Taiko has been an institution in irvine forever. The best spicy tuna in the area. Always crowded, for a reason. Get there early on a Sunday for dinner, and join the tailgaters. Very fresh sashimi... More

Taiko has been an institution in irvine forever. The best spicy tuna in the area. Always crowded, for a reason. Get there early on a Sunday for dinner, and join the tailgaters. Very fresh sashimi and some very good cooked items.
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Sushi is one of my favorite foods in the world, and once you have tried what you consider to be the BEST EVER AROUND, and then you move 90 minutes away, what do you do? YOU STILL DRIVE THERE AS... More

Sushi is one of my favorite foods in the world, and once you have tried what you consider to be the BEST EVER AROUND, and then you move 90 minutes away, what do you do? YOU STILL DRIVE THERE AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN because the drive is well worth it. While living in Irvine, we ate here at least once a week for years and years. Now with the drive, it's a more planned occasion, however this is still our very favorite. The sushi chefs are highly trained as are the waitresses in this full service establishment. I can't agree more about what was said about the wait . . YOU DO WAIT, that is part of choosing a great place. I've often said that I wouldn't mind if this were my LAST MEAL. They also service wine and beer.
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The title says it all, get there Early or else you'll be waiting for quite some time outside, lets hope its not raining that day. This local sushi restaurant in Irvine California is one of the best... More

The title says it all, get there Early or else you'll be waiting for quite some time outside, lets hope its not raining that day. This local sushi restaurant in Irvine California is one of the best around, always full and always leaving you full. The sushi bar is usually packed but their hand rolled sushi is delicious even though the prices aren't the most helpful to a college student such as myself. But what you get, you pay for the quality, and it's worth it. The seating can hold large or small parties but again it's best you call in advance to see how long the wait will be, and get there an hour earlier than you expected to because come evening time the place will be packed. Overall the service is good (so long as you have a seat) and the food is even better!
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Though it is a bit pricey, you get what you pay for. The sushi rolls are very delicious. My personal favorite is the dynamite roll which I would recommend if you like spicy foods.

Though it is a bit pricey, you get what you pay for. The sushi rolls are very delicious. My personal favorite is the dynamite roll which I would recommend if you like spicy foods.
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Taiko has THE best sushi available from their sushi bar. And the price is very reasonable for the taste. Now, if you're sitting at the tables, it's a different story. Sushi doesn't taste as good... More

Taiko has THE best sushi available from their sushi bar. And the price is very reasonable for the taste. Now, if you're sitting at the tables, it's a different story. Sushi doesn't taste as good all of a sudden. If you're not sitting at the sushi bar, try other Japanese restaurants that offers more choices in their menu. Pros: Best sushi Cons: Long line to sit at the sushi bar
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ginsberg75 obviously doesn't know sushi that well since all that was familiar to him was a crunchy roll. If you know sushi you that amateurs only go for California rolls and crunchy rolls. He was... More

ginsberg75 obviously doesn't know sushi that well since all that was familiar to him was a crunchy roll. If you know sushi you that amateurs only go for California rolls and crunchy rolls. He was correct in describing the decorations though, it looks very old fashion, but the sushi is supreme. The sushi is not two expensive (two pieces of toro for $8) and the sushi chefs are the real deal. The service is great and the amount of sushi they give you is monstrous compared to most sushi joints. Their spicy tuna hand rolls look like ice cream cones and taste amazing. They don't take call-in reservations so prepare to wait a little for a spot at the sushi bar if that's what you are planning on. I haven't been to Ango TEI but I have been to the other sushi places rated above Taiko and I will tell you right now that Taiko should be at least rated 2nd if not 1st. Pros: Big Cuts of Sushi, Spicy Tuna, Sushi Chefs Cons: Waiting for a seat at the bar
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i usually eat around the corner from this Taiko place to get cheap but good chinese food (especially beef noodle soup) but i one day i decided to give it a shot since i always see loads of people... More

i usually eat around the corner from this Taiko place to get cheap but good chinese food (especially beef noodle soup) but i one day i decided to give it a shot since i always see loads of people waiting for a seat. boy, was that a mistake. first off, the decor is so dated i felt like i was in the 70's and mr. miyagi was gonna jump out any minute. the food was dated too. the prices are cheap but you know that saying? you get what you paid for? well this is pretty much true here. the only thing remotely familiar to me in terms of quality was the crunchy roll. other than that i had to wait almost 10 minutes before i got my bowl of rice that was supposed to come with my entree. my server was ok. she was an older lady like most of the waitresses there... they've probably all been working there since the 70's. on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best this place it a 3. the only reason it's not any lower is that it's cheap... good for starving college students (but nothing i'd feed my own children) and because it's it's right next door to the new Yogurtland (which my wife loves to death). Pros: cheap Cons: cheap food
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My in-laws love this place, but they are not quite experts on Japanese cuisine. If you like large portions of Americanized Japanese food, this place is for you. They also serve authentic... More

My in-laws love this place, but they are not quite experts on Japanese cuisine. If you like large portions of Americanized Japanese food, this place is for you. They also serve authentic nigiri-zushi, but I have yet to sit at the sushi bar. Taiko is very popular, so expect long waits unless you get there early. Parking can be hard to come by on Friday and Saturday nights. If you order one of the combination plates, dinner should run about $10 to $15 per person plus drinks.
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may be 10 20 year ago this place was a great innovation -- great setting, great price, great food... ok, may be not great food. but you would have to be hard pressed to want to go here these days... More

may be 10 20 year ago this place was a great innovation -- great setting, great price, great food... ok, may be not great food. but you would have to be hard pressed to want to go here these days (it's never been updated). the long line is pretty much for the sushi bar, not the dinning table, but the place is packed every night. i just don't understand it. i go there just so i can eat a head of lettuce in one sitting (my vegetable intake). try to avoid the "combi" sets with sashimi, unless you feel like chewing unflavored rubber. the tempura is subpar and teriyaki beef is tough. despite all of this negativity, I do think you need to go there once in your lifetime. this place is an Irvine institution -- deserving of your appearance and patronage at once, just once.
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I have eatern here more than once and each time I have been dissapointed. First of all, I KNOW japanese food. I have lived and worked in Japan, and this restaurant comes nowhere close to... More

I have eatern here more than once and each time I have been dissapointed. First of all, I KNOW japanese food. I have lived and worked in Japan, and this restaurant comes nowhere close to authenticity. It serves the average tempura and teriyaki sets, and even these are lacking in taste and texture. The prices are much too high; there are many other Japanese restaurants in OC where you can find the same food, for the same price, yet feel satisfied or even ecstatic upon leaving. Unfortunately, people line up outside this restaurant during lunch, and even at dinner, and every time I see it I almost get angry that people are wasting their time at a sub-par restaurant and not experiencing true Japanese deliciousness. If you want atmosphere, taste, price, location, authenticity, or have any other preference, there are several other Japanese restaurants which will meet these criteria, each with their own specific characteristics. TAIKO is deficient in ALL of them. The only good thing about this restaurant is that it is located NEXT TO SOME DELICIOUS CHINESE RESTAURANTS- so keep walking in the center and pick one of these, or try a good Japanese restaurant (all within a 5 or 10 minutes drive) Pros: in irvine, so there are lots of other Asian restaurants to choose over taiko Cons: HIGH PRICES, BARELY AVERAGE TASTE, BLAH VARIETY
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