I'm starting this before we get there because their reservations policy is confusing. According to the man I spoke to, they don't take reservations after 1645h BUT they don't even open until 1700h. How can this be? More to follow. OK here's my review. As to the above, it is 1745 that they cancel taking reservations. The restaurant itself is very nice. The food is 95% spicy +2 to +5 but is very tasty. It is based on Korean street food so it is not your usual foods. It also is very nicely appointed - comfy & comfortable. Two related negatives: they don't have hot or cold coffee/tea. And they serve their nonalcoholic drinks in paper cups which is tacky for a midscale restaurant. I definitely recommend them for interesting & different types of food. read more

Overall, I would give the actual vibe of this place a 4.5/5. The music was good, service was attentive, and overall vibe was super lit! We were surprised at how packed it was; it's one of those places where you go for a good time, there's a young crowd with good energy and overall I had a really good time here. But the food itself was disappointing unfortunately. Because the vibes were so good, I would go back and give it a second chance. However the food cannot compare to the late night Korean joints in Buena Park. The chicken wings didn't have much meat on them, was just bone and a lot of skin/breading, flavor was subpar, I usually love chicken wings but couldn't eat more than two. The pork pancake was not very crispy, and the tteokbokki was ok. Overall it's a neat spot to hang out for sure! Just don't expect really good food. Our whole groups favorite thing we ordered was the fries.. read more

Hanshin Pocha - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here with a group of friends after work. The food was pretty decent. My faves were probably the pork with mozzarella cheese, squid, and the fried gizzards. The rice balls were pretty delicious too. I didn't really care for the tteokbokki. The sauce was super runny and barely any rice cakes in it. Service was a bit lacking. I don't think they ever asked how the food was or if we needed anything. Only time the server came over was when we rang the table bell. We also had to check in on our food a few times. read more

See all

I came here the night before wanting the Hanshin Dakbal as I saw on Yelp, but the restaurant was super busy at around 9ish-pm. There were already people waiting, and the wait would be an hour. I was disappointed and left to eat somewhere else. Last night, I met up with my sister in law and her husband, so we decided to test our luck. We arrived around 5ish-pm, and the restaurant was already over half full. We were seated by the front for a party of 6 in the corner. Works out as I have 2 boys. The restaurant became packed immediately after we were seated, and I saw many families came in. We ordered the following with our waiter, Andrew: 1. Yangnyeom Chicken: My boys can't really eat spicy dishes, but they do love KFC. This dish was very big, and there were definitely leftovers to take home. It was very crispy, and the chicken was moist inside. The flavor is sweet and lightly spicy. Some chicken pieces had bones, while some did not. My boys enjoy it and ate it with their side order of white rice. They're 10 and 8, each ate about 3 pieces. 2. Tteokbokki: Yum-o. Not spicy and flavoring is just right. Not too sweet either. The tteokbokki is soft yet chewey. The only thing was there was a lot of fish cakes and not enough tteokbokki. 3. Hanshin Dakbal: Delish! Well cooked that it comes off the bone so easily. It's not spicy at first, but the spiciness does creep up. The flavoring is just right, not too sweet and not salty. The bean sprout ban chan that came on the side didn't look appealing, but I really enjoyed pairing it with the chicken feet to reduce the spicinessthat crept up later. The bean sprouts were lacking flavor, but it was so crunchy. 4. Beef soft tofu jjigae: Great flavor but not spicy. The tofu was super good, and broth is not powdery. My husband, sister in law and her hubby really enjoyed it. 5. Grilled whole squid: This plate was big, and we didn't think we would finish it, but we did. The squid was not overcooked and flavorful. Thefe is a nice crunch to the squid so that was a bonus. The bean sprouts under the squid soaked in a garlic soy sauce was so good, and the bean sprouts were crunchy. 6. Gogi jeon: Love that it's very crispy. Sauce to dip was light but still good. I asked the waiter for his recommendation on drinks, and he suggested soju and beer for us to make soju bombs, or in our case, just pour the soju into the beer and drink up. Service was very good as we were often checked on by various staff. There is a service button at each table, and the server responds very quickly to it. Overall, the food and service were a plus. Will definitely return when we are in town again. read more

See all

The beef tofu was probably the best thing we ordered. The fried chicken was plentiful, but average. I didn't feel it was super unique. Service and ambiance is always a good time as expected from the Hanshin Pocha franchise. read more

