Somisomi
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Came here after our meal. There's a self order kiosk which requires you to input a phone number or you can have the staff place the order for you. We went for the 5 piece taiyaki (Oreo, Nutella, custard, red bean and cheddar). Of course Nutella was the best for me. Everything is made to order and best eaten fresh so you don't end up with soggy fishies. The batter is premade in a squirt bottle and then they add the toppings you want. Pretty fun that you can watch the whole process right in front of you. The staff is friendly and nice. Came on weekend for dinner and the wait was not too long. They also sell various soft serve options with fun flavors like ube. Or you can get the taiyaki empty on top of the soft serve. Overall very fun experience for kids!
Ugh the ice cream tasted amazing. Perfect sweetness. I ordered the upside down aheboong which is the ice cream in a cup with the fried pastry on top. I got black sesame filling that goes in the top of the hollow fried fish looking pastry. Such a mild yummy flavor with matcha/ube mixed ice cream. So yummy. It gets super busy but they go super quick. They also offer toppings at the end like graham cracker crumbs Oreo toppings or captain crunch flakes. 10/10 I loved. Truly good ice cream. Remember, no indoor seating!!
I was in the mood for some ice cream and wanted to try somewhere different. We found this place with great reviews on Yelp and decided to give it a try. It was very good! The ice cream is served inside a fish-shaped cone waffle that's a little more chewy than a regular waffle cone. They also have a lot of different toppings to choose from and try out. I would definitely come back whenever I'm in the area again. If you're nearby, you should definitely give this place a try!
First time trying this. Was SO good. You walk in and order on a screen. All easy and self explanatory ... and efficient. I got the matcha/black sesame swirl with black sesame filling in my cookie. Delicious. It was pretty busy in there. I only saw one girl working, but she was knocking it out of the park. Th we Rx's a parking lot but it was PACKED. I believe there is an additional garage with free parking behind the building. there is no place to sit in the actual shop, but there are some benches along parts of the plaza. There are lots of restaurants in this plaza.
I had an okay experience overall. The concept is definitely fun. The fish shaped taiyaki cone makes it feel unique and visually appealing. The texture of the soft serve was nice and creamy, and the presentation was great. However, the flavors themselves weren't very strong and felt a bit underwhelming. It looked better than it tasted, which was a little disappointing. The menu has a good variety of rotating flavors and toppings, which is nice, but I was hoping for a more bold and memorable taste. Overall, it's a fun spot to try at least once, especially for the novelty, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to come back.
You have to love this place. Stand in line, wait your turn, and chose from a variety of flavors and styles. Now they have mint oreo cookie flavor!! They are so good!! I love how they have improved over the years. Now, they print out a label that tells you the flavors. This place is highly recommended.
The frozen yogurt part is the best part of what I got... the strawberry was alright but not the best, and the extra custard I got was a measly little teaspoon or so of custard at the bottom of the cup and also tasted funky. It definitely wasn't worth the extra cost of like $1 or so to add that weird teaspoon of funky custard that I didn't enjoy. The service is okay but not much interaction due to the kiosk ordering and the staff guy that gave me my order was honestly a little rude. The vibe is okay but kind of low end and boring. Not a bad spot for a dessert but one needs to know what's good here and what's not to make the most of the experience.
Came here with my wife and another couple for a casual dessert night and Somi Somi hit the spot. We went with the classic taiyaki waffle cone and chose ube and banana pudding. The balance between the two was surprisingly really good. The banana pudding brought the sweetness while the ube was more subtle and paired perfectly. My wife loved the banana pudding and I was all about the ube. The ice cream itself is super creamy but still light and airy which made it easy to enjoy. The other couple got cookies and cream with matcha and that combo was just as solid. We also added custard inside the taiyaki which was the perfect finishing touch. The place was busy even on a random night which makes total sense. Friendly staff great flavors and definitely worth stopping by for a date night or dessert with friends.
