After a long walk with a friend in Irvine, we felt like icy cold Korean noodle soup and found Yoo's Place on Yelp. Located in a somewhat hidden strip mall, YP is a mid-sized restaurant serving up Korean classics like kalbi jjim (braised beef shirtribs), soondubu jiggae (hot and spicy tofu stew), the cold naengmyun that we were craving along with popular Korean snacks such as dukkbokki (spicy rice cakes), and mandu (dumplings). We were happy to find them open on the 4th of July and although busy, we were able to get a table right away. The large Korean clientele and delicious smells radiated legitimate K-food. After perusing the menu we decided on one naengmyun, an order of kalbi, and mandu twigeum (deep fried dumplings). Silverware, cups/bowls, napkins, and plates along with vinegar, soy, and hot mustard and water are already on the table. There was also an insulated pitcher of hot broth on the table which was nice and it was delicious. We were given a nice variety of banchan - cabbage/radish/cucumber kimchis, stir fried fishcakes, steamed squash, and acorn jelly. All were fresh and tasty. The naengmyun came out first and had a lovely icy broth that was well seasoned. It is served with pickled slices of radish a couple slices of beef, cucumber, and a half boiled egg. Be sure to mix well as the spicy sauce sits on the bottom. The table hot mustard and vinegar are there for you to add to the soup for a bright spicy kick. Very delicious! The kalbi comes on a sizzling metal plate - solid. The fried mandu came out freshly fried and plump with meaty filling - these are yummy dipped in chocolate ganjang, a dipping sauce made of soy and vinegar. Overall we really enjoyed YP. Service was quick and friendly. Pricing is on the higher side, but for the taste and quality, I am on board. Will definitely be coming back to try other dishes. read more

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The food is good & plentiful with an interesting menu. Lots of banchan free add ons. Servers are on top of refills, friendly & knowledgeable about the various menu items. I had a green onion & seafood pancake which was delicious & huge; enough for 2 or 3 people. The warm bone broth was a pleasant substitute for tea which they don't have. None of the spicy sides were too hot (2/5) for those who like it cool. read more

This place is such a hidden gem! Got the yukgaejang which was yummy but I could probably pass so I can try other things next time. Also got kalbi jjim with cheese which was so good. Very kindly they cut the meat off the bones for us. Naengmyun was free!! Inside was clean and nice. Can't wait to go back! OO they also give you a hot bone broth in a thermos to drink which I loveddddddd read more

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Solid place for traditional korean food. I really liked the airiness of the restaurant, how big the table was, and how they had all the plates, utensils, water/tea available at the table. Banchan was great. We got the stone bibimbap and it was warm and delciious. The meat had a great flavor to it and everything blended well together. Maybe there was too much rice but it worked out fine. And lots of veggies came with it too! Felt like a healthy dish :) read more

Yoo's Place - bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

I was finishing up something later in the evening and we were nearby so we decided to stop by and get some dinner. Irvine's really grown in their Korean restaurants and this is also a great addition to the rotation. It's a very cute and cozy dining atmosphere - feels like a cafe. We came close to closing time so it wasn't too busy. We got seated very quickly and were able to order as quickly as well. There is a huge menu on the wall but there's also laminated menus to look at. We got some Yukdaejang and Galbi. Both came with purple rice and a complete set of banchan. Normally smaller places come with only one or two banchan so I was super happy to see a wide assortment! We got some kimchi, cucumber kimchi, beansprouts, acorn jelly, and fishcakes. We also got some complimentary bone broth which was lovely to sip on the chilly night. The yukdaejang was great - spicy and slightly sour with some beef, glass noodles, and cabbage. Huge fan of the soup and broth. The galbi was excellent too! Perfectly marinated and savoury. Will definitely come back! read more

This is my third time coming to this place, and usually food and service are standard. Unfortunately the one time I decide to bring my family, I had an unpleasant experience. In my group of 5, we were planning to share the cold noodle combo with spicy pork and also share the jeyuk and kimchi hot stone plate and that was going to be the perfect amount of food for my group. Especially since two of my family members dont eat much but they wanted to spend time with me and taste the dishes. However, the lady taking our orders told us that one entree and one combo is not enough for a group of five. Since it was rush hour we had to order more or else they wont serve us. After saying that the lady left our table and ignored us for 5 minutes. My family insisted to just order more food and take the leftovers home, so we did.... And guess what, we ended up having to take leftovers home... The food was good, but I ate my food with frustration. This restaurant is not unique in this area and has a lot of competition so this experience discourages me from coming back. read more

