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    Hako

    4.5 (2k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Hako Takeout or Delivery

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    HAKO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Hako

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    Reviews With Photos

    Celine C.

    Came on a Tuesday night and the wait was about 20 mins even though we were quoted 40 so not too bad. There's plenty of parking as well. There isn't a lot of seating inside but it is clean and doesn't feel too cluttered. Food wise, the gyoza is good but tastes like it is from a Costco bag. The chicken katsu was good but a little too thin for my taste. Wish it was a bit crispier. Overall, good spot with huge portions so I would come back.

    Hako Tonkatsu meal
    Timmy S.

    Begrudgingly giving 3 stars. I came here on a weekday for lunch at 1pm. The place was packed, but luckily, one table was available. It's a small place and the tables are crammed together; you practically touch elbows with whoever is sitting at the table next to you. I ordered the Hako Tonkatsu. The amount of food is a great deal for the price. Along with a large serving of tonkatsu (pork katsu), you get miso soup, rice, salad, and banchan (some sort of radish and jalapeños). The quality of the pork was superb and the crunch of the panko was right on point. I've had many, many plates of tonkatsu over the years, both here in the U.S. and Japan, and this rates highly, made perfectly. I'm not usually a huge fan of miso soup but this one was really good; I loved it. The rice was excellent and the salad was standard but bright & fresh. As a sauce guy, the importance of a good katsu sauce is imperative in making a tonkatsu meal perfect. When I tried the sauce served with this meal I thought - they've got to be kidding. It tasted like a version of Thousand Island dressing. I looked at other tables (2 inches away) who had the same meal and they were dipping into the same container so it was no mistake. Apparently, this is their version of katsu sauce and it was nothing like any katsu sauce I've had in my life. This was an embarrassment to the world of katsu sauce. It disappointed me and honestly destroyed the entire tonkatsu experience. I guess the five-star reviewers like this sauce but just don't know what proper katsu sauce is. I don't want to be a crybaby and give too low a rating as everything else was exceptional, but I'd never ever go back here nor recommend it. Would easily been 5 stars if they had any clue.

    Cheese Tonkatsu
    Earl G.

    Nothing but great things to say about this place, quality of food, and service! It gets quite busy so make sure to have a resie, show up early to get in the waitlist, or be prepared to order to go. Cheese tonkatsu - fried but airy, not too greasy, cheese compliments the pork loin without being to overpowering, pork loin was juicy, sesame sauce was delicious, cabbage salad had ample yet flavorful dressing, miso soup and rice were great pairings aging with the pickled veggies. I would get this again and again

    menu
    Amy Y.

    Expectations may have been a bit high due to the popularity and good word about Hako, but I regularly am on the hunt for good Japanese katsu and curry, so have tried some pretty good katsu in my days. First off, it's a pretty great value. You get a set meal for a very good price these days, since the katsu meals come with their homemade katsu sauce (tastes like a slightly sweet and sour peanut satay), cabbage salad, rice, miso soup, and pickles. If you're looking for value only, this is great. Even the appetizers and sushi rolls are reasonable. I like that you can add on extra curry or some pieces of sushi or gyoza with your katsu or udon meal, and can add more than one. We saw a lot of takeout orders going out, though you don't get the soup. - Agedashi Tofu A light, popcorn crisp fry with sturdy cubes of tofu with enough dashi to cover them all. Respectable appetizer if you like tofu. All the pieces are very hot inside. - Hako Tonkatsu The pork cutlet is pounded so flat and enormous. I added a side of mild curry, which tasted like a good normal Japanese curry, and the additional gyoza were standard grocery filling (seemed to have more of a baked than fried texture on the skin). The nutty satay-like sauce went well with the katsu, but the curry was better. The rice was good and fluffy, and the pickles added an acidic balance. The miso soup was on the salty side. I liked how light and refreshing the cabbage salad was, though I prefer other dressings over this Thousand Island-like creamy one. The katsu itself was a bit disappointing, as it was devoid of moisture and the crisp could have been better. - Chicken Katsu The chicken was slightly better than the pork, as it retained a little more moisture and was just a bit more tender. However, all other aspects were the same. We tried the spicy curry for this plate, and it had the same taste as the regular curry, but with a bite. If you like pain more than taste when you eat spicy foods, I guess that'd be why you choose the spicy here. Considering it took nearly an hour for us to get a table on a random weekday night (seated close to 8pm), I definitely was expecting the food to taste much better. The tables are situated very close to each other, too, so you'll probably have a neighbor within your elbow space. It's not even a contender for a majority of katsu places in NorCal or Hawaii. But if you're in the area and have a craving and want a lot of food for the price, it's fine. If you have leftovers, they will give you an extra new side of their sauce, which is sweet.

