weekday dinner hours and empty...what's the most popular?...told the chashu ramen for $9...requesting chashu ramen and adding pan-fried gyoza for another $4.50...somber and quiet evening...restaurant was clean and typical...the gyoza was browned nicely...make your own dipping sauce with soy sauce, vinegar and chili oil already on the table...decent gyoza...the ramen bowl was enormous....five pieces of pork visible...sip of the broth and finding strong taste of pork and bamboo...not the most pleasant...ramen noodles were below average....the pork was cut way too thick and very chewy...no egg (probably an add-on)...finding the large bowl mostly broth, so manageable... read more

Aoki No Chuuka - ramen bar and table seating...fairly empty during dinner hours.. - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Excellent portions for a reasonable price. Their specialty is pork ramen. No vegetarian options, but that's fairly common for ramen spots. This place does one thing very well: Chashu Ramen. read more

Aoki No Chuuka - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Oishi desu! So delish! Real deal. If you know, you know. Always great food and service.

To be honest, this place doesn't serve "trendy food," like other restaurants are dying to come up with new & hot dishes. Aoki serves simple and most authentic dishes that are very familiar with people who grew up in Japan. Many dishes remind me of my childhood. I feel like eating foods from my neighboring joint. I had a smiple "Chuka soba," and it was so good. Broth was perfect (hint of katsuo bushi?) and I couldn't stop drinking soup. I will continue trying their menus from now on. read more

I feel bad writing bad reviews, but I have to save you from eating here!! I ordered this on Postmates and it was the worst food I ever had! I had one bite and tossed it down the garbage disposal. I ordered the tofu ramen and my boyfriend had something else. Please save yourself a major tummy ache and bad decision. read more

Saltiest ramen I have ever tasted. I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen. It was so hard to get past the salt, there was no other flavors. Only one piece of pork. I wanted to give it a chance but it's a hard no. read more

Wow stay away. Horrible ramen. The taste can only be described as sad. Smells like garbage water. We tried and couldn't take more than a couple of bites. You will find no joy here! read more

Parking is plentiful ramen is served in super large portions with extra extra broth. Can't even see our ramen noodles. Location was clean service was fast. Garnish options are limited read more

Everyting sooo good!! In LA, I think we can only eat traditional Japanese chuuka here. read more

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Mabo ramen is one of my favorite types of ramen. I love combination of the ground pork, spices, and tofu that pummels you with mad flavor. Fused with a bowl of ramen noodles, hits the spot. The snag is, it's hard to find a good or any place in the OC that is equipped with mabo ramen. Mentatsu Ramen, the departed, once served an excellent mabo ramen, but closed it's door. Since then, I've been desperately searching for a replacement. Luckily, I found Aoki. Their mabo ramen is very remiscent of my former favorite place, but the main difference it the thickness of the noodles. At Aoki, the noodles are thin; I typically like them thick. So, you're wondering why the 3 stars, it's more so 3.5. The mabo is good, but a little bit salty and I wish the noodles were thicker. But that won't prevent me from coming back. read more

This place is absolutely delicious. I've gone here frequently and tried so much on the menu. I live the ramen and they have amazing Chashu. I like the Yuzu pepper ramen and my wife gets the butter corn ramen. Fried rice is also light and delicious. The restaurant itself is a small family friendly environment. It has a great traditional Japanese feel. Love it. read more

With tonkotsu style being the trendiest ramen these days, I felt like having an old school ramen. Aoki No Chuuka did not disappoint. I ordered the Gomoku Ramen (shio broth) and it was very delicious. It had a lot of pork, shrimp, and ika in it along with assorted vegetables, The portion was generous and the price was affordable at $8.50. I will definitely come back here again for my comfort food! read more

Aoki No Chuuka is awesome! You can enjoy an authentic Japanese kind of Chinese cuisine. Unlike typical Chinese food, It's like hybrid of Japanese and Chinese food which we can find only in Japan. I love their Gyoza, Nirakeba, and Happousai. All of them are so amazing and I eat them a few times a month read more

There's not much good to say about this place. The fried fish smelled really bad and that was just the beginning. The pork in the subuta was really tough. The nankotsu smelled like old oil. The rice was really hard. Every issue there could be landed on our table. The good was that the service was ok. I'm sure, hoping, it was just a bad day. It's a nice little neighborhood restaurant. read more

