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Mon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Huge plates, huge portions, long waits, medicore teriyaki, and good sashimi. The bf yelled at me for doing the unthinkable. I spat out his toro sashimi. I guess I'm more of a salmon or albacore kind of gal. Anyways, after that fiasco the bf won't take me out to any sushi place again. I don't recommend the lobster combo. It's all sauce with little meat.
The only things I can recommend are the sushi, which is good only if you're not expecting a variety of Americanized rolls made by Koreans, and the tempura plate (very artery-clogging) because it's huge and cool looking.
Well, well, well another Tuesday night and I decided to join the Hollingshead Tuesday Night Food Club in one of their dining ventures. The HTNFC consists of a couple of beer drinkers from Hollingshead who enjoy foodie places and go out almost every Tuesday to try something new and tasty or just plain old tasty.
Tuesday's venue:
Taiko
One of the guys had been a regular at Taiko several years ago but doesn't go as often. Enough of the intro and more about the food!!!
We arrived and there were 5 of us so we had to wait around 10-15 minutes to get seats at the bar. I was told that was fast and it was a slow night.
We started ordering sushi like a fat kid in a candy store. I started with the Toro sushi - nice and fresh and a nice thick peice.
then Yellow tail - good stuff
spicy tuna roll - not too spicy and very creamy
salmon - sweet and buttery
tasted some of the sesame chicken - excellent
the spinach salad - to die for, flavorful, sweet, tangy
finally the Uni - got a nice amount, it was fresh, not slimy at all and firm. I was full by this time. The boys ordered oyster shooters, tamago, mackarel, Unagi, and our friend Ralphie was a vegetarian...what a shame. Even with the five of us the Chef was very quick with our orders and got it all right!
All in all the food was fresh and good portioned, the nice surprise was the amount. We kept our order under $150, of course we did not order beers or sake. I like this place and it's definately in the sushi rotation.
Favorites are the baby tuna nigiri and the baked baby scallop dish. We never go there without ordering a couple orders of the baby tuna and the scallops. The combo deals are pretty good when you consider how much food you get for the price. However, everytime I order one I end up regretting it because it's just way too much food, and we come away with plenty of leftovers. If you're going to order sushi or other items in addition to a full on combo, it's best to have more than 2 in your party.
This place almost always has a long wait, but once you've eaten here it's obvious why. This place has been around for decades and has maintained itself as an authentic Japanese eatery. I consider it a Japanese restaurant, not a sushi restaurant. I would go elsewhere for the finest sushi, or when seeking intricate flavors and precise preparation. This place focuses a bit more on presentation and quantity. I love Taiko for what it is, without trying to pretend it's something else.
The sashimi is always fresh and the place is a very authentic sushi restaurant. This place is good if you like americanized sushi rolls. Anyways my advice is: Eat sashimi here!
The only bad thing is that lots of people love this place so this places tends to have a line before it opens for lunch or during peak hours.
I'm a regular for a reason, the food at Taiko is consistently good! Sashimi's are thick and fresh, Rainbow Roll's are made with real crab not those processed synthetic crab sticks, a small perfect assortment of combinations, and plus they absolutely make the best Miso soup ever.
I've been going to Taiko for a say about over 6 years now and seen the same cute old couple manning the entrance and also seen the prices rise gradually but hey, got to keep up with the Joneses. Also knowing when to go is essential because it can get crowded at times, even during lunch.
Taiko will hold a special place for me because this is the first place I brought my wife to try and hook her on sushi.
If you like to wait a long time, for mediocre Japanese food but lots of it then this is probably a good place for you.
Atmosphere: Ok
-It's like an old style japanese place, so it has the old feeling everything and some of the booths are a little sunk in. It's kinda nice but nothing special.
Food: ok, bland tasting and expensive but you get a lot.
Beef, tempura, chicken and California roll were all ok. Bland, nothing special.
Parking:ok
There's a lot and if you wait a while you'll be able to find something or go around and park to the north west side where no one is around, but a lot of people park bad.
