Why, Hello Again!
Tajima Ramen has been around forever… well, at least Tajima.
You see, Tajima was our old stomping ground back when I attended UCSD nearly two decades ago.
In that time, I’ve watched them expand to over 5 locations and become more focused on ramen at a few of the locations.
So, I was excited when we were invited to try out their ramen as I hadn’t been back in many years.
Apps
Albert accompanied me again as ramen is one of his favorites.
We were greeted by Camille (in-house manager) and another associate when we arrived.
They were super friendly and sat with us throughout the evening which was fun. Camille has been at this location forever and ascended her way up the ranks naturally.
They only snacked but helped us to order some garlic edamame and chicken karaage.
The edamame was well flavored and light.
The chicken karaage was super crispy, with the right amount of saltiness. Definitely, take the time to squeeze some fresh lemon on top too… yum.
The Ramen
Alas, we were here for the RAMEN! Albert ordered their signature Tajima Ramen with thick noodles and added in corn, ground pork, and spinach. The broth was wonderfully deep and the noodles were cooked a nice al dente.
As for me, I ordered the spicy sesame ramen, and I also added corn, spinach, and ground pork.
I really liked the added spice. It was nicely balanced, not overly hot, but enough spice to kick things up a notch! The broth was rich in flavor and the pork was very tender (see below). I also loved the thicker noodle because it had an extra bounce that I prefer. If there’s one thing I hate in ramen, it’s overcooked noodles!
Nice and al dente!
Tender pork!
Although we were getting stuffed, our hosts insisted that we try their specialty Omelette Yakisoba.
It’s pretty much what it sounds like… yakisoba noodles made into an omelette! It’s hard to describe, but it was delicious and one of their more popular dishes.
We put a decent dent in this one, but tapped out half way through. No matter, Albert had a delicious lunch the following day.
And since we were already stuffed, we couldn’t say NO to dessert.
I ordered scoop of the sesame ice cream and Albert got a scoop of the red bean.
Both were great, but Albert was truly mesmerized by the black sesame ice cream! He couldn’t quite put his finger on the flavor, but he really liked it. Camille and I had a great laugh watching him discern this new sweet flavor sensation.
Finally, he enjoyed the red bean, but we’ll have to take his word for it since I don’t like red bean to start and didn’t try it. 🙂
Final Thoughts
Tajima has come a long way from the little hole in the wall late-night Japanese diner I once knew. It has a great energy inside and the service is excellent despite the avg. 45-minute wait.
Prices are quite reasonable at $11.45 for their signature Tajima Ramen.
We will be sure to check out some of their other locations in the future to see if the quality holds up there as well.
Anyhow, we’ll definitely be back to this location as well and I have a feeling there will be more sesame ice cream in Albert’s future!
*Please note we were invited to dine a Tajima free of charge, however, our opinions remain our own… ALWAYS.
Tajima Ramen
4681 Convoy St, Ste I
San Diego, CA 92111
Good looking red bean ice cream! Do they make their own ice cream?
No, it’s not homemade, but it is delicious! 🙂