Poke is all the rage these days and it has made it's way down to South County. Wow Bento is sandwiched in a corporate business park so make sure you have your GPS on upon your first visit. Just look for those umbrellas outside as there is no prominent signage. They are not nearly as flavorful as Pokinemtry BUT they do have other benefits. For one poke bowl at $8, you have the following options: Step 1: White or brown rice. Step 2: (Choose up to 4) Avocado, cucumber, crab meat, onion. Step 3: (Choose up to 3) Spicy Tuna, tuna, shrimp, scallop, tofu, salmon, albacore, octopus, tamago. Step 4: No spicy, mild, medium, hot. Step 5: Ginger, masago, green onion, wasabi. I typically only get cucumber and crab meat in my bowl but since Wow Bento allows you to choose up to 4, I doubled up on both. Pokinometry doesn't allow you to do such a thing, with the exception of the fish. I was ecstatic knowing I was about to get a double scoop of the imitation crab. While Wow Bento is the first poke place that hits the spice level right on the nose, the flavor falls a bit short. The concoction is salty and spicy but you can easily tell that it is lacking the flavor that Pokinemtry has perfected. Their imitation crab mix is on the healthier side as it drier with little mayo but that's something I can appreciate! Friendly tip: If you're on a time crunch, order ahead online directly through their website www.wowbentoca.com. Their site is also mobile-friendly so you can access the ordering system through the Yelp app. I'm in and out of that place within minutes! Extremely convenient. read more

Wow Bento - Order ahead online so it's ready when you get there. Thanks Eat24! - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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A solid 3.75 stars but I gave 4 stars to the online ordering system. Compared to the other poke spots thats been popping up in OC this one is not so bad. But Poke District & Pokinometry is definitely better. :: ONLINE ORDERING / PICKUP :: 1) To avoid long lines during their rush hour place your order online. The website was convenient & easy to use. An account is needed to place order(s). 2) There is a note section online where one can place requests. 3) BASIC (avocado, cucumber, crab meat & onion) -- I like how they let you choose how many of each up to 4 (optional). For example: 2 crab meat & 2 avocado. 4) FISH (spicy tuna, tuna, shrimp, scallop, tofu, salmon, albacore, octopus & tamago) -- you can choose up to 3 (required) for reg bowl 5) TOPPING (ginger, masago, green onion & wasabi) -- I like how they let you choose how many of each up to 4 (optional). 6) After you place your order online they do send you an email confirmation & pick up is ready in 20 minutes. 7) The place is super tiny that you can't tell you can just go straight up to the register & pay for online/to-go orders. It's tight getting in & out of the entrance. Line was long & I waited in the line not knowing! =\ :: POKE BOWL/SALAD :: Onto the poke... -- Taste wise it's good but NOT the best. Something is lacking -- the sauces & the quality of the fishes. Salmon & Scallops were good but not so much with the albacore & tuna. -- Sizes of the fishes were comparable to the sizes like at Pokinometry. -- Portion of the fishes given here is not as generous as Poke District. I got jipped on my salad bowl. -- Price wise, for a reg bowl it's a lil cheaper than the other poke spots. $8+tax. I was able to do 1/2 brown rice & 1/2 salad for 1st order & the 2nd order a salad bowl. For some reason my salad came with a smaller quantity of fishes?! I don't like inconsistancies but I'll check back again for I hate to judge just by my one time experience esp when it wasn't horrible. :: NOTES :: 1) No restrooms in this establishment 2) Hearing the staff speak to each other, it's ran by koreans & not Japanese. 3) Salad dressing they use Ponzu sauce. 4) Best pay cash otherwise they charge extra for using cards read more

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This is my go to for poke! Big servings that are worth the price and they serve you quickly. It's very small inside, no seating just order and go. They offer chips and drinks as well if you're into that. It's in an office complex, very unassuming and their hours are short each day, just fyi. If you're looking for good poke bowls this is your place! read more

I'm so glad I found this place! Next to Yoshino Japanese Deli in Carlsbad, which is my gold standard for poke in SoCal, Wow Bento comes pretty close. I got the poke bowl with tuna and salmon and the mild sauce. I love how the bowls come with avocado crab meat too. Tasted very fresh and the sauce was very good. Traditional and non-gimmicky. I like me poke on the simpler side without crazy sauces, toppings, etc. and the bowls here fit the bill. Pricey? Maybe. But Yoshino is also pricey and portions are about the same. I don't mind paying as long as the quality of the fish is fresh. They even gave me some torched salmon belly to try on the house. It was delicious! Location wise, they are tucked deep in an industrial park mall, so I would never have known about them if not for Yelp. The place is very small so it's a true mom-and-pop. Love supporting local small businesses and this one is a real gem. Definitely will be a regular from now on! read more

