Chibakiya - Mitsuwa Umaimono Gourmet Fair

5/15(Thu) - 5/18(Sun) Torrance

Mitsuwa Marketplace
21515 Western Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 782-0335

So after driving from Costa Mesa all the way up to Glendale to sell my bro's car, I quietly coaxed my ride home into stopping by the Torrance Mitsuwa for a "scary surprise." Little did I know that the "scary surprise" was an $18 ramen! $18 good lord that's a lot of money!! This better be worth it.


Shark's Fin Ramen: I still can't believe this ramen cost $18. Can you? I'll just get straight to it. It was good, but to me not worth the $18. Don't get me wrong, the soup was delicious, although its とろみ was a little strange and disturbing for ramen. It tasted just like Shark's Fin soup I've had at the local Chinese Restaurant only it had noodles. I'm not sure how authentic it really is, but I felt a bit guilty eating it. The toppings (shark's fin, bok choy, hints of crab, onions, and probably some other stuff) were fitting for this ramen. For $18 though, it could've used a bigger bowl.


I wonder how shark's fin ends up looking like this...nevermind I don't wanna know.


The noodles were really good. I would pay $18 for a case of these noodles.


I took some takoyaki home and they were well worth it! Highly recommended!

Kujiraken - Mitsuwa Umaimono Gourmet Fair

5/15(Thu) - 5/18(Sun) Costa Mesa

Mitsuwa Marketplace
665 Paularino Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 557-6699

So I decided to ditch work (the perks of being self-employed) and head out to Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa for opening day of the Umaimono Gourmet Fair. I arrived sharply at 11:30 and circled the parking lot for the next 20 minutes like a killer くじら (whale). I finally managed to squeeze into the smallest spot in compact row (you know...the row behind Ango Tei) and as luck would have it, I noticed another car's paint scratched across my bumper when I got back (it was actually my bro's car that I ended up selling later this afternoon so no worries). Anyway, I can't imagine what the parking will be like this weekend so you should probably go early or meet up with friend's at a different location and go in one car.


Kujiraken is from Kanagawa and "the sophisticated yet pronounced flavor of their soup is somehow nostalgic." I love Kanagawa. It's about an hour and a half south of Tokyo and I only know this because I have some good friend's that live there. Some of my best memories from Japan come straight outta Kanagawa and surprisingly enough, none of them involve ramen. But let's see if Kujiraken can still invoke some of that nostalgia that makes us scream なつかしい～～！


Shinasoba Ramen: Okay, so it's not as good as Shinasobaya, but it still felt refreshing to taste this Shinasoba from Kanagawa. Somewhat oily and extremely hot, this assari ramen, although delicious, was very difficult to describe. I'm not sure if I really liked it, but I know I didn't hate it. The noodles were slightly overcooked, but that could have been due to the time it took for me to get my camera working (I'll let it slide). The toppings (a roast beef like chashu, menma, negi, naruto, and nori) were delightfully different. Overall, I think it could have used more flavor. I may have to go back and try it again this weekend.


The thin noodles could have been firmer, but like I said above it was probably my own fault. I must go back again this weekend. Plus, that beef tongue looked really good. I'll have to try it.


It looked like the takoyaki from Takoya Kukuru was the most popular item from the fair. That line was at least 25 people long.

Hachiya Instant Ramen - Reunited At Last!

I told you I would eat one tonight. Since these all expire in a few days, I think I'm in for a crazy weekend. Remember Hachiya? Remember their instant ramen? Well it's back and it's better than ever. I'll try to keep this short since I've already reviewed it so sit back, relax and imagine the perfect blend of fish and pork overtaking your sense of smell in the truest Asahikawa style.


A pack of noodles and a packet of soup. The noodles smell incredibly fresh!


Oh man...that is some good stuff! Can you taste it?


I need Kaedama!


Dark from afar, but clear from up close. Mmmm...

ご馳走様でした！

Holy Shinachiku!! It's Ramen!

I got home from work today and noticed a strange package hanging out by my front door. Airmail? From Japan? What could it be?


Holy Shinachiku!! It's Ramen! Direct from the ShinYokohama Raumen Museum in Japan! I don't know what to say. It's like Christmas...in May!


Between the Umaimono Gourmet Fair and all this incredible 生 らーめん, it looks like I'll be in for a busy ramenlicious weekend. Mmm...I can taste the Hachiya and the Fukuchan and the Taishoken もりそば. I just might have to begin tonight after I get back from playing basketball. Be on the lookout for the reviews! If you can't wait, then maybe this will help. Hmm...maybe I'll even save one for a lucky reader to try...


Thanks go out to my bro and sis-n-law back in Tokyo for the shipment! Keep them coming!!

Mitsuwa Umaimono Gourmet Fair

The Ramen Fair is back at Mitsuwa!! Well it's actually called the Umaimono Gourmet Fair which will include more than just ramen, but who really cares about the other stuff! Just kidding, the other stuff looks good too so this will be perfect for those with friends that don't care too much for ramen (unfortunately they do exist). For more info click here and if you can't read Japanese, then click here for Mitsuwa's translation.

Here is the rundown:

Chibakiya: Featuring Shark's Fin Ramen.
5/15(Thu) - 5/18(Sun) Torrance
5/22(Thu) - 5/25(Sun) New Jersey

Kujiraken: Featuring Shina Soba.
5/15(Thu) - 5/18(Sun) Costa Mesa
5/22(Thu) - 5/25(Sun) San Jose

Tsukasa: Featuring BBQ Beef Tongue Plate and Beef Tongue Bento Box.
5/15(Thu) - 5/18(Sun) Costa Mesa

Takoya Kukuru: Featuring Takoyaki.
5/15(Thu) - 5/18(Sun) Torrance, Costa Mesa
5/22(Thu) - 5/25(Sun) San Jose, New Jersey

I guess San Diego was left out this time. Sorry guys, but at least you can enjoy Santouka now! Remember to go early because they will run out. See you there!

Tokyo Table - Arcadia, CA

Westfield Santa Anita

400 S. Baldwin Ave.

Arcadia, CA 91007

(626) 445-4000
www.tokyotable.com

Tokyo Table...hmmm. I liked the interior design. I liked the Ume Cucumber. I liked the Beef Tataki. I liked the Sapporo beer. I liked the company I was with. And I even liked my glass of water. Do you want to know what I didn't like? Yup, you guessed it.

Cha-Siu Ramen: Well, I can't blame them since this is not exactly a ramen-ya, but they still could have made it look like the picture in the menu! If you go to their website and download the pdf, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. I mean...look at the pic below. You can't even see the chashu or the menma or the egg. It almost felt like I got someone else's f'd up order. I've never been more compelled to use the acronym WTF!


The broth wasn't bad. The menu claims it to be a tonkotsu soup, but it tasted more like a rich shoyu. The toppings (an average slightly dry chashu, plain egg, menma, green onions, and fried onions) were also decent. But for the noodles...a complete ramen defamation! They were Sōmen noodles! Don't get me wrong, I love Sōmen, but what are Sōmen noodles doing in ramen!! That's almost as bad as calling a California Roll sushi!


Gyoza: The gyoza was a little soggy but good. They probably could have used more flavor, but I was just happy not to find Sōmen noodles in them.


All in all, it was cool to hang out at Tokyo Table. Just don't order the hot Sōmen!!