Busy. There was a line before the 11 am open time and there are very few tables in this tiny space. If you are physically disabled maybe call ahead if they can accomidate you. The food is good. The takoyaki is amazing and the cutlets are crispy. Large portions so come hungry. Went a bit out of my way to come here but absolutely worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
G J
Love this place! Food is always so delicious. Crave the pork with cheese and the miso soup is one of the best I have had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cc Marcy
Used to go here all the time when I lived in the area. Just went back to visit and had lunch at Hako. DELICIOUS! Will always make sure I visit when I’m in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tzu-Yuan Chiu
Both HAKO tonkatsu and hamburg beef katsu are really dry. Rice and miso soup are soso. Considering $15 for a meal is ok but if you are looking for an juicy/thick/crunchy/impressive pork cutlet, this is not the right place. It's also a very crowded restaurant.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Noakai Aronesty
Relatively cheap, very fast service, huge portions, and probably the best katsu in the area. Long wait times at night because everyone knows it's good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
steve young lee
I had Curry tonkatsu. The miso soup is good not too salty. Tonkatsu sauce was good. Spicy curry was good too over all good. Wish tonkatsu is more thicker
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Young Kim
Do not order to go here. Love dining in here but ordered to go for the first time today. The portion of chicken katsu was significantly smaller - paper thin and small pieces of chicken katsu. Very disappointing because I always had good experience when dining in.
Jina K
My only complaint is the wait. Otherwise, their food is excellent and the price is very reasonable. Curry katsu is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shawn Thomas
Best Japanese food in Irvine! and to me personally, anywhere, yes that’s a big statement but it’s my opinion. I order the Katsu Chicken every time, it’s light, crispy and juicy without being greasy, perfectly cooked. Generous portions and awesome side all included. It’s a small restaurant with limited seating, worth the wait if you go during busy times.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Violet James
Hako Restaurant – Crispy Katsu & Good Sauce, But Everything Else Disappoints ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5 stars)
The pork katsu is the star here—crispy, generously portioned, and paired with a tasty dipping sauce. While the meat itself can be a little dry, it’s still satisfying. I also like the curry (though it's an extra $3 on top of the $14.95), but the rest of the meal is lacking: dry rice, a tiny dish of pickled daikon, and a “salad” that’s just shredded cabbage with half a cherry tomato and one slice of cucumber. Takeout doesn’t come with soup either, which feels stingy.
I ventured out and tried another item on the menu—the tuna salad. The photo looked promising, but the real dish was awful. It looked like someone just tossed six thin slices of tuna on top of a pile of greens with no care. The dressing was bland, and the whole thing felt cheap and lazy. Honestly, you’d be better off making it yourself at home with fresher ingredients and better balance.
After four visits, I still enjoy the pork katsu, but the lack of value and quality in everything else has me questioning whether I’ll be back.
Great place to get katsu curry, their fish katsu is a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle Cho
A family friend has treated me out in celebration of a good school year! We got here to notice that there were a lot more young adults than we had expected hanging out to grab a meal on a weekday evening .. perhaps it is because it is summer! We signed up on the waitlist and were called in as soon as our table was ready.
I received the Hamburg Beef Katsu and the portions are generous for about ~$18! It was my first katsu that used hamburger meat, and each bite brought about more subsequent bites. It was not greasy at all like I feared. The peanut sauce used to dip the katsu in is a highlight of this place. The shredded cabbage is also shredded so finely that it made it more pleasant to eat the salad and try different combinations of meat, veggies, and soup!
Foods are presented in trays, and done in a manner that seeks to uphold a good standard.
If you are able to, please also get the takoyaki balls. I got to try one, and it is absolutely so soft and flavorful.
The lighting is warm, and the service is kind. I’m thankful for the people who walk around to check in on each table. Typically forks are not provided, so if needed (which was the case for two of our 6-membered party) please ask for them!
I had such a stomach and heart filling time. God bless you all!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aurum
nice place to eat lightly or dine with friends or family. Nice and fair price with great quality. Recommend Potato 코로케 for appetizer. The service is fast and kind. Since it's popular place, most of the time it has waitlist approx. 15~40min.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert A
Great food. Definitely make reservations ahead of time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Cruz
Great “Korean” style Tonkatsu place in Irvine. Long line says it all. Second time trying to eat here and finally succeeded. You can sign up ahead thru Yelp which was sadly not connected thru Google Maps. But service was great. They give you Banchan. Curry was spicy. So perhaps get an in between of mild / spicy. Though they were kind enough to adjust mine. And I East spicy.
