Ramen Iroha

Ordered a large spicy miso ramen. They put too much ramen and not enough soup. Didn’t care much for the noodles.
When picking up the number the cashier gave me for the order, I noticed a special going at the time for a free mini bowl of chirashi or drink but the cashier didn’t mention it when I was ordering. I asked him about it and he said it was too late since he already rung up the order.
Daikokuya was better.

Found this place by chance because all the other ramen places were closed in the afternoon. Iroha is situated in the food court of Marukai market. They offer chicken soup based and shoyu based soups. We ordered the spicy chicken ramen and shoyu based ramen.
What I liked about it is that the egg is perfectly done and parts of the chashu was good. I say parts because in the same piece of meat, some parts were tender and well marinated, well maybe a little on the salty side, and some parts were tough and tasteless. The chicken broth was just alright, nothing spectacular, a tad on the oily side. Now the spicy paste that came with it — I question if it’s really spicy miso because it seriously tastes like sambal chili. After adding it to the soup, my bowl of noodles tasted like Singaporean laksa.
The shoyu ramen — I can only say it’s very salty and very oily.

This Ramen place was really good, and the service was just fine.
But the eggs and the meat were still half-​way frozen when I got my ramen so I had to wait until the broth heated it up the rest of the way.
The prices were fantastic, and the atmosphere was super-​weird. This place is located inside a Japanese grocery store.
All in all, I think this would be really good take-​out or delivery. I had the black ramen which was amazing. Igot extra eggs.

We decided to try this place and we are glad we did. I had the red spicy ramen and it was delicious. My husband had the black soy ramen and he loved it. We will definitely come back.
This place doesn’t take credit cards so bring cash.

I’ve had take-​out & dine-​in at Ramen Iroha, but I must say my dine-​in experience was much better than my take-​out in terms of flavor.
A large poster of a ramen chef in what seemingly looks like a do-​rag boasts of winning «best ramen» competitions for 3 straight years. Looks promising, right? I’ve only tried their spicy miso ramen & their red spicy ramen. I believe they’re both different because one is on the while the other is on a poster.
This is the closest ramen to my house that is as close as I’m going get to Tsujita in LA. Because their noodles are rare in this Hakata ramen crazed area, I’m more than delighted to consume the much thicker & chewier noodles. The broth of the spicy miso ramen is really quite good as is their seasoned soft-​boiled egg. However, I found myself adjusting the broth with more vinegar, soy sauce, chili, & ichimi. Only after my additions did the broth’s flavor really come out. The toppings paired nicely with the ramen, leaving me full for the remainder of the day. I passed off my pork to Josh G., who said it was really delicious.
Prices are a bit steep for a grocery store restaurant, but then I’m reminded of Santouka… which is also expensive & cash only. I haven’t tried any of the other broths (if it’s not spicy, it doesn’t appeal to me!) so I can only recommend the spicy miso, but be sure to adjust it with vinegar & soy sauce as you see fit! Realistically, good ramen should require no adjustment.

The worst ramen I have ever had! I ordered the black soy ramen and It was so salty as if the soup was pure soy sauce! So I went back to the counter ask if they can add more broth, which they did, however there was no apology or even a smile. It was still pretty bad, but I sucked it up and tried to eat more, since the bowl of noodle cost me $ 10.80. Unfortunately, I only can finish less than half of it, because it was like eating a bowl of soy sauce! Moreover, the egg and pork were cold too… Anyway, I will never go back their. For everyone else who is still willing to give it a try, I hope you have better experience than me.

I love ramen and always look out for new places to try. When I heard this place’s ramen took first prize in the Tokyo Ramen Show, I had to try it. Unfortunately, the hype did not live up to the experience.
I tried the spicy miso ramen with the chashu pork. The large size was huge. The noodles however were very soft and rather thick. Not my favorite. The pork was also cold and very fatty, again not great. The egg was perfect. I did not even know I liked an egg in my ramen until I tried this one.
The broth had good flavor but Santouka is just better and cheaper.
If I’m in the area, I would probably try it again.

It was my first time eating here but I will review it anyways since I a ramen geek.
I was surprised they replaced the other ramen place, Santouka, in the food court. Not sure why. At least they upgraded the spoons from plastic picnic spoons to Chinese soup spoons, but I wish they had the round ramen spoons. Makes it taste better.
Noodles seemed a little soft and slightly wider, almost like pre-​cooked noodles???
Too much noodles to broth ratio in the large size. Good flavor. Perfectly cooked egg! Interesting array of topping included! Higher prices than some better ramen places in the neighborhood (Ken Ramen, Shin Sen Gumi), but you get a bigger bowl than Yamadaya. Definitely worth trying though. Just check out the pics!!!

Got the chicken miso with egg. It also came with 2 pieces of chashu.
Egg was good, but a little cold. It was warmed by the broth, which improved it. The ramen is curly and I prefer straight. It also was cooked soft, not firm as I usually like. The broth, however, was good. And so was the chashu.
I wonder if I had made my preferences known, at least for how the noodle was cooked, whether they would accomodate. I wish they had offered an option. I might consider upping my rating if they would bring forth a frimer noodle. For now, I am middle of the road.
I will likely be back, if nothing else due to convenience.

