Fantastic meal! The service was quick, and the dry noodles had the perfect chewy texture. Every bite was packed with rich umami flavor without being overwhelming. It really reminded me of the dry noodles I had in Japan. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Came at a good time with no wait. We decided to try the flat noodle and the texture was great. Creates a different kind of noodle "slurping" and was very enjoyable. Udon had a wonderful soft bounce which I really liked. Food came out quickly, wishing success to the business! read more

good service and foo, I recommend the cold noodle set it was amazing. wait was a little long but worth it

I came here on a Wednesday afternoon and the place was filled. Luckily I didn't have to wait too long. I was excited to try this place and see how it compared to the popular Japan's Godaime Hanayama Udon. I got the Himokawa Cold Udon Set with flat noodles (+$2 charge) and the Spinach Cream Smoked Salmon Udon. Both dishes were really good, the flavors were great and the udon was nice and chewy! The cold udon set came with the cold citrus yuzu and black sesame dipping sauce. The citrus yuzu was quite refreshing and the black sesame was good, but didn't coat the udon evenly when you dip it so you kinda just scoop it out instead. The tempura set itself was nicely coated, not too heavy on the breading. The spinach cream was nice and creamy, but because it was served in a deep bowl rather than a flatter bowl, so the udon did not cool evenly so be careful not to burn your tongue! There was a heat wave this week and I'm not sure if the AC wasn't working or they were saving money and didn't have it cooled down, but the entire restaurant was HOT. It felt like eating in South East Asia, and all the customers there were sweating and fanning themselves. Honestly it affected the experience quite a bit because it was just SO HOT. The dish itself was also quite pricey and each dish didn't have much protein, so if you need more protein, you'd have to get an appetizer too which adds to the total cost. When you check out, it is also automatically set to 20% gratuity jusy FYI. Overall, great place to try something new but definitely not worth the wait. Please fix the AC! read more