My friend and I wanted some korean comfort food and decided to drop by Yoo's! I got the dolpan bibimbap (52) which had lots of seasoned veggies, although I would say it was a 3/5 for me because the gochujang sauce was good but nothing extraordinary. However, I've probably been spoiled by my grandma's korean cooking. The crispy rice at the bottom is my favorite part. The service was also fantastic, although the banchan tasted like it's been sitting out for a bit. I am curious to try their other dishes though! read more

Yoo's Place - 49. Dolpan Bibbimap - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Great place to eat Asian cuisine. We were invited by my family that lives close to the area. Restaurant is simple and chill. Service was quick, efficient and the owner is a really nice woman. Food was delicious too. read more

I'll start by saying that the service was 5 stars. The young woman helping us was extremely kind, welcoming, and attentive. She revisited our table numerous times. They even gave us a free bowl of cold noodles. read more

We ordered food for take out for a Thursday night and the restaurant does take phone orders. The parking is very limited in the plaza they are located but luckily we had our temporary handicap placard. I got the jajangmyung and my husband got the jjamppong. When we opened our take out bag back at the hotel, everything was packaged so well. We each got our own banchan and kimchi. The noodles were separated from the jajang sauce and meat so I could mix it on my own. The temperature of the food held up very well too since we had to feed and put the baby to sleep first. Definitely would come back again for their authentic Korean food :) read more

Yoo's Place - 56. Jajang Myun and 54. Jjamppong - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here for my brother's birthday lunch and was absolutely blown away. The food was incredible - full of bold, rich flavors and dishes I've never tried before. Every bite was a new experience, and I'm still thinking about it hours later! The service was just as amazing - warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. You can tell they care about the food and the people. This was easily the highlight of my day. I'd come back in a heartbeat and bring more people with me next time. read more

Yoo's Place - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Overall 3.5 experience. The fish I ordered did not come out hot. Felt like it was cooked/grilled in advance. It was at room temp. Kind of too blackened for my preferences. Also too salty. But hungry as I was I just kept eating it. Not a good value for the price, it didn't have enough meat on it to eat - it was mostly bones or too many bones. There were about 7 diff banchan offerings. Most were OK. - Kimchi - Radish Kimchi - Fishcake - Pink pickled radishes - Braised dried and rehydrated squash - Braised acorn jello (not quite sure what it was) - Kobacha Squash in a light oniony apple like mayo - THE BEST! They kindly serve hot barley tea in a cannister for you to pour. Love the organized set up of utensils, napkins, plates and bowls on the table. The place is very clean, and brighly lit. Parking is a big congested, tight parking. Service was ok. read more

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Came for lunch on a rainy day and our soup cravings were happily satisfied. We ordered the Yukgaejang Mandu and tteokbokki. The mandu was huge and flavorful. There was lots of vegetables in the soup and it was a mild spice. The tteokbokki was also delicious! We were really surprised how large the rice cakes were. They were cut tableside. I was afraid it would be too hard to chew, but it was the perfect texture. We loved the additional free bone broth provided in a thermos. Service was great as well. They made sure our banchans were filled. The restaurant is clean and bright. Parking was easy too read more

Yoo's Place - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Yoos place was very welcoming and their service was fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed all of our dishes, but my favorite has to be the spicy seafood jjameyon? Not sure how its spelled, but that was so good. Their jokbal was also delicious. read more

Yoo's Place - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

We got here around 6:30 pm on a Friday night and there were plenty of seats but they quickly filled soon after. I got the spicy pork hot stone plate and it was huge! It was pretty oily so it was hard to eat too much of it. I really liked that they had both broth and water available to drink at the tables. The sides were also really good. I probably would return but try another dish rather than the hot stone pots. My friend got a cold noodle and I really enjoyed the taste of that broth. Parking is also plentiful as well in the garage. read more

Yoo's Place - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Probably a 4.5/5! Very friendly service and the Korean food is super authentic and not very expensive. They also have great Chinese Korean dishes. Very clean place with friendly service. Came for the black bean noodles and they really hit the spot. The noodles were bouncy and the sauce had deep flavors that rivals the ones I've had up in LA. The deep fried squid was also pretty tasty and came in a large portion. I do think maybe it was fried more than once as the batter was a little thicker and hardened. Still a tasty appetizer to share though. Overall, would definitely recommend if you're looking for some authentic Korean food that has a diverse selection of more unique and underrated dishes. read more

Found on Yelp and owners (I assume) were super sweet. Tangsuyuk was moist and crispy and sauce was perfect in sweetness. Galbi was super tasty, a little on the sweet side for me, but I'd still order it again. Bibim naengmyun was perfect. Banchan was So good and the sagol gukmol (beef bone broth) was perfect. Will be back! read more

