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Three Japanese Eateries Debut in Irvine with Curry, Sushi, and DIY Teppanyaki

Issue # 0406

Author

Joshua Tjia
13 May

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh Of The Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🍱🍣🍛 Three Japanese Eateries Debut in Irvine with Curry, Sushi, and DIY Teppanyaki

🎻🎶 Pacific Symphony Marks Carl St.Clair’s 35th Anniversary with Paired Concert Discount

❤️💙🤍 Irvine to Host Memorial Day Ceremony Honoring Fallen Service Members on May 26

☀️🎡 All-Day Summer Celebration Set for May 24 at Irvine Spectrum Center

🌟✏️ Nine IUSD Projects Named State Champions at National History Day-California

🤕 How to Recognize the Signs of an Ear Infection and Know When to Seek Care

🦜🦅 From Tanagers to Swallows: Spot Seasonal Bird Visitors Across Orange County

👾🎨 Opening May 18: PAC-MAN Exhibition at Great Park Gallery Traces Gaming Icon’s Legacy

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐾🐕 Paws-itively Adorable: 20 Lucky Pets Start New Chapters with Forever Families

⚾️ UC Irvine Baseball Clinches Share of Big West Title with Sweep of Cal State Bakersfield

🏀🏐🎾⚾ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚙🚓 Suspect in High-Speed Incident Located with Help from IVC Police

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

🌟🏪🎉Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

What vegetable might you find in your basement?

Cellar-y!

We hope this joke brings some laughter to your day! 😁

Three Japanese Eateries Debut in Irvine with Curry, Sushi, and DIY Teppanyaki

Three new Japanese eateries have debuted in Irvine, each offering a unique take on traditional flavors.

  • Pepper Lunch at Irvine Spectrum delivers a DIY teppanyaki experience with sizzling iron plates and customizable pepper rice dishes featuring beef, chicken, seafood, or tofu.

  • Botan Sushi at Campus Plaza offers a stylish sushi experience with creative rolls like the Dinosaurian Egg and UCI roll, plus bento boxes and sashimi.

  • At University Center, Karē Japanese Curry serves hearty, mellow Japanese-style curry with proteins like chicken katsu and beef belly, plus sides like furikake fries and spam katsu with fried egg—all optionally spiced up with chile powder.

Pacific Symphony Marks Carl St.Clair’s 35th Anniversary with Paired Concert Discount

As part of its season finale, Pacific Symphony is celebrating Carl St.Clair’s 35th anniversary with a special offer: save 30% when purchasing tickets to both Cathedrals of Sound and Verdi’s Mighty Requiem. Cathedrals of Sound features a program that includes Gregorian chant, Bach’s Air from Suite No. 3 in D Major, Guilmant’s Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra performed by Paul Jacobs, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, known for its spiritual depth and grandeur.

Irvine to Host Memorial Day Ceremony Honoring Fallen Service Members on May 26

The City of Irvine will host its annual Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 26 at 10 a.m. at Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park. The event will feature remarks from a Commanding Officer of the 2/11 Marine Battalion, a moment of silence, and support card writing for the battalion. Attendees are encouraged to join in honoring fallen U.S. service members.

All-Day Summer Celebration Set for May 24 at Irvine Spectrum Center

Kick off summer at Irvine Spectrum Center on Saturday, May 24, from 1 PM to 9 PM with a full day of fun! Highlights include two silent discos (6–9 PM at Giant Wheel Lawn & near Regal), live entertainment, interactive pop-ups, and all-day giveaways.

Nine IUSD Projects Named State Champions at National History Day-California

Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) students earned top honors at the 2025 National History Day–California competition, with nine student projects named champions across junior and senior divisions.

  • The event, held May 2–4 at Sacramento State, featured around 1,500 participants and was evaluated by over 230 experts.

  • An additional seven IUSD projects received special awards or runner-up recognition.

  • These accomplishments followed strong performances at the county level in March, where 34 IUSD projects advanced to state.

  • Winning students will compete at the national contest from June 8–12 at the University of Maryland.

How to Recognize the Signs of an Ear Infection and Know When to Seek Care

If you're experiencing discomfort in your ear, it could be more than just a minor irritation. Below are some common signs that may indicate an ear infection:

  • Ear pain or a feeling of pressure

  • Fever

  • Tugging at the ear (common in young children)

  • Difficulty sleeping

  • Fluid or discharge from the ear

Family Care Centers in Irvine and Costa Mesa offer daily urgent care services, including weekends.

