Jinya Ramen - Studio City

Thanks to Universal Studios Annual pass, I found this little ramen gem!! We were in line for the studio tour and I was just yelping for dinner ideas. It was a strange chilly day last saturday and I really wanted something warm. So I yelped Ramen. The first restaurant was Jinya Ramen. It's 4 stars with over 700 reviews. The pictures and reviews looked good, so my adventurous tummy was all in.

We got there around 6pm and there was a few parties on the waiting list ahead of us. I'd say we waited a total of 15 minutes? I religiously studied the menu boards while I waited. There's basically two types of ramen - pork based soup with/out miso or spicy and chicken based soup with/out spicy. Then they have a list of sushi rolls and appetizers - a little fusion I think. I stuck with the basics - original pork ramen and an order of takoyaki. It's always fair and safe to keep it simple at a new restaurant. In my opinion, takoyaki's are a great way to grade authenticity too. He got the spicy pork ramen at the spiciest level? Hot? High? 

Drum rolls for takoyaki - 7 pieces for $4.80 - piled high with bonito flakes and green onions. OMG. These were fantastic !!! They have taken Tamaya's numero uno spot. Golf ball sized, cripsy on the outside, mushy on the inside with two big pieces of octopus. 

Pork Ramen - I think the real name is Tonkotsu ramen, can't remember now. I chose thin noodles - think shin-sen-gumi but very al dente. Next time I'll try thick noodles. Soup - excellent, so rich and almost creamy because of the collagen. Oily, but not the slather your lips with butter kinda oily. Caution - if you take it home and put it in the fridge, the amount of hardened lard may be a bit alarming. 

I won't really comment on the spicy one. But I was told - spiciest / hot / level 10 gave a spicy kick on first taste, but dies down. Spiciness is hard to judge though... I think the only thing we ever agreed on was Crybaby pizza that used ghost chili. 

* Don't forget to ask for fresh garlic.