the ramen blog & other goodies!

An amusing Thai instant noodle commercial. This reminds me: did anyone catch “Man vs Food” when he tried the Orochon challenge? Was anyone actually there during the taping?

Mitsuwa Japanese supermarket was having an “anniversary festival” so the wife and I went to check it out, not realizing that Santouka ramen (located in the Mitsuwa food court) was also having a special.

On 2/26 to 3/1, and also next week 3/5 Thurs to 3/8 Sun, the Santoukas in Mitsuwa Torrance, Costa Mesa, San Diego, Santa Monica, and even Chicago, is offering a special Toromi Shoyu ramen (“Gravy Soy Sauce” ramen). It’s limited to 20 bowls a day so you should get there early! The Santouka in Costa Mesa is open at 11am, and there was already a short line when we arrived about 10 till. Read the rest of this entry →

Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi in Fountain Valley is offering their $3 ramen anniversary special again this weekend! Doors open at 11:30am and the special is limited to the first 550 customers. As anyone who’s ever been there knows, there’s usually a long wait even when they’re not having any specials. Get there early, and good eating!

Shin-Sen-Gumi
18315 Brookhurst St., #1
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Phone: (714) 962-8971

via stick a fork in it

This is edjusted reporting to you from Dallas, Texas–wait, what? What do you mean there’s no ramen here? Nothing?! No, Tampopo doesn’t count. Seriously? No ramen? Sigh…ok, pack it up. We’ll just get some etuoffee at Pappadeaux instead…

This is edjusted reporting to you from Houston, Tex–what?! Again? No ramen?! Aw c’mon! These are two huge cities with so much good food! …a sushi restaurant? Well, that brisket sandwich for lunch was damn “goode “so I guess I can take one for the team…it’s called what? “Nippon Japanese restaurant”? You’re kidding? Isn’t that’s like calling your restaurant Korea Korean restaurant, Française French restaurant or Deutschland German restaurant! Alright alright, beggars can’t be choosers. Read the rest of this entry →

Anyone who knows even a handful of Japanese words probably knows the word “gomen,” as in “sorry.” My first attempt to eat at Gomen a few months ago resulted in one of those “gomen” moments, when, after a 30 minute drive, we discovered an empty parking lot and a “closed” sign on the door. Gomen has a reputation for having odd hours and closing at random times even when they’re supposed to be open, and I know I’m not the only one that’s experienced a “gomen” moment…”gomen” we’re not open when we say we are, “gomen” we’re closing early because we ran out of soup, “gomen” for the long wait you’ll encounter if you come during peak hours. Read the rest of this entry →

Tokyo Table is a fine dining restaurant that offers “modern yet authentic Japanese cuisine, complemented by tastes from other Asian and world cultures.” I have a tendency to look down on and avoid “fusion” type restaurants (more on this later) like Tokyo Table, whose signatures dishes include “sushi pizza” and “grilled pesto salmon.” I recently agreed to try Tokyo Table mainly because of my newfound enthusiasm for honey toast, a simple and delicious Japanese dessert also offered there. I was ambivalent about whether or not to try their ramen, due in part to Go Ramen’s less than lukewarm review, and in part because of the name of the ramen: Tokyo Char-siu Ramen Noodles. Call me picky, but “char-siu” is Chinese. “Chashu” is Japanese. And “Ramen Noodles” is redundant in the way that “ATM machine” is redundant. (An ATM is an Automated Teller Machine! Why would anyone say Automated Teller Machine machine?!? -end of rant.) To me, those are bad omens of things to come. Of course, dummy that I am, I still ordered the ramen. Read the rest of this entry →