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My husband and I have been looking forward to try this place, since the Himokawa cold udon looks very similar to Godaime Hanayama Udon in Tokyo (iykyk). We finally got to try it and honestly, it was a bit disappointing. Once you enter in the restaurant, put your name on the Yelp waitlist. If you come too close to closing time (1 hour or less), there is a chance they will close the waitlist. So come earlier! We came on Sunday at 7pm and for a party of 2, the wait was pretty short at 20-30 minutes. When seated, you order via QR code. The service is very friendly. The Himokawa Cold Udon set comes with 2 dipping sauces: a black sesame sauce and a yuzu tsuyu sauce (also used with tempura). I assumed that I would love the sesame sauce since it looks like they ground black sesame seeds to make it. Unfortunately, it tasted a bit too sweet and not enough savory taste in it. It honestly reminded me of the Chinese black sesame dessert soup, which is really weird for a salty entree. The yuzu sauce was very good, but considering the $25 price tag, I was disappointed that I didn't like one of the two sauces provided. I thought sesame sauce would be harder to make and more special, so to not like felt like I didn't like half the dish. The sesame sauce was also too thick, so it didn't cling onto the noodles, which makes it hard to enjoy. I think they should add some dashi to dilute the sauce and add some umami notes to it. It almost feels like eating a dessert when I use the sesame sauce. Noodles are nice and chewy, but without half the sauce, it's hard to fully appreciate them. As for the tempura, the batter is too hard. Tempura batter should be crispy but also not hard when you bite into it. I would rather go to Carlos Junior (Pasadena and Torrance) for good tempura. Even Marugame Udon (Little Tokyo) has decent and better tempura. For the effort to get here (I'm from LA) and the price point, I don't think I'll come here again, unless they make improvements to the sesame sauce. Presentation of the food is beautiful, and service is friendly. However, the number one requirement for me is the taste. The food must taste good for me to come back. Hopefully, they'll improve, but until then, I won't be back. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Himokawa Cold Udon Set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Got here shortly after they just opened at 11am. We got seated within 15 minutes in the patio area. Today was really hot (85°F) and there wasn't any indoor seating left. It didn't feel like there was any air running inside the restaurant so we chose outdoor patio. They had a few umbrellas but honestly it was still too hot sadly. I can't blame them for the hot weather. Ordering was simple - you scan QR to order. My partner got the Mentaiko Cream Gochugaru Udon and I got the Himokawa Cold Udon Set. My partner got his bowl within 10 minutes of placing our order, while my order took about 25 minutes. It almost seemed like they may have forgotten my order bc everyone else around me had their cold set even though they sat down after me. Because they're still in soft opening, I noticed that they kept bringing orders to the wrong table. Per my partner, his bowl was delicious. The udon was bouncy and the cream/sauce was flavorful. He's definitely will get it again. As for mine, the cold set was refreshing. I love how chewy the wide udon noodles were. My favorite is pairing it with the cold citrus yuzu dipping sauce. The black sesame dipping sauce wasn't my favorite since it's too nutty and thick, but it wasn't terrible at all. Just not my cup of tea. Definitely would love to come back if they fixed their AC situation for their indoor seating or on a day where it wasn't blazing hot to enjoy the outdoor patio lol. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Mentaiko Cream Gochugaru Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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We came on a Saturday afternoon during peak hours. We weren't able to waitlist online, so we had to do it in person. It was about a 1.5 hour wait. We decided to wait anyways, but noticed the restaurant's AC wasn't working. We waited in the car and grabbed our portable fan. Ordering was easy and you just scan the QR code and order through there. We ordered the Signature Cold Set and Katsu Curry Udon. The curry was okay, it would have been better if the broth was thicker. The Signature Cold Set's yuzu sauce was so good and refreshing and the noodles were chewy. I see some posts of people complaining there's only 10 strands of noodles, but if you think about it, if the noodles were cut smaller, it would be a lot. The tempura was amazing and fried to perfection! This place is fairly new, so we noticed them going to the wrong tables and trying to put orders down, but getting turned away. They also tried to do that for our table as well. We noticed every table order the Signature Cold Set which came out fast. But their party that ordered something else did not get their food yet. Every party had to wait 20-30 minutes for the whole table to receive their food. If you observe the restaurant, you will notice this. This is something they definitely need to improve on. Usually people do not eat until everyone gets their food at the table. I feel like this needs major improvement and this is the only reason why the wait is long. I'm also concerned for the AC. I also heard a table asked for ice. The worker stated they did not have that much ice or something along the line. I'm not sure how they can operate like this especially on the hot summer days coming up. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Signature Cold Set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

3.25/5 The "cold" flat noodle set was pretty good other than the fact that it wasn't cold. I enjoyed the texture of the udon. The ponzu sauce was a little sweet but I added some soy sauce (and chili powder) and that made it better. The sesame paste was on the thicker side, the texture is something you would find in a tangyuan. The tempura was fresh. The main complaint I have about this place is it is so hot inside. I'm not sure if the a/c was broken but it made the experience less enjoyable, especially on a hot summer day. QR ordering, friendly staff. I'm glad I finally gave this place a try but not dying to come back because of the higher price point and not much protein for what you're paying for. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Located at the District close to the theatre, where Five Guys used to be. Parking was difficult on a Friday night, and the wait was close to an hour. Luckily, we were seated outside on the patio and there was a cool breeze (it felt stuffy indoors as we walked through). Staff were pleasant but busy, so we didn't get much attention (especially since we were tucked in the corner). The menu is slightly confusing, and our server wasn't completely sure about them when we asked. Overall taste of food was solid. I like the bounciness of the noodles, but the hot udon did not come with enough broth in my opinion (after we loosened the udon) and the creamy udon was original/different (but not very creamy). Hopefully they will work out the kinks and get to know their menu better! read more

