You blink and would probably miss this joint. Delicious hole-in-the-wall restaurant that sells chicken karaage cooked fresh to order. It's sandwiched between a Hawaiian restaurant and another small restaurant. I ordered the 12-piece chicken karaage and it was enough for two people. The lady in the front is super nice. One time I had to wait a little longer than expected because she mixed up my order and to compensate for my wait, she gave me four extra pieces of chicken karaage! Four extra pieces! The wait wasn't even that long...probably 15-20 minutes tops. I also tried their sushi and it was meh. My advice is to stick with their chicken karaage. Prices are super reasonable, and they have multiple locations (Costa Mesa, Sawtelle, Gardena, and Miramar). You can place your order over the phone or on their website. Give it a try and let me know how you like it! read more

2 stars because the staff was friendly and tried to be helpful. First off, this place is BARELY Gluten Free. Like maybe 15% of their menu can be ordered GF. It's a problem because they have huge vinyl letters on the window saying "No MSG" "Gluten Free". ALL of their sauces have gluten in them. Most of their sides also have gluten in them. What's worse is that the lady behind the counter is selling me stuff like it's all gluten free. Knowing Japanese food and also having been GF for almost 10 years, I know Japanese Curry, Potato Croquettes, Eggrolls, Tempura, and Takoyaki are all made with wheat flour. These would all have to be made in house, custom. They aren't. Just a bunch of frozen stuff fried. So let's talk about flavor. The karage chicken is the worst karage I've eaten to date. Mind you, Karage isn't known to be fancy or gourmet. It's like Japanese Chic-fil-a and they managed to make it greasy with potato starch on the outside... yay? I can't comment on their sauces because...the only one I could have was sriracha...thanks... The miso soup was exceptionally salty and had too much sake in it. Even if I wasn't gluten free, their offering are just sad. Bunch of fried junk food with rice. Pet Peeves: Unfiltered fountain drink machine water and styrofoam containers everywhere. read more

I was having fried chicken cravings so I started browsing through Yelp and found this gem! I got the combination karaage with croquette, california rolls, and green salad. It also comes with miso soup on the side! The chicken was super crispy, seasoned well, and juicy on the inside. I only wish I had gotten the 5 piece tender karaage box instead but no biggie, it was still fantastic. The portion size is pretty hefty for the price, although I finished most of the meal in one sitting minus 2 pieces of chicken and some rice. I ordered the food to go and it was ready by the time I arrived (in about 10-15 minutes)! read more

I doordashed this to my office (which is why I can only fairly give 4 stars, I haven't been there to give the full scoop). I do have to say the chicken was sooo good! I ordered the spicy mayo which was different than others I'd had before but was so tasty. The rice was slightly over cooked and dry but when eaten with the chicken, you hardly noticed. read more

Tenkatori - Karaage A la Carte (Chicken Boneless Thigh 5 pcs) - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Can't even begin to describe the experience. Best fried chicken in Costa Mesa by a landslide. If you enjoy Japanese cuisine, fried chicken, sushi rolls, then this is the place for you. The staff was super friendly and introduced me to a few menu items I had never tried before. So delicious read more

Tenkatori - Karaage, Japanese Fried Chicken - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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So freakin' good. I found this place via Yelp due to you awesome people writing about Tenkatori Karaage. Hubby loves chicken, and really likes karaage, so I was able to favorite this place to have it ready in my backpocket whenever he was hit with another karaage craving. I guess a benefit of this pandemic is that it's forced hubby and I to try to support restaurants that are in dire needs of support. This does mean that the first time we came here was right when the COVID shutdowns were occurring, so we don't have a great idea on how things were like with this restaurant pre-COVID. Regardless, they didn't seem to have a large seating area, and they had their A game when it came to doing takeout. Onto the food, everything is gooood. - if you haven't had the chicken rice ball, do order at least one whenever you get the chance. Filling, simple, but delicious. And sold out around 60% of the time we come by (which is always on a weekend). - karaage and nankotsu (cartilage) - cooked correctly, always delicious, and piping hot. Seasoned well, but not overwhelming. - tofu salad - pretty simple (it's essentially just greens with a bit of tofu on top) but not a bad price for what it is. - seaweed salad - one of the better ones we've had - California rolls - it's a little on the small side, but they're very good. It's as if they were able to get all of the ingredients to be as pure as possible, and packaged it all together in the roll without losing the individuality of the ingredients. You can taste the separate parts but also get that wonderful togetherness and wholesome flavor when the components do combine. Haven't tried the curry or the bowls because we're addicted to the karaage and nankotsu. Service has always been great. They know what they're doing, and the amount of customers that I see coming in means that they know what they're doing. It's a bit of a small parking lot, but we've been able to find a space most of the time. Near the Dunn Edwards Paint shop. read more

