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WaBa Grill

3.7 (256 reviews)
Closed • 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

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WABA GRILL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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1lb 6 oz of WHITE RICE to make me THINK ITS A FULL MEAL.  WHERE THE F IS THE MEAT!!!  3oz IS NOTHONG!!!
Melinda T.

I will NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN. You are PATHETIC, Waba. I JUST PAID $15 for 1 lb and 6 oz of white rice with my measly topping of chicken/beef SPRINKLED ON IT. See my photo, I literally scraped off my measly total 3oz of chicken/beef, and weighed the meat seperately, and weighed my white rice WHICH WAS 1 lb and 6 ounces!!!! ALMOST A POUND AND A HALF OF WHITE RICE. I literally paid $15 for white rice. Go outta business you RIP OFF!!!!

Receipt

The bowl was well served and overall cooked good and good ratio of the different veggies. But I can justify the price that I just paid of 19.99 for a bowl with extra chicken and only veggies. I feel like I got robbed. I recently went to another place where I ordered the same and paid only 12.00 and the bowl was great!! I don't think I will be coming back to Waba with these prices I can't justify the price tag

Edison Mark V.

Bought Waba plate which is supposedly half steak and half chicken! Ended with 1/3 of steak! This place is a disgrace! Spent $16 for this!

Steak Bowl
Jeremiah H.

I'm extremely disappointed with my recent visit. I ordered a steak bowl and once again was given a very small portion of steak...definitely not worth the $13 I paid. This has happened multiple times, and I finally called corporate to share my concern, but nothing was done. For the price, I expect a fair portion, and unfortunately, that's not what I've been getting. This will be my last visit.

A Steak Bowl
Alberto R.

Lol they put more rice than meat. I'm da paying rice with a side of meat this is just ridiculous lmao

Chicken Bowl
Erica S.

Food and service was 10/10 the lady there today was nice helped me out and my food came so nicely and portion was great. I also asked for sauce and she didn't just give me one little sauce she gave me the amount anyone would really use. Thank you appreciate had to write bc fast food spots nowadays are soooo ridiculous

Drive-thru, 9.0/10
Jennifer H.

9.0/10 It's been a year since Waba Grill released their Boom Boom Tacos and I'm coming back for more. You can pick from Chicken, Ribeye Steak, Shrimp or Tofu. I've had: Boom Boom Shrimp Taco Trio $10.69 | Shrimp Veggie Bowl $13.99 | Mini Chicken Bowl $5.29 or 'Kids Eat Free' offer with purchase of entrée, Monday - Friday After 4 PM Code: KIDS, Weekend Code: KIDZ. The Shrimp is my favorite. Whatever protein you choose is brushed with Waba Sauce. While I normally am not the biggest fan of teriyaki sauce, I really enjoy theirs because it's not too sweet. They don't go overboard with the sauce and you can always ask for more on the side. The Tacos come with a Sesame Slaw, Green Onions and a sweet, tangy Boom Boom Sauce. The Slaw gives the Taco a nice crunch and the Tortilla is nice and soft. I believe the tortilla is a mix of Corn and Flour. The Shrimp Veggie Bowl comes with a lot of rice, you could even save some for meal prep later. The rice comes perfectly cooked. The reason why I love the Shrimp here is because every single time it's always been tender and well-seasoned. We are not getting any overcooked, rubbery shrimp here. I will say the Chicken is growing on me, it's juicy and tender, and I like that it has a nice charred flavor. The steak is also good, it's nice and tender, but would probably be my last choice just because the seasonings are not my favorite but this is just a personal preference, try it for yourself. I think one entree is enough, a good amount for one person. Also, did you know that they have a Kids Eat Free deal? All weekend long and after 4 PM Monday through Friday you can buy any entree at regular price and get a free Chicken or Tofu Mini Bowl. The Mini Bowl is also a good size for an adult if you aren't super hungry, or even good as a snack. I ordered everything through the app and picked up everything in the drive-thru. I hope they consider eco-friendly initiatives in the future, as I didn't spot any specific sustainability practices or see any mention of them on their website. They're located in a shopping plaza with plenty of free parking in their lot. Service was really friendly. The interior is cute, modern and casual with plenty of inside seating, however, not sure about outside seating. There was hardly a wait when I came on a Friday at 3:30 PM. For the quality and quantity, I think the price is fair.

