Hand downs one of my favorite Japanese restaurants I've ever been to. The quality of their sushi is always top notch every time I come here. This place also has the best beef udon and is super filling. I also have to grab some tempura whenever come here as well. The staff here are also very nice and welcoming regardless of how busy it gets. They always greet you with a smile and it makes the whole dining experience so pleasant. I see there's a lot of reviews on customers complaining about the change in their menu and no more free rice/miso refills as if inflation isn't occurring in today's economy. There isn't a single restaurant that I've been to that hasn't risen their prices within the past few years. It's just the harsh reality of where the economy is and you can't ding the restaurant for doing the same as everyone else. I still highly recommend anyone to come eat here because the food and service is just that good! read more

Taiko - Beef udon and tempura - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food is good, the sushi is a bit pricey for the quality, but our family always enjoys going here. My only critique was the one server who kept bugging us to pay our bill during our meal. Made my husband not want to return, and it was obnoxious. Who wants to stop eating to pay their bill so she can close out early, totally unprofessional. All other staff has always been great so only took away one star. read more

Love their decorations. My family started going here before I was born. My grandma and her friends think it changed since it changed ownership and aren't as devoted it as before, but my parents and I still think it's great. The picture is of the Miso Fish that I got because they ran out of the usual Yellowtail Collar (5/5) we get. The miso fish was small and honestly not the best (3/5) but tasted good with ponzu. The Yellowtail collar, on the other hand, is a huge portion and so tender. Their sushi menu is not as extensive as other places, but the quality is beyond any other. I usually prefer the more complicated sushi rolls, but I never miss them when I'm at Taiko. Usually, nobody likes leftover, next-day sushi. However, we purposely order extra Spicy Tuna Rolls for leftovers. It's that good. Come enjoy their sushi because that's where it's at. read more

Taiko - Black Cod Misoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I went on Wednesday and ordered chirashi bowl for lunch. It didn't taste fresh. That afternoon, I started to have all symptoms of food poisoning, still on medication and fever and diarrhea as of Friday. Avoid that. read more

Taiko has been here even before I was born (20 yrs+). Service has always been consistent despite the changes that have stayed through COVID-19. The dishes here are phenomenal and the prices are affordable, especially for groups. I've had their soft shell crab, sushi rolls, meal sets, calamari, hot pot, scallops, EVERYTHING and it's all delicious. It's my main reason for loving OC, it's hard to find restaurants who have kept superior quality, superior customer service, outstanding cleanliness, just an overall wonderful restaurant and I wish them eternal success!!! Thanks for serving me and my family! read more

Taiko - Salmon Aburi Yuzu Roll - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Rude staff, came in for a pick up order that had to be picked up at 5pm. When I walked up it was closed and when they opened I asked for the order. The male staff that was seating people said "not ready" in a very rude way and no eye contact at all. When I checked in again after 15 minutes of waiting he walked away. Finally got the order after waiting almost 30 minutes for an order that was supposed to be picked up at 5pm. Taiko should not let customers places orders before 5pm for 5pm pick up if they can not comply with the time. read more

Can check in ahead of time with Yelp app which I recommend. Food always good - been for lunch many times. Worth the wait - service very quick and we always take home a doggy bag!!! read more

This Sushi place has been around for a long time. A friend gave us a gift card and we used it on Valentines Day. Wow is what I have to say the albacore and tuna carpaccio off the charts. You have to try it read more

We came here by chance there was a long line wife just went in line. It opened at 5:00 pm and the line was already long by 4:30 PM. They did not disappoint. Wife ordered uni cream udon I tasted it. It was so good and creamy. Also ordered salmon otoro also was awesome and fresh. My daughter ordered shrimp tempura udon and it came really fast. But I ordered the 2 item Teishoku with spicy tuna roll and beef teriyaki ($1 extra to add). My wife and daughter already finished eating before I got my food. I asked for the beef to be medium well and it came well done. read more

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Service is very good. Good is alright. Nothing to complain about. Price is above average but good portion. read more

