What can I say? We are suckers for this place! Whenever we crave for the best sushi, we end up here! Service is always quick. Servers are always nice and friendly. It can get busy but nevertheless. The food never misses. Uni, Toro, Assorted nigiri, mixed tempura, and even the kids meal were a hit with us! Highly recommended! Will continue to keep coming back! read more

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We ordered a huge spread, and every single dish was so yum! Their sukiyaki was loaded with protein, tofu, veggies, and perfectly chewy noodles. It was rich, flavorful, and comforting. The $30ish taiko set was so worth it! All the cuts were fresh, especially the amaebi! We also ordered the baked mussels, and it was creamy and savory. The hamachi kama was tender with crispy skin and the sauce it came with I think it was a miso sauce was amazing paired with it. And the furikake fries were addicting... and yes we finished it all. The service was warm and attentive, even with how busy the restaurant gets. Such a comforting environment :3 read more

Taiko - Furikake Fries, Baked Green Mussel, Hamachi Kama - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Food was good as always. Service was off this time around. My salmon Kama took more than 20 mins. It was so hard to flag someone to ask for utensils, water or our bill. No one paid attention to our section. I had to go to the front to ask for our bill and was told someone will take it to us. It took another 5 plus minutes. Poor service that night. Hopefully it was just a one off because we've been coming here for more than 20 years now and I would hate to find another go-to Japanese around us. read more

We've visited several times, and this place never disappoints. The food is always outstanding, the portions are generous, and the service is consistently friendly. The atmosphere is simple but cozy, creating a comfortable dining experience. We'll definitely be back! read more

Taiko - Salmon Teriyaki, Tempura, and Sesame Chicken lunch set - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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One of my go to spots for sushi in Irvine that never misses! The nigiri pieces are pretty big and totally worth the price. Quality and taste are always great. The restaurant gives me 80s vibes which always feels weirdly warm and inviting :) read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Paying $3 extra for the sashimi but look the size of tuna sashimi really disappointed. After talked to the server and he brings another pice of tuna sashimi. But how can the sushi bar think it's okay with the first sashimi plate. read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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We ordered the Namba roll and Assorted sushi plate. The food was okay but I don't think it was anything amazing. The assorted plate had a variety of nigiri. The fish was okay but didn't taste fresh. The roll was decent. The restaurant is pretty spacious inside and lots of seats available. read more

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Have loved Taiko for years and years, truly an Irvine staple! Their sesame chicken is probably my favorite here- can't count the number of times I've gotten their sesame chicken bento combo and I love upgrading to the sashimi or sushi roll side. I also like their sushi and other dishes like tempura. But their sesame chicken is a must must order. read more

Taiko - sesame chicken combo - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

How have I not rated this place taiko is amazing they give you way too much food it's awesome and amazing even a fatty like me can't finish their $16.5 set meal. I recommend going with a friend to split it or just take it home for next meal. Shoutout my friend for making me try the hamachi kama it was really good if ur a fish snob I think you will like it. The worst part about this restaurant is it looks like they should've remodeled 15 years ago and the ceiling is so low. Other than that it's great and shohei is there (in picture) read more

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I had been looking forward to trying Taiko because it was so popular. However, I was pretty disappointed by my visit. I ordered the shrimp and vegetable tempura lunch ($14.50). The shrimp tempura had a thick coating of batter and were not hot. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but tempura is pretty basic and should have been better. The restaurant was crowded so service was pretty non-existent. When it came time to pay the bill, we had to struggle to find someone to bring the check. I really wanted to like Taiko because I've been looking for an old school Japanese restaurant but unfortunately it was pretty underwhelming. read more

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Taiko is a pretty solid spot for when you're craving some Japanese food. The interior has a decent amount of seating: we went around 1pm on a Thursday and while it wasn't as empty as we expected it to be, we were still able to be seated immediately. I really love the vibe of the inside too! If you're able to get a seat along the entrance of the restaurant, it has a more distinct Japan feel. Whereas the main seating area inside has a more modern feel to it. One thing that pleasantly surprised me eating here, was just how big the serving sizes were! We got the udon lunch combos, expecting they would just give us a little bit of the two items, but whereas the udon size was expected, the rice bowls were huge and hefty! My leftovers were a whole meal in of itself. The udon was delicious, pretty classic and hit the spot. I also got the sesame chicken. And while the chicken itself was juicy and flavorful, I didn't really get any sesame flavors. Maybe it was the sauce that was sesame, but then I would have wanted some more sauce. read more

