Ramen Nagi created quite a buzz when they opened at UTC a few months back. Having eaten at the location in the Golden Gai, I was curious even though this location of Nagi didn't make the hardcore niboshi broth that the Tokyo location is famous for. I initially thought about going right away, but it was just too hot at that time. And then I started getting texts from FOYs like JeffP showing me the crazy lines and also hearing about folks waiting 90 minutes in line for their ramen. I'm sorry, I got work to do and just don't have the time nor fortitude to wait in lines during lunch hour. It's one thing to be in a line that just moves constantly like at you know where, it's a whole 'nother thing here in SoCal, I mean it seems even lines for baked goods move slowly.
Still, "FOY" Calvin really wanted to try Nagi after I mentioned the place to him while having ramen during a rather mediocre visit to Menya (post upcoming). So, we decided on a plan. It would be on a Monday; we'd arrive 15 minutes before opening and see how things are at that point in time
As things turned out, we got to the shop at 10 before opening (11am) and were the second party in line. We were handed sheets to select how we wanted are ramen….the US's version of the Japanese ramen ticket machine I guess.
This being my first visit; I decided to go with the "Chef's recommendation" along with a tamago (of course). We were also told that karaage was available.
Once the place opened things moved fast. There already was water on the table along with all the condiments; we handed off our order sheets, mentioned that we wanted karaage, and it was off to the races.
Our ramen arrived within ten minutes.
At first blush I found the broth to have mildly porky – savory tones but was on the salty side; though it was fairly fatty – rich and nicely coated my tongue. I really couldn't make out any garlic flavor, probably because the broth was too salty.
The yolk of the well seasoned tamago was a lovely, tender orb and was warm! One of my pet peeves is having the yolk of my boiled egg served ice cold in my ramen.
The noodles were on the thinner side, slippery, with a decent "pull" to them.
As much as I enjoy spiciness, I didn't care for the "Nagi sauce" in this bowl of ramen as it really heightened the saltiness and distracted from the flavor of the tonkotsu style broth.
The chashu at Nagi is made from pork shoulder which can be on the tough side; but the slices here are thin and the meat has a decent tenderness along with a mild porky-soy sauce flavor.
Calvin really liked the marinated moyashi.
The Karaage took a bit of time to arrived, but was lip-melting hot!
These pieces were quite large; in fact Calvin and I could only finish one piece each and ended up taking the rest back to JeffP as a "consolation prize" since he couldn't make it. The batter was quite crunchy, almost edging on hard. The meat as on the chewy-dry side. It was covered in an overly sweet sauce. I don't think I'll order these again.
Both Calvin and I had enjoyed the ramen at Nagi. In my mind, I had already envisioned the "version" of the ramen I wanted on my next visit. And so, going with the same game plan I set off for "Nagi part II" on the following Monday, arriving at 10 minutes before opening. This time there were four parties in front of me.
I was handed my ordering slip which took me but a few seconds to complete.
This being a solo visit, I was seated at the counter.
Which gave me a front row seat to view the "line".
Which was in constant motion….
I could actually see my bowl being put together….it arrived in minutes.
The chashu this time around looked to have an almost "red" tinge to it; but was perfectly fine. I had ordered the broth to be "heavy" in terms of richness which it definitely was. So very rich, but not greasy, in fact the texture reminded me of the Seabura (backfat) ramen we had in Narita! Loved the thickness. Going for a lighter tare meant it was less salty and wouldn't you know, I could even make out the garlic!
The boiled egg was every bit as good as on the previous visit….good consistency displayed here.
I got the thicker noodles and being that I like them "katame" I ordered it "firm". I would even enjoy thicker noodles here. These had such a nice stretch and chew. I was really pleased with the noodles this way. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I found it enjoyable.
To me, the adjustments I made on this visit worked out well. And even though I took time to savor things; I was out of Nagi in 20 minutes! Shades of Japan!
Well, it looks like I have a new favorite ramen shop in town. Now I gotta talk the Missus into trying them out.
Ramen Nagi UTC
4301 La Jolla Village Dr. Suite 2033
San Diego, CA 92122
Current Hours:
Daily 11am – 230pm, 5pm – 9pm