Tenkatori - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ordered that Chicken Karage and it did not disappoint - ordered the sweet and spicy and spicy mayo sauce. I didn't love the mayo but it was made well if you do. Got a side of potato salad (6/10) Cali roll (8/10) & potato croquettes 10/10) the chicken was so tender and delicious! I want to go in person next time, I'll be back here. read more

Service was quick and efficient. My husband ordered spicy tuna bowl and I ordered the spicy chicken karaage. Although husband liked his order, he thought the serving (except for rice which was plenty) was too little. He had to order chicken karaage with spicy aioli and he was finally full and satisfied. I liked that their karaage was freshly cooked. The chicken was tender and moist. I wish it was a bit crisper though. Overall, it was a good meal. read more

Great food and better customer service. We ordered take out and my cousin forgot the sauces. They actually drove 20 minutes to the house to drop off the sauces. Much appreciated!!! read more

Hair in food. Enough said. The other dishes seemed satisfactory though. I called back to let them know and all I got was a sorry. Pretty unsatisfactory. read more

Tenkatori - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Tenkatori Karaage is a costa mesa favorite! you can get a huge box of Japanese-style fried chicken for the whole family fora pretty good price point. They have everything from wings, thighs, gizzards, etc. All the asian delicacy pieces. the meat is pretty tender and the breading is really good and crispy. It's sorted located in an odd plaza and doesn't stand out on it's own. So it's kind of out of the way to come here. Sauce is extra here but so worth! You get a lot for what they offer. read more

Update: wow! Is everyone seeing the business manager's response to my review. His class act perfectly represents their level of customer service when they hear things they don't like. So basically, what he is saying is that it's okay to provide bad service as long as the food is good. If that's not ridiculous enough, he takes it personally and ends his statement by insulting me at the end. He clearly does not understand the point. I acknowledge that the food here is good. But you can't isolate service with the product. Ricardo thinks bad service is acceptable if their food is superb. To make it worst, The Business Manager also thinks it's bad that I waited to get what I paid for by saying that I have no life but to wait for my food to come out. Is this appropriate? Instead of training their staffs to communicate to their customers the things that they don't or can't offer in a more professional manner, gaslighting seems rampant here. If you look at the other reviews, its clear that the staffs here get emotional and respond with attitude. Read his response to me, the evidence is there. read more

Love that they have gluten free karaage. Very tasty, crispy and fresh. They just recently added gluten free spam misubi. Only negative is they don't have any gluten free sauce for the karaage/wings. If they had just even 1 gf sauce option that would be amazing. read more

We ordered way ahead of people and we were the last to get our food. What's with that? Yeah, that got me upset. read more

Absolutely delicious, crispy and juicy gluten free chicken karaage! I tried their 5 piece ala carte karaage, which includes a side of white rice and mixed salad. They couldn't serve me any of their sauces but the kind lady behind the counter did provide sriracha packets for me to use. The karaage here is a decently generous portion. The meat is tender and it isn't greasy. I would definitely eat here again. I really enjoyed the meal! read more

Omg yum. Stopped by during a weekend trip to SD, and got the gizzard & karaage. We were so full from beer already (hung out at a nearby brewery right before), but once I ate that first bite, I couldn't stop. Honestly wish we had gotten more gizzard. Drool. Unassuming small storefront with only a few tables inside, but it's definitely worth checking out! They have some classic sushi rolls & whatnot, and I believe even Asahi on tap, but the fried chicken and gizzard deliciousness is what you have to go for (even to-go!) read more

Tenkatori - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

One of the best karaage places in OC. Their fried chicken wings are unmatched in the area. Simply the best!!

