This was probably one of the most disappointing restaurant I have ever been to... the appetizers (tuna tar tar, pecking bao, calamari) were great 7/10 but the main entrees pasta (especially the seafood pasta) were just BLAND and watered down. Not acceptable. They fooled me with the pictures and great reviews! read more

The food is delicious! It tastes great. We went after restaurants started to reopen. They have all the safety measures for their employees and customers. We went right when they opened so there was no waiting time. We ordered a few dishes but I definitely recommend the uni spaghetti and peking pork. I'd say they're pretty unique here. We're definitely coming back! read more

What a cute little place! I've always wanted to come here for a while now but never found the time to. My boyfriend and I did their Omakase, which was pretty good. I loved the uni pasta. It definitely didn't taste like kraft mac & cheese (like emc). I did wish it contained more uni. We also got the seared albacore salad, which tasted very healthy and well balanced. I actually really liked this dish. As for our entree, we opted for the hokkaido scallops on risotto. I thought this dish could have been better, but it wasn't bad. The scallops seemed a bit overcooked for my taste. and the risotto might be a little too watery.. and that is why I took off a star. As for the dessert, we got the panna cotta and the green tea blanco or something. The desserts were on point. I would totally come back to try another entree dish. read more

Everything about this place is amazing. Food - GO ON FRIDAY the poki bowl is BOMB!!! It comes with amazing soup on the day, salad with this out of this world dressing, noodles, bomb potatoes, and a generous serving of poki. Service - super friendly!!! Prices - higher side for lunch but now a days what isn't over $10 anymore. Well worth the extra couple bucks. Do yourself a favor get off yelp and go try it! Especially if it's Friday! read more

I haven't been in a while. But decide to have a lunch date with my bff here. I do miss their uni pasta. It was one of my favorite dishes here. I decided to get the ahi tuna salad instead today. Trying to go on the healthier option. The tuna is fresh and tasty. It melts in your mouth and I just love it. I love their sesame dressing. It's not smooth but not super chunky either. Service is always great here and they are nice. Lunch time the wait isnt super long. Overall, love this place and I like coming back for more good food. read more

Cafe Hiro - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

Looking for something new to try and chanced upon this place. Booked a reservation, got there a bit earlier than the appointed time but was still accommodated so that part was appreciated considering we were starved already. A great place to go to for Risotto and not-your-usual Pasta dishes. The food was excellent and I definitely would go back to try the other stuff on their menu. This is a bit on the pricey end 'though so just a warning. Overall, I would recommend this place if you're looking to try something different in a fusion sort of way. read more

Excellent food! Very nice services! Our favorites are Uni Spaghetti, Roasted Miso Samon read more

Got there without a reservation. Initially turned away, but they luckily had an available table for 5 people. Small space, maybe 5 people per table or less, and about 12 or so tables? They were very accomodating. We got seated, we got carbinara, curry, scallop risotto. Very delicious! Will be coming back again, maybe with a reservation next time, haha. read more

The customer service here was great! Very accommodating to where we wanted to sit. Food was good. Our table got uni pasta, carbonara pasta, those two are great choices. The chicken curry was a bit bland for our tastes but ask for some salt or seasoning! read more

This place is pretty good but a little bit pricey for lunch. I usually order the Lunch special, eggplant with mushroom spaghetti. The portion size isn't to bad. It cost about $13 for lunch. It came with a salad and soup. the pasta was good but some of the noodles were clumped together. I think the pasta would have been better if there was more eggplant and mushrooms. If the Eggplant was roasted, the taste of the pasta may be tastier. Over all this place is good. service was good. I like how they had the sides condiments, raisins, red radish, and pickled leek heads (or whatever they are called. I thought they were garlic, but I was told it wasn't). read more

Cafe Hiro - My leftover eggplant and mushroom pasta. I added the condiments of the red radish and leek heads. - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

A small scale restaurant and comfortable, cozy setting. Went there on Xmas Eve and food is coming a little slow, but that's ok since it's a busy day. Capacio (with Scallop), uni pasta, desserts are all tasting good. A good restaurant. Will go again read more

Cafe Hiro - Scallop capacio - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

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To be honest it was just ok.. the server was great but the food was ok.. let's start w/ appetizer: burrata salad is a must to order. Diced ahi tuna w/ poached egg.. the egg was cooked so sloppy & where was my yolk..? I wouldn't order again! (2) Fried oyster $7.00 was blah. No flavor & disgusting to eat. The best of the appetizer is the beef takayaki. Its was rare w/ 3 side condiments. Taste & flavor was all there! I guess they close at 9pm & they call last call at 845 pm. They start cleaning the other tables & putting all the condiments / flowers on the bar while we are still eating. I've felt it we was rush to go.. read more

The food here is delicious and we never shy away from complementing them about their food. But unfortunately they don't seem to receive compliments well. We love coming here mainly for their delicious salad and their freshly made chicken salad dressing. We have asked if we can buy a bottle of their dressing or even just ask for extra salad dressing (which we would pay extra for) but often met with resistance. I am not too fond about their customer service. Whatever it is, we would definitely have been buying here more had their custom service had been better. read more

