Tamaya - Hacienda Heights, CA

17142 Colima Rd
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 581-3223

On the heels of my thirtieth ramen post in less than three months, I happened to stumble upon a true hidden gem in Hacienda Heights while visiting the bank. Surprised by this unexpected discovery, I had to put my football plans on hold and run in for a quick slurp. Tamaya is a small ramen and donburi restaurant that's been serving the neighborhood locals for more than four years. It's friendly family-owned atmosphere makes this restaurant that much more enjoyable. Some say that this is their back up ramen-ya when the line at Foo Foo Tei is too long, but don't underestimate Tamaya. Although they don't pop-up when googling for "ramen in LA", Tamaya's ramen can definitely hold its own and compete on a high level! Their menu even contains 24 different types of ramen to choose from. I can't wait to go back and try the Kaarage-ramen.


Shoyu-ramen: Not knowing what to expect from the unexpected, this shoyu-ramen was surprisingly delicious! It even seemed to get better with every slurp. I couldn't believe what my taste buds were experiencing. The soup was sensational with no regrets. The noodles were cooked perfectly and blended a great relationship with the soup. The toppings (chashu, egg, menma, nori, and negi) were also outstanding. Mostly because the kurobuta chashu was amazingly tender and moist! I'd never thought I'd say this, but this chashu quite possibly could give Daikokuya a run for its money. There's nothing more to say...


Gyoza: Foo Foo Tei's gyoza is hand's down the winner in this battle. Tamaya's gyoza was less exciting than their ramen and oddly tasted like they came out of the freezer.


Chahan: If you do order the ramen combo, you'll be better off combining the chahan instead of the gyoza. The chahan rivals most of the top ramen-ya's in LA and OC.

Kokekokko - Hacienda Heights, CA

1611A South Azusa Ave.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 810-2918


Auspiciously guided by the peak of this weekend's meteor shower, a young rooster cries "kokekokko" (cock-a-doodle-doo) in hopes of awaking the city of Hacienda Heights. Although it's lacking the famous yakitori grill from its popular Little Tokyo parent, this Kokekokko still shines, relying on ramen and rice bowls to keep the chicken coop restless--a definite plus for us ramen-enthusiasts. Did I also mention that ordering a large soboro just to try the ramen is NOT required here? Several different types of ramen are on the menu with an option of combining various chicken bowls. A superb restaurant for anyone that loves chicken!



Shoyu-ramen: Chicken soup for the ramen lover's soul! If I ever get the flu, I'll order gallons of this stuff to go. Not surprisingly, chicken is the main ingredient here. The soup tasted like Campbell's chicken soup with a dash of shoyu. Light in taste, I found myself licking the bowl towards the end. The thin, blonde, crimped noodle reminded me of instant ramen (not yet sure which one), but it meshed well with everything else. The main topping was three pieces of succulent grilled chicken that had me screaming kokekokko! The rest of the toppings (menma, egg, naruto, nori, and negi) co-starred with admirable serenity.


Miso-ramen: Similar to the shoyu-ramen with an additional hint of miso. The miso made the soup very sweet but the rest was identical to the shoyu. I'm not much of a fan of sweet ramen so I'd have to pass on this one. But if you like sweet, by all means give it a try.


Chicken gyoza: A welcome change to the traditional pork-filled gyoza. I could probably eat fifty of these without feeling sick. They have a light, crisp taste that doesn't weigh you down. I highly recommend them.

Katana Sushi and Ramen - Hacienda Heights, CA

3107 Colima Rd.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 333-7222

It's Q? No it's Katana Sushi and Ramen! After browsing a forum thread on rameniac's site which mentioned It's Q Ramen (Ikkyu), I decided to go check it out. But after calling to see what time they open, I was greeted by a soft "Hello, Katana Sushi and Ramen." Did I call the wrong place? Anyway, it doesn't matter. I still heard them say ramen so I asked for their hours and headed out my door. Anything to kill that Noodle Pluto taste that's still lingering from yesterday.

Tamayu-ramen: After reading some prior reviews about It's Q, it looks like their ramen still lives at Katana. Perhaps the owner of It's Q simply changed their name and added sushi. Or perhaps the new owners also bought the ramen recipe. Or perhaps they just enslaved the old ramen chef. Or perhaps I know nothing at all. What I do know is that I actually really enjoyed this hakata-style tamayu-ramen. It also eerily reminded me of Shimadaya's nama tonkotsu ramen in the package. Could this just be a pure coincidence? Hmmm...it makes me wonder. Well the soup base was oily and excellent. The noodles were slightly undercooked but I didn't mind since it beats being overcooked. The toppings were simple (thinly sliced moist chashu, negi, goma, and konbu), giving the ramen some individuality. And with Utada Hikaru singing First Love in the background (natsukashii), I virtually fell in love with Tamayu!


Gyoza: For just $7 total, my Tamayu-ramen came with three pieces of gyoza. Not bad! Although these were deep-fried and reminded me more of fried wontons than gyoza. They even came with their own sweet ponzu-like sauce. Good but not great. There are plenty of other items to choose from for this ramen-combo so you might be better off skipping the gyoza here.

Foo Foo Tei - Hacienda Heights, CA

15018 Clark Ave.
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 937-6585

After a nice morning ride on my motorcycle that worked up an appetite, I thought I'd head on over to Foo Foo Tei to see what all the rave was about. Upon arrival, I wondered in amazement how a ramen-ya could be located in this unusual industrial neighborhood and still remain successful. If it weren't for some fellow ramen lovers, I may have never known that this place existed. (Thanks Shin!) Crazy as it seems, groups of Asian people began to arrive by the car loads. The line was already 25 people long 20 minutes before opening. Could the ramen really be this good?!

As the door opened I managed to survive the mad dash and make my way to front of the line--after all I was the first person to arrive. To my surprise (maybe because of the name), the waitresses all spoke Japanese and greeted us with the usual "Irrashaimase." The menu had plenty of variety, but I knew right away what I wanted. The good 'ole shoyu-ramen and gyoza.

Shoyu-ramen: Okay. Let me take a deep breath. This ramen was...outstanding! The light, crisp, flavorful taste of the soup base was perfect satisfaction, even on a hot day. The noodles, slightly thinner than the norm, had a nice chewy texture that tangoed with my tongue. And for the toppings (egg, naruto, scallions, menma, moyashi, a piece of nori, and two pieces of tender fatty chashu)...they were outstanding as well. Altogether a great blend and well worth the wait. If you're corny enough, this ramen might even have you screaming foo foo for Foo Foo Tei!


Gyoza: Contrary to what the picture below might show, this is not your boss' hair piece. So what is it? I'm not sure. Of all my years eating gyoza, I've never seen it cooked like this before. If you out there have any ideas, please enlighten me. Nevertheless, it tasted amazing! This strange crust may have hinted a slightly burnt taste, but the actual gyoza was full of juicy, garlicky minced pork. An unusual sight, but a definite recommendation.