On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
Ramen is one of my favorite foods and decided to give this place a try after watching the host of "Man vs Food" trek his way into here...
Unfortunately, the hype is what makes most of us come try this place.
The ramen is okay, but it's nothing to rave about. I think the salty MSG taste and spiciness from the soup is what attracts a lot of non-Japanese people, but I don't know of too many traditional Ramenists who enjoy this place
The ramen comes in a big bowl, so if quantity is what you want you'll get it here. You can choose from 3 soup broths: shoyu, miso, or shio (salt).
I've tried shoyu and shio before and both are salty and tasty when hungry and/or hungover.
The noodles have a nice firm texture to them. The toppings in the ramen are few, but the kikurage are a nice surprise (type of Japanese mushroom).
All in all this place is good...I've been 2x before, and I'll probably take visiting friends here and have them try out the spicy stuff....but it's nothing to rave about.
Just my opinion though, feel free to try for yourself.
There's a parking structure underneath, don't park at the shady lot across from it. I tried Special #2 and once I got a waft of that burning, I decided against the challenge. I just tried to eat everything in it. I don't know what's in their special powder, but there are 6 scoops of it in that bowl. It's a big RED bowl of pain. I managed to eat everything, but I drank maybe 2 spoonfuls of that soup. It was an interesting experience...
But I got to try everyone else's soups too and the soy sauce is my favorite I think. The optional butter slab is so weird. My friends said it was amazing the first few sips and then pretty much blah since there's only one slice of butter for the entire bowl. (unless you are crazy and order multiple butter slices)
I finally tried Orochon the other day with my spicy food-loving friend in tow, but neither of us were brave enough to take on the Special #2. My friend had the #3 and I had the #4 shio (salt) ramen, but after eyeing what other people were odering, I regret not getting the miso ramen. It looked much more appetizing. As for the shio ramen, the broth was somewhat lackluster. The regular toppings without anything additional added on were pretty dismal. Next time, I definitely need to oder more bamboo shoots and green onion.
I also think that next time I definitely will order the Special #2, because #s 3 & 4 weren't spicy enough for me. I shouldn't have chickened out like that!
Overall the experience was a bit disappointing. Maybe my opinion is influenced by the fact that I waited about 45 minutes in the rain to be seated. It definitely didn't live up to the hype, especially if you're not there just to prove you can take on special #2.
One of my favorite places to go, whether it's lunch or dinner.
I'm craving this ramen all the time... I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.
Soy Sauce & No. 5. I love the flavor of the chili it gives to the ramen. Just a zing of spicyness. I always order it with the veggie broth instead of pork as well.
Half Fried Rice is another great item off their menu. No pork, as well. There's something about THEIR rice that separates this place from every other ramen place (and their ramen too, of course!)... it's the texture I believe.. I'm not quite sure but it's nearly perfect. It's like a side dish of heaven :P
If you ever go when it's busy, ask to sit outside. It's hard to hear yourself or your friends speak when you're sitting inside. It's a bit small too... Make sure to get your ticket validated too (if you park in the garage structure below it...)!
A spicy treat in Little Tokyo.
Featured on Man Vs. Food due to it's infamous flame bowl, "Special #2, I backed down a little to the "Hyper" hot. Above it are hot levels of Extreme, Special #1, and then Special #2. If you finish the Special #2 in 30 minutes, your photo and clean bowl will be taken and tacked to the wall of legends.
Bowls come in miso, soy sauce and salty. The hyper miso kicked my butt as I am still a greenhorn when it comes to spicy foods. A few slurps in, and I was in a full sweat. Under my bangs, I could feel the moisture building. Was I at the gym? Lifting heavy boxes? Running from bears? No, just attempting to finish this bowl of delicious ramen. Sadly, I couldn't finish the broth. Someday...
3.5 stars
I'm still not as well versed (is that the right word) in ramen just yet. But I'm starting to learn.
Orochon was my third experience with Japanese ramen. I've seen it on Man v. Food. My roommate also participated in the challenge and completed it. So the only thing I knew was that the broth was spicy. Anyway, I love spicy food, so I was pretty excited to taste the broth.
I ordered the miso #2. THe spice was delicious. It was the perfect amount of heat for my palette. I also ordered the extra egg and pork strip. The noodles weren't as tasty as I've had before and the eggs and the pork strip weren't exactly bursting with flavor. Definitely, Daikokuya wins on the pork and the egg. And noodles would have to go to Hana. But the broth here is so delicious. It's too bad that the rest of the meal wasn't that good.
