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Mon-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Yum in my freakin' tum.
We had the Kotteri ramen and an order of the original Takoyaki.
This was my first time having Takoyaki and I must say, I liked it a lot. It was crisp on the outside, with enough gooey cheese, barely tasted the octopus and a nice accompanyment of dipping sauce. A decent portion. Overall, dericious!! =P
Kotteri ramen - hmm..first time having such thin ramen and I liked it! Al Dente (I love me Al Dente noodles!) The broth wasn't as dark or robust at Daikokuya - J-town, but still had its unique flavor and most certainly not bland.
And it's open late too, hell gyeah, after party!!!
Apparently there's a lounge next door where the bathroom connects both sides and it was kinda cool. I took a peek and seemed like a small underground kinda vibe.. and if you know me...I love underground anything.
The staffs pretty cool and although limited in English, just point and see if they think you'll like it! Hehe
Hard to compare to other joints, since I think their ramen is different than most places, but I'm a fan!
I'm not really sure how to rate this place because i have nothing to compare it to.
Positives:
-Open till 2
-Ramen was good! I ordered something with pork in it although i wish they had put more in the soup
-uhhh it was clean and cozy
-ordered some kind of octopus pork fried thing that was good!
-plenty of parking!
Negatives:
-the waitress forgot to get Hugo C.'s order!
-if you come on a packed day i'm not sure youll get seated right away.
-the menu's wayyy confusing.
I guess when i try another ramen place i'll be able to compare it/give it either a better or worse rating.
Side note: I was expecting ramen to taste well like the kind you get for a dollar at the store. hahah totallly didn't expect what I had!
Where do you go to eat when it's 1 AM in the South Bay? Here.
I was a bit hesitant about the whole two-beaners-dressed-up-for-Halloween-walking-into- a-ramen-house business. I was sitting in my car and having major doubts, "just look at the entrance -- it's so Japanese-y!" Luckly, Soleil D. has no shame and so we walked right in like we owned the place. We were quickly seated and handed menus. I was sort of hoping this would have been the point where Soleil would have told me that she had taken Japanese in high school. Instead she said, "quick -- bust out the Yelp app and find out what we should get!"
The super cute, but barely English proficient, server took our order and repeated it back to us. She could have honestly told me that she banged my mother at a bowling alley in Buffalo during the winter of 1982, and I would have just smiled and nodded. I didn't catch a word of it, but I thought I had been pretty good about pointing at things while ordering them.
When the ramen finally made its way out, after finding out I never actually ordered it, I was quite surprised. It was my first time trying Japanese ramen and wasn't really sure what to expect, but that sure wasn't it. It was much more of an attack on my taste buds.
As a ramen first-timer, I'd definitely have to question having it again. Although, I'd probably go again just to capitalize on the late hours.
I absolutely LOVE this place. Me and my boyfriend have become regular costumers and have absolutely no qualms about driving the extra 15-20 miles through rush hour traffic (in the carpool lane, of course).
We always get the Kotteri ramen and the flavor is out of this world. I've been to quite a few ramen places in LA, OC, SF, etc and no place has ever satisfied my tastebuds like the broth in this ramen. It's a little too salty for some and definitely not for the blander palate, but if that's the case I've heard their other ramen is pretty good as well. I'm at a total loss for the name since I've never bothered ordering it. But the noodles are absolutely perfect; thinner than your average ramen noodle, but perfect consistency, chewy, hearty ...
Possible drawbacks are that he toppings are pretty much non-existent. It's never bothered me personally since I mainly focus on the broth... so if you're a toppings person, make sure to put in that extra order
The pricing is pretty decent as well. The regular bowl is a little small for my liking and I'm a 20 year old girl with a not so quantity driven appetite, so order large, or you will regret it. It's only $2 extra from the regular $6.50 and they only take cash for orders under $20 so plan accordingly.
Something to be mindful of is getting your order in accurately, so be clear. The girls don't really speak the best English, and one girl is just downright rude -- but focus on the food and you'll be fine. They also sometimes close on random holidays like Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. -- holidays most places stay open for.
