Ichiban Ramen - Torrance, CA

Ichiban Ramen is a small spot near Mitsuwa and Torihei (a great Yakitori place) in Torrance, CA.

The Decor is modern, the menu is different with a kind of gastropub-ish taken on a Ramen restaurant.

The ramen soup itself was made from a chicken base and only Shoyu, Shio, and Spicy Miso were on the menu today.  Miso being one of my favorites I went for it, and wasn't disappointed.

This spice was light, not to sharp with only a slight burn at the end.  The toppings were sesame seeds, bean sprouts, negi, corn, egg, and chashu, which was had a nice and strong roasted flavor.  The noodles were springy and full of flavor but the soup its self was the highlight for me.  It was right and packed with different flavors and finished with a kick.  It was not too salty or oily and because it was chicken based there was no pork fat floating in it.  It felt slightly on the lighter side but without sacrificing flavor.  This bowl was definitely nothing like the "miso" it is listed as, but it was delicious all the same and I would definitely order it again.

In addition to ramen we also had the Kara-age:

This Kara-age unfortunately came with the most pathetically small lemon wedge, so it lacked that sour citrus flavor that goes so nicely with the crispy chicken.  The pieces of chicken themselves were large and juicy, but not flavorful enough on their own and I assume that was due to a lighter marinade being used (or not marinating long enough).

We also had the Gyoza:

These were pretty standard gyoza, crispy on the bottom, steamed on the top, and filled with meat and negi.  They were a nice addition to the meal.

Overall,  Ichiban Ramen has a great menu, a nice ambiance, and makes a fantastic Spicy Miso Ramen.  I am looking forward to going back and trying the Shio and Shoyu soon to see what unique twist they put on them as well.  I highly recommend Ichiban Ramen to anyone who is up for delicious, well crafted Ramen.

The Yokocho Ramen Festival 2014 in Los Angeles was a blast!

On March 29th we attended the Los Angeles Ramen Yokocho Festival 2014.  We got there about two hours after opening and it was already crazy!

 

There were people every where, and it was paired with Japan Family Day 2014 as well as the horse races at Santa Anita race track.

 

After buying our food ($8) and drink ($2) tickets we tried to find the most delicious looking bowl with the shortest line and ended up at Tajima Ramen from San Diego.

 The line was definitely not short, but compared to some of the shops from Japan the wait went much quicker (and we were starving so that made the decision easier).

The Ramen from Tajima was a Kotteri Tonkotsu with strong flavor and a decent assortment of toppings for not being at a restaurant.

Unfortunately, the egg was over marinated in shoyu and a big mess in the bowl and the corn tasted like it came straight from the can (which it undoubtely did).  But the flavor of the egg was good and the corn could be over looked because the soup itself was above average.

The soup had a rich and strong pork flavor with no fat floating in it.  It was smooth and delicious.  I'd say this was a good bowl to start the day with as it demonstrated well what should be the forte of Ramen to begin with, the soup itself.  It also showed the difficulty of cooking so fast and for so many at the Festival evidenced by the egg and the corn being sub par.

The next stop was Hayatemaru Ramen from Los Angeles.  They touted their creation as Authentic Hokkiado style.  They have a location in Torrance, CA that I have been meaning to try, so I took this opportunity to check them out.

This bowl was Hokkaido style Shio Ramen.  It was notably salty, had decent toppings (menma, iwanori, negi, chashu), had an overcooked egg, and tasted like it was made from a strong fish based broth.  The chashu was passable, the iwanori and menma added good flavor, but the flavor of the soup was just not there.  Perhaps this was due to it being an outdoor festival and slightly more difficult to make true Hokkaido style Shio but regardless this one was lacking overall quality, and definitely not my favorite.

 Our last stop was Daikokuya from Los Angeles.  This is a very popular Ramen Shop in LA in little Tokyo and a few other locations.  I have been meaning to try this place for a long time so I was glad to finally have the opportunity to try them.  The ramen did not disappoint!

