Kontentsu South Pasadena — Restaurant in South Pasadena

I've been to over 100 different Ramen restaurants from Portland, Oregon all the way down to Las Vegas, and this quaint little spot tucked away in South Pasadena is tied for #1 with Tomi Ramen in Las Vegas. The inside is less flashy and showboaty than most other places I've been to, instead focusing on giving you an extremely high quality meal cooked and served to perfection. None of the smoke and mirrors to distract you from the cheap ingredients and microwave pack noodles they serve up at a lot of other places I've been to with a bunch of expensive decorations and fancy lighting. I had the Tonkotsu Black, and let me tell you the broth was like a silk blanket of complex flavors each distinct yet harmonizing perfectly, while the braised pork chashu melted in my mouth to join in the rising tempo of this symphony of ingredients. Alongside the Ramen, I also decided to try the spider slider. The rich flavor of fresh greens with the light briney flavor of crab coupled with the sweet kiss of the bun and the soft, almost fluffy sensation in the mouth as you bite into this masterpiece and chew...it was otherworldly. I'm pretty sure I mumbled the words "So Good" at least 50 times while I was eating here hahaha. If you never try the food at this place then I feel...

It's nice to know that there's an option for good ramen in the South Pasadena area.

This place is located in the same plaza as Bristol Farms. It's small and cute with modern decor.

The menu has some ramen options, appetizers, and rice bowls.

I ordered the hot green tea, which they didn't refill. It was good tea and you can tell that they use actual matcha powder. So unfortunately, I thought the service was mediocre for a Wednesday night. It wasn't busy at all.

As for the ramen, I ordered their traditional tonkotsu ramen. It's called "Modan Ramen" that included chashu pork, green onion, wood ear mushroom, nori (seaweed), half a soft-boiled egg and black garlic truffle oil.

The broth was a little salty but I enjoyed the subtle hint of the truffle oil. I thought the noodles were just ok. The chashu pork was different. They are thicker slices but grilled.

Overall, I think it's a good place to get your ramen fix if you're in the area and don't want to drive to SGV, Little Tokyo or Sawtelle and bother with parking...

YUM! I read about Modan on LA Eater and bookmarked it to try. I came here on Labor Day Monday around 1:30pm and we were seated right away.

FOOD: -modan ramen - went with their classic tonkotsu ramen and man it is DELISH! Broth is rich without being salty and you get that sticky-lipped feeling that good tonkotsu broths will give you. Not too fatty, the noodles are firm and eggy, THAT CHASIU is barbecued and you get a great flavor! Half a soft boiled egg included as well. chicken karaage - disappointing. Overfried, chicken was super dry, no flavor and too much crunch, not enough meat.

SERVICE: Friendly and fairly quick. Water is served in mason jars (with handles) but our karaage strangely came out after our ramen did lol.

PARKING/VENUE: Parking is easily found, Modan is in a small plaza with the Bristol Farms. Venue is small, and very hipster! Industrial bulbs, wooden bench seating, and those light-up marquee letters spelling...