Kinchans - Los Angeles, CA

2119 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 445-0031

Happy day after Thanksgiving! Another perfect day for ramen!! My initial destination today was Asahi Ramen (after a reader emailed me to say she can't believe I've never blogged Asahi), but since I didn't have time to wait in a long line, Kinchans was the suitable replacement. Being on Sawtelle during the middle of the day for lunch brought back many fond memories of my college days. Oh how I wish I could go back. Anyway, Kinchans wasn't around back then so hopefully those memories won't interfere with this review. I just want to quickly mention that the service here was great. I was able to get in and out in 20 minutes fully satisfied.

Shoyu-ramen: An average ramen that was somehow better than average. That's the only way I can describe it. The simple soup was slightly strong and surprisingly satisfying. It's not as complex as some other places, but you can still taste the effort that went into it. The noodles, at first taste, felt overcooked due to its slick coating, but after a few more bites they actually tasted pretty good. They even reminded me of my favorite thick soumen noodles that mom used to make. The toppings (chashu, menma, spinach, corn, and negi) blended well with the rest of it. Although the chashu wasn't the moist kurobuta kind, it was still full of flavor. I would go back again.


Gyoza: This gyoza was also surprising. They were very juicy and full of garlic. Definitely not a disappointment. The only downside to them is that the garlic will stay with you throughout the day, but is that really a downside?

Eboshi Noodle Bar - Lomita, CA

2383 Lomita Blvd. #116
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 325-6674

Located on the outskirts of Torrance, Eboshi Noodle Bar has all the makings of a good ramen-ya. From your typical ramen (shoyu, shio, and miso) to the more exotic (gomoku, kanitama, mabo, and toku miso), Eboshi has all the tools to compete with the best of them, including yakisoba, donburi, and several izakaya-style dishes. As I walked in to grab a seat at the counter, the crowded hustle-and-bustle environment got me all excited. This place must be good, I thought...


Shoyu-ramen: Contrary to what I was wishing for, I wouldn't be receiving anything good from Eboshi on this day before my birthday. All the excitement I felt upon entering came crashing to an unexpected halt. This shoyu-ramen was a HUGE disappointment and that may be an understatement. I couldn't believe how bland the soup was! My taste-buds kept reaching for a flavor that didn't seem to exist. My only explanation for this blandness could be due to the various exotic ramen on the menu that add-in their own flavor. But still, there's no excuse for this shoyu-ramen being so bland. The noodles were also disappointing. Slippery and slightly overcooked, they couldn't hold up and rescue this ramen from the hole it was in. The toppings (chashu, egg, menma, seaweed, and negi) were the only highlight in this mediocre mess. Since I was really hoping for Eboshi Noodle Bar to do well, let's just say I ordered the wrong ramen. Next time, I'll have to try the gomoku-ramen. And yes, I did say next time.


Gyoza: The gyoza was decent. There was a lot of flavor but they still couldn't rescue the ramen.


Chahan: This was the best part of the meal. It's not the best I've ever had, but it definitely kept me from walking out. I would get it again.


UPDATED on 12/28/2008:

Gomoku Ramen: So I finally made it back to try the Gomoku Ramen. Man, was that a mistake! I really hoped it would be better, but unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be going back. The egg tasted like it was soaked in glass cleaner. I'll leave it up to your imagination for what the rest tasted like.

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.

EZO Noodle Cafe - Irvine, CA

13256 Jamboree Rd.
Irvine, CA 92602
(714) 544-5075

Before I get started, I just want to give my condolences to all who have been affected by the recent fires in socal. It's been crazy enough just watching it on TV. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to lose almost everything you own in a matter of minutes. I hope you are all safe and best of luck with piecing things back together!

It doesn't take much to get me to go eat ramen. But after edjusted gave EZO a bad rating back in 2005 and cutie followed by commenting "ezo noodle cafe is really really bad!!" one year later, I was never in a real rush to give this place a try. The only reason I even considered going is because I found this coupon online the other day. It's not much of a coupon, but it was enough to just get EZO on the board and out of the way.

Miso-ramen (EZO Special): I love miso soup, but I've never really been a huge fan of miso-ramen. And this EZO Special didn't impress me enough to change that. In fact, it didn't really impress me at all. Granted this is a "fast-casual" restaurant where everything is served in plastic on a flimsy lunch tray, but that's no excuse to serve a less than mediocre ramen. Perhaps they should get some tips from Santouka. On a another note, providing plastic teaspoons for sipping soup should be outlawed! Anyway, the soup was strangely tangy for ramen. I'm not quite sure what to think about it. The noodles were decent, but I couldn't get over that tangy-ness. The toppings (naruto, negi, moyashi, cabbage, and a horrendously dry piece of chashu) were mind-blowingly boring. And tangy.


Shoyu-ramen: Bland with an extra hint of bland. The noodles and toppings were the same as above, minus the tangy. Did I mention that it was bland? Wait, it wasn't that bland but it was pretty bland. Who came up with the word bland anyway? Did someone just eat something bland and happen to mutter bland? Okay, this blandness is making me balmy.


Gyoza: Straight from the grocer's freezer. At least that's what it tasted like. Don't let the seared outside fool you, the inside was still cold. I'm not sure I'd even say that they are worth the free coupon. Actually I am sure, they're not!

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.