Telepor-tton...

The last time I was here was over ten years ago.  I don't even think vertical photos were a thing lol and ramen in OC was very, very different then.  Ramen Zetton back in the day had some good promise.  I was back in town in between living in Tokyo and NYC and just happened to check out the neighborhood newcomer.

More than ten years later, I decided to give Zetton another try.  Under new ownership since May (yes I asked because I remember seeing it for sale last summer), Zetton has somehow remained in the same space as ten years ago as if it had ultra-teleportation abilities.

Then menu is simple and different from what I remember, but regardless of new ownership, I'm sure a lot had evolved over the past decade of ramen pandemonium.

I decided to order the Zetton Shoyu Ramen (mostly because I wasn't in the mood for the corn in the deluxe).

Noodles are from Yamachan.  I know this because the Wismettac driver made a delivery while I was slurping.  Haha.

Overall, I didn't hate it.  It conjured memories of the shoyu at Ebisu Ramen in Fountain Valley, but mostly it reminded me of a simple, old-school, American shoyu ramen.  I don't know if I'll ever go back but that MSG might make me crave it again.

Two-tton...

Day 1278:

If it means anything. Zetton is the only shop I went to twice.

Although the first time was more impressive than the second.

The off menu Chuukasoba needs some work, but I like what they are trying to do.

Thanks LA!! See you in NY!

Like old times...

Day 1275:

Round Table pizza...

Kohryu...

Koi Ramen...

Did they change owners?...

Again?...

Oh well...

Kat live...

Day 1274:

I got a surprise call from a Tokyo friend today saying that they were now living in Irvine. And that they were performing tonight at open mic night in Newport Beach. Whaaaat? Okay, but first I need to eat.

Jinya is another new shop that has joined in on the recent ramen invasion of Costa Mesa. With a few branches in socal already, it seems as though they are trying to rule the ramen world. Or not.

This is a good bowl, but it somehow tastes too manufactured. I'm not sure what it is but it's a bit disturbing.

Perhaps these bowls just need a little more stink.

Anyway...

Kat McDowell!!!

What a surprise!

Great to see you guys! In Irvine of all places!! haha.

Oh see...

Day 1270:

I've dreamt about a breakfast like this for months! See, it's all about hope. haha.

Since I've been gone there seems to have been a slight explosion of ramen shops in socal. In Costa Mesa alone I count 5 new shops. One of them is Ramen Zetton on Baker near Bristol.

Having recently opened at the end of 2012, there are several ramen to choose from but the Tori Shio Ramen seems to be the most popular.

It's a little heavier than I expected with the chicken broth not being so clear, but I was pleasantly surprised by it's depth of unassuming flavor.

The noodles matched fairly with the overly oily soup and once again I was pleasantly surprised.

I may have to revisit this place before I leave.

Another new shop is Ramen Iroha located in the food court of Marukai Supermarket.

If you didn't know, Ramen Iroha is a chain which has successfully marketed the "Toyama Black" in Japan. Having witnessed how this chain has evolved over the years, I must say that I am not as overly shocked as I should be when assessing the poor quality of this bowl.

No offense to Kurihara-san, but I don't see this shop lasting very long.

I can't believe I even finished the bowl...it was definitely a struggle.

Return to Kohryu...

Day 636:

I used to really like this place, but every time I return I start to really NOT like this place. Anyway, you can read up on Kohryu and my past here.

The assistant was craving tsukemen. I warned her, but I was curious to see what would come out too.

Dear wimc, please do not use these thin wavy noodles that are meant for ramen for your tsukemen. Thanks! Either these noodles were pre-made or someone else's missed order because they came out way too fast and were all dried and stuck together, which made them taste powdery. Bad!

They were out of the thicker noodle normally used for the Koi Ramen, but I ordered it anyway.

I should have known better.

Anyway, shabu shabu time.

Beware of the spicy droplet.

Why eat so much Japanese food in LA when I live in Japan, you ask? Because you can't get this stuff in France.