Hanshin Pocha - Beef Tofu Soup - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Excited to be one of the first to review this place! I've been to the Rowland location plenty of times, so I was excited when I found out they just opened an Irvine location. Would never have imagined they would have opened in the quiet area of Quail Hill, though. We ordered Combo A, which includes: - Fried Whole Chicken (not pictured): 5/5 Fried perfectly, seasoned well. - Hanshin Dakbal (added fried rice at the end): 4.5/5 Compared to the rowland location, the sauce at this location was better. The rowland tastes too cinnamony and too spicy (according to my friends). We added the fried rice at the end. They were so thoughtful to think ahead and prepare it in the kitchen with new sauce/pan bc the pan it comes out in has bones in it. - Egg Soup: 5/5 This one is always one of my faves. Its more of a steamed egg than a soup - DIY Rice Ball: 4.5/5 This is always a safe choice. I just wish they gave me 2 gloves instead of 1 which would have made it much easier to form the balls. We also ordered: - Fried Chicken Gizzards and Fries: 4/5 The fries were fried well but it does taste like the chicken. (Probably bc its fried in the same oil) but the gizzards were over fried for my preference. - Chicken Mozzarella Cheese Fondue: 3.75/5 This is one of their new menu items. It was pretty good but it was lacking the fire/smoke-y taste the pork one usually has. It wasn't anything special. Everything was really good for the most part! Hanshin is always a good place for food and drinks. Plus, they're open till 2am from Thurs-Sat and 12am on Sun-Wed. The only thing lacking for me was the ambience. The Rowland and LA locations have lively music and darker lighting but this location felt like a family restaurant than a pocha so it was a little confusing. Hopefully, this will change since they just opened. read more

See all

Delicious! Coming from San Diego, it's hard to find places with Korean street food. It was pretty busy on a late night, great vibes. It's located in a shopping plaza where all the other restaurants close earlier, so it's funny to see that this was the only restaurant popping. Food was delicious. Here's what we ordered: Whole fried chicken: I didn't expect there to actually be an entire fried chicken. The skin was fried so light, yet still so crispy. It was accompanied by salt and pepper, such a simple flavor to elevate the dish to the next level. Since it was a whole fried chicken, there was both white and dark meat. The white meat was still very juicy, but nothing beats delicious dark meat. Gyeran-mari with tomato sauce: This dish was LARGE. I didn't expect it to be so big and it really filled the both of us up. It was even filled with cheese, which I didn't expect. The sauce was very yummy. It was a sweet, yet savory meaty tomato sauce. The dish came together so nicely. It's open late so lots of university students. Would love to come here again and try their other dishes! read more

Hanshin Pocha - Whole fried chicken and gyeran-mari - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Service was good, food just as good. Came out fast. Ambiance feels like a nightclub, but not so loud in color and music.

Very welcoming area. food came out pretty quickly and the staff was very nice. Definitely a place to come with friends as the food is group oriented with plenty of drinks. Awesome sauce read more

Very welcoming area. food came out pretty quickly and the staff was very nice. Definitely a place to come with friends as the food is group oriented with plenty of drinks. Awesome sauce read more

This place has fun vibes! I like that you can make your own rice balls its super fun! The attentive service and vibrant ambiance only added to the overall exceptional dining. A definite must-try for anyone seeking an authentic and memorable Korean culinary adventure. read more

See all

I love the spicy pork. I feel like I reached nirvana. atmosphere is pretty as good as well. amazing!

i luv this restaurant!!! specially chicken feet!!!!! and this DIY Rice ball is amazing read more

Hanshin Pocha - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Food was really good I ordered chess pork bbq and kimchi jeongol with my friend it was first time for my friend to visit Irvine and this restaurant was really amazing read more

Good service and the kimchi fried rice and BBQ pork cheese are both really good, lots of soju to pick from too.

Best chicken feet in Irvine! Good atmosphere and service. We always bring friends here for late night food and we like the place a lot!

Went on Saturday around 7pm. Was told wait would be 30mins-1hr (we had 11ppl and didn't do Yelp waitlist) and then told to stand outside to wait while it was sprinkling. Ended up only being ~15min wait. Irvine location is on the smaller side so I wouldn't go again with a large group or feel comfortable hanging out and drinking for too long. My favorites were the grilled chicken gizzards and chicken mozzarella cheese fondue. Nothing we ordered was bad just didn't stand out and the servings were on the smaller side. Won't be my first choice for future outings but I wouldn't be upset about being back. read more

Hanshin Pocha - Top to bottom: Mandu with cheese, chicken mozzarella cheese fondue, tteokbokki, gesal-Gyeran tang, and boneless fried chicken - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here on a Wednesday with some coworkers to have drink and vent session. One of the guys picked this place because he'd been to the LA location, so we gave this a shot. Overall, our crew was very impressed. Chicken was a pretty nice rendition of what you'd expect from a Korean fried chicken spot, and the non-fried chicken dishes were pretty on point, as well. We grabbed the Yangnyeom Chicken, the pork mozzarella, chicken on green onion, as well as soju and beer. The sauce on the green onion chicken was really nice, and everything there really paired well with the beer. Definitely not a spot to partake alone, because these dishes don't really lend themselves to being a full meal. This is a spot to dine with friends, chat, and be merry. Great change of pace, can get pricey if you're enjoying the bottles of Cass. read more