Service: ok
It took a few tries to get more water and boxes from one person (asian female), but a random latino guy was really good.
So I hear this is "the spot" for Japanese food.
Hmmm... it was AUTHENTIC, but ... I don't know if the selection of food quite hit the spot. Personally, when I crave Japanese food, I want all the rolls and this place had few options and it was expensive! 10 dollars for a crunchy roll which was about 6 HUGE pieces. Huge in a bad way, because you can't stuff the whole piece in your mouth and it ends up breaking and falling all over the place. The portions are actually all pretty big. I ordered a Katsu Donburi, which USUALLY is a fried pork cutlet mixed with egg and onions over rice. Instead they just give you a bowl of rice and a side of fried pork. Hmm.. not what I wanted.
Where do I begin, this place is awesome!!! I think I'll have to add this to my restaurant rotation list. Came in on a Thursday night, we were greeted and seated right away. We ordered:
Lobster dish- so yummy!!!
Combo 1 (teriyaki beef, sesame chicken and shrimp tempura) All Excelllent!
Each comes with a bowl of rice, salad, veggies, soup and yummy kewpie mayo!
Yes it is a bit pricey at first glance at the menu, but when you get your food, you'll realize that the price is definitely worth it...the portions are huge! The five stars speaks for itself!! I would go back tomorrow, but I still have so much leftover! Taiko, I will return!! Great food and good service= 1 happy customer!!
Good tempura - perfectly crisp and the veggies and shrimp were still tender
Really bad sashimi - it tasted fishy but the texture was grainy
Decent portions - I had enough leftover from dinner for the next day's lunch
The sesame chicken is overcooked and dry.
The beef teriyaki is tasty and tender.
The miso soup is a bit too sweet for me.
The salad with "Combi" is just iceberg and a few drips of honey mustard on top.
I do love the green beans and kewpie mayo that come with the combo.
The parking lot is always crazy and nobody seems to understand the rules of the road.
There is always a wait during peak hours.
I would come to Taiko again if I were desperate.
Three of us came here an a Friday night at 7:45 PM. The parking was nuts. This mini mall was crazy busy. It was a 45 minute wait. But a few minutes after we were seated, there were no more lines and lots of empty tables.
The place is cozy inside, with minimal wall art and nice lighting. The server was really friendly. But she was herky jerky, running around like a track star, dropping off this and that for other tables. "I'll be back in a flash"...and she was, like the comic book hero Flash Gordon. Finally, we see a face instead of a blur with a voice. I decided on the 3 combination beef teriyaki, shrimp tempura, and sesame chicken ($16.50), a dish I have never liked anyplace I've tried. But I didn't see any other way I could get the other two. I wish you could choose which three items you wanted, like at Fuki Kan and other Japanese places. It started with really good Miso soup, and a small plate of boring cabbage that none of us ate. The dinner plates came with large lettuce salad with a creamy mustard dressing...but not enough dressing for me.
So, I tried to like their Sesame chicken, After a few bites, I gave up. The shrimp tempura was good. the veggies in it were eggplant, bell pepper, and forgot the other. I would prefer more of the sweeter veggies like winter squash. The shrimp though was excellent, and it came out warm. The beef was cooked medium rare as I liked, but the top was burned and other side wasn't. Overall, good except for the sesame chicken. Rating on my meal was 3.0 stars.
A friend had the the tempura shrimp platter ($10.50) The presentation was awesome, decorated with a deep fried fan looking thing several pieces of large shrimp, and deep fried veggies including onion, winter squash, bell pepper, and yams. For the price, it was a really good deal. His rating was 3.0 stars, maybe a 3.5 for the value.
Another friend had the yellowtail sushi, spicy tuna sushi, and shrimp sushi. Overall he said it was good, not great in terms of freshness and taste. His order was about $15.00. His rating was 3 stars.
I always wish Japanese restaurants had Japanese beer on tap but they didn't here. Also, they refill ice tea, but don't refill sodas, which is always a negative for me. One other thing I notice - since I see kids crawling on their floors, they really need to clean their carpet. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have noticed.
