Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Torrance

One of our favorite chains when we lived in Japan. We were stoked to see them in Chicago earlier this year while traveling to see relatives, and when we planned a SoCal visit we had to add this one to the list. There's not a ton of seating at this one so there may be a wait if you're a party of 3 or more. Staff coordination could be improved, as they had maybe three people rotating between bussing tables and manning the entrance, so it wasn't always clear if a table had been waited on or not. Not that it's a huge problem to have someone checking in every few minutes just to be sure. Food's great but can get pricey, especially with add-ons. The pork's rich flavor stands out and reminds me of Japan. The miso ramen has a lot of toppings, too, a mound of bean sprouts and corn for an extra pop, and some sweet contrast to the richness of the broth. I'm just sad that the soup fills me up and I can't also have the amazing-looking karaage that I kept seeing emerge from the kitchen.

I was pleasantly surprised a Ramen Ban Nai opened in Torrence. This is a popular chain in Japan serving light broth ramen intended as a breakfast food. The ramen is quite reasonable at $14. Wonton ramen- was a special. I tried that. $17.50 for regular. The style of wonton was more like the one with small amount of meat and large wrapper. It tasted good. The Ban Nai ramen I was was as I remembered it in Japan. Although it was slightly saltier than I recall. I will order the soup slightly less salty. The ramen itself was exactly as I remembered it. It was perfectly chewy, full to the bite and thick. That was so good!

ordered the tan tan ramen-broth was full of flavor. its medium spicy. chicken karage is crunchy and juicy. such good umami flavor even without the sauce. friend ordered the chicken katsu he states its good. service- very attentive and friendly. i enjoyed eating here.

I was excited to try this place since there aren’t many shoyu based ramen options in LA. The menu offers a good variety including miso, tonkotsu, tsukemen, and plenty of sides. The atmosphere was family friendly with many parents and kids dining together. I ordered the standard Kitakata Ramen with chashu, green onions, and bamboo shoots. The soy sauce broth was flavorful and the portion size was generous. However, the noodles were much too soft for my taste, which was a bit disappointing. The gyoza was decent, and the dipping sauce was tasty. Service was friendly, attentive, and even in fluent Japanese, which made the experience pleasant. Overall, a nice and comfortable spot, but the noodles being overly soft kept it from being great.

Delicious ramen with a great and smooth service experience! If you let the server know, you can customize the firmness of noodles and richness of soup (stronger or lighter) which was nice.

This is the Torrence outlet of the Japanese ramen chain Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai. Great thing about this location is that there are less wait usually and parking is plenty in this strip mall. They have the salt soup base used in Hakodate and other soup base types. They have vegan option and tsukemen option too. Their seasoned pork slices are quite good. Noodle is the curly and al dente style thicker type. Lunch specials include small rice bows (donburi) at small prices. Kitchen looks very clean and well managed.

Character limit reach... see Yelp for full review. Tip: Use Yelp "Join Waitlist" during lunch/dinner rush, though a single diner is less likely to have any wait issues. Food Order: Large Green Chili Shio Ramen (pork broth, shio base, 5 toro chashu, green chili, nappa, Asian chives, green onion, sesame oil) $17.45 A Combo Set: Cubed Chashu Bowl $2.50 Soft Boiled Egg $1.00 Bamboo Shoot $2.00 Seasoned Tofu (5 pcs.) $2.90 Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai is located in Vista Plaza (southwest of H-Mart), replaced defunct Sub Club Italian Deli. Kitakata Ramen is well-known in Japan, & is considered one of the "Big 3" regional ramen styles along with Hakata & Sapporo. What sets them apart in the South Bay is their distinctive high-hydration, flat, wavy noodles (Kitakata-style) & golden clear pork broth. There's plenty of parking at the plaza with a couple of prime spots at the restaurant's entrance. Upon entering, I was warmly greeted & seated at the bar, which is my preference since there's an open kitchen. I love watching how my order is prepared when I'm dining alone. There's a couple of booths on the left with a medium bar (seats 6) flushed against the open kitchen, & 2-tops that line against the wall that can be adjusted for large groups. Taped to the bar's short wall, there's an info card about Ban Nai Noodles & Soup, weekday deal lunch special menu, & QR code for their menu (didn't ask what happens if you're without a phone). A server asked if I had questions (nope), & brought a glass of water while I waited. My order was ready pretty quick since there were only 2 other tables, & they had already ordered. The bowl of ramen teased my senses with its aromatics & beauty that it was slightly challenging for my camera to eat first. LMAO Once the obligatory pics were finished, I dove in & have to agree that the perfectly al dente noods makes for a most satisfying chewy & springy texture while soaking up the delish shio, pork broth -- damn, good mouthfeel! Throw in that perfectly cooked soft boiled egg... wowza, adding a savory, jammy contrast to clean noodles. The golden yet clear broth is new to me since most pork ramen broths are thick, fatty-rich; this is light & savory broth is reminiscent to a flavorful consommé, but with a hit of green chilies. I added bamboo shoots for some texture, & its flavor seems to complement the rich shio broth. I had the seasoned tofu on the side so its "seasonings" doesn't get diluted in the broth or meld into the broth. I slurped some ramen & added a spoonful of tofu, which cut through & balanced some of that spicy, salty broth. I ate a few more bites, alternating between the 2, then saved a tofu square to polished off. While I grew up using chopsticks, I'm not skilled enough to maneuver the soft tofu without breaking it; surprisingly, I kept most of the pieces intact. Whew! The chashu has good flavor & tender, but I prefer Santouka's toroniku (you know what I'm talking about). I went out of my way once to combine their pork with my fav ramen shop's noods & broth; Kitakata Ramen is tempting me to do the same. Hehehe... While both are "toro" pork, one is focused on the pork jowl (cheek) & the other is broader in the pork belly & other fatty cuts. I was pretty stuffed from the ramen so it was a slight push to eat the Chashu Bowl. The chashu was tasty & mostly tender, but a tad dry (maybe overcooked?), & I get a bit of pork belly in every bite. It would have been a perfect meal if this was executed better. Still, I was stuffed (full tilt!) & will likely fall into a food coma. LOL The menu is short: appetizers, ramen, rice bowls, & toppings ($1.00 - $6.50), with moderate to moderately high price points in comparison to its local competition. I like that they give you the option to upgrade the portion size (ramen) for $1.50. Friendly & efficient service... though the server didn't check back once my order was executed; luckily, I didn't need a water refill. If you want to try something different than hakata ramen, Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai is definitely worth a visit! おいしいです (oishii desu)!