The Most Flavorful Noodles in Irvine

Mazera

★★★★★ 4.8 (178) • $$

"This place serves several variations of mazemen (brothless ramen) but I think Original Mazemen is the way to go. It comes with spicy minced pork, poached egg, green onions, chives, seaweed, garlic, and fish powder. Flavor isn't quite as strong as places like MoguMogu, but I also don't get as much of an MSG attack either. I tried the Bulgogi Mazemen and Tonkotsu Ramen as well, but they weren't as good as the Original. The Tonkotsu Ramen tasted weird so I never ordered it again on my repeat visits. Service was friendly but the staff can do a better job in explaining how to eat mazemen for first time customers. There's an instruction on the table but would be nice if they can give verbal instruction and offer some rice at the end, instead of having to ask for it."

Slurpin' Ramen Bar - Costa Mesa

★★★★★ 4.5 (618) • $$

"The tsukemen was good and flavorful! They use my favorite type of noodles for the ramen and load you up with the toppings, which I thought was very generous. If you check in on Yelp, you get 2 free toppings, so I definitely took advantage of that! Our server Tristan was so amazing and hooked us up with free sides/toppings for us to try. They were the perfect pairing to the meal!"

Thai Chaiyo Tustin

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"Reasons why I love choosing Thai Chaiyo :(1) They offer free food delivery - if you're within their zone 1 or zone 2 AND with a minimum of $25 spend. (2) The pricing is very reasonable especially the lunch specials starting @ $11.50. I appreciate the fact that if you choose beef that they do not charge extra. Some Thai places do!(3) Food is here genuinely really good!Pretty much all the items I have ordered for my family and I have been delicious. Very fresh and savory. My parents favs (and mine as well) is the signature Tom Yum Rice Noodle Soup - a classic Thai-style hot and sour soup. Complex, yet comforting for it is bursting with citrusy, spicy, savory and sweet flavors! We also love getting the Garlic & Black Pepper Sauce with Beef and The Bun's fav is the BBQ Chicken. I am a huge curry fan and my favs here are: Massaman, Panang and Green curry. I truly appreciate they do not skimp out on the protein. As for appetizers - we love getting the Thai Rice Cake Chive, The Beef Jerky and the Chicken Wings were surprisingly scrumptious. Just wish for The Beef Jerky - portion was kinda small, perhaps more veggies to accompany it would be nice.I've never dined in before but I've done pick-up for take-out and as well as delivery. Although the interior is small with several tables to sit at, you can feel the hominess and comfortability. The staff are pleasant and friendly. I will definitely be back to try more of their items~ Gotta support the small mom & pop businesses!"

East Borough

★★★★☆ 4.2 (962) • $$

"This place is great. Best interpretation of the banh mi. Wish they still had one in LA."

Paik's Noodle

★★★★☆ 3.7 (317) • $$

"Paik's Noodle is one of the most globally popular Korean restaurant chains, known for its signature Korean-Chinese (Sino-Korean cuisine) dishes. They, of course, are Jjangmyeon (black bean noodles), Jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle soup), and Tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork). Paik's Noodle owes its popularity to the speed and consistency of its food preparation and straightforward creation of the delightful, familiar flavors of the dishes.Paik's Noodle also offers a good variation of its signature dishes and the prices are reasonable. The Jjangmyeon starts at $10.35, most dishes are under $15. You can swap out the noodles with egg-fried rice.If the combined heat and flavors of the Jjamppong dish - which starts at $13.45 - need a real kick, you can order it with more gochujang (traditional fermented hot chili paste). There is also Beef Jjamppong option which is a non-spicy variation without the seafood mix. The Tangsuyuk, $15.45 is their most recommended dish. Their version is prepared with fried pork (sometimes it is made with beef), along with cabbage, sliced carrots, onion, and wood ear mushrooms. The tangy sweet and sour sauce was just right, and not too sweet or heavy. It is best to share this dish while ordering your noodle dish for a more satisfying dining experience.Other dishes on their menu include Creamy or Chili Saeu (fried shrimp), Hong Kong Wings (spicy, soy garlic wings), Gunmandu (pan-fried dumplings), and Bokkeummyeon (stir-fried noodles).The noodles are perfectly cooked whenever I dine at a Paik's Noodle restaurant. They are bouncy, chewy, and always taste fresh. Pickled daikon radish accompanies every dish.I do not have many complaints about the food, but I was disappointed that their portions were not very generous. Their prices are low, but you should be able to get a decent amount of food, compared to its competitors and other restaurants that may specialize in Sino-Korean cuisine. But they get my approval for the variety and consistency of some of my favorite dishes."

