http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/ en rameniac@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-07-14T22:30:17+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/jinya_studiocity/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/jinya_studiocity/#When:22:30:17Z Ramen Jinya is that rarest of things, a class-act noodle shop in Studio City, California! Get ready, Hollywood, real ramen in the state-of-the-art Tokyo gyoukai style is about to go mainstream. Is America ready for yet another Hollywood remake of a Japanese classic? If we’re talking about ramen, the more the better! {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/jinya_studiocity/” file=“ramen-jinya-studiocity-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/jinya_studiocity/” file=“ramen-jinya-studiocity-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/jinya_studiocity/” file=“ramen-jinya-studiocity-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/jinya_studiocity/” file=“ramen-jinya-studiocity-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/jinya_studiocity/” file=“ramen-jinya-studiocity-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/jinya_studiocity/” file=“ramen-jinya-studiocity-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} Had Ramen Jinya opened a year or two earlier, I might have been one happy slurper. As a former employee of a major Hollywood studio (yes, I was in “the industry”), I spent a good number of lunch hours bemoaning the fact that there was simply no good ramen -actually, no ramen at all,  to be had in the Studio City/North Hollywood area. Sure, there were plenty of sushi shops along Ventura Blvd’s “sushi row”, but when it came to noodles, even the nearest pho joint was miles away. united states, los angeles 2010-07-14T22:30:17+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/mottainai_gardena/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/mottainai_gardena/#When:22:09:29Z Whenever rameniac comes back to Los Angeles from Japan, he lays off the ramen for a while. There’s a reacclimatization period you see, as the quality of noodling in America is rarely ever up to par with what you might find in Tokyo. At the brand-new Ramen Mottainai in Gardena, California, however, taste definitely doesn’t go to waste. {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/mottainai_gardena/” file=“mottainai-gardena-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/mottainai_gardena/” file=“mottainai-gardena-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/mottainai_gardena/” file=“mottainai-gardena-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/mottainai_gardena/” file=“mottainai-gardena-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/mottainai_gardena/” file=“mottainai-gardena-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/mottainai_gardena/” file=“mottainai-gardena-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} A few months ago, I got to talking with a couple of Japanese dudes at a bar about their impending ramen venture, a shop in Gardena opening in cahoots with Takaraya, a prominent Kyoto noodle maker. In truth, I had already caught wind of the place on the L.A. ramen grapevine, though my anticipation was muted. Quite a few new joints have been popping up in Southern California lately; from Irvine’s Mizuki to Little Tokyo’s Genkotsu Ramen, most have simply elicited a “meh,” and I was honestly prepared for disappointment. united states, los angeles 2010-07-11T22:09:29+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/auroracafe_nakano/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/auroracafe_nakano/#When:09:43:32Z Dudes like Moby and Thom Yorke would be happy to know that vegan ramen, though rare, does in fact exist at one Aurora Cafe, a bi-weekly occurence held in a decidedly bohemian coffee shop/art gallery space in Tokyo’s Nakano neighborhood. Meat-free noodling? Some broths work better than others, but it’s a solid start, and it’s about time. {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/auroracafe_nakano/” file=“aurora-cafe-vegan-ramen-nakano-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/auroracafe_nakano/” file=“aurora-cafe-vegan-ramen-nakano-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/auroracafe_nakano/” file=“aurora-cafe-vegan-ramen-nakano-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/auroracafe_nakano/” file=“aurora-cafe-vegan-ramen-nakano-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/auroracafe_nakano/” file=“aurora-cafe-vegan-ramen-nakano-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/auroracafe_nakano/” file=“aurora-cafe-vegan-ramen-nakano-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} Time and again, I receive emails from readers asking where to find vegetarian ramen. Such a thing does in fact exist, at least in instant form.  Those looking for a vegetarian ramen shop, however, might as well be hunting the incredibly rare, thought-to-have-been-extinct Sumatran rhinoceros that finally popped up on jungle-cam a few days ago. Indeed, after a bit of arduous searching, I managed to turn up the noodling equivalent of an albino three-headed version of the beast, not vegetarian, but vegan ramen, deep in the wilds of Nakano in Western Tokyo. japan 日本, tōkyō 東京都 2010-05-12T09:43:32+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/chukasobatomita_matsudo/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/chukasobatomita_matsudo/#When:07:00:18Z Tucked away in Matsudo, Chiba, Chukasoba Tomita quietly goes about its business as the top-ranked ramen shop of all time on Japan’s notorious Ramen Database. This lunchtime-only neighborhood joint, complete with a skeletal, shredded lantern, does indeed serve up an exceptional tsukemen dipping noodle, but is