It's hard to locate since its all in Japanese. It's on the corner of Western and 182nd street and the first business to your left when entering from the entrance on 182nd. It doubles up as a bar and ramen house, so look for the chalkboard and you'll see which entrance is yours if its open.
Bad experience, never going back.
Complaints:
1) They serve ramen in tiny little bowl, hardly enough to fill me up.
2) For base noodle, they charge something like 7 bucks and if you start adding extra chashu or negi or kimichi or get kaedama (extra noodles), you are looking at ramen costing near 10 bucks.
3) Soup was alright but everything tasted too much like instant noodle.
This place is a rip off.
4) It seems they are trying to imitate shinsengumi ramen but failing miserably. All the guys wear bandana, they offer kaedama (extra noodles), they offer tonkotsu like soup, skinny noodles, etc.
Compliments:
1) Service was good
2) Food came out fast
A solid four star! If you can't find the restaurant, it's probably because you can't read the red sign. If you're not specifically looking for this restaurant, you won't really know it's even there. From the outside, it looks like a low key hostess bar. When you approach the door, you see a chalk board with the words ASA faintly on it. That's when you've made sure you got the right joint.
The entire place holds about 5 tables (3 of them were 2 seaters while the other 2 were 4 seaters). There's a small bar as well. I went on a weekday night around 7 and there was no problem getting a table.
The menu is simple and short. Half of it is in Japanese while the other in English. Nothing fancy, just simple ramen and toppings that you can add. There are some appetizers and few other nick nack type dishes available. The price is reasonable here. The waitress was really friendly and even though I knew she preferred to speak in her native language, she understood our orders without any issues.
As for the ramen here... It's pretty darn good. The bowls are not gigantic like at Daikokuya but what it lacks in size, they make up in the broth. I opted for the rich flavored one which was the right choice. Added some kimchi, butter, etc which all made it even better. This hole in the wall place sure does know how to serve up a mean bowl of ramen noodles. We had the kimchi pork for appetizer which was mediocre. I think it's safe to say that I'll leave the kimchi to the Koreans to serve.
This place was definitely a winner. Nothing fancy, very simple. Quite traditional style and definitely not Americanized. The food and service is really good and I think they stay open until 2am too. I believe they are not open during the day time. At least you know where you can get a legit late night bowl of ramen if you're in the South Bay area.
This place has odd night hours. I tried both of the ramen types they had and they were just OK for me. Maybe my pallete is not as developed to disect the complex flavors of the broth because it did not do it for me.
I even tried a couple of the takoyaki varieties they have and they were ok. I did not like the flavor of the dough and they were a bit mushy.
Came here Saturday night with a friend to enjoy a bowl of noodles. When I go out to eat ramen, I always go to Orochon because I love spicy food. So I went to Asa because I was in the area, and didn't expect much.
Well, it's in a L-shaped plaza that also has a bank in a separate building in the plaza. You'd have to read Japanese to know which store in the plaza is Asa ramen; just look for the chalkboard outside the door.
So I went in, we were greeted by a friendly waitress, and she told us to sit anywhere. This was about 9:45 PM, and I'd say there were about eight other people there, though another seven people came in while I was eating. I think this restaurant seats no more than 25 or so.
Anyway, I ordered a large Asahi, some noodles (large), and chicken karaage. The beer was cold and good. The karaage was some of the best I've had, though the best is my friend's father's karaage, which I haven't had since Dec 2005 when I was in Osaka. =(
Still, Asa had really good karaage. I was pleasantly surprised. Nice big pieces, but the meat was very juicy and tender. The portion was also a very good size (much bigger than say, the amount you get as Sake House Miro). The only thing is I wish they'd served it with some lemon slices, cuz I like to squeeze some of that lemon juice on there.
As for the ramen, it came out, and though I wasn't expecting much, the soup was damn good, and the noodles were what I especially enjoyed. Some of the best actual noodles I've ever had, though I've had better broth. =)
Overall, the experience was good, and the waitress came over near the end and I was full and all I could say was "oarimashita!".
I gotta say, the night after going to Hakata Shinsengumi, I was not expecting this place to be better let alone stand head and shoulders above it.