~$20 My go to spot for sushi in Irvine is Taiko. I love this place so much because everything is super fresh, super authentic and very fairly priced. I usually get their nigiris and hand rolls but this time I wanted to give the other stuff a try and it did not disappoint Combination Lunch (Tempura and Sashimi): The tuna and white fish sashimi were fresh. Very good. The tempura were all really good. Batter was . 8/10 Combo A: This came with shrimp tempura, beef kushiyaki and sesame chicken. I only tried the sesame chicken and I thought it was really juicy and flavorful. The portion size was also HUGE. Very worth the money. 8/10 read more

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If you dine in, it's at the back of the restaurant. The front entrance is for pick up. If you're dining in, you would need to add yourself to the waitlist via the iPad if there's a line. Inside the restaurant does have a couple of seats, not too small, but not really big either. I got the Rainbow Special Roll, which was really good! I'd definitely come back for more. The employees were also really nice and welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed. Recommendation(s): - Rainbow Special Roll Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Dine-in is at back, pick-up is at front - Waitlist via Yelp read more

Spicy tuna cut roll is the thing to get here. So good. Everything here is just bigger. The sesame chicken are huge chunks. Probably 4x the usual size. It was ok. I prefer smaller so more crispness and batter. Tempura was good as well. The poke salad was good too big chunks of sushi. I look forward to bringing my family here to see if they like it too. I wanna try the California roll next as well. read more

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Casual Japanese, indoor table service. Recommend teriyaki chicken, pork cutlets, and sesame chicken. Spicy edamame appetizer is nice as well. read more

Top notch sushi spot. We went for the "gorge fest" - that's where you order everything in sight and then regret it as you are so stuffed and they are still bring you plates of sushi. The yellow tail collar or cheek (I forgot which) was great among all the good things we ate! Nevertheless, I persevere and grind on. Love their Bento boxes as well. All the servers are very nice and efficient - no nonsense! Support your local! read more

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How the mighty have fallen. We used to love eating here, this will be our last time. While our miso soup and vegetable tempura were tasty, the sushi had problems. One piece had a hair in it that I found in my teeth. After alerting the waiter he brought a tough, stringy old piece of tuna sushi that I shared with my husband. We both had upset stomachs afterwards that night. No more Taiko for me. read more

THE MOST AUTHENTIC JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN OC! Okay, let me be honest, I have not been to any other Japanese restaurant in OC. However, this place was absolutely amazing. They do have a Yelp waitlist but lucky for my group at the time, they were able to squeeze us in since our entire party was already there instead of making us wait through the waitlist. First of all wow, what a cute place. The restaurant itself is not that big. but they make space with what they have. They have combo meals and let me tell you, SHARE !! The combo plates can feed two people and especially when you want to try their rolls. I would recommend getting a roll or two and then one combo plate. You will be set with all that. They also give our complimentary miso soup which is a total plus. Everything tastes so delicious and it just seemed like a home-cook meal in my honest opinion. They have a lot of different platters that you can share with the table as well. Also, the entrance is technically behind the establishment because they are operating their to-go through the front. They have signs to let you know but as of 3/27/22 that is their current state. read more

Taiko - Eel California Cut Roll - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Excellent restaurant. The food is always fresh and tasty. Friendly and efficient staff.

20 years ago, I used to come here weekly. Every Friday night. Then I moved away from Irvine and kinda forgot about it. Last weekend, we were looking for a place for dinner before a concert in Irvine and we decided to come back. It was better than I remembered it to be. The portions are huge. The fish to rice ratio is out of control. The cuts of the fish is literally double when compared to other places, it's so filling. But trust me, I know size doesn't matter cuz I'm not a "Size Queen," the fish was also fresh and full of flavor. Taiko is very traditional sushi that focuses on fresh fish and no frills. It's not a scene. If you want legit sushi, go here. If you want to party and meet people, this ain't the place for you. After 20 years, Taiko, you still own my heart and belly. read more

