Kosuke — Restaurant in Alhambra

Kosuke is a cozy and quaint place with the inside resembling most restaurants in Japan. (Small area with about 11 tables, good service, and some Japanese paintings.) I have been to Japan -- as South as Fuokuoka and as North as Sapporo -- for an entire month to eat their cuisine. Kosuke didn't match any of the flavors I had while on my journey throughout Japan.

For me though, I didn't enjoy the food. I ordered a tonkotsu ramen bowl, a classic pork broth ramen, and was disappointed with the flavor. The ramen soup, arguably the most important part of the ramen, was very 2-dimensional with a lack of depth of flavor. Typically, the soup should have a rich flavor due to simmering pork bones for several hours (typically in excess of 12 hours); however, I didn't taste the richness that I expected. The balance between the fatty pork flavor and salt confused my taste buds as they didn't harmoniously match. I felt like the pork flavor was okay initially but was overpowered by the salty flavor. I remember that I had to drink a lot of water.

Since the ramen noodles depend on the broth to also give a lot of flavor, the noodles also fell flat. The only redeeming part that I believe they got correct was the vegetables. The egg was close, but it was slightly overcooked as the yolk should have been more liquid and been able to melt in my mouth.

Even comparing Kosuke's ramen to a few other ramen places that I have had in Southern California, Kosuke would still remain one of the lower quality restaurants. (Ramen Yamadaya is good in Costa Mesa). I still have yet to find a place as similar to Japan itself, but even I don't know how long...

REVIEW FROM LAST WEEK:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Went there for the first time last week. It was pretty good and would definitely go there again. The only thing that I wished that they had reservations and it’s a little small in there. But other than that, food was good and comes in a pretty good size. I ordered the spicy ramen and loved it, my niece had the popcorn chicken ramen. They give you a good amount of popcorn chicken.

UPDATED REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Why did I decided to change? I told my husband that my niece and I went there for the first ever and that food and service was good. My husband wanted to try it today so went. They didn’t look busy and took nearly 30 minutes for our food to be brought out to us. My husband was starving, he was getting impatient so I had to distract him. Last week when I came, it was a Saturday night. They were busy but we got our food pretty fast, which felt like a 10 minute wait. Not sure what happened today, but they were really lagging it today. There were also customers there before us who also waited about 30 minutes or more for their food. My husband said that the food was good, but the long wait ruined his mood and he does not want to...

This ramen shop on Main St. in Alhambra may look unassuming from the outside, but it's truly a hidden gem that left us pleasantly surprised. The service here is also exceptionally warm and attentive, making the dining experience even more enjoyable.

This time, my daughter and I ordered the Vegetable Ramen and Wakame Udon, with Popcorn Chicken and Agedashi Tofu as appetizers. My Vegetable Ramen featured a rich and savory broth, paired with tofu, scallions, corn, seaweed, and black fungus. Adding a touch of spice elevated the flavors, creating a more complex and satisfying taste. My daughter's Wakame Udon had a sweet and light broth made with seaweed, scallions, and fish cake, which was perfect for those who prefer a more subtle flavor.

The Popcorn Chicken, a must-order dish at every table, was undoubtedly the highlight of our meal! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside without being greasy, it easily outclassed any popcorn chicken we've had elsewhere. The Agedashi Tofu was equally impressive, with its silky texture and perfectly balanced sauce.

We're thrilled to have discovered this hidden culinary treasure and will...