It's nice to have a small, cozy Japanese cafe in this part of OC. It's fairly easy to get this style of Japanese pasta/western dishes (katsu, etc) in Gardena/Torrance or even Costa Mesa, but not much in between the two areas. The food tastes great. It's a few bucks more per dish than what I'm used to paying, but I'll pay it for the close proximity to me. Dinner on the weekends can get crowded (I've waited 30-45 before at peak hours), and we're almost always seated at a table that's barely a full sized table but hey, it's technically a cafe. If you are not used to Japanese pasta, gratin/doria, or risotto, or are not keen on exploring new flavors, this may not be for you (i.e. you're looking for a standard spaghetti with marinara Italian place for a big family dinner). read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants for some tine now. Service is great and food is consistently delicious. We went there last night for my boyfriend's birthday dinner. It was excellent. The ambiance is quite homey and the food is so good. Our waitress asked if we were celebrating something special last night and I told her it was his birthday and they were sweet enough to put a candle by the plate of our Panna Cotta dessert and took photos for us too. For appetizers we tried their Peking Pork, I ordered a side of Steamed Vegetables which was buttery delicious, it had some mushrooms too. My main course was my favorite Uni Pasta. Boyfriend had Chilean sea bass with Risotto which came with a side salad and soup. Dessert was Panna Cotta and Green Tea Blanc - Monger. Everything was delicious thank you Cafe Hiro we will be back read more

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Service: the restaurant was supposed to close at 2:30pm, but by 1:45pm they were already busy wiping the tables and tidying up the cashier area. It took the waitress a while to notice our waving hands. The same happened to the table next to ours. They even cried sumimasen out loud. Ambiance: -Cute, colourful decor -The table was sticky and didn't feel too clean at all. Food: Beef tataki: the beef was served semi rare. A very healthy appetizer Their famous uni spaghetti: this is our first time in Cypress and we came here just for their famous uni pasta. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a huge let down for us. The spaghetti was cooked to al dente, but there was way too much sodium in the sauce. Don't order it if you suffer from high blood pressure. I love, love, love uni but the flavour of the uni didn't really shine through in this dish. Moreover, the sauce was not as creamy as I expected it to be. Did they skimp on the uni? I'm not sure. Perhaps I just shouldn't have expected too much from a $18 uni pasta. I have had way better uni pasta elsewhere and have definitely made better ones at home. Fried chicken: the fried chicken were executed very well- crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside Scallop carpaccio: the seasoned scallop sashimi were topped with thin daikon slices and drizzled with olive oil. Quite delicious! I don't think I would come to Cypress just for this again. My tastebuds are so overwhelmed by the sodium-overload, I have to get some sorbet to balance it out now... read more

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My wife and I revisit this establishment with my friend family after first visit in early 2000. This place is still very popular place with high quality Ingredient and mixing Asian and European influence. Comparing scallop and beef taktak, I would reorder beef taktak. Uni spaghetti taste somewhat different compared to first visit. It has less marinated sauce but perfect balance of olive oil. Beef tongue stew cannot go wrong. Make reservation and Tuesday and Wednesday are BYPB days. Cork fee is $10. read more

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Delicious! I came here with my dad on a Friday night and it was exactly what we were looking for. High quality, interesting food in a relaxed atmosphere. We each had a glass of wine, and split a beef tataki appetizer. For dinner, I had the uni with wasabi pasta and my dad had the ume ships. The uni pasta was amazing - creamy and briny with the right note of wasabi to set it off. I could eat that all day long! The ume shiso was good too. Came with shredded shiso, lemon juice and lots of bonito flakes. It was good as a standalone but would be great with tuna next time too. Overall, our bill was $70 including tip. I would heartily recommend this to you! Pro tip: call ahead for a reservation read more

Cafe Hiro - Uni pasta with wasabi - highly recommend! - Italian Near Me - Cypress, California

This place is a hidden gem! It's the best Italian/Japanese fusion restaurant in the area. I get the uni pasta - creamy & delicious! We also tried the fig & burrrata appetizer and it was amazing! read more

