Tamaya

Being more than just a cup of noodles, Tamaya is NOT your grocery store instant ramen. It's not soba, pho, chow mein, phad tai, or crispy fried noodles; no, ramen here has an identity all it's own. Leave any prior misconceptions of ramen at the seat of your car because once you step through the modest doors of this hidden gem you'll be awakened to ramen nirvana. Located just west of the Colima food strip spanning from Diamond Bar to the City of Industry, Tamaya is a throwback to the legendary ramen shops of Japan. Unlike instant ramen, which takes less than three minutes to make, the ramen at Tamaya takes several hours in advance to prepare the rich flavor imbedded in the soup base alone. You're literally getting a work of art in food, when it takes over 10 hours to extract the flavor at extremely high heats from the pork bones alone to emulsify the fat into a rich ivory tonkotsu broth. Their clear broth as well is made through slow simmering. Their noodle quality is nothing less than perfect in terms of thickness, weight, and quality. They have the standard four soup bases for the ramen: tonkotsu (pork), shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), and miso (miso paste), however what sets Tamaya apart is their style and many variations of ramen available. In addition, the side orders can be considered meals in and of themselves. Bring an appetite because these bowls are deep. You wont have to break the piggy bank to eat here. This place is perfect for lunch or casual dining and just because you're not at a five star restaurant doesn't mean you're not getting five star quality noodles. Tamaya's ramen is the avante garde of ramen in this part of southern California. So if you're anywhere south of Azusa, north of Fullerton, east of Hacienda Heights, west of Diamond Bar, or just plain shopping at the Puente Hills mall; making a pit stop is a MUST for a taste of a culinary masterpiece without paying the price of a Picasso.