"HiroNori Craft Ramen arrives in Hillcrest today, adding San Diego to its collection of eateries in Orange County; an outpost recently opened in Santa Clara and there are existing locations in Irvine and Long Beach. Co-founders Hiromichi Igarashi and Tadanori Akasakao channeled their collective experience as ramen chefs at restaurants in Japan and the U.S. into creating HiroNori Craft Ramen. A factory in the Los Angeles area makes its special recipe for noodles, available in thin or thick styles, and most of its ramen bases including a 24-hour simmered pork tonkotsu broth. Besides tonkotsu, the eatery also offers a shoyu ramen made with two-year barrel-aged soy sauce and a vegan sesame miso ramen packed with vegetables, soy meat, and tofu. The menu is rounded out with pork, chicken, or seafood-topped rice bowls and appetizers such as pork belly buns, cucumber crab salad, and garlic-soy fried chicken. The 1,101-square-foot, 30-seat Fifth Avenue shop will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; the eatery also working on adding beer and sake. As is common practice in Japan, a 15% service charged is tacked onto your bill in lieu of tipping." - Candice Woo
