Need mo zen...

Day 629:

Time for some shopping.

Sightseeing.

And eating.

I actually hate buffets. haha.

How about we relax?

Take a swim.

And get MOzen.

I wanted to order the room service ramen last night, but fell asleep. MOzen Bistro inside Mandarin Oriental had the same ramen on their menu, but at $26 did I really want to try it?

Dammit, I couldn't resist. At least I'd be losing my money to ramen and not the poker tables. Anyway, you don't really want to know what I think do you? Let me just say this: If you can charge $26 for this **** in Vegas, imagine what I could charge for a bowl of GCS.

I asked the waiter (he was cool) if the soup base was made with chicken and he replied: "No it's beef! That's what the pork is stewed in." I didn't quite understand what he meant by that, but whatever.

No mo zen for me...

Sky ramen...

Day 628:

Vegas baby!

There's only one place to go...up!

What a great view!

Room service ramen? Now this is my kind of hotel!

But let's go gamble!

Yay I won! Let's go eat!

Jellyfish!

Thai noodles!

Yum yum!

Wait, what did I just eat?? And how did I get down here?

Zenyamada...

Day 627:

I heard Zenya had a "bomb ass" tonkotsu. So I immediately thought it would be the perfect place to meetup with Chef Jay and Jeff, The LA Sushi Guys. Zenya is located where I was once put under citizen's arrest, the old Koraku location.

After hyping up the Tonkotsu Ramen, in my mind and in the minds of everyone else, the waitress told us that they had just ran out of tonkotsu soup. Noooo! Seriously? At 1:30pm?? After trying to beg and plead for at least one bowl from the bottom of the pot, the answer was still 'sorry no more.'

So we settled on the Shio Ramen. Light and fishy (I tasted some shellfish...clams maybe?), it just didn't satisfy after expecting a "bomb ass" tonkotsu.

The noodles were texturally similar to the dehydrated kind you get from instant ramen. Anyhow, it was great seeing Chef Jay and Jeff again. They are always an inspiration and I can't help from getting fired up hearing all their informative stories. They are true professionals and really know the ins-and-outs of the LA restaurant scene. Thanks guys! I will definitely need your help someday!

Since I was still in the neighborhood (and still craving a bowl of tonkotsu), I decided to hit up Yamadaya down the street.

I park, I sit down, I order...

Then begin to slurp my Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen. It was impressive.

Now this is where it gets interesting. The same waitress from Zenya that denied us our tonkotsu walks into Yamadaya to speak with the head chef. She notices me and forces an embarrassed hello. Then I overheard her ask the chef when they could expect more tonkotsu. Hmm...I'll let you conclude the rest. I wouldn't want to make any assumptions.

Is it getting a little hot in here? Time for some cold noodles...

And HOT soondubu.

Bulgogi!

Asian food in LA is awesome!

Bullish...

Day 626:

To all my cali friends in Japan, this is for you. Don't hate! haha.

For those that are unfamiliar, IN-N-OUT Burger is legendary. For over 60 years they've been serving the freshest, tastiest burgers, fries, and shakes by adhering to the same principles and philosophies that cemented its foundation. In many ways, it gives someone hope that a ramen shop could be built using the same methodology. It's only a matter of time.

With a few hours to kill before our bullish dinner, we decided to head to The Getty. It's funny how I used to live minutes away from here, but today would be my very first visit. I guess that happens a lot when you live somewhere and take the touristy things for granted.

Go bruins!

Dinner time!

After receiving an invite a few weeks back to try Ramen Bull at Breadbar, I was excited to finally see this day come. So I brought along a few friends, old and new, to join me in tasting the latest IRONNORI creation.

After a few appetizers like this succulent beef tongue (it was like french-kissing a hot cow)...

And some lightly stir-fried edamame...

It was time for some beef-based ramen! Btw, my friend Daizo was there to do some filming. Could there be a video coming soon??

Anyway, I ordered the Oxtail Ramen. One word: Sweet! I immediately noticed a miso flavor in the base mixed with the sweetness of oxtail, along with several other spices that obliterated my buds. This is definitely an odyssean creation showcasing the talents of an inventive, culturally-trained chef.

Would I ever make a ramen like this? Probably not, but that's only because I like to keep things simple. And that's why ramen is so great. As long as you have soup and noodles, there are no boundaries.

The Spicy Ramen was probably my fave.

And the Vegetable Ramen was a great option for those that don't eat meat.

But I am a ramen carnivore.

Thank you Chef Nori! I admire your passion and creativity. Please keep up the awesome work. Ramen in Los Angeles needs more people like you. (ps...I'll try to come back for the other noodles)

And a BIG thanks to all of you that showed up to enjoy this ramen with me. You know who you are. Let's do it again!!

Step by step...

Day 625:

Back in the HB hood where I grew up...

My step-bro was busy stylin'!

What up Kuni! If you're ever chillin' at the beach on Main Street and need a haircut, hit my bro up!

Back in high school, Pho 79 was my favorite pho shop.

It's nice to know things haven't changed.

But I need some ramen! Long ago there used to be a forest where wontons were to die for. That forest was once replaced by a familiar friend, but today Yukino Ya (幸之屋) reigns impressively.

Impressively because the chef works his ass off. A once prominent sushi chef in the LA area, he just got tired of it and wanted a change. Thus, ramen became his next challenge. The Tonkotsu Ramen (pictured below) is creamy and inviting, but there is something missing that plagues most ramen outside of Japan (I'll get to what that is later).

The shoyu ramen, with a base of chicken, pork, and select vegetables, is the "more popular among Japanese customers" and definitely the better of the two.

I was satisfied, for the moment, but ramen is not just about good soup.

Anyway, time for dinner with big bro.

Hawaiian rib-eye baby!

Kenshiro, call me. We need to talk!!