it the best ramen shop ever? The egg’s the thing, wherein your mind might be blown. {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/chukasobatomita_matsudo/” file=“chukasoba-tomita-matsudo-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/chukasobatomita_matsudo/” file=“chukasoba-tomita-matsudo-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/chukasobatomita_matsudo/” file=“chukasoba-tomita-matsudo-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/chukasobatomita_matsudo/” file=“chukasoba-tomita-matsudo-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/chukasobatomita_matsudo/” file=“chukasoba-tomita-matsudo-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/chukasobatomita_matsudo/” file=“chukasoba-tomita-matsudo-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“} Blame Taishoken, for Tokyo ramen has, in recent years, become synonymous with precisely two things: tsukemen dipping noodles and multi-broth blended soups. Old school shoyu ramen masters may well lament the overwhelming popularity of the trend; late one night at the legendary Ganso Ebisu Ramen, the influential Shibata-san, creator of the namesake Ebisu ramen substyle, sighed with mock exasperation when I mentioned a few of his new generation rivals, shops which routinely sit atop the city’s ramen rankings. Shibata’s modest little operation in Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s premier traditional shoyu ramen-ya, yet you could hear a green onion drop with nary another customer in sight while I was there one evening. japan 日本, chiba 千葉県 2010-05-05T07:00:18+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/tanakashoten_rokucho/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/tanakashoten_rokucho/#When:12:30:49Z Deep in the suburbs of Tokyo’s northeast sits Tanaka Shoten, considered by many to be the Japanese capital’s top Hakata-style ramen shop. Is it worth the journey, from the action and the city lights to this quiet, sleepy corner of Tokyo, halfway to Saitama, for an authentic bowl of pork bone goodness? How does a sheet of seaweed say thank you in elevent different languages? {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tanakashoten_rokucho/” file=“tanaka-shoten-hakata-nagahama-ramen-rokucho-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tanakashoten_rokucho/” file=“tanaka-shoten-hakata-nagahama-ramen-rokucho-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tanakashoten_rokucho/” file=“tanaka-shoten-hakata-nagahama-ramen-rokucho-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tanakashoten_rokucho/” file=“tanaka-shoten-hakata-nagahama-ramen-rokucho-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tanakashoten_rokucho/” file=“tanaka-shoten-hakata-nagahama-ramen-rokucho-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tanakashoten_rokucho/” file=“tanaka-shoten-hakata-nagahama-ramen-rokucho-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} There was a time, not long ago, when Tanaka Shoten was considered the go-to spot for Hakata ramen in Tokyo. That notion may still prevail, although a bevy of similarly-styled operations have taken up residence in Japan’s capital in recent years. Nevertheless, a trek to Rokucho remains well worth it if simply for the singular pleasure of slurping down what many still regard as Tokyo’s best Nagahama-style pork bone soup. japan 日本, tōkyō 東京都, adachi-ku 足立区 2010-04-28T12:30:49+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/#When:04:16:22Z Yamagoya was where it all began, for hungry high schoolers and one gastronomically adventurous English teacher in particular, oh so many years ago. Fast forward to this Fukuoka-based chainlet’s satellite operation on the eastside of Tokyo; with seasonal twists on mukashii tonkotsu ramen, yuzu can’t go wrong. {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/” file=“yamagoya-ramen-tokyo-kiyosumishirakawa-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/” file=“yamagoya-ramen-tokyo-kiyosumishirakawa-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/” file=“yamagoya-ramen-tokyo-kiyosumishirakawa-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/” file=“yamagoya-ramen-tokyo-kiyosumishirakawa-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/” file=“yamagoya-ramen-tokyo-kiyosumishirakawa-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/yamagoya_kiyosumishirakawa/” file=“yamagoya-ramen-tokyo-kiyosumishirakawa-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} By now, even the most casual slurper should have their go-to ramen joint, whether it’s the best shop in town or the modest but serviceable neighborhod hangout. In Tokyo, by any measure the ramen capital of the planet, options are bountiful. Yet time and again, I find myself defaulting to Yamagoya, an outpost of a Fukuoka chainlet that dishes up authentically mukashii-style tonkotsu ramen - thick, full-flavored and as close to Northern Kyushu as you’ll likely find in Kanto. japan 日本, tōkyō 東京都, kōtō-ku 江東区 2010-04-22T04:16:22+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/wok_rome/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/wok_rome/#When:10:04:25Z W.O.K. is to ramen what Taco Bell is to tacos. Nope, I take that back. At least Taco Bell gets the basic concept right - there’s meat and it sits in a tortilla. Rome’s only ramen shop isn’t a ramen shop at all, but a fast food joint with a panoply of asian noodle dishes, one of which, “yasai ramen,” is about the only ramen to be had in town. Or is it even that? Uh oh. {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/wok_rome/” file=“wok-rome-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/wok_rome/” file=“wok-rome-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/wok_rome/” file=“wok-rome-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/wok_rome/” file=“wok-rome-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/wok_rome/” file=“wok-rome-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/wok_rome/” file=“wok-rome-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} W.O.K. doesn’t