I guess after checking out Marufuku and revisits to Nagi and Santouka, I’d had enough tonkotsu (i.e. what every ramen shop has to serve in San Diego) ramen and needed a break. Of course, HiroNori and their shoyu ramen is a favorite of mine; but I‘d just been there a couple of months back. Then it came to me. I hadn’t been back to Kitakata Ramen in over a year! And even though they’ve given up and have started doing tonkotsu, it’s their signature Fukushima style shoyu ramen that I was after. As a plus, I recall being able to order my noodles “katame” (extra firm) the last time I visited.
I arrived at around 1115 and was shocked to see the place empty!
And strangely, I was the only customer dining in…there were several takeout orders during my entire meal! The young lady working was so sweet and friendly.
I was really after only one thing.
The Kitakata Ramen is now $14.45 and I added an ajitama which has an upcharge of $1.70.
Because it was really slow; my bowl arrived in the blink of an eye!
In previous visits, I’ve noted that the broth was quite salty on occasion. However, that wasn’t the case this time around. Nice shoyu-savory tones. The broth was also a bit richer than I recalled.
The ajitama was……drum roll…..warm! Hallelujah!
No cold boiled egg! It was also nicely seasoned.
The Chashu was thinly sliced, with a nice toothsomeness.
It was however, a bit more salty than I recalled. Still, not bad.
My favorite part of the dish? Well, it was the extra firm, curly noodles. Which did a great job of “picking up” the broth.
Overall, while not in the league of HiroNori’s Shoyu Ramen, this was an enjoyable bowl. I should probably visit more often….especially since this bowl of ramen was cheaper than the last couple bowls of pho I’ve had. I am a bit concerned about the place being totally empty…..I hope they manage to stay in business here. Even though many folks would disagree; I think we need more than just tonkotsu ramen in San Diego.
Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai
7951 Othello Ave.
San Diego, CA 92111
Current Hours:
Mon-Thurs 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm
Friday 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm
Saturday 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 9pm