あっち こっち Atch Kotch - Los Angeles, CA

1253 Vine St. #5
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 467-5537

After traveling here and there for the past 10 months in search of ramen, I've finally made it to Atch Kotch, which literally means there and here. Atch Kotch is a ramen-ya that has somehow migrated up the 101 freeway away from the others in Little Tokyo and situated itself in Hollywood where few, if any, ramen-ya's have ever ventured before. Could this be a hidden gem? Umm...probably not according to the reviews on Yelp, but let's just see for ourselves.


Parko ramen (パーコー　ラーメン): Parko, Paiko, Paako...whatever. I guess there is no standard for fried pork ramen. Anyway, this ramen was very very bland. I thought it was a joke, but April fools day was four days ago. The soup had a burnt taste without any flavor and quite honestly felt like I was licking cardboard. The toppings (fried pork, menma, negi, and caramelized onions) were bland too. This is the first time I've actually eaten a ramen and wished that there was more MSG in it. The noodles were the only good news here. Straight and smooth, they had a nice chewy texture. I probably won't be coming back anytime soon, so me saying I'd like to try the other ramen on the menu would just be a lie.


Gyoza: Whatever you do, do not order the gyoza! A crispy, crunchy outside that was full of mush. I can't even describe how disgusting that mush was. Skip these and you'll be better off.


GO BRUINS!!

Sakura - Los Angeles, CA

333 S. Alameda St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-6699

If you are low on cash, hungry, and desperate for a ramen under $5, then I recommend buying some nama-ramen from the refrigerated section and cooking it at home yourself. Located inside the Mitsuwa Marketplace, I've always wondered if Sakura served a decent ramen. And now that I've tried it, I can only wonder why it has yet to be replaced by Santouka.

Shoyu-ramen: An old-school ramen with that tangy shoyu taste. A great deal for the huge bowl at $4.50, but hardly a tongue-pleaser. The toppings (chashu, negi, and moyashi) failed to do anything but disappoint. The noodles were のびてる (overcooked)--a cardinal sin of ramen.


The chashu looked like a wood chip, and quite frankly tasted like one.

San Sui Tei - Los Angeles, CA

313 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-0100

Located about thirty steps from the renowned Daikokuya, San Sui Tei is just another ramen-ya in the neighborhood successfully failing at stealing its customers. Having been to their original location in Temple City once before, I never really cared to visit this one until today. And that's only because my original destination (Atch Kotch in Hollywood) was closed. *sigh*

When I first took the pic below, I didn't notice what was on the TV. Perhaps this is their artful way of persuading me into writing a good review. Should I be scared?...I don't think so! This San Sui Tei is not only a ramen-ya, but also a sushi-bar. Based on my experience, restaurants that offer both sushi and ramen are usually non-Japanese owned (which is the case here) and never very good at either. But I'm here and I can't just get up and leave, or could I?


Tonkotsu-ramen: On any other street in any other city, this ramen might be popular, but being so close to Daikokuya, this tonkotsu-ramen is light years behind. The soup is a nice creamy blend of pork sprinkled with chips of garlic that should please the average ramen-goer. The toppings (egg, chashu, negi, menma, ginger, nori, corn, and cabbage) were average with the exception of its chashu. The chashu was moist and full of flavor. The noodles were crinkly and flat and just like its Temple City location, they reminded me of cup noodles.


Spicy Tonkotsu-ramen: A spicy version of the ramen above. It tasted exactly like Korean ramyun. It's great for all you Chileheads.


Gyoza: The gyoza was uncommonly sweet and the skin looked like my fingers do after swimming in a pool too long--a common characteristic for gyoza that's been thawed. It was edible, but the pre-mixed sauce needed more shoyu.

Mitsuru Cafe - Los Angeles, CA

117 Japanese Village Plaza Mall
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-1028

Best known for their Imagawayaki's, Mitsuru Cafe does manage to include a single ramen on their menu, simply listed as...Ramen. I doubt that it's a best seller with all the other choices in the area, but perhaps it could be a quiet sleeper in what used to be a booming plaza.


Ramen: A simple ramen for a simple ramen addict. This shoyu-based ramen was not nearly the best, but I still enjoyed it's light flavor and boring appearance. The toppings (chashu, menma, moyashi, and negi) sat lazily in the broth like they've been doing this for years. All in all, this was a below average ramen, but once you set foot in Mitsuru Cafe, you really can't ask for anything more.