Excellent Japanese fried chicken. Inexpensive, quality, fast service. Plus they have great beers to go with your chicken. I'll be back. read more

I've been here a few times now and don't know why I haven't written a review sooner! Probably the best fried chicken I've ever had. Especially because the batter doesn't contain any wheat and completely gluten free. We like to get just the plain fried chicken and then dip it in their spicy mayo sauce. The chicken is always fried perfectly and is always juicy, not dry. I like how their batter is lightly seasoned and so simple. My favorite thing is that the batter is a thin but crispy layer since I don't like when the batter is too thick. They have some sushi rolls as well that are pretty good! I've tried the crunch and CA rolls, both were fresh and good. The workers are always nice and friendly. I would recommend calling in your order so when you come it is ready because they make each order right when you order it so it takes awhile. We've always ordered in the restaurant and don't mind waiting. Everyone I've recommended this place to has liked it. We've even had leftovers, put it in the oven the next day and it was still good! Still crunchy and juice. I had it with a waffle for a version of "chicken and waffles" for breakfast the next morning :) Highly recommended! read more

Cashier lady in the front was not friendly and honestly a little rude. Should've walked out right then and there with such attitude. Paid $11 for a palm full of chicken gizzards and a fork. Asked for some kind of sauce to go with it and she said it's extra charge. Gizzard was mediocre. Not returning. read more

Saw the reviews and menu looked good, so I stopped by for a quick dinner, only to really regret that choice. I almost immediately walked out the door when I had the worst customer service as soon as I stepped through the door. The older woman with curly blonde hair at the counter was very impatient and seemed to be angry just by me being there. She kept yelling at me for "ordering wrong" and acted annoyed that she had to explain how it worked, and even then wouldn't even bother explaining. Her unpleasant attitude made me very anxious and killed all my desire to try this place, so I immediately left without eating anything. Overall, not a very great impression for a first-time visitor. It's disappointing because the chicken looked delicious, but this lady really made sure that I will never consider this place ever again. I suggest that if you want some good karaage, you should look elsewhere unless you're a masochist who loves being verbally abused by staff and/or have no self-respect. read more

tl;dr - Takeout meal satisfying enough to make you love another KFC (Karaage Fried Chicken) Reasons to go... 1. The croquettes taste even better than McDonald's Hash Browns. Who doesn't love breakfast with your lunch or dinner? 2. If you're a fan of cartilage, they sell fried chicken cartilage! The collagen is awesome for your hair and nails :) 3. The meal is plenty when you order the A+B+C. It could feed me two meals tbh. Reasons not to go... 1. Not very heath conscious. Lots of fried food and not very much protein when the protein itself is typically fried. Takeaways/tips... 1. Get the croquettes if you're gonna get a meal 2. I actually prefer the plain karaage more than the sweet and sour. It retains more of its crispness. 3. Good for takeout read more

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Call before you go. The business hours sign means nothing. Pisses me off because this used to be my favorite place but I just drove 25mins to get here, trying to call on the way so I would not be ordering when I got here 10 mins before closing. No one answers the phone. As busy as this location gets, I figure they're busy with customers. Arrived at 8:46 to find a locked door. After they ignored my knocking with a key on the glass door for a few minutes (obviously I'm annoyed), they finally came to the door. I asked what time they close and he hesitates. I asked that since the sign says open till 9, what time do i need to get here to order, 8? Do you just close whenever? He shrugs his shoulders and says yeah. Then he comes up with the lame story that they had an emergency and that they "had a leakage". Now if they had a leakage, would you not take 10 seconds to answer the phone calls so that people would not head over there to order in person? Or is that just my customer service speaking? The truth would have been the 1st thing you told someone at the door.. "I'm so sorry, we had to close early due to a leak in the equipment" and not just let them knock until they get pissed off enough to write a 1star review. Customer is obviously upset that the restaurant closed early and would not answer the phone to tell them so and travel 14 miles to get there. Why do they make a situation worse? Because they have no consideration for customers. Poor customer service. Did this place change owners again? I guess that, in the future, I'll just go to the other location. read more

