ramen rating: tokyo table – irvine, ca
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...
ramen rating: ajisen ramen – irvine, ca
Ajisen Ramen started out in the late 1960′s as a ramenya in Kumamoto, Japan, serving “Kumamoto Tonkotsu” ramen, a tonkotsu ramen served with a garlic and onion brown sauce. Since their humble beginnings, they’ve expanded to more than 300 stores worldwide and their Chinese joint venture even trades as a public company on the Hong...
ramen rating: kairakutei ramen – tustin, ca
There are hidden gems, really hidden gems, and then there’s Kairakutei Ramen. Nestled in the corner of a strange two-sided plaza that can be best described as a sandwich cut into two triangles, Kairakutei doesn’t even have a sign that says “Kairakutei,” at least none that I saw. Unless you can read Japanese, the only...
mitsuwa hokkaido fair
In case you missed the previous ramen festival in February, Mitsuwa japanese supermarket is having a Hokkaido Fair, featuring two of the previously featured ramenyas and apparently introducing highly rated Santouka Ramen to the San Jose Store. Shoyu ramen specialist Asameshi Maeda Honpo will be at the Costa Mesa store from Thursday thru Sunday (9/11...
ramen rating: honda ya – tustin, ca
Years of disappointing experiences have taught me that I shouldn’t order ramen from restaurants that aren’t ramenyas. Too many places have ramen on their menu only as an afterthought, and ramen aficionados like me end up being bitterly disappointed by the ramen I ordered and my eating companions point and laugh at me and make...
ramen rating: maruyu – santa ana, ca
Located across from a power station and nestled in a tiny plaza with really only a Donut Star and a bunch of small businesses as neighbors, Ma Ru Yu is in the running for worst location for a new ramenya. The restaurant is homey, with simple decorations and cutesy hand-made signs on the walls to...
ramen rating: kujiraken shinasoba ramen – costa mesa, ca
Have any of you ever woken up in the morning and thought: hmm…it’s going to be 99 degrees today…what a great day for a nice steaming hot bowl of ramen! Since Mitsuwa Supermarket decided to hold their Gourmet Food Fair on the hottest weekend of the month, I found myself in the awkward position of...
ramen rating: santouka, take 2 – costa mesa, ca
More than one person has taken me to task for not trying the tokusen toroniku (choice fatty pork) ramen at Santouka. Interestingly, not one of my friends think Santouka is very good. But then again, none of them have tried the toroniku either. So finally, I convinced two other ramen-loving (well, ramen-enjoying anyway) friends to...
ramen preview: daikokuya – costa mesa, ca
Rumor had it that Daikokuya was opening in “the OC” in the beginning of March. I happily went there two weeks ago only to find a Daikokuya sign and an empty store. Darn. Finally, after asking around, I found out that the official grand opening was set for “some time in April” (this was from...
ramen rating: kohryu ramen, take 2 – costa mesa, ca
Kohryu Restaurant has gone through not only a change in ownership but a complete remodel since my last review. After their grand re-opening in January, I thought I’d give them another try. We arrived in time for a late lunch, hoping there’d be less people…wait, why are all these people huddled outside (it was really...
ramen rating: asameshi maeda honten – costa mesa, ca
Orange county residents: if you haven’t gone to the Costa Mesa Mitsuwa Ramen Festival yet, you have one more day to go, unless you want to go to Torrance or San Diego. Fellow ramen blogger Keizo has already covered all three locations, but was nice enough to join me today (thanks for the ramen souvenirs!)....
ramen rating: santouka ramen – costa mesa, ca
Santouka Ramen. Santouka Santouka Santouka. Everywhere you look, someone is saying how great Santouka ramen is. Is it really *that* good? Is it everything everyone says it is? Or is another case of ‘don’t believe the hype?’ This was actually the fourth time I’ve been to Santouka Ramen. The first time was in Tokyo, where...
ramen rating: chabuton ramen noodles – costa mesa, ca (closed)
“Chabuton’s mission is to create the perfect bowl of ramen…Our food is meant to feed the soul…and provide sensitivity that touches your entire being.” (Shiver)…I get all quivery just thinking about it. On the downside? It’s in a Japanese market food court. Chabuton opened last year inside the Marukai supermarket in Costa Mesa, and the...
ramen rating: kohryu – costa mesa, ca
I’ve been meaning to try Kohryu for a while but somehow just never got around to it. Finally, goaded by a recent comment, my wife and I decided to give it a try. It was a cold and windy day: perfect conditions for a nice hot bowl of ramen! The restaurant has fairly non-descript decor...
ramen rating: shinsengumi hakata ramen – fountain valley, ca
Shin-Sen-Gumi is a restaurant chain in Southern California that features hakata style ramen in a tonkotsu broth. They also have a robata restaurant next door. Both places are always packed so be prepared for a wait. Upon entering the tiny (seats maybe 20 people) restaurant, you’ll be greeted with a loud chorus of “irrashai-imase” (welcome!)....
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