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63 reviews
Huntington Beach, CA
"I like Kabuki. I like the wide selection in food because in medium to large groups, there's always some people who don't like sushi. Like…" read more »
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been here a couple times now and the food is good. i tried the black sesame ramen... it was interesting (not in a bad way) and i would definitely have it again. tonight though, i tried the other ramen (it's to my liking) the gyoza (better than shin sen gumi) and takoyaki (not as great as i'd like it to be). the service was great. they gave us free ice cream because the gyoza took too long to prepare.
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Keeping it brief... eh.
For the slightly longer version... average. After being told about this place from Dai, the sushi chef over at Sushi Murasaki, I had been meaning to try it out. So for my very first visit, I asked them what they do best and the server suggested the special - a black sesame seed ramen. Sure, why not. Again... eh. Nutty taste in a not so special broth. All I could really taste were the sesame seeds... maybe that was the whole point. Also ordered a side of gyoza... actually good.
I do plan on giving the joint another chance but I'm sorry to say that there are other spots I would go to before considering this place. I guess if all the other joints closed down unexpectedly, I would end up here.
Aside from the dead cockroach on the floor (can't really blame them since the front door was wide open) and wondering if I had black seeds embedded between my teeth... the place/experience was uneventful. Probably 2 1/2 stars.
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I always look for ramen place to try. Shinsengumi is always too long of a wait and Sentokou ramen is too salty and too much MSG.
After spotted some review on yelp, I decided to give it try today. When we arrived, there were only two other table with guests. This place looks like a typical ramen place from Tokyo.
My friend tried their special - The black sesame soup ramen had a very distinct sesame soup base, with very tasty chashu pork, and the ramen was perfectly cooked.
Hiyashi chuka ramen (cold noodle) came with fresh cucumbers, friend eggs, fresh seaweed, and hams. The ramen came with some kind of vinegar based sauce. Excellent dish and tasty sauce!
Also tried their gyoza - tastes like home made and pan fried. Crispy on the surface, and the stuffing inside was really delicious.
All the dishes we tried had great tastes, good presentation, and fresh.
Bathroom was very clean, utensils are all very clean. I didn't notice anything negative about this place.
Waitress was the lady owner herself, she was extremely friendly, came few times to chat with us and made sure we liked the food. Service was fast and attentive.
Other than shinsengumi, this is my 2nd best choice for traditional Japanese ramen and rice dishes.
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Great real japanese food. and reasonable!! Ramen is the best, if you like the ramen place inside the Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa, you will love this place more! Soup is good, noodle is perfect, and more choice of flavors!
I had bookmarked this place due to the overwhelmingly good reviews. My friends who had been warned me that their AC doesn't work so I would have a horrid time there (saying that I am very uncomfortable in hot weather would be an understatement) but I was determined to suffer the consequences for a good bowl of ramen.
The restaurant was already half full when we got there and I was excited by this because it was surely a good sign. We ordered 3 different ramens, a takoyaki and a pork fried rice.
Miso ramen arrived first. It looked like any other ramen so the test was in the broth. I quickly took a sample and was not excited by the prospects. It lacked any hint of 'umami' or in Chinese 'xian wei'. In fact, it was bland except for the saltiness. The half egg was small and the 2 slices of pork was also not big. On a positive note, the pork tasted far better than Santouka's or Daikokuya's because it didn't have that porky gaminess to it.
I've had Kuro Ramen in the Bay Area before and it was my favorite of all ramen. I thought it was the same thing and was so happy to find that they had it on their menu, but when it arrived I immediately realized that it was nothing like the one I've had before. This one was a muddy black color with no aromas of sesame oil. The one I used to love in the Bay Area has an overwhelmingly strong sesame oil fragrance to it and the broth didn't look like muddy water. Still, I took a taste but sadly, the taste wasn't pleasing to me. What was funnier was the size of the half egg in this bowl of ramen -- it was even smaller than the one in the miso ramen resembling more like a mutant quail's egg than a chicken's egg.
The last ramen was the spicy shoyu ramen. It looked like "chonpon" noodles for some reason with lots of cabbage, bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms, bean sprouts and some pork. Out of the three I'd have to say I like this one the best, although, it still wasn't something I'd return for. The spice level was good, but I was really surprised that all 3 bowls of ramen had no 'umami' to it whatsoever.
