Ramen, ラーメン, is a traditional Japanese noodle soup. Its noodle is round and thick, thicker than the regular Chinese noodle. The soup is usually made from pork or chicken stock with kelp, tuna flakes, dried baby sandrines, mushroom, onion…
Ramen house usually serves the common three types of soup base: Shio (salt), Shoyu (soy sauce), and my favorite Miso (soy bean paste). The toppings come with a variety of choices – Chashu (roasted pork), seaweed, boiled eggs, bamboo shoots, butter, fish cakes, green onions, and different vegetables.
Thought I share with you one of my favorite food. Here are some of my top destinations when I have a hunger for ramen
1. Mentatsu Ramen
688 Baker Street #7
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 979-2755
No matter what, this is still my number one destination. I love it because they have a pretty good variety offered here. They give a big portion too. I always order the Spicy Miso with Green Onion. If you love Miso base like I do, this one hits the spot. It is the best Miso I’ve tried so far. The other thing I love about this place is they have other dishes that are just as delicious. My recommendation is the Shrimp Omelet over fried rice. The Chahan (fried rice) alone is good already. Other dishes are worth trying too.
2. Santouka Ramen
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-1101
Santouka is absolutely fabulous. The price is decent ($7 for a small) for a bowl of this ymmi-ness is not pricey at all. The soup is cooked perfectly and the noodle is just right. They’re opened from 11am – 7 pm and they only take cash. The setting is a food court so you definitely save on tips. It is located in Matsuwa food court. This food court is great because they have other little shops that serve different types of food. It is packed during lunch so don’t mind waiting a little bit.
3. Kohryu Restaurant
891 Baker St., #B-21
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-9212
This spot is quite hard to find because it is right in the corner. Be careful cause you might pass it. You gotto be a foodie to know this spot. It is quite different because they add fried garlic, which I think it is unique and good too. You have to order the boiled eggs because it is extraordinary here. The center is not cooked all the way but just enough to set. It is very tasty. They have an interesting selection of ramen. The Kohryu is my favorite so far.
4. Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen
18315 Brookhurst St# 1
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 962-8971
This place used to be my favorite but it moved down the list the because the service and they don’t give a good amount of meat. You used to get to customize the hardness of the noodle, soup base, and oil. They don’t do that anymore and I’m not happy about it because it is what made them special. However, the soup here is great and the noodle is cooked not too hard or soft. The simplicity of the bowl is what makes it great. Order the ½ Chahan because it is delicious. It is different because they put seaweed in it, nice touch.
5. Ajisen Ramen
2700 Alton Pkwy Ste 145
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 833-3288
It is recently opened in the Diamond Jamboree area. It’s been getting a lot of attention since it is new and in a good location. I do like it a lot but I think it’s too expensive for ramen. They have a good selection to choose from. It’s worth trying.
