so the fine folk from abc family have seen fit to produce a series of videos in which i introduce you - the unsuspecting viewer - to the glory of "the middleman." if you miss the old "ask javi" days, or just want to see what happens when a tv producer drinks too much red bull...

...check it out here!

in the past, i have blogged about my ongoing quest for great ramen noodles.

now, for much of the past few months, satisfying my ramen cravings has been as simple as walking the five or so blocks from my downtown la loft to daikokuya - one of the city's most acclaimed den of noodles and pork soup. for several months now, daikokuya's thick, buttery broth has been like the culinary equivalent of nirvana for yours truly (or, as a friend of mine described it "it's like eating a melted pig").

because my favorite ramen has been so close to home, i have not been tremendously motivated to find other sources - but three weeks ago, something awful happened...i was waiting at the door to daikokuya and saw the health department's rating for the restaurant.

a big, fat "c."

normally, i will eat at a restaurant with a "b" - because, hey, maybe the food inspectors caught the place on a bad day or something...and frankly, as someone who, as a kid, used to love to stop on the side of the highway from san juan to fajardo and buy fish fritters from roadside vendors, maybe i am being a massive puss by not just shutting the heck up and eating my favorite ramen in town...but i have to say, something about the sight of that red "c" on the door of a restaurant - even one i love - i love is profoundly off-putting...

so, having drawn the line and decided to not return to daikokuya until they get back up to a "b"rating at least, i have been on a quest for great ramen in los angeles, with decidedly mixed results.

i have been following the suggestions of los angeles ramen guru rickmond wong (aka the rameniac) - but i am still searching for a bowl of ramen as perfect to my palate as daikokuya's (which ranks relatively low in the rameniac's hierarchy).

primarily, i am looking for a thick and complicated soup, and i am primarily a tonkotsu ramen eater - daikokuya's standard broth seems to be as thick as the extra-thick broth in most other ramen shops, their kotteri style is downright decadent - but also densely layered with an amazing mouth-feel) and the only place i have found that has compared so far has been kintaro...which, sadly, is in vancouver (and since we film "the middleman" series here, i am unlikely to get up there in the near future).

so if anyone out there has a recommendation, i am all ears...here is a list of the ramen i have tried in town, in descending order of preference, and why i have (or haven't liked it):

daikokuya - 'nuff said
asa ramen - the kotteri style shoyu was tasty, but not flawless - and this is a half hour drive for me
gardena ramen - a great, lovingly crafted broth which i did not love because of the use of chicken in the base - also very far from home
santouka ramen (torrance) - the rameniac's favorite, i found the soup underwhelming, more salty than flavorful
chabuya - underwhelming, i prefer their udon (and the sawtelle location is perfect for walks to the giant robot store)
ramen-ya - great, thick pork slices, but i didn't love the soup
asahi ramen - it has been several years, i don't remember it being memorable
san sui tei - i only went to this restaurant because daikokuya was closed for a location shoot