Very authentic Japanese styled Chinese food. Service is above average, quality of food is okay. (Actually I can cook better, I just don't.) Price is a little too high. I believe they use MSG, as the restaurant shows nothing about that. But MSG helps human brains to work better and faster. I grew up with bunch of MSG, and I'm healthier and smarter. :) read more

To be honest, I've had better ramen. I've been here twice over the course of the past few years and didn't leave impressed either time. The broth was bland, and I wasn't excited to finish my bowl. If you're looking for more unique dishes, such as a curry ramen or mabo tofu ramen, this may be your place. However, I wouldn't put it on my list of 'go-to' spots in the area. The restaurant itself is quite small and not capable of comfortably fitting a party of 4+. Luckily the parking lot outside is easy to maneuver usually has plenty of spots available! read more

It's okay. But there are a lot of better ramen spots around. I ordered the shio butter ramen. The bowl was huge but the content was lacking. I got a little bit of everything especially the chasu which was one piece. The broth was bland. The meat was chewy and the noodles were whatever. The omelette rice however had too much flavor. The rice was really dry. Tofu nuggets didn't have that much flavor and was too crunchy. The pricing is standard. Wouldn't recommend this ramen spot in comparison to the other ones in the area. read more

At 18 minutes till closing business would not answer phone and I was less than 2 minutes away. I pulled up went inside and the lady told me they were closed. I asked her do they always close early? She rambled for a few minutes and didn't answer as if she was doing something she knew wasn't supposed to be done. I told her I have never been here and found you on Yelp but I will make sure to make a post. She didn't seem to care. PS: I'm sitting in front of their door writing this and it still isn't time to close yet.....OMG....... There goes two more people walking in the front door.... now they're turning around and walking out just like this Florida Cracker did. What a way to run a business !!!!! PSS: Wonder if the owner knows whats going on, or is she the owner? My time is valuable too, I wont be back. read more

I was excited to try this place. Any new place that has gyoza and chahan (fried rice) is definitely worth trying out. My standard measuring stick for any ramen place are miso ramen, fried rice, and gyoza. I ordered all three. Here are my rankings: Miso Ramen 1/5 Gyoza: 2/5 Fried Rice/Chahan 2/5 Miso Ramen: The broth was oily. Not in the "this broth was make with meticulous attention and care over hours using pork and chicken bones." It was greasy and i wished I didn't keep trying it, trying to like it. I did not. There was maybe a hint of miso in the broth but the oilyness of the broth seem to dominate over it. The color seemed a bit too brown, instead of the lighter hue that I was familiar with. They threw in strips of green onions which were not pleasant to eat. There was no slice of chashu, only ground pork that sunk to the bottom of the murky broth. The noodles were a disaster. It had no firmness, and it was very starchy, to the point where it was DRY. Gyoza: bland and flavorless. The "seared" bottom wasn't even crunchy. It was as if they boiled it then tried to sear it. I know, i have done this w/ left over-boiled dumplings: it had the same quality. Not a true pan fried gyoza. Fried Rice/Chahan: dry, not enough meat. Seriously, I really wanted to like this place. Its quaint and cozy. I might have to try some of their other dishes and reevaluate, but for now, 2/5. read more

Smart for a ramen place opening in the winter. My group of three all ordered the same thing: Chashu ramen, they make it spicy for you upon request. A lot of things seemed really good to try, but when you're on ramen quest, you go for the basic good stuff. The soup was delicious. I don't like when my ramen soup is too viscous and oily, this place really nailed it. The noodles are also perfect for me. Not too chewy, not too thick and it's one of the ramen places where I actually ate ALL the noodles. They give you a generous amount of chashu, but it's extremely fatty and chewy. Not complaining, because I love meat, but I just wished it was easier pull apart. It's super awkward when your friend looks up and sees you gnawing your meat like a wild dog. However, you can actually taste the bbq-ness in the meat. Thumbs up! The only sad thing is that they do not give you egg with your ramen.. It only comes with the rice dish... To which I was highly deceived and sad. read more

My housemates and I wanted to go to Mistuwa market for ramen but they were closing early so we decided to check this place out. Service (4/5): honestly the service is pretty good here, the ladies taking care of us was really nice but I'm really upset about the food. Food (3/5): the food here is seemingly pretty good. BUT they are not accommodating for vegetarians/pescatarians (aka me). My housemates liked their ramen but I am really upset I paid almost $9 for a shrimp omelette that I could literally make at home on my own. I'm usually pretty good at going to a place and not buying something that I can make at home. But I was so hungry, never again... TIP TO ALL RAMEN PLACES: please get some veggie options! There's a lot of people who are vegetarian and love ramen but it's such a struggle. read more

