Ramen – Page 8 – mmm-yoso

Ramen Revisits – Tajima Mercury, Ramen Yamadaya (Clairemont), and Ototo

April 26, 2018 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Before leaving the Kearny Mesa area, I did ramen rounds at some of the places that I don't visit very often or had only visited once or twice over the years. Starting with…..

Tajima Mercury:

Remember when they called this place Tajima Sushi & Japanese Tapas Restaurant (we called it Tajima 2)?

I'd actually never had the ramen at this location, usually choosing Tajima's original Convoy location. On this day; I arrived right as they opened and there was already a line!

One interesting observation while I sat and waited to order. The only folks of Asian descent were working……….

I went with the Tajima Ramen ($11) with the thicker noodles.

The broth had a tinny-salty-bitterness that I recalled from past visits. The noodles were over-cooked, the fried garlic just seemed to add to the bitterness. The pork was a pile of crumbly-salty-chewy meat. In fact, one of the customers at the table next to me actually asked the Server if they had changed the way the chashu was made. The ajitama was a nice and supple.

Too bad, because a couple of years ago I actually had a fairly decent bowl at their Hillcrest location.

I still miss the original "Tajima" back in the late 90's.

Tajima Mercury
4411 Mercury St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Ramen Yamadaya:

**** Ramen Yamadaya has closed

Man, had it been nearly two years since I last visited? Though it did seem that over time, Yamadaya seemed to be heading on a slow downhill slide. Still, it had been a while.

It was strangely not busy during lunch when I visited. Strange, because Yamadaya used to be pretty busy on previous lunchtime visits.

I ordered my usual; the Tonkotsu Kotteri, with the noodles "extra firm".

Man, this broth was terrible. Fatty yes, but barely over lukewarm, it was like licking lard….and heck, this from a guy who had seabura (pork backfat) ramen in Japan. There was a greasiness and weird blandness to the broth that even the sweet and slightly pungent black garlic oil couldn't solve. I mentioned this to the young lady serving me…..something I would rarely do and got a blank stare, then an "ok, I'll let the kitchen know…." And then not another response for the entire meal. Like previous visits, the chashu here was dry, tough, and cold. The noodles were fine as was the egg…….though it was ice cold.

I had ordered some chicken karaage……is it just that I missed things or is the Tori Nanban no longer on the menu?

Anyway, if there was anything worse than the ramen, it was the karaage.

Good lord; no color, no crispness, gummy, with no flavor. What's up with the temp of the oil?

Man, this was pretty bad……really sad because the place had to much potential when they first opened up here in 2012.

Ramen Yamadaya
4706 Clairement Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

Ototo:

After my terrible ramen at Yamadaya, I thought I should give Otot…um, Ototo another shot even though I thought the ramen here was typical of a "roll and teriyaki" joint….in other words, third tier. Still, it had been about two-and-a-half years since my visit.

I went with the White Tonkotsu Ramen along with some Chicken Karaage.

I went with the shoyu tonkotsu this time around, rather than the shio version I had on my previous visit. While lacking in richness and having a mild bitterness, the broth was fine…..a least it was hot. The noodles were the standard issue, mass produced stuff that's everywhere and it was a bit on the mushy side. The egg….well, it wasn't ice cold, which helped things. The chashu was rubbery.

And guess what? While the chicken karaage wasn't amazing….it was moist and had a "by-the-book" karaage flavor – soy sauce, a touch of ginger, a bit too salty.

It could have used a bit more crispness and a more complex flavor, but this was decent. And it actually looked like chicken karaage.

One more thing. The young lady who waited on me was amazing. There was a family with a young son who came in a few minutes after me. Apparently they were regulars. She was so friendly and engaging, taking time to chat and play with the young boy, while still remaining on top of things. She had that balance of efficiency, friendliness, and professionalism. So heck, I might come back one of these days. Maybe…..

