Shinsengumi Ramen

The Los Angeles area has a pretty big Japanese population. We're all familiar with Little Tokyo, the area downtown where expatriates gathered starting at the beginning of the 20th century. But now the majority of the population is in the South Bay, in Torrance and Gardena. The other day I headed down to Gardena to try the ramen at one of the branches of Shinsengumi, after a recommendation by a friend who grew up down here.

Shinsengumi Hakata Ramen serves, as you would expect, Hakata-style ramen, otherwise known as tonkotsu ramen. I'm no tonkotsu expert (at least not yet, I'll be in Kyushu in a month and will be eating lots of it) but I really enjoyed the pork-bone soup here. Normally I don't even bother with the broth when eating ramen, I just eat the noodles and leave the soup to be thrown out. But not this time. I kept on slurping even after I was full. Of course, the mentaiko (spicy fish eggs) I put in the broth didn't hurt.

But no smell. Rupan777, regular commenter here and the proprietor of Gaijinzoku, told me a good indicator of tasty tonkotsu is the nasty smell of boiling pork bones permeating the restaurant. So here's the exciting part: if the soup here was this good without the smell, I can only imagine how good the soup will be in Hakata itself with the smell. Put me on that plane now!

If you're in the LA area and don't mind driving down to the South Bay, definitely check out Shinsengumi Hakata Ramen. Just be sure and turn right when you get off the 110, and not left into Compton.

Comments

[rupan777]

Speaking of tonkotsu, this is my favorite place. You should be able to check them out while you're in Kyushu; they are located in Kurume (Fukuoka), the place that made tonokotsu famous.

http://www.kairyu.co.jp/