Tsuruhashi - Fountain Valley

There’s quite a long wait, which is understandable, but that’s fine. The atmosphere is decent; it’s clean, but you can definitely tell it’s always bustling. However, I noticed some preferential treatment happening when a large party was seated despite not being on the waitlist. While I was fine with the wait, it felt quite unfair, especially for the group of seven behind us who were turned away after waiting around 45 minutes because of that special party. The service was alright, but the server was often absent, as they focused primarily on that specific table. As for the food, it was just average, honestly. A similar experience I’ve had is at Anjin, which is also pricey but delivers much better flavor. Tsuruhashi’s dishes felt a bit lacking in taste; a lot of the meat seemed like it hadn’t been washed thoroughly and was poorly seasoned. Additionally, the meat sizes were inconsistent, which was quite disappointing.

Tsuruhashi is the top Japanese BBQ restaurant in Orange County! Their side dishes, such as kimchi and cucumber salad, pair wonderfully with the mouthwatering meat. It's a must-visit!

I finally managed to return to this restaurant, and the food is still outstanding! However, getting a reservation on most days is quite a challenge. I'm not going to reveal when I visited, though—sorry!

Meat quality is superb!! I ordered the beef tongue and it was cut quite thick compared to other bbq places I've been to, so I would inly recommend if you really like that tongue taste and texture. I got the Kobe Cube Cut Calbi and the Prime Short Rib and they were both delicious meats but I'm not a meat connoisseur and I couldn't really tell the difference between them. The sauce is sweet and light so you can taste the flavor of meat through it, but I get that it isn't for everyone! Service was top notch, the person who served us and the person in front who dealt with the waitlist were very sweet to us. The downside to this place is that the wait is quite long, I think due to the fact that its famous but is quite a small restaurant. Also, the price ofc is pricey for quite a small portion of each meat, so if you're starving I definitely would not recommend this place unless your wallets ready! Personally, I couldn't justify the price but I think its good to give it a try!

This place has always hit the spot for quality Japanese BBQ and good service Japanese style. Their food is hands down very good! However, we recently came back and was blown away by the price increase. Lowest order with 5-6 slices of meat was $21 menu shows $19.50) I understand inflation and rising cost, but unfortunately, it's getting a little too pricy for a full meal : Besides the price, this place is still an oldie but goodie for Japanese BBQ.