Wow Bento - Salmon and tuna poke bowl - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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With all these new Poke spots opening up in Orange County, its hard to declare a real winner. One place has this, while the other place has that... How do we decide? Well first we start by trying ALL of them.. Wow Bento. And Woooooow... Bento. As un-authentic and un-appealing that name is... the poke bowls are as authentic and tasty as ever. If you've been to other "build your own" poke spots, this place is just like that. It must be a 100sq ft space where they are preparing food, with 2-3 tables total (including outside)...but inside is so remeniscent of poke spots in Hawaii. (Most spots in hawaii are TOGO, because most Poke joints are markets/groceries) You can go in to look and order, order online, or order over the phone. Their ingredients you can build with are on their online ordering form. It takes abut 20 minutes to be ready to pick up, or they will deliver within 2 miles (my guess is for the business buildings that surround them). I picked mine up after an online order, didn't wait a second. Down to brass-tax... the fish is fresh, and so are the ingredients. The bowls are generous in portions, though the serving of fish is just on par with everyone else (hey sashimi grade fish is expensive, we know!) Choose all the sides and up to 3 types of protein (salmon, albacore, tuna, spicy tuna, scallop, octopus, tofu) put it over over white or brown rice, or on top of a salad, choose your sides (crab meat, ginger, onions etc.) and you're got a Wow Bento Bowl for $8. Small joint, high capactiy, good food. This place is awesome. (And by this place, I mean, the place in Lake Forest. If you're googlemaps is telling you to go into deep Irvine, next to a park an school, you've got the wrong place!) read more

Wow Bento - Pokebowl w/ Salmon, Albacore and spicy Tuna + all the sides. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

$8 for a poki bowl. Fish was reasonably fresh, but not as fresh as Pokinometry. It's kinda a hole in the wall hidden in a commercial complex. The line moved quickly, and the online ordering process was simple and quick. My order of 8 poki bowls were ready in 20 minutes as promised. The gave us the ordering sheet and labeled the bowls accordingly. Confusion eliminated. The cons- One of our orders was incorrect and they added crab meat, which she didn't order, to my vegan friend's poki bowl. Next time I would not include wasabi as a topping because they gave you wasabi in a tiny plastic sealed package like soy sauce. That should not be count as a topping! Oh well, we learn from experience don't we :) read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Best Poki in OC. I eat here twice a week almost every week. Only time it has ever been questionable is on Mondays, but as a rule now I don't eat Poki on Mondays anyway, too many bad experiences. There is a little side patio to eat but best to take it to go. read more

So glad Irvine has a poke restaurant/shop! I'd say this place is comparable to Pokinometry and so much closer! Eats: choose between poke bowl (with brown or white rice), poke salad, Nacho, or wrap! As for the fish, choose up to 3 kinds! Imitation crab, cucumber and avocado included. Spice level based on your daring palate!! I had the sauce lightly added and it was perfect! Although the sauce selection isn't much compared to Poke District or North Shore. Fish quality is average and similar to Pokinometry. Location: in the middle of business buildings off of Bake exit. It's a hidden charm. Cleanliness: average. Nothing spectacular but seating areas are clean. Everyone seems to clean up after themselves like normal civilized people. Price: Fair. 2 poke bowls and 1 bottled water was less than $20. read more

Wow Bento - Poke bowl: spicy tuna, tuna, albacore - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I just had a quick lunch to-go. I ordered a brown rice poke bowl with spicy tuna, salmon, & albacore. It was a pretty good amount of food for me. And it tasted so good that I ended up finishing the entire bowl easy. No leftover. read more

Wow Bento - Poke Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Hidden gem poke spot, the fish here is always fresh and better quality than most other "popular" places. Order ahead since the line can get a bit long at lunch, but they move pretty quick still. read more

