We use to go here before 2020 & it closed. We heard it's now under new ownership and freshly…read moreremodeled so decided to check it out. Dinner for 6 and it was all delicious! Outside the restaurant looks very unassuming, inside says a whole different story. The inside is nice and bright with comfortable seating, lots of space, and the larger tables had the trusty Lazy Susan in middle so everyone could enjoy all the dishes without passing. We were warmly welcomed right away. It was colder Thursday so it wasn't too busy. The servers were all friendly and attentive, and I'm imagining they're the same on a busy day. It is a small family business (including their child sitting at a table watching his cartoons while munching on noodles) which brings a nice level of coziness and attentiveness. The music was playing softly, just enough that we could hear it and yet not so loud we couldn't hear each other. We ordered quite a few dishes. Egg rolls - crispy and well filled with ingredients. Sweet & sour sauce was the packets. Pot stickers - very good, the dipping sauce was an excellent accompaniment Fried shrimp - kinda reminded me of the fried shrimp in a box, but it was still good. Chicken fried rice - definitely can taste the yummy "wok hei" to it which makes restaurant fried rice so delicious. There were a generous amount of chicken, not overly cooked with just enough bean sprouts to give it a nice texture crunch. I would come back just to order this again! Beef chow mein with pan fried noodles - the noodles were perfectly crispy while there was enough sauce to coat the rest of the noodles creating a nice well balanced dish. Lots of tender beef and vegetables. Triple delight in a bird nest bowl - this is a nice pretty dish with a good assortment of proteins. The chicken was velvety, shrimp was plump, and the beef was tender. The outside edible "bird's nest" shell as good, though I'm not sure if it was freshly fried that moment. Plain fish filet is very fresh! This was one of the favorites for all 6 of us. It came with just enough vegetables to give the dish color, but not be a filler. There was a lot of fish to our order. Shrimp with honey walnut - probably the 2nd favorites. The shrimps were large and well cooked with a nice crunch, the sauce was just sweet enough but not overly drenched. The walnuts were fresh and crunchy creating a nice harmony in a bite. Beef brisket bowl - my personal favorite! The beef brisket was so tender and juicy! I could have just eaten this dish with a big bowl of rice. It arrived at the table bubbling hot, the bean curd (tofu) pieces were soft and tender, not overcooked and mushy. The flavors blended together with a nice saucy gravy. Yum! Mixed vegetables - not our most favorite. Although there was a nice assortment of vegetables, the sauce was kind of thick and took away from the idea of having "healthy veggies." Our meal ended with fortune cookies and almond cookies. Everything was plentiful and we have leftovers for a couple of days. The portions were definitely generous. The service was top notch. Our tea was refilled and long with our water without us asking. The rice was freshly cooked, soft and fluffy jasmine rice. Next time I want to try the ramen and a few other dishes like the salt and pepper shrimp. We wanted lobster, but it's a preorder item so it would be fresh. I completely understand that they want to make sure everything served is the freshest possible so next time we will call and preorder the lobster 24 hours before dining.

A great value and delicious cooking. To clarify, this place…read moreis not byob, they have a modest assortment of alcoholic drinks available. However for a $20 corkage fee you can bring your own bottle of wine. We noticed oddly there is no white wine available. A nice family-owned traditional higher-quality Chinese restaurant with dine-in and carry out options. No delivery. Bit of an odd vibe with unusual decorations and people of all ages running about.

I love this place. The small size reminds me of my time in Japan at the authentic ramen spots. We…read moresat at the bar and enjoyed seeing the masters at work. The food was not fast, but we enjoyed that it was fresh (because we could see it)! It's quaint, a gem, tucked away. The service was responsive and friendly. You order on a screen (like in Japan) and then find a seat and await your delights.

Came here at 7:30pm but some guy said they were done cleaning and that the store is closed but…read moretheir website says they close at 8:30pm. L spot

Plain and salmon (no sauce) rice balls are my go to. I avoid dairy, wheat soy and eggs so my…read moreoptions at Mitsuwa are very limited. I am just sad they run out so quickly. The rice balls are amazing when fresh so I recommend eating them soon after buying. They now offer rice noodles for the soba dishes. They can be made gluten free by removing the meat and fried onions. It has curry powder, but cashier says that the curry powder is gluten and dairy free. I got number 45 the Curry Maze Soba. White flakey things are cheese. I really thought it was cabbage when I started eating it. I was able to pick it out. They also offer chili oil which can be a good seasoning of you can't have soy sauce and don't mind a bit of spicy.

My first try at pork cutlet curry was at Coco Ichibanya in Tokyo. It was the most delicious thing…read moreI've had during my time in Japan and could not find anything that came close to it in the Chicagoland area until I found Tokyo Shokudo in the Mitsuwa Market. Unlike Coco, the only downside is that you can't customize the curry spice level but regardless, Tokyo Shokudo gives me my fix whenever I'm craving pork cutlet curry. The pork cutlet is fried to perfection and the pork meat is lean and tender. If you're not a pork fan, they also have chicken, shrimp and oysters as alternatives. I've also had their Salmon Onigiri and Gyoza. Those are pretty decent too. Don't forget to pick up side condiments to the left of the register. I usually get the chili oil and seasoning to top off my curry dish. The best time to go is during a weekday. Preferably after 1pm. Going on a weekend is guaranteed to make you miserable. There are lines everywhere and there's a high chance you won't find anywhere to sit in the food court. Trust me. The atmosphere on a weekday vs weekend is like night and day.

