Probably one of the best-rated Ramen shops in Southern California (after Santouka), Gardena Ramen (in Torrance) was a Ramen shop I was *so* looking forward to! I remember reading the wonderful review from Rameniac, and hearing more about it from others. It made my tomodachi Keizo's list of top Ramen-ya in 2007. :)

So on a warm, relaxing So Cal Summer day, I walked into Gardena Ramen, excited at the prospect of getting the famous Shoyu Ramen (Soy Sauce-base Ramen Noodle Soup). As I had read about, Nakamura-san - the devoted Ramen cook and owner - had his menu up on the wall with just 3 regular items: Shoyu Ramen, Miso Ramen and Gyoza. That's it (besides drinks). This was exciting, and I was looking forward to a specialist who wasn't bogged down trying to satisfy everyone, but rather delivering a focused specialty.

I sat down and ordered their Shoyu Ramen and Gyoza and awaited the food.

The Gyoza (Pan-fried Dumplings) arrived first, with an order consisting of 6 pieces. The Gyoza tasted really salty, with a thicker skin than what I prefer. The meat filling reminded me of a store-bought, pre-packaged version. Overall, it was disappointing, but that didn't matter too much, since I was here for the Ramen. :)



Finally the Shoyu Ramen (Soy Sauce-based Ramen Noodle Soup) arrived: A large, hot bowl of fragrant goodness. Or so I thought. The aroma was good, and taking a sip, this was definitely something more complex than the usual Soy Sauce Broth found at many Ramen restaurants in So Cal. It had notes of Fish and Chicken, and a light Shoyu (Soy Sauce) base. It was pretty tasty, but I felt it might've been a bit salty (just a touch). But after a few sips, I noticed the dreaded crutch that plagues too many Asian restaurants: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). (>_<)


I minimized as much of the Broth intake as possible, and focused on the other ingredients. The Ramen noodles were pretty good, with a nice texture, a good thickness without being too thick, and different from the usual yellow, curly noodle found in many places). The Chashu (Slow-cooked Pork Slices) were average, tasting slightly old (i.e., not made fresh that day). And the Chashu had a strange look to it (see picture). The Bamboo was also average.


The Tamago (Egg) was hard-boiled (as is standard in So Cal), and OK, nothing special.

I chatted with Nakamura-san after the meal, and asked him if he used MSG in his broth, ...

Finding a great bowl of Tonkotsu (Pork Bone) Ramen in L.A. can be challenging at times. True, we have Santouka's blended Tonkotsu broth (but it can be inconsistent), and Shin Sen Gumi was the first to popularize Hakata-style Tonkotsu Ramen in L.A., but it's been watered down for a while now. So when I heard that Mitsuwa Marketplace was holding their 2009 Kyushu & Okinawa Fair this weekend, and that the Torrance Mitsuwa was hosting a Ramen specialist from Kurume city, Fukuoka, Japan, I was hoping beyond hope that we'd be getting something truly worthy of Hakata-style Tonkotsu Ramen.


I arrived early and quickly found the stand for Tatsunoya (???) in the food court area. Tatsunoya was founded by Chef-Owner Tajiwara Ryuuta who grew up in Kurume. Opening up Tatsunoya was a dream for Tajiwara-san: He studied under legendary Ramen master (and one of the Four Ramen Devas) Shigemi Kawahara of Ippudo fame, and he spent 3 years perfecting his Tatsunoya Tonkotsu Ramen Broth.

For this Kyushu Fair, Tatsunoya is only offering 1 type of Ramen, a kotteri (thick/rich) Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork Bone Broth Ramen Noodles). It's based on Chef Tajiwara's Koku Aji Tonkotsu Ramen served at his Ramen Shops in Japan, but it's not quite the same. Chef Tajiwara laments that he couldn't find the same quality Pork for his soup for this Food Festival (with the limited time he had to prep), but he said it's "almost the same" and he's proud of the soup he made for this Festival. :) Ultimately it seems to reflect his learning of Hakata-style Ramen-making and the roots of his native city of Kurume (where his original branch is located).


After a few anxious minutes, the bowl of Porky goodness arrives. :) Taking a sip of the Tonkotsu Broth... wonderfully deep and rich, with a soulful porcine aroma! It's creamy, rich, salty and sweet! But what's even more amazing is that Tatsunoya makes their Tonkotsu with just Pork Bones and Water (and a few spices). No Fish, Chicken, Konbu or other Vegetables. To be able to achieve this type of flavor with just different types of Pork Bones and his long-developed recipe for cooking and distilling it down is pretty impressive. :) But people with allergies to MSG take note: Tajiwara-san uses a "little bit" of MSG (unfortunately), but thankfully it's not overwhelming. I'm pretty sensitive to the Flavor Crystals and I only had a very mild reaction compared to many places around town.


