I've been meaning to try Tanakaya after seeing their soba flight on Tik Tok! I came near opening and got seated right away, and by the end, it was pretty full, so I can see how waitlists might be long during busy hours. Plenty of parking and staff is attentive! Everything is a bit expensive for what it is, but overall taste wise, everything was amazing regardless! We got the assorted tempura, filet katsu don, and cold soba flight sampler. The assorted tempura was good, they had a lot of variety and I enjoyed the mushroom, asparagus, and potato! The shrimp tempura portion is very generous in size and was good. A little overpriced for what it is, but if you love this assortment of fried tempura, it is overall good to try! The filet katsu don was amazing, and I like that it came with a small bowl of miso soup! It's always nice to have that as a complimentary side dish. The katsu was crispy and complimented well by the sauce! I'd highly recommend this dish! And now for the star of the show... the soba flight! This was so fun to go through and I highly recommend it just for the experience! My personal favorite was the one that included enoki mushroom on the topping. Definitely would recommend trying Tanakaya if you haven't already! I'd definitely come back. read more

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Food: their menu is fairly priced, plain soba is $17 and their combos are usually $20-25. We enjoy their quality of soba noodles and dipping sauce, it's a great place for authentic Japanese food. Service: their service is quite slow. We often try to go right as dinner service begins and still find ourselves waiting 30-40 minutes from ordering to get our food. I assume it's because they make their food fresh, but even so, often it takes a while to get the bill. However, the service is always nice and respectable. Parking: the lot can get pretty full sometimes, but it's quite spacious since there's not a lot of businesses in the plaza. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for so long but the line is always busy! However, we got lucky on this day bevause there wasn't a line so we got seated pretty quickly! I got the soba 1 layer and it was AMAZINGGGG. They hand pulled their noodles so it did take quite a bit but the noodles were fresh! Their dipping sauce was also very flavorful as well! I enjoyed the noodles a lot bevause it has a stretchy feeling to it. I got to speak to one of the server and he was so nice!! He explained some of the history of the store to me while I was looking at the family pictures on the wall! Would def come back :) read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Matcha soba? That's all we saw and we knew we had to go here. I went with the soba sampler, which comes with 5 different kinds (ume shiso, nameko oroshi, sansai, tanuki, and 2 matcha). They also come with a small bowl of dipping sauce. Now if you're planning to split this with a friend, I don't really recommend this since the soba stuck to itself and was hard to unravel and split. It's more of a solo dish. We had trouble trying to split it and ended up dipping it and eating with one full bite. What I like about this place is the simplicity of the options and the flavors. None of the dishes are overwhelming, but are light and fresh. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

I've already written a detailed review of this restaurant below, but wanted to add some photos from our recent dinner. I got the Nabeyaki Udon for $23.45 and hubby got the Soba with mixed tempura. I didn't care for the nabeyaki broth. It was a tad bit too salty. I also didn't like the oysters that were in it. It seemed like a strange ingredient to have inside nabeyaki. Last of all, the shrimp tempura had way too much batter. I really enjoyed the udon though! The noodles are perfect. I'd rate this a 3 out of 5. Hubby loved his soba with mixed tempura and would rate it 5 out of 5. We went on a Saturday night for dinner. They open at 5:30pm and we got there at 5:15pm. We were the 2nd in line. An employee came out before they opened up to find out how many each group had in their party. She wrote it on a piece of paper and then let everyone in until the restaurant was filled. My suggestion is to get there around 5:15pm if you want to get seated in the first group, otherwise you'll probably have to wait an hour. read more

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This is my go-to spot for udon and soba. The noodles are always fresh, and every dish I've tried has been amazing. You can really taste the quality and authenticity in each bowl. The wait can be a little long -- as the owner mentioned on Yelp -- but it's well worth it for truly authentic Japanese noodles. The service is good, the restaurant is clean, and the pricing is very reasonable for the quality you get. I highly recommend trying the cold soba -- it's my personal favorite and never disappoints. read more

