Asa Ramen (Gardena, CA)

Asa Ramen (Gardena, CA)



Kotteri Shoyu (served with menma, negi, chashu, and tamago). The ramen chef called this a “Kyushu” style pork-based broth (tonkotsu). An asseri shoyu (chicken-based broth) ramen is offered there as well.
This is a beefy, slightly milky, and notably salty soup. What separates this from other broths I tried, though, was this phantom beefy-like element. At first taste, I thought it was shallow and salty but as I worked through the bowl, its subtlety and complexity became more apparent. Not superior broth but definitely noteworthy. Beautiful bits of pork fat (seabura) glisten on the broth’s surface.
The noodles (homemade?) here are the standout; being true to the Kyushu- style, they were square-ish and thin as well as beautifully toothsome. Not an egg noodle (whiter noodle with “mold”.) The noodle used in their asseri ramen is a yellower noodle with no said mold.
Besides Shin Mama Ramen in Torrence (easily the best egg I tried), Asa’s honjyuku (half-cooked) tamago was the clear standout. The yoke lusciously oozed from the fully-set eggwhite. Clearly, they are prepared when the order is placed. Many tamago I tried had the dreaded gray-ring around the outer yoke indicating that the egg was carelessly overcooked for expediency or cooked earlier and held.
The chashu was luscious and boldly porky. The pieces were bite-sized, unlike the more common whole slices of pork.

Asa Ramen
18202 S Western Avenue
Gardena, CA
(310) 769-1010

Other Los Angeles-area ramen noodle shops:
Hakata Shin Sen Gumi Ramen
Umemura Ramen & Shisen Ramen
Shin Mama Ramen
Gardena Ramen & Foo Foo Tei Ramen
Daikokuya Ramen
Chin-ma-ya Ramen
Santouka Ramen

Thanks to you Pigmon, I will be forced to call in sick/take extra vacay days to follow Mike to LA the next time he goes...

These ramen posts are driving me crazy! And making me hungry...

Man am I glad that I'm moving to southern California next week.

PIGMON wrote:The yoke lusciously oozed from the fully-set eggwhite..

Asa Ramen's startlingly perfect egg is the very definition of luscious.

Really enjoying the ramen roundup. That egg is gorgeous. That's one of my few criticisms of Santouka here--their egg is mediocre. I can't imagine they could serve the eggs they serve here in Japan. I didn't actually try Santouka there but all the eggs served with ramen I had in Japan have been perfect. I've always wondered if there are health code concerns that stop them from doing eggs with a soft yolk. Maybe not, you can get plenty of sunny side up eggs.

There was maybe a specific term for the hard boiled but soft yolk eggs which I remembered at the time but can't now?

Hao wrote:There was maybe a specific term for the hard boiled but soft yolk eggs which I remembered at the time but can't now?

PIGMON wrote:honjyuku (half-cooked) tamago