Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi

Southern California is so lucky with all their ramen choices, especially with most of the choices being top notch. Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi is probably one of the top five ramen spots in LA and rightfully so, I'd rank it in my top three in California. One of the best things about Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi is you can customize your ramen however you like it. Side note - most ramen places do allow you to make these custom choices, but not in the openly inviting way that Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi does. Once seated, you fill out a paper deciding the size and type of order (half or regular;won ton, Hakata style, yaki), firmness of noodle (soft, normal, hard/chewy), soup broth (light, normal, strong), and strength of soup oil (light, normal, thick). It definitely takes a couple times to figure out your perfect combination.

The Hakata ramen looks a little sparse in toppings with only green onions, slices of pickled ginger, and a slice of pork to decorate the ramen bowl. But the soup - wow, delicious! It doesn't have quite the depth of flavor that Santouka (see post HERE) does, which is my #1 favorite ramen in California, but it does have a hearty flavor. My custom combination was regular broth, dense noodles, and normal soup oil. Next time I think I'll kick up the broth even more with the "strong"soup base option. Loved the chewiness of the "dense"noodles. For those that have watched how to make a perfect bowl of ramen in Tampopo, the ramen broth is so delicious it makes you want to drink every last drop!