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Absolutely delicious flat wide udon that you can't get anywhere else in CA, but that's if you can get a table. They're in their soft opening stage, so hopefully it'll get better. Though with how good the udon is, I forsee the lines staying long! We ordered the tempura cold udon set and let me say, the udon is so bouncy and al dente! Both the ponzu and sesame sauces were delicious and not overwhelming, so much so that we couldn't choose a favorite between the two. We will definitely come again, but only during the weekdays at lunch! read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Cold flat wide udon tempura set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Pretty good udon! I'm not usually a huge udon fan, but I definitely enjoyed my meal. The katsu was delicious. It was super crispy and probably my favorite part of the dish. Personally, I thought the curry could have been a bit more flavorful, but it was still enjoyable. The carbonara had an interesting fusion of American and Asian flavors that made it unique. Service was great, and since it's located in Tustin Marketplace, parking is super convenient with plenty of spots available. I would recommend giving this spot a try! read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Katsu curry and carbonara - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Came for their soft launch, it was busy but the service was still rly good. My fav was the flat udon noodle texture, I wanna come back for the cold version w the dipping sauce. No reservations tho, only waitlist, we waited around 1 hour but it was very much worth it. The food was very light and clean tasting despite how big the portions are. Side note: they sell the cute bowls that they use for the udon in store!! read more

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A friend and I tried this place during their soft opening day. We opted to sit outside, and since there is absolutely no shade, it was very hot under direct sunlight. It would be great if they could install shades so that outdoor area could be utilized well. The servers were very friendly. One thing that could be improved is for the servers to mention explicitly that one can use the QR code or order with the server as I noticed some tables were confused. My friend and I both got the cold udon set and the sauces were the highlight, flavorful but not too overpowering and delightfully refreshing. The black sesame sauce is something I'm still thinking about days later. We were only given one tempura dipping sauce. But overall, it was a delicious meal and I look forward to coming again. Hope they will work some of the kinks out! read more

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Ever since my Japan trip, I've been craving those flat udon noodles... I can't believe I finally found them in SoCal at The District in Tustin! Love this newly opened Japanese spot featuring udon and Japanese fried foods. IG: socalhkfoodies read more

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WORTH THE WAIT!! I've never been a fan of udon but this place changed my mind & I'm already making plans to go back asap :') My friend and I ordered the himokawa cold udon set & mentaiko gochugaru creamy udon, which ended up being the perfect amount to share. The black sesame dipping sauce tasted exactly how you think it would & made for an interesting experience! But we still preferred the cold citrus yuzu dipping sauce, which was lighter & paired perfectly with the noodles. The mentaiko udon was also well seasoned & not too spicy, loved the topping of the lotus flowers which added a lil crunch. Overall, thoroughly satisfied with our meal :-) Make sure to come before or by 11:30 am opening to get seated shortly, otherwise it's around a 45 minute-1 hour wait. Btw there's only an in person yelp waitlist & seating is somewhat limited. P.S. 10% OFF YOUR ORDER DURING SOFT OPENING! read more

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I came because I saw a bunch of ig post about this new udon place that opened in district place! Line was not bad but when we came around 5pm, there was already so many people there so we had to wait about 15 minutes. Checkin on Yelp first so you don't have to wait! This restaurant was SO HOT! The AC I guess was very weak so I kid you not I was sweating eating here. We got the cold udon set and the mentaiko gochujang udon and they were ok...please note that during their soft opening, the price on the menu is already 10% off 1. Cold udon set (3/5): at $27 regular price, $25 with 10% off, i would consider this not worth the price. It came with 10 strands of udon, salad and assorted tempura. It is an interesting concept because it came with 2 sauces: standard sweet sauce and sesame sauce? Both are good but a tad too salty. Good for first timer but I would not get this again. 2. Mentaiko gochujang (4/5): great flavor but leans more on the spicy side! Pretty good ans tastes very well balanced. The portion is a bit small for the price but I'd come back for this since it is a bit unique. Not sure if I'd come back again since it was a bit overhyped for sure. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Cold udon set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Came here on a Sunday evening around 6:30PM, and the wait was about 45 minutes. Definitely expect a bit of a wait during peak hours, but it's located in The District, so it's easy to walk around and kill some time while you wait. Once we were seated, our server (a young male) was incredibly welcoming, friendly, and attentive, which made for a great start to the meal! Our food also came out fairly quickly, which I appreciated. However, my friend's didn't arrive until about 10 minutes after mine, so it made for a bit of an awkward wait since I didn't want to start eating before they had their food. The main reason for my 3.5 review is the value. I ordered the cold noodle set, which was about $25 before tip. It came with 10 thick handmade noodle strips, two dipping sauces, a small salad, and tempura. While everything was fresh, I couldn't help but feel it was very carb-heavy for the price. I wish the set included some protein or meat to make it feel like a more complete meal. The two dipping sauces were very different. The yuzu sauce was light, refreshing, and especially delicious once I mixed in the green onions. Nothing crazy though, just good old yuzu. The black sesame sauce was unique and flavorful, but personally it was a bit too rich and intense for me to want with every bite. I enjoy black sesame in general, but this particular sauce became a little overwhelming after a while. One small tip: I actually ended up cutting each noodle strip in half. The noodles are very long and thick, and I found they were easier to dip and eat that way. It also helped each bite pick up more of the sauce. Overall, it felt like an overpriced, elevated version of udon. The handmade noodles were undeniably fresh, chewy, and well made, but I don't see myself craving this enough to justify the price. If I'm in the area and just want good udon, I'd probably choose Marugame Udon nearby, which offers a much better value. I'd recommend this spot if you're specifically looking to try thick handmade udon and don't mind paying a premium for the experience. read more

