Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen and Udon – Irvine

In late 2000, the Gardena-based restaurant group Shin-Sen-Gumi opened its first Orange County locations in Fountain Valley, setting new local standards for both authentic ramen shops and yakitori, the latter as served at Japanese izakaya bars with small plates and drinks. Located next to one another in the same plaza yet maintaining separate staffs and doors, these no reservations locations were filled from the moment they opened, and used waitlists to manage hours of hungry customers. We’ve loved these Shin-Sen-Gumis since our first visits, shortly after they opened.

Over the next 16 years. Shin-Sen-Gumi Group opened more restaurants in LA and Japan before siting the next OC location in Irvine, and choosing a new theme: a hybrid ramen and udon location, pairing Fountain Valley’s small ramen menu with some of the yakitori shop’s small plates, and new udon bowls. Grilled meats are all but gone, and drinks aren’t as prominent, but Irvine’s hot and cold dish kitchen operates from lunch to dinner, and gets a longer workout than Fountain Valley’s yakitori joint’s.

The result is a comparatively gigantic menu that lets you customize a bowl of Hakata-style pork tonkotsu ramen to levels typically unseen locally, including noodle softness, saltiness, and fat content, plus specific toppings to add or exclude from the recipe. Multiple udon variations include a fantastic “ultimate curry udon” bowl with thick noodles, a pork cutlet, shabu-shabu beef, and Japanese curry; egg drop soup and cream udons; spicy miso and plain udons with various meats; and vegetarian options: spicy soy milk udon and miso soy udon.