    Jeffery N.

    Nice place but be prepared to wait when going, almost at all times. Store is pretty small but cozy, nice staff as well. As for the food, I understand why the line is long. It's definitely very good food and worth the wait once in a while. Food is always consistently good. Katsu has a really good breading on it and flavor as well. Sauce puts it over the top. Meals are also pretty big and well priced which really adds the chefs kiss for an already great meal stand alone. Would recommend!

    Cheese Tonkatsu
    Nathan L.

    Hako is an Irvine staple and is a must-visit every time I'm in the area. I haven't met a single person who wouldn't be down to get Hako, or had a bad experience here. Knowing how expensive tonkatsu can be, this is a relatively affordable option that nearly halves the cost at some other restaurants. The Hako Tonkatsu comes with an entire pork cutlet, each piece fried to perfection with an audible, satisfying crunch with each bite. The Cheese Tonkatsu is $2 more expensive, and comes with less meat, but each piece is smothered in melty cheese seemingly designed to result in a picture-perfect cheese pull. In my opinion, the Hako is much better value. The tonkatsu sauce had an unexpected tang, and the radishes offered a nice palette cleanser. Comes with rice and shredded lettuce, with are the perfect pairs. All packaged nicely in a portable box with custom engraved chopsticks; even the to-go experience matches perfectly with the clean, minimalist interior. I've been here three times and have never sat inside because of the busyness, which should be expected. We ordered over the phone about 10 minutes before arrival. Checking in, we were able to use the restroom, and by the time we were out, our food was ready! How convenient! Tonkatsu steals the show at Hako, and while they have other items (like sushi and soba), they are definitely overshadowed. Maybe one day I'll get to sit inside. And try the miso soup, which is not offered for to-go orders.

    Hamburg Beef Katsu
    Helen N.

    I love tonkatsu, so I was really excited to try this place, and I was not disappointed. The pork tonkatsu is delicious and so crunchy with every bite with the tonkatsu sauce. Every tonkatsu meal comes with a side of miso soup, rice and cabbage salad. The price is reasonable for how much food you get, so definitely come hungry! I tried my sister's hamburg beef tonkatsu and it was equally as delicious. Definitely for those who prefer beef than pork! The service was really good and the wait isn't too bad for a table. The place itself is popping and comfortable to sit in to eat. Come here if you want a great tonkatsu!

    Karaage
    Andrew D.

    Great Katsu joint in the middle of Irvine! This place is very consistent, from the service to the food. Typically, you can expect a bit of a wait on weekday nights, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour at the peak. Upon entering and being seated, we were served relatively quickly. The wait staff was attentive to our needs and refilled waters frequently. This restaurant has a lot of seating and is good for small to medium size parties. We all got the curry katsu and enjoyed the dish! The meal is quite filling for the price; it comes with with a large cutlet of pork, curry sauce, katsu sauce, rice, various pickled veggies, and a small portion of miso soup. The food was standard, with the star of the show being the curry sauce! Highly recommend to dip the katsu into the curry and have some rice w/ curry as well. The karaage was also good too! Overall, I would recommend this place for those in the area looking for katsu and who don't mind a small wait.

    Hako Tonkatsu
    Lauren C.

    Hako is a restaurant that specializes in katsu. They have various plate options like pork, curry, chicken, fish, cheese, etc. I just got the original Hako Tonkotsu, and it's honestly one of the best katsus I've had in OC. Katsu is not greasy/heavy at all. Portions are large. I highly recommend this place. Place does get really busy, and sometimes, waitlist gets long to the point that I think it may be more worth to get katsu at the Hmart food court for very slightly worse quality but better value.

    Ashley L.

    soooo delish and large portions. shared the cheese pork between two ppl and it was the perfect amount! loveee hako for their special katsu sauce. it has a tangy flavor. perfect amount of cheese paired with the pork katsu. the salad w dressing balances the meal well as well as the miso soup

    Hako Tonkatsu
    Vivian T.

