Randomly decided to try this place with the wife last night…read more I remembered there being a spot called mogu mogu here prior and confirmed with the waitress that it's the same menu! Spicy miso ramen: 9/10 Actually one of the better ramens I've had lately. The broth is creamier and isn't overpowering with chicken/beef flavor. The chashu was nice and tender as well. I really liked that their noodles were al dente and not too soft Deluxe mazemen: 8/10 Taking my first bite, I was instantly greeted with an explosion of umami. There's a LOT of flavor packed in this bowl and the noodles used are actually a bit thicker which is right up my alley. My only drawback on this dish was that I wished it came with some sort of veggies to cut through all the flavor. They also give you a small serving of rice at the end for you to mix into the bottom which was a nice addition Kurobota sausage: 7.5/10 We've recently been on a kurobota craze. Don't get me wrong, these were great but we've only had them charred and grilled before so I was taken aback when I saw that these were only steamed. Flavor was spot on but I'm a sucker for a nice char or crisp to my meat Overall, loved the service and small restaurant vibe of this spot. We were seated very quickly and the food came out even faster. Definitely come try this spot, I know we'll be back

Never had Mazemen before which is basically broth-less ramen with various of toppings. We were on…read morethe way to Kitakata, but after finding this place on Yelp, we had to check out the hype. The interior is cozy and small with authentic Japanese decorations/setup. Kinda felt like we were eating in Kyoto or something, lol. The lady who served us was friendly and gave us good recommendations. I think she was handling the whole operation to be honest. To start it off, we ordered their specialty chicken karaage and it was very delicious. It has a nice crispy and crunchy texture. The batter on the chicken was good and once you bite it, the meat is juicy and tender. Doesn't really need dipping since it's so good. As for the Mazemen, we ordered the Deluxe and Veggie one, both is a 5/5. Very flavorful and it tastes just like ramen, but without the soup. The presentation of the dish looks like a work of art. Very picture pretty. I ate that shit up within ten minutes. After that they give you a scoop of rice so you can mix it up with the leftover sauce. Lots of umami for sure. Definitely will come back again to try the other flavors. People, trust me and come through!

I have no words to describe the incredible lunch experience we had at Meiji Seimen. It's in an…read moreunassuming strip mall and a true local, hole in the wall restaurant with only a few tables and always a long wait. I recommend checking the current wait time and getting on the Yelp waitlist before heading over. Staff was all so friendly and accomodating and as soon as they noticed I had a purse with me, provided me with a bag hook I could borrow while we dined! That seems like such a small thing but it was truly so considerate and I appreciated it so much!! My fiancé and I shared their delicious fried chicken appetizer (this is a must get - incredibly crispy large pieces and perfect ratio of meat to batter), he got the pork katsu curry udon set which he loved and said was so flavorful, and I got the tempura udon with extra fish cake. The broth was so light and perfect! Absolutely delicious. This is now on our date night rotation. Thank you for the amazing meal and service!

First time here and thoroughly enjoyed it. Came on a Friday evening and the place was crowded. A…read morequick 5 min wait so not bad at all. I have always been a fan of soba and this place gives you a decent portion. We each got one soba and shared a few other dishes. The good came out relatively fast and it was delicious. We also got a sparking sake - which was a little sweet for my taste and pretty low abv. Chicken karaage - big pieces and crispy. Pork cutlet - crispy and juicy. Soba with tempura - nice portion. Flavorful broth and the tempura was light. Overall I would come back here

Quality food, good service And awesome decoration . My favorite is the classic noodles soup, it…read morecomforting and delicious. There famous chow mein is so good, I love the fresh beech mushroom that comes with it.

Food is Chinese and we ordered the garlic chicken wings, spicy sausage fried rice, bao buns,…read moredumpling noodle soup. All were yummy and the value wasn't that bad for what you get. Flavors were good and tasty. The service was good being that there are only 2 waitstaff. On top of things! The place was nice and clean and we do go back here once in a while when cravings kick in. Verdict- yes!