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We've been going to Taiko for the past 25 years. It was sad to see the food quality go down after Covid but we wanted to continue to support their business. But the past two visits we see they are trying their best to improve. Today all the dishes we ordered were very good. The sesame chicken was juicy, the rainbow roll and spicy tuna roll were all very fresh and delicious. The yellow tail kama was very juicy as well. We are glad to see their improvement. read more

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This place is always popping! I definitely recommend using the Yelp Waitlist feature to help cut your wait time. Although they may be pricier than other Japanese restaurants, it is worth it for the quality and quantity! They are known for their plate combinations and large portions. They also serve unlimited rice and miso soup! PARKING: Free in the plaza although it's crowded! SERVICE: The service is awesome and I felt well attended to the whole evening. Food and requests were served very timely! GREEN TEA: This was free and not on the menu. You can see the tea bag in the tea pot lol but it was okay and does the job when you want something soothing in cold weather. Just a heads up, the tea pours out decently quick. CABBAGE: It's the first thing they place on your table for free. It's slightly pickled and salty? Not a fan. MISO SOUP: Unlimited! It was good. Maybe a tad salty for my preference but still good. SUSHI COMBINATION: -SUSHI: Came with the chef's assortment which varies depending on the day. Your server can show you a picture on the iPad of what the assortment looks like which is cool. The nigiri slices are decently big which I appreciated. -SASHIMI: Comes with two pieces of tuna and two of yellowtail. This was good! -SESAME CHICKEN: Deep fried chicken, however it's not too fried and I liked it more than I expected! -TERIYAKI CHICKEN: Have always enjoyed their teriyaki chicken! They don't go too crazy and drown the chicken in the sauce which I appreciate. -SALAD: I think it's worth mentioning that i enjoy their salad dressing. It's a sesame mayo dressing? I don't even like mayo but I enjoyed this a lot! Look forward to coming here whenever in the area! read more

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When my dad was still alive, this was his favorite restaurant. Even after he passed, it was pretty decent. The sesame chicken was the standout - incredibly good. But something happened the last 5-10 years. We had several bad experiences, and elected to cross this one off our list of preferred places. Now they're selling discounted gift cards. No surprise there. read more

Mediocre food - I dunno what's so special About it. Only thing special was the good service given. Otherwise, meh. read more

We added our name to the waitlist on Yelp while en route and sure were happy we did... right when we checked in with the host, we were immediately escorted past the line of people waiting and brought to our table. The ambiance was good and truly felt like a authentic sushi spot. We got the crunch roll, Amazing. Rainbow roll, even better. Namba cut roll, a bit spicy for my taste, but my family seemed to enjoy it. And finally the Pattaya cut roll, kind of a let down, as well as the chicken teriyaki. For desert, a scrumptious pineapple sorbet. All in all, a great restaurant, friendly staff, and a wonderful experience! read more

Taiko - Pineapple Sorbet - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Taiko is an Irvine staple for good affordable food. There's no where else in Irvine that would give you this much food for under $15. I usually order their cut rolls such as their spicy tuna or dynamite roll and its quality and quantity by far surpasses any sushi joint in the area. This time I opted for their lunch combo with sesame chicken,tempura, and a beef skewer. It was a very filling meal, especially with the unlimited complimentary miso on the side. I highly suggest you join their waitlist on yelp or arrive early to the restaurant on weekends as the wait can exceed an hour at times. read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Our to-go dinner order included Volcano cut roll, Ninja cut roll, Rainbow cut roll, & 3 pieces of salmon nigiri. They all tasted typical, nothing special or bad, however, the appearance of the sushi was very underwhelming given this restaurant has been around for a long time. The fish on top was cut unevenly, the sushi was rolled very loosely in odd shapes, and there was too much creamy baked scallop on top of Volcano roll. read more

Taiko - Volcano (baked scallop topping on the side), Ninja, Rainbow, Salmon Nigiri - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This place has an array of food selection, I'd argue maybe too much. If you're an experienced sushi go-er, I recommend looking elsewhere if you're willing to wait. But I will say that their customer service is quite great. read more