From Tanagers to Swallows: Spot Seasonal Bird Visitors Across Orange County


Orange County plays a vital role along the Pacific Flyway, welcoming a stunning variety of migratory birds each spring. Local habitats like coastal wetlands and oak woodlands, managed by Irvine Ranch Conservancy, offer key stopovers for species including the Western Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Swainson’s Hawk, Wilson’s Phalarope, and Barn Swallow.

Opening May 18: PAC-MAN Exhibition at Great Park Gallery Traces Gaming Icon’s Legacy

Celebrate 45 years of PAC-MAN at the Great Park Gallery’s new exhibit “Journey Through the Maze,” featuring arcade machines, rare memorabilia, and the cultural legacy of the classic game. The exhibit opens with a community reception on Sunday, May 18, from 1–3 p.m., including a free art activity and retro-themed fun.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. May 16th, 5:30 PM: Jazz at the Oak, NHS Oak

  2. May 21st - 22nd, 7:00 PM: POPS Concerts, NHS Theater

  3. May 30th, 7:00 PM: POPS Gala, NHS Theater

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://timbmusic.org/events/

Upcoming University High School's Choirs Calendar

No upcoming events

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.uhschoirs.org/2024-25-season.html

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. May 16, 7:00 - 10:00 PM: WHS Warrior Guard Spring Show

  2. May 23, 6:00 - 9:00 PM: Jazz & Percussion Concert

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.whs-music.org/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. May 30, 7:00 PM: Broadway Rocks Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://woodbridgechoirs.weebly.com/calendar.html

Upcoming Irvine High School's Music Calendar

  1. May 16, 6:30 - 9:30 PM: Pops Concert (PAC)

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.vimb.info/calendar

Paws-itively Adorable: 20 Lucky Pets Start New Chapters with Forever Families

From May 5–11, the Irvine Animal Care Center celebrated the adoption of 7 dogs (Cloud, Mars, Mercedes, Neptune, Spacey Jane, Ura, Yeti), 12 cats (Beans, Brie, Cheese, Chuckie, Floette, Ivy, Kiko, Lucien, Mitzi, Molly, Mozzarella, Roquefort), and 1 guinea pig (Kristoff). One dog, Zoey, was sent to rescue, while 2 dogs and 1 cat were reunited with their owners.

UC Irvine Baseball Clinches Share of Big West Title with Sweep of Cal State Bakersfield


UC Irvine baseball clinched at least a share of the Big West regular season title after sweeping Cal State Bakersfield with a 5-3 win on Sunday. With three games left, UCI leads the standings by three games and secures the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Big West Championship. Blake Penso led the offense with three doubles and two RBIs, contributing significantly both at bat and behind the plate. Will Bermudez also had a strong game, reaching base four times and making a game-saving defensive play. Ryder Brooks earned the win with five strong innings, and Max Martin secured the save. The Anteaters now hold a 38-11 record (23-4 Big West) heading into their final regular season series vs. Cal State Fullerton starting May 15 at Anteater Ballpark.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Baseball

  • Thur, May 15 – vs Cal State Fullerton, 6:00 PM

  • Fri, May 16 – vs Cal State Fullerton, 6:00 PM

  • Sat, May 17 – vs Cal State Fullerton, 1:00 PM

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

No upcoming events

High School Athletics Calendar

** Updated With May Schedule

Northwood High School Monthly Athletics Calendar (All Level)

No upcoming events

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

No upcoming events

Suspect in High-Speed Incident Located with Help from IVC Police

On May 4, a 21-year-old man was caught speeding through Irvine at dangerous speeds. When an officer attempted to stop him, the driver fled and abandoned his car at Irvine Valley College before running off on foot. Thanks to assistance from IVC Police and a search warrant for dash cam footage—plus the suspect leaving behind his wallet and license—authorities were able to identify him. He later turned himself in and was charged with reckless driving and evading arrest.

Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts. If you’re a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you! “Irvine Insider” is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our city. Let’s collaborate and let the community know what makes your business special.

Click the link below and fill out the Local Business Spotlight Application Form to be featured and let’s celebrate the spirit of Irvine together!

Irvine Insider is sent to a local audience of Irvine residence Monday through Friday with 50% - 60% open rate. Our newsletter is a great way to reach Irvine residents.

  • Kaiser Permanente Irvine Farmers Market

  • Saturday Farmers Market at Mariners Church Irvine

    • When: Saturday, 8 AM - 12 PM

    • Where: 5428 Bonita Canyon Dr, Irvine, CA 92603

  • Great Park Certified Farmers Market

  • Manassero Farmers

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 4:30 PM

    • Where: 33 Irvine Valley, Irvine, CA 92604

  • Tanaka Farms

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

    • Where: 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

    • More Info:Tanaka Farms

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