Justine H.
Yelp
Jinya who? The tonkotsu ramen at Naka is so good, it will make you forget about all the other overpriced (and overrated) ramen of your past.
Naka is a clean, quaint ramen shop in an underdeveloped shopping center on hwy 6 (entrance opposite of the Popeyes). I've taken a fairly thorough tour through the menu, and here's how they rank:
Tonkotsu Ramen (5/5) - Second only to Ramen Bar Ichi, the tonkotsu ramen at Naka is loaded with perfectly cooked noodles, a complex milky pork broth, and the most savory chashu pork ever to grace your tongue. The soup is simple, but every layer builds upon the last, from the bite of the noodles to the luscious custard-like yolk of the ajitama egg. P.S. The ramen comes with 2 chashu pork.... but do yourself a favor and order an extra one (or five).
Chicken Katsu Don (5/5) - This crispity crunchity chicken is everything you want in a katsu. Juicy chicken coated in a wonderfully flaky panko crust, yet somehow, not greasy at all. The katsu sauce is very... saucy. More wet and liquidy than the strange, thick BBQ-esque sauces I've experienced with other katsu dons. The kid's portion is the perfect size for an appetizer.
Spicy Miso Ramen (3/5) - The broth was a lot more lackluster than I'd expected, but my brother seemed to really enjoy the spicy kick. They aren't shy to add spice, but I wish the soup had more flavor/depth.
Chicken yakitori (3/5) - The huge hunks of chicken thighs were juicy and covered in a sticky sauce. They kind of remind me of the old-school bourbon chicken from the mall (in a good way). I only deducted one star because I felt like they could have been charred more, and the green onion pieces were ridiculously large.
Pork gyoza (2/5) - They weren't the worst gyoza I've ever had. The filling tasted good enough, but the dumpling was overcooked.
Takoyaki (2/5) - They didn't have enough octopus inside, which made it a little more doughy than I'm used to.
I know my review seems to contradict the 5 star rating... but I don't need a restaurant to be good at everything. All I need is one thing to keep me coming back, and that thing here is the tonkotsu ramen. The fact that they have a bomb-ass chicken katsu don is just a super delicious bonus.