It was a cold, windy, and rainy Friday night. My wife and I didn’t feel like cooking and knew that we would like to get something to warm ourselves up. What better than a bowl of hot ramen?
We just heard about a new ramen shop that opened nearby. Named Ramen Shack Takumiya, it took the space formerly run by BamBiBu and is located near Smart and Final on Pacific Coast Highway near Palos Verdes Blvd in Redondo Beach.
They occupy a tiny space. It only has room for 6 tables and a total of 20 people. There is a small counter area that seats a few more towards the rear of the restaurant. Since we arrived minutes after they opened, we didn’t have a problem obtaining a table.
Their menu is quite large considering the size of the venue. Given their name, ramen occupies the core of the offerings and they feature Tonkotsu, Miso, Shoyu and Tsukemen Ramen. I was really surprised to see Coconut Ramen as I’ve never heard of that pairing before. They continue their venture into Japanese American cuisine by offering spam musubi.
I resisted my urge to order my standard Tonkotsu Ramen and ordered 7oz Tsukemen instead. My wife ordered the 7oz Chicken Miso Ramen. A larger 14 oz size is also available. Because we were interested in the appetizers as well, I ordered takoyaki and my wife ordered gyoza.
Takoyaki topped with dried bonito flakes
6 gzoyas with dipping sauce
The takoyaki arrived piping hot topped with bonito flakes that were moving to the beat of the music. A tray of gyoza dumplings with a dipping sauce arrived at the same time. We each tried both items and agreed that they were tasty.
Tsukemen is served with a side of cold noodles
Small Bowl of Shoyu Ramen
Because they prepare each ramen once it’s ordered, it may take a bit longer than expected before it arrives on your table. My Tsukemen had a nice presentation and was served with thick noodles. On the other hand, my wife’s Shoyu Ramen was served with thin curly noodles. Of the two broths, we both favored the richer pork broth with my Tsukemen.
Poke is the current LA craze and Ramen Shack Takumiya has a few ahi poke plates to select from. Spam musubi, karaage, curry rice and fried rice are also on the menu.
Other appetizers include gyoza, takoyaki, edamame, seaweed salad, tofu salad and a few other items.
Ramen Shack Takumiya is a solid ramen restaurant and I’m ecstatic that it’s close to home. When you consider the likes of Shin-Sen-Gumi, Jinya, Tsujita, Santouka and Ramen Yamadaya, is it the best in LA? No. Is it in the top 10? Quite possibly.
Ramen Shack Takumiya also has another location in Gardena.
Ramen Shack Takumiya, 1550 Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 – (310) 316-1147