if you want something closer lots of good Japanese in Costa Mesa as well.
If Fountain Valley is in play, doesn’t that open up DTSA (Playground, etc) and The Mix Costa Mesa (Taco Maria, etc)? Also Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking.
I was going to also suggest eateries in Tustin before realizing Honda-ya is in Tustin.
I had a very mediocre meal at Playground. It’s like they were trying too hard but failed at executing anything well. Felt like a wannabe big city restaurant.
Wife’s been to Taco Maria and thought it was just ok.
Will look at Ritter’s Steam. Never heard of it.
Good call, and the malasadas at Paderia are awesome, but availability may be limited at the end of the day.
I also recommend Izakay Hachi over Shin Sen Gumi or Hondaya.
Much better quality for sure.
I’m am (used to be?) a big Hachi fan, but I was very disappointed in my most recent meal at their Costa Mesa location. Hopefully it was just an off night…
I really like the pan roast at Ritter’s. But recently, we have not been able to have a meal there without major service issues.
Have you tried Kettlebar at the District in Tustin? Some people have told me in the past that they prefer the pan roast at Kettlebar over Ritters. It’s been too long since I had Ritter’s to really compare; I usually opt for Kettlebar as its way closer to me and has much better parking.
So we ended up at Izakaya Hachi after several different people told us it’s the best in the area over the likes of Honda ya or shin Sen gumi. We arrived a little after 6pm and the hostess told us that they were completely full but we could have a table if we can finish in 45 minutes so we took it.
The meal was pretty good, the highlights being the grilled squid, chicken karaage, and pork cheeks. The beef sashimi with uni was a fail.
I would certainly go back if I was in the area but pales in comparison to Raku in LA.
Which is why I thought your request was an odd choice.