Caleb T.
Yelp
When my son was less than a year old, I watched him stand up on his own and push a big, foam log at a Gymboree class when other, older kids were unable to do so. That overwhelming sense of pride I had while watching his accomplishment has been mirrored over and over during the course of my now nine years in being his father. And when he eagerly agreed in coming with me to try Ramen for his first time at this new spot in San Marcos, I felt that same, familiar feeling well up and I couldn't help but smile as I watched his eyes go wide when they set that huge bowl of Mik's spicy Me So Hot in front of him.
I just wish I could have done better by him and brought him to a better shop for his first outing.
Ramen Mik opened a few months ago, the shop on my radar as it's in a center I pass by often. When it finally unlocked the front doors, I was able to convince the family to give it a try. A few weeks prior I had sampled Harumama in Carlsbad and was an immediate fan, trying to find similar fare closer to home. Sadly, this shop doesn't even come close.
I had their Show You, the pork option off their Signature Ramen selection. The Chashu was bland, mainly flavored by the broth, with no charred crispiness and little saltiness to it. The noodles were thick and plentiful, at least, giving a nice fullness to the dish. And the Dashi Egg was well made, with the yolk being soft and gelatinous, and having a nice overall color and taste. But, the broth itself was exceedingly disappointing as it lacked any depth of flavor or richness; it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it had simply come from a foil packet tossed into some boiling water. Which was a shame considering how good it looked when it hit the table.
The same went for my wife's Cock-a-Noodle-Doo. She chose the chicken option so our daughter could enjoy some of the noodles. Loaded with Bok Choy and beautiful Chili Pepper Strings, it shared that lack of depth and flavor to the broth. When I mentioned it tasting like a dry pack of Top Ramen, she very much agreed. Our daughter did eat most of her noodles, however.
Our son was unable to eat much of the Me So Hot, the spice a bit too much for him. I took over his bowl and gave him half of my own; he was thankful for something he could swallow and I was thankful for something with at least some heat to cover up the lack of taste. My stepson shrugged at the leftovers later that night.
We also had an order of Mik's Fries on the table, a safe option for the kids. Sadly, they weren't fried well as they arrived cool and limp with no crispiness to the chew. The dipping sauce did help to cover up the flaws a bit, though.
And last we had the Takoyaki appetizer. This was the true saving grace of our meal and the best thing we had all night. The meat had been cut into decent sized chunks, allowing it to be easily eaten without much effort, but still keeping the nice chewy texture you'd expect from octopus. The batter was delicious, not too overpowering in seasoning, and the blend of mayo and the sweet takayuki sauce with benito flakes on top was fantastic. I enjoyed two of them while my son greedily devoured the rest.
Ultimately, a very underwhelming dinner where the main fare was bland and disappointing with only one of the appetizers worthy of any praise. Topped off by higher prices than other, much better ramen shops, and I'm left with a below average view of Ramen Mik.