Ototo Sushi Co
5651 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Revisits – Santouka and Grandma’s Tofu & BBQ

December 19, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Korean Restaurants, Ramen

I've been a bit under the weather. This past weekend was especially tiring. I guess getting in from Copenhagen after 8 in the evening and heading right back to work the next morning at 6 might do that to you. Then there's the fact that a bunch of folks at work are sick as well, it inevitable I guess.

Anyway, here's what I had to put me back on the road to recovery.

Santouka Ramen:

With the cooler weather, there's no way the Missus would turn down Santouka. she really enjoys the Shio Toroniku Ramen. To the point that we had to make a pilgrimage to the original location of Santouka in Asahikawa. We had the usual; a large shio toroniku to share and a bowl of natto gohan, also to share.

While the broth still falls a bit short of the versions in Japan; this still hits the spot. Not too greasy, a wonderful tongue a belly coating richness. Just enough saltiness. The thickness of the bowl keeps the broth hot; something you definitely need in Asahikawa where the coldest temperature in the Japan history was recorded(-41°). The pork was nicely flavored good porkiness and soy, but was on the tougher side this time around. The noodles were just short of excellent, a bit too soft.

But it did hit the spot. Menya Ultra might be getting all the publicity these days, declared Restaurant of the Year for 2017, but Santouka is comfort food for the Missus and I.

Santouka Ramen
4240 Kearny Mesa Rd(In the Mitsuwa Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92111

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ:

I was feeling a bit congested and the Missus suggested Grandma's Tofu & BBQ. It had been a while. We went with the Heukyumso Jungol, Korean Black Goat Stew. We hadn't had that in a couple of years.

This was much better than what we had on our last visit here. The broth was spicier, which really helped to clear me out. The goat meat was nice and gamey and quite tender to boot. Love the flavor of sesame leaf; it adds a nice fibrous texture and anise flavor to things. A lot heartier than on previous visits as well.

Too bad the panchan was second rate. As you can tell; it was fairly dried out, the baechu kimchi, which we consider a staple was quite fishy, too salty, without a nice fermented flavor.

We stopped by Nijiya nad Zion on the way home. Firm tofu from Nijiya. and while I'm not such a fan of Zion anymore, they had the good packaged "old style fermented kimchi" in stock. Not cheap, but it kind of reminds us of the versions we had Seoul, along with sesame leaf. It was even more spicy and much richer the next day.

Grandma's Tofu & BBQ
4425 Convoy St.
San Diego, CA 92111

Putting me on the road to (hopefully) recovery.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and in good health this holiday season!

Cold Tan Tan Men at Menya Ultra and Shann Xi Magic Kitchen (99 Ranch Market Food Court)

August 9, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Cold Tan Tan Men at Menya Ultra:

Some of the folks at work thought we'd hit up Menya Ultra before things get really crazy. And yes, because it was a foursome, I actually waited in line for thirty minutes. I'd been told that the Zaru Tan Tan Men was really good; so I decided to order that with an ajitama.

The egg was very good, nicely flavored, and in this case, having it on the cold side was a plus this time. The noodles were very nice and katame (firm)….on two of my last visits I overheard folks complaining the noodles were "undercooked"…….god help them if they go to Rokurinsha, Ippudo, or just about any street corner ramen shop worth a damn in Japan. As for the rest? Well, I find this version rather bland with not enough savory umph to be satisfying to me. Even with the onions, the seasoned ground meat…..well, I'll just stick with the Ajitama Tonkotsu. Though I'm not sure when I'll be willing to brave the crowds again.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen in the 99 Ranch Market Food Court:

**** This location of Shann Xi Magic Kitchen has closed.

I needed something from 99 Ranch Market and it was around 11am this past weekend. I decided to check out this location of Shanxi Magic Kitchen to see how they compared to the location on Convoy.

It's obvious that the two kids working here really don't want anything to do with their customers….they'd rather work on their laptop or socialize. I was treated like a mere nuisance.

Of course I ordered the Yang Rou Pao Mo ($8.99), which is served here without the pickled garlic or chili paste….perhaps you need to ask for them? But you shouldn't have to……it's standard for the dish.

