Getting My Ramen Fix at Santouka LA

The Santouka in Costa Mesa has garnered quite a bit of fame, but when the LA outpost opened I was still skeptical whether or not it will be quite as good. However, as the reviews come flooding in, it seems like the LA Santouka is pretty good after all, and even more consistently so than the other outposts.

I've tried both the miso (pictured below) and shio ramen, which were both good, but yes, the shio ramen's broth stands out.
The noodles themselves were nicely done, although compared to the broth and the meat, this is not Santouka's strongest point. Pork slices were nice, tender and flavorful. The meat was actually quite sweet. There were only two pieces, alas ... I think three would've been perfect :)

The broth at Santouka is very flavorful without being as fatty as Daikokuya - and indeed has more 'depth' than daikokuya or chabuya's. You can actually still see some of the spices they've put in. All in all I loved it and won't mind going there every other day!

They also have ramen sets which come with hardboiled egg and either natto or ikura with rice.
The only bad part about Santouka is that because it's inside Mitsuwa it closes fairly early (7:30 pm) :/ I rarely can make my way there in time if it's not the weekend.

Santouka (inside Mitsuwa)
3760 S Centinela
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 391-1101

www.santouka.co.jp

NYC: Fatty Pork Buns and Pork Ramen at Momofuku

I didn't quite adjust to NY time so at 3 pm one day I found myself searching for a good "lunch" place that's open at least until 4 ... All the sushi places I wanted to try are out, and apparently so was Momofuku Ssam Bar. The noodle bar was open, though, so I decided to give that a try.

People seem to rave about the steamed pork buns at all the different Momofukus so I decided to give them a try here. $9 gets you two pork buns - expensive but since I was on vacation I didn't give it *too* much thought.These pork buns tasted like a super-fatty peking duck! Because of the bun and oyster sauce. The pork is a slice Berkshire pork with a fatty layer.Instead of green onions they put cucumbers instead, which adds a very nice crunchy texture and a cool, refreshing taste. Delicious. Are they worth the price though? Tough call - maybe not. Peking duck would be cheaper ...

I of course had to get the Momofuku Ramen (I was at the Momofuku noodle bar after all!). $16. Again, not cheap for a bowl of ramen.
Pork belly, shredded pork, bamboo shoots, green onions, and fish cake. And the egg - unlike typical ramen fare which uses a hard boiled egg, the egg in the Momofuku ramen is a poached egg that runs and soaks up the ramen when you break it.

It's a great bowl of ramen that really warmed me up in the 36F New York weather. On a vacation from LA I didn't mind spending the $16+tax+tips+cab ride for this delicious bowl of ramen. Whether or not I would go there on a regular basis were I to live in NY is a separate question. But I'm not doing hypotheticals right now, so I'll just say this was a nice late lunch for a November afternoon in New York!


Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave (btw 10th and 11th)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-7899
www.momofuku.com

Chabuya: Best of Sawtelle Ramen, Not Best of LA

Ahhh, Ramen. There's hardly anything else that would hit the spot like a nice bowl of ramen would. But what if you can't make it all the way to Daikokuya? Much less Asa or Santouka? What if the best you can do that night is Sawtelle? Well, Chabuya was the obvious option in my mind.

I'm a sucker for miso, so of course I ordered the miso ramen with pork. I also added an egg (+$1).
Pretty good, pretty good. I like the addition of sesame seeds and fried shallots. The soup is not nearly Daikokuya-level. It's not bad and is actually pretty flavorful and rich, but somehow ... rather boring. I agree with rameniac's contention that Chabuya's soup is a "one note samba". Still, I could live with ... at least temporarily. It is actually quite good compared to the other ramen-yas on Sawtelle.

They also have the "Zembu" option which, like the name says, contains ALL the toppings. Although actually it doesn't have all the possible toppings they offer. This bowl below also had tofu that cost $1 extra.
So the $1 for additonal toppings can be pretty expensive. I mean, extra tofu for $1 is fine, $1 egg is okay, but $1 for green onions ... ? You serious?

Anyway Chabuya has its faults, but overall it's still a good bowl of ramen, and at least there' no 30 minute wait out the door. When I can't drive all the way to Daikokuya, Chabuya is still my go-to place.

Chabuya
2002 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA, 90025

(310) 473-9834

The Best (Instant) Noodles

I'm not just saying this because I'm Indonesian ... but we Indonesians make the best instant noodles out there (although no I've never tried the Japanese $3 instant noodle packages because with that kind of money I'd rather go to a food stall and eat a fresh bowl).

Indonesian's "Mi Goreng" literally means "Fried Noodles". The most common one is the one produced by the company "Indomie" :Just like the name suggests, you're supposed to be getting "fried noodles" so you're supposed to drain the water after boiling the noodles, and THEN put the sauces in and mix it. (I've given it to a friend who didn't read the instructions .... and then asked why the soup is so bland ...).

Now, my favorite way of devouring this is with one sunny side up egg:
Go get one and try it! In LA you can get one pack for about 33 cents and they sell them at 99 Ranch Market :)
It's bold in flavor and probably has a lot of sodium ... but it's good >_< !!

Say "Kurobuta"!

It's easy to find the best ramen place in little Tokyo. Just follow the line. While Mr. Ramen or whatever else on 1st street is practically empty, there is always at least a 30 minute wait outside of Daikokuya.

What makes Daikokuya so special? They use kurobuta pork! And they make their broth by boiling for a whole day. They get my vote for the best ramen in LA. Here is the Daikoku Ramen:
A hard boiled egg that's been soaked overnight. Noodles done just right. That wonderful, wonderful broth that just spells out "comfort food." Sumptuous pieces of kurobuta, topped with lots of green onions. Oh and the sesame seeds. Yum.

Let's look closer at our lovely fatty kurobuta shall we? ;)
The kurobuta is so tender that it feels like it would just melt in your mouth. No more of that chewy chashu in my ramen for me.

The whole thing is definitely fatty. That is probably why it tastes so good that you want to just gulp down the broth from the entire bowl. When I eat this I always think about the last ramen scene from Tampopo. You pick up your bowl, gulp down the entire thing. Ahhh.

(If this doesn't seem to do it for you in terms of fattiness, feel free to order the kotteri style for extra back fat in your broth!)

Daikokuya
327 E. 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012