Street view
Roselia G.

Everything here is really good, and pretty healthy. The beef and chicken bowls with their Waba sauce are delicious. Even their salads are very flavorful and filling. This location has a drive-thru which is great, but there's plenty of seating inside with big and small tables, and a good size patio. It's always great option for lunch or dinner.

chicken bowl topped with green onions over white rice = $10.87

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2 years ago

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4 months ago

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

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3 months ago

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9 months ago

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7 months ago

2nd time coming here through drive thru and 2nd time they messed up on my order. They can't even provide any utensils!

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8 months ago

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10 months ago

Waba is always bomb they gave me the escabeche and green onions like I asked . Always a pleasure

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Love the drive thru. Food was hot chicken was not dry. And will return more often since I work in the area.

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11 months ago

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

They need to quit it with majority of rice and little protein. Thats why I stopped coming here.

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2 years ago

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6 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

Food tastes much better than my last experience years ago, but they are heavy on the rice and don't give enough meat. Boooo.

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4 years ago

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Ask the Community - WaBa Grill

VOX Kitchen - Fountain Valley - Corn Ribs, Carne Asada Fries, Hamachi Tostada, Carne Asada Tostada

VOX Kitchen - Fountain Valley

4.5(8.3k reviews)
1.4 mi
•$$
Established in 2017
Pet friendly

Ambiance is lively but not too loud. The restaurant is pretty big. We went around 5pm on Saturday…read moreand no wait. Service was incredible. Derick was a great waiter and explained the dishes very well. He helped us decide what to get and we were NOT disappointed. The crudo was delicious to start. Refreshing so the a little kick! The beef soup was wonderful! So hearty and flavorful! The Saltado with filet was really good. The filet was so tender and a very generous about of meat. It's incredible that the fries stay crispy! Desert was refreshing if you have room. It is rare to find a restaurant with such fresh ingredients and so much flavor! Love this spot!

I did not have a good experience with the dishes I ordered today; I've been to Vox decades ago when…read morethey haven't expanded to south coast plaza or part of the Kei concept - which is fine! But I have dined at the Costa Mesa location last year and the flavor of the dishes were great! I remembered the filet mignon and fries dish was amazing with great flavors - today, there was something missing. The depth of flavor with this dish wasn't 100% there! It lacked flavor. The other dish I ordered was the beef and mushrooms! I remembered I enjoyed this dish a lot the last time I order at South Coast plaza location! It was made with rib-eye and it had a nice bite and flavor to it. Today, the menu called this beef and mushrooms and it was flavorful except , the tiny pieces of beef (not even rib-eye quality) was barley there! It was almost like a vegetarian dish with lots of mushrooms and onions and a little sprinkle of chopped end carne asada leftovers. It was VERY disappointing considering this dish cost $23 (up from $19 last year and it was made with quality rib-eye steak with a good bite). To the manager who is reading this feedback - please do better with the quality. Your name is your reputation and if you want returning customers, keep the quality of your dishes since you have already raised the prices on the menu. The beef and mushroom dish is not cutting it for $23 with barley any meat in the dish, it was more like minced, small finely diced pieces that has no bite or chew to it. And the filet mignon just lack a bit of flavor and quality. It used to be a lot more tender. 2 stars because the waiter was nice and took my dish away and took it off the check, since I wasn't really eating it; but, still didn't really offer any comp for something else to fill my tummy. It's ok, I wasn't looking for a free meal, but it would have been a nice gesture to offer a replacement on the house since the dish was disappointing and I didn't get to enjoy or eat my meal that I planned to chose this place for lunch.

