We call this place, 4:00 ramen, and I have waited to come here for at least half a year, since the time SS told me about it. Why is it called 4:00 ramen? Because if you want to make it in without having to wait in line for at least an hour, you’ll have to go by 4:00. Of course, that’s mostly an exaggeration but actually, there is some truth to it. We arrived at this place during a cloudy/rainy night at 6:00 and already, there were at least 10 names preceding ours on the list with well over a dozen people standing in front of the store with several others sitting in their cars. SS has hyped up the place, this crowd is making it even worse. Hopefully, my high expectations wouldn’t be met by disappointment. Indeed it wasn’t.
We were called into the restaurant after 45 minutes of waiting, and even then, we had to wait another 15 minutes to get a free table. Orders were taken as we were standing in line waiting for our table. Although they have a paper menu, the menu most people go by is made of concrete. A spreadsheet showing all different combinations of soup base and main ingredient was posted on the sidewall of the restaurant. Pick your soup, pick your ingredients, and that’s how an order is made. Also on the wall is a section of things that are sold out. The funny thing about this place is that everything is pre-prepared during the day. Once they’re sold out of a particular item, that item is sold out for the rest of the night, whether it is the ingredients or the soup base. Then, once everything is gone, the store closes.
Tonight, I wanted to order the Braised Pork with Roasted Pork in pork soup, but sadly, the braised pork sticker was taped onto the sold out wall just as we were about to get our table. Great luck eh? So, roasted pork had to suffice. The ramen looked like any standard ramen you would get at a ramen house. However, the initial bite into the pork was delicious. It instantly broke apart into your mouth and although it was roasted, it wasn’t salty like most other ramen houses. The noodles are your typical Ryowa type noodles but different from that of Maru Ichi. The soup was rich and creamy topped with a minimally sufficient amount of green onions (you can't really go wrong with more green onions...mmm mmm). I usually never drink the soup because of the over saturation with sodium, but this was perfect. I would have finished it easily if it weren’t for the fact that the soup was so rich and heavy. It was almost like they stuck a stick of butter in it, but really they just use pork lard. Not that that sounds any better but it was oh so tempting to drink. I am aware it’s customary to finish the entirety of your meal out of respect of the chef, but I think he would appreciate it even more if I didn’t clog my arteries and returned for a second visit (which I will do). I did however slurp my noodles at exactly 93dB. Wait, no, that's actually kinda loud, but hey, who's measuring?
For appetizers, we ordered fried chicken wings. When it came out, I thought they were slabs of chicken breasts but flipping it over, the 2 bones that compose the wing were pretty apparent. However, they appeared to have removed the tendons from the edges of the wings, so it looked like 2 bones stuck between a slab of meat. It was mildly seasoned if at all, but it still had a very tasty natural flavor to it. Not bad for something so bland.
Overall, two thumbs up for the ramen, and they can expect to see me again. Hopefully next time, the braised pork won't be sold out.
Yelp
805 South B Street
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 344-5918
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