Was a little nervous with it being a small and unfamiliar shop-WOW was I pleasantly surprised-Great food, service, and staff!!!

Hugggeee fan of the yubu and the fresh yellowtail, especially the yellowtail in that donburi. Ohhh man that went down smooth. Each item is prepared with obvious care and attention to detail. Lunch specials quite reasonable I'm impressed and will be back. read more

Yubuya - Spicy Scallop Yubu Soy Marinated Tuna Yubu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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If you're looking for a place to eat, please check out Yubuya! They have the absolute best yubu ever! Not only is the family that runs the business absolutely incredible, but the food is to die for! I typically order online and pick-up in-store. Everytime I order, they make sure to wait until I arrive to pack up my udon to ensure that it stays hot. The dedication and care that goes into making the food and packaging everything is beyond incredible! My go-to order is their Soy Marinated Salmon Yubu and Creamy Onion Salmon Yubu. I also always grab Udon with my order as well. It is perfectly sized so that you have enough room in your stomach to enjoy the udon and yubus!! If you're looking to support a small, local business, please please please stop by Yubuya! They deserve all the support in the world read more

Flavorful Nigiri & Great Service A solid, casual spot whether you're looking for a quick dine-in meal or a takeout option. The staff here is super nice, which makes the experience even better. Flavor Profiles: I really enjoyed that the nigiri and yubu come pre-seasoned/flavored. It adds a nice touch and keeps the flavors consistent without needing much extra. Portions & Pricing: You'll likely need to spend at least $20 for a full meal. read more

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Have been here many times - always here for the lunch specials whenever I can make it in time for that. I eat a lot and usually 4 yubus plus a miso soup or cucumber salad is enough to fill me up for a meal! Great flavor, portion and freshness. The salmon here is my go to and I love that they have many other options. read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I absolutely love frequenting this establishment! There is a deal that I always get: buy 3 yubus and get a free miso soup. When I'm hungry, I'll get another Yubu! My favorite flavors are the fresh salmon, seared salmon, creamy onion salmon, fresh yellowtail, and seared tuna. The fish is really fresh and when combined with the sweetness of tofu skin...perfection! The workers are really nice and friendly! I always like saying hi to them. There is some searing both inside and outside! It's limited but I've always had a spot to sit when I came. They also have a bathroom to use too. There a large parking lot so no need to worry about parking. read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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We drove here all the way from LA because I wanted to try this place so much. I even flipped through the menu the night before because I was so excited to try it. Soooo worth it. Everyone was right: the creamy onion salmon was so freaking good and my favorite one. It was the right amount of savory and tangy. I also enjoyed the other crowd favorite, soy marinated salmon, and it was also super yummy. It had a different flavor profile than I would have expected. The seared tuna was also tasty and I really enjoyed the toasty char taste. The people working here were super nice too :) Parking was easy and ample in a strip mall. I also liked the music they played. Hehe read more

Yubuya - Seared tuna, unagi, another seared tuna - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Got the seared salmon, creamy onion salmon, soy marinated salmon yubu and all really good! Perfect quick lunch option. My favorite was the soy marinated salmon. I liked the vinegar rice too. Buy 3 Yubus to get a free miso soup! The store is small with a few bar tables. The staff were really friendly and helpful. It's located in a plaza with easy parking. read more

Yubuya - Seared Salmon Creamy Onion Salmon Soy Marinated Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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So cute and convenient! Easy parking in this shopping complex. Only has maybe 10 spots max to sit but it's definitely more of a grab and go place. Despite being super convenient and fast - these yubus are made on the spot!! Tofu skins with half rice (at the bottom) and topping (as seen on top). Flavor is amazing and so fresh. It's only lightly sauced and you'd have to buy extra if you need it but i think it's perfectly seasoned. The staff are super sweet and answer all the questions patiently. I can't wait to come back!! read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Was in the nearby area and saw a spot I've had bookmarked was there! We came around lunch on a weekday so it wasn't super busy yet. The store is small, cozy, cute. They have a register or a self order kiosk. The staff is helpful at any question you may have. My partner got the lunch combo with udon, seared salmon, and creamy onion salmon. I got the set of 3 with creamy onion salmon, eel (unagi), and soy marinated salmon. His favorite was the creamy onion salmon. Mine was the soy marinated and the onion salmon. The lot has parking as it's in a little shopping plaza. Will stop by again when I'm in the area. read more