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VOX Kitchen - Fountain Valley - Carne Asada Fries

Carne Asada Fries

VOX Kitchen - Fountain Valley - HamachiTostada

HamachiTostada

VOX Kitchen - Fountain Valley - Corn Ribs

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Corn Ribs

Momonoki - Prosciutto salad

Momonoki

4.2(328 reviews)
2.2 mi
•$$

Headed out to Fountain Valley in OC to check out Momonoki recently for a combined celebration…read moreoccasion. We arrived to the shopping/restaurant plaza just prior to the opening of dinner service on a Saturday. Ample parking out front, blended exterior entrance to other businesses adjacent, and the interior was nicely minimalistic, clean, inviting, room between tables/other diners was good, a/c comfortable, music not intrusive to conversations, noise level would depend on volume of other diners, and we enjoyed the environment during our time there. We had concerns of wait time as our party consisted of 8 people but Momonoki accommodated us immediately. Service was excellent from the moment we entered to when we exited. Staff was attentive, friendly, and informative and the back of the house/kitchen was on point with getting orders out to table. We started with drinks and had a variety of appetizers which led to entrees. Salad was appealing and refreshing, appetizers were tasty, and overall we enjoyed the entrees (ordered all of the most popular and other choices available) as we kind of did family style so we tried everything. Came hungry so portion size initially looked average but our stomachs were full by the end of dinner. In totality, we liked the experience, service, and food on our first time visit. Happy we tried Momonoki in an area of other good restaurants nearby.

Decided to stop by for lunch and arrived at opening and was seated quickly. The waitress told us…read moreabout how the revamped the menu in the past month with bringing back old items and also some new items. The lunch set seemed like such a good idea with the choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert. For four of us, we got two lunch sets and two more pastas. We read that the bread and butter was popular so we decided to try. It came with toasted sourdough with a nice thick butter with miso honey butter that was flavorful. We also got the garlic parmesan fries which was as expected, nice and crispy with grated parmesan on top. We got the miso bacon carbonara which had thick pieces of bacon and heavy creamy and flavorful with slightly spicy kick in the carbonara sauce. The cavatelli had a great depth of flavor without being overpowering from the mushroom sauce. The soy garlic noodles tasted pretty clean without being overly greasy with a slight kick as well from the chili crunch. We all ended with the strawberry lychee ice cream made in house that came with fruit pieces of both lychee and strawberry on the bottom. Lacks the smoothness of churned ice cream so it's more on the ice side but the fresh fruit complements it well. Overall pretty good lunch choice and not too crowded with great variety of options for lunch sets. Great place that is modern and stylish atmosphere to catch up with friends or family with lots of selection and shareable appetizers.

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Momonoki - Inside

Inside

Momonoki - Pappardelle Bolognese

Pappardelle Bolognese

Momonoki - Bolognese papardelle

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Bolognese papardelle

INI Ristorante - Truffle Cheese Bread

INI Ristorante

4.5(4.1k reviews)
1.3 mi
Romantic vibe
Full bar

Second time eating here, this time for my Mom's birthday yesterday (10/04). Been showing my family…read morearound the KEI concept restaurants and they absolutely loved it! Everything we ordered was a hit - I personally loved the duck ragu despite some negative reviews I read. Truffle cheese bread: insane. Spicy miso carbonara: chef's kiss. Everyone else's orders were enjoyed too. Will be back for more celebrations in the future! I didn't get the name of our server, but we were seated in the back room with a party of 8, reservation for 11am. Tall, Vietnamese guy served us and made sure we were taken care of; service was wonderful and professional. So thank you to him!

This spot has an innovative menu and some really good pizza…read more -Mentaiko Pizza: This might be one of my favorite pizzas of all time. Seafood lovers would probably really like this. The mentaiko flavor was just right and went so well with the corn. The octopus pieces were delicious. Imo, the crust was perfect as it was thin and had a nice chewiness. -Truffle Cheese Bread: This was tasty and the honey on the side went well with the bread. -Spicy Miso Carbonara: Noodles had a nice thickness with a perfect al dente texture. Sauce had a classic ham and cheese flavor. Pieces of ham were delicious. -Squid Ink Uni Pasta: The uni is great. Noodles were on the softer side when I had this. -Chocolate Hazelnut Cake: This cake had great texture. The creamy vanilla ice cream on the side was delicious.

