It's All in the Broth

Orochon Ramen. From my early college days, pre Man vs. Food, this place was my santuary, making such a delicious version of what is otherwise considered 25 cent college food. As the years went by, I honed in on how spicy I liked my ramen, how much noodle I wanted, which flavor I liked best, and exactly why no other ramen place I've tried has compared to the deliciousness of this bowl of spicy goodness.

The concept is simple enough. Egg noodles in a broth of your choice--miso, soy sauce or salt. The bowl, by the way, is exactly as large as it seems in this picture. It eats up half the table, and it can fit your head.

The fun part, though, comes when you order your level of spiciness. Unlike Thai places that have arbitrary scales of spiciness depending on who's cooking, this place is pretty consistent: a 3 will always be a 3, and a 5 will always be a 5.

Super Orochon 2
Super Orochon 1

1. Extreme Orochon
2. Hyper Orochon
3. Impact Orochon
4. Orochon
5. Osae Orochon
6. Osae - Osae Orochon
7. Non - Spicy Orochon

So not only are you deciding between 1-7, but if you're a superstar, you have the additional options of Super 1 and Super 2. This restaurant's claim to fame is that if you finish the Super Orochon 2 in half an hour (including the broth), you get your picture on the wall. So of course, this became a visit for Man vs. Food. The preparation didn't seem as spicy as other foods Adam has tried (like the Indian food episode where the cook had to use a gas mask to cook the peppers), but it was enough to get him sweating and fully appreciative of the zest and zeal of this legend of LA. Yes, he even finished the broth!

And while the appetizers are good (especially the gyoza), don't bother ordering them if you're not really hungry because (1) they'll fill you up, and (2) they won't arrive before the food. My sister KN didn't enjoy the gyoza because they were pan fried, so if you like the soft boiled gyoza better than the pan fried ones, don't bother either.

Every time I go, I order the Number 5 soy sauce bowl (I know, weak sauce), with extra noodle so I can savor more of the broth... And I'm never disappointed. I can always count on this meal to warm me up, fill me up, and make me happy I chose to come to this place, even on the hottest of days. Like a Japanese bowl of pho, there's simply never a bad time for it, because it's just that good.

I'm on the hunt for a better tasting ramen place, but after years of tasting places in Orange County, I think I'll need to pursue my mission in LA. Suggestions? Send them on by! In the meantime, I'm perfectly content with this as my "safe" spot, especially since they added more tables and kept the food exactly the same: spicy, zesty, and delish!

Orochon Ramen
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St., Los Angeles, CA
http://www.yelp.com/biz/orochon-ramen-los-angeles