Silverlake Ramen

San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — There may not be a better bowl of noodles in San Diego right now than the one at the newly arrived Silverlake Ramen, an off-shoot of the uber-popular original L.A. ramen shop where people wait for hours to see god. 

What’s called the Classic here is the Silverlake version of a traditional tonkotsu broth, a big, soothing bowl of creamy, collagen-rich pork broth packed with thin noodles cooked to al-dente perfection. A hefty piece of seared pork belly gets draped alongside bean sprouts, steamed spinach, green onion, and seaweed, and gets dotted with black garlic oil that turns the whole thing into a Jackson Pollack painting. The half egg is gooey and soft like butter and packed with the perfect amount of unami.

This is food to savor, to eat slowly. Of the many ramen joints I’ve been to, the tonkotsu broth here is arguably the lightest and cleanest while still being balanced with richness, a nice juxtaposition that doesn’t bring on the dreaded gut bomb after lunch. 

The ramen known as the Blaze is the classic tonkotsu with the same red miso paste dropped in that you’ll find on your table. Save yourself the up charge and add it yourself. You can go with either a mild whimper or a Saharan desert in your mouth, and you may also be a fan of the smokey note this magical little paste adds to the broth.

When it comes to ramen, I believe that all roads lead to pork, but other proteins are available in the form of chicken and tofu. This place can be a vegetarian’s best friend with vegetable- and miso-based broths available.

The rest of the small menu is a handful of protein-topped rice bowls and classic Japanese izakaya favorites, all scratch-made and delicious. In particular, you’ll find good buns here, stuffed to the max in a plump, happy package.

The pork bun is that twice-marinated pork belly again roughly chopped alongside pickled onions, sesame aioli, and green onion. The pork is soft like the bun and sings with sweetness.

The spicy chicken bun is similarly awesome, chicken kaarage that’s moist and expertly fried with a pop of freshness from the slivered ginger. The added ghost pepper kimichi brings some slight heat a lingering sort of way, and the whole thing is dressed with sweet teriyaki sauce.

The price for all of this isn’t too steep, as Silverlake subscribes to the “good food at affordable prices” philosophy. And just like at the original L.A. location, good vibes are included at no extra charge.

Written by Joy

Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.

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