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

This place always has a wait, and for good reason. It's a small shop so waiters are attentive and…read moreyour food will come out in a timely manner - feels like you're transported to Japan :) Also, make sure to join the waitlist before you get there to avoid long wait times. Udon is favorite noodle dish and this place definitely meets my expectations. I've had the Nabeyaki and Chicken Tempura Curry udon, and they're very filling! I will say they're a little pricey but I think it's worth for the amount and quality. If you want to impress someone who loves udon or Japanese food, come here!!

Food is Chinese and we ordered the garlic chicken wings, spicy sausage fried rice, bao buns,…read moredumpling noodle soup. All were yummy and the value wasn't that bad for what you get. Flavors were good and tasty. The service was good being that there are only 2 waitstaff. On top of things! The place was nice and clean and we do go back here once in a while when cravings kick in. Verdict- yes!

Always awesome …read more.. Massive lot that usually has lots of room, big place with lots of seating. I tend to go at lunch time early so always lots of options. At times the local hotels will have conference and then things can fill up fast. Service is great, they watch the tables and think ahead for what you need. Im addicted to a specific soup here but keep looking at all the amazing options, I still walk in and order what I ordered last time. Clean place, great staff, awesome food. This is a weekly lunch go to for sure many times Ill hit them 2 or more because they are that good.

If comfort food had a mascot, it'd be a shrimp! This place proves it. Every bite feels like a warm,…read moresavory hug straight from the sea. The broth is deeply, unapologetically shrimpy, with a rich, silky mouthfeel that clings to the thick, chewy noodles. Service can be a bit of a gamble (sometimes spot-on, sometimes hard to track down,) but the second that steaming bowl hits the table, nothing else matters. Bonus points for the playful shrimp-themed decor! With limited seating, there's often a wait, but if you're stuck in line, at least the mall gives you something to do. Highly recommend trying the Signature Trio Shrimp Noodle with wide noodles!

First of all the server don't knowledgeable what she doing…read more No smile No greeting No thank you Bring the wrong food out don't even say sorry just what ever I don't care . Don't think will be return

My quest to try different types of ramen led me to Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai. I was fumbling with…read moreWaitlist when Madison welcomed me inside to be seated. Nice! I considered tonkatsu ramen but decided to order a large spicy miso ramen instead, Make it a large for $1.50 is a great deal. I found myself staring at a mount of vegetable toppings when my ramen arrived. The next thing I noticed was the wavy kitakata noodle that reminded me of chewy homemade noodle. I tasted the broth by itself before slurping in my ramen. The whole package was a winner for my taste buds. I learned from Madison that this location in Costa Mesa was established in 2014, the first international Kitakata joint outside Japan. Although this is my first time at Kitakata certainly won't be the last.

This used to be my go to spot to take my family. However after tonight's experience I might not be…read moreback. Me and my husband and two kids waited over an hour (based on a Yelp wait time of 5 minutes). The restaurant was very clearly understaffed (2 servers on a busy Saturday night.). Tables were left unbussed for 20 plus minutes. Despite open tables in the restaurant, the wait time continued to increase. I inquired as to when we could expect to be seated and the staff was not able to give me an answer, only mentioning a large amount of to go orders. Although the food is wonderful, the ownership clearly does not prioritize customer service or treating their staff well because they were overwhelmed. Absolutely mind boggling to continue taking to go orders when you have in person customers ready to be seated. We eventually left hungry and cranky.

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 was completely unaware 10/26/25 was the last day this location was open so I feel very blind…read moresighted T-T The only location left is Torrance and I hope it stays open! Favorite ramen spot ever!! The Black Devil Level 2 Spice will be missed.

