The Marrow Spoon

Tokushima Do-henkotsu is located next to Mistuwa supermarket on Moorpark and Saratoga. They serve tokushima style ramen, which is a little different than the ramen you find at Halu or Ringer Hut. Tokushima ramen has a complex broth made by simmering fish flakes (bonito), kelp, chicken and pork bones and some secret spices for up to 18 hours. The noodles are your standard ramen type, but the meat is fatty pork belly. In short, it is very good, and very inexpensive.

I keep meaning to try it again, but I just can't stop ordering the cod with yuzu paste. The pictured meal is $9.50 and comes with soup, salad, rice, pickles, seasoned bean sprouts, radish paste and kimchee (you can have natto by request, but I wouldn't recommend it.) I like to go there because the food is great and the atmosphere is other-worldly. It really seems like you've found some kind of portal from California to Japan. But unlike many very authentic places, the servers at Do-henkotsu are welcoming and helpful. You don't have to be afraid to ask questions or try something new. The wise old Japanese grandmother sitting at the bar next to me gave it the best endorsement, "This food is like homestyle Japanese food, very healthy."

On Sunday, the TV was showing Japanese baseball and there was a line out the door by 1pm.

Next door, there's a new handmade noodle/dumpling place I'd like to check out next.

# posted by Comida Evangelista : 5:09 PM