Tenori — Restaurant in Irvine

I've visited the Tenori at Rodeo 39 in the past, but I don't remember the onigiri tasting quite so fresh and delightful. On our first visit to the Irvine location we tried a trio of onigiris…I ordered the Pork Belly and Spicy Salmon for myself and the Mentai for my wife. I was impressed by how crunchy the seaweed was and the quality of the ingredients, but IMO the Spicy Salmon didn’t pack enough heat. I didn't personally try the Mentai, but my wife commented that it was legit spicy. We visited on a Sunday afternoon and there was consistent traffic inside the restaurant. Service was efficient, but I wouldn’t describe the staff as overly friendly. If we weren't in a rush, I would've tried the other three flavors too. There's...

I got mentai, spicy salmon and pork belly which came out super fast! It's ideal for a quick lunch or snack spot when you're busy or too lazy to cook. It's perfectly located near campus.

There are two long tables and plenty of outdoor seating! I love mentai but there was a bit too much and it was slightly salty for me :( I had to take one bite of mentai then switch to pork belly and spicy tuna to balance it out. The pork belly was kinda dry, but the seasoning/sauce paired really well with the rice. The rice is so well cooked, I love it! Never knew this simple onigiri had so much flavor! Great for someone who likes quick...

Their Choose Any 3 Onigiri for $11 is a decent deal. Otherwise, each one of their 8 flavors is $4. We got Pork Belly, KBBQ, & Spicy Salmon. You can order online first or use the touchscreens in-store. Since they’re made—to-order, it took about 10 min to prepare. The Spicy Salmon was moist and flavorful but just wished it actually had some spice. And I would rank Pork Belly slightly higher than KBBQ. Finally, the nori they use is not as thick as the typical kind. It’s more like the nori you get in the...