I got the Oomori (large size) Kotteri ramen, edamame, and agedashi. The broth here is AMAZING and it's what puts this place above Hakata. The noodles are very comparable but Hakata has the edge because you can choose the hardness/softness. I know it's not the healthiest thing to drink all the broth but that's how good it was!
Their menu is very limited here, with two types of ramen, takoyaki (no octopus though), and sides. So your basically coming here if everyone in your party is craving ramen or if you're just a selfish bastard.
The ramen runs a little on the expensive side at $8-10 depending on the size, but still worth it. Best broth I've tasted in the South Bay, and another plus is that it's open until 2am!
It's located right next to a snack bar I believe, and if you're having trouble finding this place, it's because their sign is in Japanese! (It's red)
We came here last night after playing tennis at the Home Depot Center, and ordered the light kotteri shoyu ramen with egg, extra chashu, and takoyaki.
The ramen portions are small, so for those with bigger appetites, extra noodles, and a bowl of rice should do the trick.
Since it's open til very late, it's a great place to swing by on your drive home.
Ugh. Let's put it this way - I took a sick day (which I never do!) on account of undercooked gyoza. Food is decent but please be wary!
I LOVE squiggly noodles & homemade takoyaki!!!
The soup and the ambiance was good too.
The other…
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This is a great option if you have a late night ramen craving (closes at 2). Their menu really only has two main items, Kotteri Ramen and Takoyaki (there are other side dishes you can order but I've never bothered). The ramen is soy sauce based and you can choose between a light and a heavy broth. The noodles are average (which apparently was noticed by other reviewers and myself) but the broth and the toppings are very good. The portion is small so you may want to get a large order. Definitely get the egg topping. The takoyaki comes in different flavors but I tried the mochi-cheese option. I'm not a huge takoyaki fan but this place makes it about as good as I've had it. Crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Paired with a bottle of Asahi, this dinner or late night snack is a god send.
PS. Restaurant is attached to a hostess bar next door in case you were wondering...woot!
Best Ramen place
in South Bay Area.
I don't know of any other ramen joint in US that offers ramen with Se-abura...(its the tiny chunk of fat that makes the soup smoother and thicker) I think they called it back fat on the topping section...
Its a guilty pleasure, but it makes me happy to see those fat chunks floating...ahhhhh
definitely one of the better ramen joints in LA!
This place is great for both a late night ramen or for dinner.
The best part of the ramen is the soup base. It is probably the best one I have had in all of Southern California area.
You can add butter and some fat like thing to the soup. If you want your ramen very rich you've come to the right place.
The other item which is really amazing is the Tako Yaki. The exterior is crispy and the center is creamy. Most Tako Yaki's I have had are always mushy.
This has supplanted Santouka as my new favorite ramen spot. Everything about this place is top notch as far as I'm concerned. The service is good, prices are reasonable, atmosphere is nice, hours are convenient and the food is absolutely delicious.
The Kotteri Shoyu is definitely the bowl to get here. The noodles are just fantastic and everything about this bowl of ramen seems designed to really showcase them. So yes, the soup is heavy on the garlic and is a bit salty when taken on its own but this is clearly not meant to be sipped like consomme, it's designed to flavor the noodles... at least that's how I see it. For full effect, be sure to add the butter topping and I also like extra menma as it's very tasty here.
And so I move on to the takoyaki which is the other specialty here. They cook it different then any place I've ever been. Instead of serving right out of the griddle they deep fry it to make it crunchy on the outside so when you bite into it the insides burst into your mouth. Great great stuff. They have I think 5-6 varieties but after trying all of them, the original is still my favorite. The only one I didn't like was the yam but that was probably my western taste buds throwing a revolt.
Nothing beats good ramen after drinking - in my dictionary.
After the elite event, me and +1 decided to stop by Asa for the evening closure. Thank god, they're open till 2am. :)
Had kotteri (regular-size) as usual and it was just perfect. The noodles were thin/straight, cooked just right (al dente), served in rich, but not too greasy/heavy tonkotsu broth. Salty enough to settle my stomach after some alcohol drinks. ;p
I went back and tried takoyaki. Well...that was all right, nothing special to me. I know what good… Read more »
Quick note: Since I'm a Bay Area kid, I'm going to be making lots of comparisons to Bay Area ramen joints.
