osaka 101: namba e amor

Posted by rameniac at 11:39 AM | 18 Jan 2007

Despite having no regional style of ramen to call its own, Osaka is oft considered the culinary epicenter of Japan. Nowhere is this more obvious than on the Dotombori, a shopping/dining/nightlife destination in the heart of the Namba district. I had already completed my night’s slurping at Kinryu ramen. But while in town, how could I pass up the chance to sample some of the Kansai area’s other, more specialized eats?

resolutions over ramen

Posted by rameniac at 04:42 AM | 01 Jan 2007

Ringing in the new year at Hakata Shin-Sen-Gumi has become something of a Rameniac tradition. Open until 5am on New Year’s Eve, the foremost purveyor of Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen in Southern California transforms into a rowdy after-hours collective of off-duty employees and Japanese expats. This year was no exception, as a few friends and I made our drunken, post-partying way down to Gardena somewhere in the neighborhood of 2am. By the time we were seated and eating, it was nearly 3 in the morning. Happy 2007 everyone!!! 

santouka centinela’s grand opening!

Posted by rameniac at 02:55 PM | 14 Dec 2006

The birth of a new ramen shop is always a cause for celebration. How could Rameniac and ビクタ pass up the grand opening soiree that was Santouka’s West Los Angeles premiere? The first 100 people in line each of the first three days got tickets for a free bowl of ramen on a future visit. Not surprisingly, Rameniac promptly redeemed his a few hours later when he went back for seconds, this time with cohorts in crime eat, drink & be merry and oishii eats by his side! Stay tuned for a more comprehensive review. Suffice it to say that Santouka (Santoka) ramen is very, very good...!

ikebukuro gyoza stadium!

Posted by rameniac at 11:41 AM | 06 Dec 2006

Superheroes have sidekicks. Batman has Robin. Chuck Norris had a pint-sized Jonathan Brandis in - wait for it - the movie Sidekicks. The Green Hornet? Kato. Well, more like Kato had the Green Hornet. But you get my point. The charismatic star of the show usually has someone silent and deadly at his side, kicking ass and taking names. Even a superior bowl of ramen can only get half the job done if it doesn’t properly fill you up before you leave the restaurant. So what do you do? You order gyoza.