It’s the end of the year, and my ramen bowl’s looking a bit empty. Please join us next year for more ramen excitement! Happy New Year from all of us at ramenramenramen.
And now for something different…the only link this picture has to ramen is that I happened to take it during a ramen expedition in L.A. earlier this year. What kind of ramen do yo think they like? Cheers!
Just thought everyone could use something cheerful since Thanksgiving weekend is almost over…
from geishabot
I’ve been intrigued by Gardena Ramen ever since I read rameniac’s promise of “the finest shoyu ramen in L.A.” Since I tend to favor the classic shoyu ramen over any other new-fangled choices, I couldn’t wait to try it. When I finally had some time to head up to Torrance (yes, it’s Gardena Ramen, but in Torrance), I was as giddy as a school girl on a first date (Ok, maybe more like a school boy, but school boys don’t get giddy…do they?).
The non-descript strip mall that held the path to ramen nirvana was anchored by a 99-cent Store and had an almost empty parking lot. I looked at my watch: 12:30pm, peak lunch time…hmm…not a good sign.
As my wife and I entered the spartan ramen house, my wife pointed out the coffee-shop chairs. “Cute,” she commented. And that, and the U2 song playing in the background is about it as far as ambience. As we were seated, we looked around and saw the hand-written menu taped to the wall in various places. In English and Japanese, “shoyu ramen,” “miso ramen,” and “gyoza” were our choices.
After we ordered shoyu ramen with gyoza, we perused the fine collection of Japanese manga and speculated on whether or not the grandmotherly waitress was related to the chef, Nakamura-san.
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I wish I knew about this before I got married! Natsuki Sakai and Ai Ito had their marriage ceremony at the Asahikawa Ramen Village, a ramen theme park in Hokkaido, Japan.
The groom, Sakai, told guests “We want our marriage to be as long and endless as a noodle and stay as hot as the broth in which noodles are served.”
Apparently, the only reason Sakai and bride Ai Ito could be married at the ramen village is because Sakai’s father is the head manager. I wonder if the RSVP cards read “shoyu or tonkotsu” instead of “chicken or beef”.
No word on how many nights the groom had to spend sleeping on the couch for pulling this off.
Source: Mainichi Daily News
It’s a shame that ramen yatai (street vendors) are disappearing from the streets of Japan. Catch a glimpse of a dying breed at Tokyo Daily Photo.
Even the Wall Street Journal is catching on to ramen. Check out this article, complete with video, about Ivan Ramen, the ramen shop in Tokyo opened by New York chef Ivan Orkin!
Ever think of the instant ramen industry as good corporate citizens? Ever thought they might be as greedy and corrupt as the music or oil industry? If you think the latter, you may be more right than you thought!
You’ve probably already seen Transformers, the movie? How about transforming ramen? via Canned Dogs 2007
Surveys galore about what Japanese people think about ramen (and an animated Cup Noodles commercial)
My wife and I recently went on a road trip to Portland, Oregon, and of course, I had to do some ramen research. After spending time surfing the web, I sadly announced that there were *zero* ramen shops in Portland (aspiring ramen entrepreneurs pay attention: there is no competition in Portland!). But wait…what’s this? “Guess what, dear…we’re making a stop at Eugene!” “Eugene? Where’s that?” “It’s about 2 hours south of Portland…and there’s a ramen house there!”
As luck would have it, we arrived shortly before they closed for the afternoon. Phew. That’ll teach me to not call ahead. Unlike most of the other ramen houses we’ve been to, this one had a huge gas station-type sign on the corner (which makes sense considering it’s located on the site of a former gas station), and a fancy logo. From the outside, Toshi’s Ramen looks more like a trendy pub than a cozy ramen shop. Inside, the sparse, modern decor gives off a coffeehouse feel. And the menu…the glorious poster menu features pictures of every combination of ramen goodness available here, beckoning hungry eaters. Read the rest of this entry →