We'll come back but in a less hectic time and see if I can figure out a better combination without Sesame Chicken. I hate to be a hater, but I hate that dish. Obviously, it was a 3 star night.
You know how people always joke about how liberal arts students dabble in a bunch of subjects but aren't particularly good at anything in particular?
Well, think of that plus a prestigious reputation that would rival Harvard and you have Taiko.
I've only been here twice since my family has moved to Taiko, and usually, the main deterrent is the ridiculous wait that takes the form of a never-ending mob in the front of the restaurant.
This review is mainly about the most recent visit - for my birthday.
Even with a reservation, we ended up waiting nearly an hour to get seated at the sushi bar. We had the pleasure of having Ono as our sushi chef (think knife wielding grandpa teddy bear - the guy is absolutely adorable!).
I tried some of my sushi-bar usuals:
1) Yellow Tail and Salmon Sashimi - Pretty good - flavors of each respective fish blend well with the lemon that is served (creaminess of salmon and the tartness of yellow tail)
2) Abalone Sashimi - I don't think their abalone was very fresh given the fact that it was excessively slimy without the taste - one of my least favorite dishes of the night
3) Tamago - Decent. The taste was okay but I expected better texture - it was a bit too flaky!
4) Albacore Sashimi - Good but Ono-san put way too much sauce! It completely overpowered the fish and shocked my tastebuds to salty abyss!
5) Spider Roll - I appreciate that Ono-san stuffed the hell out of the spider roll (even put asparagus in it!), but it was a bit excessive because it fell apart even before he placed it in front of us!
6) Spanish Mackerel - Decent - not as tasty or creamy as I've had.
7) Sweet Shrimp Sushi - Again, I don't think the sweet shrimp was very fresh because it was excessively grimey and subdued flavor...
And for their birthday extravaganza, they gave me a complementary scoop of green tea ice cream. It had a nice flavor but the texture was way icy!
I guess I would say that Taiko is convenient. It has everything that popular Japanese cuisine has to offer under one roof for a decent price and decent quality. I would hesitate to say that Taiko excels at anything, though I've been told that the sesame chicken is pretty good (which it is), so if I come back, I'll definitely give that a comprehensive try. Only thing about Taiko is that I don't know if it's worth the wait...
I'm not sure why people hate on this place so much. I cannot think of a more successful and well loved restaurant than Taiko. Well, successful in the sense that for every time that I've been here in the last 16 years, the wait has always been over 30-45 minutes to get in (except Halloween, read footnote). It's not the most aesthetic pleasing decor or the fanciest dining area, but that's the secret formula to it's success.
Taiko is the Japanese version of Claim Jumpers. We all love it because the portions are huge and the food is cheap. Because of the brisk business, the fish is always fresh (ok, not great quality) and the food and service is very consistent. Crunchy roll, spicy tuna, california roll are all pretty good. Yeah, I've had some extra crunchy sesame chicken, but you know it's pretty damn good. Especially when a 3 item combi is like $16. Come on, that's pretty damn cheap. Try getting that price at Sasabune.
Btw, did you know that Halloween is the best night to dine out? It's almost certain that you'll be able to book reservations at some of the most difficult restaurants. I think sitting at the sushi bar is a much shorter wait on Halloween.
Taiko is decent for the price. I have never had sushi here because it's always been a more of a quick lunch spot for me. The combinations are good, I think the beef combo could use more meat, but it is still plenty filling for $8.95. The service could be better, however, I shouldn't complain if I take into consideration how busy this place gets. You can expect to wait at least 10mins when you come here for lunch, and the parking is ridiculous.
The place is small, expect to wait for lunch and longer for dinner. The staff is friendly, and I would say a must try to anyone who hasn't because they didn't want to wait.
This is the only restaurant I know of that is recession proof. I have been going to Taiko for over 20 years. This place is the only place I know that a wait of under 30 minutes is great.
