Tamaya

I went to Tamaya during lunch time, it was not busy. However, parking lot was kind of packed.
They serve authentic Japanese food. I got Pork Katsu Curry with salad. The salad dressing was good, tasted sour and sweet at the same time. The pork katsu is a deep-​freid pork cutlet. Their pork katsu was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The Japanese curry sauce was a mix of salty, sweet and sour. Really delicious.
Reasonable price with average portion. The only downside was food coma afterward.

I have eaten here once and ordered take out once. The service is ok, a bit under staffed.
Pretty good quality ramen. Broth is wonderful. With all the newer ramen places in this area, it’s nice to see that this has survived the test of time.

One of my favorite places to eat. The Meat Lovers is my choice, my wife prefers the Spicy Beef Ramen. They have monthly specials that usually consist of a ramen soup and a small side dish such as teriyaki chicken bowl. The servers are very friendly and it’s always enjoyable here. Dinner time is very busy, but they have sign up list, worth the wait. I suggest you add a flavored egg or the fried chicken.

We have been coming here for a long time always a great time, great service, friendly people, very clean, feels like home. My favorite plates are their fried rice, spicy beef Ramen, and beef teriyaki !

This neighborhood ramen place has been here forever, over the years, they have evolved to add vegetarian items on the menu, I think that’s pretty nice for a local eatery.
I usually only get vegetarian ramen with side of sautéed veggies, or tofu sushi, they are quite delicious, the soup base is light but still flavorful. Hubby likes spicy beef or pork ramen, side of chicken, eel bowls or fried rice. The menu is quite extensive, a little bit of everything for everybody, limited sake and beer selections too. They have specials all the time, it’s usually very good deal.
The food prices are inexpensive, portions are decent, service is friendly, I think that makes this place a great local ramen eatery!

Very very delicious noodles soup. Once you eat it you might want to go there again and again. The service is fast but have to waite for seat during lunch hours.

Love coming here for Ramen and gyoza! They have this curry Ramen which I thought was amazing and unique (it being my first time) and really loved the quality of the food especially for how cheaply priced it was.

Ever since I first started coming here when I lived in the area, I loved their ramen. It’s a small restaurant, so seating is limited, but the quality of the food is up to par in my opinion. The waiters/​waitresses are nice and are bilingual/​multilingual, so they can help you with the menu.
In my opinion, order the ramen, especially if you’re trying this place for the first time. The noodles are just the right consistency and the broth is flavorful. They’re generous with their portions, so I always leave feeling full. But, if you’re not feeling like eating ramen, their other dishes are also very good. I like their yakisoba and their other appetizers, like the takoyaki, gyoza, and katsu. They also have spam musubi! Additionally, they have various rice dishes if that tickles your fancy.
I feel like this place is understaffed, which is why service can be a bit slow. (Hence, the ⁴⁄₅.) When you come, they either seat you or you seat yourself. I think it depends on the day and how busy it is. But, whenever I get a chance to, I try to come here to eat because it’s just so darn comforting. (… and we all need a little bit of comfort food every now and then.)

If you’re looking for authentic Japanese ramen, this is the place to go!
Ramen comparison:
I went to Ajisen yesterday and the main difference between the two types of ramen is that Ajisen doesn’t skim the oil off the top of the broth. Tamaya has a «clean» ramen taste. I ordered the shoyu ramen for $ 6.75 and it was the perfect amount of food. Not too much, and not too little. My mom ordered the shio ramen, which I thought was pretty good too. Definitely cheaper than Foo Foo Tei and less of a wait.
Seating/​wait time:
We had 2 people in our party and there was a party of 4 in line ahead of us. We waited for like 10 minutes, were seated before the party of 4, and were eating our food before they got seated. So, if you have a party of 2, the wait time will definitely be less than if you have more people.
Will definitely be back to try the miso!

I came back from Japan just a week ago and I still can’t get enough Japanese food… it’s definitely an addiction.
Craving Japanese so my boyfriend and I came to this local Rowland ramen spot that I’ve been coming to for years and it’s just as good as I remembered even though it’s been awhile.
I got the beef curry and he got the kotteri tonkatsu ramen and added a mini katsudon rice bowl for $ 3.95 and we got a takoyaki to share.
Beef curry ⁴⁄₅: I rarely get curry but when I really crave it, it’s got to be Japanese curry! Japanese curry tends to be more soupy and less thick than Chinese/​canto/​Indian curry so it goes great with rice because it just soaks into it. The beef was super tender and soft. Docked a point because it was slightly too salty for my taste, but still super savory and good! I would get it again. It comes with a side salad.
Mini katsudon ⁵⁄₅: katsudon is delicious. I wish I knew how to make it, for someone who doesn’t normally eat much rice, if it’s a katsudon bowl I’m always game. The katsu was average but it was a generous amount for such a little bowl. The combination with the egg, katsu, rice, and green onion is always great.
Takoyaki ⁵⁄₅: I’ve had a LOT of takoyaki from various places and I really didn’t have any high expectations for this place. My boyfriend was just craving it so we got it, and surprisingly it was really good! Crispy and not overpowered with sauce and mayo which I like better, some people might think it’s too little sauce compared to regular takoyaki but I liked it. Always a plus if I actually bite into pieces of octopus! That means I’m not getting scammed and this tako ball is done right.
Kotteri ramen ⁴⁄₅: noodles were on point! They’re more on the normal/​hard side than soft which is perfect. I love hard noodles, if you don’t I suggest you give them a heads up. Chashu and soft boiled egg were all done well, the only down side was the broth wasn’t super. It was a bit watered down, but still oily. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t amazing. If it’s going to be a little oily, I always expect a flavor explosion.
Service is good, then again it was a Monday night and it wasn’t busy. I definitely like this ramen spot though and it’s one of my go to local joints for Japanese food.