TANAKAYA - Katsuni - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Quiet and small soba shop with tasty noodles! My hubby and I came around 1 pm on a Sunday. The place was around 75% full. They have various soba and udon noodles and couple of appetizers. I got the nameko oroshi soba and hubby got the kitsune soba. (Dishes are $16-$21). The wait was pretty long, around 45 minutes to get both of our dishes (does have a paper in front of store saying dishes will take 30-45 minutes). My nameko soba had decent amount of nameko super refreshing and filling. My hubbys udon was warm and noodles were chewy. I do like Minami soba better counting the quality and wait time. Would love to try the other dishes next time but will consider to go if wait is 30-45 min. read more

TANAKAYA - Nameko oroshi soba - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Got here at opening and barely was able to snag the last table. There was already a long line waiting to get inside before the doors opened. The food took a really long time to arrive. In my opinion the food is not worth the wait and lackluster. Katsu don- 5/5: I enjoyed this dish. The katsu was very crispy. We got the lunch combo and with soba noodles. Good choice if you want to have rice and taste their soba. Soba sampler- 3/5: The presentation was very nice. Taste was mid. 4/6 tasted almost the same. The matcha is an interesting flavor if that's your liking. To me it was kinda strange to be eating matcha in that form. The noodles themselves had almost no taste even when dipped into the sauce. Hot Udon noodles- 3/5: This dish was okay. Not too much flavor. read more

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The soba noodles are authentic and the tempura was fried beautifully. However, this is one of the most poorly managed restaurants I've been to. My husband and I came in on a Sunday. We got seated at 12 pm and ordered within a few minutes. We did not get our food for 50+ minutes. The waiter said it's because the soba is hand twirled... but even then it shouldn't take that long? We each ordered the soba sampler and a side of mixed tempura. After the first rush died down, a couple sat down next to us and ordered the same thing. Their food came out within 10 minutes. The whole experience was very frustrating. Even though the food was pretty good, I am not coming back. There are not that many tables here so for food to take that long to come out, it is not acceptable. We should have known when we walked in 30 min after opening and the majority of tables did not have their food yet, that it was a red flag. Items came out one by one for each table. It was like watching paint dry. read more

TANAKAYA - Took 50 minutes for this to come out - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

If you are seeking truly authentic Japanese soba noodles in Orange County, TANAKAYA is the place to be. The soba here is the undisputed star. What struck me immediately was the exceptional authenticity of the noodles The sauce is just right, not too slaty and it just takes a quick dip to have the right taste. But what truly elevates the dining experience is the innovative option to substitute your soba with their special matcha soba. This isn't just a gimmick; it's a brilliant fusion that works surprisingly well. . It's a creative and delicious twist that I highly recommend trying--it shows their dedication to both tradition and culinary exploration. Beyond the soba, the atmosphere is calm and authentic. The setting is just like a traditional japanese dining place. Definitely worth a try. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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One of me and my husbands favorite dish is Ten Zaru Soba and this is our go to place for that. They make their own noodles fresh, their sauce is flavorful and their Tempura is lightly battered and crispy. Love the different of veggies that come with it and although there was only 1 shrimp, it was big, plump, and very tasty. We haven't been back here for a while and I was pleasantly surprised when they had matcha soba noodles as an option for a couple of dollars more. So since I love matcha, I had to try it and my husband ordered the traditional buckwheat soba noodles. The matcha noodles were firm and chewy compared to the traditional ones. The matcha flavor didn't stand out though. Although it was good, I miss the nutty and earthy flavor of the traditional buckwheat noodles on the dish. There is always a bit of a wait for your dish to be served but servers are always polite and nice. Restaurant's ambiance is nice and relaxing. read more

