Review on Orenchi Ramen
Jacky Tsang
Staff Writer
A must-try hotspot in Santa Clara, Orenchi Ramen is undeniably worth visiting if you are a ramen fanatic.
If you decide to visit this place, make sure you rush to the sign-in sheet to reserve a place on the list, and be prepared to wait. The wait itself was unbelievable, but the most surprising part was that the place was already filled with people before it even opened. This is one of those cases where the food is worth the wait and drive.
I visited the ramen shack on a Sunday morning and waited almost 2 hours before I even got a table. Because of the wait, I recommend going to the restaurant 30 minutes before it opens, so the wait would be limited to none or very little. Because the shack is known for closing when it runs out of soup broths, it is beneficial to go earlier.
For the ramen, the most popular dish is the Orenchi Ramen ($9.80), which consists of a pork-tonkatsu broth topped with a soft boiled egg, pork, green onion, bamboo shoot, and seaweed. I definitely recommend it; the supremacy of all ramen shacks, Orenchi Ramen’s rendition of the flavor was beyond any doubt, worth the experience. The broth was executed perfectly — rich, with the right amount of saltiness. Other variations of ramens are soy sauce ($9.60) flavor and salt ($9.60) flavor.
In addition to ramen, there is also a large variety of appetizers. If you are not sure what to get, the karaage (3 piece $4.30 and 6 piece $7.50; fried chicken) and especially the french fries okonomiyaki style ($5.80; Japanese style french fries) are very popular choices. A rendition of classic Japanese food, the crisp fries are smothered with umami-rich okonomiyaki sauce (Japanese style sweet and salty sauce), Japanese mayonnaise, a sprinkling of bonito flakes and dried seaweed flakes.
Overall, my experience at Orenchi Ramen was very riveting. The service was fast and efficient, but not particularly enthusiastic. However, that did not really bother me, since there was a hot broth of ramen, sitting in front of me, waiting for me to slurp it up.
Rate: 9/10
Orenchi Ramen: 3540 Homestead Road, Santa Clara, CA; (408) 246-2955.
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; 6-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 5-8:30 p.m. Sunday. Hours can vary depending on soup availability.
Eagle Era 