Dish Spotlight: Spicy Sesame Ramen at Tajima

A rainy day in a bowl.

Has it really been four months since I've been to a Tajima? It's a fixture of San Diego's landscape now, with so many locations that you'd practically think they were Starbucks.

The North Park location was bustling even on a Thursday afternoon. It started to pour shortly after I got in, as if the weather were anticipating my meal. Shortly after being seated, I got what I always get: the spicy sesame tonkotsu ramen with added pork chashu.

This is not a bowl designed for everyday eating. The broth is so creamy and rich, it almost makes you feel guilty. It's piled with so many toppings you have to work to break through to the noodles. It's packed with so much sodium you'll have to swear off salt for a week.

And still, it's all so worth it.

Every ingredient is beautifully calibrated. Pork bones are boiled for twelve straight hours and combined with sesame and chile to create a broth that's spicy, unctuous and satisfying. The noodles are delicate but still retain a robust springiness. The half egg is always cooked medium—never too runny or too solid. The garlic chips are crunchy but never burnt-tasting, as they often are elsewhere. Now and then the occasional note of toasted sesame shines through. The ground pork is savory, heavy on salt but not overwhelmingly. There are just enough veggies to trick your brain into thinking there's some nutritional value here: Buttery bok choy, ocean-infused nori, crisp green onion, lightly bitter sprouts.

And then there's the chashu. Theoretically, it's an optional add-on, but in practice it's an absolute requirement. Pork belly is the star of many a ramen bowl, but this incarnation is just unreal. It offers no resistance as you bite in. Time stops. The world falls away. And you're left with only the dark, deep, rich, meaty, golden caramelized flavor.

When you combine all these ingredients, you have the perfect meal to brood over on a cold, dark day. You can listen to the rain patter on the roof as you let the warmth flow through your body, banishing the chill from your toes. Just sit, relax, and eat your fill. This is a big bowl, so there's no shame in getting a to-go container—chances are, you'll be keen to savor every drop.

Score: 9 out of 10 (Fantastic)

Quick Bite: Ramen Ryoma

In my estimation, Tajima ruled the realm of San Diego ramen for years. Then, in 2017, a challenger appeared: the wildly popular Menya Ultra gave them a run for their money with an absolutely killer bowl. Still, I'm always looking for a place that can dethrone this newly-formed top tier.

Will Ramen Ryoma in Kearny Mesa be the one? Well... no. (Really built up the suspense there, didn't I?) It was good and a little different, but it didn't quite measure up.

I got the spicy miso ramen, which comes with chashu, spicy ground meat, bean sprouts, seaweed and green onion. What I really didn't enjoy was the ground meat. Before mixing it in, it was actually cold; I know it's designed to be mixed in, but it's really unappetizing in a steaming hot dish. The texture reminded me of coarse ground turkey—again, not something I especially want in my ramen.

The meat also contained all the spice of the dish, though, which diffused nicely into the broth, turning it from light and buttery to spicy and hearty. The noodles were springy and satisfyingly al dente. The best part was the chashu: a single enormously thick slab, meltingly tender and roasty. The nori was okay, though I prefer it more crisp and less... floppy. The green onion and sprouts, though, added a lovely fresh finish.

Ramen Ryoma may be aiming to start an empire; they're in the process of opening up shop in Hillcrest and Pacific Beach. Will they eventually expand enough to challenge Tajima's dominance? I tend to think not. They can make a serviceable bowl of ramen, but they'll need an infusion of personality and some culinary fine-tuning before they can take on the greats.

Score: 6 out of 10 (Decent)

Travel Eats: Shinmai (Oakland)

On Friday Amy and I drove up to the Bay Area for our friends' wedding, so we made a weekend of it. For normal people, that means the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. For me, that (of course) means food.

We got in late so we ate close to our lodging at Shinmai, a Japanese place in Oakland. I'm glad I happened to see the entrance online, as there is literally no signage—just a big open door with a Japanese mural in the background.

I ordered a pineapple miso soda because it sounded interesting. What I got tasted pretty much like a limeade soda. Still good... just no real hint of miso or pineapple. Our hamachi appetizer was simple but tasty and lightly salted. It packed a hit of citrus from the ponzu and a bit of mellow ocean flavor from the seaweed.

The tonkotsu ramen was very good. It had a rich, buttery broth, light in color, full of thin noodles. I added the himitsu "secret" sauce which tasted of chile oil with slight piney, herby notes. The chashu was savory and tender, and the soy egg was perfectly cooked and rich with flavor throughout. It all came together for a comforting bowl that really hit the spot after an eight-hour road trip up from SD.

We just got a couple of chocolate mochi cookie truffles for dessert out of curiosity. Essentially, they were comparable to a simple Oreo-based truffle, except with a chewy morsel of mochi in the center. Nothing you couldn't do at home, but it was a fairly satisfying end to the meal.

As I'll write about in the two posts to come, the Bay Area has some insanely good restaurants. Shinmai doesn't quite measure up to the best of San Francisco, but it was still a pretty solid start to our mini vacation.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 (Great)

Quick Bite: Rakitori Japanese Pub & Grill

Yes, I eat a lot of pork belly.
The first step is admitting you have a problem.

Sunday lunch was a trip to Rakitori Japanese Pub & Grill on University Avenue, a cozy dimly lit spot near the center of Hillcrest. They serve a wide assortment of Japanese cuisine including sushi, ramen and yakitori.

We decided to start off splitting some skewers. The bacon-wrapped enoki skewers were very nice, salty with a peculiar bite from the threadlike mushrooms. The bacon could have been a bit crisper. The pork belly was deliciously savory with the right amount of fat and a slight char.

We ordered one roll, the Surprise Me, which contrary to its name was nothing all that shocking. It had spicy tuna inside, salmon outside, and the only unusual part was the garlic mustard sauce, which was good but milder than it sounds. Tasty overall, but not a standout.

My wife's rice bowl consisted was topped with broccoli, carrot, lettuce and a generous helping of pork belly, topped with teriyaki sauce and a bit of green onion. It was a pretty simple dish since much of it was just white rice and steamed veggies, but the pork was tender and lightly sweet from the sauce.

I had the spicy tonkotsu ramen, which was excellent. It was a large bowl full of thin-style noodles and savory broth, with a layer of (moderately spicy) chile oil on top. The other elements all integrated well into the dish: sweet corn, soy-glazed medium-boiled egg, the soft juicy pork belly, scallion and a hint of ginger. This would be a great bowl to warm up with on a rainy day. All in all, some of the better ramen I've had, which is impressive considering it's not necessarily their specialty.

Based on the name, Rakitori could easily be a place that does skewers well but not much else. Instead, it's mostly successful in taking on a lot of different styles of Japanese cuisine. It's probably a good place to come with a group, as there's sure to be something to suit every taste—and there'll be more plates to sample, too.

Score: 8 out of 10 (Superior)