Came with the family including kids and the food was fantastic. Had the bbq pork w cheese, brisket noodles, rice balls, and chapagetti. Would def come again. read more

served me even tho i came really late. big thanks! the place is really clean too. the vibe is good

Taste is so good, i'm come here everyweek, and service so good too. comfortable atmosphere

this is the perfect late-night spot to grab some good food with friends. open every day until midnight (1am on weekends)!! they have all your classic korean gastropub eats. i've been to their RH location and for the most part i think the menu is the same, minus a few different items? portions here are HUGE, definitely meant to share with the entire party. chicken feet - this was actually my first time trying chicken feet and i'm SO glad i tried it here bc the flavor was amazing! they cooked it soo well - the texture was incredibly gelatinous and super soft to bite into. chicken mozzarella cheese fondue - i've gotten the pork before. both are really good. must get item!! egg soup (geran tang) - not to be mixed up with steamed egg. this is similar but just more "soupy" kimchi fried rice - surrounded with mozzarella cheese. would have been the cherry on top with a fried egg! overall, all good eats!! service/ambiance: there's a call button if you ever need anything. more of a gastropub vibe - think dim lights + loud music. plenty of parking spaces in the plaza. read more

See all

good food and good service! food comes out fast and can always get seated pretty fast

phenomenal food/service. great atmosphere and great for a fun night out. really recommend the cheese pork if you're not sure what to get.

To round up I gave a 4 but my real rating is closer to a 3.5/5. Kind of bummed because I am a big fan of the Rowland Heights location and I was excited that it opened closer to me but this was just ok. Tried the spicy squid, jongeol(?) stew, and diy rice balls. The squid tasted good but the texture of the fried noodles on the bottom was all over the place. Too hard or too soggy from the sauce, would have rather just have regular al dente noodles that would have complemented the sauce nicely. The rice balls tasted good but I felt like they didn't really stick together nicely like rice balls should. Wouldn't get them again. And the stew was very tasty but I found it pricey for what I was getting. Overall if you've never tried Hanshin and you live in OC you should go because their menu is unique and the dishes are tasty, but I do prefer the Rowland location. read more

Hanshin Pocha - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Everything was incredibly spicy. We ordered the chicken feet and pork mozarella fondue, and it was honestly one of the spiciest things I've ever eaten. The DIY rice balls helped a little, but it was so spicy it actually upset my stomach, and I had to rush to the bathroom afterward. The service was great. Really friendly staff and fast with everything. The vibe is super fun like a classic Korean pub, and it's a cool spot to hang out, especially if you're into late-night eats and drinks. read more

Oh how I love this place! Whenever it's 10pm and I am craving a cold one in a quiet city like Irvine, there is always Hanshin Pocha. The food is always immaculate, not a single miss on this menu. Personally, the Cheese Chicken BBQ and the Grilled Whole Squid are my favorites. Super chill ambiance! Gets quite lively on the weekends too! It also helps that the serving staff is insanely attractive and fit, especially Soo! read more

AWESOME SERVICE AND FOOD!! i would recommend to anybody looking for delicious asian comfort food!!

The food was delicious and full of flavor. Everything tasted fresh and well-seasoned.

Service - negative 1 star Food - 1.5 star ( dakbal 2 star | spicy pork with cheese 1 star) Speed - negative 2 star I had the worst service at this new korean pub. I got dakbal and added cheese. Not so noticeable amount of cheese was added lol but hey it was only 3 bucks extra so that's fine. The dakbal when it came out it was not so bad. Pretty spicy but it wasn't over the top spicy but it came out with fire under. It was burning so hot. My friend and grabbed one piece each and was getting into it when I smelled burned smell, my friend tried turning off the light and in process she burned her hand a little. But we turned the fire off. But the entire bottom was so burnt and burned taste was all over the dish so we couldn't eat it. When we informed the waiter, all we got was a soulless sorry, and the dish was whisked away. Eager to give the place a chance, we ordered another dish - spicy pork with cheese. The ordeal continued as it took a whopping 30 minutes for the dish to arrive, and nobody bothered to check on us. Flagging down a server, we were told about delays. Finally, when the dish did arrive, it wasn't even the right one - a chicken dish. After another 15 minutes, we got what we ordered. The cheese was lackluster compared to the picture, but that was the least of our worries. Taking the first bite, my excitement turned into sheer disappointment. It was evident they messed up our order and rushed it - the pork was undercooked, and the fat had this unbearable off-putting smell. We couldn't even eat half of it. When we asked for the check, not once did they inquire if everything was okay, even with our barely touched food. I went to another restaurant after spending monies here as it was so dissatisfying. This popular Korean pub chain, newly arrived in Irvine, turned out to be the worst food and service experience I've had in 2023. What a dismal way to end the year. read more

