Went here at later at night & it was still bustling with people, but there wasn't long of a wait! They also offer reservations which is convenient. There was good ambiance with lively conversation & the layout was warm and modern. The food was so delicious and came out relatively fast. We started with the beef carpaccio which had some greens and apple on top. That was finished off quickly and I recommend it. Next we had the calabrese pizza which was full of flavor with the meat and broccolini and onions, but it wasn't overly greasy. Lastly we all got the spicy miso carbonara which was so good with the juicy pieces of meat, the perfect amount of spice, and chewy udon noodles. Love all the Kei concepts restaurants & highly recommend going!

INI Ristorante by Kei Concepts is a gem for anyone craving a blend of traditional Italian cuisine with a twist of innovation. The atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between cozy and classy, making it ideal for a romantic date night or a relaxed get-together with friends. The staff here are warm and attentive, ensuring your dining experience is top-notch from the moment you walk in. Their menu features a range of dishes crafted with care, highlighting fresh, high-quality ingredients. The homemade pastas are a standout, cooked just right and bursting with flavors that transport you straight to Italy. The cocktail list complements the meal beautifully, and the servers are knowledgeable and happy to help you find the perfect pairing. While the portions are on the smaller side for the price point, the quality and presentation of the food make it worthwhile. And don't leave without trying their desserts--especially the Berry French Toast--it's a heavenly way to end your meal. INI Ristorante by Kei Concepts promises a memorable dining experience with its inviting ambiance, delicious food, and exceptional service. If you're in the mood for authentic Italian flavors with a twist, this place won't disappoint.

Came during happy hour and we only waited about 5-10 minutes to get seated. The truffle cheese bread is my absolute favorite item to get there, I get it everytime when I'm here. It unfortunately is not part of their happy hour menu. Margherita pizza - Thought it was okay, the bread tasted good but it was very meh in flavor. (2.5/5) Calamari Fritti - Second favorite app that they serve here. (5/5) Chicken Alfredo - I liked the texture of the noodle but everything was meh too me as well, didn't wow me. (2/5) Overall, it's a good place if you want to go during happy hour, selection isn't the best but also it's not the worst. Compared to other happy hour locations, it was more on the pricey side, items ranged from $7-10. It's definitely worth a try but next time I rather stick to the non-happy hour items besides the calamari.

Loved this place! If you're looking for Italian fusion this is it! Came here to celebrate my husbands birthday! And they gave him a brownie cake with a candle. It was super light, chocolatey, airy, and tastes somewhat like a lava cake, that's how moist it is! For appetizer we ordered the beef carpaccio and that was really yummy, the beef melted in your mouth and the arugula and crisp sweet apples complimented it beautifully. Our mains we got the seafood malfadine which is the pasta and it was delicious! Creamy tomato based sauce with cheese and loaded with crab, scallops, sausage, and shrimp. The pasta was cooked perfectly with a slight chew. I highly recommend this. The second main we got was the miso hanger steak. This was pretty good as well. The stead was tender but a little chewy, and the sides that came with it added the perfect touch; broccoli rhab, potato pancake, and a fried egg. Parking was plentiful and service was great! Waitress kept checking on us to make sure everything was amazing

One of the best brunch spots I have been to in LA/OC combined. Made a reservation online which was quick and easy. Parking lot has plenty of space as it is in a shopping center with other restaurants also run by KEI concepts. My girlfriends and I came at happy hour which was decently busy on a Wednesday. We ordered the dealers choice, cheesecake and NY sour for drinks. All were strong and good. For food we got the garlic parm fries, veal bolognese, mentaiko pizza and uni pasta. Everything was hot and good. Presentation of all means and drinks were out of this world as well for the price. Perfect place to go on a brunch date and take pics at!

Wanted to try Ini because I have tried pretty much all the Kei Concepts restaurants and absolutely loved their food and Ini is no exception! They are know for their fusion foods and I was excited to try Italian Japanese fusion food. I came here on 4th of July right when they opened and luckily did not have to wait long to be seated but I was able to watch the cooks make the pizza dough while I waited which was pretty cool! I really loved the decor and ambience of the restaurant, there were lots of plants all around and even a small tree in the middle of the restaurant which gave the place a very natural vibe. I ordered the yuzu refresher and the mint coffee and both were aesthetically pleasing and delicious with the yuzu refresher being my favorite. Our server was super friendly and kept checking in on us to see if we needed everything, he was great! I also ordered the spicy miso carbonara which I really liked because I love spicy food! My brother got the seafood mafaldine and he preferred this one as it wasn't as spicy and had a more sweet taste, both were delicious of course. For dessert we had the yuzu sherbet which was super cute and very light and refreshing but packed a sweet punch! I love Kei Concepts and I loved the food at Ini too, definitely a place to try out if your craving fusion food

Trekking across the parking lot in Fountain Valley on a balmy Monday for lunch, I stumbled across this new concept fusion, INI. "Hmm... what awaits me here, I thought?" Surely it is a sister of Gem Restaurant who, when you put the words together, you get "Gemini," which is pretty clever if I do say so myself. The ambiance of this restaurant was very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It had the open light concept which drew natural lighting into the restaurant with an oculus in the center of the ceiling allowing it to gently cascade across the succulent green plants with vines against a smooth grain wood accent. I was very impressed by how artistic this concept was. Visually stunning for photos. It is a fusion restaurant with concepts similar to NEP. However, I will talk about my disappointment up front. Having lunch 2 weeks earlier at NEP, I realized that both of these similar-style restaurants have pulled beef bone marrow from their menu. I know that you can buy 2 of these raw bones at the local Asian supermarket for about $7 dollars total (I purchased it two days ago to make a large pot of Pho). It didn't make sense when I asked the waiter the reason for this deficiency in bone marrow, to which he replied, "It is getting expensive, hence we pulled the item from all our sister restaurants as well -- we didn't want to pass the cost of these bones to our customers." I would reply in my head "But the customers are willing to pay for it?" it made no sense as it was the main draw to these fusion restaurants, bone marrow toast or pasta. But I digress, having that out of the way. The spicy miso carbonara was delectable in every way. It had an egg yolk which exploded with umami flavors in every bite, perfectly el dente to the bite. There was a small piece of hair which I didn't know where it came from but it was so good, it did not matter -- I picked it out and continued (didn't want to call the waiter to bring attention to my esteemed guests). I would definitely come back again for this pasta. It is expensive for a small portion but it is worth it. It is quite rare to find such hidden gems in Fountain Valley but this very dish was worth it.

This place was amazing! We were lucky to have arrived when the restaurant opened and just walked in and got seated right away. You do have to make sure that if you're in a group, everyone is present or else you cannot get seated until everyone is there. INI has been on my list for a long time to try and I finally had the opportunity last month. It was AMAZING!!! Everything was so good. We ordered beef carpaccio, calamari fritti, truffle cheese bread, lobster arancini, uni pasta, spicy miso carbonara, and the honey corn cake. I'm glad there were a lot of us because we were able to share all of our dishes and try everything we wanted to. I highly recommend and can't wait to come back!

Really great spot, especially for OC. Think this is the best line of their restaurants I've tried (over SUP noodle bar, Vox Kitchen, ramen/izakaya spot) but I've yet to try Nep Cafe which I've heard was very good. I would say get their Uni Pasta over the Miso Carbonara. Truffle Funghi Pizza is also very good, along with their Beef Carpaccio. - drinks are good (4/5). Some unique Asian flavor twists- the sesame oil drink was probably best - mint coffee is ok, but probably a pass for the price Service is good. Nothing too crazy good, but attentive and kind enough. Would come back and take guests here! Good Italian Japanese fusion