This is the first time leaving 1-star review on Yelp because I just had the worst customer service ever. I hope no one will get the same experience since I am sharing the fair warning with my friends and family who used to go there. This store handles raw fish, and I hope they take it seriously even though they might not do it for the customer service. I am taking the time and leaving this comment because I hope the store management is aware of the level of their customer service and improve. A worker (a male who spoke Korean) who answered my phone call was unbelievably rude and raised his voice with irritation when I addressed the issue with a misplaced item. It would be much appreciated if he calmly asked the info instead of yelling at me and saying "WHAT'S THE PROBLEM !!??" "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO haha!!??" My husband was surprised because this worker's voice was too loud and he could hear him yelling at me on the phone. Additionally, this worker was constantly talking to someone else in Korean while on the phone and laughing when I addressed there was a mistake in my order. It was intimidating and humiliating to be treated that way while the store failed to meet the expectation of placing the requested food in the bowl. I paid in full for the service they promised and added a tip to express my gratitude (being done online beforehand). I drive 30 min to get their poke bowls even though there are more options nearby my place just because it's recommended by my family member. I am feeling terrible for the overall experience with this store. It felt like I did something wrong. Sadly, the worker did not siggesst anything to compensate for the unsatisfactory service and said a very casual "sorry!" right before me hanging up the phone for the first time. If this service is the store standard, sorry for asking too much! I hope you will do well. read more

I had just started working in the area and was searching for some lunch. Wow Bento was the first thing that caught my eye and growling stomach. I've been here a handful of times now and it's always consistent. It's a small and friendly mom & pop shop hidden within a business area. There's a few small tables and counter seats inside, as well as some outdoor seating. It's a great place for a quick lunch or dinner. They also have the option of ordering your food online for pick up, perfect for those on a time crunch during lunch break. The poke bowl is my favorite item to order and it does not hurt my wallet. There's four steps in personalizing your food at a set price of about $8. I always get the poke bowl with tuna and salmon, brown rice, medium spicy with all the toppings and fixings. It's simple, delicious, and filling! All the ingredients are fresh and the portions are perfect. My appetite is always satisfied and I never have to worry about heading back to work with a food coma. read more

Wow Bento - Brown rice poke bowl with spicy tuna, salmon, and albacore. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Located in an industrial office neighborhood, Wow Bento is a small take-out type of place. It has about 5 counter seats and 3 tables, 2 which are outside. During lunch rush it's hard to find a spot to sit so I recommend avoid that time or take it to go. They also have an online ordering system and local delivery. You can get a poke bowl, salad, nachos, or a wrap. Everything is about $8. For rice they have both white and brown rice options. For the poke options, they have tuna, spicy tuna, salmon, shrimp, egg, tofu, albacore, & octopus. Great place to drop by if you're craving poke because there aren't that many options in the area! read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Wow Bento is A-OK. It's a small little shop inside a business complex. A bit hard to find at first. I think their bowls are A-OK. Not much sauce to make the bowls more flavorful. Also, the fish didn't taste as fresh. Not bad for what it is. They also have poke wraps & nachos if you wanted that instead. I do really like their order online option. It's quick & easy! AS ALWAYS, NOM FOR LIFE! read more

All ingredients are great quality. Service is fast and the line is never long. They have a range of spiciness and if you are the type that likes spicy then they can make your mouth burn. read more

Wow Bento - Poke Bowl Green Tea - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Fast, high-quality poke bowls. I was skeptical about using a small hole-in-the-wall for a last minute work lunch. This place did not disappoint! Several options for protein (calamari, shrimp, tuna, crab, salmon) and toppings (seaweed, sesame seeds, etc.). Definitely worth a visit! read more

Did not like this place at all. $9.50 meal for 3 scoop option (tiny spoons) and a can of Coca Cola. Servers lack communication/social skills= odd vibe. Literally only 4 side options: Masago, seaweed, ginger, green onion. I added them all (picture). I asked for soy sauce on the side and she gave me one packet. I was going to tip my change but she spilled it through my hand on the counter and walked away. I kept my change and still don't know if I did something for them to be so unpleasant to me read more

Wow is right! All my favorite parts of Sushi in a bowl. This is like a Chipotle for Poke! Why isn't this place in the Spectrum or a fancy building? The ambiance is that of a sandwich shop in an industrial complex, but the food is fist class! Yup, I am coming back again read more

Wow Bento - Poke bowl done right! - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

The only Wow about this place is Wow, there isn't any bento! The name of this place is totally misleading. We rocked up all excited for some Japanese bento food - karaage, teriyaki, katsu, miso soup etc. and found that they only serve poke bowls. So that kind of started us on the wrong foot. The food itself was good, but you know how it is when you are expecting one thing and get another. They have limited seating outside, we were lucky to get a table. No toilets and cash is best. Parking is also limited, again we were lucky and got a spot right outside. If I went again, I'm sure it would be a 4 star. read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

got this place recommended by a friend of mine. i definetly was not disappointed! i will be back and will try the monster bowl next time! love this place read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Came for lunch the food was decent, customer service was okay, but I am positive I got a bad batch of salmon as i have been dealing with food poisoning symptoms for the past few hours . Wanted to have a new lunch spot to frequent. read more