Until Fall 2011 Yelp used to have a "Hot on Yelp [Bookmarks]" page, Café Hiro had steadfastly been at the top of these hotties in & around my neighborhood. I've passed by this place countless times, & I would almost habitually order my fish tacos at neighbored California Fish Grill. My foodie wish finally came true when my friends & I entered this unassumingly tiny "café" for my birthday, on the lookout for some Japanese + Italian cuisine that cost similarly to traditional Italian restaurants. 2 things were noticed in Hiro's atmosphere; first, we occupied almost 1/3 of maximum capacity (maybe 30 people max, including the bar seating), so reservations are CRUCIALLY recommended. Secondly, depending on where you sit, you can easily see their hustled-&-bustled kitchen constructing your dish of destiny. Some of my friends decided to play safe by ordering the Arrabiata ($12), Calamari Frit ($6), Pork Cutlet Curry ($??), or the Chicken & Mushrooms with Cream Sauce ($15). Some were down for the considerably "mestiza-ed" Sesame Tuna Salad ($18), Pescatore ($15), "Kurobata" Pork Loin Cutlet ($15), & the Roasted Chilean Sea Bass w/ "Risotto" ($20). I was SO tempted to order that Sea Bass too, but I chose to rely on my hungry intuition by risking my palate towards the incredibly raved Sea Urchin "Uni" Spaghetti ($14). The rave of this uni-utilized delectable was truly right on the money: generous garnish of roasted seaweed; amazingly PERFECT AL DENTE spaghetti pasta; a tiny, creamy dollop of wasabi that's 100-leveled less aggressive than horseradish; & tossed Uni that's neither weaksauce nor intense--just faintly leaning towards the latter continuum. It's a typically giant portion, but I was profoundly infatuated to finish ALL OF IT. So fear not, my uni newbies: 5 Ft Feel-Ya Frenzy ensures this is one 4.5-starred, exceptional Quail of the Sea that your taste buds cannot pass. If you dislike it, don't mind giving this to me (without the loogey x_x). The rest of my friends' dish, including the Sea Bass, induced some wows. I was relieved to forego the Sea Bass's very savory, mushroom-y taste, because that Uni was much more breathtaking to me. Initially service was a bit tense when my friends & I arrived more than 5 min late, but our waitress was constantly jovial, approachable & smiley. She corked out my Chianti for a $10 corkage fee & she--& my buds--had a lovely voice to sing "Happy Birthday" with temporary dim lighting & a free birthday dessert, the (normally $5) gelatinously yummy Panna Cotta w/ fresh fruit. Despite the vast parking lot but hard-to-snatch spot on a Friday night, I was more than content to finally hit this little fusion hot spot, even after the "Hot on Yelp" page was taken away. I hope you found these indirectly stated advices helpful; I think this time I'll eat up more greens by ordering that same spaghetti but with spinach =). So definitely visit there, birthday or just b/c, & order the Uni Spaghetti--or at least bring a foodie friend with you! read more

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Café Hiro was an amazingly pleasant surprise!!! Met a friend here on a Friday night for a casual dinner and to catch up. We got here about 7:30 and the place was already packed. It's in a very busy strip mall with very little parking space. The restaurant is small but open with high ceilings. We didn't make reservation so we ended up having to wait about 20 min or so and then was seated at the bar where we got a good look into the kitchen. We also had a straight on look at Chef Hiro who had a very intense look on his face. Not sure if that is how he normally looks but for those sitting at the bar section it would be nice to see the guy smiling! Anywhoooo I didn't come here to look at the chef but to eat. So we started off with the Beef Tataki ~ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=Q-ex3_VRJCNxXbNm3KbSoA Damn skippy this was a great starter. Some green onion, grated daikon atop the beef along with a drizzle of their soy/ponzu sauce married all the ingredients together to a very tasty bite. The pieces of toasted garlic chip gave it a little crunch along with the red onion to this very tender beef. It was a very refreshing and satisfying starter. I heard a lot about their Uni Spaghetti but I have never been much a fan of Uni so I had my other usual Japanese pasta which is the spicy pollock roe. Mentaiko Spaghetti ~ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=IgZyJga-WIyl3gV4Xi1Jow This bowl of yummy pasta was Spicy and tossed in something a little creamy with a good balance of saltiness that comes from the roe. Unlike some other locations where they add small pieces of squid this place stayed very traditional with the wafu style spaghetti and allowed for the mentaiko to do its job as the main ingredient. This was a great bowl of hot yummy mentaiko spaghetti. Uni Spaghetti and Spinach ~ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=T3-uApHxMjPmLEMF1wuKeg This was an interesting looking bowl of pasta. I did get to try a good amount from my friend to taste and I have to say it was really surprisingly good. The tamari being that it's a darker stronger base of soy does a really good job as a sauce. The Uni tossed in the pasta gave it a little creaminess to the dish. If I were to order it I would forgo the spinach as it didn't really do much to add to the dish itself. To end the night I got one of their special desserts. Butter Croissant bread pudding ~ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=ab8jP3nFaMYQnWFhrHCopA Seriously everything in the name of this dessert was calling my name! The croissant was buttery and hand the right about of cream to moisten it to an amazing bread pudding that was served warm. Oh man the fact that it was warm just took it up another level. The caramel sauce was also light. This was one dessert that I didn't want to end. It was very sad when I put that last bit into my mouth. My friend got their Almond crème brulee ~ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=Ng2u2Ep5ZV0uRlCmGrsrIA It was just ok for me. Nothing too spectacular to write about. This is a great alternative to those who may want to try pasta served differently from your typical Italian style sauces. They have a pretty extensive menu from entrée items like osso bucco and curry. The clientele here is both young and old with a great mix as I heard very lively conversation going on in Japanese, Korean, Spanish. The staff here were all very friendly, attentive and just as diverse as those who all flock here to get a great taste of what Chef Hiro is cooking up. I would certainly come back here and try other things from their menu. Eyes ~ Very cool looking place. Remind me of kisaten (café's) in Japan! Nose ~ Can't figure out what it is but it smells damn good! Mouth ~ Oh My Word! I can do another round of mentaiko and the bread pudding! Tummy ~ So happy to have had dinner here! read more