Went to Hokkaido Ramen Santouka inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace. First thing I noticed the place was…read morepacked, like actually packed. But the whole market looks awesome, very Japanese style setups for each restaurant. One thing for sure, with that many options it was hard to choose, but my mind was set for ramen so Santouka was the winner. Staff was quick. No messing around. Order, pay, food comes out pretty fast. I got the large Toroniku Spicy Miso. The toroniku (pork cheek) comes on the side. The pork was crazy good. Super tender, almost too soft honestly, it just melted the second I took a bite of it. The broth was the star though. Really rich miso flavor, deep and savory. Slightly salty in a good way, but balanced. I expected it to be spicy because of the name, but it wasn't really spicy at all, more like a warm miso punch. The noodles were soft with a little chew to them, which I like. And the broth sticks to them pretty well. Honestly just really good ramen. Simple as that.

We were at Mitsuwa and hungry. Something about walking all the aisles and looking at food, makes…read moreyou want food. We sauntered over to the dining area and decided to try Hokkaido. My husband had heard good things and I am always up for anything. Four of us shared two ramen bowls and a Shiyake Ikura Gohan (salmon, rice and roe). Everything was very tasty. Service was fine, it took quite a while for our food to be ready but we found a table and did some people watching while we waited. Tables are usually filled on the weekends... not everyone cleans up after themselves, which makes the dining area look messy. Sometimes, a table will be empty but dirty causing a little bit of confusion if it is available or not.

Came back for round two to try the eel bento, which was so savory and perfectly marinated in their…read moresauce. The miso soup here always hits the spot. Also must try their unagi dashimaki tamago! It's the same marinated eel piece wrapped in egg layers in a traditional Japanese technique and they served it so fresh and hot! Their apps should not be slept on! Have yet to try the lunch special here, but safe to say dinner is worth it for the full appetizer menu and full menu in general! Staff are always friendly and welcoming and offer really great suggestions if you're new to Japanese cuisine. Interior isn't pictured but it's filled with beautiful traditional decor

Kurumaya is a place that I have visited maybe three times before, several years ago. It was a…read morepopular, well reviewed place back then, just as it is now. But it just kind of slipped out of my consideration for no particular reason. But today I was driving near there, headed for somewhere else, and it hit me - Bento box sounds good today. And so it goes.. Parking in this small strip mall is usually pretty easy. It is a popular choice for lunch for many people that work in this business area of Elk Grove. I think that is because in addition to the good food, the service is not only friendly, but also very efficient. That allows you to have a nice sit-down lunch and still get back to work in time. They don't rush you, but you won't have to wait long for both the food and the check. Today I did have my delicious bento box, which as others have agreed, is a great deal for lunch. But I also splurged for a "Rock' n Rol" sushi roll, which was quite tasty. My waitress was wonderful - friendly and efficient as usual. But she didn't rush me personally. She even asked me if I wanted tea. In summary, it's an excellent choice for lunch. Good food, affordable, kind people, and a nice change from a fast food drive-thru.

I would just come here for the drink itself. But the poke sauce is one of its kind. Better than any…read moreother poke franchise places.

I can't say its any different to other poke establishments - you pick a bowl, choose your…read moreingredients. I got a salmon / salmon spicy combo with brown rice and toppings. The rice was a bit undercooked. But the portions are generous. I also ordered a mango smoothie which was OK. I would have ordered a boba milk tea but they don't offer non-diary option other than powdered milk (bleh).

This location has been open for about a year and took over the space where Mama House used to be…read more For those who aren't familiar with it, it's located inside the food court of Mitsuwa Japanese grocery store. After looking over the menu, it seemed like they specialize in tempura, so I decided to try the Soba #13 meal. It came with chilled buckwheat noodles topped with sesame seeds and shredded roasted seaweed, along with two jumbo shrimp tempura served with dipping sauce. The dipping sauce is definitely important because, without it, both the noodles and shrimp tempura would be pretty bland. It tastes like a soy sauce-based sauce with a little chili oil, giving it a nice savory flavor with a mild kick. The chopped green onions add a nice touch of color and freshness. The soba noodles were chilled, chewy, and firm, while the shrimp tempura was light, flaky, and super crispy. My only concern was that the food was more on the lukewarm side, which made me wonder if it wasn't cooked to order. Overall, the food was just alright for me. At $15.99, I didn't feel very full afterward, so unfortunately, I don't think the value was quite there. But don't worry--I'll definitely come back and try some of their other dishes. Maybe there's something on the menu that will be a better match for my taste buds, my belly, and my wallet.

Great concept and great techniques, but if you're used to having the real stuff in Japan, you'll…read morenotice the flavors are a little off. I think most people will love it though. And 2 of the 3 bowls were found with a small bit of lemon rind in them. Mine didn't have the lemon rind in the bowl, but I did find some in my soup. Very strange.

My wife and daughter ordered their Tonkotsu Udon. They were craving ramen but decided to check this…read moreplace out. It was good but I do prefer ramen over udon. I do like thick noodles but prefer the thinner noodles used in ramen. Not sure I would personally order this, but my daughter sure liked it.

I've been to the food court many times, passed by Mugimaru and others because every time I visited,…read morethe place was packed. Finally had time to visit on a Monday after lunch rush. I got the #2, large, then grabbed 2 shrimp tempura, karaage and lotus tempura. Tempura was decent, lost some of the crunchiness but it was still good. Now, the Udon. The broth was lukewarm, which failed the whole dish. If they had brought the broth to a hot temp before it was served, that might have made the experience a lot different, but walked away beyond disappointed with their udon.