Tried Nikutama Udon and it was so delicious! The meat was tender and flavorful. Broth was delicious…read moreand I end up drink up the whole thing! It also comes with sweet onions and soft boiled egg which brings out the flavor even more. I also tried their tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelette) and shrimp and while it taste good, I could live without it. I would recommend nikutama udon 5/5. Would go here again

This is my favorite udon spot ever! The service is always fast and efficient, which makes the…read moreexperience even better. There are plenty of seating areas, but it does get super packed on weekends, so I'd definitely keep that in mind when planning a visit. Despite the crowds, the food quality stays consistent and fresh. The udon noodles are always perfectly cooked with an ideal chewy texture. The tempura is also a highlight, super crispy and so good when paired with the warm, comforting udon. Overall, it's a spot I keep coming back to!

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

I've been around this area for so long but only just now am I trying Kashiwa Ramen!…read more Going inside, the seating area is not large, and off the bat, I couldn't get seated with my family because the 2 high chairs they have available were already taken by another family. Thankfully, they had a booster seat available to have our child sit on. We ordered a miso ramen, a spicy black garlic ramen and a gyoza for our appetizer. The person taking our order was patient with us as we ordered even as we were dealing with our toddler. Our requests were accommodated respectfully and to the best they could! Upon first glance, the gyoza looked good, like it was a family recipe and made from scratch! The spicy garlic ramen had thick, and a tasty looking broth and the portion sizes for the ramen looked like decent enough for the price. The taste for the gyoza was good, but the spicy black garlic ramen definitely stole the show! The broth was the perfect level of savory with a delicious blend of garlic that wasn't overpowering along with the pork broth. The chashu was incredibly tender and flavorful and the ramen was cooked perfectly - *chefs kiss*, amazing! Another reason that helped me decide on eating here was that there is a student discount for OCC students! Definitely cool that the local business is supporting local students! I had a great experience eating here with my family - the food was delicious, the staff was helpful and it was joy!

Met with friends from all over So Cal for an event down South. After the event our friend found a…read morenoodle house in Santa Ana, odd find location but lets go ... Massive parking lot so that was easy, one friend went ahead and let them know we had 10 incoming. They made room and we sat immediately. One of the spots that you scan a menu at the table and you review, order and pay all in the app. I was really not familiar with the line up and went with the "House Special Beef Pot Roodle" (Roodles are their rice noodles). It was a weekend only item and I tried that. The noodles came separate from the soup. Over all it was very tasty. The meat was a bit fatty and the soup had tendons too. I took that part home and my wife loved it. I tend to avoid the fatty meat and tendons are not good to me. 10 of us so some of the appetizers got passed around. The smashed cucumbers are excellent, and my buddy also got some friend potatoes of sorts, reminded me of a fat French fry. Because my buddy and I sat at the same table we scanned the same menu, he ordered a bunch of stuff and also House Special Beef Pot Roodle. That confused the kitchen and they asked me if I meant to order 2, I said no and didn't realize I cancelled my buddy's order. Part of the confusion of a large party and many scanned menu orders. My buddy was struggling to order and our initial waiter seemed to not understand my friend and that took a little bit to work out, young lady came from the back and was able to quickly resolve some of the confusion and get questions answered as needed. In the end he had lot of food to explore. One thing that caught my eye was several couples there and sharing a large soup item served with a tray of various food items for the soup. Kind of a date night visual and something that looked very interesting. Several couples around us had that same dish and its got me more curious. Might have to come back with my wife and try this one.

I decided to give this place a try because I heard their noodles were very authentic, and as…read moresomeone who loves noodles, I was excited to try it. I ordered their most popular dish, the A1 set, but honestly, it didn't really live up to the hype for me. The broth tasted pretty underseasoned overall. From what I understood, you're supposed to mix all the toppings into the soup with the noodles, but even after doing that, I still felt like the flavor was lacking. Yes, they provide seasoning on the side, but personally, I wish the broth already had enough flavor on its own without needing to adjust it myself. Would I come back? Probably not. Nothing really stood out to me enough to return, and it felt more like a one-time experience. Overall, everything was just okay.