While Santouka uses copious amounts of MSG to achieve the 'umami', Ma Ru Yu doesn't use any. However, if one doesn't use any MSG, then one must compensate by creating a broth worthy enough to stand on its own without the additives. I commend them for not using any MSG because I'm extremely sensitive to it and I have not had any reaction yet whatsoever after eating the ramen here (or maybe it's because I didn't really consume much of the broth at all). But with that also comes the sacrifice of a broth that's less than flavorful when compared to its peers in the area.
My poor friend didn't even eat his ramen. He tried all 3 ramens and proclaimed them all 'kinda gross'. Poor thing. Luckily for us the pork fried rice was pretty darn good. It was the savior of our meal, or rather, my friend's meal. The takoyaki was mushy but the young man liked them. I prefer the ones from Genki Living better.
I walked out of Ma Ru Yu unsatisfied and drenching with sweat to the point that it was worse than when I walked out of the gym this morning from my workout. Now that's serious sweating!! It was cooler outside believe it or not!
Our 3 ramens, 1 fried rice, 1 takoyaki, total tip included was $40.
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Last night, I stared into the heart of deep, pure, and utter darkness...and I slurped it up with a spoon! (oh, by darkness I mean a bowl of Maruyu's black sesame ramen)
The wife had recently read one of Kendo U.'s reviews of a local ramen spot and was a bit anxious to check it out. Since I was in the mood for noodles, we headed down to Maruyu for a bowl of their house special, kurogoma ramen. Actually, the wifey ordered it while I opted for the tonkotsu ramen. We also opted for sides of hiyayakko, takoyaki, and gyoza.
The black sesame ramen looked like it was full of squid and octopus ink, had been cooked in a vat of tar, and then added to a bowl full of even more black sesame seeds. I said LOOKED... The ramen tasted nothing like it appeared. The soup broth was rich, smoky, and complex, with a hint of alcohol at the finish (sake or beer?). For someone who likes black sesame seeds, this is the hands-down choice. For everyone else? Let someone else order it so you can try it. I ended up finishing off the wife's order and found it very enjoyable. At $8.25 a bowl, it's a bit pricey, but definitely worth a try...
My tonkotsu ramen (with pork) was well seasoned, light, and creamy in comparison to the kurogoma ramen. Maruyu claims to use no MSG, so I enjoyed my broth as much as I could. It wasn't overly salty and continued to be enjoyable as I neared the end of the bowl. My noodles were a nice al dente, too. I thought the chashu was a bit dry, however. And, even though I don't particularly like my soup hot enough to scald my mouth, the ramen wasn't as hot (temperature wise) as it should have been (kind of like Daikokuya's almost lukewarm ramen). Complaints aside, I'd come back for their ramen.
Our side dishes were pretty good. While my ramen didn't burn my mouth, the takoyaki was more than happy to do the honors (hint: wait for it to cool off a bit). Once it did cool down, the takoyaki was very enjoyable (fried octopus balls covered with shaved bonito flakes and tonkatsu sauce (?)). They were light, fluffy, hot, and tasty. The gyoza weren't too bad. I noticed that Maruyu makes theirs a bit on the larger side (more filling). Bigger is not necessarily better, though. I thought the gyoza were a bit on the bland side by themselves. A quick dip in the sauce (mirin, shoyu, chili oil) fixed that problem.
Overall, Maruyu's a nice, off-the-beaten-path type of Japanese restaurant. It's quaint, cozy, and unpretentious. I love that it's far away from the madness of Marukai's or Mitsuwa's food courts, too. If you're in the area, Maruyu's a good choice for Japanese food. I know I'll be back for sure...
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I was SOOOOOOOOOO hungry. The ball things came and mommy gave me one. I started to eat it but it was very hot. But I liked it. Those ball things were good. Then my bowl of ramen came. I ordered #2. I ordered it all by myself. I looked on the menu and then I said I want #2. The noodles were great. I liked those. The soup was just O-K. I told mommy a "C". I said Daikokuya is "A+". The soup was not as good as Daikokuya. I ate all my noodles but only a little bit of the soup.
The fried rice was yummy.
