Monday, March 14, 2011

liquid pork at ramen yamadaya



this is how you make LIQUID PORK. you take ms. piggy, pull off her dress and pearls, then boil her in a vat of water for days. the water will then be infuse with her porky juices, thus making a heavenly pork broth for your consumption. OR, you can drop by ramen yamadaya in torrance to treat yourself to some of their heavenly tonkotsu ramen broth. holy oinkster batman, i want to drink a vat of that liquid pork!



to start the meal off in this intimate ramen shop, i chose NOT to go light. i ordered the combination special which came with ramen and two sides. the first side was a crispy set of gyoza quadruplets. oh how i adore these crispy pan fried gyozas with their silky, meaty innards.


the second side, the kimchi fried rice, was stellar as well. each crimson bite revealed a bit of kimchi and chasu. if it wasn't for the fact that i had a big bowl of ramen to look forward to, i would have consumed every single grain of rice in that bowl.



my eating partner chose the kimchi fried rice and the kara-age chicken for his combination special. each piece of kara-age was a plump nugget of breaded chicken bliss. the cabbage slaw was tangy which minimized the greasy bites.



...and the ramen. oh dear lord, the ramen. i chose the yamadaya ramen with the "thin" noodles which had two types of chasu pork, menma (fermented bamboo shoots), nori, and a seasoned egg. oooohhhh emmmmm geeeee DELICIOUS. the broth was full bodied, creamy, savory, and wonderfully hearty. and if this was even possible, each slurp of the noodles tasted even better than the last (i may have just drooled on myself as i type this) and slurp away i did until my whole bowl was dry as a bone.



on the other hand, my friend decided to get their kakuni ramen with the "thick" noodles. an alarming slab of fatty pork belly adorned the bowl and although i am a fan of both pork and their fat bellies, the unctuous nature of this particular piece was just too much. due to the thickness of this fat, it was not "melt in your mouth." it was more like "i bit the thigh of a fat man and now it's in my mouth." *shudders*



but whichever ramen style you decide to order, don't forget to ask for their garlic press and squeeze a few cloves of garlic through. the aromatic raw garlic was a great balance to this slightly greasy broth and truly makes a difference in this gustatory experience.



this soup was the quintessential LIQUID PORK and will pop your tongue with the most satisfying savory flavors. if it wasn't for the fact that ramen yamadaya is located in torrance, i guarantee to you that i would have become a regular pretty quickly. lucky for you westsiders, a second ramen yamadaya storefront will soon open its doors in culver city. so dang delicious and DO check it out when you get the chance.

thank you panda for introducing us to ANOTHER delicious meal!! and as always, we enjoy noshing with you and the other dude :) good times!

Ramen Yamadaya
3118 W. 182nd St.
Torrance, CA 90504
(310) 380-5555
price: $$
verdict: omg, i love it!

8 comments:

  1. I hope I don't take you to a place that you'll rate "omg, I hate it!" LOL

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  2. I just sent the link of this review to Cathy -- I want to get my pork on too!!!

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  3. danny- haha, you will know about it before i rate it...anyways, this was a really tasty place! thanks!

    diana- it is quite porkalicious. there may be a slight sheen of oil to it :0

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  4. LOL, fat man thighs. I can't ever look at fatty pork the same way ever again. In fact, feeling a bit like Hannibal Lector as I chow on spicy pork belly from Starry Kitchen right now...

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  5. Dude! This place sounds incredible. TWO side dishes?! DANG!

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  6. mannn i need to try this place now!! i was going to go on Sunday, but that itty bitty storm we had kept me local haha

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  7. tsz- starry kitchen...still haven't been. i'm so food-slow.

    cathy- it is WAY yummy.

    helen- did you try it? do you love it?

    marie- the raw garlic was a pretty unique but much appreciated component. i really enjoyed that extra flavor detail.

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