A Legendary Slurp - Gone But Never Forgotten It is a true…read moretragedy for the Orange County food scene that Hakata Ikkousha in Costa Mesa has closed its doors. This wasn't just a "ramen joint"--it was a masterclass in authentic Fukuoka-style soul food. The Broth: Liquid Gold The standout was always their Signature Tonkotsu broth. You could literally taste the 30+ hours of labor that went into it. It had that distinct "frothy" texture (the bubble of the bone marrow) that you only find in high-end Hakata shops. It was rich, creamy, and carried a deep umami funk without ever being overly greasy. The Hits * Black Tonkotsu: The roasted garlic oil (mayu) added a smoky, dark complexity that ruined all other garlic ramens for me. * God Fire: For those who like to sweat, this offered the perfect balance of heat without sacrificing the integrity of the pork flavor. * The Karaage: Genuinely some of the best fried chicken in the area. Massive, juicy thigh meat with a shattering, thin crust and that addictive spicy mayo on the side. * Customization: I loved that they let you pick your noodle firmness. "Hard" was the only way to go to ensure that perfect snap with every bite. The Atmosphere The Costa Mesa location always had a great energy--functional, clean, and unpretentious. The staff were always efficient, greeting everyone with a loud "Irasshaimase!" that made the experience feel truly authentic. It's heartbreaking to see such a high-caliber spot leave the neighborhood. If you were lucky enough to eat here, you know we lost a heavy hitter. To the team at Ikkousha: thank you for the memories and the best bowls in the city. You'll be sorely missed! Note: For those still craving that specific broth, their Torrance locations are still holding it down--definitely worth the drive to keep the dream alive. Come back to OC! !

I'm heartbroken to find out that my favorite ramen spot has closed down. I wish I had known so I…read morecould have gone back one last time. The Black Devil and God Fire were my favorites. Both had such a rich, deep flavor. I haven't had a broth as good. The chicken karaage was also slept on. It came with just salt and mayo, and it was simple, juicy, and crispy. One day, I'll go to the Torrance location and try Hakata again. Until then...

This place has quickly become one of my go to spots at South Coast Plaza ever since they've opened!…read moreThey offer four different tonkotsu ramen bases, with further customization available from like oil richness, veggies, salt, and more, to tailor your ramen to your desired flavor!! Even with the unlimited customization options, they also offer limited-time ramen bases as well , like a pumpkin ramen, crab ramen, or even a curry ramen just recently. These limited-time ramen flavors are always so creative AND tasty, so the announcement of a new limited-ramen always gets me rushing over to try it!! The ambiance is excellent as well, and the addition of the patio provides a nice and private scenic breeze, with extra bonus points in practicality for providing a nice space for pet owners like myself when I have my dog with me! Not only is the food and ambiance great, but the service is spectacular as well. The servers are attentive friendly and quick, so I'm never waiting long! Extra special shout out to servers Bao and Kenny!!! Both Bao and Kenny have been my server time and time again, and both of them provide beyond exceptional service at lightning speed!! The managers too have been so wonderful to me as well, with Nike, Brandon, Britt and Chuong facilitating such wonderful dining experiences every time I visit!! I can't recommend this place enough to all of my friends. With their continuous dedication to quality, quickness, and care, I've found myself coming back again and again

Ramen Nagi is THE best ramen in OC! I especially love the Green King and that each bowl is custom…read moremade to fit your tastes. The bean sprouts are delicious as well. The staff are incredibly attentive, especially Justin. He was very attentive and even offered me a bib when he noticed I was wearing some nicer clothes.

Stopped by Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai for lunch and had a great experience. Even though this spot can…read moreget busy, the Yelp waitlist kiosk made the process smooth and we were seated quickly. Parking in this plaza is always a bit of a challenge with so many businesses and limited spots, but we found one after a short loop. Inside, the restaurant is compact but has a warm, cozy atmosphere and is very clean. We ordered a spread: Kitakata Ramens, chicken curry, gyoza, Aburi Chashu Plate, cheese French fries, and the melon float. Everything arrived at a good pace and tasted fantastic. The melon float was a fun surprise - my son loved the mix of melon soda and vanilla ice cream. The ramen broth stood out: light, clean, and pure-tasting, without the heaviness some broths have. We'll definitely return.

