a few days after our ramen experience at shisen, c and i found ourselves at ramen california, located in the torrance crossroads. it wasn't very crowded when we walked in, so we were a little skeptical. compounded by the fact that we had both heard that their ramen isn't necessarily traditional. however, once we perused the menu, they did have some ramen in the traditional style, and still others that were the "signature" california ramen. c ended up ordering the chashu ramen - which came in a chicken broth. the chicken broth is the base for most if not all of their ramen broths. i got the masala ramen, one of their "signature" ramens. basically, it was the ramen noodles in a chicken curry broth. i got it with a side of cheese, which was topped off with crispy black garlic. they don't offer gyoza on the menu (hence, nothing to compare to the other places we have tried thus far), so we ended up sharing the italian style edamame - which turned out to be edamame tossed and coated with basil pesto.
c let me try some of the chashu on her ramen - while flavorful, it really didn't seem like the chashu that we're used to. to me, it was more like a ham with some asian spices coated on it for the sake of it. the broth was good though, and definitely a lighter, refreshing alternative to the porky, fatty tonkotsu of other places. the curry broth of my masala ramen was good, and the chicken on the ramen was so flavorful, and there was plenty of it on top of my noodles. the noodles here are also on the thin side. the one thing that was a little different was the spring greens sitting in my bowl. it definitely added a different texture to the dish.
in terms of the overall ambiance, it's another new experience. up until this stop, we've been going to eat ramen in tiny places that are sometimes kinda dark, and this place is bright, roomy, and airy.
after our visit to ramen california, i read some reviews on yelp that the tsukemen is the thing to try here. therefore, ramen california is definitely on my list of ramen shops that i would go to again.
as a sidenote - ladies, make sure you wear sunglasses when visiting the ladies facility - you'll need it to shield yourself from the neon pink walls.
ramen california * 24231 crenshaw blvd. suite c * torrance, ca 90505
Sounds like Ramen California is a possible ramen stop for me! I am all for ramen with curry after watching Misato eat it that way in Evangelion! I'm sad the cha shu wasn't very appetizing though. Bummer. Thanks for the sunglasses tip too. Neon Pink? Yikes.
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