Zabon Ramen: Quality Ramen
Quick Look
- Little ramen shop located just off the corner of Western Avenue and Carson Street in Torrance.
- Offer a selection of eight broths and numerous toppings including kimchi, pickled ginger and corn
- Yummy array of appetizers including takoyaki, gyoza (steamed and fried), potato croquettes and chicken karaage
- Decent parking lot, but with only a few tables, booths and limited counter space; this shop can fill up quickly
- This is a very safe option to order for delivery to pick up and bring home to eat - they have it down to a science and ensure you get hot broth and delicious ingredients
- Picky eater friendly with modifications to what is offered
Zabon Ramen
Zabon Ramen faces the ever-busy Carson Street, just off of Western Avenue in Torrance. A large, prominent, well-lit sign stretches above the entrance of a small, popular ramen shop. Featuring several different broths and a multitude of toppings, Zabon Ramen has ramen for everybody! Paired with one of their delicious appetizers you will leave with a pleasantly full stomach but without feeling weighed down by greasy foods.
We regularly visit this popular local eatery and felt it was high time we reviewed them. Between the two of us, we have tried almost everything on the menu! Even James, a notoriously picky eater, is able to enjoy their food. We have only had good experiences with the staff and their kitchen has their craft down to a science. Everyone is always very present and attentive, even when they have a packed house.
There is a decent sized parking lot right in front of the restaurant with two very large handicap spaces literally right in front of the door. We have been here more times than we can count and have not yet experienced the parking lot being too full to find a parking spot somewhere. Still, if you would prefer to order and have your food delivered, Zabon Ramen won’t disappoint! They send their broth PIPING hot so it is either still hot or just reaching the perfect temperature by the time it gets to you. In a separate bowl they place your noodles and all of your toppings so you can simply pour your broth over the top and enjoy. Their appetizers also do surprisingly well, though we usually stick to items like the potato croquettes, karaage or the salt and pepper pork bites.
Some Recommendations from us to Consider:
- Looking for a spicy broth that packs more of a punch on your tongue? You’re going to want the Spicy Zabon Ramen. With the spice ball you get a very warm, intense beat of heat on your tongue and in your mouth.
- Have a cold or want to help clear your sinuses? You’re looking for the Spicy Miso Ramen. Offering more of a slow heat that heats your core and always gets my sinuses moving.
- All of their appetizers are delicious, but our favorites are:
- The Potato Croquette
- Takoyaki - contains octopus
- French Fries - surprisingly good and a yummy palette cleanser while you’re eating your ramen
Zabon Ramen offers several different kinds of broths that can be topped with a number of different toppings and paired with one of several appetizers for a unique experience everytime you visit. They are flexible with picky eaters and, for our readers who drink, they have a good selection of Japanese alcohol to choose from in addition to various canned sodas and fresh tea.
Speaking of food, let’s get a closer look at the food we got during our last trip.
The Food
Karaage
Karaage
Photo by Linnea Friberg-Price
Karaage is a Japanese cooking technique that involves deep frying chicken in this case in a light oil. The result is a light crunch surrounding juicy, tender chunks of chicken. This technique can be done to many types of meat and fish but at Zabon Ramen they focus on chicken only. One person could probably eat this whole appetizer themselves and we found ourselves scrabbling for the last bite!
We squeezed a lemon over our chicken which made it lose some of its light crisp, but regardless it was still a delicious way to start our meal. I would definitely recommend trying an order at least once.
French Fries
A surprising addition to our latest order from Zabon Ramen but a pleasant one nonetheless! These fries were crispy, crunchy and well salted. If you are only getting these as your appetizer I would recommend making sure everyone in your party gets their own order because you won’t want to share them.
These fries were actually a pleasant addition to our table as they offered a texture reprieve in between sips and slurps of Ramen.
Recommended for You
Takoyaki
This dish is not going to be for everyone! These delicious little dough balls from heaven are filled with bites of chewy octopus and quickly fried. The balls are then drizzled with Takoyaki sauce and mayo and topped with benito flakes.
If you don’t like seafood or octopus, I would not recommend this dish. But, if you are willing to try takoyaki, these are a delicious example. Just be warned, the steam from the piping hot takoyaki balls will make the flakes move! Very eerie if you’re not expecting it but a fun experience once you know to expect it!
These dough balls are delicious and served very warm so please enjoy carefully!
Gyoza
Gyoza
Photo taken by James Hanson
These are pretty standard wontons filled with meat and spices. Add some soy sauce and dip to enjoy! These wontons fill you up and leave you wanting more delicious food. They have a nice, slightly chewy dough and the filling inside is consistent. These are one of the go to items for James to order when we visit, but I would prefer to order Takoyaki or the potato croquettes instead.
Certainly worth a try at least once!
Spicy Zabon Ramen with extra Pork Chashu
Spicy Zabon Ramen with everything. Pictured with pickled ginger
Photo taken by Linnea Friberg-Price
Spicy Zabon Ramen is a savory, smooth house special broth. When you get the spicy variety, they add a spice ball to your bowl which infuses the broth with a kick of heat that settles on your tongue and lingers in your mouth.
The ramen from Zabon Ramen automatically comes with bean sprouts, lettuce, grilled onions, chives, three slices of pork chashu and corn. Despite loving onion in most settings, I actually remove the onions from my ramen. I find them to be a little too overwhelming and they often take over my bowl pushing the complex array of flavors out of balance.
During this trip, I got an extra five slices of pork chashu. This pork is intentionally slightly on the dry side so that you can soak it in your ramen to absorb some of the broth.
This ramen is a palette cleanser and sinus clearer but most of the heat settles in your mouth and on your tongue. This ramen, and all of their spicy broths, can be considered to be pretty spicy so please try with caution! I worked my way up to eating the spicy ramen varieties in the restaurant by ordering them at home first so I could ensure I had a large glass of ice cold milk on hand.
Regular Zabon Ramen - Plain with Chicken Added On
Zabon Ramen with ONLY noodles and corn, add an order of sliced chicken
Photo taken by James Hanson
This is James’ go-to dish when we eat here! He orders his Ramen with ONLY noodles, corn and chicken. He alternates specific broths based on his preference that day. Today he chose the Zabon Ramen - a very savory broth that provides a wonderful base for your toppings no matter how many or how few you choose to enjoy.
James prefers to swap out the pork chashu for sliced chicken with his ramen. Like the chashu, the chicken that they serve in their ramen does come just slightly on the dryer side but once it’s hit by the broth it moistens right up and is very enjoyable. I will push my meat all the way into my ramen almost as soon as I get it so that it can soak as long as possible creating a delicious slice of meat.
Let’s Rate it
- Food - 4/5: Their food is very good, but the slight dryness of their meats and the underwhelming gyoza could be disappointing for some
- Ambiance - 4/5: A cute little ramen shop, this dining floor can feel very full very quickly especially if you are sitting at the counter or on a table top. There is still room to maneuver and get by people but if you struggle with tight spaces or feeling packed into a room, AND you don’t get one of their three booths, you may want to come back on a different day/night or order in/take it home with you!
- Parking - 5/5 Decent sized parking lot. Zabon Ramen is located in the middle of the shopping center it’s a part of so most of the lot is filled with its patrons. We have not yet had to leave because we couldn’t find parking
- Service - 5/5 Their staff is quick, efficient, and able to anticipate patron needs. They are very friendly but choose to leave the patrons alone for the most part which is something we appreciate when applicable.
The opinions expressed here are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions or beliefs of the Hollywood Progressive.