Toyo Sushi & Roll

★★★★☆ 4.4 (638) • $$

"I've been here a bunch of times and it's always great. My favorites are the Creamy crunch and Salmon lover rolls, the monkey roll is also very good. I haven't had a bad roll here, however we did get edamame once and they didn't put any salt or anything on it, so I thought that was odd. Miso soup is basic, nothing special.I normally get cut rolls or hand rolls here, but I haven't tried their nigiri(sushi) or sashimi, so I have no opinion on that.The staff is all super nice and they're always prompt, very quick preparation, and they have never messed up my order!"

Shin Sen Gumi Hakata Ramen - Fountain Valley

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"Great ambiance with tables open to the kitchen. Service is quick and friendly. We ordered two Hakata Ramens for $9.50 each-Monday special is a great value. Here are my comments on the food:- Customizable options before you order, very easy, and they actually follow what you put. My partner and I could distinguish the differences in what we ordered.- Broth has a great pork taste, very deep and rich.- Chashu pork is on the thinner side, not as juicy as I would have liked.- Noodles were perfectly cooked; I ordered them firm, and they had a nice bite.- Chashu fried rice is delicious-my favorite side that I tried there.Overall, I will definitely be coming back regularly to this place. Great value, amazing service, and clean, quality food. Love it."

Yoo's Place

★★★★☆ 4.3 (372) • $$

"We recently tried Yoo's Place, and I have to say, it was an excellent experience! It's a relatively new restaurant, but it's very clean, and the staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming. We usually frequent BCD Tofu House, but we decided to give this place a shot, and we're so glad we did!We ordered tofu soup, cold noodles, and the tteokbokki with ramen, and everything was absolutely fantastic. The portions were huge, and the tofu soup was incredibly fresh and flavorful. The broth was rich, complex, and tasted homemade. It even came out boiling hot, which I love for soups--it made the experience so much better.The cold noodles were also delicious, with fresh veggies that were perfect on a warm winter day in Southern California. The tteokbokki with ramen was another highlight. The portion was massive, easily enough for four people! My sister and I shared it, and we were both impressed by the generous serving and flavor.One nice touch is the free bone broth on the side. It's perfect if you're feeling under the weather or just prefer something warm to drink instead of cold water. You can have as much as you'd like, which is such a thoughtful addition. The sides were also fantastic--the kimchi was fresh, and they even had sides I'd never tried before.Overall, I highly recommend Yoo's Place. The portions are generous, the food is delicious and fresh, and the prices are very reasonable. I'll definitely be coming back!"

Sen Thai Noodle Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (69) • $$

"The beef boat noodle soup here is decently good. They allow you to choose different rice noodles from thin vermicelli to the fat noodles. You can also select the level of spiciness. However, they offer sauces on the side to adjust your own level of spiciness. It is a small portion for the price you pay. The broth is savory but it is very cloudy. Expect to find a lot of tendons."

Hana Maru

★★★★☆ 4 (713) • $$

"Fast service! Arrived around 6pm, it was pretty quiet. Handful of customers inside. We ordered right away, food came out super fast. Everything was tasty! Sushi was a tad bit pricey but it's the inflation. Restaurant was clean. Servers/host/waiters were friendly and efficient. Limited parking spots, small lot. Pros: buy two special rolls, get one free! Monday through Thursdays."