I'm so happy to have found this place. I avoid so many good asian places because parking is terrible, but this plaza has tons of parking in the garage downstairs so parking is a cinch. There's plenty of tables inside and I didn't have to wait to get seated. They also play Korean shows inside which is always nice while waiting for food. The menu is pretty vast, but full on yummy looking dishes. I ordered the Soon Tofu Combo with Beef soon tofu and Bulgogi. This is some of the best Korean food I've had in this area. The banchan is also super delicious and had a couple dishes I haven't tried before. I'm so glad they had free refills. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu! read more

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Came here for dinner on a Saturday night and it was super packed! Parking is limited so park in the free parking garage below... plenty of space. Maybe people don't know about the parking garage and keep circling, crowding the plaza to find parking. Anywhos, I ordered the Naengmyeon spicy cold noodle, and it was super delicious! Food was amazing along with the side dishes they give you, missing my favorite potato one but it's okay... customer service was excellent, the lady was so sweet to check up on me a couple of times since I was dining solo. Clean and cozy, and wait isn't too long even though it's always packed here. They have this marker board outside so that's where you sign you name on the waitlist. read more

Yoo's Place - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I've eaten here many times because the food and service are so good Every time I'm here I get the beef kalbi, a tofu top and something new. The cold noodle with spicy sauce is also delicious even though it's not one of my personal staples. One of my favorite parts about this place is they have a thermos with hot broth which you can drink throughout your meal. This broth is just it's so flavorful and not too salty. The service is also relatively fast, which is nice during rush hours (tho you still have to wait awhile), and it is first come first serve but I know I won't have to bug them because they are very attentive. read more

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Yoo's Place is in a medium sized plaza with an underground parking garage with plenty of spaces. *parking tip* Go down the garage, turn left twice, drive down and park near the stairs. Those stairs will take you directly in front of the restaurant. Came for Friday Lunch ~12:30PM and the place was 75% full. The table comes with hot broth that soothes the soul. I wish every restaurant provided this. Food - Chic Bibim Naengmyun. I've only tried Naengmyun a handful of times, but this was the best I've had so far. I appreciate how they give you a small side of iced broth to add yourself so the noodles don't get soggy or too cold before it arrives. The flavor was perfect. And the noodles were cut by the waitress to the perfect length, not too long or short. Service - Service was quick and kind. Once we sat down the ajumma asked if we were ready to order which shows how many people come in for a quick lunch fix. After ordering the banchan was plated quickly and the main dishes came soon after. We were asked if we wanted any banchan refills halfway through our meal which was nice. It seems like the service was still on top even though they were facing the usual lunch rush read more

Yoo's Place - Hot broth - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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I came with my partner around 3pm on a Tuesday, and was welcomed to an almost completely empty restaurant- ample seating! The start you off with some complimentary soup, which we didn't know what it was at first, because it wasn't explained, and just came in a black water bottle. It was a nice introduction to the cuisine, I believe it was beef broth. We ordered Tuna Kimchi Fried Rice, Tang Soo Yuk, and Jjajangmyun. Portion sizes were perfect and filling! We each finished our own entrees and shared the tang soo yuk, which we took home. The Tang Soo Yuk was my winner and my absolute favorite. It was crunchy, yet easy to bite into. The SAUCE?! PERFECT!!! I would drive far miles to come back if I were craving Tang Soo Yuk. The staff was nice and attentive. They refilled sides and mixed our bibimbap. The entire time, I felt like I was welcomed into someone's home, and made dinner to enjoy after a long day. I was so comforted, and the food was well worth the hour+ that I drove to try this place. read more

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5 STARS for the banchan side dishes, especially the kimchee (and I am not a big kimchee fan.) Good service too, empty dishes are quickly refilled. 5 STARS for the stone pot rice. We ordered beef and mushroom and it really hit the spot. 3 stars for jjamppong seafood noodle soup (good flavor, not too spicy, not too much seafood either, lots of chopped cabbage which is disappointing.) My favorite version of jjamppong seafood noodle soup is "Little China" in Gardena, absolutely worth the drive if you are craving this. 3 stars for ambience. bright, functional, cafeteria-style dining room Instead of hot tea, they give you hot bone broth which is OK, too much white pepper IMO. The portions of mains and appetizers here are GINORMOUS. 2 people can easily share 1 dish plus all the banchans you can eat. Will definitely return for more stone pot rice. Yum! read more

