“ This was my first time trying the Kitakata ramen since where I live there's only hakata ramen shops. The kitakata ramen was very unique in terms of ramen texture and their bouncy chewy texture made the experience memorable. I got their signature bowl and my bf got the spicy miso. The spicy miso had a really good medium spice kick to it, more than most ramen places. My original bowl soup broth was clear with a very well cooked and clean stock. Service was attentive and coming on a Sunday afternoon, there was no line luckily! Sat down shortly after arriving. Definitely will be coming back next time I'm in the area! ”

“ Number one thing to realize about this store...the door is super hard to open!!! Ok, got that out of the way. If you're a meat lover like me..there's no way you can resist getting the Chashu Ramen. For crying out loud...13 pieces of Toro Chashu!!! I don't care that 13 is an unlucky number. No, it's not too much meat to eat. If you feel guilty like I did...then order a side of veggies (I chose boiled cabbage, which was only $1). Thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The Chashu was a bit salty, but still thoroughly enjoyable. The noodle had a nice texture that was chewy but not tough. The rest of the family had the creamy vegan and spicy miso. No complaints about either dish. Was pleasantly surprised on how flavorful the creamy vegan was. Do be prepared to wait if you don't take advantage of the Yelp Waitlist. The place is small and hard to accommodate larger groups. But definitely worth the wait. ”

“ Kitakata is a ramen shop that started off in the city of Kitakata in Japan in 1958. It has multiple locations across Southern California and some in Illinois. This location in Costa Mesa is in a small plaza with an even smaller parking lot so you'll often find cars in their own makeshift spots. You can join the Yelp waitlist to reduce your time in line. TAKOYAKI ($8.95) - I liked the crispy exterior and soft interior; this was your standard takoyaki. JUICY FRIED CHICKEN ($8.45) - like its name suggests, the chicken was juicy and the pieces were big. CHASHU RAMEN ($19.75) - this is similar to their kitakata ramen but with a lot more chashu that it covers the whole bowl. The chashu was thin but tender and melted in my mouth. The broth was decent but the chashu shined here. GREEN CHILI SHIO RAMEN ($16.25) - the broth was spicy because of the green chili. I liked this broth more than the chashu ramen's broth because of the spice. The noodles in the ramen tasted like they were house made and were unique. Overall the food was good and filling, and the service was great. ”

“ This is my favorite ramen place in the OC. The food is delicious and the service is always fast and great. For an appetizer we usually always go for their juicy fried chicken which is so flavorful paired with the sauce. I always get the Kita Kata ramen paired with an egg and green onion on top. It is flavorful and the portions are very generous. Can't say enough how much I love this place! ”

“ This place does not disappoint! You can check out my other Ramen reviews. My son and I are on a journey for the best Ramen Orange county has to offer. My son ordered the Chashu Ramen, I ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen and a Chashu Bun. I only ordered 1 bun as an appetizer but quickly regretted that decision because the boy devoured it. His Chashu ramen was loaded with meat. My spicy Ramen had just the right heat to clear the sinuses. The regular sized bowls were pretty big so we brought the kids leftovers home to mom. As mentioned earlier buns so delicious i ordered 2 MORE to go. Friendly staff . This is currently our favorite ramen joint in all of Orange County.1/19/25 ”

“ My absolute favorite ramen spot in the area. Their Tsukemen just always hits the spot. There's generally a line on the weekends so I get there 30 minutes before opening. Parking can be tough sometimes because it's a small plaza. Service is generally friendly and quick. Not sure I would recommend this place for large parties (6+) since it can be a bit crowded. ”

“ Hadn't been here in a minute, and it never fails to remind me how dang good this ramen is. Thick juicy noodles and the meat is so tender and flavorful. The service was quick and the staff were nice. The place is so small so I can see there getting to be a long wait. By the hand made noodles are worth it. Place seemed a little less clean than I remember but the ramen is so good I would still come back. ”

“ Went on a weekday morning and immediately got seated. The servers were quick to greet and help us. The food portions are quite large. Usually when I get ramen here I always share. This time when I went I noticed they added small rice bowls to their menu for $5-6 dollars as well as lunch combo specials. I would say both these deals are worth it. I wasn't too hungry so I just got the small chasuu rice bowl with some karaage to share on the side. A delicious and good sized meal for me. One of my friends did not want green onions and some other garnishes on his ramen so when ordering he made sure to state that. When we got our order we noticed that they forgot to take it out and mentioned it to our server. They were quick to fix our order. ”