The Noodles are wonderfully thin, firm and straight, a classic noodle from the Kyushu area. Not only is it a relief to find these straight noodles, but they're simply ...

A new Ramen Noodle shop opened up recently in the San Gabriel Valley. Usually that would mean a high probability that it was a Chinese Ramen restaurant, instead of a Japanese Ramen-ya, and the flavors would reflect that, but then I heard that it was a restaurant focusing on Japanese Ramen, specifically Hokkaido Ramen(!), which would be a rarity if true. Before I knew it, I found myself with one of my Ramen Hounds, pulling into the parking lot of Aji Man, located in the same plaza as Golden Deli and Newport Seafood on Las Tunas Drive.


We entered the restaurant and were greeted in Japanese by a humble lady, and also by the Ramen Chef, Sasaki-san. I sat down and looked at the menu (all in English), and saw some standard offerings - Shio Ramen, Shoyu Ramen, and then a Sapporo Miso Ramen, which Sasaki-san said was his "Hokkaido Ramen," a tribute to the great Northern island of Japan. I glanced over at Page 2 and saw a variety of... Fusion Sushi Rolls. (>_>) I almost got up and left on the spot, but decided to stick it out and try some of their Ramen.

We ordered two flavors of Ramen to try out. The first Ramen served was their Shio Ramen (Salt-flavored Ramen). The Noodles were the ubiquitous yellow curly Egg Noodles, with a surprisingly clear Broth. It was served with some Menma (Bamboo), two slices of Chashu (Pork), and Nori (Seaweed). I took a sip and discovered a nice light soup that was not salty at all (perhaps even a bit underflavored). I could taste some Pork Bones flavor in there as well. But then after a few sips I started tasting something not quite right... the three letters of doom: MSG. Sigh.


Besides the Broth, the Menma was OK, the Ramen Noodles were cooked well enough, a slight chew, and decent, and the Chashu tasted moderately "fresh" (probably about 1 day old, compared to many Ramen restaurants in So Cal that taste like the Chashu is about 2-4 days old). The other thing to note was that the Pork Slices were really lean (and healthier), but as a result it was a bit too tough for my tastes, with almost no fat. The highlight would've been the Broth, but the MSG ruined it for me.



Continuing on, the next Ramen came out: Miso Ramen. I was wary at this point, but I tried some of this as well (and left most of it for my Ramen Hound who's resistance ...

I'm still trying to recount how the events transpired that propelled me through 5(!) Ramen Shops during a lazy weekend afternoon. It began innocuously enough, with an invitation by my friend Keizo (of Go Ramen!), to try out Shisen Ramen in Torrance. I thought, "Sure! A bowl of Shisen-style Ramen Noodles sounds interesting and potentially delicious." (Although in hindsight, even this statement reflects something wrong: I had just finished trying out all 32 flavors of Ramen Noodles at Foo Foo Tei over the course of 1.5 months! What possessed me to eat more Ramen after that is a baffling mystery. :P)

After arriving at Shisen Ramen just before they opened, Keizo, in true Ramen aficionado fashion, uttered the question that will live in infamy: "What do you think if we visited all of Torrance's Ramen-yas today?" I suppose one part of my subconscious was screaming "Are you crazy?! Just try some Shisen Ramen here and be off!" But before I could contemplate the consequences, my culinary curiosity got the better of me, and I blurted out: "Sounds cool!" (^_^) In all seriousness, this turned out to be one of the funnest days in recent memory, touring all the main Ramen Shops of Torrance with one of the biggest Ramen experts around. :)

Shisen Ramen's specialty is, as its name suggests, Shisen (Sichuan)-style Ramen. Chef Yokomoto perfected his recipe for a Shisen-style Broth years ago and the restaurant has become a popular place amongst the locals for quite some time. It's a tiny Ramen Shop, with a long, L-shaped wooden bar and a warm interior.



We decided to start with their famous Shisen Paiko Ramen (Fried Pork, Curry Flavor, on Shisen Ramen). Any restaurant that plasters the famous Kanji of Shisen (the Japanese pronunciation of "Sichuan" or "Szechuan") on a dish's name has me preparing for a spice level that might torch my taste buds :), but luckily Yokomoto-san's Shisen Soup was spicy without being overpowering. The Shisen Soup forms the foundation of this restaurant's signature Ramen, and more than half of the menu is made up of variations on this soup.


