Yummy! I love Somisomi. I came on a Friday night and waited in line for about 20 minutes. Not too bad, but my friend said the line went all the way to Javier's when she was at Spectrum! The line moves relatively slowly, but I really feel the snacks here are priced fairly. I got matcha in a cup and then two taiyakis. The matcha was super creamy and soft.. the other flavors they had were ube, black sesame, and vanilla. They also have swirl options which change every week (the swirl options for the next two weeks are posted on the menu). Prior to giving you your dessert, you can add in toppings for free. They have cookie crumbs, fruity pebbles, etc. Taiyaki was 2 for ~$3.75 and the matcha ~$3.50 The taiyaki took a little longer to make, but was well worth it as they were so fresh. You had options such as red bean, custard, and Nutella. Yummmm read more

Somisomi - Matcha in a cup- so yummy :) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

I was craving something sweet and decided to give this place a try since the concept is quite novel (to me anyway). I've only tried taiyaki once (from a frozen desserts section at H Mart) and it was meh because of the sparse filling and boring, soggy texture. But perhaps fresh(er) taiyaki could change my mind (and taste buds). I appreciate the simplicity of the limited soft serve choices -- instead of trying to make a bunch of wild-yet-average-tasting flavors, they specialize in a handful of classic East Asian favorites: black sesame, milk, matcha, and ube. I sampled the ube and it tasted very potato-y and slightly sweet (which is exactly what ube is like). The portion of the sample was generous -- it wasn't one of those tiny 1-centimeter scoops -- it took me a good 3 licks to finish the sample. I ended up getting the matcha and milk swirl with custard filling (and no toppings). It was surprisingly tasty and satisfying, as well as not-too-sweet and perfectly portioned (so I didn't hate myself when I was done). The taiyaki shell was warm and crunchy (great contrast in texture to the creamy soft serve). The custard was also very yummy! It's like the type in French/Vietnamese cream puffs, so it was rich and subtly eggy in flavor. I'd recommend grabbing some napkins because I'd imagine it could get messy if it's a hot day and/or you're not a speed eater like I am. It's also a bit pricey, so it's def a once-in-a-while treat, rather than a dessert to eat on the regular. I look forward to coming back and trying another one! read more

Somisomi - Milk and matcha soft serve with a custard filling - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

Somisomi is the Irvine Spectrum's newest addition, and it's surely drawing the crowds. - The menu is limited with just a few ice cream flavors: ube, matcha, milk, and black sesame. It is possible to order a swirl, with combinations rotating on a weekly basis. - I enjoyed the option to fill the taiyaki with custard, red bean, or nutella. - The soft serve is good but melts quickly. I was glad to have ordered the taiyaki on top of my cup to avoid a mess. - This is strictly a pop-up store for now, but perhaps the constant deluge of customers will render this a permanent confectionary. read more

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Arrived on a Sunday night and guys expect to wait for about 30 minutes or longer. Ordered the milk and ube with Nutella and I knew that was the one for me. The texture is creamy and the flavor was on point. Thickness was right on. I really enjoyed this dessert. If you have not been here I recommend it to try it at least once. Some improvements Somisomi can improve is the wait time by taking orders for those who are in line similar to in n out, and open another cashier register. read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

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The first time I had Somi Somi was at KTown and it was glorious! Sweet, cool and delicious. Loved the choices of filling (red bean or nutella) along with the ice cream flavors to combine with (taro, matcha, mixed) and I believe you can add toppings but I enjoyed mine without. Would most likely recommend to anybody who hasn't gone. They have a location at Irvine Spectrum. read more

I love Somi Somi so I was super excited to find out they were in the Spectrum when I moved to Irvine. This place is kinda hidden within the spectrum so so it'll be a search to find. When we finally found it was super crowded but that's expected for a Saturday afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised by the many flavors available at this location. However, like always, I got the black sesame and let me tell you, it was disappointing. Not sure if the formula is different but it just tasted less potent, even the color was lighter ‍ ...so this location only gets 3 stars. read more

Taiyaki ice cream! Definitely prefer this location than LA, as it has more room for seats and cute interior aesthetics. Spectrum is a nice area to stroll around as well. Though the line is long, it goes by rather fast. You could sample here too, and found all the four flavors were pretty solid (matcha, ube, black sesame, milk), it was hard to choose! The ube and matcha flavors were stronger and tasted better compared to the LA location (but it could have improved since the last time I went several months ago). And more than the ice cream, I'm a fan of their taiyaki! It holds up the ice cream well and the texture is always on point as they're freshly made -- crispy on the outside, chewy soft on the inside. Red bean is my go-to, and even if you don't feel like ice cream, just their taiyaki is a nice treat! read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