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Came here during their soft opening - great service, super friendly staff! I waited around 30 min on a Friday evening, which isn't bad. The space is very cute inside and I liked that there's outdoor seating as well. I think the food is just okay. The chicken karaage was a bit bland and unseasoned, and the portion was small for $9. The Sukiyaki nabe udon was also okay. The beef portion was thin and there was a bit much going on with all of the different veggies in the broth (carrot, napa, zucchini, mushroom, etc.) - I feel that there was more veggie than meat to save on cost. The Himokawa cold udon set caught my attention - I liked the flat noodles (which were super slippery! haha) with the yuzu & black sesame sauces. I opted for the individual bowl (without tempura), but looking back, this dish definitely needs some sort of protein. Without tempura, it's basically noodles with dipping sauce for $19. Not sure how generous the meat portions are for other menu items. I'd like to give this place another try sometime, maybe I ordered the wrong things. read more

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Both the hot and cold set were really good here with the flat noodles. Appreciated the many variety of veggies in the hot bowl of noodles. Also that the water was replaced with cold water half way through the meal due to hot weather. That was a thoughtful touch by the servers. Being an avid chopsticks user growing up, I still had some trouble picking up the flat noodles due to its weight & slippery texture with super short chopsticks. I would definitely recommend them upgrading to longer chopsticks as it gave me a hand cramp from trying to pick up my noodles. Also, a few additional strands (3-5) of cold noodles would feel like a better deal instead of just 10 strands. The wait-list suggested it would've been 25-38 min, but it took almost an hour to be seated. If they can tweak it to be a better wait-time, that would definitely help as well. We didn't get offered the 10% off for soft opening either, but it's okay, the staff was trying their best to figure out the kinks during this new adjustment period. So far, not too shabby! Would come back to try their other options on the menu in the near future. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Hot set with flat udon noodles - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Came on soft opening day and there are still lots of kinks to work out but the food was good. Some things to note - We put our name on the waitlist before the store 'opened' and our wait time was 2.5 hours. My group messaged the store on IG to ask when they opened and they said 11:30, but when we got there at 11:15, the restaurant was fully seated and people were eating already :| So don't arrive at 11:30 expecting it to open at that time. We were seated around 1:45 and inside the restaurant is very warm because the AC is weak. If you order a hot udon, it'll be even warmer. They were low on ice when we were seated because the cold udon needs a bed of ice so the drinking water they give is lukewarm with no ice. The menu says flat udon is +$2 but the top 2 signature sets already come with flat udon so it's priced in. Would adjust that portion of the menu calling out the +$2 for flat udon and remove the callout. Didn't realize you can order the sets by itself without the tempura/salad/accompaniments but don't think the udon would be worth the individual bowl cost. Despite all those kinks, the udon was really good - chewy and flavorful. The black sesame sauce with the cold noodle was my favorite. The hot udon soup was also very flavorful, would be great to eat in the winter. Cold udon portion was a little small though. Overall, would come after the popularity dies down or be prepared for a wait. The Tustin District has some shopping areas, TJ Maxx/Whole Foods across the street and boba stores close by to hang out at if you are waiting! read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Cold udon (foreground) hot udon soup (back) maje udon (right) - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Surprised it was rated this low. I honestly thought it was a 5/5, and one of the best udon spots in OC. All of the udon dishes were great, but my favorite had to be the kimchi one. Super flavorful and each bite was so good. Definitely good to ! read more

