SoCal Ramen

Kiraku is in the same Tozai Plaza as Tampopo, separated by the Marie Calendars in the corner. They serve an assortment of Japanese dishes, but their main entree is ramen. Their basic shoyu ramen is very good, with a light/mild soup base that isn’t too salty. The noodles are a bit firm for my taste, but I know that this is standard for authentic Japanese ramen.

Kiraku is open for lunch and dinner and is fairly busy during the twelve to one lunch hour on weekdays. Lunch time specials include a bowl of ramen and curry (basic curry, tastes good) or chahan (very good and fresh) for $7.75 and is more food than I can usually finish.

Bowl of shoyu ramen:

Side of curry:

Side of chahan:

Like a lot of smaller ramen shops, Kiraku is cash-only.

Ramen rating:

15472 S Western Ave
Gardena, CA 90249
(310) 515-0966

Tampopo is one of many Japanese restaurants in the Tozai Plaza on the corner of Western Blvd. and Redondo Beach Blvd. in Gardena. I eat here pretty often because it’s close by and I can get a decent meal for cheap, and while the ramen is good, it’s nothing special.

Tampopo is one of those Japanese restaurants that are Korean owned, but try to play it off as authentic Japanese, which always irks me. The staff is friendly and attentive though and the food is good and very reasonably priced. While the restaurant serves all kinds of Japanese food (they even have a sushi bar), I usually opt for a combo meal, like the Tampopo ramen (an average tasting miso based soup) and oyakodon (chicken on rice with onions and egg) which is only about $10 for a pretty filling meal. Like most Korean restaurants, they’re pretty good with bringing you small appetizers before your meal and the service is pretty quick.

Ramen Rating:

15462 S Western Ave # 102
Gardena, CA 90249
(310) 323-7882

Umemura is one of the best ramen shops in Gardena. I often have drinks with my father at different karaoke bars in Gardena and chat up the old timers about ramen restaurants in Gardena and the most frequently recommended restaurant is Umemura.

Situated in a converted 80’s Taco Bell restaurant (the kind with the classic archways), the inside resembles a regular ramen shop with bar and table seating. The menu is in Japanese on one side and English on the flip side. There are about 20 different types of ramen, my favorite being the Tan Tan Men ramen in a miso base. The soup base is thick and rather spicy with ground pork and vegetables. The soup is so delicious, I’d seriously drink the entire thing if my wife wasn’t there glaring at me and calculating the sodium content. The noodles are wavy and a medium thickness and perfectly cooked.

No matter where we go, my wife usually orders the basic chashumen (soy sauce based soup with pork slices) ramen, which she not only loves, but helps her gauge how good the ramen restaurant is. umemura is her second favorite ramen shop in the United States.

While the ramen is really good, their side dishes leave something to be desired. The chahan usually seems like it was cooked much earlier in the day, and the gyoza, while perfectly cooked, didn’t have the most delicious contents. But, you go to a ramen shop for the ramen, and Umemura is one I definitely recommend.

Bowls of ramen are about $8 and the service is excellent. There’s plenty of parking in the back behind the restaurant. Oh, and it’s cash-only!

Ramen Rating:

1724 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 217-0970

I live in the Southbay area in Southern California so I have quite a few wonderful ramen restaurants all around me, particularly in Gardena and Torrance. I’m half Japanese and go to Japan once or twice a year and with a Japanese father and a Japanese wife, I know my way around Japanese food, particularly ramen. So with all of the different restaurants I go to, I figured I’d share my reviews and experiences of the places I go and the ramen I eat. So break apart your chopsticks and get out your renge spoon, we’re gonna eat some ramen!