    This is my new favorite place for a tonkatsu meal!!! Tonkatsu was huge, perfectly crispy, and not dry at all. The meal came with rice, salad, pickled veg, and miso soup. The sauce for the tonkatsu was deliciously savory. We waited about an hour and a half on a Wednesday night. The food came out fairly quickly after we ordered and was so worth the wait. Casual ambiance. I wish they had a larger space though as it would help alleviate the long wait times probably. I'm no stranger to waiting for food though, and this place definitely lives up to the hype.

    Ky-Anh H.

    Hako is one of my favorite spots in Irvine all around. It will always be one of my options when I'm thinking about what I want to eat because it's genuinely just so good. It is typically busy compared to your average restaurant here, for good reason. The portions are good, especially for the price, everything is fresh, and the taste is great! This time around I got the chicken katsu and it did not disappoint. The batter and fry doesn't make you feel greasy after eating, which is an issue I have at some places, but not here. You always get miso soup, cabbage, rice, and katsu sauce to dip in no matter which katsu option you choose which I love. It really all compliments each other and helps balance out everything. I would say every item you can try is going to be good as I've came so often and tried a variety of their dishes, such as their hamburg beef katsu, hako tonkatsu, zaru soba (which is honestly underrated), and more. I'll probably continually come back here and will always recommend it to others!

    Fish Katsu
    Lydia B.

    Wow, wow wow wow. Ive seen the reviews, youve seen the reviews - but you really gotta just try Hako for yourself!!! Deliciously crispy and served with amazing sauces. My fish katsu was like the best fish and chips you could want, minus the chips, plus cabbage salad and miso soup and fluffy rice! All for a very decent price. I think i paid around $37 for both of these massive meals. They let you take out and you get a little container of the sauce (the brown one next to the miso soup in my pics) with your box! Its delicious, trust. The food comes out piping hot and relatively quickly considering the place was full when we visited. They have a handy yelp waitlist but we only waited about 10 mins. Parking is easy. Serve staff were friendly and helpful. It's a little tight of a squeeze inside the place, but we were sat at a booth on the outside so we had a bit more room. Maybe ask for a booth if you feel you might need some space!

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    Hako Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Hako

    Is this place Japanese or Korean owned?

    It is Korean-owned. I once interviewed here and the owner was Korean.

    I was wondering, what type of dressing is used on the cabbage salad? Thanks!

    I believe thousand island

    What type of cheese is used in the cheese katsu?

    Mozzarella

    View All 9 Questions

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    Nothing like a hot curry on a hot day!…read more Japanese curry is my favorite type of curry, and Coco does it great! Served piping hot, I had it with crispy fried chicken and a heaping portion of rice. Service was quick, from your table, you can both order and pay. Inside was crowded as with all spots at Diamond Jamboree. Parking is also horrible as always, park in the structure at the back!

    This occured on Wednesday, June 17 at 8pm…read more This review is in regard to the service received. The food is good as usual. Its mostly the customer service that is the biggest turn off. We ordered through the QR code that was made available on the table. I did notice that other tables had servers come in to take order but no one ever came to our table. So we opted to ordering via the QR code. Everything is paid once the order has been made. Our total came up to around $113. We were about half way through our meal when the sever with pink highlights in her hair came up to us to verify our order. She repeated an order that sounded ALMOST identical to ours however, the price was set at $89 which really confused us since we already paid $113 for our entire order. Then this server got impatient and told us "It's a YES or NO question... Is this your order or not? Do you not know?" Again, we were mostly confused as to why she presented us with a tab of $89 when we already paid $113. And not just that, we were still mid-way through our meal. Her rudeness really ruined our appetite. We weren't rude to her. Why did she have to speak to us like that?