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Spaghetti ai ricci di mare si prega di! Capisci? Understand? No? Uni spaghetti please! Finally made it to this Japanese/Italian/French bistro. Came here with two other friends and we shared Crispy Fried Tofu http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#tL4L4GL786zvdNg5bIOq-Q Commonly known as agedashi tofu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agedashi_tofu Yumm! It was delish with slivered red onions. Never had it served this way, quite delish! Poke http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#mJ1Y80hvhNdfy7s2UiThrQ Nom, nom! Seared and quite delish. Not sure of the searing as normally it is marinated in lemons/limes to "cook" it somewhat... Very tasty and refreshing! Fried shrimp http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#djix1LgdHN0C4KeQl2bT4w Shrimp heads, shrimp heads, eat 'em up yum! Quite tasty litte buggers and you just gotta eat the whole thing, head first! I of course had the Uni Spaghetti http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#VVYb7b-W4YXFVaOYd2FGGQ I would say I had a little bit of heaven in front of me. Meant to eat half, but with the little mound of wasabi and the toasted seaweed, it disappeared before my eyes and into my tummy! Did I detect a little bit of cream? Pasta al dente? Of course it was cooked to perfection! A friend had the Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Asparagus http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#Zlh5YibpTECSRYA1VYRI8A Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Asparagus, Tomato and Garlic-Lemon Soy Sauce. Looked so good, didn't try it for fear that I wouldn't be able to finish mine. Another friend had the Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Mushroom Risotto. Do you think I would take a pic of the dish? Heck no! Typical woman that I am I kept gabbing and totally forgot! Looked quite delish though. Butter Croissant Bread Pudding with bitter caramel sauce http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bZjpwcPaxifh2Dc5rDw_1g?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#gIg6eXZppDq2jjVs9-JiSQ All I gotta say is when it is brought out and you are sharing with your friends, don't be bashful! It was definitely gone in 60 seconds! I had a heck of time finding this place but, it was sure worth it! Food - All appetizers and my Uni Spaghetti - 5 Stars! Service - 5 Stars! So patient and helpful. Our water and tea glasses were never empty! Ambiance - 5 Stars! Interesting, but I like! A painting of who I believe is Jimi Hendrix admist the faux painting on the walls and celings of flowers, sky and warm, dark colors ~ it works! I'll be back! read more

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Holy Smokes! I'm diggin' the inventive menu at this place! If anyone knows me, I'm not a big fan of Sea Urchin. Uni you ask? Not so much, either. However, after my experience tonight at Cafe Hiro, I finally had my Uni revelation! When we arrived at 9:00pm, the restaurant was still packed, but luckily, our wait was brief. We were seated in the main dining area and after a few moments, our friendly waitress came by to hand us our menus. The restaurant was very quaint with an eclectic Italian feel to it (twinkling lights above, red checkerboard tablecloths and charming wall paintings throughout the small space.) Glancing over the Yelp app, i couldn't help but notice a resounding theme. Pretty much everyone loved the Chilean Sea Bass (no brainer, right?) but Uni Spaghetti?! Whatchu talkin' bout Willis?!? Sea urchin spaghetti was not my idea of a crowd favorite by any stretch. At the moment, It didn't sound appealing at all, but I figured,"When in Rome, folks!" Throwing caution to the wind, I went with the... Uni Spaghetti (13.00) - As i went in cautiously for my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised! My eyes gleefully beamed at the subtle yet pervasive flavors in the tasty sauce! The spaghetti was cooked al dente with a firm yet supple texture, which had the perfect amount of chewiness and bite. There's Sea Urchin in this? Really? Whatever was in it, I couldn't get enough! I must admit, Hiro has changed my perspective on Uni forever. Is it safe to say this dish was life changing? I'd say, heck yeah, because those spiky little critters just got added on to my "very edible" list! Tuna Tartare (7.00) - I'd have to say, of all the dishes we tried, this one in particular exhibited the boldest flavors! The tuna was well seasoned with wasabi cream and a zesty tamarind soy sauce, which was a virtual flavor blast with every bite! The wonton chips added some nice contrasting textures to this refreshing and flavorful dish, as well. Carrot Soup (Included with meal) - This warm and comforting soup was simple in its presentation, yet it exhibited a great depth of flavor! It tasted a lot like a butternut squash soup, but slightly sweeter. Chilean Sea Bass Risotto (19.00) - The bass had a beautiful sear to it leaving it slightly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside with a buttery soft texture that was sublime. The accompanying mushroom risotto was exquisite. The texture was creamy and the flavors rounded out the dish perfectly! Panna Cotta - Fluffy, with an airy light texture that was velvety smooth and the hint of fragrant almond flavor had me diving back in for another heaping spoonful! With the fresh strawberries, blackberries and kiwis, it was a sweet and refreshing finish to our delicious meal! What I especially enjoyed was not feeling so weighed down after the dinner. Like fellow Yelper Jennifer L said, "Not too heavy but just right!" I'm most definitely a fan of this charming little Japanese-Italian eatery. The service was friendly, the atmosphere was warm and the food was simply unforgettable! Recommended: Chilean Sea Bass Risotto, Uni Spaghetti, & Panna Cotta with fresh fruit Happy Eats! read more