See all

I came here with two of my friends one night and it's pretty solid! We got the kimchi fried rice and chicken/fries combo. The food was overall pretty good, but not the best pocha food I've had. This is definitely more of a group drinking type place and I think the food would hit better if you were with more people. Service-wise, it was pretty standard. If you're looking for a place where you wanna just drink and eat with a big group of friends, I would recommend this place. read more

See all

love the vibes, fries had amazing texture + crunch n chicken was yummy ^_^ workers are also very nice

the service here is always supreme. staff is super nice and accommodating! the food hits the spot every time! I would 100% recommend this place for a good time and fun drinks! read more

The place is relatively new restaurant owned by Paik Jong Won as in Korean Chef TV celebrity. He has several different franchises including the Korean Chinese restaurant at the H. Mart. This one is located in the posh clean shopping center owned and operated by the Irvine Company at the Shady Canyon. The neighborhood restaurants include BBQ Chicken and other Korean restaurants next to the anchor tenant that is usually a large grocery store. This place is mainly for evening beer and soju cafe with decent food options that go well with the libations. The service and prices are by far above average but not five stars. They also have several gaffes in their website which needs immediate attention but the waitress was not very helpful. One is the $8 special dumplings with photo showing dozen potstickers but they offer eight pieces for the $8 special that misleads you. If you order them they bring out 12 pieces and charge you $15 regular price. There are other mistakes with discrepancies that will affect your final price but doesn't seem worth the argument with staffs who are obviously clueless or not very interested in knowing the details. Overall if you press the button one of the two servers will show up immediately and serve you whatever you order. All of the foods have sugar in them making attractive to younger customers. For me the foods are too sweetened. Absolutely clean and nicely decorated upper class drinking and eating place for you to take your close friends to unload and downright have a good time without pressure. I would definitely go back once. read more

See all

It is my first time to this place, it will be last time. The porklet dish was over deep fried, texture not good hard to chew. The waiter would not void the dish or do something about it. The Korean style chicken with sauces was not taste good neither. We are very disappointed , not recommend this place. read more

dimly lit restaurant and great for socializing! i've gone there multiple times and it was always good. i recommend the cheese pork and sugar free soju! read more

First of all, the price of Tteokbokki was about $16 and it only contained 4 small wheat rice cakes. So I asked if this was Tteokbokki(spicy rice cakes) and they said yes. Originally, there were supposed to be 14 rice cakes, but they made a mistake and said they would make it again. The new one also contained only 9 rice cakes. Is it a joke? It's Koreans' favorite comfort food, and including many rice cakes costs a few dollars in Korea. I lived in the United States for about 30 years in every major city and ate a lot of tteokbokki everywhere. This has never made sense to me. Very unpleasant experience. read more

See all

Meh. 2.5/5 This experience didn't start off well from the start. This restaurant offers Yelp wait list, but that was the start of the bad experience. We left well before the Yelp app told us to check in (20 minute wait left) Within the span of 3 minutes, we jumped 6 places in line, which you'd assume would be a good thing but then immediately got taken off the wait list 5 minutes later. I called to explain the situation stating that I'd be there within 5 minutes (still well before the estimated check in time), but the person on the line kept repeating that there were a ton of people waiting on the online waitlist and this would be a special exception. This already left a sour taste in my mouth, but was made worse when we were hastily seated with no menu. I had to flag after a good while to request one to order. Food: Fried rice - this was alright. Not convinced the rice was fried since this just tasted like standard rice mixed with sesame oil, spicy sauce, and seaweed. This was pretty cheap for what you get, so I still recommend Tteokbokki - The sauce was amazing, but this was the most watery tteokbokki I've ever had. The sauce was almost like soup and although the bowl looked big, there wasn't much inside. The tteok was also very overcooked. Whole Grilled Squid - The sauce was good, but overall was extremely fishy tasting to me. Drinks - I do recommend the drinks, the mango and grapefruit ball were pretty good. Overall, the food was meh but also extremely overpriced for what you get. If you're the person that's looking to take advantage of the Yelp waitlist option to avoid having to stand outside, I'd steer clear of this place. read more

Hanshin Pocha - Korean Near Me - Irvine, California

Great pocha spot with large portions to share with friends. My must order is the spicy chicken and cheese it's so good and tender and their Kimchi stew. I love that the stew has pork belly inside. Their dig rice ball is also really fun and yummy to eat especially with the soup together. I wasn't a huge fan of the egg with spaghetti sauce inside. I think the one without tomato inside would be better. read more

See all

food service and ambiance was all really good. recommend it to everyone. you should go, sean is great.