Frank BBQ & Noodles

★★★★★ 4.5 (112)

"Parking was a bit tough, but they do have an underground parking garage. The restaurant is small but worth waiting to try their food. You scan the QR code on the table to order. We ordered the Honey BBQ, Roasted Duck, Wonton, Ginger Scallion Oil Chicken, Fried Chicken, and Lemon Tea. Everything was delicious! You must try their Honey BBQ and roasted duck! It was very flavorful and tender. The wonton was also good and not spicy. The Ginger Scallion Oil Chicken is cold served, but it's also very good. The fried chicken is like popcorn chicken and served with spicy flakes. Every dish we had was delicious and very filling. The lemon tea was also very good and not too sweet either. I'd definitely come back for more!Recommendation(s):- Honey BBQ- Roasted Duck- Wonton- Ginger Scallion Oil Chicken- Fried Chicken- Lemon TeaService: 5/5Tip(s):- Parking can get tough, but they do have underground parking- Restroom available- Scan QR on table to order"

Qin West Noodle

★★★★☆ 4 (321) • $$

"I love this place. I get the liang pi ($14 ish) on the regular at least 2 times month. Liang pi is the perfect noodle dish for hot weather or even any time. The noodles are wide, chewy, and soak up just the right amount of the sauce. The sauce is garlicky, numbing Szechuan oily, and spicy. I love everything about it. The service is efficientI will be back probably within the next week"

Suthathip Thai Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (362) • $$

"I have been a fan of Suthathip ever since they opened in Anaheim Hills about 7 years ago. Although it is a bit out of the way, I still come here on and off just because the food is so good. I assure you that it is definitely worth the extra driving distance to get there as you will find some of the most authentic and delicious Thai cuisines in the entire OC.Their lunch special is also one of the best bargains in town and each entrée includes soup or salad. Pictured above is a broccoli and chicken lunch special served with steamed rice and fried wontons. I also like their traditional pad thai (fried rice noodles) as well as their curry dishes. The restaurant's yellow curry is particularly on point, and I like it moderately spicy.For a hearty dinner, I recommend crying tiger - a tender and flavorful rib eye steak served with their signature sweet chili sauce. Seafood lovers have plenty of fish entrees to choose from. My personal favorite is deep fried tilapia with garlic pepper."

Sheung Shui - Fish & Rice Noodles

★★★★★ 4.5 (363) • $$

"Clean and good service is the first impression of this place. We order a take out , Jay is great to help us to place the order. Food is tasty, if you're hurry to get delicious food , must try here!!"

Hoa Binh Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (536) • $$

"This place has been here for decades and I feel bad that I never gave it a try until now! It shares a kitchen with the now-closed Banh Canh (vietnamese udon) place across the street and so they have 2 menus! There is so much to choose from! I got the wonton BBQ pork soup and my cousin got the recommended banh canh #15; both were solid. The BBQ pork in the soup was delish. Banh canh was actually very good too; you could get the broth more thickened or a thinner broth. My cousin ate the entire thing and said she's definitely coming back. The lady serving tables was so sweet too. She had recommended the banh beo but we had no stomach space. I presume the owner was the elderly gentleman who came by our table to ask how everything tasted. He was also very sweet and happy we enjoyed the food. Definitely coming back with a bigger party next time so we could try different things!"

Noodology

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"Food is good and the service is fast. Especially like the pig ears in chili oil. Would recommend"

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - Costa Mesa

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$

"Review 6/365 My 1st time coming to Mitsawa Marketplace and trying Ramen here on Tuesday Sept 24, 2024.I love mee a good ramen bowl especially a scrumptious place along w spicy. What I ordered~ Toroniku Spicy Miso Ramen in Large $ 17.45 noodles are yummy, chewy and good. The broth is spicy but isn't as spicy as I'd like it to be. Broth was yummy and not oily. Loved it. The large size is good and can be shared, if not really hungry. The pork is tender. Definitely recommended.Service is fast & friendly. Just a bit hard w communication a bit w the associates. Located in the food court with so many food options eateries. Lots of tables available.Looks like a good legit Japanese Ramen restaurant.Menu is in Japanese writing. Cute booth in food court looking like a Japanese restaurant in Japan."

