Hakata Ikkousha Ramen (Torrance, CA)


Torrance seems to be the mecca of ramen in So Cal.  There’s elite ramen like Santouka, Shin Sen Gumi, and Yamadaya just a few clicks from each other.  However, I’m not going to lie here, Hakata Ikkousha has quite possibly crafted the most delicious Tonkotsu broth my lips have ever touched. This broth is so thick, porky, rich, and creamy. The first sip I literally said, “Wow!”

Perfectly balanced with the flavored soft-boiled egg and al dente ramen. The pork chashu was much more lean than majority of its competitors.  I actually prefer a little fat for that melt in your mouth texture but there’s so much pork fatty goodness here it doesn’t really matter.  Awpid-wp-1446054711247.jpgt 1:30 pm on a Tuesday, this placed was at capacity with groups waiting outside. The plaza has plenty of parking but limited seating inside. I know this bowl of ramen won’t be for everyone, as it’s very fatty and salty. Blasphemy. In my opinion, you shouldn’t even be eating ramen if you don’t get down with salt and fat.

Hakata Ikkousha has earned its place among my list of go-to ramen joints.  Easily one of the best tonkotsu broths around.

21605 S Western Ave
Torrance, CA 90501
(424) 558-3953



Nouilles of 3rds (Lomita, CA)


Locatwpid-wp-1445029109189.jpged in a quaint strip mall in Lomita, this spot has been sitting idle for quite sometime until today.
There were a lot of building issues that held up the opening, but now that’s all clear we’ve got a new local contender serving a combination of fusion Asian food with a splash of home-style cooking.  The owners were very friendly and explained their unique menu.  The amount of quality and care in their product in clearly noted as she explained their mantra of Asian fusion.

I was recommended the House Prime Beef noodles. It was basically a supped up version of Pho with it’s own twist. This is a dam good bowl of soup and noodles.  The first thing I noticed was how delicious and flavorful the meat was. A million times better than all of the other local options in the same genre.  The menu is expanding since they’ve just opened up, so there will be plenty of things to look forward to in the future.

2413 Pacific Coast Hwy
Lomita, CA 90717
(424) 347-7022