Stopped by for their grand opening - Saturday afternoon. Wasn't busy - walk right up and order my somi somi - ube and black sesame swirl. Flavor tasted like peanut butter. The advertisement was BOGO buy 1 somi somi and get 1 taiyaki. Didn't get a the taiyaki because they were "out at the time". SO I ordered 2 taiyaki and waited. When I picked up my order I saw the same server offered the people in front of me their free taiyaki so I asked about the BOGO promo and server said "yeah sorry it was out earlier". Seriously? But whatever. I've been to the Korean Town and San Diego locations a couple of times but I won't be coming back to this location - not a great experience or vibes. read more

Somisomi - Ube and black sesame swirl - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

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Definitely not your traditional soft serve for some but it's definitely something familiar to me. They have some fun flavors that some may never have seen before at Spectrum; matcha, black sesame, milk, and Ube. The fillings are red bean, custard, and Nutella. These are by far the best that I have ever had. The sea bream shaped "cones" have the perfect crisp and chew that gives you a slight mochi texture. They are light and airy which is nice cause sometimes the "cone" could be overwhelming. You can tell they kept to the traditional Japanese batter and didn't cheat by using waffle mix which is too dense and have no crisp or chew. I got the custard filling and boy do they line these suckers perfectly we enough so you get a bite of filling each and every time. Soft serve is nice and creamy and not overwhelmingly rich or sweet. Literally inhaled my cone within a few minutes and I'm not your biggest sweet tooth. Each of the delectable treats are roughly $7-8 and include a topping of your choice; variety of cereals (fruity pebbles, cocoa pebbles), Oreos, matcha powder, and strawberries. Tried their individually filled fishies and what a catch! They're so good!! Perfect crisp and chew, with so much filling! For $7.95 /5 fishies (any filling: cheese aka cheddar cheese, custard, Nutella, and red bean). Service was great! Would HIGHLY reccomend for anyone! just be adventurous and try something new! read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

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Ok, I'm going back next week. Line was long but fast. And the dessert was.. awesome. Thinking about everything I got, which was pretty much one of everything, my favorite was the custard inside of the fish cone. It was ridiculously good. I got the milk/sesame swirl and my wife got the ube/matcha swirl. Both were super good. And the taiyaki, basically the same thing as the cone, with different fillings. Forget it.. double awesome. Get the custard.. I will.. again. read more

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Located close to the movie theater at the Irvine spectrum Somi-somi soft serve serves the newest California craze; Asian/Japanese inspired soft serve ice cream. Flavors: Ube(taro), Matcha (green tea), Cream (milk), and Sesame (black colored sesame flavored ice cream). Plus, pretty much any mixed version of those flavors. Plus they come in a really cool goldfish cone. I ended up ordering the Ube/sesame mixed flavors. I personally really enjoy taro flavors and sesame flavors, so why not mix them up? However in disappoinment, therw were no hints of either flavor. Matcha green tea actually tastes like Matcha, and the Cream flavor, well that tastes like ice cream. I mean, soft serve ice cream is good no matter what, but the Ube really didn't taste like Ube and black sesame didn't taste as it should either. Maybe they just need to add more of those ingredients to their soft serve at the next go around. If you're in the area you should give them a go and see what you think. read more

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A bit overhyped IMO but the fish shaped "cones" are actually delicious. I just didn't care as much for the frozen items.

Feels like somisomi is opening everywhere in socal now and for good reasons, this place is awesome! They mix their soft serve combinations every Friday which is great! Only 4 flavors: vanilla, black sesame, green tea, and ube. Got the vanilla and black sesame swirl served in a taiyaki cone.Their soft serve is creamy, milky, smooth, and delicious. Their taiyaki cone surprisingly didn't turn soggy as I was eating my ice cream. You get a choice to fill the cone with custard, Nutella, or red bean. On top of that you can choose any toppings on display! Tried their normal taiyakis at well. They make it fresh, so you have to wait about 5 mins for then to prepare it for you. I got the cheese filled taiyaki and it was yummy! I like my taiyakis more bread like (like traditional Japanese taiyakis) but somisomi's had a crunchy exterior and a mochi like texture. Not my preference but with the melted cheese inside, it was still delicious. Place is a little hidden in an alley way next to the movie theater! read more

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Somisomi is just as fun to eat as it is to say The custard combination with the Korean fish shaped baked good is a must try if you have not ever tried it! Perfect for a date night dessert after your dinner. One of my favorite go to spots in Irvine! read more

This place is down right delicious. The workers that go by the name of Justin and Lauren are my favorite faces to see when I visit this shop. I can always count on them to know my order by heart (Ah-Boong with cookies and cream ice cream inside with sprinkles on top and Nutella inside). I could go on and on about the taste, but first let me tell you a little story. The first time I waited in that line to try out some new soft serve, nervous was not even a word that could describe how I was feeling. Would people look at me differently? Would people make fun of me? No. Once I entered, Lauren was right at the register to help with a positive attitude and mindset. After Lauren put in the order, I saw a man that went by the name of Justin carefully construct my perfect meal. The sweet melody of his voice when he called out my name was let me tell you...PRETTY EPIC Much Love read more

