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!