Asa Ramen reminds me a lot of the now-defunct Tokushima Ramen that was next to the Mitsuwa in Cupertino. They both serve thinner ramen in a clearer broth, but compared to Tokushima, the broth is definitely more flavorful, the noodles less tough, and the chashu far more tender.
What I like is that it's not a very heavy meal, especially when compared to Santa Ramen or Ajisen. Whereas I'd be tapped out for a good week or two after eating Santa or Ajisen from the heavy flavors and copious amounts of oil, I could see myself eating this several times a week without too much problem. I love the noodles here. Perfect thinness and weight, and just the right softness as well.
It didn't immediately blow me away like the times I had Shinsengumi so many years ago, but I think sometimes, being understated is good. If I lived down here, I could see Asa Ramen becoming one of my quiet favorites.
What can be said that hasn't already been said by the casual diners, the passers-by, and the plethora of self-boasting ramen enthusiasts?
This place is great. The broth is intense with flavor and I've yet to find any place that served tenderer* chashu. Kotteri shoyu is definitely the way to go. Large ramen is large. I can't remember if this place offered an extra serving of noodles (similar to Hakata Shin-Sen-Gumi). If it does, then kudos Asa Ramen.
Haven't tried anything else on the menu. Maybe I should, but I'm the type that fails at deviating from what I love. Also it's open pretty late -- I love that too. Except Sundays! Just like Chik-fil-a, I get the BIGGEST cravings for Asa Ramen on Sundays!
PROTIP: You can purchase a new friend next door at Asa "Cafe"
*tenderer sounds awkward. Is that even right?
Read some good reviews, so we decide to give Asa a try. Unfortunately we were disappointed. Asa is next to or part of a "café" and is connected to it. (For those who know about Asian "cafés" you know what this means). The connecting door was opened and Asa reeked of cig smoke. The waitress, while friendly enough, apparently felt that 1 menu between 2 people was sufficient. I would say that would be ok if Asa was packed and they ran out of menus. However, there was only 1 other customers and he was almost finished with his food. There were plenty of side dishes listed on the menu but ramen choices were limited. I had the large. The noodles were good but the broth was too salty and the Cha Shu was too fatty. The price was about $7 and the total for the two of us was about $15. Price was ok but there are too many other ramen shops around that is so much better.
Probably a good place to come after clubbing (they open and close late), but since my clubbing days have long past, I don't think I will not be coming back to Asa...
I went here recently cause I know this place doesn't disappoint.....
What happened?
I ended up having a large followed by a regular bowl... With two orders of gyoza (shared of course not just for me!)
The waitress thought I was pregnant or something cause she kept saying "Wow, you have a little monster inside you huh?".
I will always come back to Asa whenever I'm in the area. It NEVER fails.
Thinks to self til this day: "I should've ordered a large.... I should've ordered a damn… Read more »
Round two:
Tried the Takotsukune(chicken and octopus meatballs). They were great.
Takowasa: No complaints. Amazing flavor.
And of course the Koteri ramen-large this time. And trust me, their large 'aint no joke.
I think the reason why their ramen really stands out is because of the quality of the ramen noodle, and the fattyness of broth n pork.
This place is really beginnin to grow on me.
Don't let the looks deceive you!
So I came here Monday nite, and the place was empty. So empty, I…
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I had a bowl of ramen here last night sitting next to Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. I'm thinking the food is pretty good then.
I'm a late night kind of a guy. This place is kind of hidden in a small plaza parking is good since there isn't much people around. The place itself is small and cozy and is down to earth I want to talk about 2 things the service and food.
It's a ramen shop of course but it's also a place to have a drink late at night. We came in and was greeted and sat down to a table. Menu was brief and right to the point semi colorful. The atmosphere was a bit dark which suites it just fine.