Laksa is so flavorful delicate, creamy, and something I always come back for. And the shrimp taco?…read moreSo good. I just wish there was a bigger bundle because I could seriously eat this all day Ms. Kaye and her servers are very friendly and accommodating. Their location is cozy

I came here to meet a friend and we wanted to try something new, we were pleasantly surprised by…read morehow simple yet tasty our meal was. As the name implies, there's shrimp everywhere on the menu and in the dishes but it was not overbearing in anyway. I had the Signature Trio Shrimp Noodle combo with chilled garlic cucumber. The appetizer came out quickly and was the perfect size to start my. The attentive server noticed when my appetizer was done, and my entrée came out shortly after. The broth delicious, the noodles were not overcooked, the combo adds a simple and the appetizer that rounds out the meal! For under $25, I was sated and left satisfied. I look forward to coming back and trying the other items the menu has to offer.

Very good quality noodles. Not too many soup options but you really don't need a lot when all the…read morebroths are good. The tan tan had really good broth and noodles. Green onions perfect! The meat in this bowl isn't as good and they should just keep it the same as the sliced. The kitakata ramen is basic but very nice. Balanced broth. The chicken karrage was really good!

have been here a few times and the green chili ramen is the star of the show. the broth is…read moreflavorful and light, while still being rich and porky at the same time. however, on our most recent visit, we tried the tsukemen and it was pretty horrible. the broth is so waterful and flavorless. the noodles they use are the same as the ramen noodles. they literally just deconstructed ramen and called it tsukemen. would recommend only ordering their ramens when dining at this establishment and skipping the tsukemen.

A Legendary Slurp - Gone But Never Forgotten It is a true…read moretragedy for the Orange County food scene that Hakata Ikkousha in Costa Mesa has closed its doors. This wasn't just a "ramen joint"--it was a masterclass in authentic Fukuoka-style soul food. The Broth: Liquid Gold The standout was always their Signature Tonkotsu broth. You could literally taste the 30+ hours of labor that went into it. It had that distinct "frothy" texture (the bubble of the bone marrow) that you only find in high-end Hakata shops. It was rich, creamy, and carried a deep umami funk without ever being overly greasy. The Hits * Black Tonkotsu: The roasted garlic oil (mayu) added a smoky, dark complexity that ruined all other garlic ramens for me. * God Fire: For those who like to sweat, this offered the perfect balance of heat without sacrificing the integrity of the pork flavor. * The Karaage: Genuinely some of the best fried chicken in the area. Massive, juicy thigh meat with a shattering, thin crust and that addictive spicy mayo on the side. * Customization: I loved that they let you pick your noodle firmness. "Hard" was the only way to go to ensure that perfect snap with every bite. The Atmosphere The Costa Mesa location always had a great energy--functional, clean, and unpretentious. The staff were always efficient, greeting everyone with a loud "Irasshaimase!" that made the experience feel truly authentic. It's heartbreaking to see such a high-caliber spot leave the neighborhood. If you were lucky enough to eat here, you know we lost a heavy hitter. To the team at Ikkousha: thank you for the memories and the best bowls in the city. You'll be sorely missed! Note: For those still craving that specific broth, their Torrance locations are still holding it down--definitely worth the drive to keep the dream alive. Come back to OC! !

I'm heartbroken to find out that my favorite ramen spot has closed down. I wish I had known so I…read morecould have gone back one last time. The Black Devil and God Fire were my favorites. Both had such a rich, deep flavor. I haven't had a broth as good. The chicken karaage was also slept on. It came with just salt and mayo, and it was simple, juicy, and crispy. One day, I'll go to the Torrance location and try Hakata again. Until then...

Tried Nikutama Udon and it was so delicious! The meat was tender and flavorful. Broth was delicious…read moreand I end up drink up the whole thing! It also comes with sweet onions and soft boiled egg which brings out the flavor even more. I also tried their tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelette) and shrimp and while it taste good, I could live without it. I would recommend nikutama udon 5/5. Would go here again

A good place for fresh udon and a satisfying meal in South Coast Plaza. We went on a Thursday night…read moreand there was no line which was a welcomed surprise. Most of the time when we walk by on weekends there's a fairly long line. There's a decent amount of seating, but a lot of the tables were dirty when we arrived and they stayed that way the entire time we were there. You order along the counter and find a seat after paying for your food. The service interactions are minimal and they gave very short responses when we asked questions. It was also a little bit off because the cashier went off to go do another task in the middle of our transaction so we ended up having to stand there and wait for a few minutes in order to get a receipt. The portion size is decent and the noodles are very fresh. The noodles have a really nice chewy texture and they're really enjoyable to eat. We said yes to adding tempura flakes but it ended up making the soup fairly oily. The shrimp tempura was mostly batter and it was difficult to find the shrimp inside. The next time I go back I would want to try other dishes to see if the taste is better.