Mai Phat Noodle House

★★★★★ 4.5 (377) • $$

"I am always on the hunt for great Vietnamese soups! Ordered the Egg Noodle combo for $16. Came with a bowl of dry noodles and bbq pork, with a side of dumplings and broth. The broth was nice and clean, the egg noodles had a very distinct sauce! Nothing I've had before at other dry noodle places! Loved the shrimp cracker! What I really loved about this dish is how fresh the dumplings were! And in that soy sauce was amazing! Also tried the fried chicken, it came with a garlic fried rice ($14). Very crispy chicken! Yet the meat fell off the bone! Chicken and rice were very good and flavorful! The sauce isn't the same as $1.99 sauce (IYKYK), but the dish is good none the less. The veggies that came with it was a little lacking (As you can see from my pic-only one slice of tomato and two slices of cucumber).Overall, this was place was delicious and I will definitely be back to try other dishes!"

Elephant Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (798) • $$

"On this cold evening warm Thai food sounded perfect! One of our favorite local places is Elephant Cafe in Lake Forest. This small restaurant is on a busy corner intersection so if you aren't paying attention, you can miss the driveway to enter and then you have a long block before you can turn around. Elephant Cafe is a charming place with super friendly staff and amazingly authentic food. There are plenty of options for everyone. They even customize the level of heat on many of their dishes. Tonight the place was hopping! Booths full of customers chatting away and a constant flow of take out orders. I got take out as well and only had to wait about 10 minutes or so for our food. Tonight's menu was fried wonton, Thai Basil Fried Rice with veggies and Mild heat and Pad Kee Mao noodles with Chicken and Mild heat. We are so happy eating our yummy Thai food and watching college basketball at home! Prices are excellent too and I highly recommend Elephant Cafe!"

Say Yum Thai Street Food

★★★★★ 4.6 (188) • $$

"Good Thai food in a very chill area. No need to drive all the way to the crowded garden grove anymore. We ordered 4 dishes today and all were good."

LUA Asian Fusion Eatery

★★★★★ 4.8 (364) • $$

"Food service was wonderful. Our waiter explained the whole menu patiently and made qreat suggestions. It was clean. The food wow was very flavorful and high quality.We went there because of the Dan Dan noodle promotion and 5 star reviews on Yelp but when we got there the waiter said the place was under new ownership and they didn't have any dan dan noodle pho. We tried something different and the food was delicious."

Orange Thai

★★★★★ 4.7 (329) • $$

"Very pleasant, neighborhood Thai restaurant. Server was attentive & friendly. Cool vibe inside (apparently it was a coffee shop previously with the decor repurposed from that previous business). Food was delicious & reasonably priced."

Simply Pho

★★★★☆ 4.3 (684) • $$

"This is a pretty average Vietnamese place. Typical casual vibe. Service was great. We were seated and had our orders taken quite quickly. Food came out fast and hot. They gave us free dessert after as well.The food itself wasn't special. The pho soup was fine, but the toppings were a little sparse. The chicken and veggie stir fry I got was okay, but the sauce wasn't mixed that well.Overall, a decent spot to get a quick bite, but not one I'd crave."

Mogu Mogu

★★★★★ 4.6 (451) • $$

"Have heard good things about MoguMogu, was in the OC so wanted to check it out. So glad we did, loved it! There was a bit of a wait, but the servers were very nice and moved people through quickly, we got a beer while we waited and relaxed.The location is in a strange area, near railroad tracks, seems to be an industrial complex, so don't worry you are in the right spot when you arrive.The is a Mazemen ramen style spot which means it is a soulless noodle, but that does not mean it is flavorless, in fact these bowls are flavor bombs of goodness.Got an order of Shishito peppers to start, always love these and a tall chilled Sapporo on draft, so good.For my main, got the Tokyo, which is spicy minced pork, poached egg, scallions, chives, minced garlic, fish umami, seaweed flakes. Once you get your order you, mix it all together inside the noodles and enjoy. You must get the minced garlic, it makes the dish. I also added some spicy chili sauce to mine and their umami vinegar, perfect! At the end, they bring you a scoop of rice to use to eat the rest of the toppings left at the bottom of the noodles.Enjoy!"