On a side note, I stopped by Daikokuya to take some gyoza to go, but I was told that they can't do to go today. That sounded strange to me. I never heard of anything like that...have you?

Orochon Ramen - Los Angeles, CA

123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1766

Whenever I hear someone talk about Orochon ramen, it's almost always about the "Special 2" ramen and the "wall of bravery" or the nine levels of spiciness. Rarely do I hear anything about the actual quality of ramen. Although I still plan to take the challenge one day, this day was just meant for unveiling the truth behind all the gimmicks.

Shoyu-ramen (Level 4 - Orochon): Level 4 is the signature Orochon ramen. It's your average shoyu-ramen with a little (or lot depending on your taste) spiciness added. To get straight to the point, I do not understand this ramen nor its concept. And I don't understand what all the hype is about and why this place is usually packed. Maybe I'm just old school. I like spicy foods, but I also like it when spicy foods have character. The soup was so bland that it was almost like drinking spicy salt water. The noodles were even worse. They had a tough undercooked feel that tasted pasty. The toppings (pork, menma, negi, konbu, and bellpeppers) were sparse and just odd. I've never seen bellpeppers in a shoyu-ramen before. Now I'm not sure if I even want to try the "Special 2" ramen. Not because I don't think I can survive the spiciness, but because I don't think I can survive the bland ugliness. I wonder if they'll let me try the challenge with ramen from Daikokuya!


Gyoza: These oddly-shaped shumai-like gyoza were juicy and full of flavor. A good way to extinguish any minor flare-ups.

Yokohama Kaigenro - Los Angeles, CA

333 Alameda St. Ste. 125
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 325-2113

Yokohama Kaigenro is another ramen shop situated in the deserted former Yaohan Plaza. Located on the first floor next to the Mitsuwa entrance, it appears to be a nice, friendly place to enjoy a good ramen. Unfortunately, their ramen wasn't very good. I'd rather take the escalator up two stories and eat ramen at Hanaichimonme or Honda-ya.

Shoyu-ramen: The soup was an average shoyu with an unexplainable after-taste. I couldn't quite pinpoint the strange taste but it must have something to do with the dashi. The noodles were crinkled and average as well. The toppings (chashu, egg, baby bok choy, menma, moyashi, negi, and nori) were the best part of this not-so-impressive ramen, but they still couldn't make up for the damage already done.


Shio-ramen: The shio soup was really bland and tasted like sea water--very fishy. The noodles were the same as above. The toppings (chashu, cabbage, egg, moyashi, menma, and negi) couldn't make up for this flavor either.


Gyoza: They looked good but looks can be deceiving. They weren't the worst that I've had, but they still could've used some more flavor.

Honda Ya - Los Angeles, CA

333 S Alameda St, 3rd floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 635-1184

While out running around town eating ramen one day, I happened to notice a "Honda Ya Opening Soon" sign in the Mitsuwa shopping center in Little Tokyo. After hearing that it was the same owner as Honda-Ya in Tustin and Kappo Honda in Fountain Valley (my fav izakaya), I had to give the new LA location a try! Surprisingly, this new LA location was just as good as the others, if not better--and it's only the 2nd day since opening. But being as we are Go Ramen, I'll only be reviewing the ramen. Don't get me wrong, the food there is great. So great that this may just turn out to be my new izakaya hangout.

Chashu-ramen: Not the best but this isn't really a ramen joint to begin with. The soup was refreshingly satisfying and light with a good amount of flavor. The noodles were the average crinkled probably-ordered-from-one-of-those-factories kind. The toppings (chashu, menma, negi, and moyashi) were decent but the chashu was a little dry. I also may have been a bit buzzed tonight so I'm not sure if I remember the exact taste of it. Anyway, everything else was great!

Hanaichimonme - Los Angeles, CA

333 S. Alameda St. #303
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 626-3514

I miss the Yaohan plaza of the 80's! It's just not the same anymore. I feel sorry for Hanaichimonme, but at least they still serve a pretty decent ramen.

Sagano Set: Hanaichi ramen (shoyu), torimeshi gohan (chicken steamed rice), and gyoza.


Hanaichi ramen: The thin soumen-like noodles have to be the best part of this ramen. The soup was very simple yet satisfying. I was reminded of being at a ramen-ya in Narita airport. The toppings were decent but I'm not complaining.