Before taking a sip, a wave of peppercorns, garlic and chile oil aroma hit me full on; this could be something special. The Shisen Soup itself is everything that I had just smelled and more: A powerful, garlicky, spicy broth (not too spicy), with a touch of sweetness. It was very distinct and different from most standard Ramen Noodle Soups. But after a few more minutes of eating, I noticed something else: MSG. :( It wasn't anywhere near as bad as Gardena Ramen or ...

After my previous day's Ramen from Heaven (Menya Kissou) , I woke up on the sixth day of our Japan Trip with the goal to try another highly-recommended Ramen shop. Thanks to Chowhounder Silverjay's great review of Rokurinsha, it was another must-try destination on my trip here.

I Googled the location and true to Silverjay's review, I found myself in the quiet, beautiful, rural neighborhood of Shinagawa! Here's some initial shots of the area, leaving the train station:



Walking through the quiet residential area, I soon found myself contemplating, "Ah... this is where I wouldn't mind living. I want to buy a house right here!" Away from the hustle and bustle of central Tokyo, this was truly a nice place. After a few more minutes of walking, we found Rokurinsha... by following the line ~20+ people *who were already in line 45 minutes before it opened!* Wow.




Granted it was a Saturday (maybe I should've known), but it was our last day in Tokyo. No worries. Great Ramen is worth the wait, or so I hoped. But after about an hour and twenty minute wait, all my fears were put to rest! (Here's an authentic, old-school Ramen Delivery vessel used by Rokurinsha!)



The waiter took our order prior to sitting down: I ordered their Tsukemen (Dipping Ramen noodles in a separated Broth (instead of all in one bowl), popular in Tokyo). I added their Hanjyuku Egg (Silverjay says it's an "Aji-Tsuke Tamago"), and what the waiter recommended to me as their signature: Buta Hogushi (a shredded Pork Chashu topping). Within minutes our order arrived:



The first thing that struck us was the sheer SIZE of the Ramen noodles. Silverjay wasn't kidding! (O_O) These noodles were HUGE (definitely more like thick Udon than anything). I grabbed the first bit of these thick Ramen noodles and dipped it into the fragrant broth and took a bite:

A nice porky and fish-infused blend of flavors washed over me. Definitely quality broth, very rich and complex. Its balance of pork and fish were different ...

Thanks to Keizo's early posting, I discovered that Mitsuwa Market was holding a Food Fair, dubbed "2008 Mitsuwa Umaimono Gourmet Fair." It's being held this weekend from Thursday, May 15, through Sunday, May 18, at select Mitsuwa locations (for So Cal, their website lists the Costa Mesa branch and the Torrance branch). I was able to plan ahead and visit the Mitsuwa Gourmet Fair on its opening day for lunch.

From reading the website it sounded like there'd be 2-3 main eating attractions and that'd be it (like the last Ramen Fair, last year). Imagine my surprise when I arrived to see numerous food booths (all tightly compacted) in the center of Mitsuwa's main walkway, and a massive line for fresh Takoyaki (Octopus Pastry Balls), in addition to the other eateries I was looking forward to.

First up, we tried the stand with the longest line: Takoya Kukuru's Fresh Takoyaki (Octopus Pastry Balls).



I was pretty excited about the Takoyaki, since who isn't beguiled by the seductive fragrance of fresh dough being cooked to crispy, fluffy perfection? (^_^) It certainly smelled great, and they even proudly showed their "#1 Ranking" according to votes from some survey.


They even had a nice diagram explaining how their Takoyaki was so different, using a dash of White Wine, in addition to the usual Octopus, Flour, Powdered Seaweed, Red Ginger, Bonito, etc.


It took about 15 minutes (since they make them fresh in batches), and I finally got my order. I sat down (within ~2 minutes) and we opened up the box to partake in Octopus goodness!


But sadly, the Takoyaki already started to "melt" together! Traditionally the Octopus Pastry Balls are served piping hot (they were), and topped with the vendor's Takoyaki Sauce and some Mayonnaise. We had literally gotten them fresh off the grill only ~2 minutes beforehand and when we tried to pick one up, each Pastry Ball had already started to turn into a gooey mess! :( There was no crispy exterior at this point, it was literally just gooey. Undaunted we dug in, and the actual *flavor* of Kukuru's recipe was definitely standout from most Takoyaki in So Cal. You could taste and get a big piece of Octopus (good thing), but it was marred by the fact that the rest of it was all just a liquid mess at this point. Sigh. The Takoyaki I had in Ueno Park from the local vendor far ...