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been seeing all the viral videos of this place so i def had to stop by. i visited on a tuesday night around 7:30 pm with about a 20-30 min wait. my order: -himokawa cold udon individual $19 i got the individual bowl instead of the set ($25, comes with salad and side tempura). i like the sauces: one black sesame, one yuzu but overall this dish is pretty basic. it's nice to share but i wouldn't get this just for myself since it's very carb heavy with no protein. the presentation is fun but taste is just simple. -bacon cream udon carbonara $17 yum + definitely very creamy and cheesy. we ate the flat udon first and then this one and it was surprisingly still very hot! -veggie tempura $9 menu says it's supposed to come with 2 broccoli, 2 potato, 2 pumpkin, and 2 eggplant but they substituted the eggplant with peppers? not sure why this was the case since they didn't explain if they were out of stock or not i do have to say that the 2 people table is very very small for 2 big dishes and an appetizer + a case of utensils, water cups, and a whole water pitcher :( we had to eat carefully since we were struggling with space lol. a different server saw that our table was so packed that he offered to change the tempura plate to a smaller one which was nice of him. some small points but there were no napkins or no small bowl for sauce for tempura until i asked the waiter. there was also no ac and no ice in our water until asked for (i did hear that they were short on ice that day) they are still in soft opening (10% off your order) so i do believe that they can improve the dining experience! service was nice and they were pretty busy so i understand. overall for dish/taste wise, it's good to try once but not sure if i would come back or wait over an hour for it read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Wow, this is seriously the best udon I've had outside of Japan! Everything from their flight cold noodles with the black sesame dipping sauce, sukiyaki udon and my favorite gochujang udon was amazing! I hope they expand an open in other areas. They get crazy busy with long lines so arrive early, especially on the weekends. Wait time can easily be over an hour or more. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Y'all keep in mind, this is a soft opening so the restaurant staff is still ironing the kinks out. I went yesterday evening and the wait was about 30 mins from 7:25 pm but around 7:45 pm, it jumped to 40-50 mins wait according to yelp waitlist. The food is good but like I previously stated I'm stressing they have a lot of kinks to work out before their grand opening - it took 20 mins for a server to finally come to our table to take our order then another 45 mins to serve my dish after serving my husband's entree merely 15 mins after ordering. The server took orders and served 3 couples that came in after us, not just by a few mins; they were seated like up to 15 mins after us. After 20 mins of waiting, I politely waved to our server when she was done helping someone out to ask her to take our order and she brushed me off and said "I'll come back" only to go to another couple that she immediately sat (also after us) to take their order first. Food wise - my husband ordered the creamy bacon udon carbonara and I had the signature cold flat udon set. Both entrees were good with decent portion sizes but, not worth this painful experience. To top it all off their AC ain't working and they ran out of ice, so keep this all in mind if you plan to dine in during the soft opening. To the restaurant, I hope you take this as critique as room for improvement before your grand opening. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Me in agony waiting for my food for 40 mins. - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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I love the udon here! Especially the Bacon cream udon carbonara, it was so good! The servers were so nice and quick to seat us. There was room temperature water on the table when we arrived already but it was really hot inside the restaurant, so the server changed the water to ice cold water immediately. Food came out quick also. This place is still in the soft opening phase so there is no take out orders yet. Also the hours are currently 11:30am-2:30pm and 5:00pm-9:00pm. I think it will change once they officially open! read more

