Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen & Udon - Irvine
| Address: | 6404 Irvine Blvd, Irvine, CA 92620, USA |
| Phone: | +1 949-596-7036 |
| Site: | shinsengumigroup.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
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Brighton Laiman
Weve been here AT LEAST 6 times and have yet to give my 2 cents on this place! This location was were I had my very first Shin-Sen-Gumi experience and it was convenient since we were living right down the street on Woodbury Lane. From what my lady has told me, this one by far is the biggest location that they have compared to all the other "little shacks" that they have open; maybe this is why some people arent too big of a fan of this one since the setting isnt as intimate and "cozy" as you would expect from a Ramen place. Nevertheless, I find the grand size of this establishment to work out well for my tastes for a several reasons: (1) you wont be stuck waiting in line longer than 20 minutes, (2) theyll be more likely to accommodate larger parties (10+) in a reasonable time frame, and (3) you wont have to worry about bumping elbows with a complete stranger while trying to maintain a private conversation with your party. Now, I could go on and on with all the various dishes Ive had here but I think Ill stick with what we shared on our latest visit (for now at least...). Deep Fried Tofu (5/5): Im not too big of a fan of tofu, so thats why when you see me rave about it and giving it 5 stars in my book, you know that its something you should at least consider. The outside of the tofu isnt crunchy or crispy as you would expect when hearing "deep fried" but this is a good thing in this particular case. Its doused in this dark sauce which youll probably want to end up licking from the very bottom at the end and topped off with some green onions, ginger and bonito flakes (same things you see topped of on Takoyaki); all of which makes for a very flavorful punch to your taste buds. To top it all off, the tofu itself just comes apart right when it reaches your mouth and doesnt require any chewing if youre inclined to just leave those flavors linger in your mouth a bit! Beef Innards Spicy Cream Udon (4/5): We shared an XL and didnt really give it a second thought on how big that would really be. I guess we were used to the fact of ordering something deemed "XL" and really getting something along the size of a medium. But man am I glad that these guys proved us wrong for once! This order came out to be not only a big bowl, but a big bowl that was filled pretty much to the brim with soup, noodles and fillings. On top of it all, every single slurp and bite was flavorful and delicious till the very last drop. The soup itself wasnt too spicy in my opinion, but then again, different people and backgrounds have different opinions on whats considered "spicy." If you can handle Sriracha, you should be able to take this on with no problem. My only gripe with this item which is preventing me to give them the full 5 stars it should deserve is the lack of juicy, chewy, and delicious innards which is clearly stated on the description title! Now, Ive been told and have read that the prices at this location are a tad bit higher than most of the other establishments where you can get your Shin-Sen-Gumi on, but you have to remember that this place did open up in Irvine... and if you know anything about Irvine, is that NOTHING is cheap in this city! So, with that in mind and the fact that we live less than a 5 minute drive away from this place and can be seated with a very minimal wait time, Id have to say that this is definitely a go to place in our books for a Ramen meal that will leave you satisfied without breaking the bank!
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Elizabeth Meyers
Fantastic authentic udon!!!! I havent found creamy tomato udon since I left my small town of Iga in southeastern Japan. I was adio excited to find it that I changed my plans from take out to dine in (I learned they dont do ramen or udon to go). I ordered the creamy tomato udon and a side of takoyaki. The takoyaki came out perfectly, super crispy on the outside and blazing hot and soft on the inside. Then came the udon. Very generous in size, the noodles were fully cooked but still had the requisite chewiness. I could taste the tomato and cream evenly, and the seafood was cooked perfectly (a noticeable achievement). This place is a bit out of my way, but I definitely want to come back for more! I really want to try their cold citrus udon while theyre still making it!
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David Liu
Not better than the Fountain Valley location. Food doesnt taste as good. $25 lunch is overpriced for not much food. Everything is an add-on. Want bamboo =$2, want miso flavor = $2, want anything else add $2. Before you know it youre eating a $20 bowl of ramen. They had more than half of the bar open yet didnt seat anyone for at least 10mins. Maybe hire one more staff person? Usually a wait. I waited for 20mins, and in all honestly it wasnt worth the wait and cost. Id rather get all you can eat kbbq for that price. Yes the broth is good, but not even close to the best Ive had.
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Christian *
Shin Sen Gumi, Fountain Valley used to be my top ramen destination for many years. I was one of the devoted patrons willing to wait in 1hr long lines twice a week to devour their ramen without regret. However, something in their ramen changed about 3 years ago. Ive tried their Los Angeles location, and now their newly opened Irvine spot, and Im concluding that something in their magical soup changed. I also gave their new curry pork cutlet udon a try. Although it was good, it doesnt come close compared to Coco Ichibanya, the gold standard for Japanese curry.
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Marie Castelo
Food is fantastic, five stars. Fresh ramen and gyoza, my favorite! The pork is oh so good, and the gyoza has perfect flavor. The kids plate is the best for kids because it comes with ramen, rice ball, gyoza, orange, lala drink, and a balloon and lollipop! But the menus are tattered and old even tho this place just opened, and the chopsticks wrappers had some orange splatter on them which made me not feel very clean. That is why 4 stars instead of 5.
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Tom Luu
Unlike the other Shin Send Gumi this place has a wider variety that includes curry flavor and all sorts of udon styles. Like the other places if you choose ramen then you can customize it i.e how hard is the noodles, how strong the soup base is, how much oil and what extra toppings you like on the side. They say the make the ramen and udon fresh daily. I ordered the cold dipped udon with tempura. It was good.
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Vanessa Garcia
The service is great here!! Everyone works as a team and it helps get customers in and out. The ramen can get quiet expensive because everything is à la carte. You want an egg? Thats $1.75 extra. Corn? $1.00 extra, and so on. The ramen is also pretty salty so I always leave feeling sluggish. Its delicious while youre eating, but you definitely notice the salt once youre done.
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Thomas Nguyen
The ramen and udon soups are so rich and flavorful. These noodle bowls are prepared to your taste. The noodle texture in the ramen is quite delightful. The restaurant has a variety of food here. Generally, the food is really good. Service is fast and friendly. However, the menu here is a bit pricey. Our family come here often. I recommend it.
