About Mogumogu – 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.
We ordered two different mazemens: the Deluxe and the Kyoto. First off, the noodles were great, I loved how chewy/springy/bouncy they were. As for the flavors, the Kyoto was decent. It was savory, but nothing really stood out. The Deluxe, however, was bursting with flavor. With just the right amount of spice and garlic, plus a few splashes of their house vinegar, I couldn’t stop eating. Toward the end of the meal, they brought out a small cup of rice that you can mix with the remaining sauce. The service was great, parking was plentiful, and the atmosphere was nice and relaxed.
Previously branded as Mogu Mogu, now WADAYA. Minimal wait for a late lunch on a weekend, was able to sit outside, feel it would have been a bit loud inside. Ordered the curry mazemen, arrived relatively quickly. The bowl had a good variety of flavors, and the noodles had a good chewiness. There's vinegar and sesame seeds available at the table. They also provide a small amount of rice afterwards to help finish the leftover sauce/liquid.
I find my experience here at Mogu Mogu to be quite sub-par. The two things I had from the menu were the deluxe mazemen and the mogu chicken. Deluxe Mazemen: I must say the texture of the noodles is outstanding. They were chewy and soft, probably the best thing about this dish. However, once mixed, the whole dish becomes overly salty. Although there is a spicy minced pork mixture, I could not taste it at all. I think the fish umami they put in the dish and the seaweed flakes completely overtake the flavor of the other ingredients. To sum up, it was salty with a strong seafood-y aroma that I didn’t expect. Mogu Chicken: I love this dish. It tastes exactly like Korean yangnyeom-style fried chicken. It comes with a spicy mayo aioli dipping sauce that complements the chicken well. Overall, the food is decent but nothing to write home about.
I ordered the bowl of noodles with ground chicken and it was good. The waitress was helpful in explaining how to eat it with vinegar and a lil rice bowl at the end to finish up the sauce! Service was quick and the restaurant was clean.
Walking in I had high hopes. It looked nice and the service was great. I came at exactly 11:30. I ordered the deluxe mazenmen and the tonkotsu ramen. They came out and oh my god. The tonkotsu ramen was far too salty like I’m a person who LOVES sodium but the broth? It was so salty it masked the flavor of tonkotsu. My brother really liked it though, but he’s the type to drink soy sauce. I had the deluxe mazenmen and it might just be me personally but I disliked it. It was creamy but the noodles were too tough. Like biting into it, it broke off too late; however, taste wise, my opinion on the mazenmen can’t be very helpful because I didn’t use the vinegar provided with the mazenmen. I found myself confused eating both dishes because at least one thing threw off it’s flavor: too much salt, too much oil. The mazenmen was ok on saltiness but the oil was crazy, I couldn’t even taste the egg yolk. The food here is definitely not the best, but if you do go here, order the takoyaki. That thing is the best I’ve ever had, and get it crispy. Service is amazing, they are completely aware of the customers and their potential needs. At the end of the service they gave us a coin for the gachapon which I thought was really cute. Also another thing to note the chef might be different and that may influence the flavor of the ramen. Overall if you want to try it go for it but just know that the food might taste off.