When it comes to local eating beyond the generic Quickly meal, ramen restaurants have been the go-to place for a quick, cheap and delicious meal.
Ramen Yukinoya
Ramen Yukinoya, a local hotspot in Arcadia, is known for its limited but specialized menu, and focuses on refining its respective dishes instead of expanding its menu to increase variety. This is a very bold marketing tactic, but it seems to have paid off considering the elegantly constructed dishes and perfect proportions of food that seemed tailored to each bowl of ramen.
When inside the small but cozy restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye was the giant mural covering the walls. The mural depicted the bustling streets of Japan with its lanterns and street vendors lining each avenue, making me feel as though I was experiencing busy, Japanese life.
For those who decide to sit at the counters, they get a front-row seat view of the chefs preparing the endless bowls of ramen. Seeing the food made before my eyes added to the experience and gave the ramen a sense of authenticity.
When the food arrived, I could immediately tell that the ramen was made by someone with experience. All the toppings were lined up neatly and had little to no flaws in the presentation.
I could taste the distinctive flavors of ginger and the smokiness of the pork, evident even through the rich broth, which for my taste, was a bit too salty. The noodles had a soft yet firm texture to them that was both enjoyable and suitable for the dish.
Ramen Yukinoya, a local hotspot in Arcadia, is known for its limited but specialized menu, and focuses on refining its respective dishes instead of expanding its menu to increase variety. This is a very bold marketing tactic, but it seems to have paid off considering the elegantly constructed dishes and perfect proportions of food that seemed tailored to each bowl of ramen.
When inside the small but cozy restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye was the giant mural covering the walls. The mural depicted the bustling streets of Japan with its lanterns and street vendors lining each avenue, making me feel as though I was experiencing busy, Japanese life.
For those who decide to sit at the counters, they get a front-row seat view of the chefs preparing the endless bowls of ramen. Seeing the food made before my eyes added to the experience and gave the ramen a sense of authenticity.
When the food arrived, I could immediately tell that the ramen was made by someone with experience. All the toppings were lined up neatly and had little to no flaws in the presentation.
I could taste the distinctive flavors of ginger and the smokiness of the pork, evident even through the rich broth, which for my taste, was a bit too salty. The noodles had a soft yet firm texture to them that was both enjoyable and suitable for the dish.
Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen
Shin-Sen-Gumi, albeit a bit farther from TCHS, is also one of the most raved about ramen restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. It takes a different approach to its menu, allowing customers to build their own ramen bowl. From the menu, you’re able to fully customize your ramen with types of soup, saltiness, the firmness of the noodles and over 20 different toppings. This leaves plenty of room for imagination and makes each bowl of ramen feel that much more personal.
I took note of the set-up, much similar to Ramen Yukinoya’s with its small tables and countertop overlooking the ramen chefs. The small restaurant emanated a cozy atmosphere, although not as much as Ramen Yukinoya did.
As I sat down I eagerly customized my bowl and gave my order to the waiter. I ordered one piping hot bowl of strong soup base broth, lightly oiled ramen, firm noodles, extra orders of pork cutlet and chashu.
When the food came out, the toppings I ordered came on the side providing me with the choice of eating the toppings dry, or mixing them in with my ramen. In the ramen, the pork, broth and noodles melded together without overpowering one another like, Ramen Yukinoya’s.
Shin-Sen-Gumi, albeit a bit farther from TCHS, is also one of the most raved about ramen restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. It takes a different approach to its menu, allowing customers to build their own ramen bowl. From the menu, you’re able to fully customize your ramen with types of soup, saltiness, the firmness of the noodles and over 20 different toppings. This leaves plenty of room for imagination and makes each bowl of ramen feel that much more personal.
I took note of the set-up, much similar to Ramen Yukinoya’s with its small tables and countertop overlooking the ramen chefs. The small restaurant emanated a cozy atmosphere, although not as much as Ramen Yukinoya did.
As I sat down I eagerly customized my bowl and gave my order to the waiter. I ordered one piping hot bowl of strong soup base broth, lightly oiled ramen, firm noodles, extra orders of pork cutlet and chashu.
When the food came out, the toppings I ordered came on the side providing me with the choice of eating the toppings dry, or mixing them in with my ramen. In the ramen, the pork, broth and noodles melded together without overpowering one another like, Ramen Yukinoya’s.