The restaurant wasn't too packed with people when we first got there but towards the end of the meal it got pretty busy. And it's not exactly the cleanest, atmospheric place I've been to in Little Tokyo. But all in all, it was good. Just not good enough.
I love soup. I love potage. I love pho. I love broths and chowders and stew. I just love soup. And I wish my favourite noodle joints were in my city so I wouldn't have to pine for them. I wish Kintaro (B.C.) would flourish here and you haven't lived until you've tried their cheese ramen! If Orochon were here, it'd do very well considering our weather. Nothing against pho but there's something about a spicy bowl of firm noodled ramen with fresh green onions, bamboo shoots and egg that makes this soup lover smile with a goofy grin.
And they offer other items too like salads. There's a fried rice that you can get with a small bowl of shoyu broth and one of my favourites, the spicy sausage with side salad. Don't turn your nose up either... their spicy IS spicy. There's even a wall of Polaroids of the people who were able to finish their spicy ramen within an allotted time. Take it from someone who loves hot food, I'm not taking that challenge! I once sat beside a table of Korean businessmen who were enjoying their bowls of hellish delight while their faces got progressively redder and they mopped their brow over and over again! I don't want to actively sweat while I eat. Working out maybe or whilst at a concert but while slurping noodles? Mmm, I think not.
If I had a T.A.R.D.I.S. though, it'd be fun to travel through time but who are we kidding? I'd use it to shuttle my friends around for food cravings around the world... THEN we could see other worlds + galaxies. After we had some ramen...
PS. Free parking in the garage underneath, just remember to have your ticket validated and you'll get two hours free.
I've made the mistake of coming here twice. Once was to try this place out with my ex-girlfriend per her recommendation (she had horrible taste) and another with a big group to attempt the Special #2 challenge.
First of all, this place is pretty crowded. It's even more crowded now after Adam Richman got his picture stuck on the wall from Man Vs Food and promoted the place. Come here early if you don't want to wait.
I have tried both the regular spicy (2) and the special #2. All the ramens are essentially the same, just with more of that molten chili powder added into it. The ramen lacked any texture and were like chewing on mushy noodles. From the meager amount of ramen in there came an even smaller portion of fatty pork. The soup also lacked any deep pork flavor and was pretty original, I could've just squeezed some miso paste into some water and got a similar result.
Definition of the Special #2:
An act of stupidity which will ravage your rear end and stomach for hours on end shortly after consuming.
First of all, the challenge is a very unfair. What most people realize when they get the challenge is that the bowl of ramen is served to you NEAR boiling hot. It's nearly impossible to eat it due to the extremely hot temperature and it's spice level. After cooling it down with a cup of ice (a trick I employed) the ramen was more manageable. The soup is chockful of jalapenos (very Japanese huh?) and the broth is the worst part. If you do attempt the challenge, get the soy based soup instead of miso, the miso makes the soup thicker and harder to drink after you are full from all that broth. I almost finished with about a few gulps left, but like many of my friends, I was about to vomit a stream of molten hot ramen.
Overall, this place has terrible ramen for a ramen shop. The service is also very slow and inattentive. Avoid this place and avoid the hype, this place is absolutely disgusting. Try Shen Sen Gumi, their ramen is hand made and the broth is pork-tastic.
Good for people who like egg noodles and spicy ramen.
I personally felt like I paid way too much for too little ramen. The bowl is gigantic but the stuff inside isn't all that much, mostly broth. Also, the quality of the ingredients didn't seem that great. And finally, I got a big headache after wards, not sure if they have a lot of msg or salt or something but I felt a bit messed up after.
They have a special #2 (super hot) ramen challenge so if you really like hot stuff and want a picture on their wall then go for it. Though some of the people on the wall look pretty hilarious with their dripping sweat, bloodshot bug eyed stares.
I would highly recommend going somewhere else because $8+ for ramen that isn't amazing is just not worth it.
Also their bathroom was pretty dirty and odd. Service was good.
Most ramen places use pork broth for their soups, so for veg*ns, ramen houses aren't really the best place to go. However, my omnivore friend wanted to try this place after seeing it on the tv show Man vs. Food.
I first went online to find a menu to see if they had any veg*n options. Unlike the majority of websites I came across that said you choose the broth, spice level, etc., there was just a normal menu at this location. Did I miss something?