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If I could give this place 6 stars I would! The customer service was amazing. The owner I think gave us complimentary dumplings to try and complimentary cold noodle soup after we ordered the kalbijiim stew with cheese because she made a recommendation and said this will be really refreshing and cool you down after eating the stew: and she was right. Everything we ordered was so good! I'm glad I found this hidden gem spot. This is a great spot for lunch too. They give a crazy amount of sides if you love sides, read more

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I really don't know what happened to this place but when i came here in the beginning it was amazing. I usually went to the Buena Park location because it was one of my go to stops where the manager/owner even recognized us and engaged with us every time we went to go eat. Literally the sweetest lady ever and even remembered i would come with my daughter all the time. She is the only reason I'll give this place 3 stars but i know she cares about the business. I came in here for lunch and ordered cold noodles, the minute I ordered the cold noodles she already gave me the stare and rolled her eyes because I feel like this is the one dish that everybody comes to order and because it's a single dish, they probably don't get a lot of tip out of it compared to a bigger party. I actually observed her treat customers the same exact way and decided to look on Yelp to see if anyone else complained and guess what the same experience and same complaint about how the lady was being rude. Before I even finished my meal, she dropped the check and didn't say one word just literally put the check and tried to leave . Didn't ask if i wanted anything SO i asked her instead. And guess what! When i did she didn't even respond she gave me a rude look and walked to give me more. Please don't hire people that hate their job or hate working with customers because this is not acceptable. I have never ate at a place where i felt literally unwanted in my entire life and me being Korean I understand how they can be but this lady was a whole nother level of rude. FOOD 10/10 SERVICE 0/10 If you're okay with rude service come here for the food. I love their food which really sucks because i really don't think I'll come back to this location I'll come back to the Buena Park location. read more

Love this place. My cousin introduced me for lunch and it was fantastic. Great service, very attentive and kind owners. Definitely plan to be back when I'm in town visiting. Only issue is parking kind of is a pain but arrive early or come later to avoid the lunch madness. You won't regret it! read more

Delicious tofu soup n meats! The service was great and the environment is kids friendly! I will definitely come back! read more

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Delicious Korean food! The food was fresh, yummy, and tasted authentic! My husband and I ordered the Kalbi, Dolpan Kimchi Jaeyuk, and Jjajangmyun. Before the meal, they brought out assorted banchan which I loved! I wasn't sure of all the things I tried, but I ended up really enjoying most of them. They also gave us soup. The food came out pretty fast! Really enjoyed the Dolpan Kimchi Jaeyuk. I especially loved how some of the rice on the bottom got charred and crispy. The Kalbi was also quite yummy and had good flavor. The weakest dish was the Jajangmyun. It was fine, but compared to the other two, was not nearly as flavorful. I also thought the sauce was a little on the oily side and didn't coat the noodles as well as other Jajangmyuns I've had. Overall, yummy Korean food! read more

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Wow! What a tasty place! I was craving some soondubu and wanted to try somewhere not named BCD Tofu and found this location. While the ambiance feels kind of like a cafeteria with the bright flourescents and only the sounds of people eating with no background music, you don't think about it much because you're too concentrated on the food. I got the seafood soondubu and bulgogi combo and price was comparable with other locations. However, the amount of seafood you get in your soup is bonkers! Every spoonful had a piece of squid, shrimp, clam, or mussel. I got so full after a few bites because there was so much protein. The tofu was very soft and silky and the broth was great, the medium spicy was actually medium spicy! My Korean husband got the cold noodles and said "FIVE BIG KOREAN BOOMS! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" The galbi and bulgogi tasted homemade. Even the banchan was super delicious. He said it was one of the best combinations/selections he's had at a Korean restaurant. The bone broth you start off with was also a nice touch. Service was no frills and fast. The food came out in like less than 10 minutes. I definitely would come back to try some of their dishes based on the quality of what I tried today! read more

Yoo's Place - Seafood soondubu is packed with mussels, clams, squid, and shrimp - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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The standout of this casual Korean restaurant was the pitcher of complimentary bone broth that they serve at the beginning of the meal, I loved that they put a lot of white pepper. The soup made the start of my meal so comforting and relaxing. While some of the shared dishes were a little expensive, all of the noodles and soups were more affordable. I tried the haemul kalguksu, which was soothing and filling. I was only able to finish half of my soup and had leftovers for later. The banchan was also fresh and our waiter refilled it frequently, I liked the kabocha one. read more

Yoo's Place - 66. Haemul Kalguksu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Great donkatsu and bajirak kalguksu! Side dishes are excellent, and I loved how they gave every table a yuksu (beef broth) in a thermos. Service was good. Can't wait to try the other dishes. Will definitely be back. read more

