Shin-Sen-Gumi — Restaurant in Alhambra

I've been going to Shin Sen Gumi for over 10 years. My wife's family has gone for 20+. Shin Sen Gumi is fundamentally ramen focused with their Hakata Style Ramen. With the rise in popularity of ramen, the company expanded their offerings. Other restaurants paired their restaurant with another service, Irvine does Udon, Fountain Valley does Yakitori, some do Chanko, etc. this location is an amalgamation of the other restaurants, where you will find a variety of offerings.

What is the core experience when you come to Shin Sen Gumi?

You get Hakata Style Ramen, you can modify the strength of the richness of the broth, the oil level, the firmness of the noodles. Every restaurant has that experience...except for this one. Normally when you ask for extra noodle you can choose the firmness---not this location. It really is a miss to not provide these options, which have been a fundamental piece of the Shin Sen Gumi experience. I could have sworn this location used to offer that service, but I'm an out of towner and can't recall.

Also this location is the first location that I've been to that doesn't offer a kids set. Our kids were disappointed as they usually order that.

This location offers a good variety, but at the cost of the core experience. I'm curious to find how much trouble it causes to offer those options to their customers if the other locations can still offer it.

Honestly, the food is what you would expect from a Shin Sen Gumi. It's great! Parking is pretty good with a lot in the back.

I like the closeness of this location to my in-laws, but would choose other locations for the reasons listed above.

Edit: In response to the owner review. The Hakata Style Ramen says on the menu, "No...

Updated review for March 18, 2025: awesome experience today for the special bluefin tuna cutting event. got to try delicious fresh tuna sashimi and other classics, such as the beef and onion bowl and the happy hour karaage. excellent event and excellent service! shout out grace for being so professional despite the huge crowd and all the chefs working hard today!

Original review: Visited this place for lunch during Father's Day and was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Food was good and well priced, service was fast and good, and the place is very well decorated. We ordered the Satsuma Ramen, Negitama Beef Bowl, and various skewers.

Ramen note: $12 at the time of writing this review; cheaper than other places nearby which average around $15, slightly smaller portion but smoother broth and better quality

Negitama beef bowl: tasty! Egg on top comes cold first, I just mixed it in with everything else. I liked it.

Skewers: small portions, but very tasty...

I made a reservation for four people at Shinsengumi. There were multiple 4-person tables available, but Grace, the hostess, tried to seat us at a table tucked away in a corner. When I asked for a different table, she made an excuse, saying it was “reserved,” even though all the tables looked the same. When I questioned what the difference was, she couldn’t give a clear answer and told us we would have to wait another 15 minutes while they reset a table. While we were waiting, Grace seated two other groups of four — who didn’t even seem to have reservations — before us. After finally being seated, we realized that water was leaking from the ceiling above the table, and we ended up stuck at a weird corner spot we didn’t want. To be fair, the other staff members were very friendly and the food was great — exactly what we expected from Shinsengumi. It’s just unfortunate that Grace ruined an otherwise great experience. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, I would love...