Been eating here for over 30 years (I can't believe I'm that old). The quality is still consistently tops and this is why there's always a line here: big portions of delicious sushi that is reasonably priced. "Reasonable" compared to other OC and LA restaurants that give you small cuts of fish and charge much more. Clutch: I've never gotten sick eating here. Last I ate here was May 11, 2022 and they still haven't opened the sushi bar back from the pandemic shut down. Go to's: salmon belly, hamachi belly, cucumber special & best cooked items: teriyaki steak and sesame chicken (best in OC). read more

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The food was so good and it's very big portion ! The staff was super nice and so gentle, I loved the decoration and the mood there. I recommend 100% read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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A great place to have lunch and dinner. We love their fresh and healthy food. We visit Taiko at least once a week. A good Japanese restaurant excels in fresh , high- quality ingredients, skillful preparation, and welcoming atmosphere. read more

I started eating here when I was a college student, took my gf (now wife) on dates here, and now take my family here. You can either eat at the sushi bar or dining area. We always get their combi dinners for the kids, while my wife and I get sushi, sashimi and appetizers. Service is fast and friendly. read more

I come to this old Irvine standby when I get a hankering for what I consider the best sesame chicken in the area and off-menu excellent seafood soup served in cast iron teapot. Taiko could probably use a remodeling overhaul but they'd have to shut the place down and what would all those people who camp out waiting for a sushi bar seat the half hour before the restaurant opens do? They added an appetizer/specials mini menu since the last time I came here. We ordered the Tako Q, which is octopus, cucumber, and seaweed in Sichuan peppercorn sauce to start. The sauce was much more gooey than I expected. (I expected zero level of goo.) The taste was an interesting surprise since there was no description, only a picture to tell you what you were getting. The cucumbers tasted like they had been cooked and served cooled down. Not an altogether preferable texture over fresh, crisp raw cukes. The octopus was nicely tender and not at all chewy. That was the best part of an otherwise disappointing dish. The rest of the dishes we ordered are our usuals for when we come to Taiko: baked scallops (aka scallops dynamite), ninja roll, sesame chicken and tuna combo, seafood dobin. The scallops dynamite is scallops and mushrooms baked in a mayo masago sauce. It's delicious over rice. I don't eat much white rice these days but I make a special exception for this dish. You can make this dish at home and use better seafood than the tiny bay scallops they use here but they do a beautiful job of getting a browned top that I'm too impatient to wait to form on my home version. I'm a sucker for soft shell crabs (all the deliciousness of eat crabs and none of the tedious shell picking!) so we always order ninja rolls when we see them on a sushi menu. The crabs were big and meaty here and accompanied by asparagus, avocado, sprouts, cucumbers, sesame seeds and masago for a big textural, tasty bite. If I had my druthers I would cut down on the rice about 40% but it's pretty good as is. The sesame chicken here is so bomb. Big pieces of dark meat chicken marinated until fragrant means they stay juicy when fried. I'm a sesame chicken/karaage fiend so I order that whenever I see it on a Japanese menu but I always come back to Taiko's version. The tuna is seared with grill marks and they always do a good job of not cooking all the juiciness out of it. The combo comes rounded out with boiled green beans served with mayo and iceberg salad with a sweet Russian type dressing. The tuna is great dipped into the mayo. Finally, seafood dobin, a fragrant soup redolent of bonito dashi served in a cast iron teapot with a tiny cup so you can take piping hot sips. This dish is not found on the menu so you must ask for it by name. It's excellent! Inside you'll find a crab claw, some bay scallops, pieces of white fish, shrimp, gingko nuts, mizuna, kamaboko fish cake. You only get a few pieces of each item but what you're here for is the soup. The service is polite and no-nonsense. We tend to order too much food and after giving our order, we asked the waitress if that was enough food and she very frankly said, "that's a lot of food." Haha I know what I'm about. Another tip: ask for the more flavorful sushi bar green powdered matcha tea instead of the usual green tea teabags they serve in the dining room. read more