Ordered via Uber eats for 2. $83! For Ramon, fried chicken and 6 very very small gyoza?! Say what? I have two major issues you should be warned about. I lived in Japan for 11 years so I think I know a good Raman when I taste one. Its a balance of broth, noodles and toppings. These folks got it all wrong. It was horribly done. The amount of noodles made no sense, I mean I love volume but this was gross. it was just a huge mass stuck together like a glob of starch. I think they do this so they can skimp on the toppings which they did. Second. It's Ramonya. They specialize in Ramon. We got our order with no hashi ( chopsticks, maybe 5 cents). I called and she proceeded to tell me it was my fault and I didn't request utensials. Yet you can not eat this with a plastic fork ( I was in a hotel) and especially the gob they gave me. She argued with me over this and was extremely rude in both English and Japanese. Zero customer service, negative service actually. Avoid. There are much better places all around this one that actually appreciate your patronage and do a much better job at making Ramon read more

Yikes! By far the worst over priced ramen. I'm very forgiving with food and rarely give a bad review, but, after ordering through Postmates I had to crack out the microscope to find the Gyozas, half a bite size. The ramen was heavier than a rock, no toppings all noodles and broth. Definitely do not recommend this place at all!! read more

Here's my take on the items I've tried so far: Gyoza - nothing special 3.5/5 Charsiu ramen - a bit salty... 3.5/5 Yuzu ramen - not enough meat 3/5 Tenshin Chahan - the rice needs to be fried rice if anything... I can't avoid comparing it with Mentatsu's tenshin chahan which was miles better 3/5 Overall, they could use some improvements on various fronts. read more

Aoki No Chuuka - Smoky chashu ramen. Ask for "extra grilled chashu" - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I guess they are closed Wednesdays, but I came on a Thursday night maybe around 8:30p and there was still some guests coming in once I was seated. I knew then, this place has regulars that know what they want, so this place MUST be good. From the pictures and seeing the location, I just had to try it. I saw they had chasu ramen, that was my choice, request is extra charred, it makes the broth that much richer in flavor. It came out in a timely matter, maybe they forgot my request or it wasn't charred enough for me, but I was ready to eat. The noodles were soft and chewy it was good. This place is in a little plaza right off Harbor, it's a good size with a bar area and tables are stocked with condiments. The potstickers here are crisp and juicy but the ramen was filling and you have more topping options if you choose. This is the type of place in which if you are a ramen lover, you can eat it on a hot day and chase it down with a cold iced green tea. I will come back to try the other entrees. read more

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Actually a surprisingly solid Ramen spot. They also have a great variety of traditional Tokyo style Chinese food that is prepared very well in Tokyo style (less oil, flavor rich, cleaner tasting). If you've been to Japan, you know what I mean. Their Yuzu Ramen is very innovative broth. They use a blend of chicken and pork broth and simple toppings. A solid lineup of shoyu, shio, and tonkotsu as well as other Chinese noodles. They also have japanese classics like fried oysters and mackerel. Real Japanese servers and food at a reasonable price. No crazy Ramen types but a real Chuuka fix location. I'm coming back. read more

Aoki No Chuuka - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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The first time I came here it was for a family gathering and I hadn't heard of it before. We had the spicy edamame and I had the Garlic Ramen (which was okay. A little too sweet for my taste, but the noodles were excellent.) The second time I came here I had the Yuzu Pepper Shio Ramen, and it was amazing. Easily one of the best bowls of Ramen I've ever had. Previously my favorite Ramen was the Hakata Tonkotsu from Toraji inside of Tokyo Central, but this one really took top spot. The broth is amazing, and the perfect amount of salt. Combined with the delicious noodles and the menma cooked so that it's not excessively stringy, I ended up finishing the entire bowl and the broth, which I rarely do. I highly recommend this place and the Yuzu Pepper Shio Ramen in particular. read more