Taiko - Udon and sesame chicken don - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Long time customer here. Some items are still delicious, but there has been a drop off since new ownership. It's hard to top the previous owner and how good the food was back then. I'd say it's still worth a visit here and there, but not the frequent stops I used to make before. read more

When I'm in an area that is further away from are area and we have time to get something to eat, I will always check my Collections if there is something bookmarked and close by. It turns out that I had Taiko Japanese restaurant bookmarked and it was fairly close. So we decided to give it a try, since we don't know how long it will be the text time we are back in Irvine. I researched their menu to get an idea of what to order and the average prices. When got there, I realized how pricey the sushi were. An average of $8-11 for two pieces of nigiri and basic rolls and a hand roll were about $9.00. We decided to go with the combination (bento) plates. It was still pricey but I ordered a three item plate and it was a lot of food for the price. This is checked off my collections and I can say that the food is ok and the service is very good. read more

Taiko is definitely not what it used to be. It used to be a gem in Irvine with high quality seafood and fresh ingredients, but with the change in ownership, the food tastes somewhat old and stale. The spider handroll had cold soft-shelled crab rather than hot and the tempura was mostly batter. Service was not that friendly. Overall it's a miss for me unfortunately read more

Taiko - Handroll spider - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This was my first time having lunch here. My wife has raved about this place for years and I was excited to finally try it. When you first walk in, you smell immediately fish and good food. The place has ample seating with booths, tables, and a bar area. The servers were all nice and helped answered questions. The build your lunch with 2 or 3 items is a great deal. I got the 3 item lunch bento ($24) that included chicken teriyaki, shrimp and assorted vegetable tempura, and California roll. There was so much food so I was really excited about the portion size. The lunch came with miso soup, rice, and dips too. I liked the cooled green beans with the mayo sauce and the side salad. The chicken teriyaki was tender and flavored well. I really liked the fried tempura, it was crispy and tasted good with the sauce. There was a good size bowl of rice. It definitely exceeded all my expectations and I walked out feeling satisfied with lunch. read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This was one of my favorite Japanese places since college and it's still the best. It's been years since I've been able to come back and it brought back a lot of yummy memories. We arrived around 11:45am and were seated right away. The menu has been updated and it was pretty easy to follow. There's plenty of seating at the sushi bar and tables inside the dining area. We got the bento lunch specials, which has a lot of variety. The sesame chicken is still delicious as ever and the crispiness of the tempura was wonderful. I love that the portions are huge and really filling. The miso soup was tasty and went well with the meal. The salad and veggies with the sauce was a great pairing. The staff is so friendly and welcoming. We didn't even need to go boxes because we finished our delicious meal. Highly recommend this gem of a place! read more

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My family and I have been coming to Taiko since the early 2000s, back when it was owner-operated. It was one of our favorite restaurants in Irvine. The food was consistently excellent, the portions were generous, the staff was welcoming, and the restaurant was always full of loyal customers. We happily recommended it to friends and family for years. Unfortunately, our recent experiences have been incredibly disappointing. In my opinion, the restaurant has lost everything that made it special. The food quality has declined significantly, portions have become noticeably smaller, and prices have continued to increase. Paying more while receiving less is frustrating enough, but what was even more disappointing was the attitude we encountered. When we politely asked about the food and portions, instead of receiving a courteous explanation, we were met with a rude, dismissive response that made us feel as though our business was no longer valued. After supporting this restaurant for over two decades, we left feeling unwelcome. It's sad to see what was once one of Irvine's landmark Japanese restaurants become a place where long-time loyal customers feel ignored and unappreciated. A restaurant can recover from higher prices or occasional mistakes, but losing respect for your customers is much harder to recover from. Sadly, after more than 20 years of patronage, this was our last visit. There are too many restaurants in Irvine that still value their customers and provide better food, better service, and a much better overall experience. As you can see, many of the recent positive reviews appear to come from Local Guides rather than long-time individual customers. That makes the current 3-4 star rating difficult for me to reconcile with the experience I had, which was completely different. Also the restuarent is NOT allowing any new reviewes the past month or so- THAT SAYS SOMETHING!!!!!!!!! read more

