the ramen blog & other goodies!

I’ve been waiting for Mizuki to open since something like last October, when they ran a cryptic ad in a local Japanese magazine announcing a new ramenya in Irvine…with no address and no opening date. Oh, and they were hiring. Excited that a new ramenya was opening in my back yard, I put on my sleuthing hat and pretended to be interested in a job in order to get more info…I got nothing. (Note to self: forget about becoming a private eye.) Another ad popped up in January announcing a February opening. This time there was a phone number…and a mention of legendary ramenteur (is there such a word?) Sano Minoru, the “ramen demon.” My interest reached a fever pitch. Sano Minoru!?! Involved in a new ramenya!?! In Irvine?!? WOOHOO!

Several phone calls and several different misleading grand opening dates later, it’s finally open…to mixed reviews. Fellow food blogger Exile Kiss went so far as to email me to warn me off. “it’s mazui (bad)…I wanted to warn you (to save your money).” Gulp… (more…)

Kintaro Ramen…one of the “big three” of Vancouver’s ramen zone. Kintaro is a no-nonsense ramenya with an open kitchen. While its competitor Benkei Ramen has obviously spent some time on its interior decorating, Kintaro settles for bare, concrete walls. The ramen chefs dwell silently behind the counter, working efficiently and quietly. The waitresses clump near the back of the restaurant, also quiet, but alert, waiting to serve customers quickly. At times we almost felt a bit rushed, but given the small space and that it’s often very crowded, I can’t really blame them.

On a side note, I just want to establish my “ramen chops.” Not only did I walk for 45 mins to get here, I forced my poor wife to come with me. Then again, it was cold, and slightly uphill, but I can’t say I was barefoot, and it wasn’t snowing. (more…)

I saw this Noodle Restaurant after lunch while walking down to the Waterfront to see the Olympic cauldron. I was too full to eat, but still had to poke my head in to look at the menu.

The good: there was about a dozen different types of ramen available.
The bad: for each type of ramen, there was a corresponding udon. e.g. Shoyu Ramen or Udon. Miso Ramen or Udon.
The ugly: Really? Ramen or Udon? Ramen or udon purists out there know that you can’t just substitute noodles like that and call it a day.

Or, maybe I’m completely wrong and the Sapporo Ramen Shogun geniuses somehow manage to make it work. The place was pretty crowded. If anyone would care to enlighten me, maybe I’ll try it out on a future trip to Vancouver.

Sapporo Ramen Shogun
518 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC
(604) 684-2922
(more…)

It’s the 2010 Winter Olympics, so we’ll be reporting from Vancouver this week! First up…Benkei Ramen. Benkei Ramen is considered to be one of the top ramenyas in Vancouver, with 4 locations throughout the city, including one in “ramen central” (more on this later). That location was a bit far for me, so I went to their newly-opened Thurlow St. location. (more…)

Have you been to Wonton Forest? Have you heard of Sapporo-Ya? How about Yukino Ya Ramen. There must be some sort of bad luck associated with this place, because Yukino Ya is the 3rd restaurant to be at this location in the past year. I happened to be in the area a week ago during a major storm and was excited to have a new ramenya to try out on such a cold, wet day. (more…)

If you have a hankering for “the best ramen in Hawaii,” according to Honolulu magazine, you have one more day to head down to Mitsuwa to try Gomaichi Ramen.

While the Gomaichi stand was offering three different types of ramen, I chose the specialty they’re known for: the Tantan ramen. Gomaichi’s tan tantan men comes with a thin layer of chili oil, giving it a bright orangish-red hue which makes it look spicier than it actually is.

The soup was very rich and nutty. The chili oil added a nice touch of spiciness but didn’t overwhelm the flavor. It’s a very oily soup, which lets it ease down your throat with a warm sensation. Unfortunately, the noodles don’t pull their own weight. The thin starchy noodles were chewy but bland, and seemed unable to absorb any of the rich soup flavor.

The pork was lean, a bit dry, and surprisingly bland. The cha shu tasted like it was cooked in a plain water bath that leeched away its natural flavor.

The Gomaichi Tantan ramen could’ve been a contender, but the parts just don’t mesh. The bland noodles and cha shu distracted from than supported the tasty soup. This ramen gets a slightly above-average 6.

Gomaichi Ramen
(inside Mitsuwa Supermarket until 10/25)
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-1101
Cash only