Mokkoji — Restaurant in Irvine

It was a toss-up between 3 stars and 2 stars but since I know there won't be a chance of my coming back again, it'll be a 2-star for me.

Short version: Slow service. Meh meats. Underwhelming broth. Unlimited veggie refills.

Long version:

The blinds they had over the front doors were really low, so when you opened the door, you had to duck underneath awkwardly to avoid getting smacked in the face. This was at nighttime! Why are the blinds so low? Even though this was a minor detail, the servers should've been aware that this is just cumbersome to guests walking in.

No organization of table queue-ing. The waiter/host asked for # in my party and that was it. No writing down of the name or anything. The next group that came after me also didn't get their name down. And the group after that. Is this waiter so awesome that he remembers who came first? =_= In any case, even after we sat down, more waiting guests that came afterward were just lingering around waiting to be acknowledged etc. Seems like they need a pure host, instead of a hybrid person.

Our waiter happened to be the same "host" that sat us down. I can't tell if he was tired or if that was his personality of being melancholy. There was no helpfulness of asking if it was our first time, if we had questions, etc. And the menu itself was rather confusing to read too!

SLOW. We got our veggies and the meat came 15 minutes later. Seriously, it takes that long after the veggies? I had to flag our waiter down because I thought he forgot but he said that the kitchen was preparing. However, I saw that people that came AFTER us that sat at the counter got their meats ahead of us. Wth???

Meat quality - I ordered the beef belly and my friends ordered the rib-eye. I don't taste the difference. Theirs technically should be better but both tasted the same.

Soup taste - Underwhelming. I ordered the Chicken Milky Broth and my friends ordered the Spicy. I guess I'm too spoiled with flavor broths now as these were bland even after seasoning.

I DO like that they offer free refills on vegetables. Which we did. You'll only get greens and not the tofu/musroom/noodles etc but it's a generous refill.

The rice was also enjoyable as it was a mix of barley and white.

I thought it was cool that they offered a porridge after your meal utilizing the remaining broth of your pot but they ran out of the squid ink that I wanted to try. My friends tried the kimchi porridge and thought it was more interesting than the whole meat...

Mokkoji is the place to eat at when you are craving shabu shabu. Seriously one of the best shabu places in the area.

My friend and I had planned to come here during the OC Restaurant Week, but we had gone to SWSH at Diamond Jamboree instead (it was okay). Fast forward and I came here 02/12/15 with my friend! Best decision ever.

Walking up to the door, you could already smell the deliciousness in the air. Place was not packed since it was a Thursday, and we did end up going at around 8 pm, a little past the peak hours. Got seated fairly quickly, and our waiter, Long, was great.

I ordered the choice prime beef with the spicy miso soup. Best combination I've ever had in a hot pot-style food. Food came out quickly. Service was on point. We actually ordered their winter special for 2 people, and the portion was big enough for the both of us (probably around 20 slices total). Veggies are unlimited, so that's a plus. One important thing to note is that their spicy drops are VERY delicious, and way spicier than the other places! Better than the other places we have gone to (SWSH and Shabu Shabu Bar). Ponzu sauce and the peanut sauce are also better here. They have just a more refined taste to them. Hard to explain.

Sapporo drafts are $4, and that's a great deal. We also had their plum wine, which was a Korean brand, and it was pretty good. Not as sweet as expected, but more of a plum flavor.

Last important thing to note is that group seating is obviously more limited here. They have 3 tables that seat groups of 4 and one big table that seats 8. Also, 3 smaller tables for couples, and the rest is bar seating. Layout of the restaurant is nice, but when it's packed, the wait can be long.

If you are planning on reserving a table or seats, they do NOT accept same-day...

This place has the best shabu shabu! From style to substance, it really doesn't get much better than this.

The restaurant looks very modern and clean. They have a few individual shabu tables for two or four people, as well as a couple of shabu shabu bars. Speaking of bars, they have a full selection of beer and sake, which can go well with whatever you order.

Food-wise, everything on the menu is super customizable, from the broth to the type and quality of meat you can get. Everything is awesome. For example, they have several different qualities and varieties of beef (in addition to the ribeye and kobe that everyone has), which isn't common at shabu places that I've been to. The vegetables are served stylishly in stainless steel bowls, arranged with a piece of tofu emblazoned with the Mokkoji logo. The meat is laid out in standard style.

They also offer unlimited bok choy, rice, and white cabbage. Talk about icing on the cake!

They have a "summer special for two" special going right now, so you can bring a date and get plenty of shabu awesomeness for a pretty good price. There are three main options varying in price, but generally includes an appetizer, a shared dish of meats, vegetables, some alcohol, and dessert. If you go for the largest choice it includes pretty much everything on the menu. It is a fun way to try everything and see what you like.

Overall, this restaurant is now in my top five places to go whenever I get a chance to go on a date. Highly...