Yubuya - TOP: Creamy Onion Salmon & Seared Salmon BOTTOM: Creamy Onion Salmon, Unagi (eel), & Soy Marinated Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Cute cozy little spot to grab some delicious inari sushi! The sweet tofu skin, with seasoned rice, makes for the perfect base for salmon, tuna, and other delicious topping choices. Love that they offer lunch specials here, and if you order 3 or more inari, they give you a free miso soup! Got the Fresh Salmon, which you can't go wrong with! The Soy Marinated Salmon, which was soo good, I loved the sweet and savory soy flavor! And then the Unagi, which had a sweet smoky flavor which I enjoyed too, good option if you don't want raw fish. The staff here were also the sweetest! Few seats available inside and outside too. read more

Yubuya - Unagi, Soy Marinated Salmon, Fresh Salmon Inari - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

If I could only pick ONE restaurant to eat at every week, it would be Yubuya in Costa Mesa. I love EVERYTHING about this place. The food, the service, the parking, the vibe, and how healthy and alive I feel after eating there. This is my usual order: Seared Salmon Yubu Fresh Tuna Yubu SPAM Yubu Fresh Yellow Tail Yubu You get a cup of warm miso if you order at least 3 Yubus for lunch. Then I get a cucumber salad (the BEST version in OC) I always order two 50-cent sides of yuzu ponzu (I pour some on the cucumber and some on the fresh yubus) I love that you can switch it up between fresh Yubu and seared Yubu, and it's totally different. I also love ordering Unagi as either Yubu or Nigiri. You should also try the Donburi bowl. It's amazing. Both of the artists who work here are so kind, friendly, and they truly add that extra artistic touch to everything. The rice has a unique blend of seasoning, and the toppings are carefully placed with plating tweezers. Nothing is haphazard or rote; everything is there to create the perfect "I'm in my happy place vibe." If you want to wash away a bad day, or celebrate a great day, you should eat pure happiness at Yubuya. read more

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- parking is plentiful in this plaza with other restaurants and businesses situated here - this quaint shop has some indoor and outdoor seating - staff were so kind and briefly explained the menu to us newcomers! - loved both yubus!! the rice itself was seasoned so well and the quality of the fish was fresh. the spicy paste on the scallops were delicious too! read more

Yubuya - seared tuna, spicy scallop - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Yubuya is small cafe that specializes in yubus (fried tofu pouches that have vinegared rice and are topped with fresh sushi). It's similar to Japanese inari sushi. The yubus are priced at about $5 when I visited but I saw they had a lunch combo that included 2 and udon soup. Lunch combo ($13) - This came with udon soup, and 2 yubus. For my yubus I went with a salmon and cream cheese topping and the other yubu I went with tuna. I was impressed with quality of the fish in both the yubus, they were both so fresh. The udon noodles, while chewy, were just ok and nowhere as good as the udon at Marugame. Overall the yubus are fresh and taste great. They have a large selection to choose from. Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot of fish in the yubu, but it's definitely worth checking out if one is looking for some that tastes great and is fresh! read more

Yubuya - Lunch Combo #1 - $13 - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Yubuya serves inari, which are little pockets of rice and toppings inside a fried, seasoned tofu pouch. Easy snack (or meal if you order a lot) and a lot of different toppings to choose from! Order in-person via kiosk or check online to see if they're still doing $5 off your first order of $20 minimum. Each inari is freshly packed so when there's a lot of people, there might be a small wait but usually it doesn't take long for them to stuff a couple of tofu pouches. There isn't much room indoors to eat, just a couple of tables and counters. I ordered the regular salmon, soy marinated salmon, and ikura. I also got to try a bit of the unagi and the creamy onion salmon. If you purchase 3 yubus, you can also get a free miso soup! Out of all of them, my favorite was the soy marinated salmon. It's a sweet/salty sticky marinade that reminded me of bulgolgi and the fish was actually pretty good quality. Second place would have to be the unagi because of the seared taste from the blowtorch. Each yubu is stuffed but half of it is all rice so don't be disappointed if you thought it would just be entirely of fish. For me, eating three of them filled me up. Highly recommend and can't wait to be back to try other flavors! read more

