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    U Katsu

    4.6 (23 reviews)
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    Where Pick Up Stix used to be.
    Ed L.

    U Katsu is a new Japanese restaurant in Foothill Ranch, where Pick-Up Stix used to be. I'd consider it's in its soft opening period as it was first opened in April. Guests can order food using the kiosk mounted on each table. I suspect there is only one person in the kitchen preparing food because it takes some times before the food comes out. While I used the kiosk to order food, it is not equipped to process payment so I had to go to the cashier station to pay. It's a family owned/operated joint. Dave and Christine are welcoming. It seems to me this is their first time running a restaurant. There is no sign on the door for their hours. There is a nervous energy when they engage guests Food here are tasty. Katsu is crunchy, not oily. Crunchy roll is good too. I hope this joint will flourish so there is another place to go in this area. I plan to come back in a month to see how things go.

    Inside
    Phillip T.

    Solid new katsu spot in Lake Forest. I got a cheese katsu and it was nicely fried, crispy, and was filling. Other than that it was pretty standard for a Katsu compared to other places in Irvine. It was also served with miso soup, rice and a salad for 18.99. I wish there was more katsu sauce and a curry option down the line. Interior is pretty but kinda small. It seems like self seat and order with a tablet on the table, but I think they didn't have a hostess or dedicated waiter for seating yet. It got busy when I came on a Wednesday evening and my order took awhile. They're still in the opening phase and seemed understaffed so I'm understanding of that. Hopefully they can get the kinks out and staff more. Give it a shot if you're in the mood!

    miso soup
    Timmy S.

    I visited here for lunch during their soft opening. Tonkatsu (pork katsu) is one of my very favorite meals so I was excited to see this place open in my neighborhood. It's located in a large plaza in Foothill Ranch so there's plenty of parking. I sat at a table (there are maybe a dozen) and ordered from a touchscreen that every table has. There were many variations of both pork and chicken katsu as far as size and sides. I decided on pork katsu with sides of salad and rice, which also comes with miso soup. Canned sodas are available, and I got a Coke, but I would have been fine with the pitcher of water set at my table. My food was delivered to my table in less than 10 minutes. The pork katsu was excellent, very delicious. The panko crust was perfectly crunchy and the pork tender and flavorful, obviously good quality. It wasn't oily at all. The presentation was a bit unusual as katsu is usually cut into thin slices but this was served in small chunks. No matter, it tasted wonderful. I'm a sauce guy and am critical of katsu sauce but this homemade katsu sauce is the best I've tasted outside of Japan. The accompanying salad was fresh and vibrant and the rice was fine. I even thought the miso soup was pretty tasty, this from a guy who isn't usually all that thrilled with miso soup. There was a small banchan of some sort of radish that was good too. Chopsticks were provided - I'm not sure if they have utensils if using chopsticks isn't in your skill set. Service was friendly and attentive and the décor is simple yet tasteful; I like their lighting. I'm glad to have a place nearby that serves quality katsu plates.

    Miso Soup
    Dan G.

    Quite good. Went today during their Soft Opening. We were greeted politely and sat down. Ordering is all done at a screen on your table. The restaurant is spotlessly clean. We started with the garlic edamame. This was easily the best I've ever had. Very fresh and had a little kick to it. For entrees we ordered chicken katsu and I had to try the cheese katsu as I've never had that dish before. We had a choice of sides and we both picked California rolls. Miso soup comes with it. I chose the add on curry as I prefer that over sweet katsu sauce. Everything came out very well prepared and presentation excellent. The California roll was fresh. We shared to do comparisons. The chicken katsu was on spec. Krispy outside and juicy inside. My cheese katsu was well prepared and interesting. I probably won't have that again but that's only my preference. Overall, a very good experience. Price point is on the higher side but the quality balances out. We will return. Note, their online ordering is currently not taking orders while they are doing their soft opening. Service is walk in only.

    Gyoza and edamame
    DodgerBlue T.

    It's so nice to have an authentic and excellent katsu (cutlet) restaurant in Foothill Ranch! The food is top notch. They do a great job with the koromo (breading) which is arguably the most important part of a katsu! Cabbage is finely sliced, and the rice is very good. Service is also excellent. The restaurant has a clean modern feel. Besides katsu, they had udon noodles and rice bowls and appetizers.

    California roll
    Kai And Sarah R.

    This place absolutely deserves 5 stars. We came in and were immediately taken care of--great service from start to finish, and they even surprised us with a free drink, which was a really nice touch. We ordered the chicken and pork katsu combo, and everything was on point. The katsu was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and perfectly cooked. It came with miso soup plus our choice of udon soup and a California roll, which made it feel like a full, well-rounded meal. We also got the garlic edamame, and honestly, that alone is worth coming back for. I'm glad Foothill Ranch finally has a yummy place to get katsu. Overall, great food, generous portions, and excellent service. David, the owner, was very helpful and welcoming. We will be back!

    Katsu Pork Tenderloin and Cold Soba

    Ukatsu is a great new addition to Foothill Ranch. The service was excellent, and everything we ordered was really good. The pork tenderloin was crispy, flavorful, and cooked perfectly, and the sushi was fresh and delicious. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'd definitely recommend checking this place out.