It was topped with negi, bean sprouts, sesame seeds, a powdered seasoning, delicious chashu, and a fully cooked egg.  The noodles were so tasty and the broth was thick and smooth and delicious.  It was my third bowl of the day and by far the best.  I will be stopping by Daikokuya shortly to try the real deal and post more pics here!

Other booths of note at the festival were the Takoyaki truck (which had a huge line), and the Ramen shops from tokyo: Mattou Seimen, Tatsunoya, and Tsujita Tokyo (which had a 3 hour wait!).  These I plan to try next year or next time I'm in Japan, whichever comes first!

Hope to see you there next year!

Jidaiya in Torrance, CA: Nearly Ordered the Entire Menu

Today our friends Gene and Akiko recommended one of their favorite places in Torrance, CA, Jidaiya Ramen:

 

Inside its decor is definitely Izakaya style with a counter made Tokyo style that creates a laid back ambiance.  This place has a full menu featuring Kai Shio Ramen made from a Chicken soup base with different types of seafood in it, as well as their main JIDAIYA Tonkotsu Ramen made from a pork soup base.

Kai Shio Ramen (Chicken soup base):

The Kai Shio Ramen is typically served here with thin noodles, we changed them to thick.  The broth was light, not very greasy and actually not that salty either compared to what you would expect.  Personally, I prefer a fattier broth but this should serve well for those with lighter tastes.

The JIDAIYA Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen (Pork soup base, Thick noodles):

The first thing you notice is that the broth in this Tonkotsu is packed with flavor and there's some pork fat floating in it, but that is pretty typical for a strong Tonkotsu soup base.  Secondly, its on the saltier side for Tonkotsu, more so than the Shio ramen.  On my first taste of the soup I thought it was delicious.  Once the noodles and toppings were gone however, the fat content of the broth was too high for me to drink the whole thing, maybe because I'm new to the game, or maybe because I didn't want to have a heart attack this weekend.  Either way the soup base was great and wasn't the only positive either.  The egg was seasoned with shoyu and cooked PERFECTLY.  The yolk was so creamy it was honstly my favorite thing next to the broth itself.  The thick noodles were slightly chewier than normal, the chashu was thin and slightly bland but in this dish the soup is the star so that didn't really matter.  The menma (bamboo shoots) and nori (dried seaweed) accented the dish nicely as expected.  Overall, it was an above average bowl, with a perfect egg:)

Besides ramen there are plenty of other things to try at Jidaiya that they do well.  Gyoza (called UFO because of the appearance straight out of the frying pan), Tan Tan men and Ja-Ja men (like ramen without the soup base), and Takoyaki (dough with octopus inside).  They even have a ramen burger (the buns are made from ramen noodles) but I didn't have a chance to try it today (next time!).

UFO Gyoza and Ja-Ja Men:

 

Ja-Ja Men:

Takoyaki (dough with octopus inside):

Jidaiya in Torrance is a great place.  Lots of variety and quality on their menu.  I highly recommend it if you like a good Tonkotsu that is on the saltier and fattier side.  They will be at the Yokocho Ramen festival at the end of march so try them there!

Umaya (Cerritos, CA) Tonkotsu Ramen with Spicy Ground Pork!

Today we stopped at Umaya in Cerritos, CA right across from Cerritos Mall at South St. and the 91 Freeway.  Apparently they have Happy Hour all day so I'll have to come back for that at some point.  Lots of variety on their menu including burgers and Galbi Tostadas?!

First: Gyoza (with two sauces), Salad, and a Rice bowl

Umaya Tonkotsu Ramen with Spicy Ground Pork:  The toppings were cold (even the pork and eggs) so I had to dunk them to warm them up.  Once warm, the eggs were tasty and the yolks nice and creamy.  The menma added some salt, the narutomaki was ok, but the generous helping of negi and ground pork added a lot of flavor to the broth.  The noodles were springy and delicious and the broth itself was smooth and flavorful.  Personally I would have preferred more but after finishing off the bowl I was plenty full.

 Standard Miso Ramen:  Heavy Miso flavor, actually slightly better diluted with a cup of hot water.  Again the egg, negi, and menma added good flavor and salt.