I have been let down so many times since Daikokuya closed its doors. I was prepared to give up on finding delicious kotteri tonkotsu ramen… then I found Tamaya. Many places either have really bland broth or use instant noodles, you can taste the love in their food.
You walk into this small ramen shop and are immediately greeted if you are lucky enough to come after the lunch rush. Pick a seat and grab a menu. They have a great selection of Japanese foods that taste great. It tastes like someone’s mom is back there making you your meal. I love it.
I ordered kotteri tonkotsu ramen, tonkatsu-​don, gyoza, and the super meat one (hubs loves lots of meat).
Gyoza was moist and savory. It had a good pork and green onion flavor.
Tonkatsu-​don was moist and really flavorful. I love the sweetness out adds to the rice and egg.
Kotteri Tonkotsu Ramen… just typing the name makes me want to go back. I order it with extra egg (ajitama). It comes worth bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, ajitama, pickled ginger, chashu pork, and green onions. Honestly, just add some soy sauce to the broth and mix the egg yolks in the broth. This is now my absolute favorite ramen.
Super Meat Ramen (I don’t remember the correct name) comes with everything my ramen did in addition to chicken, pork, and beef. Hubs is a man of few words, but hours bowl was empty and he told me to remember our new ramen shop.
We love this place and wish we went in 3 years ago. Definitely give it a try.

This place always hits the spot. Most ramen places aren’t really that authentic, but I think this place really is. I’ve been to Japan and tried the ramen there, and I honestly think this place is up to par with real authentic Japanese ramen.
Kotteri spicy beef ramen here is soooo delicious, the meat is so tender, the ramen noodles are always perfectly cooked, soup is hot and fatty, and the egg is perfectly soft boiled. I love this place to pieces. It can get crowded on the weekends, but I don’t mind waiting for a hot bowl of ramen that satisfies me like nowhere else.

Solid ramen spot that isn’t particularly the most amazing but will definitely hit the spot.
It’s located in the same plaza as the 168 Market and 85 Bakery and my boyfriend and I came here for lunch on a weekend.
We ordered:
Gyozas (⁴⁄₅) — pretty good and solid gyozas that were fried
Shoyu chashu ramen (⁴⁄₅) — solid and hearty bowl with a good portion for the price. It was a little on the saltier side but definitely good nonetheless.
Service was friendly and the wait staff refilled our waters and were attentive. The shop is small so I’d recommend coming early or at an off time. The seating is also on the smaller more cramped end so I wouldn’t recommend this place for large groups. Prices are also decent for the portion size (ramen bowls range from $ 8-​$ 13 each).
I definitely think I’d be back one day.

Came in on a cold night. Place hit the spottttt.
Service was decent. nothing spectacular. tables and stuff felt a slight bit more dirty /​sticky than most restaurants but meh
I ordered the curry katsu ramen while the gf ordered the mapo tofu ramen? I was a bit intrigued by it. Both dishes tasted great. the katsu was one of the better ones i had and actually mixed really well with the curry ramen. you just coudln’t let it sit too long otherwise it’d get soggy. eh. Mapo tofu was flavored using some kind of soy sauce /​oil base and chilli peppers i think which made it interesting. not a thick mapo tofu like most taiwanese dishes. I think my gf said that the tofu was better than most other places
portions were large. Enough to fill up the average person and then some i think. great bang for your buck i think. comparable to getting a bowl of phở. Would come again.