I've mentioned that I've given up on finding the Yang Rou Pao Mo that I really enjoyed in Xi'an. So how's this facsimile?

The lamb in this was very tasty, quite muttony. The meat nice and tender. The flavor of the broth was heavy in white pepper, but decent, you could still taste "the lamb". It was a bit thin for my liking….I enjoy a thick and hearty Yang Rou Pao Mo, and while this was scalding hot, it lacked the richness and tongue (and belly) coating viscousity. Not much bean thread in this, though I saw some lily buds and a few pieces of tofu which looked just like the waxy, pasty, counterfeit leavened bread. Overall, not bad, but I'll be going to the location on Convoy if I ever want this again.

Overall, the (lack of) service and broth was subpar.

Shann Xi Magic Kitchen
5950 Balboa Ave (In the 99 Ranch Market Food Court)
San Diego, CA 92111

Midweek Meanderings – The Wait at Menya Ultra is About to Get Longer, Thai House Under New Ownership, and Is H Mart Coming to Balboa?

July 26, 2017 mmm-yoso Markets & Grocers, Ramen, Thai Restaurants

I haven't done one of these in a while; so here goes.

The Wait at Menya Ultra is About to Get Longer:

So, for those that don't follow Eater San Diego (you probably should). Some "personality" was in town filming a new show. Among he places he hit? Menya Ultra. So, it's probably going to be on the new show….especially when you have that person Tweet that it "might be the best ramen in America". In spite of the pet peeve mine in the Tweet….calling it "tonkatsu" ramen instead of "tonkotsu"….I'll let that go as a 140 characters or less fail. The bottom line is; you'll probably have to wait a lot longer for this in the near future.

Our current strategy is to drive by and if there aren't too many people in line; stop. Otherwise always have a plan B.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Thai House Under New Ownership:

**** Thai House has closed

I've got some great readers. Most of whom don't comment on the blog. No less than three people sent me emails telling me that Thai House was under new ownership.

And while I haven't had the chance to drop by for a meal recently; I did a quick turnaround in the parking lot. And yes, it seems there's an ownership change….just a few months after my last post on the place. I've been told that the offerings have taken a change for the good.

Thai House
4225 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111

Is H Mart Coming to Balboa Ave?:

So, "FOY" Sandy in a comment in this post, mentioned that H Mart was coming to Balboa Avenue in the old Sports Authority location. SJP and one other person also mentioned this to me. So I drove over and took a look. No sign of anything yet.

This sounds much like the info I got about Zion Market's new location back in 2012, so I thought I'd include it in this post. Speaking of Zion Market; I've got kinda tired of quality being lowered over time, customer service being zip, surly customers (remember the "Please Do Not Throw Fruits & Vegetables" sign), that this might be a welcomed addition. Plus, I've heard a bunch of stories about how Zion went out of their way to put Hana Mart out of business.

So, we'll see if karma strikes….

7725 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111

Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi

July 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

**** Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi has closed

A few months back I'd head that a new Japanese Restaurant had opened up in the old Com Tam 75 space. While I wasn't particularly motivated to try the place out; I needed to head over to Northgate Market for a few things and really didn't feel like eating at Pho 87 again. So I decided to head on over to check the place out.

The interior was basically the same as the old restaurant; save a few changes….same odd, wheeled chairs; the counter area converted into a sushi bar that was too high to actually serve folks…..the televisions played Korean Boy and Girls Band videos constantly.

I glanced over at what the other two tables where eating…..rolls; I knew I wouldn't be going for the sushi….so I looked over the "Ramen" part of the menu. I decided to just try one of their basic ramen. Not that it matters, but when the employees spoke, it was in Korean; thus the videos

I went with the Tonkotsu Ramen ($8.99).

So that's what arrived; a super thin, bland, lukewarm "broth", that had a rather odd fragrance that I can't quite place. Eventually, the beni shōga (pickled ginger) bled all over the soup. The noodles were typical mass produced, "JFC" stuff and quickly got mushy. The boiled egg was fine, but not seasoned, and ice cold. The chashu was actually pretty decent; slightly porky, tender, and had been heated before serving. Of course there was all the corn and other stuff in the broth.