4 years ago
I love me some Somi Somi! Their flavors rotate! I always love getting a swirl option so I can try two flavors. This time around I was PRAYING for black sesame. They didn't have it (TEARS) but I had Milk and Thai Tea swirl and it was still good. I love the ice cream texture here! Creamy, soft, smooth. It's lovely! As for the flavors, milk is very subtle. It's yummy and simple and doesn't try to do too much. As for thai tea, it was good but I wanted more flavor! I could taste the thai tea flavor, but I just wanted more of it. Overall, I'd say my favorite flavors are still Matcha and Black Sesame because they are the strongest of the flavors I've tried. I love their taiyaki! Perfectly crispy! I prefer mine filled with red bean, but this time my fiance chose custard. Their custard was good, but I still prefer my red bean. Overall, I LOVE somi somi and will continue to get treats from here! read more
Whether you're by yourself, with family, or with friends, taiyaki is a fun treat for all ages. This store is located in the Diamond Jamboree plaza in the City of Irvine. Came here on a busy Saturday night for dessert after dinner. The place was busy and the line stretched at least 15 feet from the entrance; however, I was able to place the order within 10-15 minutes of waiting in line. How to order - there are two touch screens that allow you to find your selections, including taiyaki or soft serve ice cream. Once you place your order, you will be prompted to pay and enter your cell phone number. If you're just ordering the taiyaki, you'll get a text message indicating the eta of when your order will be ready for pick up. Taiyaki order pick up - Be aware that, unlike soft serve orders, they will likely not call your order number when the taiyaki is ready; rather, you'll get a notification via text. When you get the text, speak with the person making the taiyaki and they will give you your order. Taste - I ordered the nutella, custard, red bean, oreo, and taro taiyaki (5 taiyakis for $5.95). I personally tried the nutella and red bean. Both were sweet, chewy, and satisfying. The only potential downside is that each taiyaki disappears after a few bites. Parking - free but if you're coming on a weekend, be prepared to scout for a parking space. It took me almost 10 minutes to find a parking spot on a Saturday night. If you haven't, consider giving SomiSomi a try! read more
1 year ago
if you like a sweet treat, this place is really yummy! i went with my roommates and they each got the ice cream with a flipped taiyaki cone on top. i had a bite of each of their flavors, ube and matcha, and they were both scrumptious. i personally had the matcha custard taiyaki and a bite of an oreo taiyaki, and i would rate them an 8.5/10 on taste. the matcha custard replicates the taste of matcha pretty well. as for ambiance, there is a lot of outdoor seating and a standing area you can eat your treats on inside the store. service was slow for the taiyaki, so i would be aware of that if that is what you order. overall, i enjoyed this place and would come again!! amazing spot to hang with friends. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
The taiyaki cone is always the highlight; warm, fresh, lightly sweet, and with a cake-like flavor. Perfect pairing for the light soft serve flavors. Black Sesame is always a favorite! The Somi Somi in Diamond Jamboree plaza is located in a really great spot. Despite having no seating (as somi somis dont, for whatever reason), there is ample seating outside. Service was quick and you order at a kiosk. read more
2 years ago
Salted Caramel flavor is very good, but wish they would make a swirl for Salted Caramel & Cookie Butter read more
7 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
A good late night treat, I got the matcha soft serve. You get to choose toppings (sprinkles, oreos, biscoff, etc) read more
3 years ago
Cute and lovely place! They have a photo wall if you like that :) the soft serve has a wide variety of flavors, from original milk to strawberry to matcha. You can also get ah-boong which is a fish-looking pastry which is filled with custard or anything of your choosing! You go up to the counter and put your order in at the computer, and when it's done they call your number. I love all of their flavors, but I'm partial to ube!! read more
Somisomi is a tasty dessert option in the DJ plaza. While the service is quick, the parking can be very difficult (10 min+ of circling). My usual order is an upside-down (red bean filling) soft serve (generally black sesame), with various toppings and either a strawberry or macaroon (see picture below!). You order through their kiosk and you can see their team make Taiyaki. All their fillings are good, but I do love an oreo or taro filling. The ambiance matches the busy DJ plaza well and the wait is not too long. read more