We ordered ramen, takoyaki, karaage and of course a round of beer. The ramen was a bit salty but I really liked the takoyaki. When you took a bite your mouth will be swimming with flavor. I was very please with the karaage it was crunchy on the outside tender on the inside. I was in heaven overall I really enjoyed my time here. For a late night meal why settle at wendys or a fastfood joint just stop asa ramen.
I've been a bad, bad boy.
Cheating on my true love (Santouka), not only once, but twice on the same night. Santouka is great and always dependable, but she doesn't like to stay up late so when I was craving some steamy ramen on a chilly Saturday night, Shinsengumi Hakata Ramen and Asa were eagerly waiting to be slurped. I drove up to Gardena tonight for my late night trysts.
The name's Ken, and I'm a certified ramen pimp.
I walked in there with only one thing on my mind. Actually, make that two things: kotteri shoyu ramen and her legendary takoyaki which is the ultimate sinful snack--so bad for you but tastes so good. I've always been curious about the kotteri shoyu so even though I already had a bowl of Shinsengumi hakata ramen earlier that night, I decided to try Asa's version of kotteri-style ramen.
I licked my lips eagerly in anticipation. I try to keep myself distracted, reading the menu about a dozen times (it's not that long), scoping the other tables to see who I was competing against. Finally, the long-awaited bowl arrives, piping hot, shortly followed by the takoyaki.
I take a slurp of the ramen broth first. It tasted richer and fattier than Shinsengumi's, albeit saltier. A few sips later and the salty taste was lingering on my tongue. The noodles were hard--not the firm yet tender ramen noodles that I usually go for. The chashu was mostly fat. After a while, the broth became undrinkable, not only because the saltiness was overwhelming but because it tasted disconcertingly similar to dashida, or instant beef soup stock.
The takoyaki servings arrived fresh, piping hot, and topped with bonito shavings and covered with takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayo. Unlike the ramen, I enjoyed these little things--especially the mochi and cheese takoyaki (the original was good, too). It would've been even better if there was a bit more tako (octopus) though, and a tad less salty. Despite these minor flaws, Asa's takoyaki is still the best I've ever tasted.
As I was driving back to Irvine on the 405 after my late-night liaisons, a couple of things came to my mind. One--my loyalty and heart will always belong to Santouka in Costa Mesa. Two--Asa's takoyaki would make a great mistress when I'm in the mood for something hot and tantalizing. And finally--replace the last "a" with an "s" in Asa Ramen and that pretty much describes the taste of the kotteri shoyu ramen I had tonight.
P.S. Much thanks to Pris M. who introduced me to this place, and for inspiring me to write this (counter) review.
I've been a bad, bad girl.
Cheating on first true love not once, not twice, but countless times for the past three years. Yes, I am a card carrying member of the 'Cheater's Guild'. A shameless organization true to the phrase "once a cheater, always a cheater". And you know what? I don't feel an ounce of guilt. Cause while I'll always keep my numero uno close at heart, there's plenty of love to go around.
The name's Pris, and I'm a certified ramen whore.
I first began my romantic affair with Café Ahsah about a year ago. Ah yes, I remember how elusive she was, hiding from me inside a strip mall full of places labeled in foreign script. Sneaky, sneaky. But my advances eventually paid off (the pictures on Yelp were helpful too) and she allowed me to sample her ample treasures one steamy night.
Everything was laid out for me to taste, sprawled effortlessly at my request. Simple gyoza to my right, a ground pork and octopus fried dish to my left and the sinful delight of twice fried takoyaki (breaded octopus balls) right smack in the middle for my viewing pleasure. But then came the pièce de résistance nestled in a pool of rich, sepia-toned broth which I lasciviously sampled first, burning my tongue in the process (a little S&M foreplay never hurt anyway). I nibbled, I drank, I slurped until I cried out- spent and reeling due to the various textures and flavors I'd experienced.
The gyoza and pork/octopus dish were good, albeit forgettable mentions. Ramen comes in two flavors which I've sampled to my heart's content.
Kotteri shoyu: a rich, flavorful broth with a primarily shoyu base but deep hints of tonkotsu due to added pork fat (primarily from the chashu).
