A bit disappointed... On the more expensive side of ramen restaurants, Touhenboku offers a bland take on ramen that fails to make an impression in a market already saturated with other great options. The place isn't very busy around dinnertime and it's easy to see why when you compare this dining option to some of the other restaurants in the same plaza!
We started with a chicken karaage and fried gyoza. The chicken karaage wasn't overly breaded which was nice, but at the same time, it wasn't crispy at all which was a disappointment. The fried gyoza was crispy and tasty but nothing to write home about.
For the main, I ordered the shio ramen off of their "Staff Favorites" menu. The soup base was flavorful and the noodles had a springy bite but that what really brought the dish down were the toppings. The egg was way overcooked; the texture of the yolk was a mix between hard-boiled and powdery. The pork belly was thin and lacked flavor. Both of these left a pretty sour taste in my mouth on a dish that had the proper foundation to be really good!
The end of the meal was alright: they offer black sesame ice cream which can be hard to find at most restaurants. Although even this dessert was not enough to make up for the quality of the ramen that was served.
Touhenboku is a tough pick when there are so many other great restaurants in the area. Likely will not be back.