Hamada-ya

This bakery is hidden inside Mitsuwa. Keep an eye out for a small shop with a wall of green cabinets, if not, you might miss it! They are really low key, even the soft serve machines are tucked away behind the green cabinets.
As an ice cream lover, I have tried a majority of the new and much hyped ice cream/​dessert places in the area. However, none of them compares to this place. I always find myself coming here when I have a craving. The options are simple, but nonetheless delicious. The soft serve comes in three choices: matcha green tea, vanilla, and swirl. Toppings are available for an additional cost but not necessary. I really like the green tea flavor! It’s my all time favorite ice cream!!! The golden graham on the bottom is a nice surprise, adding texture without overshadowing the soft serve.
Their pastries are also delicious!

The service was very quick! We got green tea soft serve filled to the brim and lots of mochi on the side for 50 cents worth of toppings. I totally forgot about the complementary cereal topping beneath. The green tea soft serve flavor is light, not overpowering but just enough to know that it’s green tea. The only cons to this were the toppings. Although I was given a ton, the mochi seemed old and was not super chewy like at other places. The cereal didn’t do much for me either. Overall, it’s pretty good.

I tried the mixed soft serve with green tea and vanilla and thought it was just ok. The soft serve is really ice-​y here, not creamy and smooth like the one at Costa Mesa’s Mitsuwa. I liked the cereal pieces at the bottom, but that was about it. At $ 3.50 it is a little pricey.

Before Matcha Love opened at the Costa Mesa, this place was the only place that I knew of that served green tea soft serve. Green tea or green tea/​vanilla serve are both really good. I like that they have cereal at the bottom of the cup, gives an extra «oomph» to the dessert.
Iced Americano is good. Not as strong as I like, but good enough. Their coffee jelly milk tea is really good! A lot of coffee jelly. I’ll probably come here more often to get the coffee jelly milk tea.

Attention: this review is for one thing only (well, technically two) — Curry Donut!
Walks by, glancing at the various sweets they have when the sign next to one oval shaped donut said «Curry donut». This stopped this curry enthusiast in his tracks. Curry. in a donut? I had to check it out, so I ordered one from the nice girl. Then, she asked if I wanted it warmed up? Whaat, a warm donut filled with warm curry? Yes Please!
If you like Japanese style curry, you have to try it.
If you like savory treats, you gotta try this donut.
I enjoyed every bite; the combo of sweet n savory was well balanced. The only gripe is that the donut its self was good, but not amazing.
But I’ll come back for sure! Yum!!!

The green tea & vanilla swirl soft serve is delicious! I added mochi and there was golden graham cereal at the bottom of the container. It was a little on the expensive side for what you got, but overall it was yummy and it is one of the only places I know of that sells green tea soft serve so I’ll come here again if I’m craving some!

Cute little food stand bakery store that’s located right to the immediate left hand side of the Mitsuwa Supermarket when you walk in past the display promotions going on in the supermarket for the day. I noticed it as I was paying for my groceries at Mitsuwa and was just intrigued to walk over to see what baked goodies they sold there.
With its bright flashy green backdrop and orange counters, it’s hard NOT to miss this place as it stands out in the neutral color schemes of the entire market. I immediately oohed & awwed at their selections ranging from their Strawberry Cheesecake Danish, large size Cream Puffs, toyed with the idea of a Curry Donut, glanced at their Rich & Creamy Butter Milk Cream rolls, and then contemplated what was in their Crispy Cream Pan and envisioned the sweetness of their Mellon Pan.
Then I saw it. Their green tea ice cream soft serve off to the left hand side of the shop. With its delicate swirls of green, topped with soft mochi bites and crispy almonds. It caught my eye and refreshed my tongue and surprise, surprise! sweet cereal at the bottom. Like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Satisfaction achieved.

Great little soft serve place with some strong green tea! GT lovers would fall for this place in a heartbeat, I know I did. There was even some golden graham cereal at the bottom for that extra crunch. I seriously cannot stop thinking about the GT soft serve and for only $ 4.00 you can buy happiness LOL

