TAMAYA

TAMAYA, Hacienda Heights
Japanese- Rice Dishes - Ramen


Location:

17142 Colima Rd Ste E
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 581-3223


Tamaya is located on the corner of Azusa/Colima in the same plaza as Albertsons and WAMU across from Puente Hills Mall. It is one of the few ramen places in the surrounding area. Since Tampopo closed down, this has been our spot to fix Jim's occasional ramen cravings.


The Ambience:

Tamaya is a small, homey, authentic looking Japanese restaurant which seems to be family owned and ran. When you walk in, a nice Japanese lady greets you with a smile and seats you. Because it is a tiny place there may sometimes be a bit of a wait to get seated. This is a no frills type of eatery, but something about it just gives off this feeling like you could find a place exactly like this in Japan. It's small, intimate and frequented by long time loyal customers.



The Food:

Their menu selection consists of different types of ramen, some curry, teriyaki rice bowls, katsu and a variety of other side dishes/appetizers. They also offer combination meals where you get to choose the type of ramen you want, a small sized rice dish and/or an appetizer. We usually start things off with an order of gyoza.



The gyoza is pan fried and we consider it an "okay" dish. Nothing really special about it. It kinda tastes like the frozen ones you can buy at the grocery store. Jim's usual order at Tamaya is the combo meal: his choice of ramen and usually a small rice bowl of beef teriyaki and it also comes with a side salad. (FYI- The small rice bowl isn't really all that small in my opinion and its very difficult to finish the whole meal if you opt for a combination dinner.) I'm not really big on ramen but I do consider the ramen at Tamaya as about average tasting though very much above many of the other surrounding ramen places in our nearby area. I have also heard some really good things about Foo Foo Tei in Hacienda Heights. I personally have not been there but Jim has so maybe he can write an addendum to this review. I don't often order ramen at Tamaya but there are a few dishes here that I LOVE. The beef teriyaki is one of them! It's delicious and sure beats the beef bowl at Yoshinoya in my opinion. It also costs less than $4 for a small bowl which in actuality is actually a good portion. Another favorite of mine at Tamaya is the spicy beef side dish. It's like a really tender stewed beef. I don't really know how to describe it, just that it's good! Trust me.

Jim's Ramen:



This particular visit to Tamaya I ordered a rice dish + appetizer combination. I got the Katsu-don rice dish which is rice topped with a pork cutlet and scrambled eggs. I've had katsu at other places before but this was a little different because the scrambled egg tasted a little sweet. With my first bite I just thought to myself, "Well. . .hmmm. . . that's a little different." I'm actually not sure if I like it or not. It's just . . . different.


Katsu-Don





Price: $

Including drinks, tax and tip, the cost of dining here per person should be around $10 -$15. It's not as cheap as going to a drive through or Yoshinoya but still very manageable.


Conclusion:

We come here mainly because Jim likes ramen and it is the closest one to us ( although Ajisen Ramen has recently opened nearby though we have not yet had the opportunity to check it out). However, we come back for the small, authentic Japanese restaurant feel, the nice Japanese lady who takes our order and the spicy beef. We definitely recommend anyone who likes ramen or Japanese food (not sushi) to give this place a try. We may have rated their ramen a little higher, but WE have tasted the BEST of the BEST ramen around. And I'm almost positive it's the BEST in all of Southern California. Shin-Sen-Gumi Ramen in Rosemead. I'm not a big fan of noodle soups, they're "okay" in my book, but if it's ramen from Shin-Sen-Gumi I'd eat it ALL day EVERY day!!! Their broth is to die for!! More on this place in a different review.