I went with some friends on Friday for lunch with our friend that got laid off. I figure the least I could do is buy her a good lunch. The service is very good. The food quality is above average but the prices are very reasonable. Most combination dishes are under $9.00 the sushi combo are a few bucks more. Most single items are under 8 dollars. We ordered sushi as usual the sushi is very fresh. I think because they use so much of it; they continously have fresh sushi.
If you have the chance and your willing to wait in line for a restaurant to open try it. I think you will be hooked like the rest of us. My father used to go to this place 3-5 times a week before he got ill. He still likes to go there once in awhile.
this place has huge portions. less thoughtful in the actual "food" part of the dishes but you will not leave hungry. price point is alright if you factor in the crazy portions you're getting (seems a bit gluttonous...hahaa)
major downfall for me though is that their entree dishes (chicken dishes for example...) feel like scraps sometimes - lots of random batter and pieces of (yucky) fat. very oily....you definitely do not get a "fresh" feeling from here and they charge you kind of a lot for the quality of food.
i've heard mixed things about their sashimi and sushi - some people like it, some people don't. if you ask me, it's just all average. you generally won't notice a big enough difference unless you go to a very high end sushi restaurant (ones next to the bay in japan for example....hahaha....). otherwise, everything else is from bad to average.
i dont know if i'd come here again or not.
I know Taiko is super popular. It constantly has lines, is selective about their hours and still has people driving from all over to come eat here. I've seen tons of friend's families waiting outside, and inside the prices are decent.
So why 3 stars?
It's not really a sushi place...and I love sushi. It's not really a ramen house...and I love ramen. It's not japanese bbq, it's not a noodle house. So while Taiko is clean and decently priced and apparently immensely popular, this is a place I would take ppl who want to eat japanese food without the great exotic stuff. Maybe I'm just missing out on some special dish or something?
I've been eating at Taiko for as far as a I remember. I remember my mother picking me from school so we can get to taiko early enough to sit at the sushi bar. Suzuki san is our preferred chef not that the other are not worthy just he is our favorite.
As I peruse through some of the other yelpers comments I see a common question that pops up and that is, why is this place so busy for "mall like" sushi? Let me see if I can explain this to those that don't understand. Taiko has been there for so long that I think that the Mall sushi got their taste from them. Their flavors have not changed in the 25 years I've been going. And most of their good stuff isn't even on the menu.
So for all those that want to know why Taiko is so crowded even for a weeknight I would suggest they take one day and sit at the sushi bar and order the following items 1. Special Number 4, Cucumber Special, Salmon Skin Roll and the Spicy tuna roll. And yes it is different at the Sushi bar then it is in the dinning room. I still remember the days that these items weren't even available unless you sat at the sushi bar.
This place is perhaps one of the better Japanese restaurants in OC. I've been here so many times since the early days, back in the mid 90's, because it's close to UCI (anyone who attended that school in that similar ancient timeframe would automatically know of its existence, because there just weren't many around).
With the above stated, Taiko has got its history deeply rooted in those who live in OC. The food is authentic, fresh, and cheap. The portions are generous. However, the ingredients are pretty standard. This would be a great place for those who have just started to experience sushi. You will find all the common basic sushi items (tuna, yellowtail, salmon, and etc.) here. For those who want to get really intimate with the "true" Japanese food (imported ingredients on a daily basis), this ain't the place.
Don't get me wrong. I still come to this place occasionally. It's not far from where I live, compared to driving from OC to Little Tokyo, Torrance, or even West LA to have authentic Japanese food.
The sushi bar is worth the wait, if it is not over an hour. Dinner for 2 is around $80 @ the bar, and that pretty much gets you everything you can see in front of you (all the fish they have) and don't see (they hide sweet shrimp in buckets under the chef's table). Like I've said, the portions are generous. You won't go home feeling hungry.
"Must order" items from the sushi bar:
1. Toro sashimi (raw fatty tuna slices without the rice) - $20 gets you about 6 large pieces, if I recall correctly. They are very fresh.
2. Aji (Spanish Mackerel) - one of the "rare" items Taiko imports from Japan, available only on Tuesdays (or have they changed the schedule?)
