Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori
Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori
4898 Convoy St, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92111
After getting the approval of both Kirk of mmm-yoso and Dennis of A Radiused Corner, I was excited to check out this new ramen joint, located right next to the drive-thru Starbucks on Convoy.
The place is pretty small, and the menu is limited to ramen right now as they wait for their liquor license. There are 6 ramen options, as well as some appetizers. With four of us dining, we were able to try out most of the ramen broths.
Baby Bro ordered the miso ramen. I sampled all the ramens we ordered, and this one was my favorite. The broth was different from any that I have ever tasted. It doesn't taste like the miso soup paste I'm accustomed to. It was a pretty red, and it was more complex in flavors than the other broths, which allows you to continue to enjoy the broth and not tire of it. I can't really describe the flavors well, though the aftertaste was similar to korean soybean stew flavor.
I ordered the Shio Ramen. The broth was very simple, but sometimes simple is best. I enjoyed it, though I did feel it was bit too salty by the end of my meal. I loved how the noodles weren't overcooked so that they retained the al dente texture. The Chasu meat was soft and tender.
Boyfriend ordered the Chasu ramen. At $9, I thought this was a bit too pricey. It is the same as the Shoyu ramen, except that it has a couple extra pieces of pork. This was my second favorite broth. The broth had a strong Chasu flavor to it.
Little Brother ordered the Nagaya ramen. He was warned that it was spicy, but I was still surprised on how spicy it was. It reminded me a lot of the ma-la spicy chinese soup broths.
Finally, we ordered the takoyaki.
Neither Boyfriend or I really liked the takoyaki that much. The inside paste was not nearly as flavorful as the takoyaki we recently had in Little Tokyo.
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Hi Dennis! 50 cents for a slab of butter does seem a bit pricey. I’ve never eaten butter with ramen before. My first few experiences with japanese ramen were so salty that I thought I didn’t like japanese ramen at all. Now I’m slowly venturing back. I was relieved that even the Shio ramen wasn’t too salty here.
Hi Kirbie, I really like the miso here. Most places don’t use the red aka-miso. Adding butter makes the taste milder but it’s a bit pricey at 50cent for a slab. I don’t necessarily think their ramen trumps anyone elses in SD. I’m more excited at having more choice here now.. 🙂
I’m usually not a fan of Shio either. It’s still not my favorite, though I think this version is a lot less saltier than other places. I’ve never been to the Hillcrest location!
I actually really don’t know much about japanese ramen…I’m learning as I go. =)
I do remember seeing it on the menu now! I’ve never tried it though. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll give it a try next time I’m there.
Hi Steve! No Yakitori yet! They are waiting until after they get their liquor license.
I just went to their Hillcrest location last night. Man, they really have solidified their ‘niche’ in this (yakitori) market haven’t they?!
I tried their takoyaki again last night and I’ve always found it to be quite nice – I wonder if they do it differently at this new location?
I’m terribly afraid of Shio since my last visit to Santouka (sp?). It felt like eating a salt-lick to me. But the pic of your Miso and Chasu look great.
I think you or Kirk should do a dictionary of ramen flavors: shio, miso, shoyu, etc etc! I keep having to scroll up to remember what flavor is associated w/ what name 🙂
Tea n More used to make a pretty decent takoyaki. However, it was about two years ago. Pretty inexpensive though, and may be worth a try =)
But you didnt order any actual yakitori? I was wondering how it was there.
Hi Kirk- Hmm. I only had like two spoonfuls of Baby Bro’s miso soup. Maybe I would feel differently if I had the whole bowl. Any recommendations for good Takoyaki?
Hey Kirbie – I recently returned, and the Missus and I really didn’t care for the Miso Ramen…. it had a bit of artificiallity to it. As for the Takoyaki, I agree, I didn’t think it was very good.