Meiji Seimen Costa Mesa

This place feels like Japan. The food is delicious. The service is incredible. Their udon noodles are some of the best I’ve ever had.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

great portions, the shabu shabu udon had a lot of well cooked meat. addicting

Atmosphere is great. The noodles (both the udon and the soba) were just ok. Not worth the wait.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 3

Wow everything we tried was top notch and service was amazing. Sesame tofu was a pleasant surprise that had everyone wanting more. Shabu shabu udon was seasoned to perfection and it even came with ponzu for the meat! Nabeyaki udon was spot on as well. You can tell they take care to make the dashi very well. Tempura chicken curry udon broth was also not too thick and not too salty, which was very pleasant too. Of course the chicken kaarage was super well seasoned and not heavily battered. Perfection. I’d love to come back to try more. Very few places do udon so well.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was delicious!!! Highly recommend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

queue time was long

Delicious and bouncy udon! Brought me right back to Japan. Got the Shabu Shabu udon and it’s a good portion — lots of meat on top.

Make sure to join the yelp waitlist before you arrive! My party of 4 came on a Saturday afternoon and the waited for 80 minutes!! Luckily we joined the waitlist before leaving home. Also, when you arrive at the restaurant, be sure to check in on their iPad so they don’t skip you on the list.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Katsu curry was good, tekpura soba was average. Soup lacks flavor but noodles were good.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

Total Score: 8.15

Bathroom: 3.5/5
Fairly clean bathroom

Customer Service: 4.5/5
Very welcoming and refilled my waters and checked up on me

Ambiance: 4.5/5
Very cozy Japanese bar vibes

Food: 4.75/5
The kimchi nabe udon was sooo good. The soup was sooo yum. Nice umami and spice. Udon was good texture


Normal udon restaurant

Total Score = BR + CS + 2*AM + 5*FOOD + WOW

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best places to get udon or soba outside of Japan. My wife ordered the shabu shabu udon and I got the katsu curry udon. We also ordered a side of the kaarage.

The shabu shabu udon is a classic and one I have ordered multiple times. They also serve it with some extra tare so you can season it to your liking.

The katsu curry udon came with a nice, thick pork cutlet and you can customize the spice level of the curry.

Their kaarage is so tasty and crunchy and they give you a lot of chicken compared to other places.

This place is always my go-to if I'm in the area and craving some Japanese noodles. If you're prone to making a mess, be sure to ask for a bib! The owner has a sense of humor with customers who get messy.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent 100%

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Small but mighty spot. Authentic udon soups. Worth stopping by. Quick tip is making reservations on yelp otherwise it can be a wait at the door.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Arrived about 30 minutes before opening and people were already lining up to join the waitlist. By the time the doors opened, there were around 14 parties ahead — a clear sign this place is popular for a reason. Thankfully, we were seated right away and started ordering immediately.

We tried the Nabeyaki Udon, Shabu Shabu Udon, karaage, beer, and sake. They even brought out beer snacks, which was a fun and unexpected touch. Every dish was outstanding. The noodles were fresh and perfectly chewy, the broths were packed with umami and depth, and the karaage was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Service was friendly, quick, and attentive even with the rush. The food came out hot and fast, and everything tasted incredibly fresh.

Everything we had was a 5 out of 5, no question.
Amazing udon, great sides, and a well-run team.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Karaage

Before you arrive, get yourself on the Yelp waiting list to save some time.

Food was good, udon was fresh and the broth was really tasty. Generally quite happy with the taste and the atmosphere feels a little bit like in Japan

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The food was delicious, but our party was rushed out after paying our tab. We had continually purchased more food and beverages to not overstay at our table ($150 tab for two people!), so it was a shame we were rushed and demanded to leave.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 2