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INI Ristorante - Tropical cocktails crafted with house-made ingredients, premium spirits, and island-inspired flavors. Available now!

Tropical cocktails crafted with house-made ingredients, premium spirits, and island-inspired flavors. Available now!

INI Ristorante - Calamari Fritti

Calamari Fritti

INI Ristorante - Spicy Miso Carbonara

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Spicy Miso Carbonara

KIN Craft Ramen & Izakaya - Introducing The Party Pack Bundle: OG Tonkotsu, Chashu Tom Kha, Chashu Fried Rice, Furikake Fries, and Edamame for $45 via Toast Online.

KIN Craft Ramen & Izakaya

4.5(2.3k reviews)
1.3 mi
•$$
Full bar
Takes reservations

We've been here countless times since my last review, and I must say, the food is consistently…read moregood. We came here a couple of days ago with family, and it was the perfect spot. We usually get the vegan ramen with an egg and spicy paste, along with the furikake fries. Everything was delicious, as always, and we'll definitely be back. I also ordered a Diet Coke, but it came out flat. I let our server know right away, and she kindly offered to remove it from our bill since she mentioned it would probably still be flat even if she replaced it. I appreciated her honesty and understanding. Our server was kind and friendly, and everyone was attentive overall. Another great experience.

Visited here during a Saturday lunch, it was not busy at all. Plenty of tables available. Parking…read moreis quite available as well. Its located in the huge plaza shared with other eateries, also with other Kei Concept restaurants. We were seated promptly. The employees here were very friendly and welcoming! There wasn't a whole lot on the menu, which is pretty nice since it's not overwhelming and you know they just specialize on limited items. I got to order the tonkotsu broth and my bf got the tom kha ramen. We also ordered the kaarage on the side. First taste, I thought the Tom Kha ramen was pretty flavorful! I actually liked it more than the Tonkotsu broth. Although, my bf said a lot of the seafood items didn't look fully cooked? but he still ate it and seemed fine at the end of the day haha. I had the tonkotsu broth, which it didn't taste like the authentic Japanese broth? It wasn't as creamy as I expected, but it does have the essence of it. The pork was pretty decent. Ramen noodles were definitely enough, they even offer to give you more for free! My bf did say that the Tom Kha ramen broth does taste overwhelming the more you eat it, so he preferred mines at the end of it lol. Aside from the ramen, kaarage was honestly pretty good! Pieces were very thicc and we enjoyed the sauce that came with it. Overall, ramen was pretty okay. I feel like it doesn't offer the authentic Japanese flavors of ramen, more like a fusion anyways? The service here was pretty nice tho!

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KIN Craft Ramen & Izakaya - Happy Hour is available Sun-Thu from 9pm to 11pm. Excluding holidays. Dine-in only.

Happy Hour is available Sun-Thu from 9pm to 11pm. Excluding holidays. Dine-in only.

KIN Craft Ramen & Izakaya - Chashu Tom Kha Ramen

Chashu Tom Kha Ramen

KIN Craft Ramen & Izakaya - Asahi on draft

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Asahi on draft

CIR Lounge - Hamachi crudo

CIR Lounge

4.4(413 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$$$

I loved my experience at this restaurant, definitely recommend it, and will for sure be back again!…read moreTo start, the atmosphere is really nice with dim lighting and a bar in the middle for drinks! There is plenty of seating and a room that has more seating inside. For food we ordered bone marrow bibimbap, potato korokke, caviar cones, uni unagi chawanmushi, and for dessert, a banana miso cake! The bone marrow bibimbap was well flavored! After allowing us to take pictures, the server helped us scrap the bone marrow and mix the dish together. I enjoyed it a lot, however the rice was a bit hard for my liking. My favorite was the uni unagi chawanmushi which is a steamed egg with uni unagi on top! I loved that one and wished I had ordered more of it. The caviar cones were really tasty as well and there is a little bit of spice in it! Would definitely recommend try it! The potato korokke was also delicious! The sauce went great with it and it was fried perfectly (crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside). I also loved the flavor of the banana miso cake. The ice cream went great with the warm banana cake and the presentation was wonderful. Will definitely be ordering this dessert again!