Anyway, after looking at the menu that consisted of ramen noodles and rice dishes, I discovered not one item was vegetarian. Even the salad and tofu dishes had pork and chicken mixed in with them. I asked the waiter if there were any vegetarian items available, and he replied that they could make 2 of their ramens using hot water instead of broth and because of the spicy flavorings, it would still be tasty. I decided to go with it and just asked for some tofu thrown in. The ramen was a generous portion and served hot. It was not too spicy. However, it had good flavor, but a rich, greasy taste to it... like if butter or some other creamy substance was part of the broth.
Service was fast and the restaurant was clean. The bowl of ramen was $7.30 + $1 for tofu. Not too expensive. I just won't be coming back due to the limited options. Even my omnivore friends weren't thrilled about their meals.
I LOVED THIS RAMEN-YA (ramen house)!! I will definitely come again and kick up the spice level.
I had a miso spice level 3 with pork chasu, extra green onion, and an egg. Although I was hungry, the portion was very very filling. So, unlike, some of the people who have posted, I did NOT need to order extra noodles, and found I could have done without the extra pork chasu. The pork chasu was a thick 1/2" slice and falling apart with well-doneness. I did find it a bit spongey for my liking and marbled in way too much fat. I will skip the chasu next time and add more veggies like corn. The egg was nice and soft in the middle, and the extra green onion helped cut through the richness of the broth. The broth is infused with pork flavor and miso and is not greasy.
I had read on Yelp that someone had intense heartburn with level 2, so I went for 3, but did not feel like it really had the heat that gets me excited and sweaty. (Koreans love spicy food and have guts made of teflon.) I have no desire to get on the wall of fame, so will probably not try the Special Number 1 (plus they make you drink all the broth--and that's WAY TOO SALTY). Recommended!
So... what's all the hype about?
Really... this is considered good ramen in little tokyo?
The Japanese ought to be offended.
Daikokuya is superior.
Been to this place twice. Only twice because when I'm in the area the people I'm with don't want ramen.
I tried their Special 1... ahaha it was hella spicy. I love it. I have a spicy palette so if I'm saying this is really spicy, then to normal people it's just way to extremely spicy. I will admit I did get hot, my face did turn a lighter shade of red and I did sweat a little. My friend had to wipe me down! It was so funny "hey girl you're sweating... *wipes forehead*"
They portions are huge and they give you a lot of noodles.
If you're in town and want some spicy ramen come check this place out. It's above Kinokuniya in DTLA.
This is my favorite soup in all of Los Angeles.
The broth is wonderful and flavorful - make sure to choose your spice level carefully though. I usually get a #4 - which is just spicy enough for me to call it spicy. I also like the Miso Broth the best, but all three options are great. In addition, I usually add a hard boiled egg and shashu pork slice. The pork slice is sooo good and tender. It is a bit on the fatty side, so if you like really lean meat, I'd stay away from it.
There is usually a wait, especially on weekends, so just be ready for that.
4 stars. I don't care what ya'all think - I like Orochon better than Santouka. It has a super rich broth, noodles that are chewy, and does not come with crazy amounts of MSG.
I usually get spice level 2 or 3 - it can be inconsistent, depending on the spice of the green peppers they use.
Chashu here is a huge round, juicy, soft cut w/ perfect amount of fat. Bean sprouts are not too long and easy to eat. Corn is crisp and yum!
The spicy fried rice here is awesome. It's way better than the rice at Shinsengumi. The gyoza is blah. Bland and not a good texture.
Orochon is a bit pricier than Hakata, but you get a GRIP of noodles and soup. There's usually a long wait - but I always stop by Blue Whale right next door for a drink or two...or three....
Seriously Some Spicy Stuff!
There's been a little too much of SWV going on with this, "Rain down on me" stuff, and I've been needing a little of TLC. How about a big bowl of hot ramen? Mmmmm. But let me tell you, the ramen Orochon has is not that kind of warm, hot stuff where "OOO, I feel all warm and tingly inside." It's more of that, "OOO, I feel all hot, perspiring kind of spicy tingly feeling inside." SOMEBODY GIMME SOME WATER!
My taste buds can't compete in any Man vs. Food Challenge, but seriously, that #3 was still spicy for me and I liked it! Just so you know, if you don't know, Orochon has a number scale of spiciness: 1-5 (1 being the spicest). BUT there is MORE than spicy, Special 1 and Special 2. Yes, I know, OMG.