TANAKAYA - Ten Zaru Soba - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Came here for dinner tonight and left pretty disappointed. The restaurant is located in a plaza with plenty of parking, and the restaurant itself is cute and has plenty of indoor seating. The staff are nice, but my goodness this is one of the slowest restaurants I have ever been to. The restaurant was about 60% full when we arrived, and it took over 40 minutes for our food to be served, and not once during that time did the staff check in or apologize for the wait. The food itself was just ok; I had ordered mixed tempura and curry udon. The curry udon had a different consistency than I'm normally used to, and the tempura was your standard affair. I was really hoping this would be worth the wait, but unfortunately it wasn't. Overall, a really disappointing experience, and while I'd love to try their soba noodles, I refuse to put up with these absurd wait times again. Edit: Unfortunately my wife and I both got sick from this meal the next morning, so we definitely will not be coming back. read more

TANAKAYA - Curry Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

We heard great things about the soba so we decided to give it a try. I ordered the tanuki udon and katsu don while my friend ordered the kakitama soba and chicken curry don. My katsu don was the favorite of all of them. It was SO flavorful (a little salty), but nonetheless really good. We also ordered their special cold soba sampler but were left underwhelmed. I couldn't taste the difference between the flavors. I preferred their rice dishes over their noodles surprisingly. read more

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Tanakaya's soba is the only place I go to for soba! Great for your health and so tasty as well!! The soba sampler is cute but a little difficult to eat. I wasn't feeling too hungry so I didn't want to order my regular tenzaru soba and I think this was the perfect amount! We also got some karaage to share and it was soooo juicy. It burned my mouth but idc because it was so good I visited another time and got the kitsune soba and curry combo! It was a good deal and very filling! Both really yummy options too soba sampler: 8/10 karaage: 10/10 kitsune soba: 9/10 chicken curry: 8/10 read more

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Parking: Tanakaya is located in a strip mall. I went on a weekday after work and there was plenty of parking. Interior: The restaurant is not very big but it dud not feel very crowded. Everything was neatly spaced out and clean. Service: The waiter was very friendly. He explained the things in the menu and came by to check with us a few times and to explain things that came with our orders. Food: I ordered the Tororo Soba and a side of tempura. The serving size of the soba was pretty big. It took me a while to finish so it actually got clumpy. The noodles came with a hot broth at the end that you are supposed to pour into the remainder of the dipping sauce and drink. It was a bit too salty for my taste. The tempura was okay. It was crispy and not very greasy. Overall, the meal was alright. read more

TANAKAYA - Tempura Appetizer - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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We arrived around 12:45pm and luckily we only waited about 10 minutes before getting seated, but we ended up waiting about 30 minutes for our food to come out. Here's what' my wife and I ordered: Vegetable tempura combo w/ cold soba: I loved the batter of the tempura. It was light and crispy and all the vegetables were cooked thoroughly. I would advise everyone to eat the tempura first though. It will lose its crispiness after a few minutes. The soba noodles were unlike anything I had ever had before. I don't know if they make their own noodles, but I really enjoyed the texture and chewiness of the noodles. It's a million times better than the dried store bought ones I always buy. Hot tanuki udon w/ katsu don: Again, the udon soup base was nothing like I have ever had before. The soup had a unique depth of flavor that had me drinking the whole bowl. The katsu was tender but lacking in some flavor so I had to pair it with the soup Overall, if you don't mind waiting, I'd highly recommend trying Tankaya. I noticed that most of the customers were either really excited to try the food or already had positive experiences. read more

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Expect a 20-40min wait during peak lunch time hours! Must arrive in person to put your name down, they don't call phone numbers or send texts. Super friendly and great service! Cozy interior too! They make everything fresh to order so it does take a while for food to arrive after ordering. :( Love their lunch combos! Super great deal! I got the Karaage lunch combo with cold soba. Karaage was perfectly fried and lots of meat for the portion they give! Juicy, tender, and flavorful! Even their rice was well cooked! Of course their cold soba was amazing as well. Soba noodles were not too starchy, perfectly cooked and the sauce was well flavored and not too salty. I prefer the cold vs hot soba since the hot does make the soba noodles a little less chewy and lose its texture a little. read more

