This week's restaurant review is of Ramen Hayatemaru in Torrance. We encourage you to read the review, but offer this bullet point synopsis to whet your appetite.

Food: Sapporo-style ramen. From the review: “Hayatemaru imports its medium-thick curly noodles from the chain's factory in Sapporo, along with all its sauces. Fittingly, the restaurant offers a variety of miso ramen options, but it also offers “Hokkaido ramen,” in a pork-rich tonkotsu broth, and “Hokkaido shoyu ramen,” which is soy sauce-based.”

Looks: More upscale than your average ramen shop. From the review: “It's kind of … fancy for a ramen shop. Classic jazz plays over the sound system. The tables are a touch sleeker than you might find at the regular strip-mall joint; the booths are basically private rooms built into the side of the restaurant; and there's even a tatami room, which is a rarity for ramen shops, and should be like catnip for the Noodle Disordered who might like to have a ramen-flavored birthday celebration in style.”

Reason to drive to Torrance: Gyoza. From the review: “But for me, the triumph at Hayatemaru wasn't noodles at all but dumplings. The slippery, thin skins of Hayatemaru's gyoza are so delicate that eating them has the quality of memory before they're even gone.”

Takeaway: “Is it noodle Nirvana? Not exactly. But its slightly upscale setting, its tatami room and its Sapporo-specific ramen set it apart.”

The review also ought to give you an idea if you have Noodle Disorder … what's Noodle Disorder? Read the review and find out!

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