Katsu (chicken and pork) was crispy and delicious! Shrimp tempura was crispy and delicious. The curry was tasty! Nothing was leftover to bring home.

Quick Summary Finally got a chance to try this long-standing Katsu spot and it was pretty good. Solid Japanese food that is made-to-order. Food- 5 stars Katsudon- this was pretty good. Everything about it was fantastic: the rice, the sauce, and the pork cats. Very solid dish Tempura- pretty good but standard Beef curry and soba noodle lunch special- curry was quite good. Pretty standard as well. It's just well-done home Japanese cooking Service- 5 stars Fast casual spot, but the staff was very attentive. Ambiance- 4 stars Casual spot with a lot of room in between tables. The ventilation could be a bit better though (Some oil fumes on my jacket when leaving) Bottom Line Excellent Katsu spot for a quick meal or delivery

This place has delicious Japanese curry, light and airy chicken karaage with a delicious spicy dipping sauce, crispy chicken katsu and tasty soba noodles. The service was friendly and efficient. Try this place is you’re looking for a restaurant with tasty Japanese food along with a homey, family feel.

This place is so cute! We got lucky and sat next to the counter with all the duck decorations. I was super happy! I got the hot udon and mini katsudon combo while my friend got the ribeye. My food was really good. His steak wasn’t that good tho and we found ourselves chewing a lot despite it being cooked correctly. I wouldn’t recommend ordering that. However, to our surprise, the staff took it off the tab for us. I think despite all of it, I had a good time and I would def recommend and come again

A great spot that is casual, comfortable, delicious and filling. The food is very well made and extremely satisfying. Their signature is the Katsu curry and it really hits the spot. Had to wait around 20 minutes on Sunday evening since it is so popular. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. There are lots of cute duck decorations inside too. Highly recommended for a quick and delicious meal.

Quick and attentive service, friendly atmosphere that makes you feel welcome. Food was delicious as always, freshly fried appetizers and entrees. Never disappoints. I had the Yaki combo udon, mini curry, and chikuwa.

Cute homey Japanese vibes. It’s a small restaurant so I can see there’d be a wait on busy days. Luckily we only had to wait about 5 min. The menu is straightforward. Comfort Japanese dishes. Service was great, they’re super nice and very attentive! The tempura was good, sauce was great too. Katsu was fried perfectly, sauce was tangy and fantastic, just wish the pork was more moist/tender. Karaage was just okay, probably wouldn’t order it again, most of the flavor came from the sauce. My dad loved his eel bowl set, flavored and cooked well. My katsudon bowl was delicious, again katsu was a little dry, togarashi is a must with this bowl. And the cold soba noodles were great, the sauce dip was perfectly seasoned and noodles were perfect texture, very refreshing to eat. Parking - small free lot! We had no issues getting parking.

Yes I'm giving this place five stars mainly because of service! The owner's kids that took it over are fantastic people! They are kind, they make themselves part of the community, they have people come back just because of the great service and the unique local restaurant feeling. This is a hole in the wall place, not high end, not fancy, but the food is solid and almost tastes like homemade meals. The karage fried chicken is absolutely five stars! We got the curry and it was pretty smooth with the udon stir fry noodle, which was good, but probably something I wouldn't order a second time. Definitely coming back!

Literally the best Japanese Curry House in all of the United States. Doesn't cost a fortune, service is amazing, it's Japanese-American but you feel like you're getting the same service you would get in Japan and a kitchen staff are very attentive and communicative. I had no idea this was here literally my whole adult life and now I go weekly.

Kevin Sewell

Yes I'm giving this place five stars mainly because of service! The owner's kids that took it over are fantastic people! They are kind, they make themselves part of the community, they have people come back just because of the great service and the unique local restaurant feeling. This is a hole in the wall place, not high end, not fancy, but the food is solid and almost tastes like homemade meals. The karage fried chicken is absolutely five stars! We got the curry and it was pretty smooth with the udon stir fry noodle, which was good, but probably something I wouldn't order a second time. Definitely coming back!

Kevin Hu

I ordered two servings of katsu don, a shrimp tempura, and some Japanese fried chicken pieces. The food tasted really good and the portions were generous. Everything was crispy and flavorful. It’s perfect for a relaxing dinner. The only downside is that it was a bit hot inside of restaurant, possibly because the air conditioning wasn’t strong enough or due to the semi-open kitchen. Overall, it was a nice experience, and I will come again!