I've always seen somisomi but never tried it before. I absolutely don't regret it! The matcha flavor with the milk ice cream was sooo good!!! It was really smooth and creamy. The fish 'cake' was coated with Nutella on the inside but you're able to decide what kind of filling you'd like inside. They also have toppings you can select from to add onto your ice cream! The best part was that it literally took 1 minute for our order to be ready! We originally want sul & beans bingsoo but the line and wait time was way too long! I'm glad we ended up coming here! The inside is very simple, no chairs but you're able to stand and chat. They have a standing table/bench, since the dessert is pretty quick to make/eat it's more of a 'grab n go' dessert. Definitely will be back. read more
4 years ago
" Gimme Somi some of that sweet, that ... that gushi stuff" First time here! Loved it! Fresh baked Ah-boing to order!! We had different flavored soft serve with Nutella in the Ah-boong. All were great! I had the Tayaki filled with red beans. Sooooo good!! This is a sweet treat I will have again and again!! read more
Nom Noms!! I'm a fan of taiyaki and Somi Somi is one of the first I've had. Stopped by this Irvine location after having lunch nearby at Kura. The shop is clean although small. They have a stand up bar where you can enJOY your goods. Maybe they left seats out so you feel less guilty?! Lol I like the rotating flavors and that you can choose a swirl version (3 different types each week). Toppings are extra and the sizes are decent imo. You can have your taiyaki served upright or upside-down (helpful if you have littles with you) in a cup. Glad we stopped in when it wasn't busy, otherwise we would have ended up somewhere else. The pricing is right and I will be back again one day. The parking lot gets a bit crazy in this cramped shopping plaza, but you'll find something eventually. If you've never tried it before, I'd say try it at least once. You can always get just the soft serve without the taiyaki if you're carb counting. Whatever you choose, I hope you love it as much as I do! read more
2 years ago
There was a line out the door on a Monday night but the service was very fast! The interior is bright and spacious. We got a matcha/cookies and cream swirl with matcha powder and a macaron on top. The matcha part of the soft serve was so good, it had a rich and full flavor! We also got an Ube/Coffee swirl with an ah-boong with taro filling on top. This was a little underwhelming, since the coffee flavor tasted off and the taro tasted more like coconut. But the fish ah-boong was a great soft texture on the inside and warm from being freshly made. Wish they also had water cups since the soft serves are so sweet! read more
1 year ago
I've already done a review for the one in Garden Grove so if you want a further in-depth review about SomiSomi as a whole I highly recommend reading that one. Instead, let me focus on one of the high parts of this particular location; speed. This particular location is in perhaps one of the busiest locations for the business. Diamond Jamboree has exploded into a legit area to find Asian food and entertainment, unlike the early 2000s where there really wasn't anywhere to go for such things. Because of that you might see crowds of people outside and inside this dessert spot. It can be intimidating. You might think the line will be too busy but because of how they structure ordering and the simplicity of the menu you can go from ordering to enjoying dessert within five minutes. I think the main reason has to do with a simple idea: an uncomplicated menu with great ingredients. I love taiyaki but sometimes I want something more for dessert. And I love soft serve but sometimes I want something with different textures. Put them together and SomiSomi has a winning combo for people like me. And because they focus much more on having six flavors of soft serve that rotate throughout the year along with the same five fillings for the taiyaki they don't need to have too much equipment in the kitchen. In fact, their kitchen is right there in the open for all to see as they make these cozy concoctions. It is literal transparency. And with the team of five to six people working you can see why they're so efficient. I have a point to all this: don't be intimidated by waiting crowds outside this place. If you are craving something that is both novel but comfort for dessert I highly recommend SomiSomi. Don't worry, you won't wait long to get that craving craved. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
so good. must try if you're in the area. chill spot, located in the corner. service was fast and ice cream was refreshing. read more
Hi I have a question!! Will you guys ever make magikarp taiyaki?? Please?? Picture below for reference. Also fun fact about magikarp: magikarp got its name because most of Magikarp's moves, hopping, flailing and bouncing, allude to the carp's jumping ability. read more
