Sapporo-Style Ramen Checks Into Kearny Mesa

The first of at least four San Diego locations of Ramen Ryoma grand opens today in Kearny Mesa. Chef/owner Yoshinari Ichise, who runs an assortment of Japanese eateries ranging from ramen shops to sushi bars and izakayas in Oregon, Las Vegas, Singapore, and the Philippines, is also planning outposts of Ramen Ryoma for Pacific Beach and Hillcrest.

The shop specializes in the traditional ramen of Sapporo, the capital of the Northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Ichise mixes long-simmered pork broth with miso base in a wok, seasoning the soup in small, 12-serving batches for optimal flavor. The egg noodles, made in the “temomi” or hand-rolled style, are thicker and have more texture than the thinner noodles typically used for tonkotsu ramen. Shio, or salt, ramen is also available as well as a soy sauce, or shoyu, version; new for San Diego is a vegetarian option with black garlic oil and Brussels sprouts.

Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., the eatery is also serving an assortment of small plates and snacks, including sushi rolls, curry rice bowls, takoyaki, gyoza, and chicken karaage.

Ichise tells Eater that the Pacific Beach branch, due to debut on Garnet Avenue later this fall, will have a bigger emphasis on seafood dishes and larger beer selection. His Hillcrest location of Ramen Ryoma, launching next year, will feature a full cocktail bar and may also include a sushi bar.