 Thanks Umaya for a great bowl of ramen.  We'll definitely be back!!

Shinsengumi to the rescue!

A rough morning at work was made SO much better by this delicous bowl of ramen! 

Extra Chashu, side of Gyoza and a smooth and savory broth that makes it impossible not to drink the whole bowl!!  Which I did!  So glad to be working near this place on Friday.  It's the perfect place to end the week and start the weekend!  Arigato gozaimashita!!

Los Angeles Yokocho Ramen Festival!

The Yokocho Ramen Festival is back!  It will be in Santa Anita Park on March 29th and 30th.

Yokocho Ramen Festival 2014

Thanks to Mike Horikawa on the heads up on the festival's return.

Looks like there will be some big names and some not so big.  Even Vegas, San Jose will be represented this year.

I know where I'll be spending my weekend!  See you there!!

Back from SF and straight to Yamadaya!

Landed at LAX and on the way home just hopped off the 405 south for quick trip to Yamadaya in Torrance!

Started with the Chashu bowl,

Next was their Kara-age,

Then finally... Yamadaya's Kotteri Tonkotsu Ramen 

The dashi tonight was not too heavy, yet packed with flavor.  The Chashu here is not my favorite but the thick noodles, menma, tamago, and negi blend so well with the broth that it ends up delicous so  the Chashu becomes an afterthought anyway.  This place is great and will definitely get you your ramen fix.

Stopping here was an awesome welcome home to So Cal!  Thanks Yamadaya,  see you again soon.

Santouka - Mitsuwa in Torrance, CA

Santouka inside Mitsuwa in Torrance, CA has a crazy line!  Fortunately the service was fast and the Ramen was delicious:

The Tokusen Toroniku Shio (at the bottom of the photo) comes with the toppings on the side and has a nice smooth broth, while the Miso Ramen (top) has a similarly smooth broth but with the added flavor of fermented soy.  The noodles were thick and held the broth well.  The narutomaki and menma added welcome texture and flavor.  It was definitely not salt forward as I had initially  thought it would be.

Personally, at Santouka I would order the Toroniku Shio again as opposed to the Miso due to the lightness of the broth and the abundance of meat.  However both were excellent and worth the wait!

Thank you Santouka for a delicious bowl, I will definitely be back!

Shinsengumi (Fountain Valley, CA) today!

Today, lunch was at Shinsengumi in Fountain Valley, CA.  They specialize in Hakata Miso Ramen, and honestly I didn't see any other type of Ramen on the menu.  They have side items, and a pretty good variety.  The gyoza were small but tasty, and the Nankotsu (chicken cartilage) was crunchy and full of flavor.

Six Piece Gyoza at Shinsengumi - Fountain Valley, CA

 

Hakata Ramen from Shinsengumi - Fountain Valley, CA

The Hakata Ramen was broth was dense, not to heavy, and packed with flavor.  In this style of ramen the noodles are thinner and some of the more common toppings are absent (ie: menma, cabbage).  As for the toppings that were present the chashu was decent (Umenoya has better chashu in my opinion), and the eggs were too well done for my taste but that was probably because I didn't check "poached" egg on the little check mark sheet they have you use to order.  Service was great and the Izakaya atmosphere adds a nice layer of authenticity.

Overall, the food and the experience was great and I highly recommend anyone local or passing through Orange County on the 405 stop and grab some great Ramen!

Reading About Ramen

Recently I have been reading everything possible written on ramen.  From cookbooks, to websites, blogs, to restaurant pages.  Reading is key because there are so many people out there who have been doing this longer than me and have WAY more knowledge about the detail and subtleties that go into a quality bowl of ramen. 

One of the most concise and educational articles I found is this one:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/09/the-serious-eats-guide-to-ramen-styles.html by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt who writes for SeriousEats.com.