belong here. Let’s get that out of the way. Secondly, let me state emphatically, that there is no ramen in Rome. Well there is the odd Giapponese restaurant or two which may or may not toss out a bowl of noodles every now and again, but, as confirmed by the hip young Japanese sushi chef at Hamasei (who else would know better?) there’s not a single ramen shop to be found in the Eternal City. italy, rome 2010-04-18T10:04:25+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/osatsuma_london/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/osatsuma_london/#When:20:51:10Z London Soho’s Osatsuma is an all-too similar derivative of the esteemed, well, at least profitable Wagamama noodle concept. They’ve got the minimalist decor and avant-font treatments down; did they ape the original’s recipes as well? Let’s hope not, for their own sake. {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/osatsuma_london/” file=“osatsuma-london-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/osatsuma_london/” file=“osatsuma-london-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/osatsuma_london/” file=“osatsuma-london-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/osatsuma_london/” file=“osatsuma-london-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/osatsuma_london/” file=“osatsuma-london-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/osatsuma_london/” file=“osatsuma-london-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} What do you get when you take a wildly successful restaurant concept of questionable deliciousness, replicate it right down to the bench-style seating, minimalist decor, modernist logo treatments and architectural motifs, and plop it in the middle of London a few blocks away from the shop from which you drew your initial inspiration? You change the name, paint the walls, and um, hope no one notices, I suppose. Yes, in that the time-tested tradition of one entrepreneur shamelessly stealing another’s concept (why does this always seem to happen in Asian businesse circle smore than most?) comes Osatsuma in London, a flagrant knock-off of the ubiquitous Wagamama chain of noodle shops; why anyone would bother is beyond me, although as with most imitators, quality is rarely much of a consideration. united kingdom, london 2010-04-14T20:51:10+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/ten-ten-tei_london/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/ten-ten-tei_london/#When:20:37:46Z Ten Ten Tei offers straight up, no-nonsense Tokyo shoyu ramen in the heart of central London. Helmed by a stern-eyed sushi chef and a gruff maitre’d, it was one of the very few places where rameniac felt too intimidated to take a load of pictures. Still, he managed to sneak a few. Was it worth the vibe? {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tententei_london/” file=“ten-ten-tei-london-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tententei_london/” file=“ten-ten-tei-london-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tententei_london/” file=“ten-ten-tei-london-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tententei_london/” file=“ten-ten-tei-london-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tententei_london/” file=“ten-ten-tei-london-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/tententei_london/” file=“ten-ten-tei-london-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} Sometimes, it’s best not to be overly ambitious. Ten Ten Tei, a modest, black-bricked ramen-ya directly across Brewer Street from the more renowned Taro, succeeds by being low-key, all spartan interiors and stern-faced old men standing at attention. Rarely do I ever feel too intimidated to whip out my camera and snap a few shots, and yet, at Ten Ten Tei, I couldn’t help but feel a watchful eye on me at all times during a mid-afternoon slurp there. united kingdom, london 2010-04-07T20:37:46+00:00 http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/eat-tokyo_london/ http://www.rameniac.com/reviews/comments/eat-tokyo_london/#When:23:25:14Z You’ve got to be suspicious of any purportedly Japanese resaurant that wears its badge of authenticity on its shop window. “This is real traditional JAPANESE style. This is the traditional taste which the JAPANESE chef makes.” Don’t say it. Do it. Why is such a sign even necessary? What is eat TOKYO trying to hide? {exp:lbox dir=“ramen/eattokyo_london/” file=“eat-tokyo-london-01” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/eattokyo_london/” file=“eat-tokyo-london-02” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/eattokyo_london/” file=“eat-tokyo-london-03” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/eattokyo_london/” file=“eat-tokyo-london-04” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/eattokyo_london/” file=“eat-tokyo-london-05” suffix =”-200” title=”“}{exp:lbox dir=“ramen/eattokyo_london/” file=“eat-tokyo-london-06” suffix =”-200” title=”“} A bold disclaimer sits atop the photographic menu choices plastered across eat TOKYO’s shopfront window in London’s trendy Soho: “This is real traditional JAPANESE style. This is the traditional taste which the JAPANESE chef makes.” Good to know. When you’re this far from Japan, both physically and psychically, a little bit of explication is perhaps necessary. After all, sophisticated Londonites might be forgiven for not knowing the difference between teriyaki and tempura, udon and umeboshi. No, I don’t have a problem with that at all. united kingdom, london 2010-03-31T23:25:14+00:00