Raraya

I tried to go to this place today, and was unpleasantly disappointed to find out they had closed. When I moved offices, I moved within walking distance to Raraya Ramen, which meant I would make the trek over there at least once every few weeks. I have since moved offices yet again and back into our main headquarters building, unbeknownst to the fact that shortly thereafter, this place would close down…
The ramen here was really good (although not great!). It wasn’t in what I would consider the upper echelon of ramen bowls, such that you might find at Kyoto, Tenkaippin, Goma Ichi, Goma Tei, or the like. But it was good… the broth was rich and thick; the noodles a firm consistency; and unlike other places, you could actually choose whether you wanted your broth less-​salty, regular, or salty; as well as whether you wanted your broth less-​oily, regular, or oily. I thought that was a neat twist, although I always got it regular. And to top it off, the prices here were decent.
HOWEVER… as above-​average as the ramen was, I rarely came here for the ramen! I would almost always order the curry loco moco. I know — it sounds weird, but that thing was GOOD! A homemade hamburger patty, which usually came in the shape of a square… over-​easy egg (s)… and their own Japanese style curry sauce, in place of the gravy… all over a bed of white rice! If you like loco moco (which I love), and you like Japanese curry (which I do)… you would’ve loved this dish! The regular plate (which was really hard to finish) was only $ 8, and the mini (which was also really filling) was only $ 6.
I haven’t found another place that makes these, although I guess now I’ll be on the look-​out. If and when I do come across my next curry loco moco, they’ll have a tough standard to live up to… Raraya Ramen did it well!

I’m not a gigantic fan of Japanese ramen (i like the Taiwanese beef noodle a lot more) but this place seemed pretty good. I got the cury loco moco which was very very good and a bowl of soy broth pork ramen. Beware even the mini cury loco moco is very filling.
Waitstaff are friendly and get two thumbs up for refilling water constantly without asking.

Everybody has their favorite kind of ramen, and while Raraya’s style isn’t *my* personal favorite, it’s all right, and they sure do give you a lot of it!
A few minor complaints:
1) As others have mentioned, the broth at Raraya is, by default, a little on the oily side. As they mention on the menu and all over the walls, you CAN order it less oily if you like — but this is only something you’d know to do if you’ve already eaten there.
2) The signs on the wall also mention that you can order whatever noodles you want with your choice of broth. This, too, is probably true, but you need to be firm if you don’t want to go with the wait help’s recommendation. I’m sure they mean well, but maybe I don’t want the skinny noodles.
3) The gyoza is kinda gross. I mean, the least they could do is flip it over so all the congealed stuff is facing the plate and not your face. Other than the grossness factor, there really isn’t much to say about it. It’s kinda bland, not worth the $ 4.
I’d go here again for the entertainment value, if nothing else. If you’re a fan of Engrish, you’re in for a real treat at Raraya!