SoCal Ramen

On the way to the LA Auto Show last week, me and a few buddies stopped by Orochon Ramen in Little Tokyo. It’s become somewhat of a tradition to get a bowl of ramen somewhere in the area before the car show for the last couple of years. Apparently this place is known for its spicy ramen (i love spicy) and if you can eat a whole bowl of their spiciest ramen (including drinking all of the broth) they’ll take your photo and put it on their wall.

Aside from not wanting a blood pressure spike from all the sodium that I’d take in from drinking a bowl full of broth, I was too afraid to try their spiciest. Even our server said he’s only had the second spiciest and that it was too spicy. I was hungry and wanted a meal more than I wanted to impress my friends so i went for the 5th spiciest (called #3 Impact on the menu). It actually wasn’t too spicy, but pretty much at the upper limit of enjoyable. My friends had the 7th and 8th spiciest and they weren’t very spicy at all.

The noodles were pretty good, although since the broth was so spicy, most of my taste buds were pretty numb and to be honest it could have been instant ramen and I really wouldn’t have noticed much difference. The service was pretty good, although our 4 bowls of ramen came out over a 10 minute period of time which was kind of awkward. I will be going back though and next time I plan to go for the spiciest bowl and all the glory, but it will be on a day when I don’t have to walk around the convention center for a few hours, just in case it doesn’t agree with me.

Ramen Rating:

Orochon Ramen
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1766

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