While it had only been a few weeks since my last visit to Torihei, various circumstances resulted in me returning for a fourth, fifth and sixth visit. :) As So Cal's new Kyoto-style Oden (Variety of Items Stewed in a Dashi Broth) and Yakitori (Roasted Chicken Skewers) Specialist, Torihei has expanded their menu since their debut last month.

Sitting down for an early dinner, the first thing I notice on my fourth visit is the expanded Sake drink menu. Originally, Torihei only had 3 brands of Sake on their menu, but they've expanded and added a few new brands, including my all-time favorite Sake: Takeno Tsuyu ("Dew of the Bamboo") Junmai Sake from Yamagata Prefecture, Japan! (Note that this is only the 2nd Japanese restaurant in So Cal that I've found that serves this silky smooth, clean finish Sake.) Torihei has just significantly improved with this addition alone. (^_~)


In addition, they've added a special Takejoka Sake Service, where they serve the Sake of your choice in their own homegrown(!) Bamboo. Chef Masataka Hirai decided to utilize some of the Bamboo growing in their garden and fashioned them into serving devices for the Sake. :)

While initially they had some nicely presented Shichimi Togarashi (a condiment of seven different ingredients that is a classic pairing with Yakitori skewers), they also added another classic condiment: Sansho Pepper, but unlike the more commonly found variety, Torihei found a rarer, premium quality Sansho and the difference is amazing. Super-refined, powdered Sansho Pepper gives off a lush, herbal and citrus fragrance, and an engaging numbing effect to the tongue! :)

For those new to Yakitori cuisine, feel free to add a little bit of Sansho Pepper or Shichimi Togarashi (the red-colored pepper) to your skewers.


We start off with something from Chef Masa's side of the menu: Gyu-tan (Beef Tongue) Skewers, roasted over their Binchotan charcoal. This was a bit too thick cut for my tastes, and thicker than my first few visits. Fortunately by the fifth and sixth visits, the Gyu-tan cut has been back to normal again (thinner and easier to eat). It's been perfectly roasted each of my visits, with a good juicy interior and nice, light smokiness.


The first item from Chef Masakazu Sasaki (Torihei's Oden Chef) is their Hanpen (Hanpen Fish Cake), a made-from-scratch, wondrous creation. Taking the first bite, it's *so* light and airy, fluffy and truly like eating a cloud or a dream, if dreams could be made physical. (^_^) It was *that* good! And of course, it's served with their housemade Oden Broth (made ...

I remember first hearing about Foo-Foo Tei, a strange, hidden Ramen Shop tucked away in some industrial part of Hacienda Heights a few months ago, from my good friend, Keizo of Go Ramen!. It sounded intriguing, with a restaurant that had 31 different bowls of Ramen / Noodles, one bowl for each day of the month(!). Add to that a few follow-up posts from Keizo, and Rameniac challenging Keizo to try all 31 flavors of their Ramen for a prize, and I knew I had to visit this place at least once. (^_~)


So on a fateful night, I found myself driving through a quiet residential neighborhood before finally finding the lone, simple restaurant in what looked like an abandoned, industrial section of town(!). There was nothing around that looked even remotely like it was open to the public. It was exciting and strange at the same time.


Upon entering, we were greeted with a very simple decor of flourescent lighting and simple red tables, and stacks of Japanese Manga (comics). We were seated promptly and I immediately noted the 31 different placards hanging on the wall, depicting a different Ramen / Noodle... this was impressive!


Looking towards the kitchen, they had a lineup of various drinks offered, from some popular Japanese soft drinks, to Sake, Shochu and Beer.


After looking over the menu, we decided to start at the top, with their 1st and 2nd Ramen Noodle offerings. The first Ramen to arrive was their Shoyu Ramen (Noodle with Clear Soup (Soy Sauce Base)). As soon as it arrived, I could tell that this was going to be a traditional, straight-forward Shoyu (Soy Sauce) Ramen, not to be confused with the more popular type of Shoyu-Tonkotsu (Soy Sauce & Pork Bone).

The first sip was clean and pure, but overpowered by mass quantities of Menma (Preserved Bamboo). (I found out later from Keizo and others that this was an aberration, and that normally it's not so overpowering.) I'm not a fan of too much Menma, so this was slightly off-putting. But the Shoyu Broth was very light, and not too salty, and I could detect no MSG. The Moyashi (Bean Sprouts) and Naruto (Fish Cake) were fine, but the standout was the Chashu (Stewed Pork). This was meaty, moist, and thick; it tasted very *fresh*, a far cry from 99% of the Ramen shops in L.A. where the Pork Slices taste old (which is usually the case at many places, where they cook a large batch to last for a few days-to-a-week). ...

