Ramen Yamadaya
| Address: | 3118 W 182nd St, Torrance, CA 90504, USA |
| Phone: | +1 310-380-5555 |
| Site: | ramen-yamadaya.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2:45PM 11:30AM–2:45PM 11:30AM–2:45PM 11:30AM–2:45PM 11:30AM–2:45PM 12–10:45PM 12–9:45PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 12
AM
Amy Hanoa
Quickie: + Noodles were superb, karaage was bit overcooked + Small restaurant and small parking lot --- Food: + Kakuni ramen in tonkotsu shoyu (highly recommended) + Yamadaya ramen in tonkotsu kotteri (delicious) + Takoyaki (also a yummy dish) The skinny noodles were the best - they had great texture and the broth in all of the ramens was incredibly rich and flavorful. The kakuni ramen had a huge piece of pork belly... very worth it. The karaage was unfortunately overcooked and slightly burnt (it seems like we got the bottom of the oil vat). Location: Its located on 182nd on the side of Coffee Bean in a lot next to a bar and other assorted stores. The parking lot is small so when its crackin, you may have a hard time finding space. And the restaurant itself only seats about 25ish people with the tables fitting at most 4 people, so not ideal if you have a ginormous group. Verdict: Ill be back for the ramen for sure. Also - students with ID cards can also get a free bowl of rice or an extra thing of noodles.
JE
Jenny Tanaka
Mmm I love Ramen Yamadaya! I always get their Kotteri Tonkotsu Ramen, which is basically their creamy pork tonkotsu broth with black garlic oil. They let you choose between thin or thick noodles (and give you a free extra noodle with a student id). I ask for fresh garlic, and they give you whole cloves and a garlic press. I dont know of too many other ramen places that have this option, but believe me, they should. It adds such a nice touch to their already scrumptious ramen! On my last visit, I ordered their takoyaki with a friend who loves takoyaki, but is rarely satisfied with the quality he receives. And he loved it here! Each ball is slightly smaller than normal takoyaki, but delivers such a nice crispy exterior and soft octopus-y interior! I would def order this again. Only down side is that their parking lot is REALLY small. Sometimes I park across the street (behind the Mc Donalds) and walk.
CH
Christine Tran
In my opinion, Yamadaya is the best ramen house in the South Bay. Sorry to the Hakata Ramen lovers but the noodles, cha-siu, and broth at Yamadaya is just way better. Yamadaya gives you a choice of thin or thick noodles. I always go with the thick noodles as the texture is nice and chewy just how I like it. The cha-siu is tender and perfectly seasoned, and the broth is very flavorful without being too salty. They also give you fresh cloves of garlic upon request. The takoyaki here is quite delicious as well. Each ball is filled with diced octopus, tempura batter, and drizzled with takoyaki sauce and shavings of dried fish. An order of 8 for $4.80 isnt bad at all. The restaurant is very very small. Definitely not a place for groups larger than 4.
NI
Nicholas Gutirrez
I had a craving for spicy tonkotsu ramen and was drawn here. Parking can be nuts, so hopefully you come during a less busy time. I sat at the bar and was able to see into the kitchen which was a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing the ramen noodles cooking in separate little sections in a giant pot. They offer fresh garlic here - please know how to use a garlic press. You dont want to miss out on the goodness. I ordered extra noodles, and probably should have had them arrive halfway through my bowl (lesson learned). The chashu here is kinda skimpy compared to other places so heads up. The broth is hearty, and if you can take it, go up to a level 3. Service is surprisingly great here. You will not be ignored. Im already craving a return.
JE
Jedd Bonilla
The first time I tried ramen noodles was here at this restaurant. This place is small and to be honest, the building is a little rundown. However, I give this place an easy 5 stars for 2 reasons: 1. Friendly staff 2. Awesome food First off, this place is CASH ONLY! So be prepared ahead of time for this. Their ramen noodles are just superb. Their broth is creamy and their choice of toppings just compliment the noodles well. What I appreciate about their spicy bowl (level 2 spicy is perfect!) is it has the perfect balance between spice and flavor. The spice doesnt overshadowed the taste of the soup as a whole. Overall, this place is a great choice for ramen noodles! Highly recommended!
WI
William Dempsey
They give you a lot of meat with the Yamadaya combo, especially when compared to other ramen places in LA. The amount of noodles in the bowl is a bit less than expected, but getting them to add more noodles is easy. Inexpensive but cash only. Parking is free but very limited. The place is really small and people tend to take their sweet time to eat (sort of defeats the whole ramen concept, if you ask me...), but it is definitely worth the wait! The lady who runs the place has a hawk eye and makes sure that plates are cleared as you finish and that your drinks are refilled pretty constantly, which is nice (and amusing to watch as you wait for people to leave from the outside).
JE
Jeff Logan
Nope nope nope. Many other A+ ramen joints around! As an avid ramen eater I was excited to try so somewhere new. However the service was poor and my chicken appetizer was far undercooked. Top that off with soapy water glasses, the dirty/bad decor, rock hard pork slices, cash only policy (with no atm), and the people watching us eat through the window I unfortunately have to give this spot a bad review. I really wanted to like this place! The one upside was the broth. It was rich and fatty, but not enough to save this review. On to another ramen joint!
SH
Shan Poon
I can actually taste the pork flavor in the broth. That speaks legit ingredients. The ramen they use is thinner than the usual ramen noodles. It has just the right chewiness to soak up the broth. The stuff that go with the ramen (bamboo shoots, egg etc.) was blah. The pork was very tender, thumbs up! This is a very small establishment. The waitresses were taking their time cleaning up after people are done. Making the wait longer than needed. But then again, it looks good when a restaurant has a line out the door.
PH
Phil Lin
Pro: Good ramen. Good kara-age. Con: Small place, with 1 weird table placed in the middle of the restaurant. Good ramen place if you have an urgent to eat some. Tho, there seems to be something missing in the taste that I dont know how to put it. Nonetheless... Ask for fresh garlic & add them into the ramen!! Kara-age is also another item to get!!
DE
Derek & Stephanie Luce
We wanted ramen and this was recommended by Yelp and was it a winner! My husband and I love Japanese food and ramen is at the top of the list. I had the tonkotsu ramen and love the depth of flavor the broth offers as well as the noodle texture. It gets busy on Sunday for lunch so patience is a virtue but its definitely worth the wait. Enjoy!
SE
Sean O’Connor
Tonkatsu spicy ramen was pretty solid - the thick noodle option was barely thicker but still had a good texture. Decent number of options for toppings. The bamboo shoots werent very thick/knotty. Gyoza were average, but I should have asked for the crispier option. The location is pretty crummy but youre not here for the decor.
AD
Adrienne Garcia
The place was quaint and service was quick. But, the ramen was nothing special. Ive definitely had better. The yolk part of the egg tasted old - "like the fridge," so to speak. Also, I ordered a Yamadaya bun and it was very bland with pork belly that was a bit tough. No bueno.
