ラーメン屋 ramenya: discomfort of the familiar
by rameniac | 18 Dec 2006
You never know what you have until it’s gone. Sure it’s a cliché, but clichés work because they ring true, even when it comes to noodling. In this era of dual-broth fireworks, of kotteri tonkotsu and katamen, Ramenya in West Los Angeles is the old standby, the perfectly capable but slightly boring noodle shop that you know all too well because frankly, you default to it whenever your inner thrill seeker is on strike. And that happens more often than you’d like, doesn’t it? And so you call on Ramenya, the platonic best friend who’s always there for you when you can’t get a “real” date on a Friday night. The one with whom you’re perpetually one drunken fumble away from seeing in a whole new light. But no, it’ll never happen, because the chef never won a TV ramen cookoff and the noodles weren’t overnighted from Tochigi Prefecture. It’s okay because Ramenya is still there for you, you tell yourself. But deep down, you know you’d be heartbroken if she were ever to get a boyfriend go out of business.
So my ritual at this little noodle shop on Olympic ("You know, the place next to the frame store!") has been, for the better part of the last ten years, to beeline for the counter or one of the cramped, single-spaced side tables, grab a few volumes of dusty manga and Japanese womens’ magazines and order the “usual.” While there have been dalliances, I invariably opt for the shoyu ramen and that oversized slab of fatty chashu with the beefy texture and the bland taste. It’s not even a particularly consistent bowl - there have been visits when the broth was truly miserable - but somehow Ramenya is always at the forefront of my consciousness.
Ramenya is comfort food, but the actual noodles they use are of a fair caliber. Although I suspect they order from the same importers as most of the other shops in town, their preparation keeps the ramen springy; it hold up well for the duration of the meal. When it comes to toppings, their chashu is of course the most notable, if mainly for its size and striated but tender, brisket-like texture. Boiled spinach in shoyu ramen has always been a pet peeve of mine, and Ramenya’s is no different. Spinach has such a distinct flavor that it stands out a bit too much in the miasma of the soup.
When she’s on - when all pistons are firing and the kitchen’s best flavors are on show - she can be pretty darn sexy. For all the bells and whistles, most of the other ramen shops around town fall apart under scrutiny. Locally, there are but few more flavorful bowls of traditional shoyu, if any at all (Eboshi is wafu but bland and Orochon pretty much lives and dies by its spice level). Ramenya is an assari-kei with very straightforward ramen, but on a good day, it’s far from bland.
And if you’re in the mood for something different, the ajo ramen is a sensual scorcher of salt and whole garlic cloves, but that’s a little like asking your wife to wear a wig. With a fistful of garlic wedges floating in your bowl, it’s probably best not to order the ajo if you’re out on a date. But then again, who brings a date to visit their platonic best friend?
| inconsistent but light shoyu broth, some days bland and a touch funky, some days very straightforward but flavorful. other menu selections are not to be uniformly dismissed. the ajo ramen in particular packs a punch, with a whole garlic clove tossed in for potent pungency | 6 |
| wavy yellow egg noodles tend to be much more consistent, with a uniform springiness and a decent chew. | 6 |
| the slab of chashu, while thick, fatty and succulent, is almost too much of a good thing and has the texture of stewed beef brisket. could be seasoned better. the negi is fine, the spinach, less so and a bit out of place. | 4 |
| routine gyoza that does its job. was it prepackaged and frozen, or do they make it fresh themselves? does it matter? | 4 |
| about as romantic as a fill-up at the gas station. | 0 |
| ramenya is the old standby when you're not in the mood for adventuring. sort of like the platonic friend you call when you don't have a date. they're even open in the afternoons, which is a miracle for a japanese restaurant. but there's something to be said about making yourself too available... | 4 |
11555 W. Olympic Blvd
| 16 |
First of all, just for clarification’s sake, Ramenya’s on Olympic.
Second of all, I think this was a very good description of this old-standby. I, too, view this as my platonic best friend, the place that I can turn to for solidly good ramen that’s not too flashy or expensive. They also have great fried rice and a very nice cold noodle in the summer.
To go orders are always accurate and fast.