I have been here a couple of times before many years ago since I lived down the Street. My friend…read moresuggested coming here since he had the cravening for the Green Chili Shilo Ramen. Our lunch visit was last Sunday 5/24/26, There are some changes to the menu since my last visit. They now offer rice bowls and curry and only accept cashless payments. So make sure you have a debit or credit card with you to pay. While my friend ordered the Green Chili Shilo Ramen Large size I got the Spicy Tan Tan Ramen Large size and Yuza Fizz soda which was lime based and tasted similar to Sprite. The service was friendly and helpful and the food was amazing. I really enjoyed my Spicy Tan Tan ramen. It was full of flavors and the toppings mixed well. Definitely will return to try other menu items. Highly recommend.

Love that this place is a little off the beaten track so I have always been able to get a seat…read morewithout waiting. Store interior is bright, very clean for a ramen joint, and has a cool vibe with jazz music playing. The ramen itself is actually fantastic: A tasteful broth with a slightly sweet onion flavor, noodles that are the right thinness and al dente, and chashu pork that was the softest I have ever had. There are many other ramen places in the area, but it's worth the extra 10 minutes to come here!

One of the best ramen places in OC! (Top 2 for sure!) We had the Tonkotsu Ramen, Gyoza, Spice tuna…read moreroll, and they had teriyaki chicken wings as a new menu item which I really hope they keep!! As it turned out to be the best part. The ramen was incredible. Super rich and concentrated broth with a nice sear and intense flavor in the chashu pork. We added a few soft boiled eggs which were absolutely flawlessly cooked, the best I've ever had tbh. The gyoza had a nice crispy bottom and were so shockingly juicy inside it felt almost like a soup dumping! The sushi roll was also packed with flavor and a nice heat. It was really the teriyaki wings that stole the show. Again, ridiculously juicy with a nice crunch on the outside, the sauce was insanely good! Sweet, rich, garlicy, umami - all the best flavors. Service was excellent, everyone was super nice and the food came out quickly and hot!!! It felt made with love and skill. The only thing is that it was a bit bright inside the restaurant but then again I am sensitive to light. Otherwise the layout was nice and specious and full of medium and small booth options. Overall we cannot wait to return and bring friends!! :)

Meiji seimen is always taste good. Udon is not salty. And…read morethe hot pot keeps soup waem.

I had Meiji Seimen bookmarked and we decided to try it before picking strawberries at Hana Field…read moresince we would be in Costa Mesa. Parking was easy to find in the parking lot, but there was a decent wait to dine in for lunch on Saturday. For our party of 2, we put our names on a wait-list and waited about 30 minutes. The restaurant is not that large which explains the wait. The interior was decorated in wood traditional Japanese style. Service however was very attentive and friendly. We scanned the QR code to browse the menu. We decided to order curry katsu udon (spice level 2), grilled mackerel set, and cold egg + tororo + mentai udon. All of the food was extremely delicious, especially the udon. This is definitely an authentic Japanese restaurant with Japanese employees. Most of the diners were Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese. Prices were also very fair, under $20 per dish. I was really impressed and would gladly come back, just be prepared for a wait during peak times!

Randomly decided to try this place with the wife last night…read more I remembered there being a spot called mogu mogu here prior and confirmed with the waitress that it's the same menu! Spicy miso ramen: 9/10 Actually one of the better ramens I've had lately. The broth is creamier and isn't overpowering with chicken/beef flavor. The chashu was nice and tender as well. I really liked that their noodles were al dente and not too soft Deluxe mazemen: 8/10 Taking my first bite, I was instantly greeted with an explosion of umami. There's a LOT of flavor packed in this bowl and the noodles used are actually a bit thicker which is right up my alley. My only drawback on this dish was that I wished it came with some sort of veggies to cut through all the flavor. They also give you a small serving of rice at the end for you to mix into the bottom which was a nice addition Kurobota sausage: 7.5/10 We've recently been on a kurobota craze. Don't get me wrong, these were great but we've only had them charred and grilled before so I was taken aback when I saw that these were only steamed. Flavor was spot on but I'm a sucker for a nice char or crisp to my meat Overall, loved the service and small restaurant vibe of this spot. We were seated very quickly and the food came out even faster. Definitely come try this spot, I know we'll be back