Ma's House

★★★★☆ 3.5 (426) • $$

"The service could have been better. The waiter didn't really check in on us and didn't appear to be too friendly. Aside from that, the food was good! The portion sizes are huge! Two people can share a plate! We ordered the beef with green onions and chicken fried rice."

MIAN

★★★★☆ 4.2 (670) • $$

"Had been wanting to check out Mian for awhile and finally had the opportunity to pay SCP and Mian a visit. Waited about 5 mins in the queue right outside the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon around 2pm.The atmosphere is open and airy and a solid pick for small or larger groups.QR code on the table, scan in, and order via their easy to use platform. We ordered the spicy beef noodle soup, chili oil wontons, and beef roll pancake; opted for medium Sichuan spice for all the dishes which seemed to suit us well. All the items came out within 10ish mins and everything was really good. My overall ranking: 1) chili oil wontons 2) beef roll pancake 3) spicy beef noodle soup - but honestly, everything was flavorful and delicious. We asked for some chili oil on the side to dip the beef roll pancake. The pricing is decent as well, especially considering this is a poppin' spot in SCP. I'd be back to try different items."

PhoTasia Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (755) • $$

"This place is great. I got take out on a Sunday morning. The wait was minimal. I got to order at the kiosk and it was super easy to order and customize the pho. The price is great for the portions and the quality of food. The veggies were fresh. The broth was delicious! I will definitely come back. Plenty of parking available. Sitting is available inside and outside."

Pho Hong Hung

★★★★☆ 3.7 (165) • $$

"This spot was recommended for the crispy rice chicken and it did not disappoint bc I love burnt crispy rice and the ginger sauce was really good. We ended up ordering 5 Togos to share with family. Our server says they specialize in bun rieu so we had to try that as well. Their bun rieu reminded me of Vietnam when I was there last year. Soup was very flavorful, better than most places I've tried. The chicken salad was good too. We also tried the mi ga roti (roasted chicken w/dry noodle). That was our least favorite dish, the sauce didn't match with the noodles and and the chicken didn't have much flavor. I thought it was better with the ginger sauce that came with the rice. The gentlemen who served us was patient and accommodating. Will def come back for more crispy rice chicken."

Izakaya Okan

★★★★☆ 4.1 (34)

"4.5 rounding it up to 5I missed the small parking lot for the strip mall but was able to go around the block with ease. It's located near a nail salon shop and Wahoo is nearby as well. Service was very good, they were on top of it and even brought me the Nanami Togarashi to add a bit of a kick and spice to the food. I'm Korean so this is a must and it paired well with everything that I put it on, especially the pasta. The food came out fairly quickly and they filled our water and tea regularly as we ate our meal.The restaurant is not very big but they have plenty of seating. We opted for a larger table since we were going to be ordering a bunch of food to try out. I wanted to eat things that I don't normally eat so we ate: eggplant with grated mountain potato, this was lighter than I thought it was going to be and my friend appreciated how nice it looked plated. We also got the creamy uni udon. It had a good sized amount of uni in the dish. I thought it was a bit TOO creamy, it was definitely decadent. I liked how it tasted with the Nanami Togarashi too. This I had to take home as leftovers because we had other food to eat. The pork cheek with green onion sauce tasted a bit like Samgyupsal or grilled pork belly to me. The fat just melted in my mouth. There were some pieces that were a little chewy but still edible. I've never had pork cheek before so I'm unfamiliar with the texture. The yellowtail collar was fantastic, it had a lot of meat to it and the miso black cod, well I could have eaten three orders of that by myself. I've had this before at other restaurants, but I have to say that theirs is the best thus far, the piece was bigger and fresher too. I saw later on the wall menu that they had nigiri. Y'all...you know I had to get the bluefin tuna and toro. It was a little bit on the pricier side but the pieces of fish were thicker and it was oh so tasty. I also could have ordered more but we had to stop ourselves.I'll definitely go back there for the nigiri and miso black cod. But I also want to try their other dishes like their prime beef skirt skewer, scallop skewer, takoyaki balls, and quick seared US Kobe beef with garlic ponzu. And their happy hour sounds legit!"

