Ramen & Tsukemen TAO — Restaurant in Buena Park

Found a tsukemen ramen shop that didn't require driving down to Little Tokyo. Ramen & Tsukemen Tao had four stars and several positive reviews from my Yelp buddies. I've never tried tsukemen dipping ramen before and knew it existed during my visits to Daikokuya, but I automatically go with their delicious bowl of tonkatsu ramen. I was curious about the method of dipping the cold noodles to the miso soup, and four stars with several positive reviews from my Yelp buddies, I gave it a try.

The miso tsukemen ($11.15) came with a slice of chasu pork, chopped onions, bamboo shoots, and a lime slice. Also included inside the plastic bowl was a tiny container of water so that if you want to enjoy the meal inside your car, you will use the water to separate and untangle the noodles. Hahaha correct me if I'm wrong; this was my first tsukemen experience. Added the soft-boiled ajitama/egg (+ $1.50) with the runny yolk and went with a large size (+ $2). Also included are three small containers with garlic, seaweed flakes, and shichimi (Japanese spice mixtures).

Their signature miso soup is thick, rich, creamy, and oily. You gotta dip your fat noodles into it, and no way can you gulp down the miso soup like the tonkatsu broth because it'll be overwhelming. Although the miso broth is half full in the container, it was more than enough to finish the noodles with plenty of broth leftover. The chashu don ($3.50) or the pork rice bowl is a nice add-on. It'll go well with the sriracha sauce or by itself.

The shop has outdoor tables set up. Order at their website for take-outs to avoid the surcharge by going through a third-party online food...

This Michelin-rated ramen spot lives up to its reputation. The noodles are thick, flavorful, and rival those I've had in Japan. Expect generous portions that may leave you feeling bloated if you order a Large bowl. Despite the restaurant's small size, the tables are spacious enough to handle the amount of food you order, and the service is outstanding. However, there might be a brief wait of around 15 minutes for when you order. Parking is limited and shared with neighboring businesses. Overall, one of the best ramen experiences I've ever had and pretty much the only ramen restaurant I continue to go to whenever I crave ramen.

Summary: CLEANLINESS. Very clean and orderly. I can tell the servers have been here for years and have a very disciplined way of maintaining their restaurant. COSTS. $14 to $20 per bowl of ramen, depending on if it is Regular or Large. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Exceptional. Everything is so clean and all your sauces/utensils are right on the table. FOOD QUALITY. Ingredients are authentic and delicious. Nothing felt old and everything was served fresh. The noodles are thick and each spoonful of broth was flavorful without being too overwhelming. PARKING. Limited and small parking spaces since it is shared with other businesses. You could always park a bit further instead of parking exactly in front of the restaurant. WAIT TIME. Since the restaurant is small, you might have to wait if you're coming in at peak lunch or dinner hours. The food could take 15 minutes before you receive it, but the quality...

Small shop has Michelin Bib gourmand recognition four years running. I've been obsessed with finding ramen to knock me out. Despite the extreme heat, they were surprisingly packed , with hardly any tables staying empty for long, and a brisk takeout line of orders being prepared the entire time. I got the "best deal" regular white miso ramen. This dish had five or more slices of very tender char shu roast pork. Comes with a soy hard boiled egg ( sweet salty and perfectly soft yolk), a ton of crisp green onion and menma (fermented seasoned bamboo shoots). The noodles are a no egg Sapporo style noodle, I enjoyed the texture and flavor immensely. I ended up only eating half of the bowl! It's very filling and delicious. My daughter opted for the large charshu spicy miso Tsukumen (thicker noodles are separate from the sauce - that was rich and SPICY!) Not featured on the regular menu was a summer cold Dan Dan noodles topped with chopped meat and available with or without chili oil. We also got the smaller kids plate : comes with its own bowl of ramen plus same toppings of chashu and menma, and a calpico drink and packaged sweet jelly. The gyoza was itself also very well done, good filling and a just right thickness on the wrapper. Served with a dipping duo of soy sauce and chili oil. They use an old style clipboard for seating ( we waited about 15 minutes tonight). Green matcha tea served hot or cold, I got myself a limeade. Small parking lot shared with a Korean restaurant and 7-11 store (we got Lottery tickets...