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| - I knew something was different the moment I saw curry fish balls on the menu at a ramen restaurant. The Cantonese music was another hint, and the Chinese beverages was another hint. When I was able to converse with all the staff in Cantonese, it dawned on me - this ramen restaurant is run exclusively by Chinese people.
Not to say that this fact in itself takes away from the quality of the food. The ramen is still pretty good, and the broth is solid. However, the flavor of the ramen itself does taste distinctly Cantonese. I ordered the miso ramen with char siu, and the ramen had more of a sesame oil flavor than a miso flavor. When I order miso ramen at places in LA and New York, the miso is very very strong, though the miso ramen at Otani tasted more like sesame instant noodles. Additionally, I felt a Cantonese influence in how light the broth was - I expect miso ramen broth to be heavier and thicker.
Some may question authenticity, but then what exactly does one call a Chinese take on a Japanese dish that has its roots in a Chinese dish (liamen)?
The answer: pretty good noodles! I would not rate this as highly as ramen places in major cities, who tend to spend days to prepare their homemade ramen broths, use the highest quality pork, and frequently make their own noodles. However, Otani is good if you're looking for a quick fix, and in many ways reminded me of the type of instant noodles that I can get at Hong Kong diners. Solid, filling, and fairly light.
I plan on coming back and trying their curry fish balls for sure. It's by no means a Japanese staple, but as a Cantonese person myself, I'm always looking for good quality curry fish balls.
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