Daikokuya Ramen in Los Angeles is a relatively popular Ramen shop around the Little Tokyo area. While its quality has declined, it still remains a busy destination. It's by no means the best Ramen in L.A., but it was decent, so when word got out that Daikokuya was coming to Orange County (Costa Mesa), anticipation started to build. While the Costa Mesa area already has good Ramen in Santouka, perhaps the launch of this new Daikokuya might bring with it a renewed "spark," and that they might open this new branch in the pursuit of excellence, reversing the course that its Little Tokyo branch was charting (and to put up a good grand opening at least, to draw in customers). Unfortunately, the end result seemed to be the complete opposite: Completely mediocre Ramen that would never have survived the first week of its opening, had this been in Tokyo.

Daikokuya Costa Mesa is located within the Marukai Japanese supermarket food court, taking the place of the previous Hawaiian eatery. To its credit, they took the time to decorate the entire facade / store front with a faux, unvarnished, "natural wood board" look. They tacked on some old post-WWII era signage and imagery to bring up some nostalgia (and keeping with their odd / fun items displayed in their L.A. branch).


I arrived at noon, promptly stepped up and ordered their Ramen, and tried their Small Shredded Pork Bowl side order as well. The Ramen came out within 10 minutes, and I sat down to eat. Within the first bite, all dreams of this new Daikokuya delivering quality ramen (and maybe even challenging Santouka in the OC) came crashing down: It was a failure on every level.


First off, the Ramen Noodles: They were overly chewy and on the thick side (versus the much thinner Hakata-style Ramen at Shin Sen Gumi, for example). Then, the Tonkotsu Broth: An extremely salty, nearly inedible "Tonkotsu broth" that was the worst Ramen Broth I've had in years.


At this point, I was hoping to salvage something, anything, from this bowl of tragedy. I took a bite of the Pork Chashu (which on Daikokuya's website, they claim is Kurobuta (Berkshire Pork)): Sadness. The Chashu tasted *old* (as in, leftovers from a few days or more), and it was really chunky and tough. It was only weeks earlier that I had experienced the greatest Chashu EVER to grace a bowl of Ramen at Menya Kissou, and the Chashu at Daikokuya was honestly at the complete opposite of the spectrum. I was stunned.

Finally, the Tamago (Egg): This was probably the best part of the Ramen served here. The Egg ...

On this day in our Japan Trip, we were off to Akihabara, and we had heard about a somewhat famous Ramen shop called "Kyushuu Jangara." It was touted as a place to get authentic Kyushuu-style Ramen, down home and tasty. We found the Ramen shop in a little alley in the heart of Akiba.


With a humble, hole-in-the-wall storefront like that, it must be home to some good Ramen, right? Sadly, Kyushuu Jangara turned out to be a huge disappointment.

Here's a pic of their humble interior, with the really spicy pickled vegetables you can add on, or their fresh grated garlic:


We ordered the Zenbuiri Ramen, which basically had every type of topping they served there. Our bowl arrived and we were anxious and eager to try out this much-talked about place:


From the first bite, we knew there was something wrong. Zenbuiri Ramen comes with all their toppings so it had two types of Pork (Chashu and Buta Kakuni), spicy Mentaiko (Fish Roe), Bamboo, Green Onions and the Egg. One bite into the Chashu and disappointment started to set in: The Chashu Pork was so tough and old it was really disappointing. It was worse than some of the Chashu at the mediocre Ramen shops here in Southern California! :( The Bamboo was the preserved kind, and it was so overpowering (the odor / scent) that it took away from the rest of the Ramen. The Noodles themselves were so-so. And then the ultimate disappointment was with the Egg: It was overcooked and completely hard-boiled and chalky.

The only highlight of this bowl of Ramen was the Buta Kakuni which was pretty tender (it's slow stewed pork after all), but from the extremely oily broth, terrible Chashu, overcooked Egg, overpowering Bamboo and so-so Noodles, Kyushuu Jangara Ramen was a total letdown. The Ajisen Ramen that we visited in Kabuki-cho had better Ramen than here. My Ramen Hound friend who joined me on this Japan Tour completely agreed as well: Utter disappointment.


Rating: 6.8 (out of 10.0)

Kyushuu Jangara
(Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan)
??????????? ?????
???????3-11-6
Tel: 03-3251-4059

http://www.kyusyujangara.co.jp/