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If you're looking for some good quality soba, this is the place to go! They do sell other things here but are known for their soba. I typically like hot foods, but I would recommend the cold soba over the hot ones here. It has a better texture and flavor! My group got the lunch sets, duck hot soba and the special sets. They were all delicious! The karage was nice, soft and juicy and the tonkatsu had a nice crunch. Be prepared to wait when you come as there always seems to be a line here. Even when you get seated, the food takes a while to come out, so don't come if you're in a lunch rush! read more

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I unfortunately didn't get to try the food because I waited over 40 minutes for a party of 2 even though there were a few empty tables inside. There was a party of 2 that got called in around the time I got there and I didn't see that they got their food around the time I decided to leave. That's 80 minutes of just waiting around for food... Make sure you have a lot of time to spare if you're going to go here because the service seems slow. read more

Make sure to put your name on the list inside, it can be a wait on the weekends. Food is fresh and can take up to 20-25 minutes. Staff is friendly and attentive to service. The special combo comes with a choice of noodles (hot or cold) and a small side of your entree? Both items were huge and I took home leftovers. They have 2 restrooms which are clean. read more

TANAKAYA - Special Combo: Curry Katsu & Cold Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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My boyfriend and I found this spot since I'm a huge soba lover. We walked in at around 7pm and there was only 1 couple ahead of us. Waiting was not too long. The servers were nice however there was only two from what I can remember. We ordered in less than 10 minutes in which I ordered Oh Zara which was 2 layers of soba noodles (or udon) with dipping sauce. Usually it is recommended to order Zaru as one layer tends to fill up 1 person. My boyfriend ordered the combination special of Kitsune cold udon noodles along with Katsu Don. Ambiance was nice. The interior is simple and clean. Nothing too extravagant and the only sound comes from others having conversations :) We did wait a while for our order and wasn't expecting it to be that long. It took a lil over 45 min . However, I did enjoy my soba and my boyfriend preferred the Katsu Don over the cold noodles. I too tried the Katsu Don and I loved the flavor. It reminded me of a home cooked meal lol. Key takeaways: 4/5 -might wait long for food (make sure you have nothing planned if you're in a rush lol) -choose your layers depending on how much you'll think you'll eat -make use of the combination specials! I'd come back again!!! read more

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TLDR: delicious soba, but the wait was soo long (30 min to get a table, 20-30 min to get food) We ordered the soba combo with katsu don and fillet katsu! The texture of the soba was incredible and it's so incredibly fresh. It paired perfectly with the dipping sauce. The katsu was also great and paired well with the soba for those wanting some protein. Overall would return again on a hot summer day for the cold refreshing soba read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Come to this place early if you dont want to wait. First time we went here; we had to wait for about an hour for party of 7. This place is famous for their soba although i am not a big fan of soba, I actually enjoyed it. I usually order katsudon here which is really good. The interior is pretty spacious. The restaurants is located in a big plaza, which has plenty of parking spots. read more

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Fantastic food - really great deal on the lunch special. I got the soba noodles and Katsu Don. Broth and noodles were perfect in texture, temperature and taste. Katsu Don had the perfect meat to rice ratio. Great flavors all around. Lunch gets super busy so arrive at opening time. Parking is also tough since it's nestled in a strip mall. read more

TANAKAYA - Lunch special - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Stopped by Tanakaya for dinner last night, and could really tell that the food was super quality. The noodles were made just right and the menu well-priced. The tempura was battered just right to remain crispy while still being relatively light. I'd come back again, but only if I had some time to spare, as the food took longer than expected to come out. read more

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KEEP IN MIND!! CLOSED ON MONDAYS I've been wanting to try this spot foreve, and I finally made it. My friend and I went for lunch on Wednesday. I arrived 30 minutes prior to opening to snug a good spot, and by 11:30, there was a line of 10 people behind me. PRO TIP: CHECK OUT THE MENU ONLINE BEFORE YOU GO. Service was a bit slow with only two servers, so having your order ready helps. The staff were super friendly, though they seemed a bit short-staffed. It was tough to flag them down, but once we did, they were very attentive. We ordered the soba sampler and the lunch combo (tonkatsu and hot udon). Both were very delicious and flavorful! The soba sampler offered a good variety, but the lunch combo my favorite-you get the best of both worlds noodles and a protein. The food took a while, but it was absolutely worth the wait! :) read more