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Assari shoyu: a lighter, though also shoyu based broth that has been flavored or paired with chicken stock.
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Either one's a winner. The broths don't disappoint, however I felt the noodles were slightly more 'al dente' than I would've liked and the toppings are somewhat scarce unless you're willing to shell out a couple extra bucks for a marinated egg, kimchi or cod roe. Regular bowls are rather small so go for the large, kaedama style (extra noodles) if you're really hungry.
BEST TAKOYAKI EVER. Period.
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Twice fried, twice the goodness. I could eat three orders of these bad boys- solo, if I wasn't worried about clogging up my arteries. They just melt in your mouth, covered in a Kewpie/takoyaki sauce mix and topped with flavorful bonito shavings. Piping hot n' fresh off the grill. UN-believable.
With a presentation like that, there's no question about it. Café Ahsah is my No. 2 sidekick- always willing to please even during late night hours. Rub her the right way and she'll knock your socks off.
Type: restaurant; Japanese; ramen; takoyaki
3.75 rounds up to 4 stars. First of all, how do you marinate egg??!!!? The ramen noodles (8.5/10) had really nice consistency to them. Good texture, and taste lovely with the broth. The soup was rich and when you have some with the marinated egg, it has a very deep taste. The pork did its job, it left me wanting more pork slices in the bowl...but I settle by downing more soup.
We had green onion takoyaki, which is just crazy. Japanese people are crazy if they eat this stuff at the temperature it's served. Mouth-scorchingly hot, you roll it around in your mouth so it doesn't nuke your tongue. After it stopping burning my tongue, it tasted pretty good. Nice consistency, well seasoned, and I got some of the seafood taste.
I would come here again, but the drive is so freaking far. Once again, How do you marinate Egg??!!!!??
D-lish! If it's good enough for Morimoto...
Asa Ramen is supposed to have pretty good ramen. It is next door to a karaoke bar that the Asa Ramen also serves. The interior is pretty small, but it is interesting. There are a few tables plus a counter. There is also a house-like door with a brass doorknob that leads to the next building. You half expect a guy to come through the door in his boxers to grab the morning paper and tell you to keep it down. The place was a little on the warm side.
The prices here were pretty good--for both the appetizers and the ramen. For appetizers, we had the fried chicken, which was pretty tasty (though the batter itself may have been over-salted). The gyoza (potstickers) were also good though they were slightly burnt.
I went with the ramen noodles in the light soy broth. The noodles were excellent. The broth was very bland (I should have went for the heavy, rich broth). Inside the soup, you got thinly shaved pork (it was mostly fat), seaweed, green onions, and a delicious soft boiled egg. Portions were a lot smaller than what you would get at Membei down the street.
The service was pretty quick, and as I stated earlier, the prices were good. For some reason, it may have been the waitress, but the place did smell like cigarette smoke. Asa Ramen is open late, but it is not open for lunch.
Yesterday, I had a kotteri shoyu ramen with marinated egg and extra cha shiu, yet again. Love the hot broth so much that if I ever get caught and cooked by a evil japanese witch, I would never mind it as long as I'm in that broth of Kotteri shoyu with buoyant fat bits. This place is now officially on the top of my ramen food chain. Although they've overcooked the first batch of takoyaki (cheese and mochi), the second batch (ume) made to perfection, soft and gluttony on the inside. Giggidy giggidy yeah!
Oh it got me good! It had me good this Friday. I had a kotteri shoyu ramen with marinated egg and… Read more »
My friend found this place on yelp and suggested that we get some dinner here. Now I don't necessarily like Ramen or Sea food... so I wasn't sure what I'd be eating here... but I was soon persuaded and so to Asa we went.
It took forever to find the place since the sign outside was in Japanese and since even the Japanese major in the car couldn't read and translate (wtf?!), we just kept driving around looking for the street number. We did finally find the place and also found the name in english written on a little black board outside the door.
On to the food. I ordered the Kotteri Ramen with pork and some pork fried rice. Both dishes were prepared very well! The ramen was a little bland but that's just the nature of the dish and part of the reason that I don't enjoy Ramen to begin with. The fried rice, however, was very flavorful and very filling.