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3.5 stars but rounded up because it was a good value for what I ate. My friends and I came here around 5:30pm on a Saturday for dinner. When we arrived, it was already pretty crowded and the wait was unclear. There was a separate waitlist for people who wanted to specifically sit at the sushi bar. We opted to wait for a table. The wait was roughly around an hour. You can check into the waitlist on Yelp early, so I highly suggest that. Food: Miso Cod - This was cooked well, but I wish it had a little bit more flavor. It was priced like an appetizer though which made it worth it. Sushi Dinner - This came with a variety of different nigiri and tekka maki. It was good and filling. For only $19, it was also a good value. Edamame - I wish it was salted more. Service: The service was slow to start, but it was fine once our server caught up with everything they had to do. Our waters were filled occasionally, and our food came out pretty quickly. Our edamame should have came at the beginning of our dinner, but it didn't come into midway through our entrees. TL;DR - Decent sushi for a good price. Sitting at the sushi bar seems to be the main attraction here though read more

Taiko - Miso Cod - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This is my go-to sushi spot in Orange County! I have been coming to this place for nearly ten years and there's no better sushi spot in OC! The service there is great, the entire staff is amazing! The price here is really good. You get a LOT of fish for your buck if you're into sushi. I personally come here for the sushi, the rainbow roll has to be my favorite. The prices are pretty standard, about $10-14 a roll but these rolls are big! You will definitely get your money's worth and leave full. One of my favorite dishes is the seafood salad. It is a bowl with dressed cucumber and radish with a bunch of sashimi on top! So yummy! If you aren't a fan of sushi/raw fish items, their lunch menu has A TON of options! Their tempura is super crispy and includes shrimp, bell pepper, sweet potato, squash and I think string beans. The sesame chicken and terriyakis are also very good and like their sushi, are big portions! I love getting one lunch combination (I usually go for the tempura and sesame chicken) and the seafood salad to share with someone else! This place is DEFINITELY somewhere where you want to get on that yelp waitlist before arriving, because it is always busy!! Watch out for the hours too, they close at 2PM then reopen for dinner! This is a must try! read more

Taiko - Seafood salad - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

oldest Japanese restaurant in Irvine. many daily specials, big menu. tables and sushi bar. great service and ambiance

My miso soup contained a piece of hair that wasn't mine. Got a second bowl for free, but paid for the price of one bowl, not discounted. Not sure if the hair was already contained in a larger soup mixture, or if it fell into the miso bowl shortly after it was served it to me. Besides that, the food was good and plentiful. read more

What happened to Taiko??!!?? :( They completely ruined a place that was once one of the best sushi places in south county. While the service is good, the food isn't. The fish isn't fresh and the dishes aren't as good as they used to be. I used to regularly go to this place for years, but unfortunately I won't be returning. So sad because this was once a place that everyone loved. read more

Great sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, miso soup, it's delicious. Prices are fair, service is great and the drinks are outstanding. Online Yelp waitlist is great too as you know what to expect and how to plan your arrival time. I love that. Nothing worse that arriving at a restaurant and then having to wait 60-90 mins for your table. Why not reserve online? Just makes the most sense to me . Anyway highly recommended read more

delicious dishes and friendly service . clean place . came on Sunday 5:40pm . waited 25' . definitely will come back. read more

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I started coming back here - frankly because the system at Tomikawa is just gotten ridiculous and Taiko seems to always have seating. Adding a star because it seems the staff has changed entirely. There used to be a rude lady upfront and an old guy who just don't care enough, they're gone I think. Maybe the place changed owners cause the menu was recently changed too. I liked the new wait staff, and new menu has better visuals. Would add 2 stars but the price increase on nigiri is ridiculous. Basically price of 2 pieces for 1 piece. They also pile on the rice with combos. Any dinner with sushi or sashimi will run at least $50 after tax and tip and you'll probably have snacks later. They are also often out of negitoro. Overall it's an improved environment and they don't rush you anymore. However, gone are the huge pieces at reasonable prices... read more