A request was made for Japanese ramen, so we decided to visit Hinotez after reading posts by A Radiused Corner and mmm-yoso.

This small Japanese restaurant offers curry, ramen, sushi rolls, among other things. It’s actually owned by Yakyudori Ramen & Yakitori.

Here’s a picture of the breakfast menu which I would like to come back and try.

We started out with some Takoyaki. These weren’t my favorite version of takoyaki but tasted like the ones from Yakyudori Ramen & Yakitori.

Since Hinotez recently started offering yakitori, we decided to order a few items.

Beef tongue and chicken gizzards

I thought the beef tongue was cut too thick and the meat was tough. The chicken gizzards were also too salty and the texture was a little off. Both selections were pretty disappointing.

Tonkotsu ramen

The broth was very creamy and wasn’t too salty. I enjoyed the soup though I wish it was served a little hotter. I was surprised to see a different kind of noodle used. Thinner, whiter, and straighter than the typical ramen noodles. The one thing I didn’t like in my soup was the egg which was a little sweet.

Here’s some of the other ramen bowls ordered by other people in my group.

Miso Ramen

Spicy Salt

Overall we thought the ramen was okay. I prefer Yakudori Ramen but the ramen here was still better than some of the other spots in San Diego. Service was friendly. The yakitori was very disappointing though. I am interested in coming back to try the breakfast items and the bento boxes.

Hinotez
7947 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 565-4244