My #3, Miso with cha-shu pork was pretty good. I am not a ramen expert, but I think I like Daikokuya's ramen better. I can't describe why, I just like it better. But I do like that Orochon has that spicy appeal.
And I do like Orochon's mixed fried rice. It's not as dry as other fried rices and is mighty delicious.
Other than that, if spicy is for you, then Orochon could sure show you some spice!
This was one of those places that I had to try because I saw in on Man Vs. Food. I was determined to go on my last visit to see my parents, so I booked my brother for lunch. I can't eat super spicy foods, so there was no way I could do the Orochon challenge. I just wanted to see what the hype was all about.
We got to the restaurant around 12:30 on a Friday, and there was no wait. I ordered the Miso Ramen(#6) with cha-shu, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. My brother ordered his bowl and we also got an order of dumplings. When we saw the bowls coming out of the kitchen, we realized we didn't need the dumplings. The bowls and portions were huge!
The broth was pretty tasty, and you could taste the bits of garlic that they put in there. The noodles were nice and chewy. My bowl was pretty full since I ordered extras. After a while, the broth was getting to be a bit too salty for me. I ended up eating only half my bowl because there was just too much food.
The dumplings came after the ramen, so I only ate 2 and let my brother eat the rest. They were just ok. Nothing special about them. We definitely didn't need them since the ramen portion was more than enough.
I probably would've enjoyed my ramen more if it wasn't so warm out. The service was good and the food came out quickly. If its ever really cold in LA when I visit in the winter, I'll have to give it another shot.
Some friends and I headed over here after hearing about the legendary "Special" challenge and watching Man vs Food. I do NOT have the stomach for handling super spicy food, nor do I have the plumbing equipment that would handle the repercussions if I DID want to try it so i went a few steps below the Spiciest (Special 1 and 2) to the #4. Still good, pretty spicy, but nothing really special here, I thought. The friends that DID try the challenge could not get past maybe a half cup of the soup and some of the noodles before they all had to sit somewhere else, sipping milk or sucking on ice cubes, and wanting to die.
I want to enjoy food, not kill myself over it. Overall, Orochan was ok. What's cool is you can choose your broth, and your spiciness level. But I just didn't think it was worth all the hype. Sorry Orochan!
There's nothing really special about Orochon Ramen or it's Special #2.
I'm 100% sure that this place has increased in popularity due to its feature on Man vs. Food (Travel Chanel).
I had the Non-Spicy Ramen with Miso as the broth. The broth was not tasty and it was a tad bit salty. The amount of noodles was a fair amount, but there wasn't enough meat. I did not enjoy this dish and actually had to stop 1/3 of the way and ordered some Fried Rice. At the end of my meal, I was left unsatisfied... =/
I will never come back again, however, the Fried Rice is really good!
I'm reviewing Orochon Ramen as a Japanese ramen shop that is located in Los Angeles, CA, United States of America. Be sure to note that we're in the "United States of America." If you are Japanese or Japanese-American, or are a white dude that goes to Tokyo every summer, then you will probably dislike Orochon Ramen. I'm pretty positive that no ramen I eat in America will compare to what I've had in Japan, but if you take Orochon Ramen for what it is - a ramen shop in Los Angeles that caters to a primarily non-Japanese customer base - then it doesn't do half bad.
Orochon is a pretty bustling place (although I've only been there for lunch). The crowds have increased even more since it was featured on Man vs. Food, but even before its little television debut, Orochon had a fair amount of notoriety amongst people in the know. This is probably due largely in part to the "Special #2 Challenge" that they offer - that is, eat a bowl (noodles AND soup) of their spiciest ramen in under 30 minutes, and get your picture taken and put up on the Wall of Bravery. I went with three friends who tried the challenge, all thinking that they were going to conquer Special #2. The result? Only one of my friends made it through, and he was hardly unscathed. He nearly vomited a number of times, and was weeping (I'm assuming because he was in pain) for the latter half of his meal. Needless to say, it is really spicy.
But, most normal people will not take the challenge, and that's perfectly fine. Once you get past the whole gimmick of eating a ridiculously spicy bowl of ramen, you'll realize that the broth (I always get miso with extra pork) is pretty decent, and while the noodles aren't anything to rave about, they work. Orochon puts some extra veggies and such into their ramen that might make Japanese people tilt their heads in confusion, but for the average American, I don't imagine any of it is out of the ordinary.
