Shin-Sen-Gumi – Irvine

"Our group of four visited Shin-Sen-Gumi in Irvine with high expectations for an authentic ramen experience. Unfortunately, our excitement quickly faded once we tasted the ramen. The most notable issue was the overwhelming seasoning taste, which was so dominant that it masked all other flavors. This excessive use of seasoning gave the ramen a flavor profile akin to instant noodles or pre-packaged seasoning mixes, rather than a broth that has been traditionally simmered and developed over time. It was a letdown, especially considering our anticipation for a rich and nuanced soup base. The soup tasted more like it was made from a packet rather than being carefully crafted. Sadly, the experience was so far from our expectations that none of us were able to finish our meals. We had hoped for a delightful dining experience but were left quite dissatisfied with the quality of the food."

"Visited the one after a very long time. It seems they have more Idin options since the last time I visited. We ordered Nabeyaki using, Hamata Ramen with shrimps tempura roll set, seaweed salad, deep fried Gyoza. The ramen is so delicious and it's my go to place for Ramen. Definitely to check out this place and enjoy yummy ramen when you're in area."

"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 even apologize."

"Tl;Dr: The service here has never been worse last Sunday. Left a bad taste in my mouth that ruined dinner. Avoid getting seated at the window side bar. I come here almost every month but this most recent one was so bad I might not come back to this location (at least for a while). Just as the dinner rush was dying down we got seated by the window bar. This was a mistake and you should definitely avoid this, especially if it's busy. As the restaurant emptied out on Sunday, for some reason we were continually forgotten in this corner of the restaurant and service was virtually nonexistent. Even after finally locking eyes with someone and asking for waters or other items, they were still forgotten multiple times or never came. I also noticed other customers along this bar constantly waiting extra long or getting their orders wrong repeatedly. Just an extremely frustrating and disappointing dinner. If I knew I would get service this bad and wait this long I would just have ordered to go. The ramen though, was still great and for 12.50 is always such a great value. I highly recommend getting the noodles firm :) Food: 9/10 Service: 1/10 Atmosphere: 2/10 Value: 5/10"