いらっしゃいませ!

Welcome to my ramen dream... Currently being interpreted in Ramen Burger Land... Looking for a good slurp? Email me ! - Keizo

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Tokyo Ramen Trip 2008 - Day 8 (The Last Slurp)

The day has finally come for me to leave Tokyo--quite possibly the worst day of my ramen life. But after slurping 14 amazing ramen bowls in just 8 days, I've been inspired and I'll never look at LA ramen the same. I still can't believe how much ramen has evolved in just a few years. This simple noodle soup is simple no more. There's even a new type of ramen that doesn't even involve soup. I didn't have a chance to try it, but you can check out fellow ramen blogger Ramen Tokyo's review of Junk Garage to get an idea of what it's like. The future of ramen is indeed bright. I just hope I can be a part of it for years to come! The road to the perfect bowl may be cold, narrow, and seemingly without an end, but it is out there. You just have to believe...


My last and worst bowl of ramen in Japan was at Narita airport. I won't even mention the shop name, but the only thing it did well was remind me of what would be awaiting in LA.


The best sushi in the world can be found at the largest fish market in the world, Tsukiji. They wouldn't let me take pictures of the actual sushi, apparently it's top secret, but if you're planning a trip to Tokyo and have never been there, you must give this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a try.


Another favorite food of mine that you won't find in LA (at least I've never found it)--monjya. Similar to okonomiyaki, but a lot more fun to make and eat.


Japan's always been known for having the coolest technology gadgets before anywhere else in the world. Like this new flip phone that rotates 90 degrees and broadcasts live TV in widescreen. We'll probably see this in the US about 5 years from now.


It may be hard to believe, but the best part of my trip was not the ramen. It was being able to spend time and eat ramen with my two nieces. The oldest one (almost 3) is seen below not wasting a single drop of soup. She's already learned the correct way to finish off a bowl of ramen.


Good old Southern California. I'll miss Tokyo and be waiting anxiously to return, but it always feels good to come home. I hope you enjoyed my posts as much as I enjoyed the trip. Thanks for tuning in!

5 comments:

  1. Hey Keizo,

    Very nice blog! Nice post on your Japan Trip; I just got back from Japan myself. (^_^) Just an FYI that there's one place in So Cal that has Monjya:

    Gaja Okonomiyaki in Lomita, CA (border of Torrance). It's a pretty fun restaurant if you've never been (I've never had Monjya in Tokyo yet, so I can't say how authentic it is, but they have Monjya there). It's run by a friendly Japanese staff as well.

    Gaja Moc
    2383 Lomita Blvd, Lomita, CA 90717
    Phone: (310) 534-0153
    http://www.gajamoc.com/

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  2. Hi ExileKiss! Thanks for checking out my blog! I've enjoyed your posts on CH too. Sounds like you had a nice trip as well.

    Thanks for the info on Gaja. Someone told me about it last month and I've been trying to go, but couldn't find the time. It's in the same corner as Eboshi right? I'll try to go by the end of this month for sure!

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  3. Hi Keizo,

    I've been to Gaja so many times, and I never pay attention to anything else inside that plaza (^_^; (oops). The address is correct, though, and it's really easy to find. Hope you enjoy it~

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  4. nice blog! btw, your link for Junk Garage has an extra http in it :)

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