Amazing good, drinks, and ambience! This place has it out. It really throws you off because it's…read moretucked in a normal food plaza, but when you step inside, the mood is set instantly. Everything is very upscale. It is on the smaller side but surprisingly the restaurant was mostly empty. I have had this restaurant bookmarked since it opened but never had the chance to go. Happy I got to give it a shot, and I will definitely be coming back! Service was great. Very attentive server, busser, and bartender. Drinks 5/5: They have a full bar and they drinks are very well crafted. I ordered the Blue-Eyed Girl and the bartender mentioned the blueberry syrup being made from scratch. FOOD: Keep in mind that all of the dishes come with portions of 3 pcs - SPICY TUNA ON PUFFED RICE 5/5: So flavorful, not too much eel sauce as some places, and I loved that it was served on a rice cracker. Light and airy. - TRUFFLE POMME FRITES 5/5: Served piping hot and so fresh with just the right amount of truffle. - WAGYU SLIDERS 4.5/5: Tender and so flavorful. The buns were very slightly on the dry side but not very noticeable. - CAVIAR CONES 5/5: 3 cones for $18 is a steal! The creme fraise paired so well with the caviar. - HAMACHI CRUDO 5/5 - RAW OYSTERS 4.5/5: These were dressed very well. - BONE MARROW BIBIMBAP 5/5: Came out hot, crispy, and so good! The server was so sweet and brought us an additional bone marrow because our original piece barely had any. We were celebrating two birthdays and they offered two choice desserts on the house: - BANANA MISO CAKE 5/5 - CIR SORBET 5/5: The sorbet was so refreshing Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed everything here and on top of that, the menu was very decently priced. I am definitely coming back.

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CIR Lounge - Restaurant

Restaurant

CIR Lounge - The sliders

The sliders

CIR Lounge - Lobster sashimi

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Lobster sashimi

District 36 Diner - Five-Spice Chicken Fried Steak

District 36 Diner

4.5(145 reviews)
2.2 mi
•$$

What an awesome gem of a spot here in Orange County! I've been eyeing checking District 36 Diner…read moreout for the longest time - ever since they opened up earlier this year - but they have the weirdest opening hours! I always thought of them "as the restaurant with the bizarre hours" - literally four hours a day during the week (closed Mondays) - and only slightly longer hours during the weekend. Upon first stepping foot into the space - you're transformed into an old-school diner with Vietnamese influence. The walls are well decorated in Vietnamese memorabilia. I was greeted by Brian almost immediately - who directed me to a spot "wherever I'd like to sit" - and I opted for one of the booths. Brian - is the co-owner of the diner, but is also part of "old-school" Little Saigon culinary royalty - a descendant of the family that founded the OG Song Long restaurant off Bolsa Ave. that has since shut down (known for their Cha Ca Thanh Long dish - which sadly, you can't get here). He is incredibly warm, genuine, and easy to chat with. After trying to decide between their Bo Kho variations (which is my favorite Vietnamese dish next to pho) - I settled for something new for me - their Five Spiced Chicken Fried Steak - which also comes with two eggs your way (I picked "Sunny Side up"), tater tots, and a Diet Coke. The wait was minimal - and the food was awesome! The tater tots tasted fresh - was perfectly crispy on the outside, soft and yummy on the inside. I found myself eating those first - while letting the gravy seep into my chicken fried steak to soften it up a bit. The chicken fried steak was perfectly flavored - you could almost taste a bit of pho spices with each bite. The homemade gravy was out of this world amazing - making the chicken breading soft enough for me to eat comfortably. The two sunny side up eggs had perfect yolks - I like to poke, and then suck each yolk up - before eating the whites. I appreciate Brian cranking up the AC since I forgot to bring in my portable fan - and it was a pretty warm day. Hoping to check them out again this Saturday for their take on Bun Bo Hue or maybe one of their Bo Kho dishes! Plenty of parking in the shared lot with a Grocery Outlet and Artisan 7 Leaves (which I stopped by after my lunch here). Hope to see them more busy! Brian told me he'd definitely consider opening longer hours during the week if business picks up. Check them out!! They have a unique twist on traditional diner foods with a bit of Vietnamese flair!