Never had Mazemen before which is basically broth-less ramen with various of toppings. We were on…read morethe way to Kitakata, but after finding this place on Yelp, we had to check out the hype. The interior is cozy and small with authentic Japanese decorations/setup. Kinda felt like we were eating in Kyoto or something, lol. The lady who served us was friendly and gave us good recommendations. I think she was handling the whole operation to be honest. To start it off, we ordered their specialty chicken karaage and it was very delicious. It has a nice crispy and crunchy texture. The batter on the chicken was good and once you bite it, the meat is juicy and tender. Doesn't really need dipping since it's so good. As for the Mazemen, we ordered the Deluxe and Veggie one, both is a 5/5. Very flavorful and it tastes just like ramen, but without the soup. The presentation of the dish looks like a work of art. Very picture pretty. I ate that shit up within ten minutes. After that they give you a scoop of rice so you can mix it up with the leftover sauce. Lots of umami for sure. Definitely will come back again to try the other flavors. People, trust me and come through!

Hands down the best ramen in town , we can argue about it over a beer here 3rd time this week says…read morea lot..

You literally won't regret coming here !!! Top tier ramen !! Spicy black garlic is what we get and…read morehave never been disappointed!

Fire ramen rush Phide love phimaliy love vegetarian option good eats good peeps thanksread more

I was in the mood for ramen, & my roommate recommended this spot. I got the Chaschu special and it…read morewas so flavorful! The meat was super tender. We also ordered the fried rice, which was okay. The garlic edamame was also really good. Service was excellent! Very attentive servers & friendly. It was a bit cold in the restaurant, but with the hot broth of the ramen it warmed me up for a bit haha. The music was a vibe inside too. I would definitely come back.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a solid place and has been a staple for my family and me. Ordered the…read moremiso ramen and chashu rice bowl and it genuinely reminded me of the ramen I had in Japan -- that same comforting, rich, deeply flavorful broth that just warms you from the inside out. The noodles were cooked perfectly and the toppings added another layer of texture and flavor that was just right. Enjoyed the chashu rice bowl as well - it was chopped chashu with lots of flavor and the rice was nice and soft - portion size was cute. Overall, everything was priced really affordably. Service was fast too. It's located inside the food court at Mitsuwa, so lots of seating and good casual environment to eat by yourself or with a group.

This has always been one of my favorite ramen spots since high school. That said, I do feel that…read morethe East Coast offers slightly better quality and flavor compared to what we have here in California. Overall, I'm really enjoying the meal. If you're looking for a quick, comforting bite and something that really warms and revives you. This is a great choice for ramen . Just a heads up: the food court can get very busy on weekends.

Solid Ramen spot , Nice ambiance with efficient service ,…read morenice and clean .Servers were on point, especially Char who was polite and friendly. Food was good and loved the appetizers and mochi ice cream, Plenty of parking in a safe neighborhood.

Went in for lunch today expecting to have a nice time, but unfortunately the experience was just…read morethe opposite. From the moment we walked in, the lead server, Jon, was unfriendly, which I could have overlooked, but his attitude became noticeably worse while seating us. Immediately after seating us, I saw him walk to the back, say something with a smirk to a coworker, and the coworker immediately looked over at our table. It honestly felt like we were being mocked, almost as if he had some kind of issue with me for no reason. The entire experience made me uncomfortable the whole time we were there, to the point where I honestly just wanted to leave. That said, I do want to mention that our actual server was kind and professional. Sometimes the experience matters just as much as the food, and this was a totally unnecessary and disappointing situation. I'd be happy to explain further if the owners would like to reach out.