Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen

Let's roll back time to Spring 2002 when Edwin and I decided to rent a car for a road trip to LA. We spent approximately five days there. We met up with my cousins who introduced us to Shin-Sen-Gumi, a Japanese restaurant. I was told they were known for their Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen, a pork and ginger flavored soup with various toppings you can add. The noodles were freshly made. You could order the noodles hard, medium or soft. We actually saw the noodles being made and cooked which made me even more excited. Once I tasted the soup and asked for a second helping of noodles, I knew my quest for finding it in Houston would begin once we drove back a few days later.

So time now equals a few days ago. Oishii was again busy with a long wait and no parking. So naturally, option II was in effect. As we drove down 59 towards Bellaire I remembered Kubo's Cafe was open. When we walked in, it was surprisingly cute and casual. We stood around like dorks until we saw the "order here" sign at the counter. What do I see on the counter as a new item on the menu? Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen ($6.99). Are you freaking kidding me? I thought, "I should keep my expectations low." You know what happens when someone tells you something is really good? You expect too much and then you get disappointed. And then, you remember it. "Remember when so-and-so told you to try that dish or that restaurant and it was just "eh...ok"? Yeah, let's not rush over there to try it today."

The smell of the soup brought back memories of the many times I visited Shin-Sen-Gumi. The soup was extremely hot but flavorful. The noodles was almost the same but since I haven't had the dish since September 2009 I couldn't really tell there was a big difference. The cha-shu was round and tender with some fat. Fresh was evident and surprisingly delightful. I was quite surprised. Even to the bottom of the bowl, the noodles and soup were worth the wait for the find. Though the soup was a tad on the salty side at the end, I walked away wanting more even though I was stuffed. All these years of looking for Japanese food that didn't include sushi and this is what becomes of my search. AWESOME!

I won't be waiting for Southwest's LA flights to go on sale so I can go visit Shen-Sin-Gumi (and my brother and cousins)... that also doesn't mean I won't stop by if I'm in the area.

*Available at Kubo's in the Rice Village ($8.50) during lunch and after 5pm at Kubo's Cafe ($6.99).

Update: I was really curious if Kubo's in Rice Village would be as good or the same as Kubo's Cafe on Bellaire. Unfortunately it is not. For some reason the broth is not as flavorful. I found that disappointing since I was looking forward to having lunch there sometimes. On a brighter note, Kubo's Cafe does serve it all day during the weekend. Even if the noodles don't seem as fresh as Shin-Sen-Gumi, it's still pretty damn good.















Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen @ Kubo's Rice Village