meat to balance the amount of rice it comes with. Especially if you're going to be paying close to $20. I really wanted to like this spot. Don't get me wrong, I like the food selection and variety. Hopefully they fix it ! read more

I've tried most of their bentos by now and thought each of them was delicious. My favorite item is definitely the chicken tartar bento! It's to-go only, so keep that in mind. If you're in the area, give them a shot and support an authentic Japanese business! read more

Best Takoyaki in the area! Authentic Japanese homestyle food you can't get anywhere else read more

Amazing amazing food! Tried the oyako don and the yakiniku bento. Both were delicious and tasted very authentic. Can't wait to try more of the menu soon! read more

First time trying their grilled salmon box and I was left very filled and satisfied. Highly recommend if youre next to ichirin! read more

Ichirin - Salmon, rice, wonton, greens - Caterers Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Today was my second time ordering from Ichirin. I ordered 9 Bento boxes for my family to try. My family loved it! Delicious and authentic Japanese cuisine. Love that it's close to my house. read more

Food was amazing. Me and my husband enjoyed it. Authentic, and made with care. You can tell the owners/cooks are putting in 110% with this place. A must try. I will be getting food again from this place. read more

The food here is amazing. Come here if you want authentic Japanese food here in California. The owners are also very kind and provide great service. I would highly recommend this location. Very Flavorful! read more

I got the katsu chicken box and it was bussin I love the rice I recommend it make sure u add the mayo soo yummy