Ajisen Ramen (Rowland Heights)

So this is my fourth or fifth time to this ramen joint, Ajisen Ramen. By chance, it turns out they're celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the original restaurant in Japan.

They had the "Ajisen Ramen" on special for $4.95, so I tried it. Sliced pork, thin ramen noodles, white soup base, some cabbage and half a marinated egg. It was plenty for a meal. I've tried many different ramen places, and I'd say the soup base here is one of the better ones. The rest of if was so-so. But, when it comes to Ramen, so much of the priority is in the soup, it's hard to pass this place up.

The noodles are interesting because they're softer than typical ramen noodles (at least from what I've had), and white (as opposed to the usual yellow-tinged ones you see everywhere else). They're cooked perfectly, though, and handle the flavored soup well.

The chopped cabbage and small amount of seaweed is not that welcome of an addition. I think they have too much cabbage, or the pieces are too large. I don't really think it needs it, or if it does, it should be sliced even thinner - toothpick size.

The marinated egg is good. It's a nice mocha latte color, which suggests it either hasn't been stewed very long, it was stewed in the shell, or it was stewed in a watered-down base. Either way, it's nice, but not overwhelming. Personally, I like a strongly-marinated egg in a rich, dark soy color.

Service is not great. You might wait a while to have your order taken, and an unreasonably longer time to get your food. The staff isn't attentive, and they don't come back often. Most of them end up talking over on the side, or smoking out front. It's acceptable in the community there, I guess, so you just have to deal with it.

But, the prices are decent, the place is semi-clean (that is, considering many other great tasting restaurants in the nearby area).

Try the Ajisen Ramen and also the BBQ Pork Ramen. For snacks, try the Ajisen Dynamite, the Fried Tofu, the Crunch Roll and the Eel Hand Roll. All good choices.

Enjoy!

~ Brock