This former strip mall center has become an interesting place to eat with lots of parking. Urban Cup is new to the scene & the only thing we had to go on were the reviews for the Newport Beach location, Urban Cup Express. Lots of stars & cool photos pulled us in to this one. Turns out the menus are somewhat different but the good news is the food is good! We tried the Brussel Sprouts starter that was slightly sweet & savory with the roasted taste coming through. Pickled pink onions, scallions, crispy bits & cilantro really made it fun. Priced @ $7.95 it was served in a bowl that the two of us easily shared. The fried dumplings were good as well but my boyfriend likes them less well-done. Our main course was a plate comprised of your choice of a Protein & A Carb such as Rice or Noodles. You can add on more things from there. We shared a plate of Spare Ribs & Noodles. The ribs were covered in a flavorful sauce and could have (should have) been meatier. The buttery-garlicky noodles were tasty & just right in texture. Next time we'll order Chicken ( I saw a plate of that & it looked good) or Shrimp. For drinks we had a bottle of Coke & a colorful orange Thai drink that tasted like a 50/50 Bar. I left all these food decisions to my BF who ordered at the front counter. I was sitting at the only available place to sit when we first walked in. The place isn't all that big but they try to create as much seating as possible with a long table in the center & booths all around the sides. At first we thought the place was quite noisy but as soon as a large family left the noise leveled off to a normal, comforting buzz. Service was friendly & helpful. Small but nice surprises are the sturdy chopsticks & ice cold pitchers of water featuring slices of lime. My BF said he'd like a soda dispenser option if they have the room. We will be back to try more things and while it's not the largest menu it is intriguing. We also want to try the one in Newport Beach. The food options look great there too. read more