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In comparison to the other OC ramen-ya's, Ma ru yu is definitely not as good as Santouka or Shinsengumi, but no where near as terrible as Ebisu or Kohryu. I would say it's on the same level as Mentatsu, which is decent ramen but nothing special.
So far I've tried the Chashu Ramen (shoyu ramen with extra chashu) and Miso Ramen. I usually like miso ramen best at ramen shops so I was surprised that I actually liked their shoyu based soup more. It has a nice flavor and isn't too salty. The noodles are alright, they lack a certain springiness and firmness. The toppings here don't impress. The boiled egg seems to have been cooked in soy sauce, it has a disctinctive brown color and is way too salty. The pork tends to be on the tough side (I like the chashu to melt in my mouth) and has no flavor.
The pork fried rice here is pretty good and the gyoza gets a thumbs up although 5 pieces seems a bit scant.
I want to give this place another try since it's new and they probably haven't worked out all the kinks. Besides, they have a decent sized menu that also includes curry dishes and combo lunch specials. They also have pork sausage! Yum, my favorite!
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ummmmmm i feel kind of bad but but my review won't kill them so....I will write what I feel.
I heard about this place from several people, but was hesitant in regards to the location and what not. But figured, sometimes you find great hole in the wall places.
So when I had a day off I think I did...I ended up coming here with my friend to try out Ramen! yummm i like Ramen and I have somewhat been on a Ramen tour...well kinda. (Santouka, Shin Shen Gumi, mr. ramen, orochon, some place off sawtelle and a few other places I can't remember haha).
I decide to order the Shoyu, but then I see the Spicy version so I changed it to that! Then I see fried rice! I'm always on the quest to find good fried rice!
the fried rice came out and it was good! it seemed promising!
Then my friends black sesame seed ramen comes out and it looked like noodles in mud. But hey, who knows if its good or not! ya know. but friend said it wasn't so good.
My ramen finally comes out, and to my dismay its loaded with cabbage and other veggies haha. (i dont like veggies). It's ok I tell myself, just take the cabbage out. So I do. Then its time to taste it....ahhh blah. Time to eat the fried rice! So glad I ordered that! (fried rice that is).
I didn't finish my ramen (had like 3 chopstick worth). Yes I am pretty extreme in my likes and dislikes....but this is the first time I couldn't finish a bowl of ramen! But remember this is just me...you actually might like it...who knows right?
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I was out awhile back with my buddy cruising for a lunch. We're both into ramen. He's the idea guy that comes across new places to try. He heard about this place, so we went.
As my single star suggests the short story here is that there clearly are much better choices. The good news is that parking is not a bitch... there's plenty of that here.
I had the miso ramen; it was about average. My buddy had the special: sesame seed ramen. When it came out, it seemed like it MIGHT be good... but then on the other hand it was freakin' black. With sesame seeds and other gunk all over the place in the broth. Not too clean.
Speaking of which, my buddy spotted a dead cockroach behind me near the wall. In full view. Being a good person, he discreetly let our server know so she could remove it and no one in the restaurant would freak out.
The last thing I'll mention is that we were eating here of course on a hot summer day. As I said, my buddy and I like ramen. Just know that this place has no air conditioning.
All in, there's probably better choices for your ramen fix... Especially while in the summer.
Santouka wins again.
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I had a chance to try their food because my work place is close...I have to say, the service is...?? no AC is a big turn off. or saving energy?i do not care, i need AC to eat ramen in summer time I liked shoyu ramen, but their tonkotsu is from a can source which contains msg. thats fine with me for ramen, but they say absolutely no msg on their menu....and the owner there, the lady, talk too much like "tasty huh? we cannot actually serve this ramen with this price"
oh no.... my noodle got soggy. oh and one more note, they do not have a good taste in decorations too.
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*edit*: My friend and I came back here for dinner but we brought another friend along with us. I got the tonkotsu ramen while my friends got the chashu and the miso ramen. We all agreed that the miso ramen wasn't as good as the other two. I have to say though, as I ate through my ramen, for some reason, it felt like it was getting more and more saltier everytime I took a bite. Maybe my taste buds were going outta whack or something. I do still like the chashu better than the tonkotsu though.