3. Uni (sea urchin) - not sure where they get it from, but the taste is pretty much up there with other hardcore sushi places.
Another notable thing is that a frequent visitor of Taiko will find almost all of its employees have been there since day one. That says a lot about great ownership and management. Sorry Taiko, I can only give you 3 stars for the food.
(This review is for the dining room, not the sushi bar.) Ate here in spring. To my surprise, the food was not hot. It usually is... whut???? Oh well, everyone has an off day. Whateva.
A couple a weeks ago, I came back. Been a few months since the last time, so I had completely forgotten. Guess what? Tempura, salmon, sesame chicken are not hot again. To my disappointment, warm / room temperature again. The tempura has to be hot to be enjoyed. With every passing moment, it gets closer and closer to mush. For the calories involved, I want to enjoy it at its peak.
Remember Tokyo Lobby in its heyday? Used to serve food fast and piping how. Nowadays, not so much. Well, it looks like maybe the same thing might be repeating here. I hope not. I don't think I'll be coming back for awhile.
I almost gave it a one star, but for old time's sake... a two. Been eating here for more than 10 years. :(
This place received 4.5 stars?!? MY ASS!!! This is one of the worst I've ever been to. Let me explain why....
First of all, the sashimi is NOT fresh. Once I took a bite out of my sashimi, it was not fully thawed and it still was frozen! The water was even dripping from the sashimi due to it being melted.
Don't get me started on the sesame chicken or the tempura or the calamari stick or the beef teriyaki. DISGUSTING!!! Chicken was way too over-fried and I really didn't like the honey glazed taste. Everything on the plate tasted like it was microwaved. EVERYTHING WAS LACKING IN QUALITY!!!!!!!! And the food is not authentic.
One thing good about this place is our waitress and the baked scallops. Why i gave it one star? Because of this place, I can't love the way I loved sushi before. The taste will never be the same. The frozen sashimi has messed up my taste buds.
i aite tempura, cooked tuna and salmon, sesami chicken, tuna sashimi etc
not a fan of veggies
but anywho it was pretty good i think
got hella protein'd up
good place for family din or maybe with homiez
u might hafta wait in line
fgm=feels good man
I honestly wasn't impressed at all with Taiko. The sushi menu was limited, although the fish was fresh. It was very bland to me and I felt like i was being treated different because I wasn't Asian.
I previously rated Taiko 3 stars for the grit in my sashimi cuts. After recently visiting, I decided to give Taiko 4 stars.
Note: The line here (even on weekdays) still ponders me...
I give Taiko 3 stars. The food isn't terrible, but it isn't great.
The sashimi cuts usually have…
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People out in Irvine LOVE this place. There is a huge line even before they open. I really don't get it. It probably is all due to the hype and history.
The price for the food is great for sushi but I would rather pay a bit more for some better tasting stuff. The food here taste like well done mall sushi. I swear all people order here is the spicy tuna and salmon california rolls. I guess we are in Irvine.... They really don't do any other rolls too well or even offer a larger variety of sushi. Now that I think about it, the place is just a well done Americanized sushi establishment. Come here if your just thinking of dipping your toes into sushi but if you've been around the block a bit it will disappoint.
Just tonight at dinner, my dad was talking about how he came to Taiko back in 1981. It's been just under 30 years that our family has been coming here! Anyways, I really think Taiko has its pros and cons, depending on what you're looking for.
SUSHI BAR: I don't usually sit at the sushi bar, because I usually go with a larger group. But I've been a couple of times, and they prepare everything differently. I ordered salmon sashimi, which they sliced almost into what looked like shreds. It came as a pile on a plate - HUGE portions! For the price, it was a great deal. The chefs are also very friendly and nice!
MAIN SEATING: True, there is not much variety in terms of the raw fish, but this is as good as traditional Japanese food gets. Just because your sushi is not baked and then drizzled with generic "house" sauce does not mean it's not good... The meat is ALWAYS fresh, and the Kama portions impress me everytime! It is well worth the wait!!