Torimeshi gohan: I liked it because it was different. You don't normally see torimeshi gohan at a ramen-ya. But personally I would have liked to see some takenoko in there.


Gyoza: Very average. Possibly below. Having the salad dressing touch the gyoza resulted in an eyebrow-crinkling taste and not in a good way.

Mr. Ramen - Los Angeles, CA

341 1/2 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-4252

The movie 300 is in stores today. Kevin Garnett becomes a Celtic in a blockbuster deal. The Dow is down 1.5% for July. Mortgage companies continue to implode. Robin Roberts has breast cancer. A USB flash drive can now perform aromatherapy. This is just a taste of today's headlines. And why am I mentioning them in a ramen review, you ask? Because it's probably a better way to spend your time rather than continue on with me having nothing good to say about Mr. Ramen!

This was the 2nd part of my ramen run today and as I write this from home, I'm regretting every bit of it. Not because my stomach is about to explode. Not because my MSG headache is becoming unbearable. And not because I have a basketball game tonight. But because I can't believe I've subjected my body to such ramen-retardation! Wait, before I seriously persuade you not to go here, the actual Mr. Ramen and Mrs. Ramen are very kind people with a very inviting little restaurant. If I ever do go back, it will be because of them. There's always other stuff on the menu for me to try.

Shoyu-ramen: Simple, strong, and very fishy. That is how I describe the soup. Overcooked and slimy were the noodles. The toppings (chashu, egg, seaweed, menma, and negi) floated like trash in a botulinal river. I really struggled to keep this down. Partly because I just ate over at Daikokuya 30 minutes prior, but mostly due to its indigestible nature.


Gyoza: Now why didn't I just order the gyoza at Daikokuya? Like Mathew Perry in The Whole Nine Yards, I banged my head on the steering wheel several times for this one. All in all, these were better than the ramen and far more digestible. I managed to keep these down without any trouble.

Daikokuya - Los Angeles, CA

327 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680
www.daikoku-ten.com

Two months into my ramen journey and I finally get a chance to try Daikokuya. I constantly hear nothing but great reviews about this place, so today I decided to finally witness it for myself. This is actually the first of two ramen-ya's I visited today. You'll see the next one a little later on. Okay, so back to Daikokuya. I decided to save some room in my stomach and order only the ramen. I'll have to go back again for the gyoza someday.

Daikoku-ramen: Wow! Amazing! Why did I wait so long to try this? Sorry edjusted, but I'd have to say that this was better than Shinsengumi. The soup was to die for! The noodles weren't very spectacular, but thankfully they were masked by the delicious tonkotsu soup. And the chashu? Mmmmm! The kurobuta just melted on my tongue like an ice cube on asphalt. I think I might have to go back there sooner than I thought. Maybe even tomorrow!


Gyoza: (Updated December 31, 2007) I finally got a chance to try the gyoza and...they were really good, but I think I might have been expecting too much. I guess that's what happens when you listen to all the hype. They could have been a little juicier. Nonetheless, they are definitely top notch.

Koraku Restaurant - Los Angeles, CA

314 E. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-4972


Koraku, Kouraku, or Ko-raku. Is there a purpose for the inconsistent translation of their name throughout the restaurant? All I ask is that it doesn't translate over to their ramen! Today I decided to take a trip downtown since I've pretty much conquered OC (at least for the time being). After finding a place to park and overcoming the initial nostalgia of playing in Little Tokyo as a child, I walked on over to the ramen-ya closest to the parking lot--Ko.u.ra.ku. I'm sure that I've been here before but for what it's worth, I couldn't remember.

Shoyu-ramen: I've had better and I've had worse. The soup base was a bit on the strong side and even left the yellowish noodle stained brown. Could this be an inconsistency? I guess I'll have to go back again to know for sure. Anyway, the noodle texture was good and the toppings (egg, chashu, moyashi, menma, and negi) were simply average. Nothing to cry nor scream about. I think I'll try a different ramen the next time. Perhaps the mabo or the tonkotsu.


Gyoza: I've never found it odd for an order of gyoza to arrive 15 minutes after my ramen (this is usually the case), but to arrive 15 minutes before?...now that is odd! Especially since these arrived just seconds after I ordered. Were they declined by another customer? Do they mass cook gyoza anticipating their orders? Or do they cook them in the morning and just nuke 'em during lunch? I'm not exactly sure how it works and quite frankly, I don't care. Their existence was quick and short lived. I'll have to order the chahan next time!