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An ideal place to bring a group of friends! Try and eat dinner with six picky and fickle women. Add the fact that two are Filipino, two are Vietnamese, one is Korean, and one is Indian and a vegetarian. Additionally, they are spread out all over LA and Orange County..Where do you go to appease these women? Meet in the middle! Here it is. The food is good, but the ambiance, decorations, and assortment of food makes it an ideal place to satisfy everyone without causing a ruckus. The place is a little small but is accommodating. You would want to make reservations if you have a larger party. ~The Food The food is A-OK, but beautiful in presentation. The dinners included Chilean sea bass in mushroom risotto (2 ordered this and said it was good), fig salad, a mussel and pasta dish, and two had the daily special which was a vegetarian pasta dish that contained cuttlefish. The vegetarian swapped out the pasta with cuttlefish for the fig salad. ~ Service was pretty good. They even allowed us to stay an hour after it was closed. Therefore, i am rounding up from a 3.5. Service means a great deal to me. ~ Price was decent. ~ The desserts are also good. Overall, I would come here again if I had to pick a place for very picky people. read more

I was in DIRE need of delicious food. I knew I could count on Cafe Hiro to deliver since there food is solid and consistently delicious. Definitely hit the spot. Hallelujah. These remain our MUST HAVE dishes: --Sea bass risotto: melt in your mouth butter-like sea bass that was beautifully pan seared w/ a nice crisp. Creamy mushroom risotto with perfect texture. My favorite risotto. --Uni Spaghetti: solid! Next time I will pay $3 for extra noodles. I kept wanting more and more. We do try new appetizers from time to time. But, these two are pretty awesome. --Peking pork buns: fatty and delicious. --Fried Calamari w/ sprinkle of parmesan cheese: prefer batter to be a bit crispier. Ask for dipping sauce. It's free! You just need to request it. Panna Cotta: The BEST STUFF On earth. Creamy and light w/ just the right sweetness. Heavenly. If only the portion size was bigger!!! One can only dream. THE MEGA UPDATE: We realized this restaurant CAN be KID friendly. Here's how: 1) Request to sit in the back side. Near the bathroom. There are about 3 tables in that row. 2) Kids get their very own nonbreakable plates and cups. Woo Hoo. 3) Meat sauce spaghetti is an easy Go-To dish for the kids. They loved it. Heck, they also enjoyed the top dishes as well. TIP: If you want to keep your kiddo entertained, so you can dine in peace. Bring a portable DVD player (make sure it's charged; unlike us. LOL) or paper/crayons/markers. This will keep them preoccupied for a bit. And IF all fails - the smart phone. Hee hee!! Good luck and Bon Appetit :) read more

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One of my favorite restaurants in the area. Really good Japanese Italian fusion food. I highly recommend the hamburger steak, scallop risotto, Chilean sea bass, and the beef tongue stew for the more adventurous. To be honest, everything here is good. A great little restaurant for lunch or for dinner! read more

2nd time I've been here and I still love the food. It's like a Japanese/Italian fusion done very well. The vibe is very small and fun inside. The menu is also interesting. The first place I ever saw with Uni Spaghetti. Delicious I must say. I want to try the black cod next time. They service is okay. Not amazing. The food is great though! Uni mixed with the noodles cream sauce and some wasabi. It is a pasta bowl of magic! The noodles cooked al dente to give it that nice chew. Blown away! I want another bowl as I write this. Recommendation: Uni Spaghetti read more

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Hyerim L. and I had lunch here yesterday. We made it just in time before they closed up at 2 PM for their lunch hours. The restaurant is super cute and cozy! I loved how the decor made me feel like I was in Paris or Italy. But wait..most of the servers here are Japanese...Voila! It's Japanese/French/Italian fusion cuisine. After reading everyone's raving reviews about their uni spaghetti, I decided to give it a try even though I'm not a huge fan of uni. And honestly, after my first few bites, I wasn't a big fan of this dish either. It was a little too fishy for my taste, but I'm sure if you're a HUGE uni fan, you will love this dish. But one thing I did like about it was the mini dried seaweed pieces in it. My spaghetti also came with a small side salad with miso sesame dressing which was plain but yummy, and black bean soup which was alright. I don't know how you can make black bean soup super fabulous anyway. Overall, I think the food is a 3 but I'm bumping this review up to a 4 because of the quick and sweet service as well as the charming decor and ambience of the place. read more

