Steve C.
There a few ramen restaurants in the Valley. I've tried Jinya (which was pretty good), Koraku (which was pretty lousy), Hanabishi (which was so-so), and Ramen Nippon in Reseda (which was so-so as well). And now a new ramen restaurant has opened in Sherman Oaks called Tamashii, which I was able to try on grand opening night. And wow, it was great.They are not the type of ramen restaurant that uses soup bases and whips the soup up in 15 minutes. Their soup, which is cooked from chicken meat and bones, is actually cooked for about 15-20 hours overnight before they serve it the next day. It is as fresh and rich as it can possibly get. And it is very tasty. It's very similar to the ramen at Jinya in Studio City and Daikokuya in Little Tokyo. Tamashii Ramen may indeed be the next big thing in the Valley, and possibly a future franchise. The noodle texture was also nice and chewy, reminiscent of the noodles served in mainland Japan. So overall, their food quality is good, and for the most part authentic.Aside from the house special Tonkotsu Shio, I was also able to try the Pork Chashu bowl, which was also delicious. The pork was soft and sometimes crispy, and had a nice flavor to it, along with good quality Japanese rich underneath. Although I didn't try the Pork Gyoza or sushi rolls that night, they were popular among the customers that day, so I guess it's a safe bet in terms of filling side appetizers. But of course, the main attraction is the ramen, which this place does a very nice job with.I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you love ramen. Like I said, it's pretty comparable in quality and taste with restaurants like Jinya and Daikokuya. The head kitchen chef was a former chef at Jinya Ramen Studio City, so I already figured why the ramen bowls were notches above the ordinary joints. The noodle choice, care and time put into the broth soup, and presentation all reflect this restaurant's attention to detail, authenticity, and, as the restaurant motto states, "noodles that touch the soul."It is somewhat of a small place, but a very beautifully designed restaurant. It's an exact replica of something out of Tokyo, inside and outside, and their service is wonderful. And they also have take-out. I'm sure this will be one of those restaurant will be one you go often, whether by yourself or with friends. When you taste the food and observe the environment, you will see why