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I'm giving 3 stars because I liked the himokawa cold udon and their yuzu and goma dipping sauces. Service was slow and terrible. They're definitely understaffed when we went there for a late lunch on a weekday afternoon. Our orders were left on the counter for at least 10 minutes before they finally came to our table. The servers weren't accommodating to the customers' needs. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Signature Udon Set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Really lived up to the hype! Mentai udon was super flavorful and slightly spicy & the flat udon had a great texture! Could definitely be a bit thinner but overall had a great lunch! Tempura was solid as well :) read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Flat udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Prepare for a long wait times. It took us about 1.5 hours to get seated on a Thursday night around 7pm. The food is a bit pricey, but the udon is delicious. I got the cold set and the black sesame sauce really made everything stand out. It definitely filled me up and the flat udon was unique. I thought it would have been thinner but it was kinda thick. My boyfriend and friend got the Sukiyaki Udon and they said it was good, but it was really hot so it was hard for them to eat. They wanted to replace the regular udon with the flat udon, but were told that they aren't doing that right now since it's soft opening. They also gave us plastic spoons to use initially but it was hard to use so we asked for actual soup spoons and it was then given to us. My bf ordered the chicken karaage and was disappointed. For $9 you get about 6 small pieces of chicken. Definitely not worth it. I am unsure if i'd come back. Maybe sometime in the future when the hype dies down. read more

SO YUM! Still in soft opening but there were still a decent number of people on a weekday for lunch. Tried out their cold noodle set. Not usually a fan of black sesame but the sesame dipping sauce was great!! Also yummy tempura and salad. No complaints will be back :)) read more

Tsurukawa Udon - cold set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Bravo influencers I guess you did your job in hyping up this place on IG. I heard the wait was 2-3 hours long at opening. Sadly, I don't think Tsurukawa Udon is worth the hype or the wait. We came looking for something comparable to what we had in Japan and this place isn't it. Thankfully we arrived before the dinner rush at 5pm and didn't have to wait. Although, we like many others came with expectation to try the flat udon noodles and they had completely ran out earlier in the day and never replenished. They also never bothered to tell anyone until we sat down to order and we still never got a full explanation as to why there wasn't enough on opening day. My husband and I both ordered the cold udon set anyway and at $25 I find it pretty pricey. It comes with cold udon, two dipping sauces, a couple pieces of mediocre tempura, and simple salad. If not for the flat udon noodles I don't think alot of people would come. We literally saw a couple get up and leave. Sadly, there wasn't even a sign or warning they had ran out outside. Additionally, the menu is super confusing. The description mentions the set comes with flat udon, yet it says the flat noodles is $2 extra, so what is it?! Also since it's a pretty hot day, I would've expected them to turn up the AC and serve ice water, and we didn't get either until later when we were about to finish our meal. I don't know how anyone can enjoy boiling hot soup in this environment. They did leave the doors open but we definitely felt uncomfortable inside. If you didn't order the cold udon, it seemed like people waited a long time for their food. As we sat near the kitchen, we heard the servers confusing table orders and it seemed like major disorganization. The table next to us waited forever for one item to arrive and we left before the second person even got their food. Hopefully they get things in order, but I don't think I will be coming back anytime soon. read more

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Honestly, the flavor profile is good! Not tryna hold anything against them since they're still in soft opening. The maje cream noodle was soooo overwhelming flavorful, we had to ask for extra cream on the side to lower the intensity. Would definitely recommend fishing out the noodles first and adjusting the sauce on the side so it's tolerable to eat. The flat noodles were also made extremely well! Loved them. Service still needs a lot of work. Had to flag them down to order and get the check after waiting too long. When they dropped off my food, I got like a 5 second explanation on how to eat the noodles, and the server straight walked away. Left me a little confused. Can't substitute in different noodles types at the moment, so beware of that! Overall, would be down to try again and just learn from our mistakes. It truly was tasty! read more