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    Curry Do

    Curry Do

    4.5
    (442 reviews)
    4.0 mi
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    Curry Do..you have stolen my heart (and tummy). HANDS DOWN, my new fav Japanese curry house!!!…read more What started as a new food find w/ the hubs, one afternoon has now turned into an obsession and I can't get enough! Lol Located in Tustin, in the Strata Tustin Center ~ near THH sandwiches & Leaf N Cream tea house, Curry Do is a cute, modern, family-friendly Japanese-style curry house. The staff is super sweet, friendly & efficient. The establishment is casual w/ chill vibes, perfect for a lunch date or dinner w/ fam. I personally LOVE the awesome lunch special (offered M-F 11:30 am- 3 pm) ~ for only $13.50, you get one small appetizer and one small curry rice (with your choice of protein). My go-to has been the fried gyoza (3 pc) app & pork belly curry. The pork belly has the perfect meat to fat ratio. It's sooo yums! The hubs opt'd for the healthier option and went w/ the chicken katsu. We both get the medium spice level and it's perfect. Just the lil kick a curry should have. IMO, their curry is the true definition of what I envision for a Japanese curry. It's not overly spiced (like Indian curry), it's not overly sweet (or salty), but it's surely savory & memorable. I always do the add-on of the potatoes & carrots and fried egg. One time I even got the cheese and it just worked. Very deelish! You get a generous portion. I always can never finish it in one sitting and the leftovers taste even better. DEFFFFF ask for addt'l red pickle radish cuz it's chef's kiss. I was also enticed to stop by cuz I heard Curry Do sold Dough & Arrow cookies (also another fav place of mine..to which I was super sad it's flagship store in Costa Mesa closed), but have been bummed that I keep missing them. Boo! Will have to catch it someday.. A total RxFoodie recommend and I will be back to try the other yummy menu items!

    I ordered the beef belly udon curry and thought it was good…read more Husband and FIL ordered the curry tonkatsu. They added carrots and potatoes for 75 cents (really cheap) but it looked like they put one tablespoon of diced carrots and potatoes (why add them at all?). Husband rated the dish 6/10. MIL got the katsu donburi which was a total let down. Flavor was not there. Would not order this again. The waiter was really nice but like a nice scripted robot. The digital menus were taking forever to load so when he came by to check on us, we told him we were still waiting for the menus to load. He dived right into telling us (in a very kind tone) they don't have paper menus and we would just have to wait for the menus to load. I then asked him how big the small and regular bowls are, using my hands to form a bowl size. He suggested I scroll down to the next page in the menu for an idea of the size. The photo was not to scale. I asked again how big the bowl is, gesturing with my hands. Again, he told me to reference the photograph. I then asked how big the small size is, also gesturing with my hands. He said about 2/3rd the size of the regular. Useless.

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    Interior. 4/4/2024
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    Katsu Bar

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    4.3
    (198 reviews)
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    I recently checked out Katsu Bar in Irvine with my husband for dinner, and we loved it so much!…read more We were craving something comforting, and this place totally hit the spot. The katsu was super crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside perfectly cooked and not greasy at all. Everything tasted really fresh and high quality. We ordered the Cauliflower Tempura, Katsu Plate, Yubu Pockets, and Original Katsu Sandwich, and everything was absolutely delicious. Each dish had its own unique flavor, but all of them were super satisfying. The portions were generous and such great value for the price, so we left completely full and happy They also have a really nice patio seating area, which made the whole vibe even better. It felt relaxed and perfect for a casual dinner night. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the place overall felt clean and cozy. Definitely one of those spots we'd come back to when we want something hearty and delicious. Also, I love that you can choose your protein for the katsu chicken, beef, or fish which makes it even more customizable depending on your preference. Highly recommend if you're in the area!

    i've eaten at katsu bar in the past and really enjoyed their portions, so i was excited to order…read morefrom them on doordash tonight when the craving hit. i've been to the restaurant a handful of times before and it's always been quick, clean, and easy to order with their electronic kiosk. unfortunately, this order didn't quite match those past experiences. i ended up ordering a bit of everything to mix and match. i got the shrimp sando with fries, macaroni, three yubu pockets, and the shrimp sticks, thinking i'd be able to save some for later. starting with the shrimp sando, i've loved it in the past, but tonight it was honestly almost inedible. i ended up picking off the shrimp because the coleslaw sauce was so watery and overused that it completely soaked the bread. it was just too much and kind of nauseating, which is a shame because their bread is usually so soft and complements the sandwich really well. it honestly felt like a completely different sandwich from what i remembered (and i know this wasn't on the delivery driver since my order got to me quickly after pickup). that same issue seemed to carry over to the macaroni salad, where the sauce was again a bit too much and leaned too sweet for my taste. on the brighter side, the shrimp sticks and waffle fries were definitely the highlight. they were nice and crispy, and the seasoning was really good. as for the yubu pockets, they were alright. they definitely stuff them generously, which is great if that's what you're going for, but three ended up being a bit overkill if you're just looking for a side. overall, i know they're capable of better based on my past visits, but i can't say it was a satisfactory dinner for me tonight.

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    Inside
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    Original Katsu Sandwich w/ Waffle Fries
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