If you're looking for a more traditional (and, IMO, tastier) Japanese ramen place, try Daikokuya on 1st street.
As for me, I'll continue to go to Orochon once or twice a year, because the ramen is decent and its a good place to have fun with some friends.
This place has pretty good ramen noodles. I've been here a few times with my boyfriend. The wait is not too bad for two people, but if you go in a larger group you can end up waiting for half an hour before getting seated.
We usually order the miso 2 and 3. I like spicy food, but in this case the spicy 3 level is good enough, when I tried changing things up, it became too spicy for me to enjoy my noodles. I have tried the noodles with cha shu and eggs, but I find that I never really finish the pork, so now I just get the eggs in my noodles. The portion is pretty generous, so you usually don't have to add extra noodles. The bowl is huge and it comes with fresh green onions, beansprouts, noodles, and whatever you want to add in the bowl.
I like the quality of the food and when we're in the area, my bf and I usually come to this place. Plus its been cold lately, and nothing fills you up better than a hot bowl of spicy ramen.
***Warning for guys wanting to try Special #2***
It comes out just as spicy... nuff said.
I tried and failed the Special #2 before. So the next time I went, I only a super bland Cha-Shu plate... which was nothing special. 3 slices of Cha-shu on top of a crap load of bean sprouts. The gyoza, was OK too. Nothing to tell my friends about.
I recently tried this LA famous Orochan and wasn't impressed. The service was mediocre at best and my friend ordered a beer with lunch and it never came even after reminding the waiter once. We had to remind him again to take it off the bill to which he then apologized and that was nice.
This may be biased because i am NOT a spicy fan. I ordered number 7 the non-spicy miso flavor ramen and added a boiled egg for 99 cents. It was good, tasty, lots of noodles, but i have had better ramen especially the soup. Now i understand people go there for spicy so if you like that you will probably have a better experience.
I also ordered a half fried rice just to try it and it had a good flavor and it was enjoyable, however there was a mystery ingredient in that looked a lot like fish mush and even though it didn't taste fishy or really even look fishy there was something about it i couldn't get over and enjoy. I wanted to ask what was in there but i didn't want to bother the waiter who looked busy and at that point it really didn't matter anymore.
I had good company who really enjoy the food here but they also order #3 and #4 spicy so they go for that spicy that you can only get at Orochan. Bottom line if you like spicy you will most likely enjoy this, if you don't then try another place, my favorite is still Daikokuya!
Break down you order 3 broth types but right now i can only think of miso flavor. then you choose spicy level 1 Being super duper fire spicy to 7 which is completely non spicy. Then you have the choice to add extras for a price. The bowls are large and comes with a good amount of sprouts and random bamboo shoots and things.
I have this strong sexual attraction to Adam on Man vs. Food.
He's tall, he's handsome, he's funny, and homeboy can eat. He makes me weak.
So when the bestie tells me she and the hubster are about to visit the locale where my beloved has thrown down with a bowl of spicy ramen, I was in.
Upon entering this very small place, I looked to their wall of fame to see my man, empty bowl in frame, beautiful smile on his angelic face and I knew it'd be a good meal.
I started with the cold tofu which was simple, fresh and yummy.
Then the famous ramen. First step is pick the broth ( I got salt ), then the spice level ( I got level 6 - the step above mild ) then any extras beyond the pork and veggies ( egg, garlic, green onion ).
The bowl arrived and was bigger than my head which is no small feat as my head, like my love for Adam, is enormous.
It was really good, especially the hard boiled egg, and being that I can do as many combinations as possible, the next visit I can explore something new...
Advice: Order the egg and extra noodles with your ramen - that is, unless you are bold enough to dare try the Extreme #2 Spicy Ramen 30 Minute Challenge...a challenge that 3 patrons were attempting while I was eating. One guy failed, the other two were in process, my prayers were with them.
Ever since, I have been craving not just Adam - as is normal - but also, ramen...and one of those bad boys will me mine very soon...
My partner wanted to go here cause she said it had awesome ramen! I got a big bowl of level 5 miso ramen and it was hot! I eat hot stuff, but maybe it was heat hot, but it was too hot for me. I also got green onion and bean sprouts, good additions. You might want to get an extra pork slice 'cause they are skimpy in the soup. But I warn you my partner ordered it and it was extra fatty. I don't like green pepper and they automatically put it in. It was a LOT of ramen, HUGE bowl for like 9 dollars. I was not starving so I didn't eat it all and didn't get my money's worth.
