What types of restaurant/food establishment are missing?

Irvinecommuter

New member
I am curious to see what people think is missing in the Irvine area as far as dining and dining establishments?  I think Irvine has vastly improve in quality and selection in the past few years but there are still some noticeable gaps.   

For example, I think the area is still missing a decent HK cafe and a Korean-style Chinese restaurant.  Dessert options are also lacking in many parts (i.e. OH and Cypress Village).

What specific type of restaurants/food options do you guys think are missing and what would you like to see in Irvine?
 
Great yakitori joint
Quick service Mongolian
HK style cafe
More breakfast options (sit down and fast casual)
 
casual American seafood like Slapfish
a boiling crab type place
authentic Thai that's not watered down in flavor/too sweet
a good banh mi shop.
Ethiopian
Lebanese/Middle eastern that's not watered down in flavor

 
Tasty Garden off Culver for HK cafe food.  Before this place opened, there were really no options.

I would like to see a good Italian restaurant.  Pizza is now covered with all the build you own pizza joints.
 
@ Irvinecommuter

What's a good example of a Korean Chinese restaurant?  I know that Lunar place on Yale got horrible reviews.  Only decent place I know is that San tung place in SF (Irving/9th?). 

 
ps9 said:
@ Irvinecommuter

What's a good example of a Korean Chinese restaurant?  I know that Lunar place on Yale got horrible reviews.  Only decent place I know is that San tung place in SF (Irving/9th?).

There are quite a few in Koreantown.  Two favorites are:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/young-king-los-angeles
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-great-wall-restaurant-los-angeles

For decent and cheap jja ja myeun nearby:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/paiks-noodle-buena-park

Golden China in Tustin is acceptable but usually too greasy and expensive.

Ching Chinese Express in the old Woori Market (Red Hill) Food Court was also great but they closed :(
 
irvinehomeowner said:
I'm with GH, Irvine is missing 3 types of restaurants:

1. Buffet
2. Buffet
3. Buffet

Well...I think Makino is pretty good.  There is a Hometown Buffet in SA.  Quite a few AYCE Korean BBQ.
 
Pedro's Tacos is pretty good. I would also like to see Chicken Maison from The South Bay (and Santa Ana) join the Irvine establishments. Finally a good brunch place like RSM's Cinnamon Productions wound be perfect in OH or Oak Creek.
 
Great thread! Not sure if there's a huge market for all of these, but I would like to see nearby for weeknights vs trekking to other parts of OC

Vietnamese besides pho - although Thuan Kieu narrowed the gap with broken rice. Maybe Brodard's like or central Vietnamese. I'll also throw in a good OG banh mi place, Banh Mi Che Cali please!!

Outside of the Spectrum, any decent "date night" place a la Cucina Entoteca. Is TAPS considered Irvine or Tustin?

Half decent mexican sit down (such as Solita which also hits date night spot)

Gastropub (outside of Urban Seoul)

French bakery/boulangerie non chain: good croissants, quiche, bistro food

Agree on the breakfast mentioned before, specifically pancakes. And second more Italian

Does Irvine have any of the above perhaps I've missed?
 
Yes, Ethiopian! But none of the Ethiopian I've had in So Cal comes close to what I've had in Berkeley.

nyc to oc said:
casual American seafood like Slapfish
a boiling crab type place
authentic Thai that's not watered down in flavor/too sweet
a good banh mi shop.
Ethiopian
Lebanese/Middle eastern that's not watered down in flavor
 
Zenyatta1 said:
Yes, Ethiopian! But none of the Ethiopian I've had in So Cal comes close to what I've had in Berkeley.

nyc to oc said:
casual American seafood like Slapfish
a boiling crab type place
authentic Thai that's not watered down in flavor/too sweet
a good banh mi shop.
Ethiopian
Lebanese/Middle eastern that's not watered down in flavor

I AGREE 100%
 
More variety is always better.  I'd like to see more South Pacific Asian fare, don't really see any Indonesian, Malay, Filipino, Cambodian, etc etc. 
 
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