Pho King Way

★★★★★ 4.7 (23)

"Tried this spot for the first time and ordered to go for my wife and me. You can tell they just opened--only two servers working--but they were hustling and doing their best to keep up. Despite that, the food was ready in a reasonable time, and the service was friendly. Parking is easy! The pho had so much flavor, and the ingredients tasted really fresh. Definitely one of the better bowls I've had in a while. Next time, I wouldn't mind dining in and trying one of their rice dishes. I'll definitely be back!"

Ramen & Tsukemen TAO

★★★★☆ 4.2 (721) • $$

"Made a 20min drive out to check out this 3 time Michelin Star winner restaurant. I am surprised to see reviews on bad customer service because our experience was nice and it was busy. I can understand maybe a language barrier with the gentlemen bringing out the food but our waitress Yoshiko (name on the receipt) was great and taking care of every single table. It is a small place so expect a wait at peak hour. The food did not disappoint everything was great. I would not make the drive out but I'd definitely pay them another visit if I'm conveniently in the area."

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

★★★★☆ 4.1 (700) • $$

"The Ramen here is super good.Both of my kids will eat more Ramen than they should.They would eat this every day if they could. And the storefront uses a lot of wood. And if you're really hungry for Ramen, then you really should."

Northern Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (426) • $$

"I had lunch here with my daughter and friend. We ordered the following to share:Beef noodle soupDan Dan noodlesBeef roll Juicy pork dumpling Pork potstickers Steamed red bean paste buns Overall, we enjoyed the food here. The Dan Dan noodles were a bit too salty, but everything else was great. Our favorite were the steamed red bean paste buns. I could've eaten a basket full of those and be really happy! The restaurant is pretty casual, you order at the counter and food is delivered to the table. There is a water station with cups that is self serve. The food was tasty, reasonably priced, prepared quickly, and the portions were large."

Thuan Kieu Noodle & Grill

★★★★☆ 3.5 (399) • $$

"Hidden gem in my opinion. They're definitely known for their broken rice dishes but I decided to try their Goi Ga (Chicken Salad) which was super flavorful and my friend got one of their rice dishes. The salad had fish sauce on the side too but the salad itself was salty enough for my tastebuds. They have a deal for certain dishes like the Chicken Salad so you can order 2 entrees and get 1 free or order 1 entree and get 1 free select drink. I got the dessert drink Che Ba Mau which was sweet and perfect after the meal. Inside was pretty busy and spacious. Many dishes to choose from so worth the try!"

HiroNori Craft Ramen - Sand Canyon

★★★★☆ 4.3 (676) • $$

"Heard many great things about this place so decided to check it out. Located in a plaza with many other food shops right next door, but noticed that 80% of the people were eating this ramen! There is plenty of seating outside where this ramen place as well as other vendors will bring out the food to you if you choose outside seating. We chose to sit outside because it was a beautiful weather and wanted the fresh air. My bf and I both ordered the shoyu ramen and I added the garlic and house spicy sauce to mine which were free! Service was pretty good, they brought out the food at an efficient time and did check on us throughout the meal even though we were seated outside. The ramen was incredibly flavorful and I could see why it is popular. I would rate it a 7.5/10 as I have had better but it is still a good ramen spot to checkout. Total came to $38 for two bowls bc they automatically add a 10% gratuity fee. Great place and location! Check it out if you are in the mood for ramen!"