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Just came back from trying this place out with my friend. Let's just say, you'll never notice the restaurant even if you passed by it. It's hidden behind Donut Star.
Upon entering into the store, I could have sworn I walked into a japanese restaurant but why does it look like a vietnamese restaurant.
Someone on here mentioned about the fan blowing the napkins away, oh my you were right lol. I had to put my drink on top of the napkins so it wouldn't fly away.
Onto the food. Most of the people on yelp tried the Ramen, so I went ahead and tried the curry dishes. I ordered the chicken katsu curry while my friend ordered the Chashu ramen. When the food arrived, I took a sample of the broth and the noodles from my friend's ramen. It was delish! I tasted my food, and I thought it was decent. I should've ordered the ramen instead though. My friend said the ramen tastes better than Shinsengumi's in his opinion.
The prices are inexpensive ranging from $6-8.
Next time I come here, I'm ordering me a ramen dammit!
P.S.: I just love how they played my favorite japanese artist's album. UTADA!!!! Heart Station album =).
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Kurogoma Ramen: Nice and strong flavor from the broth. Noodles had a decent firmness. Cha-shu was thin but very tender and juicy. Careful scavenging the bottom of your bowl cause that is where the remains of the black sesame are.
Pickled Veggie Ramen: Nice clean broth, abundant veggies. Nothing too special.
Tako-Yaki - Tried really hard not to compare them to Kappo Honda. That being said they aren't too shabby and I would order them again.
Prices are competitive but won't break your pocket book.
Pro tip: The a/c is on hurricane force so hold on to your napkins.
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The restaurant is tucked into a non-descript stripmall, behind a donut shop. The "Grand Opening!" banner hanging across the entryway helped us find it.
I ordered Chasu Shoyu Ramen (#3), which came with 4 slices of chasu, half a soy sauce hard boiled egg, chopped scallions. My two friends ordered the Spicy Ramen (#5). We also shared some homemade gyoza, potato croquette with tonkatsu sauce, and some octopus balls.
The chasu ramen was delicious. The broth was flavorful, meaty, rich, unctuous. The noodles were very Q (soft but not mushy, with a pleasing texture). The chasu was not too fatty and delicately flavored.
The gyoza was also delicious. Immediately, I could tell that these were homemade because the filling wasn't one solid hockey puck of meat. There was a "real" texture to the meat, and the gyoza skins had the pan-seared crust.
There's a lot of items on the menu that I want to go back and try out. They have a black sesame ramen which is designated as the speciality of the house. They also have tonkatsu, ginger curry chicken, cold noodles, cold tofu appetizer which I want to try.
I'm a fan of this place, and I can't wait to try out more items.
Ample parking in a private lot. The restaurant seats around 30-35 people. It appears to be a small, family owned place where the hostess is also the waitress is also the owner. Cheerful service with a gentle smile.
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This is a classic neighborhood hole in the wall shop. I had the miso ramen a few times. The soup is tasty with decent portion of noodles. The price is comparable to other ramen places...which is still more than chinese or viet noodle shops.
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I just tried this place today for lunch. You would miss it driving by, but I am glad I've found it. I tried the "extra spicy shoyu ramen", it was a nice amount of spice for me-had my nose running a bit. I also liked the amount of noodles they give, but I do agree with Joe M. that it is a bit overpriced. Still yummy though :) I also ordered the Takaoyaki, it was 6 small pieces, perfectly done.
I would definitely return and try more items from their menu, like the curries, gyozas and croquettes. I like the look of the place, and that its hidden away. I feel like I have my own little Japanese cafe to hideaway in.
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Whilst running errands on Harbor Blvd, Emily noticed a new Ramenya with a Grand Opening banner. When she told me where it was, I thought it was an odd location for a Ramen joint. There's a donut shop nearby, and that's about it. We ventured in there last night to check it out and try some of their offerings. The menu is fairly expansive, serving 8 types of Ramen ranging from the standard Shoyu, Miso, and Tonkotsu, as well as variations such as Extra Spicy Shoyu, Kimchi, and Pickled Vegetable Ramen. They also serve a few types of Curry Rice as well as various combo meals.