Maybe it's because the last couple bowls of ramen I'd had before coming here were at Menya Ultra, Ichiran (mediocre, but ten times better than this) in Kyoto, Gogyo Ramen (Kyoto), and Kizo (Tokyo), that this seemed below mediocre. But I'm fairly certain that if I even went to Ajisen tomorrow, it would be several levels better than this. Bummer.

Well, you know me, right. A couple of weeks later I decided to head on over to Minato; just to…..well see if my meal had just been an off day. There was no way I'd be having ramen; but since it seemed everyone really enjoyed the "sushi" here; I'd at least try the fish. So I ordered what was called "Carpaccio Salad" ($7.95) on the menu. Which was basically four slices of sashimi drenched in ponzu and sesame oil with some Kaiware (radish sprouts) and two slices of avocado as the "salad".

The salmon was the best piece here; the shiromi (white fish) was still partially frozen and stiff as a board and even drenched in the sauce; the maguro, which actually looked good, tasted a bit off.

I'd also ordered the Katsudon ($10.99), which I kinda expected to look like this (my home version), if not better.

This is what I got.

Check out that albumen. They didn't even bother to cook the eggs at all. It seems they just decided to crack a raw egg over the tonkatsu. Hey, I love tamago meshi, but this ain't that. This definitely needed more onions and cabbage really doesn't belong. The pork was tough and rubbery; the sauce tasted like the bottled stuff you add water to.

Good lord, I hate to be harsh, but this was pretty bad. Makes Katsuni at Okan Diner seem like it deserves a Michelin star.

Usually, I'd give a place another shot….three strikes and all that. But I just can't bring myself to return. The folks working here are sort of friendly. That is, the Server, who was actually chewing on food once when he served me, is really nice. The sushi guys are kind of detached. I'm hoping you enjoy the food here more than I did if you check them out.

Minato 3 Ramen & Sushi
5420 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

COMC – Menya Ultra Ramen, Tribute Pizza, China Max, and ‘Dem Bones (again) at Pho Duyen Mai

May 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Gastropub, Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen

It's time to C(lear) O(ut) the M(emory) C(ard). Here are a bunch of photos…and not many words.

Menya Ultra Ramen:

Perfect noodles, excellent ajitama……broth still not quite as good as when they first opened.

Still the best ramen in San Diego in my opinion.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Tribute Pizza:

Happy Hour on Tuesday to Friday from 4-6pm.

Sea Salt Foccacia with 'Nduja (of course). The Missus really enjoyed the wood fired veggies on the charcuterie board; which comes with its own "Foccacia of the Day". This time it was an "Everything Bagel" version. Our favorite so far was the Cheddar with Chives…..

Tribute Pizza
3077 N Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

China Max:

In search of more quiet time. I did miss the Missus though.

She usually has most of the seafood. All I really wanted were the noodles.

China Max
4698 Convoy Street #C101
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho Duyen Mai:

**** Pho Duyen Mai is under new ownership

Yes it's "Them Bones" again. I actually got busy too quickly and forgot to take a photo until I'd scraped all the meat off the beef ribs.

Though the actual star of the show was this little guy. Who waited patiently, leash in mouth while his mommy finished lunch. What an awesome pooch! Amazing! I couldn't help but tell his owner how impressed I was with his focus.

Pho Duyen Mai
5375 Kearny Villa Rd
San Diego, CA 92123

Hope you're having a great week!

Noodling Around – Revisits to Menya Ultra and Pho T Cali

March 25, 2017 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Pho, Ramen, Vietnamese Restaurants

Just noodling around on this Saturday:

Menya Ultra Ramen:

I actually went back a couple of days after my first visit. There was no line, all the customers were Japanese and I got the Chashu Ramen.