This diner is in the same plaza as several other restaurants and cafes. The parking lot was not…read morefull when I got there but it did get busy after. The diner is very clean with interesting artwork and vibrant colors. I got the Five-Spice Chicken Fried Steak, Mama's Crispy Rolls, and a cup of Chicken broth to share. The rolls were hot and crispy with fresh leafy greens. The chicken fried steak was very crispy with a consistency almost like fried chicken. The taste is different from a traditional southern type of chicken fried steak. It had an interesting flavor like a mix of the pho seasoning. It is a brownish yellowish color and tastes a little like curry. It paired well with the tots. This was a hearty but not super heavy brunch dish and having a cup of the chicken broth was perfect to wash everything down. The breakfast burrito looked very good on the menu and I might try that for on another visit. I would recommend this diner for anyone looking for one with a retro modern feel and fusion food and good service.

Photos
District 36 Diner - American diner meets Little Saigon vibes

American diner meets Little Saigon vibes

District 36 Diner - Steak n Eggs

Steak n Eggs

District 36 Diner - Shrimp cerviche

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Shrimp cerviche

VOX Kitchen & Bar - South Coast Plaza - Our NEW Spring/Summer menu! New dishes, new cocktails, new mocktail. Available exclusively at VOX South Coast Plaza.

VOX Kitchen & Bar - South Coast Plaza

4.4(704 reviews)
3.0 mi
•$$
Minority-owned & operated
Happy hour specials

Four stars for attentive service, the waiters always made sure to check in on us and fill our water…read moreglasses. Also LOVED the beef rib congee and the pear arugula salad with bountiful burrata and candied pecans. Chef's kiss to those two dishes. The only thing that would have made this 5 stars was if the filet mignon in the garlic noodles was tender. My cousin ordered that dish and she said the meat, while flavorful, was tough. Will I be back? Yes, but probably would order another type of protein for the garlic noodles if we order it again.

We had a wonderful dining experience at VOX Kitchen a week ago!…read more Both dishes we ordered hit the mark: * Pear Salad: Crisp arugula, candied nuts, and a delicious drizzle--fresh, light, and perfectly balanced. This is an all-time favorite! * Saltado Fries with Salmon: The salmon was cooked perfectly and paired wonderfully with the seasoned fries, onions, broken rice and their special signature aji sauce. * Lychee Lemonade: Super refreshing, perfectly sweet for me, and you can't beat the free refills! The food, presentation, and attentive service from Edmond were top-notch. Thank you KEI Concepts for bringing modern Chifa cuisine to The OC!

Photos
VOX Kitchen & Bar - South Coast Plaza - Carne Asada Fries. Part of our new Spring/Summer menu at VOX Kitchen & Bar.

Carne Asada Fries. Part of our new Spring/Summer menu at VOX Kitchen & Bar.

VOX Kitchen & Bar - South Coast Plaza - Corn Ribs

Corn Ribs

VOX Kitchen & Bar - South Coast Plaza - Hamachi & Carne Asada Tostadas. Part of our new Spring/Summer menu at VOX Kitchen & Bar.

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Hamachi & Carne Asada Tostadas. Part of our new Spring/Summer menu at VOX Kitchen & Bar.

WaBa Grill - asianfusion - Updated October 2026

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