TANAKAYA - Lunch Combo : Tonkatsu and hot udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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What I ordered: - Ten zaru Soba noodles had a nice, firm chew to them. The dipping sauce was perfectly balanced, not too salty but just enough soy sauce flavor. I was equally as impressed with the tempura. The set came with shrimp and various vegetables. Each piece was lightly battered and fried, having just enough crisp for a satisfying crunch. My favorite tempura pieces were the shrimp and mushroom. This is definitely the best soba noodle spot I have tried so far in the U.S. read more

TANAKAYA - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Great soba noodles, about 90% similar to the ones in Japan! If you need meat with every meal, they don't have too many meat options. Karaage 5/5: huge, flavorful, and moist! Highly recommend [Set/Combo] Soba with tempura rice: 4/5 , soba was very refreshing and cooked well. I thought I would dip it but it came with the sauce on the bottom. Rice and shrimp was just okay, I should have just opted for the Soba mainly. We went right when they opened on a Thursday and within 10 minutes they were already full, so go early! Parking: lots of parking spaces but they are a small. read more

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We got the tentoji don combo with soba, as well as a hot soba. The tentoji don was quite good! However the soba was not good. The dipping sauce and broth had no depth or umami at all - it tasted like watered down soy sauce. For a restaurant that centers itself around soba, that came as a surprise. The food also took very long to come out. I think we waited almost 50 minutes. They do have a warning about potentially long wait times in the menu, but there's really no excuse to make people wait that long. read more

Decent spot for soba noodles but I wouldn't say the best for udon. The restaurant is a bit small so it can get packed pretty easily. Staff didn't really greet us when we checked-in. Wait around 20-30 minutes to get seated on a Saturday. Our waiter was a bit hard to understand, but we decided to take a risk and order dishes that we wanted to try. We tried asking if there was fish in any dishes due to someone being a vegetarian.. I think he assumed that my cousin didn't eat meat. We ordered the assorted tempura which was a good serving. A bit on the pricey side but worth it. The main dishes we ordered was the seasonal soba sampler and karaage udon. The chicken was pretty plain with limited flavor. The udon was good by itself and not worth having the protein as an add on. Overall the food was light and fresh. It's worth trying at least once, to form your own opinion. read more

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Great experience. Granted it was my first time here. We were 2nd in line before it opened and was seated right away. We were given the menus which was very easy to navigate through and ordered our food. I had the hot soba and tendon combo. Good portions and loved the taste of the soba shiru. My friends got the udon curry, side of tempura, and two cold soba noodles set. Such an amazing variety. They even hand make their tempura sauce. Yum. Will definitely come back to try the cold noodles. read more

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A small cute restaurant with tasty soba noodles! I got the Ume Shiso soba and it was delicious!!! If you like that sour flavorful taste highly recommend. The karaage was so juicy and good 10/10. I'd def come here again, unfortunately the wait time is pretty long because it's popular read more

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Came for lunch with a friend recently. It was a warm day so cold soba was fitting. I have been to this plaza a million times but never come to this particular restaurant so nice to finally try. I got the takuni soba with the katsu don combo. I'm typically used to dipping my soba so was surprised to see that they serve it with the noodles already in the sauce. The soba itself was good. Nice portion and healthy amount of toppings. Tonkatsu was also good. Decently thick with a good crisp on the outside. Tonkatsu sauce was also tasty (not sure if it's made in house). Overall it was a nice lunch. I still prefer to dip my noodles, but this is a great spot if you're craving soba. read more

TANAKAYA - Takuni Soba with Katsu Don - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