The chashu while well flavored and moist, was just too much of a good thing and I left quite full. Still, the noodles were again perfect, just the right amount of pull with a bit of pull, nice and slippery, and a good vehicle for the collagen in the broth, which was, like my previous visit, a solid tonkotsu.

About two weeks later, I found out my haircut guy was working relatively close by and having read about the crowds in the comments on my post….I was curious. I got there at 1045…and no kidding; there were over 30 people waiting in line.

I'm usually not one to wait in line; but I was curious if this new popularity would change anything about the ramen at Ultra. So I put my name on the list….and waited about 30 minutes to get in.

I went with the Ajitama Ramen with an extra egg.

While the noodles were still perfect for my taste and the boiled egg was much better…..lukewarm instead of cold and not as "cooked". There were several things I noticed. The broth had less of a fragrance and indeed, while being fairly mild and nuanced before, was much less rich….more fatty, but lacking in the real noodle coating capacity. It was still good….just not quite as good as my previous two visits.

I'll wait a few months before going back. It'll be interesting to see how things progress. I think it's still the best straight up tonkotsu in San Diego.

Menya Ultra Ramen
8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Pho T Cali:

**** Pho T Cali is now PT Eatery

In my Pho Duyen Mai "dem bones" post; I mentioned being told that the prices at Pho T Cali had gone up quite a bit. While Pho T Cali has never been a favorite of mine, I recall the prices being fairly reasonable. I think it was still under seven bucks when I declared it "aw pho".

Pho T Cali is basically within walking distance from my office…..but of course my previous experiences kind of keep me away….but I just had to see……had it really hit the "ten dollar pho" category?

Upon arriving and having the menu handed to me….I saw…yes indeed, the dac biet was now $9.95.

So for ten bucks I got this.

The broth had almost no color and had a strong onion taste. It looked like dishwater. While the texture of the tripe was good, it had a strange aftertaste; the tendon was decent though. The portion of noodles was quite large and adequately prepared.

The serving of sprouts and such was paltry to say the least.

I think this is why I saw folks (I was the only Asian in the place) dumping in loads of Hoisin and Sriracha into their pho.

On a rather amusing note; a few days later I received an email from "AlanH" regarding Pho T Cali….I'm hoping you won't mind me using a few excerpts Alan? Some of the, ahem, "highlites" of his email were….

"A -small- Pho "Chin" is now $8.95 (I almost walked out at that point, but was too hungry for Pho)"

"They have totally dumbed and stripped down the menu, which should have been my first warning sign…They have gone to the all photo model with a bit of basic text with prices. "

"The "herbal accessory plate" was its usual mediocre affair, but the basil was even more paltry and under-developed than usual (if the basil was human it would have needed a wheelchair)."

"As they do not serve / have Ngo Gai, I asked for a small portion / bowl of cilantro…THEY WERE OUT OF F'ING CILANTRO!!!!!" " Is there a cilantro shortage I was not aware of?"

"I just paid $11.00 (with tip) for a mediocre -at best- bowl of Pho. Is this Manhattan? No, this is not Manhattan……Manhattan would have had cilantro….."

All I can say Alan is…."I feel (or ate…or something like that) your pain".

Pho T Cali
7351 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

This has me wondering….in a very twisted way; if I were to think the Pho at Pho Mignon is still worse than this.

Tokyo – Oreshiki Jun

March 22, 2017 mmm-yoso Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, Tokyo, Kamakura, and the Kantō Region

Our trip to Japan had pretty much come to an end….there was still one more stop though. Much like what we on our previous visit, we left for Tokyo Station rather early, stowed our luggage, and went straight for ramen street. The last time it was Rokurinsha….this time the decision was a bit harder….the Missus wanted to share some Tonkotsu ramen so we settles on Oreshiki Jun.

We got our ticket at the vending machine, entered and was seated quickly…….it seemed like all the customers in the shop were Salarymen.

I went with the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen which featured a nice, albeit a bit salty portion of mentaiko.