Maybe one of the worst experiences I've had in a Japanese restaurant. I came in expecting good food, but I was served sub par dishes that couldn't meet the basic standards of a meal. At least one at that price. My overall experience was: Service: 3.5 /5 Food: 1.5 /5 And I would not recommend it to a friend. We came in during a busy time, and we had to wait at our table for a good 10 minutes or more (at least it felt that long) before we had a worker at our table. Once we ordered, we had to wait another while before our food was ready. I understand, the restaurant was busy but it still felt a bit long for what we ordered. We ordered: a chashu bowl. Chashu Ramen, 2 katsu curry, and a large shoyu Ramen. When our food finally came, it came at different times (which is fine, not really a big deal. But it adds to the experience). Our Shoyu Ramen came to us in the wrong size, but they fixed it right away. Now this is where our meal took a turn for the worst. First, my curry was a dark green color, instead of the usual light brown color (might have been sitting in a tub for awhile? Idk it just looked off). The katsu was a bit tough, and the breading fell off easily(honestly most places don't have very good katsu, but the size seemed small too. It's priced at 9.50, for that price I would hope to have a decent meal.) Next, the ramen smelled funny, almost stinky (I suspect the bamboo shoots because they usually don't smell very good, BUT the smell had permeated the entire broth. Which put all the work they put into the broth to waste), my dad had to add a bunch of sauces and seasonings to it before it was edible (ok I'm over exaggerating, but it wasn't good). Even the noodles in the ramen were just okay (I usually like my noodles al dente, and most ramen places do this. But when it came to our table, the ramen noodles had already started to go limp). Lastly chashu in ramen are usually super soft, but not here. The chashu that was served with the ramen was tough and chewey. I can't say much about the other dishes because I didn't get to taste them, but my friends weren't really satisfied with their meals either. For everyone who's saying they had a great meal here, maybe I just had a bad experience. Or maybe they need to experience better restaurants with good quality food. read more

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Love this place! Chashu plate is out of this world! Really the chashu is what we go there for, everything else is great too. Great people and great food, couldn't ask for anything more! read more

Very authentic Japanese ramen. I had the miso ramen delicious. Very great customer service. I'm going back there Sunday & Monday to eat

Amazing food great service. Loved it highly recommend for anybody looking for ramen or just great food all around read more

Aoki No Chuuka - Yummy - Ramen Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The fiance and I came here at 5pm starving, but we were both disappointed by our ramen bowls. He ordered their pork ramen with extra meat and I ordered the curry ramen. The pork belly in the ramen is very thick, which may be enjoyable if I could eat it with a fork and knife. It was very difficult to eat with chopsticks so thankfully I wasn't on a date trying to impress anyone. The broth was probably the bigger disappointment because it didn't have a lot of flavor. My curry ramen had a lot of spices in it. It was very, very salty so I avoided the broth all together. It had a lot of napa cabbage in it, which was strange to me because I've never seen it in curry or in ramen. read more

Very good chuuka. New place that just opened up. Very clean n I like the whole design of the place. It can be very busy sometimes so you have to wait but the wait is worth it. The owner Aoki is a very chil n nice dude n the staffs are really nice too. Come check this place out if you want to eat really good Japanese style Chinese food with some ice cold Sapporo draft beer! 「AOKIの中華」ここ、めちゃくちゃ美味いですよ。サンラータンメン、酢豚、天津飯お勧めです。 read more

Budget $35 (for 2) Attractive large size dishes, nice place to hang out with friends. The size and the taste reminds college days when your looking for decent meal that makes you full and easy on your wallet. This place is one of it. read more

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Very reasonable prices, big portions. Go hungry.

Love the food, Love the service, Love people! My favorite Chinese food that are made by Japanese chefs. They are really great people and gave us always good service. I always order Gyoza, Fried Rice, Garlic Ramen or Champon, Chashu, Subuta, Pitcher of Sapporo ($13.50). read more

Normally I enjoy Japanese food !... however, this AOKI restaurant I do not recommend, The soup's & service were supper poor, my waitress had her friends around with their dog at the dinner table she was touching the dog and serving my food.... My soup tasted generic & over priced I literally didn't eat requested her to send it back she argued and still charged me for it..... read more

Place was insane super good Ramen, the best Carage, tasty pork and cabbage (chashu).. they have a gong.. totally authentic! Try for yourself. Domo arigatou Aoki read more

Great service, tasty food, and affordably priced! I highly recommend chanpon ramen and subuta. They have a kids special plate, and my daughter loves the plate so much. read more

I'm so grateful for this gem of a place. Since its opening weeks ago, I have became a regular and told everyone of my friends to pay a visit. I've tried chashu ramen, curry ramen, miso ramen and my favorite yuzu ramen. their stir fry items are also very good. Very much of a home feeling. This place made me feel like I was eating a home cooking meal in a Japanese friends' home cooked by their moms or grandmas. read more