Tenkatori - Sign means nothing. They close whenever they feel like closing. - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Oh my goodness! A place that specializes in karaage?! Sign me up! I decided to order here via doordash. The driver was delivering another order but the food still came in hot and fresh so that was pretty awesome. I ordered an 8pc karaage with some rice for me to enjoy. I have to honestly admit the karaage pieces here are really huge! Definitely worth the price for what I paid. How is the taste though???? Absolutely awesome Each piece was crunchy and a little fatty but not to a point where it's too fatty if you know what I'm saying. If you're wondering if 5 pieces is enough for one person l; absolutely. The pieces are huge and filling so definitely order a bowl... but if you're really hungry definitely get 8 pieces haha. With that being said I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a very filling meal / karaage. You'll definitely see me hit this place up again! read more

Best value and best tasting Karaage in the area. An absolute steal -- $24 for 1kg of Karaage. Sides like croquettes are good as well! No nonsense interior and seating where you order and pay first. Limited seating inside but generally not too crowded on a weekday. Great choice for takeout too, but best eaten fresh! read more

Tenkatori - 1kg Karaage, croquette - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great gluten free fried chicken!!!.. Never had perfect gluten free fried chicken like this!

I really like the karaage here. It's always crispy, juicy and delicious. I usually get the combo that includes your choice of two sides. I also typically add a sauce on the side, my favorite being the spicy mayo. I've had good and bad service experiences over the years or they'd be 5 star. Food quality has always been good though. read more

The karaage at this place is pure bliss. "Bliss" is the exact word that came to mind when I bit into one. I ordered two sauces (yuzu and sweet and sour) to dip them in, but after a few bites I discarded that plan: the karaage is perfect by itself and needs no sauce. I ordered potato salad as a side, but they were out so I tried the coleslaw instead. The coleslaw didn't wow me. I ordered it mainly to have something to "cut" the grease of the chicken. But, lo and behold, the chicken was not at all greasy. I'm disappointed I don't live closer to one of this restaurant's outlets. I'm only in this area for a business trip. But I can tell you this place is on my list, and I'll be here again next time I'm in the area. read more

The chicken karaage is so good what the heck? I love this food ~ customer service can be better, but if you can turn a blind eye to that you will love it for sure read more

Karaage was super crispy and juicy. Good service good sauce good chicken 10/10 Djwifjsidjajsjwjcjsjdhshdhaksj read more

Tenkatori - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The prices are such a steal for the food portion size. I come here at least once a week to order a bentonite box. Richard is very helpful taking orders via phone and in person every time I place my order. I've also ordered catering style and the consistency of taste remains the same. The karaage, sushi burrito and croquettes are my favorite. I am glad I found this hidden gem that's conveniently located next to 7-Eleven. read more

Tenkatori - Lots of variety. - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I recently tried the Japanese karaage chicken, and it was absolutely delicious! The chicken was incredibly juicy, with a perfectly crispy, golden-brown exterior. The seasoning was spot-on, with just the right balance of savory and umami flavors. Every bite was tender and flavorful, making it one of the best karaage dishes I've had. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves flavorful, juicy fried chicken! read more

Absolutely delicious. We were in the area for Crack Shack, but they weren't open (even though both their phone recording and Yelp said they were open). Still craving fried chicken, and needing gluten free fried chicken, we were lucky when this place popped up during our search! Be patient. They only have two workers at the restaurant, so each order took about 20-25 mins. But you won't be disappointed! It's fried fresh and piping hot when it's finally order! Plus, I think the price is very fair. I hate places that mark up alternative diets, like gluten free foods, just because it's different (5 pieces of gluten free fried chicken is $26 vs $17 at Crack Shack). Yeah, I know the alternative ingredient may be a little pricier than flour, but c'mon! Anyway, we got the family pack 2 and I think 20 pieces were $21? $22? So, so good. Well seasoned and fried to perfection! I only wish they offer some gluten free sauces. I mean, you're offering gluten free fried chicken but none of your 9 sauces are gluten free? Shame. Still, happy to have found our GF fried chicken spot! read more