Sometimes without Yelp, I would be totally lost. Tonight they totally hit a home run with me on this one... as this one is now my favorite restaurant in OC. For a while now, I had been dying to try out this place to see if the hype lives up to the claims of some of the Yelpers I held in very high esteemed. As in this case, there are no doubts about this one. Cafe Hiro is located a few minutes drive from Cypress College between Valley View Street and Cerritos Avenue. It's on the same plaza as Sweetie Thai (another of my fav). Based on my boss's complaint, there is a long a*s wait if you come in after 6:30pm or during their rush hours. So I tried to be there before the crunch time. We were seated in a rigidity table at middle of the room. At first I was thinking if the food is on the table, it would wobble. Then I realized in that you had to lean hard on the table to make it unstable like I was doing. The decor of the place is very interesting. Bright and colorful, it reminded me of a few cantinas I visited as it has a weird mixtures of colors and designs all over the wall. The decorations above the front door reminded me in that this looked like a Mexican restaurant that had transformed into a hip bohemian cafe. Looking at the place, you would never expected this place to be a Japanese fusion eatery. As pointed out by some reviewers, you do get a soup and salad to go along with the main entree. Let me tell you this, these food are like a culinary masterpiece in the makings. They looked so good in that you don't want to eat it because it looked exquisite. We started off by ordering a couple of appetizers. First, the creamy crabcakes was beautifully prepared. It melted in your mouth once you tasted it. They have a nice warm sauce under it and beautifully decorated. Next, we ordered a Peking Pork. It is like a pig in a blanket. Where they bringing a tray with 4 piece of pork, separated with 4 soft Chinese steamed buns. You may add the sliced celery and special jam sauce on the pork and wrapped it with the bun. That was absolutely delicious! The soup of the day was claim chowder. Here's the big difference between here and the unnamed restaurant in Redondo Beach I visited... it's not too creamy to hide the flavor. The soup was done just right where you can still taste the flavor without being too saucy or creamy. My pal claimed it wasn't salty enough. Psst..that is why there's a salt shaker on the side. Next we get a small salad with a little seasoning. They didn't drowned it with ranch or thousand island dressings, which I'm grateful for. I hated it when the salad get wet and soggy because of that, it just won't taste good if it get poured too much. With their salad, it was reasonably touched lightly with seasoning. The main dish I ordered for the night was the Chilean Seabass with risotto and asparagus. That was a sight to be seen. At first I thought it just looked cute. Then I was a little pondering if the thing was small. Let's be honest, size won't matter if the dish was going to be not tasty. Size of the portions in most place put up big just to disguise the taste of the item. Let me assured it was excellent. The fish itself was done just right. It was not overcooked, so it's not stiffed or dry when I tasted. Not too moist either which I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted just right without being one way or the other. Now that was what you called it a masterpiece in doing so. The last time I ever had a fish done right was at Blue Marlin Cafe at Sawtelle Blvd in West LA. Trust me, you'll never get this kind of quality cooking of a fish in Red Lobster. The risotto was done well also. With the rice and mixed in with mushroom and a few scallops, it was nicely done and goes great with the fish. At first I thought the asparagus was for decoration only, but hey why not, it tasted great too. My friend ordered the chicken cutlet which he devoured in no time. When I tasted a piece, it was not too dry and was not thick in the battered mix. Nicely done even in the most simplest dish. To top it off for the evening, I ordered a parfait like dessert. The tart was not too sweet and definitely not sour like a frozen yogurt coming from McDonald's. The price of most of the entrees was around $12-$19. Plus about $6 each for appetizers. It can easily go over $30 for the ever "oh no" $$$ out of $$$$ ratings. Plus with the a glass of wine and a dessert, it would be no problem at all reaching that mark. So in mildly, I wouldn't say it was cheap. Maybe at lunch or something, but at night, the dinner was special. The service was pretty good. At first I thought it was going to be rough because of younger wait staff, but as time progress they gotten more polite and quicker to get the dishes out. The wait for the items can be a little bit of a wait, so I suggest ordering an appetizer. Overall, I was pleased with the outing and excited to try out other dish at dinner time read more

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I have found another place with Japanese spaghetti!!!! I had been wanting to try this place out for a while now and finally got the chance. We got there right before the dinner rush which was great and decided to sit at the bar. The place is quite small so it's best to make a reservation if you can. They have their specials on blackboards above the open kitchen. We ended up ordering the beef tataki special (diff from their regular one), fried chicken, uni pasta, and the clam pasta special. I enjoyed the tataki although there was a lot going on. My bf said it's very different from the main one they have but still tasty. It came with like a braised cabbage, poached egg whites, pesto and warm anchovy vin. I asked them if the fried chicken was like karaage and they said yes so I had to get it. It doesn't have the sweetness of regular karaage but it was very tender and the spicy miso sauce it came with was really good. My bf said the uni pasta was a must try so I tried it. I liked it but I thought it didn't really taste like anything except for the uni....which is ok but I like salty! So therefore I ate the entire bowl of clam pasta! It came with dashi broth (reminds me of how I make it at home) and a bunch of clams. Yum yum yum (:. Wait staff is excellent there...very polite and on top of everything. There were 3 of them managing the whole place. And if you look into the open kitchen you will see the chef looking at all the food that comes out and watching over the customers. Awesome! read more

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I have been coming here for years, both for lunch and sometimes for dinner. I had always enjoyed their food. However, recently it seems to me that the food quality had dipped a bit, even while the prices went North. read more