I had a very interesting last experience with Orochon. Arriving at 12pm (30 mins after opening), there was no line (thank goodness!).
I ordered my usual:
Miso, Hyper #2, 3 orders of Cha Shu Pork, and Butter. I enjoyed the meal a little too much. With each scoop of soup, I was in heaven. With each bite of the pork, I moaned. It'd been sooo long since I last had my FAVORITE ramen.
The service was great. They were very nice, fast with the meal, and good with refilling our waters.
Why 3 Stars, you ask?
About an hour after finishing my meal, I felt strange stomach pains... half an hour after that, I was on the toilet... yes, burning shits. I didn't get it.. I didn't understand why, how... wtf. How did food go through so fast?
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the meal SOO much that even with my sprinting-to-the-bathroom episodes, I still can't give it less than 3 Stars. Had the food been horrible, then we'd been having a completely different discussion.
I've become somewhat of a ramen connoisseur over the years. I've found myself driving up to 50… Read more »
I love ramen and my taste bud knows what's considered to be a good ramen after eating numerous delicious ramen in Japan. Orochon's ramen I would consider average or slightly below that. I definitely experienced better.
There was nothing special that stood out in their ramen. I had the not spicy #7 with miso broth. The noodle was on the thick side compared to typical ramen. Basic ramen comes with slices of green bell peppers, menma, and thin slices of pork which I believe were used for the broth. It doesn't come with chashu. Be sure to order Chashu if you want that in your ramen.
Oh one more thing. Be prepared for some heart burn after eating here.
It's no secret that hubby and I are fans of food porn (aka Food Network). Sometimes we cheat on Food Network to watch Adam on Travel Channel. The other night he did the Extreme #2 Spicy Ramen at Orochon to get his picture on their wall of fame. Something about Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Man vs. Food makes me want to just get in the car and drive. I feel like Tina Fey... "I want to go to there."
A few days later hubby, BFF and I are debating on what to eat. I mention Orochon, and our journey begins.
We get there and the menu is very easily laid out. I opted for a Miso Raman with garlic, bean sprouts, egg, and green onion with a level of 2. It was extremely tasty. After having seen the options next time I'm getting garlic, extra noodles, and egg. The soup already comes with a few green onions and the extra onions, for me, were unnecessary. The egg was absolutely fantastic! To wash it down we got a pitcher of Sapporo.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and I can't wait to eat it again!
I write this review as a broken, humbled man. I drove in from Las Vegas to try out the Special #2 Challenge. My friend and I arrived at 5:30 pm on a Wednesday and were pleasantly surprised that there was no line and how we managed to be seated immediately. We chose to sit outside and that would prove to be very helpful in my attempt to finish the dreaded #2.
We place our orders and within 10 minutes I had the famous (or infamous) soup in front of my. I literally had no idea what to expect. The only thing I knew was that the soup was going to be spicy, and probably have an overwhelming pepper taste. Much to my surprise, the soup had a great flavor, and I managed to finish all of the noodles within about 5 minutes.
The true test of the challenge is the half gallon of broth that comes with the noodles. Again it is very tasty (miso flavor) and easy to take down. The first 80% of the bowl when down with no problem, however I made a fatal mistake. With just a small amount of broth remaining, I decided to stand up and walk around. HUGE MISTAKE I could literally feel fire sloshing around my system and knew I was possibly in grave danger.
Without going into great detail, I spent the next 48 hours praying in various restrooms throughout the greater Los Angeles area. And while the soup tasted great, and is completely doable. I might hesitate to try the challenge again on my next trip out.
OKAY I was SOOOOOOOO wrong in my last updated review about the #1 spice ramen. Friends of our's had told us that was the spiciest, but then on our last visit, BFF and I found out that that was not the case, that in fact, the EXTREME spice level 2 was the spiciest! So anyway, we had a group of 16 but we weren't able to sit together so some of us sat at another table. We got one of the EXTREME spice level 2, one regular spice level 2 and one regular spice level 3.
BFF and I tried the EXTREME spice level 2 and you know what? Thanks but no thanks. There was no flavor except from the heat! You couldn't taste the pork bone broth at all. On top of that, there were about 3 huge handfuls of sliced serrano chilis in it. The entire bowl was just tasteless --- spicy as hell, but tasteless. In the end, the gal who ordered it had to order a bowl of broth to even it out before she could complete it.
We also ordered the dumplings -- they were okay.
