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NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
I went there last night and the wait for 2 was around 45 minutes. Its next door to the LA Fitness so I put my name on the list and worked out while waiting. Made me feel less guilty for eating all those carbs.
 
Save yourself the pain and drive to the Fountain Valley location. Same great food and I didn't have to wait for lunch today.  :)

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BangBros said:
There was a mid-aged tall white dude and an Asian wife.  The white dude was getting distraught that the wait was so long.  He started to talk down on the poor-english speaking Jap guy as to why they couldn't sit at the counter and make more room.  The Jap guy mumbled something incoherent and the couple continued to wait.
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Oh, Ronnie was just grumpy that 99 Ranch ran out of his boba milk tea, and now he had to wait an hour for some fancy Top Ramen.
 
WTTCHMN said:
BangBros said:
There was a mid-aged tall white dude and an Asian wife.  The white dude was getting distraught that the wait was so long.  He started to talk down on the poor-english speaking Jap guy as to why they couldn't sit at the counter and make more room.  The Jap guy mumbled something incoherent and the couple continued to wait.
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Oh, Ronnie was just grumpy that 99 Ranch ran out of his boba milk tea, and now he had to wait an hour for some fancy Top Ramen.
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Ronnie doesn't sit at the counter :)

His wife also makes awesome ramen so he doesn't have to overpay at SSG.
 
I tried the ramen and didn't like the noodle.  I still like Ajisen better.  I'm probably the minority on this.
 
lovingit said:
I tried the ramen and didn't like the noodle.  I still like Ajisen better.  I'm probably the minority on this.
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I prefer the curly ramen noodles as well, but don't like Ajisen.  Weird, the best quality ramen noodle I had was recently at SWSH... cooked it myself in the spicy miso leftover hot pot broth...scoop into the soup base you have to ask for near the end of meal.. and it was the best quality ramen i had in a while.. Honda Ya's seafood ramen is decent as well and still near the top of my last meal on earth list.
 
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Hakata Ramen with reg oil/soup and firm noodles

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Fried rice

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Fried pig ears (butamimikara)

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Kids meal (comes with small bowl of Hakata ramen)

about 50 minute wait for weekday dinner.  wait time should be better soon as the staff/customer get more accustomed to ordering/efficiency.  they do not seat the whole restaurant like Fukada so obvious not at full efficiency.  they should be able to in the future.  as for the food.. I'm ok with it.  Happy its in Irvine, but its missing some umami i typically expect with eating in good japanese restaurants.

Ramen is very porky, i'll ask for light soup next time.  Noodles were good, but like I mentioned I prefer the wiggly noodles more.  Cha shu lacks flavor, the Sagami version is better.  Quantity is ok, my wife usually eats half bowl and I get 1.5

Fried rice was disappointing, need more 'wok' flavor or msg or salt.  Fried pig ears also lacks seasoning, but good with beer.  Kids meal was ok, gave a balloon as a toy which to me is weird.  My kid asked for more noodles so might skip the kids meal next time and just get a bigger bowl.  She said Ippudo is better, but that's in NYC :)

 
SoclosetoIrvine said:
irvinehomeowner said:
lovingit said:
I still like Ajisen better.
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That place always looks crowded.

Do they just have ramen? I'm not really a soup person.
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They have this amazing chicken and egg rice bowl that I would highly recommend for you to try  ;D
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You talking about the Soboro at Shin Sen Gummy?  It looks so plain.. Watched them make it on Dining with the Chef episode recently, it's a lot harder than it looks. 
 
Have to try ssg one of these days. Maybe during off hours, I wasn't wowed with the other locations.
Tried several places in Costa Mesa that were supposed to be good and authentic and wasn't wowed either, maybe growing up eating cheap ramen ruined me for life 
My kid likes the fried rice at ajisen
 
this place is extremely overrated. I waited about an hour at the WTC location. Food was decent but nothing worth waiting for a bunch of noodles and a few pieces of meat.
 
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