Izakaya Ichie

Good place for a short break after or between shopping. Title: Cute, Tasty, and Creative!This izakaya is a gem! The okonomiyaki was crispy, fluffy, and packed with flavor--easily one of the best I've had. Every dish was not only delicious but also beautifully presented, almost too cute to eat!The drinks were super creative; there are "ice" that can change colors!

I had found this place advertised on Instagram with the addition that I had gotten to try their uni cream udon, and had been CRAVING since getting take out from here. So, I decided to go with my family to eat here and--the place was surprisingly empty! I had suspected there'd be a lot of people but I guess it was just a slow day. It was a nice, little spot to be fair. Very relaxing, and beautiful from the interior designs. We went and gotten sat down almost immediately, and we had the chance to order our food with a little star-toy trinket to get the server's attention (which was cute). I had ordered myself both the mentaiko udon and the uni cream udon, and the wait time was fairly reasonable. We had gotten our drinks out first and to my surprise, my drink was glowing! I assumed it was from the LED light they placed inside and it was actually pretty entertaining enough to keep me busy while waiting for our meals. The (lychee) green tea I ordered tasted pretty okay--a lot more green tea than lychee, and not too sugary.Eventually, our food had arrived and it was amazing! I had gotten to try some of the rose-tteobokki and the sauce was amazing, mixed in with udon and sausages. The mentaiko and uni udon were also amazing, and my mother decided to mix the both of them together to make room on the table--best decision ever surprisingly. The chicken that we had also ordered wasn't exactly the greatest in my opinion personally, it was okay but nothing to write home about. I think the sauce was a bit overwhelming.

After staying at Knott's Berry Farm on a Sunday until it closed at 9PM, we were looking for a place open late for dinner, and ended up at Izakaya Ichie at The Source OC. Parking is always easy and free in The Source's large parking garage. FYI, the restaurant is located on the first floor.The interior was pretty and service was attentive and friendly. There is a cool wand at the table which you can wave to "summon" a server. The menu is also extensive. The restaurant ended up closing at 11PM even though the posted hours said open until midnight.The food was very tasty though the portion of the 8-piece nigiri set was small for the price. Food was generally tasty, with the mentaiko cream udon being the highlight of the meal for me. The bulgogi poutine fries were also extremely crispy. Korean-style water carafes were brought to the table. One of the lemonades also included a light-up ice cube! Overall, the meal was satisfying and Izakaya Ichie remains one of the few late-night options in the area.

Came here in a Saturday night for dinner. I hadn't been to The Source since the first year it opened so I had no idea how big of a thriving shopping center it became. Finding this restaurant is difficult if you park on a higher floor than I did, but it's on the first floor near beach blvd.I had to wait like 15 minutes for a table. It's a popular place and they do their due diligence to call people on the sign in list to make sure they can get a table. Once the initial dinner rush was over, it was a lot easier getting seated.We got a chicken karage and a mentaiko udon. Shout out to our waitress for being super patient with my super indecisive friend. Karage was okay, but generous in size and the sauces were great.Mentaiko I also have had better, but usually for double the price. For what they charge, the mentaiko feels like a steal and is still solid. I do find it to lean more into that seafood taste versus creamy with a touch of seafood so be aware if you're not super into that.They didn't rush us to leave so we kinda sat there for two hours watching tables of families be replaced by tables of young adults drinking soju. I'd probably come back if I was in the area, but not make my way out to. 3.5/5 (but rounding up)

We probably came in at a bad time as this place did NOTTTTT hit the spot. We came here on a Friday right when they opened at 5pm, we were the first ones. I swear it was like the servers were trying to get rid of us right away like damn chill. We only sat down for about less than 5 minutes, "are you ready to order?" We've never been here before and yea sure it's your typical japanese/korean menu but no "any questions at all with the menu?" Their menu is big btw. Servers def need to work on their people skills.As for the food, EXTREMELY mid. Unagi bowl, flavor was okay but fish to rice ratio was unfair. THIN slices of eel with like a thick bed of rice. Tamago lacking flavor too, salt doesn't hurt the egg. Got two rolls and they just did not hit the spot at all too. Not worth the money here. After we finished eating, LITERALLY RIGHT when we finished, server came, "Ready for the check?" like the attentiveness is definitely there and some people may love that but just chill out lol. Gotta work on their timing or people skills for sureeee. Only good thing about it is the place is really cute and seems like it would be poppin' at night for drinks. However, will totally not be back, food at the food court at the source is more worth and better than this place. At least you won't feel someone is kicking you out.

Izakaya Ichie is the perfect example of a hidden gem izakaya being tucked away in the far end of The Source away from all the shops. We discovered the place after waiting too long for another restaurant and decided to come once we saw there was no wait. Their menu is a mix of fusion items, sushi, omakase boxes, rice dishes, noodles, and cold and hot items. They have a standout list of sakes to choose from, as well as beer, soju, and soju cocktails. Nonalcoholic drinks included milk teas, regular tea, and soft drinks. My friend ordered a beer and a fun Strawberry Jasmin Tea that came with fake light up ice cubes inside. Bulgogi Fries (5/5): One of the fusion items that we all devoured. I'd highly recommend ordering this! The cheese, bulgogi, and crispy thick cut fries were the perfect combination for a shareable appetizer.Chirashi Don (3.5/5): Thin pieces of fish were served, but the sushi rice tasted great. There was still a good variety of fish though and the presentation of the bowl looked neat.Such a fun spot to enjoy late night food and I love the vibrancy of the restaurant to eat and chill at! I'd definitely come here on any occasion, and I like its unique spot in the shopping plaza.

One of the best curry I've ever had, it's rich, thick in the consistency, just how I like it. Also got a little bit of spicy in it. The cutlets are extremely crispy but not overdone , just the right amount of balance between the crispy layer and meat. Will definitely be coming back again !

Decent sushi spot at The Source OC! The food was good and the fish was fresh. It was however on the pricey side, so I'm not sure I would go again since there are a lot of other sushi spots of similar quality that offer ayce or cheaper prices in general. However I'm glad I tried it since I walk past this spot all the time and was happy to finally give it a try!

I came back a year later and the food is still delicious . The service is still great and my server Eva is very kind and helpful with any questions.

The mango lychee lemonade was so refreshing and the display of the food was really beautiful.