Huntington Beach’s North Shore Poke Company has opened store number three in Costa Mesa (the second one opened in Cerritos a few years ago). It’s located in the same strip mall that has Creamistry, Capital Noodle, and, of course, Halal Guys as tenants. Since it predates Pokinometry, Shawn Gole’s North Shore Poke Company is not an assembly line poke restaurant. But you can still customize your bowl as though you were in one.
3033 Bristol St. Ste Q-2, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, (714) 708-2313; northshorepokeco.com
The owners of Manpuku Yokyo BBQ Dining has opened Izakaya Hachi a few blocks away from it in Costa Mesa. Izakaya Hachi is located in the same strip mall as Halal Guys and Capital Noodle Bar. Like the Izakaya Hachi in Torrance, kushiyaki are on the menu. Their website states that while sashimi and raw oysters are specialties, the most popular items are the nabe hot pots.
3033 Bristol St. Ste M, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; (657) 231-6566; http://manpuku.co/en/shoplist/hachi-costamesa/
ShareTea, the boba chain that started in Taiwan in 1992 and expanded globally to London and Dubai, has now opened an franchise in the old Thasos Greek Grille spot across from South Coast Plaza. It’s actually the second ShareTea in Orange County. The first opened in Fullerton about 3 months ago. The menu consists of fruit teas, milk teas, ice blended drinks, something called “creamas”, and brewed tea, which you can have with the option of adding various toppings such as boba and red beans.
3940 S Bristol Street Ste 113, Santa Ana, CA 92704; (657) 266-0111; www.1992sharetea.com
Ceppo, the “Japanese-infused cuisine” restaurant in Huntington Beach has closed and ceded the space to Huntington Ramen. The new restaurant serves ramen in seven variations including tonkotsu and tan tan. Sides of fried gyozas, karate, and various sushi rolls round out the menu.
7391 Warner Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647, (714) 715-3631; huntingtonramen.com
Snow & Crab Lounge, which has locations in Temecula and Palm Springs, has opened in Lake Forest. The restaurant offers the kind of Cajun-spiced crawfish, shrimp and crab with which you may be already familiar at Boiling Crab and its kin. Also on the menu: garlic noodles, catfish, and shrimp scampi.
24602 Raymond Way, Lake Forest, CA 92630; www.snowcrablounge.com