There are just so many dessert places popping up around OC that I just can’t keep up! Shops are now getting more and more creative with their desserts, which means they’re also getting significantly more elaborate! I’m often reduced to a giant ball of anxiety when I walk into a store with too many options and choices and toppings! I love trying them all, but sometimes, when you’re craving something sweet for dessert, you want something simple and satisfying. That’s why I love Hamada-​ya. It just never steers me wrong.
This little bakery is tucked inside the Mitsuwa marketplace here in Irvine, and they have wonderful baked goods and drinks, but their soft serve ice cream is what keeps me coming back again and again. They have two flavors of soft serve, vanilla and green tea. You can get either, or a mix of both! I love getting the mixed swirl because the green tea is perfectly offset by the vanilla, and both flavors just enhance one other! They put cinnamon toast crunch cereal at the bottom of your swirl (which I didn’t even know about the first time! what a pleasant surprise!), which I think complements the creamy, neutral soft serve flavors with it’s burst of crunchy sweetness! Also it’s a lot more clever than other ice cream shops that put it on top because that way you can fit more in your cup, and still have more of the topping when you get to the bottom of your dessert!
If you’re looking for an affordable, simple, but absolutely delicious dessert, I highly recommend Hamada-​ya. Just one of my absolute favorites, and something all green tea lovers should try!

I Love the Green Tea Soft Serve from here! They have toppings that you can put on but I prefer to have it plain :)
The bakery itself has very delicious pastries. I have tried probably all of them :) My favorite is the Matcha Cream with Red Bean… SO GOOD if you like red beans. Their Custard Pudding tastes like a Crème Brule & it comes in a very cute glass container as well.
I have also tried a lot of their sandwiches, which have all been good, especially if you need a quick pick up for lunch or something :)
Definitely try this if you are in the area, ESPECIALLY the Green Tea Soft Serve!

OMG THIS IS THE BEST PLACE EVER!!! It’s inside Mitsuwa and everyone must go! They have THE BEST green tea soft serve! And they don’t skimp on it too! The cup was pretty big and they fill is all the way, with no holes in the middle. You can also get extra toppings for 50 cents more. At the bottom of the cup they put some crackers or cereal that tastes like cinnamon toast crunch (comes with it) and it just makes the dessert that much better! I was so surprised when I scooped some of the the cereal and OMG it was so good with the green tea! It has a very strong green tea taste, which I love. I got mochi with it and it tasted as if they freshly make it, soft and chewy! I’m definitely going to be back for more!
They have a mini food court where you can sit and enjoy your soft serve or do a little shopping. There are plenty of parking spots. If you’re hesitant about coming here DON’T BE because the green tea soft serve will blow your taste buds away. They also have little pastries, bread, and drinks.

I might have a prejudice since I like a more creamer matcha. If you like the full taste of matcha go here, it’d definitely be more suitable for your taste!
If you had the green tea ice cream, I forgot the brand from the Asian store it taste exactly like it. A lot more matcha flavor than cream taste. They put some Cinnamon Toast Crunch at the bottom before they put in the ice cream. Prices went up a bit so I feel it’s not worth it for me.

HANDS DOWN BEST GREEN TEA ICE CREAM!!!
friend brought me here and wow the soft serve green tea ice cream is on point! they aren’t stingy on the amount given and/​or the toppings so ask if you want something done. they have a pretty chill staff here so when i come i usually come with a friend and to save us a buck we ask to get ours split into to cups and tbh they give you equal amount to a full size… ask for the green tea soft serve with the cereal on the bottom and the top to get the best bang for your buck and the best taste. literally i like to bring everyone i know to this place. its located in the mitsuwa plaza. only sad thing is that when mitsuwa closes this closes so at 9:00pm i can’t get anymore goodness :(
THANK YOU FOR WHOEVER OPENED THIS… so damn good…

Got the GT mousse and it was wow very matcha-​y. I love the intense strong flavors of GT which I’ve never experienced before at any other place. Then they have these cubed jello on top that add a different texture. The only thing I wasn’t into was the super sweet red bean sauce they put on the bottom. This was my first time trying this place and I think I LIke it… Will be back!
Muy bueno!

I LOVE HAMADA-​YA! One of the many dessert places that I like to get my soft servings from and custard pudding. This little cute bakery is located inside Mitsuwa Marketplace on Culver Street. The market that is right next to Diaso, giving you the opportunity to have your share of Japanese culture.
OH MAN! I’ve tried the green tea soft serve and the mixture of half vanilla and green tea soft serve. Honestly, you can not go wrong either way. If you decide to go hard by getting only the matcha green tea then you can taste how great and powerful the flavor lands onto your tongue. SO YUMMY! If you decide to go half and half then you can see that the vanilla really goes well with the green tea. It actually makes the green tea lighter if you want the flavor to be tone down a bit. What I love about this location is that they serve your soft serve ice cream with Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Like way to go! This actually gives your dessert the grand finale!
The CUSTARD PUDDING. OH EM GEE. Love, love, love it. The custard pudding taste like a combination of flan and crème brûlée together. So good! Make sure to mix the sauce that is on the bottom to give it the final touch because it will make your taste buds sing!
So if you are craving for some soft serve ice cream or maybe some pastries then head on over to Hamada-​Ya for some filling. This place never disappoints because you get to enjoy the market, possibly some Japanese food, and dessert all in one location. This place surely spells H-​A-​P-​P-​I-​N-​E-​S-​S all over it. WOOT!
AS ALWAYS, NOM FOR LIFE!

