Ramen background.
Backpacking in Tokyo a few years ago, changed my life. No, I was not attacked by Ninjas or lured by Japanese girls in Nurse outfits. I learned how to adopt food as a passionate art form. Otaku, a Japanese term meaning “being obsessed with a certain interest”, applies to ramen. Outside of food, Manga and Beanie babies are great examples. Don’t be surprised to find a food Otaku ride the train for two hour just to slurp down a bowl of ramen. Learning the proper etiquette of ramen is crucial.

Directions.
1. First, drink a spoonful of soup. Yell. Ahhhhhhh. (signals to the ramen chef that its good)
2. Slurp the noodle. Harder. Slurp, slurp. Don’t mind the soup drizzling to your pants. It’s a sign the noodles are cooked al dente, not to soft or firm.. just right
3. Lastly, taste the pork, noodle, and soup all at once. Then groan and moan, citing when Harry Met Sally. This expresses to the chef “Dam good. It was worth my two hour trip, canceling hot dates and skipping my session with my math tutor.”

Food.
Arriving at the plaza, the ramen is a quick service restaurant inside a super market. Order the pork flavor ramen ($9-L), the main core is the soup. After hours of pork bones are brewed, a milky soup that is sweet and fragrant is the result. Bamboo shoots add crunch. Stealing the show, the pork slices marry a thin fat layer with a lean salted cut. We also purchased some market fresh sushi from adjoining super market. The horse mackerel-Aji ($6) has a firm texture but great for those who like the fishy taste. Presented like chunks of chocalate, the saba ($6) is sweat and fishy. Each piece averaged about $1. I would recommend yellowtail (hamachi) and other less potent fishy smelling items.
For Bay Area foodies, Santa Ramen is my pick.

Consultant Hat.
Although these ramen houses generate a good income, growing (scaling) these dives are impossible. Firstly, ramen is not portable. You can grab a Subway sandwich, chips, and drink – head over to a beach. Noodles are very inconvenient. Secondly, America is a lawsuit/litigation country. A few years ago, a customer was awarded 2.1 million dollars after a dangerously hot coffee spilled on her lap. Imagine the lawsuit on New York Times headline “Woman awarded 1 million dollars and lifetime ramen supply after soup burned her previously model – like legs.” Advice: if you’re a rookie in the business, think simple and build things that can be replicated. When building any food business, always consider the legal aspect.

Estimate food cost for a $9 bowl of ramen
Ramen noodles ~ $.20
3 Pork Slice ~ $.45
Soup base (water, pork bones, spices) ~$.10
Fixings (seaweed, bamboo shots) ~$.20
Plate charge (cost of the bowl per usage) ~.15
Additions (rent, labor, + food spoilage)

Melinda gave me a great ramen site. View Rameniac and Ramen World.

Santouka
3760 S Centinela Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 391-1101
www.santouka.co.jp