Tomizo Ramen — Restaurant in Gardena

I recently visited Tomizo Ramen after searching for a highly-rated spot in the area, and I’m glad I did!

Location: Tomizo is tucked away next to the Nissan SUV Truck sign on West Redondo Beach Blvd, just a block before Western Avenue. It’s easy to miss since it’s in a small strip mall with limited parking for about six cars out front, but there’s additional parking around the building.

Ambiance: The restaurant is quite small and has a cozy "hole in the wall" vibe, which was perfect for my family of four. However, if you’re planning to bring a larger group, I recommend arriving early, as seating is limited. The atmosphere is enhanced by a playlist of Japanese music, much of which I recognized from various animes I’ve watched.

Service: The service was impressively quick and very welcoming. When we mentioned it was our first visit, the waitress eagerly shared the specials, including a lunch deal that featured a choice of side, coffee, and soup for just $18—a fantastic value! My daughter was entertained as the waitress played peekaboo with her, adding a nice personal touch to our experience.

Food: I opted for the Spicy Miso Ramen with a side of fried rice and a black coffee, which was included, along with a glass of water. I also added an egg and corn for an up charge.The broth was delicious on its own, but I couldn't resist trying a few condiments out of curiosity. The pork was incredibly tender with so much flavor. It was falling apart at the touch of my chopsticks—and the noodles were perfectly cooked. I appreciated the little salad on top for some extra fiber and nutrients. The egg was just the way I like it—jammy—and the corn tasted fresh. The pork fried rice was flavorful on its own and paired well with red ginger, which I love. Overall, the ramen deserves a five-star rating. I’ll definitely be returning for both the food and the excellent service. Who knew there was such great ramen right in my...

This was my second trip to this ramen shop; I liked it enough to come back. I really appreciate the fact that it is open until 11pm. I drove 30-40 minutes from Orange County, where every store around me is closed early due to the virus.

Even though it's take-out only right now and I live a half-hour drive away, it's still warm when I get home. If it tastes this good when it's warm, I can't wait until I can try it hot in the restaurant.

So far, I have tried the Asahikawa shoyu ramen, and the butter scallop miso ramen. The miso broth is really good, but so far my favorite is the shoyu.

Every component in the ramen is flavored, from the eggs to the bamboo shoots. You'd think so many different flavored items would conflict, but they work very well together. Shoyu broth was on the slightly saltier side, but with the noodles it paired well. I think next time I order it and am eating it at home, I'll use a garlic press and crush some fresh garlic on it (I think fresh garlic tastes awesome on all ramen).

The scallops on the butter miso ramen were not overcooked or rubbery, and the taste did not overpower the entire dish. So if you want the scallops, but afraid of a ocean-y broth, don't worry about it (also helps that the broth is kept separate for your ride home) 😂

I'm a huge fan of the eggs. It's one of my favorite types of eggs, flavored and cooked with a soft yolk in the middle.

The chashu bowl was also very good. Rice and very soft pork topped with green onions and Japanese mayo. The combination is very delicious.

If you like ramen and want to try Hokkaido style, I really recommend this place. My pictures are what the ramen looks like after the long car trip home, not too bad in my opinion, it could've all been thrown together, but it looks all the ingredients were placed with care to what my food is supposed...

Ranked 46 out of 100 California ramen shops on Yelp, Tomizo Ramen has been on my culinary radar, and I finally had the chance to see what they're all about.

I had quite the dilemma, deciding on whether I wanted to choose Tomizo's Miso Butter Corn Scallop ramen, or their namesake Tomizo ramen. The Tomizo ramen is normally limited to 5 bowls/day. After much deliberation, I decided on the pricier Miso Butter Corn Scallop ramen, as the Tomizo ramen seemed to be a basic ramen, just with the largest portions. MBCS ramen had more ingredients, including scallops.

Miso Butter Corn Scallop ramen- I don't regret my pick, one bit! The MBCS ramen was savory & delicious. Pork chashu, kikurage mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green onions, butter, corn, baby scallops, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, onion, wavy noodles, in miso broth. The filling bowl was rich, comforting, and tasted like the ocean. However, the pork chashu elevated it into being more than a seafood ramen.

I tried most of Tomizo Ramen's appetizers during my dinner. Out of the chicken nanban, bao, takoyaki, gyoza & karaage, my favorite was the chicken nanban.

Service was excellent. Chef Kaji & Chihiro were friendly & hospitable, eager to answer any questions I had and quick with my food. Limited seating, with just a few tables. At ramen shops, I usually sit at the bar to converse with the chef and staff. Also limited is the parking. I chose to park at CVS across the street.

Tomizo Ramen is an impact player in the SoCal ramen game and I can see why they're ranked 46 out of 100 in the entire state. I immensely enjoyed the Miso Butter Corn Scallop Ramen and I am eager to visit again, when the opportunity...