This is inside the Marukan Marketplace, small area with a few tables. Nothing fancy, if you need another napkin you have to go back and ask for one. You get a number and when they call it you go back and pick up your food. Had the Chicken Ramen Soup, it was one of the best I had! They have a spicy version too, I’ll have to come back and try that one also. They only take cash, some $ 8 for a soup and a drink

Beware of the Red Spicy Ramen here! Rather than being a nice pleasant kind of spicy, it feels more like a numbing spicy, like if you had gone to the dentist and had to numb your teeth to get a filling.
The noodles aren’t all that good either, and be wary of ordering a large portion. When I did it seemed like they just added more noodles to the same bowl, essentially reducing the soup and just leaving you with a ton of noodles.
The black ramen though is actually kind of good, which is the saving grace for this review and what ultimately prevents this place from getting a lower score.
The place is located within the Marukai supermarket, replacing the previous Daikokuya there.

— Gluttony Expedition —
White chicken ramen: Heavy, greasy and bit too salty broth. Not bad but I prefer black soy sauce one. I love the noodle here! Chashu was a bit too salty.
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
They do offer quality. Did I like this «white ramen»? No.
But the quality of food matters. I prefer «Tonkotsu» ramen when it comes to ramen.

Why is it when they bring good ramen joints from the LA area to this location, the food isn’t up to standard? Saw that rameniac gave good reviews on the Gardena one so was down to trying out one of the new various ramen joints in Costa Mesa. Got the Black Soy Ramen and it was waaaay too salty. Hopefully the others are better.

So I first heard about Ramen Iroha in Gardena from YF and fellow Ramenaholic Cathy S. I was planning to head up there but heard they opened one in the OC taking over the spot that was previously held by Daikokuya in Marukai market. As you can see on the signage their ramen won first place at the Tokyo Ramen show 3 years in row.
Their menu is simple as they really dont offer much else but Ramen. They have 3 different flavors in 3 different tiers. White Chicken, Black Soy and a Red Spicy. You can order a bowl of ramen with chashu, with ajitama/​chashu and the top tier that includes ajitama with extra chasu. You can also order 2 sizes, a regular bowl or a large which is double the noodles.
Well I decided on the Red Ajitama Ramen and Mom got the Black Ajitama Ramen.
Red Ajitama ~
Yup, I went with spicy surprisingly. The Red bowl of ramen was really really good. The broth alone although red is not spicy until you mix in the red chili paste. The spicy red paste is not the typical one that you get at most ramen houses. This red paste has a mix of sansho, also known as sichuan pepper and it gives it a very different kick and fragrance. With a slightly milder tingling on you taste buds unlike pure chilli where it just burns. It was absolutely delish! I would easily order this again. The Ajitama eggs were seasoned well and cooked just right with the yolk still medium boiled. The chashu was a nice thick cut and very well seasoned.
Black Ajitama ~
The broth is rich and has really good depth in flavor. It’s soy based and the taste reminded me of a Philipino dish called adobo which I like. The noodles are a thick chijire men and had a good bite. It was not as curly as the ones you often see at other ramen places. This is a good ramen and can see how this particular flavor won 3 years in a row in Japan. Mom really enjoyed it as did I.
As always the food court in Marukai is much smaller than Mitsuwa and so the place does not get very busy. This could be a good thing for those of us who like the Ramen Iroha.
Eyes ~ Nice large bowl of ramen!
Nose ~ It smells really good!!!
Ear ~ Not much noise, quiet food court!
Mouth ~ Really good ramen especially the Red!!!
Tummy ~ Very satisfied!

It wasn’t exactly BAD… but it wasn’t good. My family ordered the Black Soy, Chicken broth and Spicy for take out. The spicy is WAAAAAY too spicy with a kind of numbing feel to it (much like MALA SPICY if you’ve ever had mala hot pot). It was spicy, but without flavor.
Also, the spicy broth had a weird bitter aftertaste to it (probably too much star anise put in), and the toppings were just average. The bamboo was obviously canned (which is fine) but it was SOUR.
The chicken broth wasn’t salty enough.
The black soy was sort of plain.
The noodles were a little too chewy for my taste, and almost looked like they were shin ramen noodles – all curly and processed looking. Like another reviewer said, I usually finish ALL my ramen noodles. I left over half the bowl. Our consensus was MEH.
It’s so sad… Daikokuya wasn’t that great here, but it was much better than its replacement.
SKIP.