Delicious and freshly made fish cones stuffed with a selection of flavors go well with their soft serve ice cream. They have Swirls of soft serve with Ube, matcha, guava, vanilla, chocolate and assorted toppings. They are positioned in a good spot in jamboree diamond mall amongst all the Asian food places around them read more
Sweets stop after our lunch at BCD Tofu House at the Diamond Jamboree Plaza. Got both the Ahboong (taiyaki waffle cone filled with soft serve ice cream) and upside-down Ahboong (served in a cup). The concept is cute and the treats make for great photos. However, the shell was too thin so it quickly softened and fell apart on the Ahboong. The upside down version is probably better if you have young kids. Easy to order using the touchscreen menu. Good for a pretty photo but flavor is average. read more
4 years ago
This location is awesome because it's in a plaza with lots of other cool places. I love how friendly and bubbly the staff is! Like other SomiSomi locations, there are 2 tablets to place your order. Don't forget to use the provided hand sanitizer afterwards! This location is very fast - orders are ready within minutes, and done perfectly. Flavors rotate and include chocolate, ube, Thai tea, cookies and cream, milk, strawberry, matcha, banana, milk tea, coffee, horchata, black sesame, and more! You can also swirl 2 flavors! Fillings are Nutella, custard, red bean, cheddar, and taro. Then there's the toppings, which are graham crackers, toasted coconut flakes, fruity pebbles, and Oreo crumbles. They also sell the taiyaki by the box (2 or 5 pieces), with or without filling. The Ah Boong is soooo good! I suggest ube with red bean filling or cookies and cream with Nutella. Both will knock your socks off! read more
1 year ago
as a devout somisomi fan, i must have been here at least 10 times now. i figured it's about time i publicly sung my praises and dumped all the photos sitting in my camera roll. this place is my #1 go-to despite the long lines and hectic parking situation. if i'm feeling like i need dessert after dinner, somisomi is that girl. if i'm craving a snack, somisomi is that girl. if i could use a pick-me-up, somisomi is that girl. her flavors never disappoint, whether it's in the form of a swirl (strawberry is chef's kiss tho) or inside a fish-shaped cone (nutella filling is TO DIE FOR). this location makes it easy peasy to place your order on a screen without having to speak to anyone (ok, but they will ask you what toppings you want later). once i put in my order, it doesn't usually take long for me to receive it. once it's in my hands, it's 5 seconds of admiration before it's gone. that must be why they don't need to have chairs and tables inside! with endless possibilities for combinations (especially since they add/switch up flavors here and there), it is physically and emotionally impossible to get tired of somisomi. that ice cream and waffle-like combination is absolutely EVERYTHING and ALWAYS hits the spot...and is worth waiting in line and finding a parking spot for. read more
4 years ago
My favorite soft serve Ice cream spot. There's unique options to choose from, served with or without Taiyaki. The Taiyaki can also be bought a lot without ice cream and in a set of 2. My go to ice cream is either the matcha or black sesame ice cream with a taro filled Taiyaki. These toppings are free of charge, ranging from powder Oreo, captain crunch and more. They will typically add a mini macaron or strawberry as a nice aesthetic touch. Just tried the Thai tea vanilla swirl, and it surely didn't disappoint. The staff is super nice and store was extremely clean. Unfortunately do to covid, you can't try samples or eat at the counter top. read more
2 years ago
First time here & I would definitely recommend the matcha & ube swirl it was so good! & the Nutella filled fish is so gooodd. Service was really slow but I didn't mind. Would definitely get again :) read more
3 years ago
Somi Somi has been my all time favorite dessert place for 4 years now. I'm absolutely obsessed with this place! I got the Ube and Matcha swirl with custard Ahboong. The flavor of the ice cream is so strong and the texture is so smooth. Just the perfect combination. Their ahboong is delicious too, it comes warm width sweet filling inside. Such a perfect treat! read more