Came here with family friends and was pleasantly surprised. Service was great and they checked in on us a few times to make sure we were happy. The restaurant itself is larger than it looks from the outside with plenty of tables though it does get busy. The food portions are larger than you think and well worth the price. I got the 3 item combo with the salmon, calamari steak and mixed tempura. Everything was good and it all came on a GIANT plate. You definitely won't leave hungry. Someone ordered the chicken as their part of the 3 item combo and honestly that portion of chicken was enough for a meal. Parking was busy but I was told it's easier in the back lot. read more

Growing up, my family would always come to Taiko for Japanese food, specifically their teishoku. Over the years, I've noticed small changes here and there, but this is still a restaurant that my family frequents because of its location and quality of food. Service can be hit or miss, sometimes we are attended to really well, and other times they'll get our orders mixed up or wrong. The staff are always friendly, smiling, and doing their best to help which I appreciate. For their teishoku, I will usually get sesame chicken and chicken teriyaki, but have also had every other option on their menu. Taiko gives a large quantity of food, especially with the sesame chicken and chicken teriyaki. It can easily last another meal. The chicken teriyaki is grilled and topped with a nice teriyaki sauce that isn't too sweet, while the sesame chicken is lightly fried, juicy, and flavorful. I love the dressing they use for the salad and the rice and miso soup are pretty standard. Sushi-wise, Taiko isn't necessarily the highest quality, but if that's what you're craving, it is a suitable option to select. Both the seafood and sukiyaki nabe udon are shareable options that are hearty, with clean broth, a variety of vegetables, and hit that noodle craving if you want that. I have to say that part of coming to Taiko is the nostalgia, the big plates of food topped with whatever combination of items you selected, and knowing that you'll have leftovers the next day for lunch or dinner. Even with the changes over the years, Taiko is still a solid Japanese option in Irvine that may not excel at one area very well, but does a decent job across the board. read more

Taiko - 2 Item Teishoku - Sesame Chicken and Chicken Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I received a text that by table was ready. My date and I went up to the hostess. She told me to wait as there was a party ahead of me. She walked the party inside to seat them but didn't return for 5 minutes. After we finished eating, we wanted to leave. Our server was nowhere to be seen for at least 10 minutes. He was not friendly at all the whole time. Not only was the service horrible, the food quality and taste has changed and is not good anymore. I highly suspect they changed owners and cooks. read more

I have been going to Taiko since I was a kid in the 1980s. I no longer live in Orange County, but when I am back in town, I inevitably always go to Taiko, and it never disappoints. The fish is very fresh-- I particularly like the Yellowtail sushi/sashimi. I also really enjoy the #4 Special, a unique dish-- I think Taiko is the only restaurant that serves this particular recipe. Recently they have added some excellent items on the menu, including a wonderful Wagyu beef topped roll. The restaurant itself is humbly decorated, and really hasn't changed much since the 1980s. A true gem of a place, hidden in an Irvine strip mall. A few days ago, they were able to accommodate a last minute reservation change from 10 people to 17. My family and I really appreciate their fantastic service and willingness to accommodate our large group! read more

Tried taiko for the first time on a weeknight. The good: quick seating/lots of seating, relatively quick services and serving of food, would be good for families or bigger groups. The not as good: food prices were pretty high for the corresponding quality of the fish. We set our expectations for sushi and don't expect top notch for quick family/neighborhood sit down spots, but this just didn't match up with the price. The sushi kind of fell apart as there wasn't a bottom sealed by rice. The combo plate was lack luster. Overall, if you gotta get in somewhere quick or with a group or maybe want to take advantage of some happy hour deals this could be appropriate, but the price just didn't match the quality here for us. read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Popular place in a busy kind of strip mall. Parking can be a challenge. Taiko is larger than it looks from the outside. Nice ambiance. Our server was a young, enthusiastic guy who did a great job. Nice selection of dishes and combinations. I got a combination of salmon, tempura, and sesame chicken. It was a lot of food! I also got the No. 4 appetizer to share with the table. It was the hit of the night. Yeah, it's just called No. 4. It's like the Japanese dish Dynamite, with fake crab and avocado instead of scallops. My wife got a misoyaki butterfish appetizer and turned it into a dinner set. It was good. My combination was very good, even as leftovers. read more