If you eat ramen, this isn't the best ramen place, but it's okay. If you want to do the challenge, this is the only place to offer it so I guess you're stuck. If you're like me you'll want food to taste good, so the challenge isn't quite what I would torture myself with.
Every time we've visited this place they've run out of spoons. It's crazy! This time, they had no hot water (for tea), no cups either for that matter so we couldn't get ice for the drinks we wanted -- the gals had to drink out of the can. It was ridiculous! But hey...... they had spoons this time! Go figure!
I really want to bump the star rating down because service sucks, the wait is long and the ramen isn't THAT good, but we were lucky that our friends had put our name on the list so as soon as we got there, 2 minutes later, we got our table. Even so, after trying this infamous EXTREME spice 2 ramen, I'll have to say, thanks but no thanks! I value my life, my stomach and my b*** too much to put myself through that. On top of it, BFF and I both felt nauseated after leaving Orochon the last 2 visits..... too much MSG? Or maybe we should just stop eating it, period!
I've been wanting to visit Orochon for so long now after seeing it on so many travel food shows. Man… Read more »
I love me some soup. My knowledge of ramen is this little brick of noodles in a plastic bag. My favorite topping on that is grilled Spam. I can't say if Orochon Ramen is authentic or not, but it's pretty good.
I tried the soy sauce ramen at level 3. I'm a little weak when it comes to spicy food. Level 3 may be my limit. (Heck, Tostitos hot salsa is my limit.) The ramen is a little short on meat. I paid for extra meat and it was worth it. As far as noodles, I feel there was enough for me. That's probably because I had extra meat. Two soy sauce ramens, 1 with extra meat, & 1 small Ashai = $21. In my book, it's definitely worth another try.
Ramen doesn't have to be spicy to taste great. But there is a challenge here to complete their crazy spicy ramen under 30 minutes to get your face on the wall. If you've ever seen Man vs. Food, you'll know what I'm talking about.
My review is based on the number 7 ramen, non-spicy and miso. All in all, it was average. I've had better ramen, and I've made better ramen. They are definitely big with portions and service is quick and friendly. This is very good on a cold evening and you want something that will warm you from head to toe.
Some of my friends insisted I try Orochon, so I did. Their ramen is just okay for me. Their ramen is on the saltier side, and I think personally the reason behind their fame is due to their challenge. (If you don't know what the challenge is.. you have to finish the spiciest bowl of ramen under 5 min. or was it 10 min?..)
Their noodle was cooked fine, but the soup was just too salty for me. I think Orochon's spicy ramen is supposed to be a Chinese-fusion style Ramen (like tantanmen). The flavor was great, but just salty and rich.
I had no idea this place had so much hype. Came with family in search of a good ramen place and this was the closest! Parking's quite nice as it's next to the plaza but it's pretty limited...so only if you're lucky will you find a spot.
The line was long when we got there but it seemed to be a fairly alright wait (nothing a quick tour of the bookstore couldn't fix). There seemed to be only three choices (or main choices at least) and a slew of appetizers. The guys next to us tried the "special challenge" and made a huge ruckus doing it. I--a newbie at orochon--just went along with my safe little #6. The ramen was a bit on the hard side but the broth was rather nice. And by nice I mean, salty and heart-warming. Mmm. The gyoza was deliciouuus but didn't hold well. I like it when they fry it a little longer so at least it won't fall apart when my greedy chopsticks come after it.
So I'm not going to lie, I don't really do ramen. I don't frequent ramen places and the only thing I recall eating in Japan was mochi. To me, Orochon was good partially because of the ridiculously cold weather but that was it. Good. Nothing really popped out to me and I wasn't inhaling it like it was the end of the world. Maybe it was the lack of meat (order extra meat if you're a carnivore. man, oh man.) or maybe I just needed it a bit spicier...whatever it is, I'm willing to go a second time to see again what this hype's all about. Maybe even go on the dangerous side and go a little higher on that spicy list...heh.
This is an odd mix. Orochon is a novelty ramen house. If you can finish the spiciest bowl of Ramen in 30 minutes, you get it free and your picture goes in the photo album. Other than that, the food is good not great.
In short, this is a great place to take friends and challenge to a spicy eating competition, but for a delicious meal you should really skip this place and head down the street to Daikokuya.