Yubuya - Bottom Row: Fresh Salmon, Ikura, Soy Marinated Salmon. Top Row: Creamy Onion Salmon, Seared Salmon, Unagi - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I've been wanting to try yubu for SO long (inari lover) and one pic of the yubu here made me route there immediately after getting off my flight. First of all, the individuals working here were super accommodating. We came in half an hour before they closed at 2:30 just to ask if they would still take orders (to-go), but they welcomed us and allowed us to dine in. We were super grateful since we were starving and ordered quickly so they could wrap up in the kitchen. I don't have many words to describe this meal. It was simply delicious, fresh, and completely satisfying. The soy marinated salmon, must-get. I think we tried four different yubu that differed from each other and were delicious in their own ways. Definitely want to try more if I'm ever back in the area! Lastly, thank you to the server that let us order and offered us another miso soup since there were two of us! You were super sweet and as one of our first interactions since landing in Santa Ana, it set the good mood for the rest of our first day here. Def recommend. 5/5 read more

Yubuya - Soy Marinated Salmon, Seared Tuna, Ikura, Creamy Onion Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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First time having yubus and they were so delicious! They have inside and outside seating and the decor inside is cute :) The girl helping me with my order was so nice and friendly! Fresh Salmon: 8.5/10 yummy and basically what you would expect,, good quality fish! Spicy Tuna w/ Spicy Cilantro Sauce: 10/10 omg their homemade sauce was the winner,, if I go again I would get every yubu spicy w/ this sauce Ikura: 7/10 super fresh tasting and not fishy at all but it was slightly too sweet which was kind of throwing me off because I'm used to ikura being savory,, it was still good though!! I got a free miso soup for ordering 3 yubus (i think normally it's supposed to be for dine in only but they were nice enough to give me one for togo!) I would definitely go again and try more because they have so many options and they're family owned which I love read more

Yubuya - Fresh Salmon, Spicy Tuna, Ikura - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My boyfriend and I went here for the first time, and the girl were the counter was very friendly. She gave us recommendations and told us how to order from kiosk. Our favorite was the soy marinated salmon, which she said was the top seller. We went on a Tuesday morning, right when they opened and there was no one else there, so our food was ready quick. It was packaged nicely and came with free miso soup. I would definitely come again for a quick lunch. read more

Yubuya - Soy Marinated Salmon, Snow Crab, Spicy Salmon, Seared Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Quaint shop full of full size inari. Their tofu skin is well seasoned with just the right amount of sweetness, and topped off with fresh seafood. Had the soy marinated salmon, seared tuna, yellowtail, and spicy tuna. Favorites were the marinated salmon, yellowtail, and seared tuna. The soy marinated had just the right amount of soy and the salmon was nice and rich. My son enjoyed the seared tuna. The yellowtail was buttery fresh. The spicy tuna was good but I was expecting the mixed spicy tuna like in a hand roll. The order also came with a free miso soup which the kiddo devoured. read more

Yubuya - Spicy tuna, seared tuna, soy marinated salmon, yellowtail - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Went to Yubuya with a friend -- she got two salmon yubus, and I ordered the fresh salmon yubu, spicy tuna yubu, and a salmon nigiri. The fish here is super fresh and tastes great! It's a small spot, but I've never seen it too crowded, and they make everything pretty quickly. If you haven't had yubu before, it's a slightly sweet tofu skin wrap filled with rice and topped with your choice of fish -- really unique and surprisingly good. Definitely something different and worth trying. Highly recommend! read more

