Yushoken Izakaya & Ramen

Very delicious ramen at a good price compared to other ramen. Ramen noodles are made from scratch. Soup base is very authentic.

I am SO glad I decided to give this place a try because I absolutely loved it!

My friends and I are on a quest to find the BEST ramen shop in Orange County and Yushoken was next on our bucket list.

WAIT TIMES/CHECK-IN
Every time I’ve come here for happy hour I’ve been fortunate enough to not get a busy line. For the most part, the only check in option is for you to go to the restaurant and write your name down on a sheet of paper. Here’s to hoping they use the yelp waitlist eventually like most other shops do.

FOOD
Shio tonkatsu for $9.95 -- wow, this broth was great! It was super creamy and thick which definitely added to the appeal of the ramen, however I did notice that it was very oily. I wonder if this is something you could modify or if they just don't trim the fat...

Spicy chicken teriyaki bowl, half size for $4.95 -- I wish that I had ordered a bigger size because this was AMAZING! Truly worth spending your money on and definitely not spicy. Think of it as bordering on the edge of mild and spicy but full of flavor. Not to mention the fact that there was a lot of sauce as well. Despite it being served with steamed rice, that extra sauce really put the whole bowl together.

Tsukemen for $10? I can’t remember. Anyways, the broth here isn’t as creamy as their ramen. In fact, as far as tsukemen goes this is pretty lackluster and if it is your first time trying it I wouldn’t say that this is a good example of it. The broth is still delicious, don’t get me wrong, and there are A LOT of toppings, but I have had much better quality and this did not really hit the spot in the way that their ramen did.

BEVERAGES
Pitcher of Sapporo for $15, $7.50 during happy hour -- so, so worth it. In fact, this was just a delightful bonus to have for a place we were dying to try out. The pitcher is good for about 3.75 pints so if you have a party of 4 just pour accordingly.

Sake for $4, $2 during happy hour -- this is one of the smaller servings I've seen for sake and it was only good for 3 shots. This was also served cold but I did not ask if we could get it hot.

SERVICE
Our server was super chill and very friendly but otherwise not present during our meal. This goes for the several occasions that we have come here. I’m not too bothered by it, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask us how we’re doing every once in a while.

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Overall, I loved my experience here and if it were not for the relatively slow service I would have given this place 5 stars. The employees were super nice, however, so I'd give them another chance.

I had the Spicy Miso Ramen and it was quite good. It was sincerely spicy, the broth was authentic, and the pork belly was flavorful. I would say it is well priced for being at UTC, a notoriously expensive place to eat. It may be challenging to select a bowl if you do not eat pork.

This place is so amazing.. the food was beyond amazing. The spicy miso had the most delicious flavor. They were quick with all the food ordered. The server David was so great. So attentive to our needs. People need more waiters like David. Yushoken you've got a great employee on your hands

Gave it 4 stars since there is no ramen house in the immediate vicinity and having an option is good. However, the soup was not very deep in taste and the noodles didn't have the right texture. The visuals were good and the atmosphere was fine.