We chatted a bit with the proprietor who hails from the Tokyo area. It was then that I noticed a small sign with a Ramen type that wasn't on the menu, and also one that I had never heard of before: Kurogoma Ramen. In Japanese, Kuro means Black and Goma means Sesame Seed, therefore Kurogoma is Black Sesame Seed. Black Sesame Seed Ramen? What is this? I've seen Kurogoma Ice Cream around, but never Kurogoma Ramen. Emily ordered up the Tonkotsu Ramen, our co-diner (and hopeful future Yelper Matthias H from Germany went with the Extra Spicy Shoyu Ramen, and I... well, I had to get the Kurogoma. It's almost impossible for me to pass up a chance to try something new.
When the piping hot bowls came out, I sampled their broths. The Tonkotsu is fairly good. Not as good as Japan, but then again, nothing here I've had so far is. The Extra Spicy Shoyu was also quite good with a decent kick to it. On to my Kurogoma... apparently a huge handful of black sesame seeds is pulverized into powder via a mortar and pestle and mixed into the broth. When my bowl came out, the broth was a distinct gray color which looked a bit odd, and also made me excited. Black sesame seeds carry a distinct flavor much stronger than their milder white sesame seed cousins which are more prevalent in dishes that I come across. The broth has a slight pastiness to it and a definite unique flavor. It was quite tasty, and kudos to them for offering something that thus far I've never seen before. Cool! Add a pitcher of Kirin to the mix and we were set. I look forward to coming back and trying more of their menu. We arrived 15 minutes before closing so they were out of Gyoza and Takoyaki already. Next time! They're open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, closed between 3pm-5pm and done for the day at 9pm. I've posted pics as well as their menu.
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Thank you Kendo for turning me on to this place. A cute little hidden gem amongst some other businesses that look pretty desolate and of course the lovely Donut Star! Some of the best Chinese food and Donuts you could ask for, NOT! Who the hell mixes Chinese food and Donuts? Weird combo if you ask me.
Anyhoo, had to come here to try the Kurogoma Ramen, I Loves me some sesame seeds. It definitely looked like greyish sludge when it came to the table, but I was excited to dig in. It definitely had a nice smokey flavor and a hint of sake. I thought it was good, but me not being an alcohol lover, kinda didn't like the alcohol aftertaste. I'm a sensitivo when it comes to alcohol so it's probably just me that could taste it, but when it's in something I know right away. I kept smelling it come through my nose from my mouth. The noodles were nice and al dente and I liked my pork in it. Nice and firm and not too fatty. I don't know if I would order it again, but I'm glad I tried it. It was definitely different.
The tako yaki was awesome. I've only had tako yaki once before and I thought it was just ok. Too much tonkatsu sauce ruined it for me. And it was more pancakey and chewy. This Tako Yaki was like a mini Croquette with tako in it. It was awesome. Gyoza was decent. And Arnold's Tonkotsu ramen was good too. I definitely would come back and it's nice that it's fairly new so not that many people know about this place. Last night it was fairly warm inside, not sure if they have central air. We had fans on us, but it was just blowing warm air around and our bonito flakes were flying everywhere. So definitely dress skimpy when you come here.
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Just opened around April 08 behind a Donut Star, I rolled the gastrointestinal dice and think I won. Tried the chasu ramen & gyoza and was pleasantly surprised for my first visit. Soup was very flavorful, maybe a bit generous on sodium. Potstickers were very tasty. They brag no MSG here. Quality is there but price is a little high considering it is obviously in a low-rent commercial corner...$7.25 for my ramen bowl, medium sized. Very clean (wdye...it's brand new). Service by friendly Emi was excellent...she even showed me how to properly mix the gyoza dipping sauce - yumb! Will return to try other flavs like curry rice, croquette plates, yakisoba, etc. Itadakimasu!
P.S., $20 min. order to use credit cards so bring cash if you're going solo.
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I talked with the owner of Ma Ru Yu and she says she owned 6 restaurants in Japan. She says the broth is simmered for 6 hours giving the most flavorful soup base. The noodles (which I order Shoyu Ramen) was moist, yet had a good al dente (firm but not hard texture) with sliced pork, boiled egg, fish cake and green onions. MMmmmm really tasty, especially on a cold day. Moderately priced. Service very friendly. Very clean and tidy. I'll definitely be back!!
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