The egg was perfect as were the noodles. I wasn't a big fan of the tonkotsu here as it was a lot milder in flavor….even for a tonkotsu broth than I prefer. It also lacked that nice tongue coating quality I enjoy in that style of broth in addition to being served a bit too cold for my taste. The chashu here is a bit leaner and more chewy than other versions, but makes up for that with a nice porkiness. I really enjoyed the "rayu" (chili oil), which in this case seemed to have some bean paste in it….a wonderful, spicy, savory, package of flavor.

I actually preferred what the Missus ordered.

A nice little rice bowl with raw egg, chashu, and bean sprouts, along with an extra order of bean sprouts, chashu, and negi….along with an extra boiled egg. All worked together quite nicely!

So, perhaps not the best last meal in Japan…..still, we had many memorable experiences again. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before we return.

Oreshiki Jun (Tokyo Station)
1-9-1 Marunochi, Chiyoda, Tokyo

One thing was quite apparent. The Missus really enjoys Tokyo Station City. To the point that She got Her "hair done" twice at this kind of "fast" hair salon named Fass. You basically go in and order your stuff on an iPad. Of course we couldn't really understand anything the first time around….so this really nice, adorable woman came out and the Missus had Her bangs cut. Well, with some time on our hands, the Missus decided She wanted a trim.

We walked in and it was the same woman….who got a kick out of seeing us. Apparently, they don't get too many foreign customers. This time the Missus wanted a trim and some styling, which she did with gusto. At the end, she couldn't stop giggling, telling us "kawaii….kawaii" (cute). I think she had more fun than we did.

You really couldn't help but love Japan……

Kyoto – Arashiyama, Ippudo, and Din Tai Fung

March 18, 2017 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Restaurants, Kyoto, Ramen, Travel, Xiao Long Bao

We'd always had a visit to Arashiyama on the books and on our last full day in Kyoto, we decided to head out early in the day. We ended up taking the rather fun Keifuku Tram Line to Arashiyama Station.

It was a slightly hazy, but beautiful day….the air so clean. We walked out of the station and headed down what looked like Arashiyama's main street. And walked over to the Togetsu-kyo Bridge.

We headed north alongside the picturesque Oi River and took a right along a rather random street.

And just wandered around a bit.

And somehow ended up at the side entrance to Tenryu-ji temple.

It wasn't very crowded, so we just took in the sights a bit.

We headed out front, looking for the Bamboo Forest. I walked up to a traffic officer and asked for directions to the Bamboo Grove. In the typical Japanese way….he insisted on walking us most of the way there.

It was very pretty….but for some reason, I expected it to be a bit more grand.

I guess having grown up around various bamboo forests……

The place does take some really nice photos though.

Heading back down to the street, we found another entrance to Tenryū-ji. This is the garden area and is quite beautiful.

The Sōgen Pond, which was designed by Zen Master Musō Soseki over 700 years ago, is very beautiful.

By now, we'd had enough for the morning and headed back to downtown Kyoto. We walked around a bit and decided to have lunch at a place I had specifically marked down. We'd really enjoyed Ippudo in Osaka and there just happened to be a location in downtown Kyoto.

Call us boring, but we'd enjoyed ourselves so much on our previous visit to the Osaka location that we basically got the same thing. The Shormaru Special, what I call a classic tonkotsu with chashu and egg. And of course, the Missus got Hakata Chikara Meshi, chashu rice and an onsen tamago.

The broth was nice and rich, but not oily nor too fatty. The flavor is rather delicate. The chashu was tender and nicely flavored, the noodles just perfectly al dente for my taste.

I gave the Missus my tamago….now that's love. And when She cut into it….well, we had a perfect "egg porn shot".

Our meal was the perfect foil for the cool autumn chill.

Ippudo Nishikikouji
653-1 Bantoya-cho, Higashinotoin
Nishikikoji higashi iru, Nakagyo-ku

Feeling nice and warm, we headed on out to do some shopping. We found an underground passageway to Takashimaya Department Store.

Of course this lead right to B1 and the food floor.

We were wandering around the third floor of Takashimaya Department Store and I noticed this…..

Oh my….it was Din Tai Fung!

