山頭火
14230 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92604
When we heard about the grand opening of Mitsuwa in Irvine, we were excited. When we found out there is a Santouka Ramen inside the food court, we got even more excited. Sad to say, we were disappointed at both Mitsuwa and Santouka during our visit.
This Mitsuwa is REALLY small. The food court is even smaller. There are 3 eateries in the food court: Santouka Ramen, Misasa, and a takoyaki place. It was a nightmare to find seats at this place. And when you finally get a seat, they are people hovering over you waiting for you to finish so they can grab your seat.
Dr. P went to wait in line and I tried to find us a table. Luckily we got seats before our order was ready.
Spicy Miso Ramen Combo with Salmon Roe Rice ($11.98)
Dr. P ordered Spicy Miso Ramen Combo with Salmon Roe Rice.
Spicy Miso Ramen
The broth was really rich. The spicy miso flavor reminded me of Korean spicy bean paste soup.
Salmon Roe Rice
Salmon Roe Rice was really really good. Each roe just burst with full flavor in your mouth when you bite into it. I think it was even better than the ramen.
The egg had good flavor.
Shio Ramen ($7.49)
I ordered Shio (salt) Ramen. I really like their pork. It was super tender. The soup was rich, so I felt full pretty fast. I still finished the whole bowl because it tasted really good right there.
Then 1 hour after lunch, both of us started feeling really really thirsty. We were actually in the mall shopping, then all of a sudden we both felt really sleepy and had to go home. Did the ramen and soup did that to us? Do they use MSG and a lot of it in their soup? I don't know. I liked the ramen when I had it, but hated the feeling I got after eating it. Santouka in Santa Monica and Costa Mesa didn't do that to us though. Overall, we didn't really like Irvine Mitsuwa and Santouka. I rather drive a little further to go up to Costa Mesa for a much bigger and nicer Mitsuwa.
Their noodle soups do that to me all the time. I'm guessing they use a lot of salt and MSG. Drinking soda with the meal seemed to help.
ReplyDeleteI like the ramen, but hate the feeling after I eat it.
I usually ask for less salt when I eat @ Santouka. That sucks that you guys didn't have a good experience there.. I'm actually here sitting in the Irvine Mitsuwa food court waiting for my shio ramen right now. It is our third time here and we haven't had any issues with their food yet.. Maybe the less salt version is the trick? :) It also seems to be less crowded each time we come too.
ReplyDeleteYeah I think I'll try the less salt version if we ever go back again.
I don't know.... I don't think this Mitsuwa will be popular for long.
It's just too small with too many people.
I heard that Santouka uses MSG, although every time I eat there I don't get the MSG symptoms, so I'm not sure. But the shio definitely has a lot of salt, and I got into the habit of taking a potassium tablet to balance the extra salt and drink lots of water.
ReplyDeleteAlso the soup was quite heavy and oily.
I don't know... maybe that's why it tastes so good. haha.
I just ate a bowl of popcorn with parmesean cheese, butter and msg sprinkled on top of it. It is awesome. Do not hate on the MSG
ReplyDeletewww.notoriousmsg.com
hahaha... you're funny!