Highly, highly Recommedned!!!
There used to be a Tamaya in Alhambra and I ate there once and didn’t think it was anything amazing so I never thought to try this location until recently and now I’m crying inside thinking about how many times I’ve missed out on amazing ramen… wah!
I had the Tonkotsu Ramen with corn and ohmygaaaah it was delcious! I was in my «don’t bother me, I’m eating» zone the whooole time. I was soooo happy! This dish has a thicker pork based soup and comes with ramen, 3 pieces of pork (maybe 4?), one WHOLE egg (halved), bamboo, green onions, and bean sprouts. (please see my picture to drool). I would definiltely get this again!
I also tried the gyoza (meh. it was okay but nothing amazing), beef teriyaki (really good, would get it again if i was in the mood), chicken teriyaki (same comment as previous), and the torikara don which is a bowl of rice topped with egg and chicken. I actually didn’t like it at all because it was WAY too sweet so I won’t ever get this again.
Oh man. I want to go back… like right NOW! So good!
VEGETARIANS: There are a few ramens and noodles that are truly vegetarians (no meat based broth)… yay!
Location: In the 85 degree plaza. When you turn in from the entrance on Azusa, drive straight to park. On your left you will see Daiso, then Chase, then the restaurant is right next to Chase. Park around there. The restaurant is small so you may need to write your name on a clipboard that’s outside, right next to the door. It’s a eat-​and-​run type of joint so the wait should be quick. My party only waited 5 minutes.

Cozy ramen shop in a busy shopping center (it’s next to Daiso and Chase Bank). Service is no-​nonsense and no-​frills. When there’s no wait, you’ll seat yourself and be given a menu. Tamaya is not a place to stretch your legs, have a long conversation, and take your time with your meal. Rather, slurp up those noodles and go back to whatever it was you were doing before you stopped in.
The food is very good; I’ve enjoyed the chashu ramen and the tonkatsu ramen and even their teriyaki beef bowl. I wouldn’t say anything was mind-​blowing or the best ever, but the ramen always hits the spot, especially on a cold night. One thing I like is that it’s always busy here, but I’ve never had to wait very long, if at all, to nab a table. I’m a fan.

I’ve been coming here for years the broth in the Kotteri Ramen soup is to die for. The taste is like no other. It rivals the top Ramen houses in little Tokyo in Los Angeles. The noodles, beef, and egg are so good. Top shelf.
For it being such a small place it is really good. The service is OK but service in most these places are below average anyway. But the service to me dosent matter because, the Ramen speaks for itself like a work of art.

Came here at 1 with a friend for lunch. I ordered a mushroom vegetarian ramen and my friend ordered the meat lover’s bowl. Kind of ironic.
It was pretty busy when we arrived so we put our name down on the list and waited about 5 minutes. When we were seated, it took a few minutes for us to get our menu because the restaurant was so busy that there weren’t that many servers to help everyone in a prompt manner.
Anyway, my mushroom veggie ramen bowl came out and looked kind of uninspiring and tasted decent. My friend seemed to enjoy his ramen bowl.
Overall, I thought it was a decent place. Perhaps if I go at a less busy time and order something else, I would give it a 4. As for price, its pretty fair. Each of our bowls was about $ 9-​$ 10.

Definitely a go to place for some authentic ramen in the area. With the plethora of Asian shops around, it’s nice to know there are jewels in the pile.
The shop itself is rather small, so if you come in with a huge group during dinner rush, be prepared to wait a while. This place is best for groups of 4 people or less! Waitresses are polite enough and will greet you in Japanese. Menus are usually already on the table so it’s quick to figure out what you’d want.
They have a large selection on ramen, noodle soups, and rice dishes to choose from. My go-​to meal is the miso ramen however. The meat is extremely tasty but beware, sometimes the broth can be a bit too salty. Their appetizers are an especially good value and you definitely get more than what you pay for here!
There is a $ 25 minimum to use credit/​debit cards, so if you’re in a small group, be prepared and bring cash! There is also a Chase bank next door if you need to grab cash conveniently.

I came here the other day with one of my friends since we were craving ramen and were in the area.
FOOD:
Perhaps I didn’t order the right ramen, but I didn’t notice anything special about this place. I ordered the Beef Curry Ramen while my friend ordered the Kotteri Tonkotsu Ramen. Portion size was decent. The beef was tender but also a bit chewy and fatty. In general, I prefer noodles to be al dente and these noodles seemed to have been slightly overcooked as it did not have the al dente texture.
Overall: ³⁄₅
SERVICE:
The servers were attentive and would stop by from time to time to ask if we wanted additional water. Food was also served pretty quickly after ordering.
Overall: ⁴⁄₅
DECOR/​AMBIANCE:
Your usual small, quaint ramen place. Not many tables but still pretty orderly and clean. Decorations were simple and minimal.
Overall: ³⁄₅
Note: They charge a fee if you use a credit card and the total bill is below $ 25. You can use a debit card or pay with cash as alternatives.

I adore the Daikokuya Kottori tonkotsu ramen, so when I saw it here, I knew I had to give it a try. The soup is much better at daikokuya, but everything else is better here. The noodles are more noodley and less plasticy. Yes they give you less pork, but it’s only $ 8.25. The other stuff in the ramen is better too, better and more mushrooms, the eggs are cooked more perfectly, even more of a selection of things to season your soup with (they have siracha!)
Additionally, if you get the kottori, they give you four free spam rice rolls! They are like spam musubi, but without the sauce!
Good solid ramen place! They do have a $ 20 minimum if you want to use a credit/​debit card though!