The service was exceptional and the prices were fair for the quantity of food served. I'd definitely recommend Asa Ramen!
Shoyu Ramen is good. This is now my favorite place for ramen
.
Make sure you catch this place when its open, i made the mistake of going for lunch.... they also serve food on the bar side.
Koterri ramen was my draw, great, but not the best i have ever had (Hawaii). The pork is soooo tender. They run out of it, so try not to go to late in the evening. The chicken karaage is one of the best, perfectly crispy and not too much batter. The Gyoza is good too.
Well, the good news is that their noodles have improved dramatically since I last went. At the time, I lamented about how their broth was fantastic but their noodles were like instant. No more, both are up to par.
So why the 3 stars? Well, for the regular bowl, there was only 1 small piece of chashu and 2 small pieces of bamboo. Even after getting the kaedama, I was still hungry. Yeah, I know, I know, sometimes I can be a pig but seriously, these portions were tiny!
The single piece of chashu was also disappointing. Chewy, with very little flavor. If the broth hadn't been so good, this would have been a 2 star review.
We also ordered the chicken karaage which was a mistake. The ginger was so heavy in the marinade that I couldn't even taste the chicken. I happen to love ginger but this was too much.
If I do go back, I would have to order the large bowl, add chashu, bamboo, and egg, as well as get the kaedama. This would mean the bowl would come to be about $14. Darn, I guess I won't be coming back anytime soon.
There are plenty of other places around that taste just as good, if not better, at more reasonable prices.
I was expecting some ramen greatness after reading all the reviews. I was sorely disappointed. The ramen was ok / mediocre instead of being anything memorable.
I will say the chicken and octopus meatballs were juicy, crusty, and a fantastic dish!
I would go back here as food is decent and a meal would cost under $15.
This ramen reminds me of Daikokuya ramen. Something is missing from the broth. Shinsengumi has better broth and noodle and Santouka has better char siu. The only thing I like about the ramen is the shoyu egg. I've been looking for runny egg yolks like the one they have in Japan. My egg was a little bit overcooked though...I usually customize my ramen broth, the amount of oil and the tenderness of noodle at Shinsengumi. $1 for extra for extra char siu and another $1 for extra egg. I like its mochi cheese takoyaki but I love anything with cheese.
Kotteri shoyu ramen was absolutely excellent. Chashu was delicious, egg with moist runny yolk was delicious, broth was absolutely delicious.
I also ordered the takoyaki and while it can't hang with the octo-balls of Japan, hey, I haven't found any better stateside.
The only drawback is its $1 extra for each add on (extra chashu, the egg, etc.) but I decided to rate solely based on taste and not on price. Another drawback is that it's pretty small in there and you might have to wait if it's full. Those two drawbacks amount to one star off.
I was really in the mood for ramen, totally craving that thick pork bone broth. Now let me tell you if you are ever craving food, just ask the yelp community and you shall receive! I posted any good ramen near Long Beach? And Gardena was the resounding response, but Manny K. totally came through with this gem.
This place totally hit the spot! It was so good. And the chicken and octopus meatballs? Unbelievable!!! Its extremely small so I wouldn't suggest bringing your whole crew here. Definitely a whole in the wall place, almost missed it because the signage was in Japanese, but the food is great, and the staff are very nice.
I've eaten Ramen all over CA and all over Japan. Asa Ramen rivals any of them. Truly as good as it gets. The Takoyaki is pretty good as well, give it a shot.
I've eaten at every ramen place around the South Bay and I've gotta give Asa the #1 position. Noodles are a wonderful consistency, broth has a great flavor and it's mmm mmm good! Get the Asari broth, it's richer and very tasty. The portions aren't large but that's the way I personally like it.
The place isn't big so be prepared to wait on a busy night. They're open late, something like 2am. Well worth the wait.
Early Bird Special
Neighborhood: Torrance
Bring your Lunch Receipt after…
Neighborhood: El Segundo
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Japanese
Gardena, CA
Category: Japanese
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