Wow Bento is my go-to. Whenever I am craving sushi or a sushi burrito, no other restaurant can satisfy my hunger like they can. They are a small-family owned shop and that atmosphere makes me love them even more. The fish always taste incredible. I love the addition of textures and flavors. You get the buttery fish, smooth avocado, and CRONCH of the onions. Ahh my mouth is drooling right now just envisioning it. If you're in the SoCal area, it's worth a visit for yourself and to bring visitors. read more

This place was like a clone of my favorite poke place. It was a little hard to find-it's in a business center and is very small. They close early-at 6-so when I got there at 5:30 I got the very last pieces of salmon in the tin. Nevertheless, my bowl was still delicious. The shrimp is the good, "meaty" kind, and everything is fresh. My only complain is that they didn't have shredded seaweed or sesame seeds (only furikake). Avocado is extra, and you only get a small ball of a scoop. Service is friendly and fast! It wasn't very distinguishable for me from many of the poke places I've been to. read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Believe it or not, I still love their food even after getting food poisoned there once. I chalk it up to a known salmonella outbreak at the time, but it took me over 6 months to start coming back to eat. The bowls here are relatively inexpensive. and I get the spicy poke bowl (pretty hot) about once a week, much better flavor than other local spots in my opinion. If you like poke asian spicy style, go get yourself a bowl at Wow Bento. P.S. the place has very few tables so be prepared for takeout. read more

This is the freshest most delicious raw fish. The poki bowl is perfect . Friendly people and I have been going there for a year. It is hidden but worth finding great customer service. Price is good . You will love the salad or poki bowl read more

I'm pretty picky with poke bowls but this place is BOMB. They are quick, efficient and the fish is fresh! If you need a poke fix, go here! read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Had this place for the first time a couple days ago and it was by far the best Poke I've ever had in my life! It seems like the place is run by just two people and they were quite friendly. You could tell that the fish was super fresh and they had lots of different options for toppings and even spice levels. I got their medium spice level and it had a very nice kick to it. Their spicy tuna, salmon, albacore, and crab were all super fresh and delicious. I will definitely be coming here instead of any other place for poke from now on. read more

Such good poke bowls! Super fresh and good sized portions. Would definitely recommend!

This poke place is very good. The rice is a little dry and their ahi tuna is on that same dryness level. Also the scoops they use for the protein are super small. Other than that it's a quick lunch spot and they have seaweed salad which is my favorite. My only issue was the rice was dry/stale tasting. read more

i worked around the area and this was hands down the best poke place i've ever been to! i'm from orange and i even took a bowl to my husband and we still talk about it till this day. SO GOOD! read more

Random location but the taste was amazing! They didn't have the flavors listed as spicy mayo, shoyu Etc so at first I was disappointed but then I tried it and WOW.. it was such a clear, tasty flavor. The portion ratio was all just the right amount. I'd come back if I were in the area read more

I've worked here in the past and I can confirm that everything is fresh, quality, and tasty. It's been 2 years since I left the job for school but the taste still hasn't gotten old. read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

This is the best poke I've had in California. Fish was so fresh and the sauce was very flavorful. Great customer service too!!!

Updating my review. I've been a pretty consistent customer for the past year and I've noticed they've started seriously losing quality in their portions. My $10 bowl was half empty when I went to eat it at home. I ordered online and maybe they feel like they can get away with this because I wasn't there watching them make it, but I am seriously disappointed. Won't be ordering online from here anymore. read more

Wow Bento - Half Poke Bowl, ordered online and came half empty - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Absolutely delicious! This place makes it very difficult to want to have poke from anywhere else. They kind of choose the sauces for you but they know the combinations that work best. You can still choose whatever you want but I let them. The price is reasonable for the freshness and quality of the ingredients. It's a little hole in the wall place, definitely worth discovering read more

Wow Bento - Poke Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food is pretty good but the staff are a bit on the rude side. I came in early to have lunch after my class, they seemed annoyed that I arrived five minutes before open, even though I waited outside until 10am. Not very welcoming atmosphere. The staff serving me kept making faces at me while I made my selection. Maybe I was imagining it but it seemed like she was judging my choices? I don't know. Weird experience, the food wasn't good enough to merit the overall experience. Won't be going back. read more