Taiko used to be our go-to Japanese food spot. When we moved to Irvine during the pandemic, we'd come often to get chirashi and sushi takeouts. The fish was always fresh, and the food was solid. When things started opening up in the last few years, we saw that folks would actually line up before the lunch hour so to get a spot. We continued to do take-outs for awhile though the food became more of a hit or miss -- sometimes the sashimi pieces were tiny, and other times it didn't taste the best. To be honest, we eventually shifted to another spot in town as our favorite given the price and lack of quality stability at taiko. But I remained on their mailing list for the occasional promotions should we wanted to give them another chance, and I've noticed a change in their menus and even the way they market. A few months ago we saw this promotion that coincided with my birthday, so we decided to go in person to check it out one more time. Let's just say... the food was ok, nothing too spectacular. I got the sashimi which met "minimum expectation" but did not wow me in quality or quantity, particularly given the price. Maybe the management had other things in mind? But really, quality sushi at a reasonable price point is what sushi restaurants should strive for... read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Fabulous food! We had a huge portion of food for the price! My sangria was delicious..filled with fresh fruit! I had sesame chicken, it came with salad, green beans, miso soup, rice, shrimp tempura and vegetable tempura! We also tried a couple of their sushi rolls made fresh to order..at the sushi bar..We all had the same thing...We had a Matcha dessert at the end that was heaven! Service was excellent. Loved the vibe...I will be back! read more

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Sushi not as fresh as usual during my last visit in mid August and the service was below average, bordering on rude.

The best Japanese food and service! Everything was absolutely delicious, and the staff was so friendly and attentive. We will definitely keep coming back! read more

Whoever has taken over this restaurant has completely obliterated what was once a good thing. They used to have the best California roll with real crab. I just ordered the California roll and it is now cheap imitation crab. Stop being cheap and ruining this restaurant. Charge a bit more and keep the quality. read more

Great ship spot right here! Service was impeccable from great recommendations to tending to us and making sure everything was up to par. Everything was above par. The food was good tried some things for the first time and really enjoyed them especially the squid ball appetizer(I forgot the real name). Rolls were really good everything tasted really fresh. Sushi bar seating available to watch chefs prepare food and make the rolls. Really liked how the dining area is well separated from the waiting area. Great experience from beginning to end. read more

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Hello, im a regular customer at this great restaurant. The service here is extremely friendly and accommodating. We look forward to coming here every week. The food is delicious. The rolls and sushi are always fresh and tasty. The teriyaki beef is tender and pairs great with the teriyaki sauce, I get it often and its always great. The rice here is also very delicious, moist and great with soy sauce. Ive had the tempura here as well and it always comes out crispy, hot and fried with the flavorful batter. I always appreciate the green beans with the mayo, its a different kind of mayo but it tastes good with the beans. The oranges are refreshing and a nice touch. The atmosphere is always friendly and welcoming. Its a very comfortable environment and peaceful as well. If you get a chance say hi to the hostess as she's always very welcoming and nice. Overall you will have a great experience here for any occasion and the food is great. read more

This sushi restaurant was arguably the best in the Irvine area for quite some time. I believe they've been around since 1980! My family and I used to come here more frequently during the 1990s. Since we didn't live nearby, we eventually found another place closer to home for our sushi fix. From what I've read, ownership changed in 2019, some time prior to the COVID pandemic. As to be expected, with new ownership, it brought new ways of doing things. On my most recent visit for lunch, the menu seemed to be more geared towards non-traditional sushi. I ordered their Taiko Bento with sashimi. It was not bad, but a bit basic. I tried some of my friend's namba cut roll. While it wasn't something that I would order, the flavor combination was good. I can see why they made the changes, but I would not recommend this place if you prefer traditional style. The wait staff were all very nice and friendly. Finding a parking space can be a pain in the ass, so it's not some place that I would go out of my way to visit. read more

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Went here about an hour before they closed for lunch and was pleasantly surprised with the lunch menu. The sizes were bigger than i expected and it was pretty filling. The udon was nothing fancy but delicious to eat nonetheless. The bara chirashi was pretty yummy too. I liked the eel a lot and the rice is good when eaten with the rest of the dish. By itself the vinegar taste (I think it's vinegar) is a little strong. Overall, I think this place is pretty solid and the sushi looks pretty good too. read more

