Photo by Michael A. Gardiner
Shoyu ramen
To be honest, I was prepared to dislike HiroNori (3803 5th Ave.). After all, it wasn’t so long ago that I proclaimed that San Diego’s ramen scene had jumped the shark. Speaking of one particularly egregious example, I wrote that once place didn’t “seem to understand the essence of ramen.”
HiroNori in Hillcrest proves, however, that there is still room for those who do understand that essence.
The headliner at HiroNori is the tonkotsu, the thick, rich and muscular pork broth that local enthusiasts treat as the king of ramen broths. At its best, tonkotsu is the essence of pig in liquid form. That is, perhaps, because it is made from a ton of pork bones cooked down for 24 hours until they collapse under their own weight.
HiroNori’s tonkotsu is a good, if not exceptional example of the dish. It’s rich and characterized by power, though it lacked the extraordinarily viscous texture of the best tonkotsu. The same is true of the thick ramen noodles: tasty, absorptive but not exceptional. The garnishes, though, were well executed; the egg was warm with a slightly soft yolk and a soy flavor, while the slices of pork chashu were well-cooked and savory without being too salty or fatty.
Perhaps, though, the headliner at HiroNori ought to be the shoyu ramen. Shoyu ramen has a flavor that is characterized by soy sauce rather than pork. HiroNori’s shoyu ramen is hardly the lightest example of the genre, but has the clear broth and elegance that defines the style. HiroNori boasts about its soy sauce being aged two years in wood barrels, and the complexities of the resulting ramen broth is evidence they can back up the bragging. It is an elegant, nuanced broth that is clearly the best example of the style in town.
All three of HiroNori’s ramen offerings (the third being the vegan, featuring broccolini, tofu, soy meat and kale) come with a set grouping of garnishes. There are also a number of optional additions ranging from proteins to vegetables and sauces. Perhaps the best choice is the black garlic oil (mayu) for its extra dose of richness, umami and floral, smoky notes. HiroNori recommends using the black garlic oil on the tonkotsu, not the shoyu, but I practically wanted to bathe in it.
And while HiroNori is primarily a ramen house, it offers other items as well. One of the low-key best offerings at the restaurant, however, comes free and at the front end: a glass of water. More specifically, a glass of mint, watermelon and lemon-infused water. The best of the starters is the crispy chicken (aka karaage), which is essentially soy-marinated chicken nuggets coated in potato starch and fried. The spicy sauce that comes with it is, in my view, is highly optional. A squeeze of the accompanying lemon wedge, though, is not, as it brings out the chicken’s natural flavor.
Still, HiroNori is all about the ramen. The cooks here understand the essence of the genre. It shows in the carefully balanced flavors of the broths and how they manage to be powerful, complex and graceful all at the same time. Yes, perhaps the San Diego ramen scene has, indeed, jumped the shark, but there’s always room for the excellent.