Kirbie's Cravings

Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori

Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori

4898 Convoy St, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92111 

After getting the approval of both Kirk of mmm-yoso and Dennis of A Radiused Corner, I was excited to check out this new ramen joint, located right next to the drive-thru Starbucks on Convoy.

The place is pretty small, and the menu is limited to ramen right now as they wait for their liquor license.  There are 6 ramen options, as well as some appetizers.  With four of us dining, we were able to try out most of the ramen broths.

Baby Bro ordered the miso ramen.  I sampled all the ramens we ordered, and this one was my favorite.  The broth was different from any that I have ever tasted.  It doesn't taste like the miso soup paste I'm accustomed to. It was a pretty red, and it was more complex in flavors than the other broths, which allows you to continue to enjoy the broth and not tire of it. I can't really describe the flavors well, though the aftertaste was similar to korean soybean stew flavor.

I ordered the Shio Ramen.  The broth was very simple, but sometimes simple is best.  I enjoyed it, though I did feel it was bit too salty by the end of my meal.  I loved how the noodles weren't overcooked so that they retained the al dente texture.  The Chasu meat was soft and tender.

Boyfriend ordered the Chasu ramen.  At $9, I thought this was a bit too pricey.  It is the same as the Shoyu ramen, except that it has a couple extra pieces of pork.  This was my second favorite broth.  The broth had a strong Chasu flavor to it.

Little Brother ordered the Nagaya ramen. He was warned that it was spicy, but I was still surprised on how spicy it was.  It reminded me a lot of the ma-la spicy chinese soup broths.

Finally, we ordered the takoyaki.

Neither Boyfriend or I really liked the takoyaki that much.  The inside paste was not nearly as flavorful as the takoyaki we recently had in Little Tokyo.

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11 comments on “Yakyudori Ramen and Yakitori”

  1. Pingback: Yakitori Yakyudori & Ramen | Kirbie Cravings

  2. Hi Dennis! 50 cents for a slab of butter does seem a bit pricey. I’ve never eaten butter with ramen before. My first few experiences with japanese ramen were so salty that I thought I didn’t like japanese ramen at all. Now I’m slowly venturing back. I was relieved that even the Shio ramen wasn’t too salty here.

  3. Hi Kirbie, I really like the miso here. Most places don’t use the red aka-miso. Adding butter makes the taste milder but it’s a bit pricey at 50cent for a slab. I don’t necessarily think their ramen trumps anyone elses in SD. I’m more excited at having more choice here now.. 🙂

  4. I’m usually not a fan of Shio either. It’s still not my favorite, though I think this version is a lot less saltier than other places. I’ve never been to the Hillcrest location!
    I actually really don’t know much about japanese ramen…I’m learning as I go. =)

  5. I do remember seeing it on the menu now! I’ve never tried it though. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll give it a try next time I’m there.

  6. Hi Steve! No Yakitori yet! They are waiting until after they get their liquor license.

  7. I just went to their Hillcrest location last night. Man, they really have solidified their ‘niche’ in this (yakitori) market haven’t they?!
    I tried their takoyaki again last night and I’ve always found it to be quite nice – I wonder if they do it differently at this new location?
    I’m terribly afraid of Shio since my last visit to Santouka (sp?). It felt like eating a salt-lick to me. But the pic of your Miso and Chasu look great.
    I think you or Kirk should do a dictionary of ramen flavors: shio, miso, shoyu, etc etc! I keep having to scroll up to remember what flavor is associated w/ what name 🙂

  8. Tea n More used to make a pretty decent takoyaki. However, it was about two years ago. Pretty inexpensive though, and may be worth a try =)

  9. But you didnt order any actual yakitori? I was wondering how it was there.

  10. Hi Kirk- Hmm. I only had like two spoonfuls of Baby Bro’s miso soup. Maybe I would feel differently if I had the whole bowl. Any recommendations for good Takoyaki?

  11. Hey Kirbie – I recently returned, and the Missus and I really didn’t care for the Miso Ramen…. it had a bit of artificiallity to it. As for the Takoyaki, I agree, I didn’t think it was very good.