Tajima Ramen Convoy

"Tajima is a ramen empire with multiple locations found in College Heights, East Village, Hillcrest, North Park and Mercury, but the original on Convoy is still tops among ramen enthusiasts. For something different, order their carnitas ramen, a spicy tonkatsu chicken and pork broth with carnitas, radish, cilantro and lime among its ingredients." - Darlene Horn

"Opened just days after restaurants were banned from offering dine-in service, Tajima’s newest location in the College Area made its debut at a less-than-optimal time. Since its quiet opening, the ramen shop — Tajima’s sixth overall in San Diego — has been operating for takeout via walk-in or online orders and delivery through UberEats, DoorDash, Postmates and GrubHub." - Candice Woo

"Acclaimed chef Ryuichiro Shinagawa of Tokyo’s Basso Drillman has opened Ramen Menma Basso Drillman in downtown Oceanside, becoming the latest Japanese ramen expert to choose San Diego as the launching point for U.S. expansion. Winner of the Michelin Bib Gourmand award for four consecutive years, Shinagawa also runs a ramen shop in his home town of Akita, Japan, which is also home base for Takashi Endo, the chef behind Kearny Mesa’s runaway hit, Menya Ultra Ramen. Basso Drillman’s signature ramen is a soup-less style called aburasso, based on well-seasoned, chewy noodles topped with slow-cooked chashu pork, bamboo shoots, cabbage, and green onions. The shop also offers shoyu ramen made with a simmered soup of chicken, pork, and seafood and a red hot miso ramen that adds miso and mild cheese to spicy broth. A special deluxe bowl option features two extra pieces each of pork and bamboo and a seasoned soft boiled egg. The chef makes his own noodles in Japan, and may add a noodle-making area to the Oceanside branch or a future location. Beer, wine, and sake will be added later, as well as other appetizers and side dishes. Ramen Menma Basso Drillman is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m." - Candice Woo