So, all in all- if you are looking for an Americanized Japanese restaurant or some fancy place, Taiko is not the place to be. But it has great basic dishes with the most delicious of raw fish!
Basic Japanese Restaurant. This place has been a staple in Irvine for 15 years, was one of the first Japanese restaurants, so that's probably why people always come back.
Sushi is very good, like 4 stars
Variety is Standard
This place is just a normal casual restaurant with a good sushi bar. I like coming back to this place because YOGARTLAND IS NEXT DOOR!!!!!!!!!
i've been coming here for ages~~ ok..by ages i mean since ive been old enough to drive..so...6 years?
ok..not that long but its like..more than a quarter of my life!
this place is always good...the portions are HUGE and it is priced very fair..
my favorite would have to be the lunch special with tuna steak and sashimi~ yum!!
i would suggest to go around 1 if you're going for lunch or around 5 if you're going for dinner...any times other than those and you're in for an hour wait...
five stars for food and service, minus one star for the wait...that makes it...4 stars! good job tiffany! gold star for you!!! we asians are so good at math....
My GF and I were getting yogurt next door. We saw a bunch of people setting up portable camping/beach chairs and sitting outside this resteraunt.
After 20 minutes I decided I had to know why they were doing that. We spoke to a white couple (I'm white, GF is Japanese). The husband told me, with obvious sincerity implied in his serious face and slightly drawn out words, this was possibly (I KID YOU NOT) "the best sushi in California." As a side note, if you are white, in Irvine, and someone with a clearly japanese girl standing next to them asks you about a sushi restaurant, don't tell them it's the best sushi in a state the geographical size of Japan with a population of 38,000,000 people.
This place is alright, and my GF said the same. A lot of people seem to like to wait for sushi bar seats, no knock to the resteraunt as they didn't claim this, but this is not the best sushi in California, not even in Orange county, possibly not even in Irvine.
PS If you are the older couple who told us that, put your camping chairs away, stop waiting an hour for places to open, and try some more sushi restaurants!!!
My mom doesn't read yelp. I can be brutally honest.
My mom loves this place so when we decided to meet for lunch, she suggested Taiko. She knew how much I enjoy sushi so she was bursting with excitement. So adorable! I love my mom.
The service was friendly. Once seated, I began to survey the patrons. Not a single customer was Japanese. Where were the originators of this fine cuisine? Major red flag! We ordered calamari and very basic sushi (yellow tail, salmon, albacore, mackerel, halibut and sea urchin). The calamari was good. It had a very strong citrus flavor, which I like. The sushi...dude...I felt like I was eating at Todai. The raw fish was warm and tough. Several pieces were very tendinous. The rice was hard and dry. The sea urchin (my favorite) was so bitter and it left a horrible after taste. It's been 3 hours and I can still taste it.
Overall, the service was good but the sushi was undesirable. With a big smile, my mom asked if I liked the food. I could tell she really wanted me to say yes. I didn't want to disappoint her so I said "It was good mom...thanks for lunch." That made her happy.
I wonder if Taiko is really the best japanese restaurant in the OC.
I am not really picky on food (or I should say I think I am not really picky), but when it comes to sushi, I am always serious.
The sushi here is okay, but if you have a better choice, go for it.
Today was my momma's birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MA! LOVE YOU!
My sister suggested for us to eat my momma's bday dinner at Taiko. I was alright with it, I mean, i remembered I didn't like it when I ate there as a kid, but then again, all I liked were chicken nuggets and milkshakes back then. So, all right, Taiko it is!
After our meal, I suddenly remembered that my 10year old sisters' taste was just as bad as my chicken nuggets and milkshake days.. in fact, I would have rather eaten chicken nuggets and milkshakes at McDonalds tonight than what I was served tonight.
My momma and I got the seafood boat $21 per person. All that came out were 5 types of sushi, 2 pieces each; another plate of 4 pieces of small mussels, 3 crab legs; and a third plate with 7 pieces of fish tempura, one piece of salmon teriyaki and a much of iceberg lettuce.
