There is a new ramen spot in the South Bay and it is quickly making it’s way to the top of my favorite ramen places! Kotsu Ramen opened up it’s 10th location recently in Redondo Beach, California.

The concept of Kotsu Ramen is “Ramen for Fast Foodies.” They say “Eat. Slurp. Ramen. Repeat!” Being someone who is always on the go I love this concept. They’ve got food that may be fast but is delicious. There is a variety of options that is perfect for any ramen lover out there. At Katsu Ramen; one can your broth and protein. For the ramen broth; one can get the Kotsu (pork broth), Tori (chicken broth) or the Tonyu (plant based). As for proteins; one can get Pork Chashu, Chicken Meatballs or Tofu Steak. Aside from ramen; they have rice bowls and sides like Brussels sprouts, edamame, Takoyaki, chicken karaage and gyoza.

For my first visit here; I had to get one of my all time favorite Japanese side dishes; chicken karaage. Even for the chicken karaage; one has options. One can get it with original flavor, flame or curry. Being it was my first time I had to go traditional and decided to get the original.

I found their karaage to be tasty and unique. They give a bowl of small bite size, crispy pieces. It was bite sized bites but packed with flavor. It was definitely a nice starter for a great meal ahead.

For the ramen; I chose to do something a bit different. I got the Tonyu ramen with pork belly. Yes, I decided to get vegan broth with pork! No judging here as it was definitely a great mix.

I got the Tonyu with a kick and so it definitely had a spicy flare to it that added lots of flavor. The vegan broth was excellent. It was Iusciously creamy and I could barely even tell it was a vegan broth. One of the nice things about getting the Tonyu is it comes with corn, braised greens and Brussels sprouts. (Note they don’t have these veggies in the Kotsu or Tori but instead they have 1/2 an egg.) I am a big fan of brussels sprouts and corn and so this was definitely a nice touch! Overall enjoyed the crunch and texture this added to the ramen and the veggies paired really well with the protein.

Overall I am so happy to see Kotsu Ramen here in the South Bay! There are other locations are mostly in California but they also have a location in Portland, Oregon and they soon will be opening up Camas, Washington. There is a ramen for everyone here and it’s definitely the perfect ramen for fast foodies. Eat. Slurp. Ramen. Repeat.

For more smiles; please see my Yelp review on Kotsu Ramen Redondo Beach.