Food: I ordered a 2 piece red bean taiyaki (and ended up getting a 2 piece Oreo taiyaki for free- I'll explain later on). I actually ended up enjoying the Oreo one more! Because the filling is solid, it's on the dryer side but flavor wise = an Oreo wrapped in a sweet deep fried waffle lol The red bean taiyaki was a little disappointing because the red beans fell to the bottom and so half of my taiyaki was empty and the other half was bursting with red beans. I was also surprised that some of the red beans in my taiyaki still retain their original bean shapes instead of being made into a smooth paste. Not sure if that's intentional or just rushed production? Flavor was pretty good though! Atmosphere: It could because I visited on the weekend but wow this place was pretty chaotic. There are no cashiers so you have to complete your order on the touchscreens and use card only as payment. You then either 1. Get a text saying your order is ready or 2. wait for them to call your name over the intercom. The intercom system is pretty muffled though, so it's hard to tell exactly what they're saying when they use the mic. It's much easier to hear when they just yell your name out loud. They leave the completed orders at the end counter and you're suppose to walk up and grab your order...which means it's very possible to grab someone ELSE'S order by mistake. Which happened to us . My phone told me my order was ready and when I walked to the counter and saw nothing, I was informed by the worker that someone must have grabbed my order by mistake. They were very apologetic and got started on re-making my order immediately. They also didn't seem very surprised by this occurrence which makes me wonder if it happens pretty commonly. I guess the person who took my red bean order had actually ordered Oreo taiyaki, and so the worker gave us their Oreo order for free and then remade our red bean taiyaki (so that was really nice of them) Workers: Really polite/nice! There were only 2 of them making the orders so it was quite a wait.. We didn't mind waiting though. I'll def visit if I'm in the area again, and perhaps order something new. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Came here for dessert and it did not disappoint. This is a great place with a variety of flavors. I got my dessert with Nutella. Very tasty. Service was great and quick. Was able to place an order on the kiosk and got it quickly. Very chill place but not seats inside. But outside there are chairs and tables. read more
3 years ago
~~~EAST MEETS WEST IS BEST~~~ WATCH THE EPISODE: FIELD DAY² MADANG PLAZA (YT:@BULGOGIBOMBER) MATCHA/THAI TEA SWIRL w/ FRUITY PEBBLES & MACAROON - It's a beautiful thing when food cultures collide. Somisomi brings an Asian twist to an American classic soft-serve ice cream and makes it feel like you're having it for the first time again. The biggest Asian heavy hitting flavors combined into one is an epic blend but swirl combos are in rotation so check in with the store to make sure they have the one you're looking for. The ice cream is housed in my favorite vessel, the taiyaki cone, a fish shaped cone that has a slight crunchy exterior and is soft and fluffy on the inside. You have many topping options to choose from so go with your tummy! It was my first time there but the staff were very patient and helpful as I struggled choosing my flavors and toppings! Thank you for that! read more
2 years ago
The only downside about this location is that it is hard to find parking and there is no seating inside. If you're lucky, you may be able to find seating outside. However, the wait for your dessert isn't long. After ordering from the kiosk, it took about 5 minutes to get 1 upside down soft serve and another 5 minutes for 5 taiyakis. Sweet Corn Flavor 2.5/5 This rating is completely based on the flavor. It's not bad. The corn flavor is just really subtle. I wish it was more prominent, but it is overpowered by the sweetness. If you order it with any other toppings or fillings, you will not be able to taste the corn flavor. read more
The staff were so kind. Also patient with all the questions my eldest had about the diff kinds of Somi Somi. We loved that we were able to order from the kiosk. Quick & easy! Cool to watch it being made as well. We enjoyed the process. Definitely a spot we will come back for some great desserts! read more
More info about Somisomi
2700 Alton Pkwy
Ste 125
Irvine, CA 92606
Directions
(949) 387-6333
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https://somisomi.com
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Ask the Community - Somisomi
Has the matcha flavor been discontinued?
Yes. They usually bring it back around summer time.
Is this peanut allergy safe?
Hello Edwin, Thanks for asking, our products may contain some tree nuts, milk, soy.…
Do they have pints To-Go? Can I choose/combine flavors?
I'm not sure if they have pints (especially since it's soft-serve). They have 2-flavor blends depending on what flavors are next to each other in the machines.
I have a dairy allergy. Any dairy-fee options?
I know the Cerritos location does offer it, but not sure of this one.
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44 reviews that are not currently recommended
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Somisomi - icecream - Updated July 2026
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