Yubuya - yubu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I've seen so many photos of these inari pockets and have been dying to try for the longest time! So glad we finally got the chance to! - PARKING - Plaza lot has a decent amount of parking spaces, so you shouldn't have any problems! - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - Really small shop, with only counter seats surrounding the edges and a few tables outside. One bathroom available here. Seems like people usually order take-out! The staff here is very welcoming! - FOOD - 3 Combo Deal: If you order 3 and are dining in, you automatically get a miso soup for free! I ended up picking soy marinated salmon, seared salmon, and yellowtail. I loved the soy marinated salmon the most, but they were all good! - OVERALL - A great spot for a quick snack, or if you're like me and have a smaller stomach, this was the perfect casual meal! read more

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Casual spot for inari that I've been wanting to try ever since I saw a picture of the food here! The way everything's presented just gets my mouth watering. The interior of the shop of pretty small, maybe only 7-8 seats total. Luckily it's easy to take the inari to go though! You can order at the kiosk or with a staff member. Lunch combos are also available and if you order 3 inari, you get a free miso soup for dine-in orders. I tried the soy marinated salmon, unagi, and ikura and enjoyed all 3! The unagi was a bit smokier than I usually like but my friends said they actually preferred it this way. Overall, a great spot to grab a quick and casual but delicious meal. Wish it was closer so I could come by more often! read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

So delicious!! They had a variety of options. We tried eel, snow crab, and seared tuna. They gave us some miso soup as well. The tofu pockets were so good and the rice too! Cute small restaurant and friendly staff. read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Very cozy mom & pop restaurant. They have a self checkout kiosk but there's someone in the front that can help answer any questions you have. Love the vibe, they told me they have yet to remove/replace any flavors but they're always looking to add more. They do have some unique flavors that are different from other similar locations. Food was really delicious, they also have an order ahead service providing $5 discount on your first order. Will def coming back again. read more

Yubuya - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

It's not often that I try a business and run back for seconds the following week. Yubuya breaks this rule for me. I cannot get their Yubu off my mind. These little rice rolls wrapped in sweet tofu are both delicious and filling. I love their lunch special and that they offer free miso soup when you order three Yubus. My favorites so far have been the snow crab, the salmon, and the Philadelphia. They're also super affordable. $5 per yubu has me stopping by on the regular for a quick lunchtime pick me up. read more

Holy moly the inari here was so yummy. It is a little pricey but there's a combo where you can get a free miso soup with 3 inari. I liked everything I tried, especially the marinated salmon because somehow they got the fish to be so candied and soft in texture. To top it all off, the girl helping us was suuuuper nice and friendly. I'm already thinking about when I can come here again :) read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My favorite!!!! The service is SO friendly, such a lovely family & the food is always sooooo amazing. We always get the fresh salmon ubu the ambiance is amazing too! Thank you so much & can't wait to come back! read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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It was my first time here and it's one of my favorite places for a snack or lunch! I got the fresh salmon and unagi yubu and they were both so delicious. The fish is so fresh and there's adequate topping to rice ratio as well. The worker was also super friendly and brought the food out promptly. There's minimal seating so it might be better to get takeout or have a quick meal. The ambiance is clean and small. read more

Yubuya - Fresh Salmon and Unagi - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I've been wanting to try Yubuya for awhile so I was excited to pop in today! It's a small restaurant that is set up for a quick bite. You order on an iPad up front and there are pictures for visual. There are also workers nearby to help if needed. Most of the Yubu's are around $5-6 each. We tried the salmon Philly and the spicy tuna. Both were delicious and perfectly seasoned. The only con is there is much more rice than fish so some bites were just rice. Otherwise very fresh and tasty! read more