This article covers the main ramen types and ramen styles and goes through the common side dishes, toppings, seasonings, found in most ramen joints. The author is thorough, and the article is comprehensive and well written; exemplified by the following description of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen as "...the no-holds-barred meatsplosion of porcine pleasure."  haha!  Who doesn't love a good meatsplosion?  ESPECIALLY a no-holds-barred one.

I found this article a great read and I'll be looking out for more articles by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt in the future and I recommend you do the same.

Go Ramen!

Tokyo is an amazing place.  All of Japan is for that matter but as a person who lived in Manhattan for 4 years while in school I feel justified in saying that, to an American, Tokyo feels like 8 manhattans, each with their own unique culture, food, nightlife, etc.

Takeshita Dori

In 2003 I thought moving to New York from So Cal was tough, but it's nothing compared to what Keizo Shimamoto did! He literally quit his job and dropped everything to move there and become a Ramen chef!  All for the love of a delicious noodle...   That takes some serious guts. It looks like it's working out for him though.  

His story of becoming a top Tokyo ramen chef, and then moving back to the states and taking on even tougher challenges has been one of my main inspirations in starting www.ramen.guru .

Check out his story on his blog Go Ramen! (http://www.goramen.com), you won't be disappointed!

First Post! About Me and my Dreams for Ramen.guru

Today is an exciting day!  It's the first post in what will hopefully be a long and productive adventure into the World of Ramen!

The intent of this blog is to document, explain, and try to better understand the World of Ramen, the culture behind it, to find and review the best Ramen Joints in each city and to share them with the world!

But first a little about me.  My name is Ryan and I'm a Ramen Addict.  The idea for this site came relatively spontaneously but not before a gradually building affinity for Ramen that has progressed into a borderline obsession.  I'll try to explain why as briefly as possible.  I'm an American, marrying into a Japanese family.  To bridge the culture and language barrier I have been learning Japanese (speaking, reading and writing), I have been to Japan twice in the last two years, and I have begun enthusiastically exploring the world of cooking Japanese food.

Temaki Sushi at home

About three months ago I found the book "Japanese Soul Cooking" by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat and it has changed my perspective on food, health, cooking, and how I appreciate food of all cultures!  Its an incredible book with excellent recipes and explanations of the history and subtleties of Japanese food both iconic and some less well known.  I highly recommend it!

Through my adventures cooking Kara-age, homemade Gyoza, Oyakodon, Gyudon, Kani Cream Korokke, as well as cooking with the future "in-laws," the intricate yet straight forward method of Japanese recipes and cooking opened my mind to new ideas and my palate to amazing new flavors! 

My attempt at Oyakodon

Some of the most delicious and most complicated recipes in the book Japanese Soul Cooking are the Ramen Noodle Soup recipes, and after reading them countless times, making the dashi (soup), and realizing it was nothing even close to what a REAL Ramen chef makes on a daily basis, I couldn't help but have developed an overwhelming respect for them and for the amazing detail that goes into their craft.  Finally, three weeks ago I realized I wanted to eat Ramen once a week at a minimum.  I will most likely eat it more often in the pursuit of creating the website "Ramen Guru" (www.ramen.guru) and in creating a thriving community around it but my personal preference is for "fattier" ramen types (ie: miso, tonkotsu ramen) and I am trying to exert some form of self control and limit myself to only a couple bowls a week if possible.

The Real Deal

But I digress...

When I realized three weeks ago that I LOVED Ramen and wanted to learn about it, appreciated all of its types and flavors, and eat it as much as possible I knew my enthusiasm had become and obsession.  One thing led to another and I founded ramen.guru on february 15th in hopes of creating a place where Ramen Enthusiasts can get REAL reviews (not watered down reviews from people eating Ramen for the first time on a review site that reviews everything....) And a place that will hopefully grow into something bigger.  Ramen Guru will hopefully be a community of people who love Japanese food and exchange their thoughts and tips on restaurants, recipes, etc, united by their love for the most delicious food on the planet.... Ramen!!!

I would love any input, advice, or help on creating this community, specifically with website design and restaurant recommendations and reviews.  Please feel free to leave a comment or send an email!

- (Your Aspiring) Ramen Guru