Because of the newly in place reservation system that HiroNori put in place, I finally came to try the new ramen chain from Irvine- HiroNori Craft Ramen. Before there was a reservation system, the wait was so long- hours long on weekends, that neighboring businesses started complaining that the restaurant was taking up all the parking spots in the small strip mall. They briefly used Opentable, and asked for a credit card hold for a 45 minute seating. I thought that was a bit much and waited. They switched to Yelp reservation without credit card and so I paid a visit.
From talking to the server, it seems like Tonkotsu ramen is popular. The menu though prominently advertises that their shoyu is brewed for 2 years. So shoyu ramen it was for me.
The shoyu itself was pretty smooth and rounded, not too salty, and a tad sweet. It is pleasant to drink and I finished all the broth. The chashu itself was marbled, charred to provide crisp edges. There was also some spinach and bamboo and half a half-cooked egg. The noodle was relatively thick and provided a good bite. All in all, a pleasant bowl of shoyu.
Crispy chicken was lightly breaded and fried. The chicken and the batter itself were a bit underseasoned so they were a little bland. Needed a bit of the dip to prop up the flavors. Decent. The dish was pretty cheap though- $6 for quite a number of pieces.
Small menu for the small space.
I tried to get some intel on the soy sauce they used. But the server said he couldn’t remember which prefecture that the soy sauce came from nor the brand. He just said its from Japan. Maybe they were trying to keep the formula a secret.
Overall, its a positive meal. How does everyone like the tonkotsu and the other food items? Do people line up for the tonkotsu? Reviews seem to place it alongside Nagi, etc. What do you think?
