College to Cuisine: A Ramen Trilogy

Ramen: a food religiously eaten by college students with the little money they have. It’s cheap, it’s easy to make, and simple enough that you can’t go wrong with it. Ramen for less than a dollar at your local grocery store can only go so far. We took the love for this simple noodle and looked for it outside of the college dorms and norms. Tossing the ramen flavor packets aside, we went in search of a few ramen restaurant options: a small luxury for a college student on a budget.

"It was a perfect cold, grey day that made a warm, soup-based food so mouthwateringly welcome."

Cup Noodle: Ol' Reliable

As a review to the roots of every college student’s essential food staple, we also looked into old reliable: Cup Noodle Ramen. Maoqiang Li describes regular instant noodles as an important food “fallback” to a college student because it’s convenient in our daily life. The ingredients of cup noodles are noodles, corn, green onion and beef or shrimp. The size of one package is 64g, and only costs about 35 cents. “It is very cheap and convenient. It tastes so delicious, however, it is not good for your health. If you are busy or eating alone, a cup of noodle will be a good choice.” Comparatively, they would consider restaurant ramen healthier as compared to Cup Noodle and other instant ramen.

Kopan Ramen

This noodle adventure began at Kopan Ramen, a more local restaurant located in downtown Burbank. It was a perfect cold, grey day that made a warm, soup-based food so mouthwateringly welcome. Upon walking in, I was met with a wall that detailed the options for ramen customization and the options they had on a snazzy chalkboard. This place is divided into two sections; the ramen section and the tofu section. The menu provided plenty of ramen customization options and other food options a-plenty, including the tofu house options.

From tofu nuggets for appetizers to bulgogi bowls for entree options, Kopan gives you more options than you know what to do with.

Settling for the customizable ramen, I went for a “super spicy” broth with chashu pork and a couple toppings: bean sprouts and crunch onion. Upon first taste, the broth had spice but wasn’t the “super spicy” that I expected. Being from a Mexican household, I expected some degree of misery from the spice. There was none; it was more flavoring than anything. Despite the lack of pain from the spice, the broth was very rich and had thin noodles that made it easy to eat the whole thing. The chashu was tender and easy to take apart into smaller chunks for a bite with every mouthful and wasn’t so seasoned that it fought with the spices and bone broth.

"Being from a Mexican household, I expected some degree of misery from the spice."

Overall, very delicious if you’re looking for local cheap ramen in Burbank that won’t burn off your tongue if spicy isn’t your go-to.

JINYA Ramen Bar

Next on the ramen expedition was JINYA, an experience retold by Andrew Caldwell. Having several locations around LA, the Burbank location was the nearest gravitation for them. “During my visit, it was freezing and raining outside, making a steaming bowl of broth and noodles an appealing meal. Without looking at the menu, I immediately ordered the popular spicy chicken ramen (level 3 spicy) with a seasoned egg.

My order was in front of me within five minutes, diffusing the scent of chilis and spices within the bone broth. The toppings of chicken, spinach, onion chives, and the seasoned egg did not only create a visually appealing color pallet, but also created a diversity of flavor. The buttery chives and spinach mixed with the juicy chicken meat and broth, along with spicy chili sauce, created a zesty and invigorating flavor. The noodles were very thick and savory, adding substance to the soupy dish. In fact, they were more than enough because I declined a noodle refill.

"Leaving satisfied as can be, Andrew will tell you their slogan was no lie, 'No Ramen, No Life.'"

Overall, the three main elements of ramen (broth, noodles, toppings) were far better than average, or any other ramen place I’ve eaten at. Each component was fresh and very tasty, creating a dish filled with complimenting textures, smells, and flavors.” Leaving satisfied as can be, Andrew will tell you their slogan was no lie, “No Ramen, No Life.” If a filling ramen with thick noodles and a harmony of savory flavors is what you’re looking to treat yourself with, look no further and stop on by to JINYA.

Slurpin' Ramen Bar

Last and certainly not least, I trekked down to Koreatown to Slurpin’ Ramen Bar as the final stop on this noodle expedition. Though this location is a longer distance from Burbank, if you can make the time and effort to got there, it won’t be something you regret. Upon arrival, there was a lengthy waitlist, late at night being one of their busiest times. The cool night air after a long day made several waiting stomachs grumble in anticipation for their party to be called. Once seated by the window, I tried my luck at the customizable ramen again. After ordering my “super spicy” chashu ramen and splurge of toppings, I waited with chopsticks ready in hand and a monstrous appetite. Within ten minutes I was presented with the most mouth-watering spectacle of spices and creamy bone broth, the steam of a fresh meal carrying the scents up and around you.

I was quick to add my toppings of crunch onion and garlic, butter, bean sprouts, and the best little splurge you could opt for, crunchy chashu. After the first spoonful of broth, I could have cried then and there, and not just from the spice. The “super spicy” was no joke, and I sat contently slurping on my noodles sporting a runny nose and slightly watering eyes. The broth was spiced and seasoned to perfection that paired nicely with the thin noodles settling at the base. There was just the right amount of rich and tenderness in the regular chashu with the delightful crunch of the bits of crunchy chashu add on. It could only be described as spectacularly umami. I was eager to keep eating this delightful symphony of spices and flavorful experience, so much that when I stared at the empty bowl before me I was already planning when to come next.

"After the first spoonful of broth, I could have cried then and there, and not just from the spice."

Overall, if you’re looking for affordable, top-notch ramen and don’t mind the distance, Slurpin’ Ramen has got you covered everyday until 1 AM.

Review

Convenience: Kopan Ramen & JINYA
Referring to how close to Burbank the restaurant is, Kopan and JINYA are very close whereas Slurpin’ Ramen is about a 25 minute trek by car.

Price: Kopan Ramen & Slurpin’ Ramen
Both have ramen for under $10 and is only a little more with the fairly inexpensive topping choices they offer whereas JINYA has slightly higher pricing.

Spice & Flavor: Slurpin’ Ramen & JINYA
Both had actual spiciness in their ramen and more prominent flavoring that mixed well with the broth whereas Kopan had dull flavoring compared to the two.

Kopan Ramen
220 N San Fernando Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
http://kopanramen.com/

JINYA Ramen Bar
4011 W Riverside Dr.
Burbank, CA 91505
https://jinya-ramenbar.com/

Slurpin’ Ramen Bar
3500 W 8th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90005
https://slurpinramenla.com/

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