Taiko - Udon & Bara Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I have visited Taiko multiple times with family and friends, and the food has consistently been excellent. However, on my most recent visit which was tonight, the service was significantly below standard. *The restaurant was moderately busy, so a longer wait for food was understandable during these circumstances. Nevertheless, after a considerable delay, I noted that my Chirashi bowl had not arrived. I politely inquired with one waitress, who appeared visibly annoyed. I initially dismissed this, assuming it was due to the dinner rush. After waiting further, I asked a different waiter for an update. He acknowledged the request but did not return with information. Following an additional 15~20 minutes without any communication, I inquired again, apologizing for having to ask multiple times. Again, he looked annoyed & left and never came back to let me know about the chirashi bowl. This made it confusing, since I'm not even sure if the initial waitress had forgotten about it when I ordered initially when we sat down or if he just inputted into their system which meant it was never being prepared. Without proper communication on their end, I was sitting in the booth with my boyfriend confused. It's gotten to the point where my boyfriend & I had finished our food since it took that long. By this time I've made up my mind to cancel it, both staff members again showed clear annoyance. I explained to them that I wasn't adding in an order midway through my dinner & expressed for their honesty if it was even ordered initially since again-- I ordered it when I sat down. I expressed that it's also embarrassing for me to keep pestering them. The lack of updates was unacceptable--had I been informed with HONESTY, I would have adjusted my expectations accordingly & would've been more understanding. The waiter offered a brief apology, but the overall experience was defined by inefficient service and poor communication. While the food quality was delicious, the customer service was severely lacking. I cannot recommend dining in under these conditions, though takeout may remain a viable option. Definitely would NOT recommend this restaurant after the experience tonight. It was both frustrating & disappointing. read more

How could I possibly write ANOTER review???? BECAUSE IT'S JUST THAT GOOD HERE... We were here last on 09-07-24 and I am happy to say we got a new waitress, Yuri, who was the most pleasant and friendly waitress, not to mention she was very knowledgeable of the menu. The best part of this restaurant is THEY KNOW HOW TO MAKE TEMPURA. Never fails. The best tempura in town, this town, the next town and all the towns with a 50 mile radius. THIS IS THE BEST TEMPURA!! However, tonight, I ordered the Salmon skin salad and an appetizer side of tempura that I shared with my husbanc. Good, but NOT the best. There was actually TOO MUCH SALMON and NOT ENOUGH skin, if you could believe that? I was looking for that crunch, and because they did not skimp on the salmon, it was different. Good, but different. (bummer, I didn't take a photo) My husband had the unagi and a rainbow roll. The unagi here is spectacular for $15. read more

Taiko - Unagi. Delicious. $15 Add a bowl of rice for $2 - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Taiko is a decent Japanese restaurant. Generous portions, family friendly atmosphere, great service. The price is on par with other Sushi restaurants. I ordered the 2 item combo (teriyaki chicken - no additional charge with the 5 pc nigiri sushi ($5 extra charge), the 3 - sashimi meal, the tempura+nigiri combo (set price), and the salmon skin cut roll. The service was wonderful as I mentioned. The servers were attentive and came by to refill our drinks 3-4 times during the meal and the food came out in a timely manner. I gave it 3-stars because it missed in a few areas: tempura batter to shrimp ratio was off (too much batter), the rice was too sticky( too much water to rice ratio), the nigiri sushi ball was too big and needed 2- bites even for a "big mouth" like myself. The fish quality was good - especially the yellowtail. It should really be a 3.7 stars, but yelp doesn't allow me to get that technical. Overall a solid sushi restaurant for the family. Not a good dating atmosphere as it's more family and kid friendly. read more

My friend recommended me this place and I'm so glad they did. The food is absolutely delicious and the portions are huge. Everything tasted so fresh and the price is very reasonable. We came in on a weekend during dinner so we had to wait but the wait wasn't too long. The service is also absolutely spectacular! Our waitress was so nice and continuously checked up on us although they were busy. read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

It was easy to make a reservation here. We ordered appetizers before our food, but it still came out at the same time as our food did. Honestly, I thought everything was ok. Some our meat was over charred. The chicken was good though . read more

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Solid food with big portions. The calamari and green mussels are really good. The combo plates are a really good value with green beans, salad, miso soup, and rice. Individual sushi is a bit pricey but the quality is good. The rewards program is a good value and a nice surprise discount when we forgot that we signed up last time! read more

This is my favorite Restaurant for Japanese food. I have been coming here for 40 years. I live close and my daughter and I used to walk and have teriyaki chicken,Sesame chicken and tempura shrimp. Employees have always been excellent and service outstanding. Sushi is fresh and all there food is delicious. The restaurant is clean . read more

Taiko - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Good service, Good food, Like a in Japan, We will be back. Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee read more

Taiko - Best. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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