The restaurant closes after lunch, re-open at 5:30pm for dinner. We arrived at 5:35pm on Saturday night, got seated right away. It is a small restaurant with about 10 tables. There are 4 tables seated before us. Only 1 server for the entire restaurant. He finally took our order around 5:50pm; we ordered a cold soba combo with beef bowl and a Katsu Don. We received our food around 6:20pm. During this time I asked for a straw and spoon but never received. Both entrees are nothing special, mediocre food that doesn't worth to wait for. There is a note on the menu indicating that all orders are made to order therefore there's a wait. But I do not agree at all. Based on our experience, the wait is due to lack of wait staff; I keep hearing the food bell rang in the kitchen, it definitely takes more than 1 server to serve, may be a food runner. read more

Came here on a sunday afternoon around 1pm. We put our name down on the list and waited around 30-40 min as there were about 4 parties ahead of us. It was then another 20ish min wait to get our food. I would say the wait was def worth it! The soba noodles were flavorful and paired well with the sauce. I also definitely recommend the ten toji don. Definitely a great spot for a casual meal. read more

TANAKAYA - Assorted soba platter - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Tanakaya is a family owned business that serves authentic Japanese udon and soba noodles. The inside is small and it does get crowded, especially during the opening dinner hours, so be prepared to wait a little bit or stand in line before they open. I ordered the chicken karaage and the special combination with tanuki soba noodles and the katsu don. The chicken karaage was fried perfectly and was huge. I loved the mayo and lemon that you pair it with to create a nice flavor combo. The cold soba noodles were super refreshing and one of my favorites I've ever tried. The broth was flavorful and with the added wasabi it made the bite very unique and something. I've never tried before. The katsu don was also a 10 out of 10 and so yummy. The rice is covered in a sweet sauce that they cook the egg and Katsu in which makes every bit delicious. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Tustin and I come here weekly. Definitely give it a shot if you wanna try authentic Japanese food. read more

TANAKAYA - Tanuki noodles - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

i have been wanting to try this spot for years, but i was honestly kind of disappointed. the food was only decent, but it isn't worth the long wait. we got the soba sampler + tempura appetizer. the tempura was good but not the best i've had, but the soba sampler basically all tasted the same with different toppings, minimal at that. insta-worthy though! service was great! read more

TANAKAYA - tempura appetizer - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Updating my review because this place has become quite frustrating. My partner and his mom have a tradition of dining at TANAKAYA on New Year's Eve every year, so we always arrive early enough to get in line. If you're not seated in the first round, expect a long wait due to the restaurant's refusal to adjust its operations despite being consistently understaffed. It's unbelievable how many customers this place attracts, yet they choose to continue this way. From what I can tell, there's only one chef and maybe two other staff members working at a time, trying to manage at least eight tables--it's just not practical. This year was particularly disappointing. We were first in line but were only ordering takeout since we weren't feeling well. However, you can only order in person and wait outside, which isn't efficient at all. We watched a staff member get overwhelmed almost instantly, unable to handle seating people while another staff member was helping us with our takeout order. It was highly unprofessional. Also, it seems another patron entered the restaurant under the impression they had a reservation? This restaurant does not take reservations at all, so the fact that staff looked confused and didn't indicate to her that this wasn't valid until she tried to enter before us was also not a good look. The only reason I'm giving this place two stars is because the food is decent. The noodles are great, but honestly, they aren't worth the wait or the hassle. By "hassle," I mean the long wait to be seated and the race to get your order in, which then takes forever to arrive. The ambiance is unextraordinary and quiet. I wish this restaurant would staff properly because it has so much potential to be amazing. I'll probably update this again next year and hope to see some changes. read more

I know their soba and udon are their main dishes but I actually really enjoyed their karaage Their chicken pieces were HUGE, crispy and juicy on the inside. The matcha soba was not worth the extra $2 tbh because the flavor of matcha was pretty light but the tempura assortment had a nice variety of vegetables and a big shrimp. read more

TANAKAYA - Matcha soba with tempura - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Plenty of parking, small restaurant with big flavors in their udon and soba dishes. Dishes came out relatively quick and they are large so the price you pay is worth what you are getting. The curry dish was hearty. Really good service and again broth was fantastic for the noodles. read more

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