    Katsu pork combo with cold udon

    UKatsu was fantastic! The service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the whole experience was amazing. I would definitely recommend this place.

    chicken katsu combo

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    23 days ago

    The tenderloin is cooked perfectly and it js even better when uncut. The service was excellent and the staff were very friendly.

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    3 hours ago

    Excellent food and service, definitely going back!!! The katsu was cooked perfectly and a very generous portion

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    13 days ago

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    19 days ago

    The best Katsu I have had in a long time, very authentic tasting and I have had Katsu in Japan.

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    Ask the Community - U Katsu

    Review Highlights - U Katsu

    We ordered the chicken katsu, pork loin katsu, California roll, and soba noodles, and everything was very good.

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    Sunny Dumpling House - XLB

    Sunny Dumpling House

    4.2(870 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    My friend recommended this place and said it was better than Din Tai Fung. I have to admit, I was…read morepleasantly surprised. First off, there was a lot of parking in this hidden strip mall. When we got there, there was a little bit of a wait, about 10 minutes. The menu was digital and we were able to order from the table from our phone. The service was good, the restaurant was clean and had quite a few tables there. The bathroom was located upstairs, the key was by the register at the front. The scallion pancake was good but I've had better. The dan dan noodles were really tasty, it was like a mix of spicy noodles with peanut noodles and I'm definitely down for that. The XLB was juicy and oh so delicious. The spicy wontons were fresh tasting. The beef rice cake was great but I wish it had a little kick to it. I was a little surprised that it had an assortment of proteins in it.

    Hidden gem for sure. Got recommended by a co-worker and it was definitely worth checking out. It's…read morea cute little spot tucked into the plaza with cozy vibes. We had just gotten back from China and were craving Chinese food, so this totally hit the spot haha. We ordered the beef stew soup noodles, fried pan pork dumplings, and string beans and everything was delicious! One thing we liked was how they had QR code ordering and easy mobile payment. It reminded us of being back in China with how convenient everything was. The prices were also more affordable compared to places like Din Tai Fung. Overall, a solid spot with good food & easy ordering. 100% would come back again.

    Photos
    Sunny Dumpling House - Dining area.

    Dining area.

    Sunny Dumpling House - Beef noodle

    Beef noodle

    Sunny Dumpling House - Dumplings

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    Dumplings

    Hot Dumplings - Beef noodle soup

    Hot Dumplings

    4.3(138 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Overview: Friendly staff - very attentive…read more Yummy food Two people ate for 70 dollars +tax and tip, but we had very big appetites. We got five dumpling dishes and the sesame balls The serving sizes were good for the price, and all the regular dumplings we had were delicious and juicy. The pork and chive dumplings were my personal favorite, but a one or two of them were very heavy on the chives. I loved it. My partner really enjoyed the beef and onion dumplings The juicy pork dumplings were amazing! I saved them till the end. Usually, steamed buns are my favorite dish at dumpling places, but the ones here weren't very fluffy. They were more starchy. The filling was very similar to the filling in the pork dumplings.

    My family has been going there and the food has been good. However last night I took a girlfriend…read morethere and the food was terrible. The male owner always seems to be in a bad mood but thankfully the lady server (ping) is wonderful. Although the food was bad but she still gives the best service. The string beans was extremely salty and we had to send it back. It literally came out covered with black sauce. The house special noodles had no taste and the beef was literally black too. The steamed dumplings was ok however how can the dumplings be bad when it's cooked from a frozen package. Ambiance ok, not too noisy as we were the only table there until half way through our meal.

    Photos
    Hot Dumplings - Seating area 1/2

    Seating area 1/2

    Hot Dumplings - 25 - pan fried shrimp and pork dumplings

    25 - pan fried shrimp and pork dumplings

    Hot Dumplings - Pork buns

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    Pork buns

    HanBop - BBQ Short Rib / 갈비구이

    HanBop

    4.4(264 reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    It's been a while since my last visit to Hanbop, and after my recent visit, I now want to go more…read moreregularly! I was able to go in during lunch to get the lunch special price. The price has gone up since I last posted a picture of the menu but I think that it is still SUCH a steal for the amount of food and quality. I ordered the beef short rib lunch special and was amazed by how much food arrived! The preview pic on the menu did not do the actual meal size justice. I was surprised by the amount of short rib pieces included as well as the variety of side dishes within the bento (fried shrimp, dumpling, some sort of fried roll, 2 pieces of another roll, 2 pieces fried chicken and soup). This is still separate from the regular banchan they provide! I really love their kimchi and potato salad. There are plenty of seats in the restaurant and parking spots in the plaza. There were a lot of solo diners at the time of my visit. The workers are friendly and quick with your order and refills. Can't wait to go back!

    I have been on a Bibimbop eating streak of late...You must try this place in Lake Forest if you…read morelike Bibimbop. No need to go all the way to Irvine. It's situated in the same shopping center as Albertson's. The banchan (side dishes) served was delicious & just enough but you can always ask for more. Your bibimbop is served with small side of soup. It's filling. Will definitely be returning!

    Photos
    HanBop - Interior

    Interior

    HanBop - Sides that are feee before meal. Delicious

    Sides that are feee before meal. Delicious

    HanBop - Marinated Salmon Lunch Special

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    Marinated Salmon Lunch Special

    U Katsu - japanese - Updated May 2026

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