Ramen Quest Continues

As winter approaches in San Diego, my endless quest for the perfect bowl of ramen continues. Right now, my favorite can be found at Yakyudori (most San Diegans call it Yakitori Yakyudori, but the sign above the door simply reads “Yakyudori,” so I’m sticking with the single word).

Most recently, I enjoyed the “spicy miso.” The noodles are perfectly chewy, the ground pork is tender and cooked separately so that it retains its own flavor, the hanjuku (soft-boiled) egg is bathed in a delectable and well-balanced marinade of sweet mirin and salty soy sauce, the broth is rich but not oily with just the right kick… well, see for yourself. It was a supremely satisfying meal. This particular bowl was enjoyed as brunch on a recent weekday.

Whereas I’m all about the flavor bombs (Spice! Sweet corn! Savory pork!), David often opts for food in its purest form. For example, he likes vanilla ice cream. So when it comes to ramen, he orders the standard. In this case, he got a simple bowl with shoyu (soy) broth.

As they say in Japan, itadakimasu!