Came here for their soft opening on Saturday and wow, what a hot mess. Luckily, my friend got there at 10:30 when there was a short line. We got seated shortly after opening at 11:20AM in the first wave of guests and the line outside continued to grow. Once seated, they brought out some complementary fried crackers and water. Cold noodle set 3/5: interesting concept but a little difficult to eat. I did really like the sesame dipping sauce though! Bacon cream udon carbonara 5/5: rich and creamy, better to share with others. Sukiyaki nabe udon 4/5: solid hot udon dish Overall, the food was good and the servers tried their best -- apologized for the wait and refilled our crackers/water promptly. Even though it was soft opening, the restaurant did not have the capacity to make food in a timely manner. We had to wave someone down to order then waited over an hour for the food to arrive while sitting in a warm/hot restaurant is not ideal on a hot day. I might give it another try in the far future, but this restaurant did not properly prepare for a busy soft opening. read more

This was my first time visiting after my friend saw this place on a Facebook ad and wanted to try the cold flat noodles. I ordered the creamy noodle dish instead. The fresh noodles were definitely the highlight. They had a great texture and tasted homemade. My only feedback on the food is that the sauce was a little too thick and creamy for my taste. It reminded me more of mac and cheese than a noodle dish, so I think it would be even better if the sauce were a bit lighter and less cheesy. The service was excellent. Our food came out quickly, and the staff were friendly. One thing to keep in mind is that the tables are quite small, and there aren't any booth seats. If you're dining with a larger group or family, seating may feel a bit cramped, and you may have to wait for a table during busy times. The atmosphere was decent overall, but I think booth seating or larger tables would make the dining experience more comfortable. Overall, I enjoyed the fresh noodles and the quick service, and I'd be interested in coming back to try some of the other dishes. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Mentaiko cream Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Came in during their soft opening and walked right in. Might've gotten lucky as it seems others have experienced long wait times and disappointedly had the flat noodles already sold out. The Himokawa cold noodle set is worth trying if you haven't had dipping udon or soba before. The udon has a satisfyingly chewy texture, but be prepared to test your chopstick skills as it'll get slippery to grip. The two dipping sauces complement each other nicely. The black sesame sauce is creamy and rich, making it the one you'll probably reach for first, while the yuzu sauce is refreshing and light that you can keep going back to it easily. The tempura was fried in fresh oil and wasn't over battered. Pro tip: if you save the salad for the end, the leftover dipping sauces make an excellent dressing. The maje udon is beautifully presented. Once mixed, the creamy sauce slightly overpowers the spice, but adding a little chili oil and chili powder brings it back to a more balanced level. Service was attentive throughout for a soft opening. read more

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Wow! This place reminded me of my trip to Japan. We were so lucky to get the last flat noodle set order during their soft opening. Everything we ordered was delicious! I especially loved how chewy the noodles were. You could tell they were housemade. The service was great. We had a short wait, but were seated as soon as a table opened up. Joanne, our waitress, greeted us and helped us throughout the ordering process. She was attentive and made sure we had a great experience. The restaurant is clean, modern, and inviting. We will definitely be back! read more

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Tldr : overall would come back, good soup base and noodle Wait: went right when it opened. Short line on a Sunday about 5 mins before opening and got first seating easily. Service: Ben was awesome, very friendly. A little slow but considering soft opening, it wasn't horrible. Had a toddler and baby, and it was fine for us. Price: fair for the district Food: better than we expected. Soup flavorful and tasty without being salty. Flat udon good as well with good bite to it. Would come back Carbonara a little too creamy for my taste. Good to try as a group but not eat the whole thing yourself.. Location: inside The district across from bowlero. Nice area to walk around after dinner too and fun water fountain for kids. Also right outside a kids splash pad and plenty of outdoor seating. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Himokawa hot udon set - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

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Me and my husband went here for their soft opening and we were really impressed! We got the Himokawa Cold Udon set and the Maje Cream Udon. The Himokawa Cold Udon Set had tempura and two different dipping sauces (yuzu and black sesame). I loved the having the option to dip my flat noodles into two different sauces. One being more citrusy and the other being nice and creamy. The flat noodles had a very nice bite to it and this set was definitely shareable between two people. My husband got the Maje Cream Udon and it was so flavorful with a bit of a spice kick. The sanuki udon noodles used in it were so bouncy and had a nice mouthfeel. This dish kind of reminded me of a mazemen (would have been awesome if we could add some sort of rice or something afterwards to soak up the sauce). Overall, we would definitely come back here again to try their other udon options! Hope this place stays at The District for a long time :) read more