You literally won't regret coming here !!! Top tier ramen !! Spicy black garlic is what we get and…read morehave never been disappointed!

I've been around this area for so long but only just now am I trying Kashiwa Ramen!…read more Going inside, the seating area is not large, and off the bat, I couldn't get seated with my family because the 2 high chairs they have available were already taken by another family. Thankfully, they had a booster seat available to have our child sit on. We ordered a miso ramen, a spicy black garlic ramen and a gyoza for our appetizer. The person taking our order was patient with us as we ordered even as we were dealing with our toddler. Our requests were accommodated respectfully and to the best they could! Upon first glance, the gyoza looked good, like it was a family recipe and made from scratch! The spicy garlic ramen had thick, and a tasty looking broth and the portion sizes for the ramen looked like decent enough for the price. The taste for the gyoza was good, but the spicy black garlic ramen definitely stole the show! The broth was the perfect level of savory with a delicious blend of garlic that wasn't overpowering along with the pork broth. The chashu was incredibly tender and flavorful and the ramen was cooked perfectly - *chefs kiss*, amazing! Another reason that helped me decide on eating here was that there is a student discount for OCC students! Definitely cool that the local business is supporting local students! I had a great experience eating here with my family - the food was delicious, the staff was helpful and it was joy!

Met with friends from all over So Cal for an event down South. After the event our friend found a…read morenoodle house in Santa Ana, odd find location but lets go ... Massive parking lot so that was easy, one friend went ahead and let them know we had 10 incoming. They made room and we sat immediately. One of the spots that you scan a menu at the table and you review, order and pay all in the app. I was really not familiar with the line up and went with the "House Special Beef Pot Roodle" (Roodles are their rice noodles). It was a weekend only item and I tried that. The noodles came separate from the soup. Over all it was very tasty. The meat was a bit fatty and the soup had tendons too. I took that part home and my wife loved it. I tend to avoid the fatty meat and tendons are not good to me. 10 of us so some of the appetizers got passed around. The smashed cucumbers are excellent, and my buddy also got some friend potatoes of sorts, reminded me of a fat French fry. Because my buddy and I sat at the same table we scanned the same menu, he ordered a bunch of stuff and also House Special Beef Pot Roodle. That confused the kitchen and they asked me if I meant to order 2, I said no and didn't realize I cancelled my buddy's order. Part of the confusion of a large party and many scanned menu orders. My buddy was struggling to order and our initial waiter seemed to not understand my friend and that took a little bit to work out, young lady came from the back and was able to quickly resolve some of the confusion and get questions answered as needed. In the end he had lot of food to explore. One thing that caught my eye was several couples there and sharing a large soup item served with a tray of various food items for the soup. Kind of a date night visual and something that looked very interesting. Several couples around us had that same dish and its got me more curious. Might have to come back with my wife and try this one.

Stopped by Xishang Roodle in Santa Ana and... bless the staff, truly. They were the highlight of…read morethe entire experience. Polite, quick, and doing their best in a situation that could only be described as "culinary confusion." The food? I'm still trying to figure out what happened. The broth tasted like it was made by someone who's heard of seasoning but refuses to believe in it. The meat portion? I've seen more protein in a microwavable noodle cup. And then there's the very bold "better than pho" claim. Better than pho?? My brother in broth, that is delusion with confidence. And the price--$19! For that much, you can get a glorious XL bowl of pho elsewhere stacked with meat, loaded with herbs, and seasoned by someone who actually cares. Meanwhile, I took two bites here, sat in silence, reflected on my life choices, and walked out. The bowl stayed behind, untouched and unbothered. To make things even more tragic, I only ended up here because Whealthy Pasta next door opens late on weekends. Honestly, the biggest plot twist of my day. Great service, terrible food. Funny experience, but not funny enough to ever try again. This place disappoints!

The noodles here are absolutely delicious and full of flavor. The texture is perfectly cooked--soft…read moreyet slightly chewy, just the way good noodles should be. The broth is rich and comforting, with a depth of taste that makes every bite satisfying. The portions are generous, and the ingredients taste fresh and high quality. The service is friendly and efficient, creating a welcoming atmosphere. Whether you're craving something warm or a quick, tasty meal, this place is definitely worth visiting again.

Delicious noodles! The broth is light yet flavorful, the beef is tender and generously portioned…read more Simple, satisfying, and perfect for a cozy meal.