Somisomi - Me at Irvine Spectrum - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

Definitely a great addition to the Irvine Spectrum. Location is of hidden, so just head towards the proximity of Cheesecake Factory and you should be able to find it If you're a fan of taiyaki and soft serves then you & Somisomi will get a long just fine. Their soft serve flavors are on point! Unlike some of the other soft serve shops i've been before where it was just off. Feel free to ask for samples, the friendly staff here are very welcoming and will definitely help you out on picking out a flavor. My favorite was their charcoal flavor soft, not too sweet and the flavor was just right! read more

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SomiSomi...you quenched my desire for a cold treat that day. I love the flavors. And the fish shaped waffle is not bad either. The bean filling was delicious. Next time I will get one of each flavor. Service was fast and friendly. I can't wait to come back. read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

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Matcha Soft Serve was sooo good!! Red Bean Taiyaki has a subtle taste. First time trying and it was good! Also had a custard Taiyaki and that was perfect for my taste buds. read more

Delicious and definitely somewhere I'd come back to for a quick snack!! First, I have to admit that I did not try the famous soft serve filled Taiyaki--this review is for the Nutella Taiyaki, the fish without soft serve. It definitely exceeded my expectations. This stuff is fantastic! And so fresh--you watch them preparing the Taiyaki in front of you. The cashier actually was pouring batter into the molds while we were deciding on what to order. I got two of the Nutella Taiyaki and all I can say is wow. It's something different, new, and I'm so glad I tried it. The dough is unique and not entirely dry; I'm not sure how to explain it, all I know is that it's perfect. And the explosion of Nutella in the fish's head is to die for. They put the perfect amount inside so it isn't overwhelming and doesn't give you the urge to down a carton of milk. I ate mine starting with the tail and I'm glad I did, as it was lovely to savor the dough slowly before reaching the best part, the Nutella. While I did not try the soft serve, my friend did, and the look on his face said it all--I need to try it next time. In fact, the place was quite busy and everyone's faces said the same thing: they all loved it. I'm definitely going to come back and try it with soft serve next time! But in case you're not huge on ice cream, I definitely recommend the Nutella Taiyaki (or any other filling for that matter). read more

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Terrible service and were very rude. We tried to order and one of the flavors weren't working. We were completely understanding but the server was very rude to us about it. There was no greeting or even a thank you. read more

This is our 2nd time getting dessert here and overall, we really like it. Their taiyaki is very tasty as are all their fillings. We've tried all their fillings (nutella, custard, taro, and red bean), and all of them are great. I tend to prefer the red bean, but it's just preference since none are bad. I would say the only downside is that the soft serve ice cream is mediocre. We've had the choco and matcha and both were decent, but nothing special. Nonetheless, overall, it's a great place to buy a taiyaki dessert. read more

Ube & strawberry w custard & cotton candy topping: Ahhh this tastes amazing! The ube and strawberry work very well together. The strawberry flavor slightly overpowers the ube flavor but the ube gives the ice cream an overall more creamy flavor. The cotton candy pebbles taste like really yummy peco wafer candies. Chocolate matcha swirl: The chocolate overpowers the matcha flavor. read more

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As a Korean, I grew up eating Boong Uh PPang , equivalent to the japanese Taiyaki which is what SomiSomi uses as their cone for the ice cream. You can get warm fishies filled with chocolate or red bean or custard too. I actually prefer the warm custard ones most. The batter is crispy right off the bat but it battles with the sogginess of the fillings and ice cream. If you're eating the ice cream, make sure you eat quickly :) Delicious, definitely instagram worthy and if youre Korean or Japanese like me, nostalgic :) read more

The tayaki and matcha ice cream combo is to die for. Love the flavor options and how you can add a bunch of toppings. Location is in Irvine Spectrum so very convenient if you want to walk around before and after with friends. read more

Consistently awesome ice cream experience. Now I have been here dozens of times and every time I have the same thing. Should I try other flavors and combinations, probably, but its tastes perfect every time so why mess with that. I order the fish cone (I know that is not the actual term) filled with delicious custard and then ube ice cream is swirled in. I top it with sprinkles and a tiny macaroon. Great stuff!!! read more

Love love love!!! Tried it for the first time and obsessed! They make the little fish fresh right in front of you and the filling/flavors are amazing. We literally tried everything but the black sesame was my favorite with the red bean filling. read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm a sucker for sweets and couldn't pass up a froyo filled taiyaki. Location is a slightly hidden around a corner, look for signage directing you. They have multiple flavors of soft serve and taiyaki filling for the day. Since the froyo in the taiyaki can get messy quick, I ask for a cup with taiyaki on top. They have a fan to cool down the fish to prevent premature melting. It is a little pricey for what it is but a nice treat every once in a while. read more