YAY! Review 100! I was saving this for something special, and I think I found it! Cafe Hiro is the epitome of the old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover". It inhabits a small spot in a plaza in Cypress, very low key and nondescript. The interior decor and place settings give a very homey vibe, comfortable and relaxed. Just a warning, it is a very small space so the tables are quaint and there is not a lot of elbow or walking room. All the servers were very nice and attentive. They made sure that we had everything we needed, being diligent in filling the water cups and clearing out any empty plates so that our tables didn't get too crowded. The Food: Scallop Carpaccio: Seasonal special appetizer that is light, fresh and delicious! Nothing over the top, but it's a great way to start the meal. Calamari Frit: Rings of squid that are lightly breaded and fried perfectly so that every bite had a nice crunch and the inside was juicy and chewy. There was no marinara sauce or anything that came with the calamari, and I am so happy that they opted to not have it! The calamari was perfect on it's own and the addition of any sauce would have done a disservice! Peking Pork: The most tender pork I have ever had! It basically just fell apart when I tried to put some into the steamed buns. The flavors in the pork were so delicious, you barely need to add any Hoisin sauce! This dish gives peking duck a run for its money! Roasted Chilean Sea Bass: (2 options) The sea bass for both options was cooked perfectly! The meat was not too tough or too dry, but crispy enough around the edges and tender and juicy on the inside. It was not overly seasoned, but had just enough to bring out that very unique flavor of the fish. mmmm. A+! 1. Sauteed vegetables: very simple with a nice garlic/ soy sauce to go with it 2. Mushroom Risotto: Very yummy! Not too cheesy and you can really taste the mushroom in the rice. I would definitely go for this option if you are looking for a more hearty meal. Beef Tongue Stew: So very tender and juicy! The meat in the stew was smaller in size, but it made up for it in flavor! I have never had such a tender, delicious juicy piece of tongue. The stew had a great mix of the tongue and spices, combining to form a very satisfying dish. Penne w/ Mushroom, Chicken and Cream Sauce: Penne was cooked al dente! This is always a great sign. The cream sauce was not too thick or overwhelming, and the ratio of cream to pasta was perfect, It's a real bummer when cream sauces are way too thick or there is way too much, or both because it really ruins the dish, but Cafe Hiro did a great job. The only downside to this dish was that the chicken was a tad too dry for my liking. Probably would not order this again but rather try a different pasta dish. Uni (Sea Urchin Pasta): This was DELICIOUS and they did not skimp out on the uni either! Each bite had a lovely uni flavor and the nori was a beautiful touch. YUM. If your stomach can handle this, I would recommend ordering this as a sharing plate because it is more on the savory side so it is a heavier dish. Kurobuta "Black Pig" Pork Cutlet: A very unassuming dish, looking like any old curry pork cutlet plate but oh my goodness, the pork was the best pork cutlet ever. Thick, juicy slices with a perfectly crunchy breading, but it did not have the oily/ greasy after taste that so many cutlets have. The sauce was also the best cutlet sauce I have ever tasted! Not too salty and the flavor complimented the pork so well, it was amazing. Croissant Bread Pudding: I am not a huge fan of bread pudding, but this particular one was quite delightful. It was thick and soft, but not too sweet which made it seem like a lighter dessert. A simple but successful dessert in my opinion. Banana Dessert: I am very sorry but I cannot remember the name of this seasonal dessert. It was a banana cream-esque dessert but it was sub-par. I wouldn't really recommend this one, but maybe try a different one. Overall, this is a great place and not super expensive! They had an omakase deal that we didn't see until the end of the meal, so I definitely will be back to try it out. read more

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Cafe Hiro has been one of our favorites in the past, we repaid them a visit when our friends wanted to take Mrs L out for her bday... Although the entrees come with soup and salad, the Sauteed Mushroom Salad http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-hiro-cypress?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#8A-vxTF8t_He0etf408V8w is a nice starter. The enoki have that slight bite or crunch to let you know that they're there, and the generous grated parmesan adds a bit of saltiness not unlike a Caesar. We also shared an appetizer of Peking Pork http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-hiro-cypress?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#QLoHYXVQNXcwnALSaRR_7g, Cafe Hiro's take of a bao using succulent Kurobuta pork, served with clam-shell steamed buns and the obligatory hoisin sauce and shredded scallions and watercress... The mushroom risotto is absolutely scrumptious here, I'm glad that we both had it with our entrees so I could have mine all to myself and wouldn't have to share. Her Scallops http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-hiro-cypress?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#Hh0zsu_WPHfp2Lu2Nkspwg were delightful, I had one to try and it had that nice char on the outside while still being cooked through, no rubbery texture and not being undone in the middle. I think the size of the scallops which were quarter sized on the face had a lot to do with that. My Grilled Swordfish http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-hiro-cypress?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#vS_lZWWc13VRGmc8b2DsAQ was good, but a little heavy like a fish steak, a little dry like a seafood pork chop if you could imagine. It didn't matter, I ate it all... We had every intention of stopping there, but the restaurant offered us a free dessert for the birthday girl. She chose a helping of the Mango Sorbet http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cafe-hiro-cypress?select=fwf0OxOGO-FlNSt7VLPf1A#kWDVJxte-y0ReNNKiJvVkg with 4 spoons and a candle which we happily scarfed up... Glad Cafe Hiro is still putting out a quality product; their consistency is one reason that I will remain enamored with their food... read more

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Don't forget to give the bitter caramel croissant bread pudding a try!! Absolutely AMAZING!

I'd give Cafe Hiro more than 5 stars if I could! My parents first tried it on Valentines and liked it so much that they brought the family again for dinner the next night. The night after that we had some guests over, and I'll let you take a wild guess where we decided to have dinner... Yup. Cafe Hiro three nights in a row. Never in my LIFE have we eaten at a restaurant three nights on a row... And probably every other week since then! The waitress even asked us if "we come like every week or something?" The uni spaghetti is every bit as good as it sounds. I've had uni spaghetti elsewhere, but everything has paled in comparison to the creamy yet subtle perfection of chef hiro's recipe, topped with thin strips of seaweed and a dollop of wasabi. The noodles taste homemade and are cooked al dente every time. The sauce covers every noodle perfectly, leaving you satisfied til the very last bite. The scallop risotto is also amazing. The scallops are huge and cooked perfectly, while the risotto is filled with an assortment of mushrooms and topped with citrusy, garlicky ponzu sauce. The portion is huge and could easily be shared by two people. Other fantastic recommendations are the Peking pork appetizer, chocolate croissant bread pudding, and carbonara with mushrooms. The service is so friendly. However, (and I cannot stress this enough), MAKE A RESERVATION. It's a tiny restaurant that will easily have you waiting an hour or two without a reservation (or sometimes, with one)! Note: I actually had to read through this review and remove the adjective "perfectly" from about 3 more sentences because I realized how much I had used it. It's the only word that can be deemed appropriate to describe each dish! read more