Yoo's Place - 32. Donkatsu - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Amazing restaurant I had to come back to back twice in a row! This place has the BEST combos especially their naengmyun with beef combo and even the side dishes are so authentic, nostalgic, and traditional Korean. I love the quality of food here and it feels like home! read more

Yoo's Place - Bulgogi with the Naengmyun (Cold Noodle) combo - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Soooooo good! Korean food for the soul recently had dinner here with friends and we the service was great, they checked on us frequently and made sure we ate food the right way (lol). I ordered some items with my bf, a combo of chic mul naengmyun and kalbi, and jajang myeon! Our friends ordered bibimbap, some other sizzling meat and cold noodle combo! I would return here, I was very satisfied with the meal! read more

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Galentine's 2/14/25 lunch at Yoo's and it was a great choice. Good food all around with good gal friends. We ordered several items and everything is delicious. I am a fan of tofu soon and I ordered the beef soon. Lots of beef and tofu. The soup is not as flavorful as BCD but still good. The sides are delicious and they were generous about coming around and refilling. My gal pals ordered cold noodle, black bean noodle and fried sweet and sour pork. All were delicious. Parking at ground level is limited but they have an underground structure for the whole center with a lot of spaces. Comfortable inside seating. Good service. Please come visit and create your own experience. read more

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I'm giving this place five stars mostly because of the service. Our waitress was very attentive and so kind and so sweet. It was a relaxed environment and the food was good. They gave us some complimentary cold noodles, which were really tasty. read more

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Spicy crab- 3/5: I came to try their new dish and I thought it was okay. There weren't that many crabs. Maybe 3 soft shell crabs total if you add up all the halves and they were on the smaller side so not much meat to eat. The rest was just onions underneath. The sauce was good, but not spicy. 56. Jajang Myun- 3/5: It was a bit bland. I'm unsure if that was because it truly was bland or because the spicy crab sauce had so much more flavor in comparison. read more

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Monday, June 17, 2024 Food is always great. Beware of the rush peak hours... the lines are long. A MUST is their galbitang! If you have not tried their soup drink that they give you is 10/10. Heard they cook it 24 hours. Very warm and comforting. They even sometimes give you a free taste of a meal you didn't get which is so nice!! read more

Yoo's Place - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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TLDR: Easily the BEST Korean restaurant I've ever eaten at, and I've been to quite a list. Without hesitation, Yoo's Place will always make it onto my OC Itinerary whenever I'm in town. - - - - - - Yoo's Place better be your (go to) place, because WOW were the tastes here next level. If I could rank this in my 6/5, I would. The interior is quite cozy, not too much walking space, but a very nice atmosphere. What surprised me was that upon seating, there was a black carafe staring at me. Usually at Korean restaurants, it's a clear one filled with water... and to my surprise it was filled with warm bone broth - wow did that feel like home! I ordered my usual Mixed Soon Tofu; eating alone makes it difficult to order larger dishes. Soon, the side dishes arrived, and when I took the first bite, I knew I was in for a TREAT. The seasoned acorn jelly was the perfect balance of salty and sweet, the sweet and spicy of the radish, kimchi, and cucumbers were spot on. The pink radish? Lightly sweet, refreshing, and snacky. The fish cakes, my least favorite, marinated to perfection... ate 'em all! The next notice was when the Mixed Soon Tofu arrived, the ingredients were such generous portions. Having eaten at a variety of Korean restaurants, Yoo's Place really packs that bowl! Add on an egg and fluffy rice... mmmm! Really can't find a single thing to not like about Yoo's Place! Paying was interesting, with the check handed over within five minutes, though my taste buds were too captivated to notice. With one main cashier / server at the time of visit, I was impressed with how well she took care of the 10-15 parties there - even checking in on the food and drink! When it came time to pay, I walked up, and she insisted that I could wait. How could I? read more

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Portions sizes are insane here I love! Lots of workers come here on their lunch break but service is still super super fast! Have come here many times and think you can't go wrong with anything here, but I especially love the yulmyeon! It's a Korean-Chinese seafood noodle dish you don't usually see at restaurants and a must try! read more

Yoo's Place - 34. Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

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Was craving korean food and stumbled upon here. I've tried a lot of soft tofu soup and LA galbi but wow, they give you big portions here plus meat was tender and flavorful. Food tasted fresh and they were quick too! Didn't have to wait long. I especially loved the pumpkin banchan..first time trying it. Their soups are light and they even give you free bone broth while waiting to warm up the tummy. I think we came later in day so it wasn't too loud in there or too crowded. Lighting was great and table was spacious. We didn't order but I saw a squid appetizer at table next to us, I was shocked by how big the plate was cause normally most places give you little and mostly batter but it looked good. Def need to be back to try more items! read more

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