Busy. There was a line before the 11 am open time and there are very few tables in this tiny space. If you are physically disabled maybe call ahead if they can accomidate you.
The food is good. The takoyaki is amazing and the cutlets are crispy. Large portions so come hungry. Went a bit out of my way to come here but absolutely worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place! Food is always so delicious. Crave the pork with cheese and the miso soup is one of the best I have had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Used to go here all the time when I lived in the area. Just went back to visit and had lunch at Hako. DELICIOUS! Will always make sure I visit when I’m in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Both HAKO tonkatsu and hamburg beef katsu are really dry. Rice and miso soup are soso. Considering $15 for a meal is ok but if you are looking for an juicy/thick/crunchy/impressive pork cutlet, this is not the right place. It's also a very crowded restaurant.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Relatively cheap, very fast service, huge portions, and probably the best katsu in the area. Long wait times at night because everyone knows it's good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had Curry tonkatsu. The miso soup is good not too salty. Tonkatsu sauce was good. Spicy curry was good too over all good. Wish tonkatsu is more thicker
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Do not order to go here. Love dining in here but ordered to go for the first time today. The portion of chicken katsu was significantly smaller - paper thin and small pieces of chicken katsu. Very disappointing because I always had good experience when dining in.
My only complaint is the wait. Otherwise, their food is excellent and the price is very reasonable. Curry katsu is delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best Japanese food in Irvine! and to me personally, anywhere, yes that’s a big statement but it’s my opinion. I order the Katsu Chicken every time, it’s light, crispy and juicy without being greasy, perfectly cooked. Generous portions and awesome side all included. It’s a small restaurant with limited seating, worth the wait if you go during busy times.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hako Restaurant – Crispy Katsu & Good Sauce, But Everything Else Disappoints
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5 stars)
The pork katsu is the star here—crispy, generously portioned, and paired with a tasty dipping sauce. While the meat itself can be a little dry, it’s still satisfying. I also like the curry (though it's an extra $3 on top of the $14.95), but the rest of the meal is lacking: dry rice, a tiny dish of pickled daikon, and a “salad” that’s just shredded cabbage with half a cherry tomato and one slice of cucumber. Takeout doesn’t come with soup either, which feels stingy.
I ventured out and tried another item on the menu—the tuna salad. The photo looked promising, but the real dish was awful. It looked like someone just tossed six thin slices of tuna on top of a pile of greens with no care. The dressing was bland, and the whole thing felt cheap and lazy. Honestly, you’d be better off making it yourself at home with fresher ingredients and better balance.
After four visits, I still enjoy the pork katsu, but the lack of value and quality in everything else has me questioning whether I’ll be back.
Food: 3
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Great place to get katsu curry, their fish katsu is a must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A family friend has treated me out in celebration of a good school year! We got here to notice that there were a lot more young adults than we had expected hanging out to grab a meal on a weekday evening .. perhaps it is because it is summer! We signed up on the waitlist and were called in as soon as our table was ready.
I received the Hamburg Beef Katsu and the portions are generous for about ~$18! It was my first katsu that used hamburger meat, and each bite brought about more subsequent bites. It was not greasy at all like I feared. The peanut sauce used to dip the katsu in is a highlight of this place. The shredded cabbage is also shredded so finely that it made it more pleasant to eat the salad and try different combinations of meat, veggies, and soup!
Foods are presented in trays, and done in a manner that seeks to uphold a good standard.
If you are able to, please also get the takoyaki balls. I got to try one, and it is absolutely so soft and flavorful.
The lighting is warm, and the service is kind. I’m thankful for the people who walk around to check in on each table. Typically forks are not provided, so if needed (which was the case for two of our 6-membered party) please ask for them!
I had such a stomach and heart filling time.
God bless you all!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
nice place to eat lightly or dine with friends or family. Nice and fair price with great quality. Recommend Potato 코로케 for appetizer. The service is fast and kind. Since it's popular place, most of the time it has waitlist approx. 15~40min.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food. Definitely make reservations ahead of time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great “Korean” style Tonkatsu place in Irvine. Long line says it all. Second time trying to eat here and finally succeeded. You can sign up ahead thru Yelp which was sadly not connected thru Google Maps. But service was great. They give you Banchan. Curry was spicy. So perhaps get an in between of mild / spicy. Though they were kind enough to adjust mine. And I East spicy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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