This place was actually pretty good. I'd go back.

Laguna Beach at night is always a nostalgic sight.

Those were the good days, but these days are even better.

Japanese Noodle House Kohryu - Costa Mesa, CA

891 Baker Street
Suite B-21
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-9212

So I've decided to return to Kohryu (yet again) in hopes of the once-known-glory doing the same. If you've been following this blog, you might remember how Chinese Restaurant Koryu was historically the best ramen-ya in OC, but after a few ownership changes they just kept plummeting (imho) like the stock market is today. Ironically, "Chinese Restaurant" Koryu had better ramen than "Japanese Noodle House" Kohryu (not sure what's up with that or the added "h"). But it's been 10 months since my last visit and because I'm constantly hoping for ramen improvement wherever I revisit, I found myself back in a familiar spot, reminiscing (yet again) about the past.


Shacho Ramen: Shacho means boss, so apparently this would be Boss Ramen. (Whenever I hear boss in a Japanese context, it always reminds me of Tiger Woods' Boss can coffee commercial...remember that?) In any case, I wanted to order the kotteri shoyu Koi Ramen but they were out of it on this day. So instead, I ordered the other "Chef's Favorite" in the kotteri miso base. Amazingly, this s*** was good! The toppings (ground pork, moyashi, onions, negi, chashu, menma, and caramelized scallions) were surprisingly out of this ramen world. The sweet miso-infused sharpness really tingled my tastebuds with a boss-like lashing. Within minutes, I was at bay and yearning for more.


The noodles weren't very impressive, but I've pictured the average curly noodle below to give a comparison of what comes next.


Chanpon: A good chanpon contains everything you can imagine (seafood, pork, vegetables) and this shio-based concoction, which also comes in miso or spicy-miso, is arguably the best in the West. Of course Foo-Foo Tei's version contains fresher ingredients, but it's hard to compete with what comes next...


...a different noodle. Yes, you read it correctly. This Chanpon comes with a more straight noodle like the ones you'd typically find in Chinese noodle soups. Impressive indeed! I wouldn't have it any other way!


Gyoza: Unfortunately, the gyoza showed no improvement over past visits. A mushy, overloaded mess of garlic and pork that doesn't even satisfy a starving soul. Skip these for something else!


This neighborhood is very special to me and it always feels good to come back home. Although Kohryu will never be the same as I once remembered it, it's always nice to know that it's still there. There's nothing like eating ramen and then scheduling your next Japan trip right next door!

Daikokuya - Costa Mesa, CA

2975 Harbor Blvd., Suite 5
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(Marukai Food Court)
(714) 436-0151
www.daikoku-ten.com

Okay so it's not Ippudo, but the next best thing (insert wamu sign here) is having the famed Daikokuya expand into the OC. Located inside the food court of the Marukai in Costa Mesa, Daikokuya tries to quietly conquer where Chabuton failed. Will they succeed? Of course they will, right? They're Daikokuya! And they have real spoons!! I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Daikoku ramen: Mmm...good, but the soup does taste muted. The lush creaminess was like heaven, but it was missing that devilish kick. Oh well, I didn't care. I was too excited to let anyone or anything disappoint. And after a long motorcycle ride on a cool Sunday morning, I was ready for something to soothe my soul. The toppings (chashu, moyashi, menma, negi, egg) were nothing less than top notch. Although the chashu didn't exactly melt, it still hit the spot. And the egg is quite possibly the best egg in a bowl of ramen on this side of the Pacific. The noodles were just noodles. Nothing spectacular, but not disappointing enough to ruin it for the rest. Anyhow, I don't see Daikokuya leaving this food court anytime soon. If anything, Marukai just might have to add more tables somewhere--outside, perhaps.


Gyoza: You can't have Daikoku ramen without an order of gyoza! Eating these are mandatory! So order one...or two...or three! If you don't like green onions, then brush 'em off or order them negi-nashi!