Love love loveeeee the green tea soft serve! If only they have sesame too!!! I didn’t know they have crushed waffles biscuits underneath the green tea and vanilla ($ 3.50) goodness! I have to try the toppings next time.
This place in inside the Mitsuwa Japanese grocery store and parking is not easy as it was quite crowded.

If you’re in Heritage Plaza feeling lost, no worries. Hamada Ya is located inside of Mitsuwa towards the food court. If you see all the baked goods, you’re at the right place. That being said, I don’t actually recommend the baked goods here! I come here for their soft serve ice cream.
PRICES:
— Green Tea $ 4
— Mixed $ 3.50
— Vanilla $ 3
— Toppings (1/$.50, 2/$.80, 3/​$ 1.25): Walnuts, Almonds, Kinako, Chocolate Chips, Sweet Red Bean, Mochi Balls, Caramel Sauce, Kuromitsu, Chocolate Sauce
I like the Green Tea Soft Serve Ice Cream. It had a good amount of green tea flavor to it and it wasn’t too sweet as an ice cream. At the bottom of the cup, they have cinnamon toast crunch laying beneath the ice cream. It provides a nice amount of sweetness and the cinnamon goes with the green tea flavors surprisingly well. The crunch also gives nice texture to the dessert.
The serving size is just one size and the cup is on the small size. I had no problem finishing it even though I was stuffed from dinner. Cause dessert has it’s own reserved space in the tummy :)

I CAN’T BELIEVE I’VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PLACE!
I came here for the first time yesterday after eating dinner with my cousin. This is comparable to Matcha love in the norcal Mitsuwa in San Jose. I’m so glad I found this place. It’s 4 dollars for a small cup that isn’t really that small and they fill the bottom of your cup with captain crunch cereal. My cousin and I were able to share one cup and it was more than enough. :) The soft serve was so rich and yummy. How could I ask for anything more?

I must have past by this bakery like a million times whenever I’m shopping inside the Mitsuwa. I had no idea they sell green tea soft serve ice cream. Had I known this I would have been poor already from spending all my money here (yes I wanna buy the whole place lol).
I had a couple of hours to kill before my friend’s bball league game which was next door so I figured I’d just go eat and have quality time to myself lol. I decided to stop by Hamada-​ya first. I was greeted by a very friendly fellow who informed me that they only have one size for their soft serve ice cream. No problemo, I ordered and was on my way. I was poking at the ice cream with my spoon and realized there was something crunchy at the bottom. Gasp, cinnamon toast crunch. Along with the green tea ice cream, the cereal adds a great crunchy texture. The ice cream itself was refreshing. I grabbed a seat and finished it really quick. TBH I should have ordered another one since it was really really good.
Overall, reasonable price (though I still think you get more for your money at Matcha Love and ML taste a tad better), refreshing ice cream with a great idea about the cinnamon toast crunch at the bottom (I prefer Frosted Flakes but hey, still good), and great friendly service. I’m a fan and will definitely return (maybe next Tuesday actually, yes another league game).
PS my picture is so clear here… must be the lighting.

Very similar to Matcha Love but they don’t have the hojicha or black sesame flavor; instead they have vanilla.
At the bottom of your cup they put cinnamon toast crunch cereal before they fill it up with your choice of soft serve. The green tea flavor is amazing. The flavor is strong and the soft serve ice cream itself is creamy and thick. They also offer add on toppings like mochi balls and red beans. The mochi was soft and chewy but the red beans I would’ve skipped. They give you two tiny scoops but it seemed old because the red beans were kind of hard and dry.
Also, for some reason mine was melting way quicker than my boyfriends. If you see my picture, you’ll see what I mean. :/​not sure why that was happening but it sure made my picture look ugly lol and it was difficult to eat.
Other than that, I would definitely come back for their green tea soft serve since this Mitsuwa is closer to me than the one in Costa Mesa.