🇺🇸 Irvine Food｜Birthday Week Review

Birthday week = Eat all the things! Here’s my take on three carefully chosen restaurants: 1️⃣ Sushi K’s Bistro – Costa Mesa 💸 $220 for two We both agreed this was totally worth it. We have moderate appetites, so the $100/person omakase was satisfying without being overly filling. The sushi was excellent—especially loved the eel and sweet shrimp. The matcha ice cream at the end was a highlight! Next to us, a couple had the $150 menu with abalone—looked incredible. Only downside: Friday night was packed. Our chef served us and another couple simultaneously, leading to long waits between courses. But the chef later heard I wanted scallops and gifted us two as an apology 🙏. 2️⃣ Marche Moderne – Newport Beach 💸 $200 for two An old-money French spot with high expectations. The bone marrow was divine—charred and rich with a special dipping sauce. Scallops were also good, with creative sauce. But two dishes were disasters: • New Zealand oysters were tiny and not fresh—felt like they were pushing old stock. • A pasta dish with chicken leg and cured meat in overly sour sauce was borderline inedible 🤢. Left feeling disappointed—not the best fit for Chinese taste buds. 3️⃣ Yuzu Japanese Sushi Bar 💸 $180 for two • Beauty Roll uses crab stick instead of rice (great for low-carb!). • Scallop & uni roll had a sour seasoning I couldn’t get behind. • P13 Roll was AMAZING—black truffle crisps + seared tuna California roll. Must-order! • Wagyu sushi came with a smoke dome—very theatrical. • Squid leg dish was sour and unpleasant. Overall slightly overpriced. Mostly rolls, no rice-based mains—not ideal for carb-loving budget diners like me. #Foodie #StudentEatsDoneRight #Irvine #IrvineEats #NewportBeach #CostaMesa #California 🍣