Somisomi - Interior bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

Love going to Somisomi Spectrum Location. This location is much more better than the one in Diamond Jamboree Plaza. Customer service is very on point, every one work there is very friendly and nice unlike the one in Jamboree. Always order Red bean and cream cheese taiyaki with easy on Red Bean. Very crunchy and tasty. Love it. Highly recommend to everyone! Price: 5/5 Customer service: 5/5 Parking: 3/5 Space: 5/5 Overall: 4.5/5 read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

The line was super long but it moves decently fast. I wait is worth it trust me! You cannot go wrong with anything here. Highly recommended.

The soft serve and tayaki are the usual yum yum delicacy, but to be understaffed on New Years Day was a bummer. Nestled away in the Irvine Spectrum maze, this Somi Somi still managed to attract a lot of customers. But with only 3 overworked staff members and a line going out the door, both to order and a crowd for pick up, it might just be better to go to the Anaheim location. I waited 30 minutes for one soft serve with tayaki. I wish they warned me so I could've at least shopped around instead of standing around in anticipation. Still I was impressed at how positive and friendly the staff was. Definitely will stick to the Anaheim location though. read more

We had just finished dinner and were walking around Spectrum when we noticed this place. There is really nice seating just outside the shop so it was great to enjoy the ice cream while people watching outside. We ordered the milk and matcha combo in the Fish waffle cone filled with red bean and a black sesame ice cream in a cup. The ice cream was thick and had good flavor. The cone was good but I did not care for the red bean filling. I'm normally A fan of red bean, but it just tasted a tad too sweet and had a strange aftertaste. Still a nice post-dinner treat. read more

Friendly workers - delicious ice cream, lactose free; berry chocolate ube matcha; red bean taro custard fillings and so much more!!! Hanging with the cousins and friend read more

Somisomi - Ube with fruity pebbles and oreo crumbs with custard filling - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

it was OK. Not much flavor. The fish cake was too rubbery. I prefer a waffle cone from Cold Stone Creamery. WARNING: At the Irvine Spectrum location the ordering and paying is through kiosk only. No cash register. This eliminates seniors who are not computer savvy. Not too many tables and chairs available. We had a group of six and two had to stand. read more

These have been popping up all over the place. This location took over what used to be C.R.E.A.M. Fitting that it took over an ice cream shop. Honesty they're ice cream is really good but the thing that gets me is the Custard Taiyaki. When I lived in Glendale, I would eat these anytime I was in the mall. They're especially nice on cold days. There's also a bunch of options for fillings. My top 3 is custard, Nutella, and red bean. read more

This place is bomb! Why did it take me so long to try here? lol The line got pretty big when we were there but it moves pretty quickly. The location is a bit hard to find since it was tucked inside a small alley. You can head straight to the counter if you want to try the different soft serve flavors. I really enjoyed the "milk" flavor soft serve. You can choose to have taiyaki by itself, or different fillings (custard, red bean, Nutella, and taro) and/or with soft serve. Then at the end, you choose toppings. The taiyaki has the right amount of texture and crunchiness. :) read more

Somisomi - Bomb - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

The SomiSomi here is honestly a lot more efficient than the one in Diamond Jamboree (at least when I went). The line was out the door but the wait was not as astronomical as the one in DJ. There is only one cashier and everyone is trying out all of the flavors while the other workers are waiting to fulfill the orders. While waiting to fulfill the orders, one of the workers continuously asked if people wanted samples and I really appreciated that! I really like the flavors of the ice cream here, I absolutely love the Ube and sesame mix and the Ube and strawberry mix. My boyfriend and I usually get one cup of ice cream and get two taiyakis on the side (cream, nutella and cheese are really good!). Also all of the ice cream is lactose free except for their milk flavor! I love that! read more

The soft serve and taiyaki are always delicious. I agree with the other reviews mentioning they're understaffed for how popular this place is. Overall, management could improve staffing at popular hours of the day, plus employee training to courteously and tactfully handle customer interactions no matter the pressure. read more

They have the cutest donuts that are shaped like fish and hollowed out so you can put your own filling in it. Like Nutella or custard. They make them with soft served ice cream as well read more

Somisomi - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California

I love the Nutella filled ones at this location and everything is always freshly made here and the workers are great

The coolest and most unique ice cream experience i've had in a long time! The ube flavor tastes amazing, looks great, and comes in a delicious fish looking cone filled with nutella, or something other to your liking. I highly recommend stopping by if you're ever around this area! read more

Somisomi - dessert - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Irvine, California