ramen rating: okazu ramen house – orange, ca
A new new ramen house! In Orange, of all places! I’ve been waiting for months to try out Okazu ramen, but haven’t quite been able to make it until recently. Okazu is located in the back corner of a Target shopping plaza, and is now open for lunch and dinner.
ramen rating: eifukucho taishouken
Those of you who follow Go Ramen! know that Keizo, the writer of Go Ramen! has been in Japan, living his dream of becoming a ramen chef. A couple of months ago, I got a message from Keizo telling me that he was back in CA visiting, and had something for little ol’ me! Imagine...
ramen rating: sun noodles shoyu
I’ve always admired Sun Noodle’s simple packaging for this nama ramen. The noodles just look so simple and fresh. Will reality match perception? Mmm, the tasty shoyu broth has a mellow barely-sweet undertone, but is clear and not too heavy. For a nama ramen, it’s great. And the firm curly noodles have a great chewy...
ramen rating: la-men – buena park, ca
I noticed La-men springing into existence maybe a month or two ago on the way to a friend’s house. At first, my first instinct was to make fun of it. “La-men! Ha! They can’t even spell it right!” But later, when I found out it was actually run by Japanese people, I was intrigued. My...
ramen rating: chibaki chuukasoba
If you’re in Torrance this weekend, you can stop by Mitsuwa to try the real Chibakiya ramen. The rest of us can settle for the bowl ramen version of their chuukasoba. Seems like a poor substitute, doesn’t it? We’ll see…
ramen rating: chibakiya – costa mesa, ca
For a limited time (until tomorow), Chibakiya is at Mitsuwa supermarket again, this time at the Costa Mesa location. On the menu this weekend: their famous shinasoba! The Costa Mesa Mitsuwa gets ridiculously crowded at lunchtime, especially when they have their food fairs. You have to prowl the dining area and be ready to pounce...
ramen quick review: santouka ltd ed awase aji ramen – costa mesa, ca
Santouka Ramen recently offered a limited edition, and very tasty toromi shoyu ramen, so when I found out they were offering another limited edition ramen…guess where I was this morning? The ramen offered this time is an awase aji ramen (literally combination flavor ramen). As with last time, it’s also limited to 20 bowls a...
ramen quick review: santouka toromi shoyu – costa mesa, ca
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...
ramen rating: ichiza – las vegas, nv
Las Vegas. Sin city. The city of glittering towers. Where every casino outdoes the last in size, opulence, and sheer luxuriousness. Where every celebrity chef worth his or her Food Network credentials race to bring you their latest and greatest twist on the future of fine dining. But what about the simple foods? What if...
ramen rating: umemura – gardena, ca (and the ramen summit)
After many failed attempts to get together, Keizo, Rameniac, and I finally found time in our oh-so-busy schedules to gather for our 1st Ramen Summit (Well, Keizo called it a Ramen Round Table, but I prefer the “the fate of the ramen world is at stake”-sounding “Ramen Summit”.) I’ve already met Keizo several times, and...
ramen rating: foo foo tei – hacienda heights, ca
Located in a seemingly deserted neighborhood and housed inside what looks like a liquor store in a not-so-good neighborhood, Foo-Foo Tei is the unlikely ramen hotspot of San Gabriel Valley. Foo-Foo Tei has been on my radar for a while, and since the star of Go Ramen! has committed himself to eating Foo-Foo Tei’s 31...
ramen rating: marutai goma shoyu stick ramen
A few months ago, I tried and reviewed Marutai’s shoyu tonkotsu stick ramen. The next day, I tried this goma shoyu version. No, you didn’t wander into a time warp. This is simply laziness at work. On to the review!
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...
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