I am glad I read other Yelp reviews before I attempted to come to Wow Bento because, boy, this places is in a really odd place and very hidden. It is located in Irvine, on the border of Lake Forest, in an older industrial business park. I drove past it once and then came back when I saw the straw umbrella outside. Thank you, Yelpers for that tip because I would have been driving back and forth trying to find this place, otherwise. I was greeted by the friendly staff when I walked in. The 5 steps of building your poke creation is on menu boards in front of you. I chose to have a bowl. They also have options of your poke in nacho, salad or wrap form. You then decide if you want onions, avocado, onion and cucumber and then you pick your protein, next choose how spicy and finally which toppings do you want. I was the only person in the store when I was there, so I took my time. My poke bowl was comprised of this: White rice, crab, avocado, onion, cucumber, tuna, shrimp, albacore, green onion and masago, medium spice While my poke bowl was good, I didn't say, WOW. like the the name of this place. With all that stuff in the bowl I was hoping for more flavor. The fish just seemed ok to me. My bowl did not seem that flavorful to me and perhaps it was because the fish tasted like maybe it had been frozen to me. I am not sure. Staff was really accommodating and helpful. There are not a lot of options for poke in South OC, it is nice that Wow Bento is close in proximity to me for a local poke option, read more

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The poke craze has made its way down to Irvine in the form of this Pokinometry-style restaurant "Wow Bento." It's a humble little spot in a business neighborhood and it's actually pretty easy to miss so keep an eye out for the "grand opening" sign or "sushi" sign. It's pretty tiny inside - there is one table and a few chairs lined up against the counter on the wall, and another few spots to sit outside, so you may have to take your order to-go. Food is prepared Chipotle-style, so you choose your type of entree, types of fish, toppings, and level of spiciness for your sauce and they'll prep it on the spot. You can get either a traditional pokebowl (white or brown rice), nachos, a salad or a wrap (also includes white or brown rice) which is essentially a poki burrito. "Meat" options include tuna, spicy tuna, albacore, salmon, octopus, egg, tofu, scallop and shrimp. I opted for a poke bowl with spicy tuna, salmon and albacore with medium spicy sauce. Overall the bowl was pretty good - no complaints about the fish, and the sauce wasn't overpowering. I'll try the spicy sauce next time. You don't get a ton of fish, but for eight dollars I'm not complaining. I do feel that their fish selection was pretty limited but the bowl I ordered was good and my poke craving was satisfied. It's nice to have a poke option nearby now. Since I can't rate half-stars I will give them the benefit of the doubt and round up to 4 stars - I will be returning. read more

Wow Bento - Poke bowl with salmon, tuna and spicy tuna. - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

This poke place reminds me of a small mom and pop place. Staff is nice, fish is fresh and the service is pretty quick. It's right in the middle of a bunch of business but there's a big sign that says poke so hopefully you don't miss it when you're looking for the place. They have one flavor then they ask you how spicy you want it. I said medium and the spice wasn't too bad. This place gets extra points cause they don't charge extra for avocado. Lots of seating outside the shop. Parking was easy. read more

Wow Bento - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

I finally gave in last week and ate poke for the first time during an office lunch. I must be the last Yelper on Earth to try poke. I ordered the Monster Bowl that includes 5 types of cubed seafood mixed in a tart poke sauce. It's hard to determine whether the fish was fresh from its taste since a cloy and creamy sauce containing mayonnaise was applied directly onto the seafood. However, based on the fact that Wow Bento occasionally sells out and the restaurant is closed on weekends, the high turnover suggests that all the ingredients they use are reasonably fresh. The cucumbers, avocado, and imitation crab in my bowl were pleasantly refreshing and definitely not spoiled. My favorites in the Monster Bowl were the albacore and octopus. Through all the sauce, the albacore still retained some natural "seared" flavor. I particularly liked its meaty texture. The octopus was my second favorite. Because the octopus had been properly softened, it had the reasonable tender/slightly chewy mouthfeel. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the white rice and wasabi. I'm not sure if Wow Bento uses proper technique for preparing Japanese sushi rice, because the rice didn't taste like it was mixed with any vinegar. The white rice tasted extremely plain. In addition, the wasabi was the worst I've ever had. It was a watery paste that had originated from a cheap squeeze bottle. The flavor of horseradish was way too harsh and overbearing to pair with seafood. I personally prefer chirashi bowl or bara chirashi over a poke bowl, but since Wow Bento's poke sauce was not overwhelmingly heavy and the ingredients were reasonably fresh and refreshing, I may consider trying it again. read more

Wow Bento - Wasabi.... - Japanese Near Me - Irvine, California

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