Tenkatori - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Worst food I have had in years. What birdbrain takes crispy chicken and puts it in a takeout box on top of rice next to steamed veggies. (Ordered from DoorDash) The sushi roll was steamed in the same box and reminded me what a good job my grocery store does. The tempura breading was thicker than what was inside. It did not sit well. I am not sure yet if that is an ingredient that I reacted to or food poisoning. Not sure if it might be slightly better at the restaurant but no chance I will try and find out. read more

The chicken is always nice and crispy and their selection of sauces are always on point. We always get the kilo for parties or family gatherings. Have been coming here for years read more

Excellent chicken. Fast service great for a lunch break. It makes a great lunch out dinner. read more

Tekantori Karaage is located in a little strip mall next to 7-Eleven. I think I've been here 4 times since I've first discovered this place. I used to go to Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai in Costa Mesa just for their Karaage. Now, I can just come here, for a quick karaage snack. The karaage "breading" is light, airy, and crispy, and the chicken inside is juicy, and tender. I always get #15 on the box menu to maximize the amount of karaage I get - 5 pcs karaage, then I add 2 more pcs of karaage (row A), 4 pcs california roll (row B), then a green salad (row C) - all for $9.50! (Just 5 pcs of carage by itself is $5.80) This is always more than enough to share between myself and my husband, with extra for later. Service is subpar and a lot of times slow, but the food is worth it. Trust! read more

AMAZING. FREAKIN' AMAZING. We ordered five pieces of karaage, took a 40 minute drive to our hotel, and even with the chicken somewhat "cold," we were still absolutely obsessed. The establishment itself is small, but most people tend to order to-go, so if you really want to sit and eat there, it shouldn't be an issue. The menu is simply organized, and offers some interesting items like fried gizzards, fried bone cartilages, sushi rolls,and various appetizers. All karaage items are made fresh to order so keep in mind that it will take some time for it to be served. Even then, our mouths were watering for every second of it. The karaage was mind-blowingly DELICIOUS. The outer layer was crispy (even after that long car ride) and the chicken was unbelievably juicy. We also got an order of the spicy yuzu aioli sauce that provided a tasty, tangy undertone which helped to brighten up the dish. Tenkatori Karaage is the absolute place for all chicken lovers. The karaage couldn't have honestly been any more perfect. Oh, what we would do to come back again... read more

Tenkatori - Chicken karaage - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This place is one of my favorite places for Japanese fried chicken. Even after the change in ownership the quality still was there. I've given 5 stars to this place many times but gotta rate my recent visit lower, in hopes they change their customer service. It's the fact they use COVID19 as an excuse to close down their restrooms (that they offered before). So for a place they offer chicken in the bone and sushi... there's no place to wash your hands. Note: COVID rules for restaurants don't say they can't open the restaurants to the public, the only change is that they require extra cleanings (which you would think they would already do). Might explain why I don't feel well a few times after eating here. In any case, as I picked up my order to dine in, I did inquire why they shut down the restroom and they blamed it on a law. So maybe I was being a bit of a Karen ana told them it's not true, that they just need to sanitize every couple hours the door knobs and sinks and such. So the young woman (seemed new) proceeded to argue with me. Not sure why they were so defensive, but the attitude and service was just sooo overboard awful that I have to submit this feedback here. Also not going to eat here again too, since I think maybe hygiene isn't an issue (seriously a couple times I got sick but thought it was something else - and I've got an iron stomach like street food in Bangkok don't bring me down). So unfortunate cause this place has the best karaage around. I'm not saying you shouldn't eat here... just make sure they're sanitary in the kitchen or you're taking a risk. read more

LOVE their box lunch combo - 5 pieces of karaage + 2 additional pieces / tempura AND California roll [don't recall the other option] AND steamed veggies / salad. It also comes with miso soup and of course, rice. I believe it costs under $10 and is usually is too much food for me for one meal! There are usually more than enough parking spots available, although parking isn't the greatest. It's situated next to a 7-11 and Aloha Hawaiian BBQ. The restaurant has 12ish seats max so keep that in mind if you plan on dining it. I usually get it to go! They also sell Asahi beer - $2 for a small cup, $5 for a large cup. read more

Tenkatori - So much food! Delicious & cheap (: - Gluten-Free Near Me - Costa Mesa, California