Shin-Sen-Gumi – Irvine — Restaurant in Irvine

We've been here AT LEAST 6 times and have yet to give my 2 cents on this place! This location was were I had my very first Shin-Sen-Gumi experience and it was convenient since we were living right down the street on Woodbury Lane. From what my lady has told me, this one by far is the biggest location that they have compared to all the other "little shacks" that they have open; maybe this is why some people aren't too big of a fan of this one since the setting isn't as intimate and "cozy" as you would expect from a Ramen place. Nevertheless, I find the grand size of this establishment to work out well for my tastes for a several reasons: (1) you won't be stuck waiting in line longer than 20 minutes, (2) they'll be more likely to accommodate larger parties (10+) in a reasonable time frame, and (3) you won't have to worry about bumping elbows with a complete stranger while trying to maintain a private conversation with your party.

Now, I could go on and on with all the various dishes I've had here but I think I'll stick with what we shared on our latest visit (for now at least...).

Deep Fried Tofu (5/5): I'm not too big of a fan of tofu, so that's why when you see me rave about it and giving it 5 stars in my book, you know that it's something you should at least consider. The outside of the tofu isn't crunchy or crispy as you would expect when hearing "deep fried" but this is a good thing in this particular case. It's doused in this dark sauce which you'll probably want to end up licking from the very bottom at the end and topped off with some green onions, ginger and bonito flakes (same things you see topped of on Takoyaki); all of which makes for a very flavorful punch to your taste buds. To top it all off, the tofu itself just comes apart right when it reaches your mouth and doesn't require any chewing if you're inclined to just leave those flavors linger in your mouth a bit!

Beef Innards Spicy Cream Udon (4/5): We shared an XL and didn't really give it a second thought on how big that would really be. I guess we we're used to the fact of ordering something deemed "XL" and really getting something along the size of a medium. But man am I glad that these guys proved us wrong for once! This order came out to be not only a big bowl, but a big bowl that was filled pretty much to the brim with soup, noodles and fillings. On top of it all, every single slurp and bite was flavorful and delicious till the very last drop. The soup itself wasn't too spicy in my opinion, but then again, different people and backgrounds have different opinions on what's considered "spicy." If you can handle Sriracha, you should be able to take this on with no problem. My only gripe with this item which is preventing me to give them the full 5 stars it should deserve is the lack of juicy, chewy, and delicious innards which is clearly stated on the description title!

Now, I've been told and have read that the prices at this location are a tad bit higher than most of the other establishments where you can get your Shin-Sen-Gumi on, but you have to remember that this place did open up in Irvine... and if you know anything about Irvine, is that NOTHING is cheap in this city! So, with that in mind and the fact that we live less than a 5 minute drive away from this place and can be seated with a very minimal wait time, I'd have to say that this is definitely a go to place in our books for a Ramen meal that will leave you satisfied without...

Shin-Sen-Gumi is such a really great place. I'm so grateful that Shin-Sen-Gumi can bring an amazing traditional Japanese cuisine to your mouth. Shin-Sen-Gumi was able to introduce this amazing flavorful taste to Orange County. Coming here, Shin-Sen-Gumi can really make amazing broth that is really comforting for the soul.

Wait-time. Usually check-in and join the wait list from Yelp. The front desk is very kind and all of the staff is very friendly and kind. There are times it's hard to get the attention of the staff like I had to get scissors to cut the noodles, plastic bowl, and plastic utensils so my toddler can eat.

What we usually purchased Appetizers. Soboro Bowl (s) - Share this with my toddler too. There are times he wants rice and some other times he wants rice. Vegetable Gyoza - Perfect. Always order this and it's great to share with my family. So good! Deep Fried Chicken Skin - Very good, fresh, and crispy. Jumbo Shrimp Tempura - Also sooo good!! Ramen Hakata Ramen - Great portions, I usually share this with my toddler. I don’t put ginger and do everything normal so he can enjoy it. Shrimp Cream Sauce Udon - Great Portions. Great Flavor.

Overall, I'm giving this place 4 stars because of the services. If I'm with a toddler who is hungry, why is it hard for me to get utensils for my toddler or to get a refill. There are also times the server didn’t go over our order and we don’t get everything. The server didn’t...

With locations throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, Shin-Sen-Gumi has been a mainstay at Woodbury Town Center where many of its former neighbors have unfortunately gone out of business. The staff is always very welcoming and efficient with seating and orders. The menu offers everything from cold/hot/fried appetizers, udon and ramen to rice dishes.

On our recent visit, I tried the Spicy DanDan Men off their seasonal menu. It's described as a "Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen w/ rich spicy sesame miso flavor, topped w/ seasoned ground pork & beef, shredded chili pepper, cilantro and green onion." The broth was flavorful but IMO not spicy enough (although admittedly my heat tolerance is high). I wasn't given the option to customize the ramen set-up so the noodles weren't to my liking and I felt like they skimped on the pork & beef inclusion. Overall it wasn't my best choice of ramen but I know they have better options on their menu. I also supplemented my meal with a Soboro Bowl which is always a favorite. I also recommend trying the Nan Kara (deep fried chicken cartilage) if you have the palate for it. The Shin-Sen-Gumi Restaurant Group was first established in 1992, so you can expect this restaurant to continue operating well...