I am not sure why they always seem to come in twos.
This week, both Ajisen Ramen and Greek Islands debuted.
Ajisen was already doing decent business at 4 P.M. yesterday, attracting a few looky-loos like myself. Greek Islands, on the other hand, was not.
It remains to be seen how Greek food will be received by the same crowd that still converge upon 85 Degrees C in droves, but their menu looks to be a much needed change of pace for the Asian-leaning plaza.
Besides that, Irvine needs a good place for falafel, which Greek Islands has on its roster.
Although I haven't tried Ajisen, their prices worry me. None of their ramen bowls retail below $7.50. Most hover at $8.50 or $9.75.
You can still get a medium bowl at Santoka — the revered favorite around these parts — for about $6.99 (last time I checked). But during times like these, when people are more likely to resort to Nissin's Cup Noodles or Maruchan's Instant Lunch for their ramen fix (can't beat its 30-cents-per cup), today's going rate for restaurant ramen will be tough to swallow for most.
Of course, Ajisen's broth won't be loaded with MSG and their veggies won't be freeze-dried.
Also, they're open until 10 PM most nights, and 11 PM on the weekends, which are optimal noodle slurping hours.
I have scanned and made Ajisen's menu available for you to peruse in case you're already more than halfway into your Costco-sized pallet of instant ramen and craving a proper bowl:
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.