Bill Lis

Having lived in Japan for a year, this place brings back the vibes and the atmosphere of eating at a Japanese restaurant. The moment I walked in, the decor, the smell, the vibe, the only thing missing was the size (Japanese restaurants tend to be incredibly small because land is a luxury there.) The food was good, I was not expecting amazing blow your mind food that's not what this place is, but it tasted familiar, it tasted like the place I called home for a whole year. It tasted like that town I used to live, the town by the ocean. I definitely recommend you try this place, if you are feeling nostalgic for Japan.

Chan-Nhu Le

Good quick lunch! I wish they had smaller portions because I couldn’t finish the whole thing. I like the egg added to the tonkatsu. Tonkatsu was not the best I have had but good decent fulfilling meal. Cabbage was bitter so I didn’t finish it.

J Bird

Basic classics for Japanese staples. Enjoyed my cold soba noodles and tempura. Chicken cutlet and curry not bad but next time I'll try the spicier version and unagi, this was bland. Gyozas are too deep fried for my liking, Lotta extra batter.

Gamas Chang

The food is not bad. I ordered pork cutlet curry. And tempura. The cutlet is not bad, but I think the curry house in Irvine is better. Tried the donburry pork cutlet. It is a sweet taste sauce. It's not my favorite. But this is probably just me. It's just not my taste.

J. Wong

Decent portions and price. I wish their lunch specials didn't all include curry. They have a little more options for their dinner specials. They have a small parking lot which is shared with other businesses. You can park on the street as well.

Chris Yu

How have I never been to this Japanese restaurant?! I've always passed by this spot ever since I was a kid but thought it was literally a restaurant that specializes in duck. Lo and behold, it's a small restaurant that serves amazing Japanese food. I ordered their chicken karage and their katsudon (カツ丼). The karage was nicely deep fried and juicy to the bite. Their katsudon was in a big bowl and had a great flavors. It reminded me of my trip to Japan and all the Japanese food I had because it's comparable to what you'd get in the homeland. I'll definitely return to try the rest of their menu because I'd say it's worth your money and time if you're ever in the area.

How have I never been to this Japanese restaurant?! I've always passed by this spot ever since I was a kid but thought it was literally a restaurant that specializes in duck. Lo and behold, it's a small restaurant that serves amazing Japanese food. I ordered their chicken karage and their katsudon (カツ丼). The karage was nicely deep fried and juicy to the bite. Their katsudon was in a big bowl and had a great flavors. It reminded me of my trip to Japan and all the Japanese food I had because it's comparable to what you'd get in the homeland. I'll definitely return to try the rest of their menu because I'd say it's worth your money and time if you're ever in the area.

Decent portions and price. I wish their lunch specials didn't all include curry. They have a little more options for their dinner specials. They have a small parking lot which is shared with other businesses. You can park on the street as well.

+1

Having lived in Japan for a year, this place brings back the vibes and the atmosphere of eating at a Japanese restaurant. The moment I walked in, the decor, the smell, the vibe, the only thing missing was the size (Japanese restaurants tend to be incredibly small because land is a luxury there.) The food was good, I was not expecting amazing blow your mind food that's not what this place is, but it tasted familiar, it tasted like the place I called home for a whole year. It tasted like that town I used to live, the town by the ocean. I definitely recommend you try this place, if you are feeling nostalgic for Japan.

The food is not bad. I ordered pork cutlet curry. And tempura. The cutlet is not bad, but I think the curry house in Irvine is better. Tried the donburry pork cutlet. It is a sweet taste sauce. It's not my favorite. But this is probably just me. It's just not my taste.

Basic classics for Japanese staples. Enjoyed my cold soba noodles and tempura. Chicken cutlet and curry not bad but next time I'll try the spicier version and unagi, this was bland. Gyozas are too deep fried for my liking, Lotta extra batter.

Good quick lunch! I wish they had smaller portions because I couldn’t finish the whole thing. I like the egg added to the tonkatsu. Tonkatsu was not the best I have had but good decent fulfilling meal. Cabbage was bitter so I didn’t finish it.

I ordered two servings of katsu don, a shrimp tempura, and some Japanese fried chicken pieces. The food tasted really good and the portions were generous. Everything was crispy and flavorful. It’s perfect for a relaxing dinner. The only downside is that it was a bit hot inside of restaurant, possibly because the air conditioning wasn’t strong enough or due to the semi-open kitchen. Overall, it was a nice experience, and I will come again!

