#5 2010 Ramen at Katana-Ya

Katana-Ya
430 Geary St
San Francisco, CA 94102

I've heard quite a bit about this place, being a ramen fanatic. I heard it was easily considered to offer the best ramen bowl in SF until not so long ago, when apparently the quality took a nosedive. Nonetheless, it made the list so I shall try it!

let's see if it's legit:

Here it is, chasu (barbecue pork) ramen with shio (salt) base. First glance, we have 4 generously sliced chasu, bamboo shoots, scallions, seaweed - all pretty standard.

It smelled good though. The shio broth was pretty light and smooth tasting, not overly salty which was great. Also, the chasu slices were actually very tender and flavorful. Yum! They were very different from other mediocre chasu meat I've had in the past, and I was pretty impressed!

Also, the ramen noodles were delicious! Each bite of the al dente, soft but firm noodles urged me to follow up with another bite.

I was not even very hungry but I still managed to devour the entire bowl (minus some excess broth).

Overall a very yummy bowl of ramen. I still prefer my South Bay spots which are near and dear to my heart. But maybe next time I'll opt for my preferred ramen - one bowl of butter & corn please!