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such delicious fish, every bite is jam packed with flavor. I highly recommend to get their sauces to add more flavor (got spicy house and spicy mayo). not super spicy but def has a kick. Yubu is around $5 each but I think I can get full off like 3. they have multiple flavors of tuna and salmon. I really enjoyed the philly salmon and seared salmon! but they were all really good. Also comes with free miso if you buy 3 or more yubu. inside is a bit small but they also have tables outside. workers were really nice and friendly and even gave recs. would def recommend this place & would come back! read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Despite not liking seafood, I decided to try out Yubuya with my partner. Wow, what a delicious surprise! I ordered the avocado crab and while that was yummy, the creamy onion salmon blew my mind! I genuinely don't eat seafood and yet, this was amazing! It was so good we had to order more. I highly recommend eating here, you won't be disappointed! The service is great and the ambiance is adorable. read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I give this one 5 big booms. Workers were super kind and friendly, didn't hesitate to give us suggestions! Super tiny shop with limited seating, recommend getting to-go if it's peak lunch hours. The yubuchobap/inari was DELICIOUS! May seem a bit pricy for three, but each one is pretty massive. All of the fish was superrrr fresh, and the yubu and rice had the perfect amount of vinegary seasoning. My favorite by far was the unagi! Broiled to perfection, with the perfect sweet/salty balance from the glaze. But honestly, every flavor was a banger! read more

Yubuya - Spicy Salmon, Unagi, Yellowtail, Tuna, and Creamy Onion Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

a cute little spot! first time trying these little tofu pockets. so fresh and unique. order 3 yubus and get a free miso soup!! so delicious! read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My brother picked some up for me on his way home - i asked for a snow crab, scallop, and unagi. I inhaled all of them. I love inari but sometimes the vinegar in the rice is a bit too sour for me. This mostly wasn't the case except the unagi which was a bit on the cusp of what I like. The scallop and the snow crab were great though and i love that the scallop in particular wasn't fishy at all. It has a bouncy lil bite and you really can't go wrong with a mayo sauce. Gone in a flash. read more

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Found this gem it's right by my moms house. All the Yubus are around $5. I got the fresh tuna, soy sauce salmon and seared tuna. The best one by far is the soy sauce salmon You can 3 and it's a filling meal or 2 for a snack. You get free miso soup if you buy 3. My daughter got the seared salmon , soy sauce salmon and scallops. She's going to get all 3 soy sauce salmon The place is tiny so more of a To go kind of spot. read more

Yubuya - Soy Marinated Salmon Yubu, Scallop Yubu, and Seared Salmon Yubu - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I came back today to try the salmon donburi and it was super good as well! The portion sizes were enough to get me full & the rice was so well seasoned (it's literally so delicious). We got the soy salmon donburi + miso soup combo and the fresh salmon donburi + miso soup. The fresh one came with ikura (salmon roe) and mayo on top, and I thought I didn't like salmon roe, but theirs was so fresh and sweet that I'm honestly craving it. The soy salmon was super well marinated and sweet too, but I preferred the fresh one! I definitely recommend, as every dish they have here is immaculate. The service is also amazing, they recognize their regulars and are so kind! read more

My favorites were the soy salmon and seared salmon! I liked the variety of flavors they had and I wanna try the nigiri next time I'm in the area. read more

Yubuya - Soy salmon, Creamy Onion Salmon, Seared Salmon, Fresh Salmon, Fresh Tuna Don - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Found this place on Yelp while in Costa Mesa. We arrived a little after they opened. The place was clean and organized. I ordered three Onigiris through the automated ordering system. The onigiris came with miso soup since I ordered 3. Plates nicely on to a tray. The fish tasted fresh, avocado was perfect creaminess and the rice was seasoned well. I would definitely come back. read more

Yubuya - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Delicious! You order and pay at the kiosk and then the chefs work up your order. I did a lunch special and a couple nigiri. The perfect snack. Not many places to sit inside but there is a little outside seating too. Good takeout spot. read more

I'm pretty picky about fish because I'm not great with fishy taste. Satisfied here because the fish here was fresh :) I ordered the spicy yellowtail and the fresh salmon. Both are delicious though I liked the spicy yellowtail best. The medium spicy house sauce (you can pick the levels) definitely had a bit of gochujang in it and it was very well balanced. I do think the fresh salmon could use a touch for lemon for a more distinct taste. But overall ver satisfied. It's a comfortable and casual spot, and service was very nice, so all in all very satisfied for a quick bite. I'll be back! read more

Yubuya - Left: Spicy Yellowtail, Right: Fresh salmon - Japanese Near Me - Costa Mesa, California