We shared the Pork Katsu Soba combo. We love the sauce they put on the rice, it was good!

Susana Xu

I love Japanese food, especially these small cafes. My boyfriend and I loved the interior designs and decorations but agreed that the food could be better. We ordered the kaarage chicken, pork katsu curry rice, and pork katsu teishoku I have eaten kaarage before, and this place's chicken was slightly different. In fact, it smelled like KFC, but it's way more crunchy, and the meat is so tender with juices that I give it a plus! But it was disappointing because it reminded me of American fried chicken. The pork katsu was not too crispy, and the meat was dry. The food is not bad, but I had better pork katsu before. The price was also a bit high, but the portions of the rice and salad were big. The miso soup was a bit salty, so I had to add water to balance it out,but the service was good. And the food was coming out fast.

R Mikhail Thompson

I have been wondering about this little corner shop for decades to seem so awkward cuz I never noticed anyone was in it but it was always in the business. I Finally got a chance to actually park, go in and try it. The inside is a bit larger than I expected very classic 80s 90s Japanese dive kind of feel. They serve curry rice Curry noodles in various ramen and so a as well as tempura. I ordered the vegetable tempura which came with three hilarious leaves of spinach that were fried she's basically just eating the batter the cold noodles were good and the side mini Curry was just very standard Japanese Curry roux Curry, nothing to call home about. The feeling of finally going in here made it better than it would have been otherwise.

I love Japanese food, especially these small cafes. My boyfriend and I loved the interior designs and decorations but agreed that the food could be better. We ordered the kaarage chicken, pork katsu curry rice, and pork katsu teishoku I have eaten kaarage before, and this place's chicken was slightly different. In fact, it smelled like KFC, but it's way more crunchy, and the meat is so tender with juices that I give it a plus! But it was disappointing because it reminded me of American fried chicken. The pork katsu was not too crispy, and the meat was dry. The food is not bad, but I had better pork katsu before. The price was also a bit high, but the portions of the rice and salad were big. The miso soup was a bit salty, so I had to add water to balance it out,but the service was good. And the food was coming out fast.

I understand that this is a community restaurant and the staff is super friendly but all those high marks for their food seems inflated. The best party of our meal was the fried gyoza dipped in tempura batter. I highly recommend those as appetizers. Unfortunately the rest of the meal fell flat. The broth for the ramen lacked any real deep flavor and the egg was hard boild. I'm more accustom to the seasoned eggs and a much richer broth with deep flavor. The soba with dipping sauce was ok. The soba noodles were a bit too thick and chew for my taste but I did enjoy them. The tempura was crispy but the parts touching the rice were not and the bowl though small came with 3 or 4 small pieces. The menu listed as small bowl but I kind of expect more for the price. The kaarage also crispy but got soggy as they laid in the bowl on top of each piece and also lacked flavor. Neither the kaarage or tempura came with the usual dipping sauces so that didn't help. The Duck Restaurant got such high marks that I changed our dinner plans because we love Japanese food. This one really did not live up to it's rankings. I'm happy they have good community follow but I wouldn't recommend based on what we had. I would recommend trying so many of the incredible Chinese restaurants in the area. Especially if you are coming from out of the area.

Michael Kirrene

I understand that this is a community restaurant and the staff is super friendly but all those high marks for their food seems inflated. The best party of our meal was the fried gyoza dipped in tempura batter. I highly recommend those as appetizers. Unfortunately the rest of the meal fell flat. The broth for the ramen lacked any real deep flavor and the egg was hard boild. I'm more accustom to the seasoned eggs and a much richer broth with deep flavor. The soba with dipping sauce was ok. The soba noodles were a bit too thick and chew for my taste but I did enjoy them. The tempura was crispy but the parts touching the rice were not and the bowl though small came with 3 or 4 small pieces. The menu listed as small bowl but I kind of expect more for the price. The kaarage also crispy but got soggy as they laid in the bowl on top of each piece and also lacked flavor. Neither the kaarage or tempura came with the usual dipping sauces so that didn't help. The Duck Restaurant got such high marks that I changed our dinner plans because we love Japanese food. This one really did not live up to it's rankings. I'm happy they have good community follow but I wouldn't recommend based on what we had. I would recommend trying so many of the incredible Chinese restaurants in the area. Especially if you are coming from out of the area.