I’ve been wanting to try out Ramen Joint for quite some time. It’s not too far from home, the prices are reasonable and it’s casual. With me suffering from a cold for the past 3 months and with my husband finally succumbing to the vicious cold and flu season, I chose tonight to finally check out this hidden gem. It’s not easy to find as it’s off of Truxton in a small street in a Westchester strip mall area. There’s plenty of parking in the lot close by so that’s not an issue.
The restaurant is quite small with a 6 top, a 4 top, around 4 deuces and a wraparound counter seating which can seat about 16 people. However, thanks to the handy Yelp app, one can be added to the waitlist prior to arrival which is what we utilized, minimizing our on-site wait time. When we arrived, 2 parties of 2 were ahead of us. We likely waited about 10-15 minutes and once seated, we ordered and the food came out fast and furious.
The first items which to be served were the steaming hot edamame and the very tasty seaweed salad.
Next up were the 4 shrimp spring rolls which had a light and crispy wrapper accompanied with a tasty spicy mayo and the chicken karaage which were thick chunks of chicken with a somewhat crispy batter and a savory garlic aioli.
The main event of this dinner were the shoyu tonkotsu and shoyu chicken ramen entrees which were both ordered with a seasoned soft boiled egg and crispy garlic chips. My tonkotsu had an array of ingredients but was light on the tasty and savory broth. My husband’s spicy chicken ramen had quite a bit of noodles and spinach but was sparse on the chicken.
Our total bill was around $46 so with tip, it was $28 per person and I still have half of my ramen and half of the chicken leftover. For those who have had ramen in Tokyo as we have of late, I should warn you that this is not that. Nothing can compare to the technique utilized by the Japanese in preparing their broth and the quality of their noodles. However, considering the efficiency and effectiveness of the Yelp waitlist, the super attentive service combined with the fast turnaround of the food and the reasonable prices, The Ramen Joint will definitely be on our shortlist of favorite local haunts in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
The Ramen Joint
6220 W. 87th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90045
http://www.theramenjoint.com/menu
Living in Los Angeles, one gets spoiled into thinking and believing that the sun is always shining. In the 40 years I’ve lived in LA, this has been the rainiest “winter” we’ve ever experienced. With the rains comes an extended or cyclical cold and flu season. Though I got the flu shot last year and (knock on wood) have not gotten the flu, I’m now at the beginning stages of my second consecutive cold.
The first one started right after the MLK, Jr. weekend. It started as a bit of fluid in my throat which I couldn’t clear. A week later, I started to cough which evolved into a hacking cough that spiraled out of control, eventually causing me to pull a rib muscle by the 3rd week of the cold. The 4th week added the discomfort of a sinus congestion but then finally by the 5th week, the symptoms appeared to have subsided, along with the rains.
Sadly, the reprieve would be short lived, much like the clear blue skies. The rain returned with a vengeance and so did Round 2 of my cold, complete with coughing and another pulled rib muscle on the opposite side.
This time, rather than being passive like the first round, I’m actively fighting it. I’m on oscilloccocinum, a homeopathic remedy primarily for flus though it tends to shorten or lessen the symptoms of a cold as well. I also changed my toothbrush, am gargling with warm salt water, drinking lots of water and organic green tea, will be taking naps and going to bed early. On day 3 of the cold, I got up early and went to the store to buy some zinc, organic grapefruit and organic ingredients for my homemade low sodium organic chicken soup.
The one ingredient I didn’t include is celery, due to my allergies. This delicate panda has her eyelid puff up like Will Smith in that movie “Hitch” so that I can’t actually see out of that eye so no celery for me. I did however put a whole onion and a whole garlic in the mix to ward off vampires and humans in general with my oh so attractive scent which will eventually come out of my pores. Also, onions and garlic have been used for centuries to help rebuild the immune system. I don’t normally eat carrots because of their sugar content but they are an excellent source of beta carotene which is a natural antioxidant. I used bone broth in lieu of regular chicken broth or stock as it has the added boost of more protein.
And now onto the recipe.
1 organic yellow onion, chopped
Grace Gambin
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