My sister had some noodle stuff.... she barely touched it and had a hard time even distinguishing where the noodles were in the dark muddy soup.
There really wasn't that much food. The bill came out to be $83 for everything I've described above. The waitress made it sound like we ordered a meal for 10. As my momma was ordering, she capped her pen in the middle of my momma's sentence and said. "oh, nonono, that's too much food!" WHAT? Don't you WANT us to order more..? Well, I thought it was rude. I got the impression she was calling us piggies. Food came out, two pieces of that, three specks of this, a couple pieces of that to munch on. Cmon, now.
Food wasn't great, service was eh and portions sucked. Nowww, where are my McNuggets??
Do I anyone even need to write a review for this place? Proven over and over again to be providers of good Japanese food.
Alright, I've been eating at this establishment since I was a kid. While some things have changed with time, ie. bowls of rice costing money -___-, the quality is still superb. The host and service for the most part is very friendly.
This place is always busy! So if you plan on coming during peak times, prepare to wait. If you want to eat at the sushi bar, my advice would be to go 15-30 minutes early to wait in line before they even open! If you enjoy eating sushi, you should try eating at the sushi bar, its completely different, and as an added bonus, you get the see the chefs create art.
If the sushi bar isn't for you, then the dining room isn't too shabby either. With dine-in meals, you receive complimentary salted cabbage and miso soup.
I have many favorites here. The two best things and must haves, are the spicy tuna cut roll and baked clam. You really can't go wrong with either. I have never tried any spicy tuna that even remotely compared to Taiko's, so do yourself a favor, and order it when you visit. During lunch, there are many good deals to be had in the form of their combi lunch specials. However, I don't particularly enjoy their terriyaki chicken or beef, but their sesame chicken is to die for. Also, if you are one of those less adventurous people, Taiko uses REAL crab in their California rolls, which really is rare.
So, if you're looking for somewhat authentic japanese food (I've heard Japanese people don't really eat here, but this is WAAAAAAY more authentic than any fusion place) Taiko is it. Very affordable, very delicious!
First and foremost, the five star rating is strictly for the sushi bar only. The sushi prepared for those in the dining area are not by the head chefs. Yes, the fish is the same, but the chef who prepares it does make a huge difference. But if I had to tell you that, then you've got a long way to go buddy.
I would rather wait hours for a seat at the bar than sit inside the dining area. I once ate in the dining area, paid for it and got back in line to wait for the sushi bar. I spent four hours there, but I never regretted it.
Speaking of lines, without fail there is always a line before they open. You will probably make it in the first wave of the seating as they open if you get there at least 15 minutes early. I don't even show up 15 minutes early for a movie, but I will for sushi.
Every connoisseur has their own personal favorites when it comes to sushi. I love salmon, but some freaks out there just don't like salmon in general. They think its too fatty blah, blah, blah. I will say this though, salmon is strictly meant to be eaten raw, period. Just like the bears, RAW!
So, I won't force my favorites on you for that reason, but if you want to try some safe "familiar" sushi then try these.
1. Sashimi salad (salmon/yellowtail/halibut) - self explanatory
2. Unagi roll (baked eel) - The only cooked fish I like, flavorful but not to overpowering. Don't judge it without trying it.
I'll leave you with this, I hate when people say "everything there is good" when referring to a restaurant. BUT, this might be an exception because again, depending on the type of sushi you like "everything there is good."
There's always millions of people in line here.. so we never want to wait.. but one day we finally did for lunch.
I had the sushi lunch special and my bf had the sashimi lunch special.
Miso soup was good.
Sushi lunch - assorted fish, GROSS!! They were not good quality AND the presentation looked like they just threw the meat on the rice. AND it came out of the back SO quick they much have had it all pre made.
Sashimi lunch - assorted fish, also gross, the quailty was NOT good at all and the presentation was also messy. Some parts of the fish were slimy, some parts were different colored, it just looked really bad.
