Category: | Restaurant, |
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Address: | 14370 Culver Dr SUITE C, Irvine, CA 92604, USA |
Zip code: | 92604 |
Website: | http://www.ramenbannai.com/ |
Opening hours (Edit) | |
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Monday: | 11:00 AM – 2:45 PM, 5:00 – 9:45 PM |
Tuesday: | 11:00 AM – 2:45 PM, 5:00 – 9:45 PM |
Wednesday: | 11:00 AM – 2:45 PM, 5:00 – 9:45 PM |
Thursday: | 11:00 AM – 2:45 PM, 5:00 – 9:45 PM |
Friday: | 11:00 AM – 2:45 PM, 5:00 – 9:45 PM |
Saturday: | 11:00 AM – 9:45 PM |
Sunday: | 11:00 AM – 9:45 PM |
By far the best ramen I have had in Irvine. There's a good reason this brand is popular. This location is a perfect spot to stop by on the weekend between shopping nearby for a quick and tasty bowl. The chashu pork and soft noodle is delicious! The service is friendly and very efficient. If you want to know what true umami tastes like, look no further!
It's been a long time since I ate at Kitakata Ramen, and with this new opening on Culver Dr, I had to give it a try. And it was just as great as I remembered it. Wait time was around 5 minutes after ordering, and this was in a full house and I was in a group of 8. I ordered a bowl of Aburi Miso Ramen and I couldn't stop eating it. The noodles were great, the pork was soft and tender, and the soup was so tasty that I didn't realize that my bowl was empty until I ran out of soup. For a $12 meal, I was completely satisfied.
There's plenty of parking in front of the restaurant. You can also choose between bar seating and table seating depending if you are eating alone or with friends. The only problem with this location is that it can only seat up to 49 persons, so if you plan on coming here with a group of more than 4 people when it is as its busiest, expect to be standing outside for a while until the staff calls you in. Still, it is worth the wait, and I will definitely be coming back to Kitakata Ramen again.
Super excited to find out last week that Kitakata is opening in Irvine. This is my favorite ramen spot in Orange County due to their unique light broth, chewy noodles, and tender chashu. I recommend getting the Kitakata ramen and juicy fried chicken appetizer to enjoy a hearty meal that always keeps me coming back for more. This location has more parking since it's in the Heritage Plaza and also a shorter wait due to a larger storefront. I recommend going during weekday during the lunch or off hours on the weekend, or else the wait can get pretty long.
Miso ramen and fried chicken was excellent! Chicken was hot and crispy and perfectly seasoned. Broth was hot and noodles were nice and firm/chewy. Parking situation is better than Costa Mesa location