Ramen Empire

I recently visited a newly opened ramen shop with my friends. It’s called Ochi Ramen and is located on the first floor of Century City Mall near Beverly Hills. The shop originates from Chiba Prefecture and is known for its broth made from three types of meat: beef, pork, and chicken.

I had the pork belly tonkotsu ramen, which comes with a raw egg and has a rich flavor. Following my friend’s lead, I put the pork belly on some rice to make a "pork bowl." We also ordered gyoza and fried chicken, so I was quite full by the end.

After finishing our meal, we went up to the second floor of the mall, where we found another ramen shop called Nagi. There was also a hand roll sushi restaurant called HRB (Hand Roll Bar).

According to online sources, there are about 1,400 ramen shops in the United States, increasing by about 3% each year. I believe there are several hundred in Southern California alone.

Koraku in Little Tokyo, which has been in business since the 1970s, is said to be the first ramen shop in the United States. Nowadays, ramen shops have spread to the Midwest, including states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wisconsin. Some companies are even franchising nationwide, and during a business trip to Houston last week, I saw that there are 11 Jinya Ramen shops.

The popularity of ramen in the U.S. is supported by noodle and soup manufacturers, who offer unique noodles and broths. The ramen business has expanded its reach, with Korean-style chains like Kopan Ramen (a blend of Korea and Japan) also thriving.

Noticing Americans’ fondness for tonkotsu ramen, 7-Eleven has started test-selling refrigerated tonkotsu ramen in Texas, where their headquarters are located. I tried it once; the portion was small, more like a snack, but the taste was authentic.

Another interesting aspect is the naming of ramen shops. Americans might associate “Ramen” with Rome, hence the names like Ramen Empire and Ramen Republic that can be found across the country.

By the way, Yokohama-style Iekei ramen is branded as “EAK.” It wouldn’t be surprising if more young people eventually think that ramen originated in America.