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We were a little nervous about trying this place after seeing the low reviews, but they had literally just opened yesterday, so we decided to give them a shot. We ordered the Flat Udon, Carbonara Set, and Chicken Karaage. Everything was really good! The noodles had a great texture, the carbonara was flavorful, and the karaage was crispy on the outside and tender inside. Maybe we got lucky since we went on the 4th of July and there was no wait, but we had a great experience and would definitely come back. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - Flat Udon - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California

Got the cold udon set. Wait was 90 mins, after ordering food took 25 mins to come out. Cold udon set COMES with wasabi (literally in the description) but we were not given wasabi. Then we asked for the wasabi. First server said she will check. Left and saw her literally go help 4 other tables instead. Asked another server and he did the same thing. Finally got a third different server and she went directly to the kitchen to check in which they said the wasabi is frozen so they couldn't give it to us. Their yuzu dipping was good tho but the black sesame isn't that good. ALSO just remembered they came to our table while we were waiting for our food asking us if we were ready to pay. Tf. read more

I'd normally give a new restaurant a lot of grace during a soft opening because I understand that the purpose of it is to identify operational issues and work out the kinks before the official opening. Unfortunately, this ended up being the worst restaurant experience I've ever had, even for a soft opening. We arrived right when lunch service began at 11:30 a.m. and put our name on the waitlist. We were quoted a 45-minute to 1-hour wait, which seemed completely reasonable, so we spent some time shopping around the plaza. After an hour, there were still around 20-25 parties ahead of us. We ultimately weren't seated until 2:30 p.m. (a 3-hour wait). The biggest disappointment came after we were finally seated. We were informed that the restaurant had already sold out of their signature flat udon noodles, which was the entire reason we came. It was disappointing to learn they had sold out before lunch service had even ended. What was even more frustrating was that there was no notice while we were waiting. Had customers been informed that the signature noodles were sold out, we could have decided whether we still wanted to wait. Instead, we spent three hours in line only to find out after we were seated that the item we specifically came for wasn't available. Once we sat down, we waited around 10 minutes expecting a server to come take our order. No one ever mentioned that ordering was done through a QR code. We eventually noticed it ourselves, scanned it, and realized we'd been waiting for nothing. A simple "Please order using the QR code" when guests are seated would have prevented unnecessary confusion. Unfortunately, the service continued to feel very disorganized. The table next to us had been seated about 10-15 minutes before we were and ordered before we did, yet our food started arriving before theirs. To make matters worse, another table that was seated after us also received their food before both our table and the table next to us. It was clear that orders were not coming out in the order they were placed. We were seated close to the kitchen, and throughout the meal we could hear staff loudly yelling back and forth through the kitchen window. It sounded like the food runner was calling out items while the kitchen was trying to figure out which tables still needed them and food was being prepared for tables that had already been served. The lack of communication was very noticeable from the dining room. The food unfortunately didn't make up for the long wait. My boyfriend ordered the curry tonkatsu udon, and the curry tasted extremely watered down. The tonkatsu was partially burnt, and the udon itself was slightly undercooked. I ordered the sukiyaki nabe udon after having to change my original order because the flat noodles were sold out. I know sukiyaki is meant to be on the saltier side, but this was overwhelmingly salty to the point where I couldn't finish it. The tempura set was also very underwhelming. There also didn't appear to be any air conditioning running despite everyone eating hot bowls of udon, the front door remained wide open, and the complimentary water was served at room temperature without ice. I hope they take the feedback from their soft opening to improve before their grand opening. While I expected a few bumps during a soft opening, the overall experience simply didn't justify a three-hour wait, and unfortunately the food itself did not make up for it at all. read more

Tsurukawa Udon - sukiyaki nabe udon - overwhelmingly salty - Japanese Near Me - Tustin, California