About Manpuku Japanese BBQ Costa Mesa
Beyond their size, small businesses are defined by their spirit. And at the helm are their intrepid founders—scrappy, ambitious, and resilient. They invent and build things despite uncertainty, because it’s what drives them. Their risks lead to innovation that moves the world forward. And we need them.
First time trying it last night and was very pleased. Felt like I was dining in Japan. Really do love the small, low light atmosphere that gives it an intimate feel. For the food, just about all of the beef cuts that I had here were nicely marbled and delicious. Try the Tokyo style prime short rib, prime ribeye, prime outside skirt, and prime short rib. Certain cuts have a nicely flavored marinade to them. I’d also recommend trying their juices, especially the pear flavor as they’re freshly made in house. Don’t forget to try the sweet potato ice cream dessert before you leave. Very unique.
The service was extremely bad! After we had been there for just one hour, a male server kept rushing us to leave. We were forced to grill two plates of meat all at once. To make room for new customers at the neighboring table, they moved half of the partition onto our table while we were still eating our dessert and asked us to pay immediately. When we asked why they didn’t inform us about the time limit when we ordered, especially since we hadn’t even reached their supposed “1.5 hours” limit, they had no reasonable explanation. Please remember, terrible service is worth 0 pennies. It was a highly disrespectful experience!
Overall, it was extremely terrible. Expensive with awful service. The food was unappetizing and portions were small, not nearly enough. A Japanese waitress treated me very poorly and rushed me to pay the bill even though no one was waiting for a seat. In short, every aspect was absolutely horrible. It was the worst Japanese BBQ I've ever had. Do not come here.
This is my favorite restaurant hands down. I wish we had one in Arizona. Not sure what needs to happen to make that happen, but it has to happen soon. Been here at this location twice this week, and the experience has been nothing short of exceptional. Food The food has been absolutely the best, the quality, freshness, and flavors are all out of this world. It’s amazing to taste the different flavors that each cut of meat, with seasoning brings you. Atmosphere Since I have travelled quite frequently around the world, when I am here, I feel like I’m in Japan. It’s a small, nice, warm cozy Japanese feeling restaurant but it’s big enough for us big Americans. Clean - super clean. They take time to clean up each table thoroughly. Staff We have mostly interacted with the ladies that work here. They have been so accommodating and friendly. They always have a smile, and willing to explain the dishes to you. They were also very helpful in getting us in early when another table finished up early. I really appreciate the effort these ladies took to get us in. Overall This is absolutely my favorite restaurant. In comparison to the Yakiniku restaurants I have been to in Japan, Thailand, China, Las Vegas, etc, this one as well as the other locations (Torrance and downtown LA) have been absolutely outstanding every time. Very happy. I will always be back to see these ladies smile and experience their friendliness and amazing fabulous food. Conclusion: If you are in LA, you must try it. No exceptions!
Heard about this place for so long and finally tried it last night. It truly did not disappoint. Atmosphere was very nice.. you take your shoes off and walk up the steps and into the room. Meat and seafood was really fresh and delicious. The soup was good too. Customer service was on point. I also recommend you to make reservations. This place is always busy. A must try! Merry Christmas everyone! =)