VERDICT - THE WORST sushi i've ever had. Maybe we at the wrong thing? The sesame chicken at the next table had good portions and looked good. Cheap food, bad quality sushi, chicken looked good. Will never come back but if I do for some reason I'd get something thats NOT sushi.
This is one of my favorite sushi places. I've been coming here since I was a kid so maybe it's a nostalgic memory for me.
First of all, if you're going to come, come early because there's always a line before the place even opens. Otherwise you can wait and be like every other Asian in Irvine and crowd the entire plaza.
Second, the owners are still the same from 20 years ago and they're just the cutest. Okay that's not important. What's important is that their portions are generous for their prices, although I have to admit, they've raised their prices over the years due to their popularity.
I think most people view this place as whatever since they don't have any fancy looking rolls or don't have any special effects for their food presentation. But what I love about this place is that it hasn't changed at all in the last 20 years. It sticks to what works for them and it's giving you great food for decent prices. They have all the basic sushi you can think of, none of those fancy names for rolls.
Here are two tips I have learned over the years and always stick to:
1) If you're going to eat in the dining area, ask for SUSHI BAR TEA. It's better tasting green tea than whatever generic kind they give the dining area. Trust me on this.
2) Okay this isn't a tip but order the Special #4 It's a personal favorite because it combines my three favorite things: Avacado, baked salmon and lettuce. Okay that sounds gross but trust me it's to DIE for it. I don't know what sauce they use to make it all special but I always order this whenever I come here. It's a MUST.
3.5 stars. This is one of Sam's fave's since she's a sushi chick. "You don't like sushi" she keeps telling me, so I wonder how come I know to take her to Britt's fave Noshi near Koreatown. Try it if you're a raw fish eater.
So may be I don't know much about sushi, but what I had here was ok, not blow-me-away great. I ordered the fried squid starter (can never go wrong with hot oil!) and the grilled octupus as an entree. Yes, I like my seafood cooked :). It was pretty good.
I liked the slightly kitch decor, but then realized it was cause Taiko hasn't had a revamp in a while. I'd come here again, but would order something else for entree. Sam had sushi.
I don't' get it?!
I don't understand why people wait in line for this place.
I haven't been here since High school and back then I don't think I was impressed with the food here.
The sushi was so.. so... the soup had very little noodles and bailey any meat! But the servers were very nice.
SUSHI BAR = awesome sushi, i've been eating here for 20 years. Huge rolls, reasonably priced good sushi and great service. My favorite place.
DINING ROOM = Don't sit in a dining room where they serve chicken katsu and tempura platters to screaming children and expect the best sushi of your life, they queue up the california rolls to kick them out fast in the dining room because this place is ALWAYS busy especially at lunch and normal dinner hours. If you're a fresh fanatic, sit next to the chef.
There are usually plenty of asian people in the restaurant eating when I go, I mean its Irvine for god's sake. A lot of reviewers have said they didn't see any Japanese people in the restaurant as if that makes a difference. Its a silly premise, most sushi bars are run by Koreans anyway.
This review is for the SUSHI BAR ONLY. Read my original review for the restaurant experience.
There was already a line of 10 people when we arrived 15 minutes before Taiko opened. We've never experienced the sushi bar but have heard so much about it that we had to give it a try. IT DID NOT FAIL!!!
There are 4-5 Japanese Chefs working at the bar. Yes, they're all Japanese - a good sign of authenticity! I was impressed by the speed they were working at - they were just banging out orders like no other, but still managed to make everything look well-presented. The fish was incredibly fresh and the portions were BIG. The fish slices are probably double the size of any other sushi place I've been to.
I'd say for straight up raw fish for your money's worth, Taiko is THE place to go in the OC - that is, IF you can get a seat.
I haven't been to Taiko in years!! Mostly because everytime I come to this plaza around dinnertime… Read more »
Chef's Specials
Irvine, CA
Happy Hour Special
Lake Forest, CA
Irvine, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Irvine, CA
Category: Japanese
Irvine, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
Irvine, CA
Category: Japanese
Irvine, CA
Category: Sushi Bars
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