I read my yf Anna W.‘s review for the Gardena location, not knowing when I could hit this place up. I then found out there is an OC location in the Marukai Market (same as Gardena). Lastly, I thought I would beat my yf, «The Ramen Queen» Lica N. here. Until I found out she came here two days before me: X Story of my life, but at least I had some very good ramen.
This place won First Place at the Tokyo Ramen Show the past 3 years. We both ordered a large Black Ajitama Chasu Ramen — $ 13, which has a soy based broth. They also have a lighter chicken based broth and a spicy red broth.
The ramen was excellent and the portion was massive!!! The broth had a nice flavor to it. The noodles were super fresh & chewy (and I didn’t have to order extra noodles like most ramen places). There was 5 pieces of silky chasu (vs most places that give you two pieces). Lastly, the ajitama was was nicely seasoned and was a full egg (vs other places that give you a ½ egg, or charge you extra): 5 Stars.
The service and ambiance is what you would expect from a small food court. You have to order and pay at one counter, and pick up at another. In addition, you also get your drink at the pick up counter, but you pay for it at the first counter — WTH?! Lastly, I didn’t know they had apps. I walked outside to the weekend takoyaki stand. The only reason I don’t rate this place 5 Stars overall is because of the location, quirkiness of the two counters and limited menu. Otherwise, this place has excellent ramen like Shin Sen Gumi, Jinya and Ramen Yamadaya in the area.

A new good ramen place in side of Marukai market.
Nice and clean.
I had pork ramen. It was hot and tasty.
Can not remember what eatery was there before,
anyway they cleaned up the whole food court nicely with Japanese writing hanging and all. Lot’s of Japanese people were eating when I was there.
That’s a good sign.

The Good: Another high quality ramen joint in Costa Mesa. I’ve gotten the black soy with charsiu twice and it always hits the mark. The broth is not too salty and with the extra pork it’s a great meal. The pork is fatty and rips apart easily with the chopsticks. To order, you need to bring cash, because it’s cash only. Then you walk away from the counter and look for a long line, that would be the cashier. You order, pay and get a order form and a number, you then take that form to the ramen shop. They had some really good, chili paste that wasn’t too spicy but just right, they ran out last time I went and it was a bummer.
The Bad: It’s the priciest ramen spot that I have been to. I got a large bowl with pork and it was $ 14 :(
The Ben: It’s in the Marukai market food court. Only a few tables and it can get crowded at peak times. If you are still hungry there is Mammoth Bakery in the food court area and they make some killer baked goods.

Great ramen here! I chose the «white» one hoping for some nice chicken flavor and I was not disappointed a bit. That broth is so addictive which is bad for me, since I’m trying to limit my sodium, but f– it, I’m drinking the whole bowl! It’s like a whole melted chicken in that bowl of yummy goodness.
Charsiu that melts in your mouth. Crisp and flavorful menma on top of those nice and chewy noodles. Oh and how can I forget the hanjuku tamago… yolk still runny and delicious. I should have let the yolk run crazy on the noodles…
Prices are a bit steep for a bowl of ramen, but you’ll soon forget about it after your first slurp. I was disappointed that they didn’t carry the charsiu buns like the Gardena store but I’ll definitely be back to try the red and black.

YUM!
I came to Marukai Market today (¹⁰⁄₂₉) looking for some Japanese food since I heard through other Unilocalers recently that Daikokuya Ramen closed. I didn’t feel like dealing with the crowdy mess over at Mitsuya so I can get some Santouka, so I figured I’d try to find a prepared dish at the deli over at Marukai.
Boy was I surprised when I walked into Marukai. Not only was the store remodeled for the most part, but so was the food court! And in the very spot that once stood Daikokuya, was a new ramen place called Ramen Iroha (not Iroha Ramen, as one would believe).
I was skeptic. It was very plain looking to be quite honest, wasn’t much décor (but then again, most ramen places aren’t either). I headed over, with a curious mind. The menu selection is very simple — which is a good thing for those of you who can’t decide on the 50 different ways you can have your ramen at places like Santouka.
There is Black Ramen, White Ramen and Red Spicy Ramen — the color basically refers to the soup base, as the friendly clerk explained to me. Black Ramen, their most popular flavor has a Soy base. White Ramen is chicken based. I opted for a Regular Black Ramen.
One of the first things I noticed was the prices here were a bit higher than Daikokuya. A regular Black Ramen with all the fixings runs about $ 11, while a Large is $ 13.
My opinion of the pricing changed when the bowl came out. While most ramen places give you only 2 or 3 slices of chasu pork, Ramen Iroha gave me five succulent melt-​in-​your-​mouth slices of pork. IN addition to the tasty pork, there were three pieces of flavored hard boiled egg, bamboo shoots, green onions, and mushrooms.
The broth was good, but not great — which is why my review is only 4 stars not 5. It just wasn’t memorable enough. Not creamy like Santouka or porkfat rich like Daikokuya. The ramen was al dente — chewy, not soggy.
Another PLUS — Ramen lovers rejoice — the SPOONS you get here are real, authentic soup spoons not the disposable stuff you get from other ramen places. I used to have to bring my own spoon when I ate at Santouka and the other places but Iroha offers authentic soup spoons to their patrons — yes, it really makes a difference.
This is a great alternative for those not willing to brave the crowds and parking mess over at the Mitsuya on Paularino (for Santouka). This is a good replacement for Daikokuya.
Overall, I’d definitely give this place another shot. The food court is redesigned and theres more seating. CASH ONLY.