I came here last night because of all the hype I've heard. It's really just OK. The menu is limited to pork broth, which makes the menu limiting. I started with an asparagus salad which the waiter told me was good. It was smothered to death in dressing and the asparagus was overcooked. I literally blotted off as much dressing as I could with napkins.
The ramen was just OK. I've had better. The other two people I was with, don't eat pork so they ordered things that weren't he specialty.
Basically, it was just an OK evening. The long wait just wasn't really worth it to me. Not bad, not great, just really very OK.
Ramen is something the average American isn't too familar with. Sure, most of us grew up on the cup variation in college, but very few people have had an authentic bowl of Japanese ramen. You're now probably staring at your case of Cup O' Noodles sitting on top of your fridge and are pissed that you've been duped by your local grocer. You want ramen. The real deal. But where does one go for a truly authentic and amazing bowl of ramen?
The Little Tokyo District of LA is a great start if you don't have a ticket to Japan readily available. Founded around the beginning of the 20th century, Little Tokyo is a goldmine for authentic Japanese food and a frequent dinner spot for the LTT crew. We called for the first ever LTT Dinner Party a few months ago and had a great turnout.
Let's get down to business. Orochon Ramen has plenty of competition. What separates this ramen shop from the rest is the spiciness of their broth. They have a total of nine levels of spice, with the top two being suicidal. Out of the thousands of people that have tried the "Special 2, the absolute hottest ramen they have to offer, only a few hundred have succeeded. They have a wall in their honor named the "Wall of Bravery" that's worth a look at. You can see a picture of my idol while you're there.
LTT didn't go with a death wish. We just went for some delicious ramen. We had basic Orochon 4, a ramen with great broth and just the right amount of kick. For those that like their foods really spicy, we suggest kicking up to Impact Orochon 3. It would be spicy enough to give your tongue a workout, but not too spicy where you ditch the monstrosity. The option to add extras to your ramen is something that shouldn't be overlooked, especially when it comes to the Cha-Shu Pork Slice. We added Cha-Shu, extra noodles, and a slab of butter to ours.
The broth is very complicated. There's definitely some cayenne peppers in there, but subtle hints of other spices I still haven't been able to place my finger on. Of course, if it were that easy, Orochon would have copycats everywhere. Maybe it's a good thing it's complicated.
Definitely worth a try, especially if you're a ninja on your off-time or something.
Me and a few friends came here because one of us wanted to try their challenge #2. I had a level 4 or something myself. It was pretty mediocre, like I had expected this is more of a novelty kind of place than something you'd want to come to very often.
Parking is also a complete bitch. It's a tiny jammed lot, with A narrow curved hard-to-navigate entrance with tiny corridors that require 4 point turns to go back the way you came. NOT lowered car friendly.
Despite this, I will still come again, if someone else drives, to watch someone I know try the Special #2. Well done Orochon.
I'm not really sure why there are sooooooo much raves about this place. Ok, so they have the spicy ramen challenge but that's about it?
Again, because of the fame, there's always a wait.
The noodles: Worse than what you get from refrigerated/instant ramen.
The broth: S A L T Y - by far the most saltiest broth I've ever had.
My friend went there for the Special #2 challenge and that thing was hell from what I saw. It's gigantic and it was filled with spicy broth (red, from the chilis) with a lot of floating raw jalapenos slices. Living hell - it was difficult to watch him eat it. He did pretty darn good but he didn't finish - probably a good idea since I'm sure he'd have a wonderful time shooting fire on the throne later that day.
really?!?! sometimes I wonder why I should trust any place that has a "challenge" associated with their menu. I'm sure everyone has seen the Man vs Food episode, or at least have heard about the challenge via word of mouth. I think the real challenge is finishing any ramen dish on their menu. I didn't try the challenge because I'm a softy when it comes to spice, but I was still hoping for a good dining experience. did i? not at all. You pretty much get a messy bowl with clumped ramen noodles. I took a few bites and decided it wasn't worth the calories so the wife and I strolled on over to Oomasa to cleanse our palates.
Happy Hour 3:00- 6:00 PM
Neighborhood: Hollywood
1/2 off entrees!
Neighborhood: Silver Lake
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Japanese
I just moved here a few weeks ago, so this list…
Don't eat instant ramen. Make the drive out to…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
It is HARD to keep your reviews fresh and often…
Fukisan, izakaya, doraemon, sake bomb, domo…
A sampling of some noodle houses around the Los…
I couldn't have guessed that these reviews would…
Teriyaki, tempura, ramen, sushi, etc. can be…
