i20 Ramen, Aliso Viejo, CA
The address: 26705 Aliso Creek Rd ste f, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
The website: https://i20ramen.com/
The rating: 27/30 on the Depression Oatmeal Scale
I’ve found myself getting further and further behind on these entries, and it’s for a lot of reasons. Some are good, and some are life. I told myself today that I need to make more space in my life for my artistic creativity and passions; however, as everyone in life knows, we make a certain element of sacrifice in our day to day activities. It unfortunately happens that this was something that got hacked.
I went fishing on a Monday during lunar new year and found myself wanting to celebrate. However, I don’t exactly live in the most friendly of places for these types of cultural celebrations, although Orange County does have a large Asian-American population if you go far enough north. However, because I was getting ready to move back into my condo in short order, I wanted to make sure that I left myself enough time to pack my things and move them. Additionally, my weekend was anything but pleasant – my ex and I had a row on the previous Friday about finances, and she ended up blocking me in a fit of rage. So – I had that on my mind, too, and although fishing was excellent, I wanted comfort food.
Once you get past Irvine, there are not many ramen spots worth going to. Luckily, I20 Ramen is nearby, and I hadn’t eaten there since pre-pandemic. In fact, I wasn’t even sure they had survived the pandemic because of the newness of their business. When I checked their website, I noticed their hours had been cut back – likely a result of demand. The menu had also changed slightly, but the staples were still there and there was good food to be had. I ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen with a soy egg on the side – and I was most impressed by this place for separating out the ingredients for my take-out order. I also ordered chicken karaage – which was AMAZING.
First – the soy egg. So – I’m a notorious soy egg eater. I can probably put down a dozen, however unhealthy that may be, especially if they are readily available. This one was delightful, with a beautiful custard-style yolk. I put half in my ramen and ate the other half. The spicy broth on the noodles was excellent – I drank all of it, no regrets, even after I’d finished all of the toppings and noodles. I like my broth quite spicy; theirs is not, so if this is something you want make sure to let them know. However, if you just like a little spice and warmth in your dish – order it this way! Overall the ramen was exactly what I was looking for – but word to the wise, on my personal ramen preferences:
1. Their noodles are larger. Not quite as big as soba, but noticeably larger for those that might like a thinner noodle. Japan spoiled me on this. Additionally, the noodles were slightly al dente – again, this is a personal preference for me.
2. The pork was somewhat bland. Once you mix it with the broth, it hardly matters. However, it could be finished with some additional seasoning in my opinion.
The chicken karaage was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve ever had it, to be honest, and it wasn’t disappointing even in the slightest. It’s also served with a spicy mayo sauce, but I didn’t need it – I dipped the chicken in my ramen broth. It was simply amazing. Realistically speaking, had I judged this place on the ramen alone, the rating may have come in at a 26 – but the soy egg and the karaage were executed perfectly. Additionally – this place is very much pandemic friendly and has several options for ordering to go (grubhub, phone, etc) as well as a website that’s up to date. They gave me plenty of utensils and as I stated previously, all of the ingredients were individually packaged so as to build the ramen yourself when you get home. This preserves the freshness and individuality of the ingredients quite a bit, and you should never get take-out ramen any other way!