As you compete for seats at the new Irvine Mitsuwa Marketplace's tiny, tiny excuse of a food court, there are three other food vendors who hope that you're not just there for the ramen at Santouka.
Here is a brief rundown of who they are and what they offer.
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1. Misasa
Misasa specializes in Japanese curry, the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) curry being their signature item. But they also offer udon, roasted eel rice bowls and just about everything except ramen. A second location exists in the Los Angeles Mitsuwa.
2. Hamada-Ya
Hamada-Ya hawks Japanese baked goods. Expect to see cream danishes, pastry puffs filled with custard, curry donuts, and all the other treats you'll be liable to find at Hamada-Ya's location at the Torrance Mitsuwa.
3. GoSquared
GoSquared is a takoyaki (savory octopus-filled popovers) and taiyaki (sweet red bean-filled pancakes) specialist. If I'm not mistaken, it is the first non-mobile and permanent takoyaki-dedicated vendor in Orange County. They also offer yakisoba like their counterpart at the Torrance Mitsuwa.
14230 Culver Dr., Irvine, CA 92604
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Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.