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Cafe Hiro! You are definitely a hidden jewel! Absolutely delicious food from beginning to end, although the prices are like whoa, the food is like whoa too! So it all works out. I had the passion fruit tea and it was so delicious, refreshing and yes, fruity... lol. We ordered the "Sea Bass Spring Rolls," although it was a teeny tiny portion, it was still delicious looking and tasting alongside a bed of salad that it comes with. Salad dressing for everything you order is phenomenal, definitely stands out from other japanese restaurants. Next we had the "Seared Albacore Salad," even though I would prefer the albacore being a little more raw, I still think that the salad mix with the dressing and seared albacore was refreshing and tasty! Lastly, my bf and I ordered the "Sea Bass" entree... YUM-MY! It was cooked to perfection, you can't go wrong with this buttery tasting fish. It's accompanied by a creamy mushroom Risotto and asparagus, mouth watering from beginning to end. The chef prides himself on plate presentation so you can definitely count on your food being like edible art! I will be back for sure! And next time, I'm going to try the caviar spaghetti and their dessert... mmmm, I can't wait! I just wish their prices were a little more reasonable but that's the sacrifice you must make for quality food! read more

Solid, cozy restaurant that is a fusion of French, Italian, and Japanese, although I don't quite understand the French aspect. My friend and I came around noon on a Saturday and it was fairly empty, so we were seated immediately. I ordered the sea urchin uni spaghetti and my friend got a chicken penne pasta. While waiting, we got complimentary cream soup and salad, although I wish the salad dressing came out on the side since it was a bit much. Still, it tasted like a homemade fruit dressing so it wasn't too overpowering. The ahi tuna tartar appetizer had a good presentation but the tuna didn't taste too fresh and there was more avocado in the mix than there was tuna, so that was interesting. Nothing too special. The uni pasta came out with wasabi on the top, which was a new concept to me but make sure you don't mix the whole thing since you'll be crying in a hot second. I ended up removing half and mixing the other half with the entire portion, which is a lot. It can easily be shared between two people, but my hearty appetite and I killed it. I was super full afterwards though and got food coma for the first time in a while so it's a real struggle. The first bite was disappointing but i realized soon after that it was because the majority of the sauce was at the bottom. Upon receiving the dish, make sure you really mix those goodies to make sure the sauce gets to the top. Afterwards, I could not stop eating and it was soooo good. I can't compare it to other uni pastas I've had since this was a different type all on its own but I definitely miss it already and would love to come back another time. read more

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Another year has passed and still, Cafe Hiro has been a consistent favorite of mine. There isn't much for me to say that I haven't already mentioned before. I made reservations ahead of the time and was seated promptly (even a little bit before the time I made them). Rather than venturing off into the unknown, stuck with the solid choices: - pork bun appetizer - fried calamari - scallop and mushroom risotto They all tasted delicious just as I remembered. I also got to try a friend's spaghetti uni which is highly recommended if you like the taste of uni. He even made the awesome discovery of ordering a side of white rice to add to his dish after all the noodles are gone. PURE GENIUS! I tried the dessert special for the day which was croissant bread pudding. This was also a pleasant surprise though the portion was a little smaller than I had hoped for. All in all, a GREAT meal and I am tempted to come here soon again! You are my 'HIRO' in the culinary world. read more

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I have been raving about this place since I first visited. I can't believe this place so amazing! I fine dine every now and then and this place blew me away. It was one tweak away from the goodness I've had at Michelin star restaurants. read more

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Yum Yum Yum Yum WTF BLAND Yum That's pretty much how our dinner went at Cafe Hiro. Unfortunately that "WTF BLAND" came when it really mattered...on our entrees. For apps, we went with the roasted duck w/ buns and the spicy fries which were both pretty darn tasty. We had high hopes for the entrees especially when the salad and soup were both pretty delicious as well. (Awesome dressing!) Almost everyone ordered risotto. I ordered the cod roe pasta. When our food came, there were a few silent moments while we each gave each other a portion of our food and got down to tasting it. After about a minute, the most outspoken person in our group finally blurted out "Is it just me or is the food really bland???" As if her comment broke a word dam of some sort, everyone piped in and echo'd her sentiments. Fortunately for me, my pasta was bland but not as bad as the risotto. Unfortunately for me, the pasta looked terrible, drowning in a watery white sauce. With the exception of a couple of the boys in our group, none of us finished our dishes. The letdown of entrees took the wind out of our sails and for dessert we only shared one measly banana mille-fieu. That was delicious but not enough to make for the tragedy that was our dinner. :( To top it off, while server was friendly, it was SLOW. We were there for over 2 hours. Such a long way to go for such a dismal dinner...it will be a while, if ever, that I come here again. read more