And there was no line…..

The Missus and I looked at each other……why not, right? We still had a bit of room in our bellies, so we went for a second, rather light lunch.

I was wondering just how good this was going to be. We got the pork and crab version of the Xiao Long Bao. When it arrived, it looked like the XLB on the left had leaked, but it had not. As for the wrappers….well just look at the classic "XLB hang". The wrapper were very nice, for some reason they seemed a bit thicker than the wrapper at DTF here in the states. I really couldn't complain about the amount of soup, nor the flavor (a bit too sweet for me), or the texture. This was pretty good. Much better than anything we have here in San Diego.

The Missus has got to have Her veggies, so we got some greens. Nice and simple, very mildly seasoned.

Din Tai Fung (Third Floor of Takashimaya Department Store)
52 Shincho, Shijo Kawaramachi-dori Nishi-iru
Simogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8001

I guess that's fun part of trips…you make basic plans, but leave time to wander and explore. You never know what you'll run into.

XLB at DTF in Kyoto….who'd have thunk.

Ajisen Ramen in San Diego

February 27, 2017 ed fromyuma Japanese Restaurants, Ramen, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy are crazy busy now. Ed (from Yuma) is gainfully unemployed (also known as retired), so he has time for a post today.

I was in San Diego recently, staying on Clairemont Mesa Blvd, and I noticed a new large ramen location not too far from its intersection with Ruffner:

With the cool weather, I had been thinking about getting ramen on the trip, and when I saw that neither Kirk nor Cathy had posted about it, I thought I'd give it a try – probably taking one for the team since Kirk had been unhappy at Ajisen in Orange County.

So I arrived shortly after 11 AM. There were already a few cars in the sizable parking lot, and a few folks scattered in the modern, well-lit restaurant, which featured a variety of eating arrangements to accommodate individuals and groups of different sizes:

I was planning on having iced tea, so I was delighted to see a range of fruit flavored iced teas. This one is mango:

It was really good. Fruit sweet and full of mango flavor. Served in a covered to go cup along with a straw with one end cut at an angle making it easy to push through the lid.

The attractive menu was wide-ranging, including sushi and other Japanese dishes, but I was here for ramen. I ordered it with tender pork ribs (at lunch special prices). When it arrived at the table, it looked like this:

Up in Orange County, the Ramen was served warm, a real disappointment for Kirk; mine in San Diego was piping hot with little wisps of steam across the surface. At first the noodles were too hot for slurping, and when I finished, the broth was still warm and pleasant.

The noodles are not standard ramen (Kirk says Kumamoto style). They were, I thought, perfectly cooked, however. Not too soft and not too hard. Goldilocks style.

The cloudy broth was lightly porky with wakame overtones. Not as intense or rich as Santouka, but plenty good enough for this gaijin:

The wakame added color and flavor, and the cabbage provided a nice crunchy contrast to the other elements in the bowl.

The real hero of the soup, this ramen's main character, was the meat. Browned and nicely braised, the porkribs had toothsome chew. And a lot of tendon and cartilage and connective tissue:

Just look at this piece:

The service was professional, efficient, and reasonably friendly. I appreciated the bill arriving before I finished eating, making timely payment easy, and I appreciated the bottom line:

For 2017, this seems very reasonable.

Would I come back again?

For sure – at least for the fruity teas and the ramen with those ribs. The San Diego Ajisen Ramen, one of the over 700 branches of this large Chinese owned chain, seems to perform better than the shop Kirk visited in Orange County. And when I looked around the room, it was obvious that Ajisen has a wide appeal. On one side of me there was an older Asian couple and then a man from Charlotte, North Carolina, here on work, who'd never had ramen before. On the other side of me was a student from Japan. I am no expert on ramen; in fact I am pretty much a novice. For that reason, I enjoyed the clear menu and the table service, much easier for me than standing in line and trying to figure out the option grid at Santouka. Your mileage may differ.

Ajisen Ramen, 7398 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego 92111, (858) 277-1380. Website