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<\/a>The colorful establishment is actually full of whimsical surprises. A shelving unit perched near the order counter shows off 100 \u201clucky cats\u201d in neat alignment and with their paws moving in celebratory gestures from solar power.<\/p>\n
Further in, an elaborate mural of a dragon spans a 52-foot-long wall. It was painted adeptly by La Mesa artist \u201cK.J.,\u201d whose monkey mural and ethereal makeovers of globe lights add flair to the charming back patio.<\/p>\n As for the wallpaper that owner Aaron Dean chose for the gender-neutral restroom, I\u2019ll say no more other than it\u2019s fabulously eye-popping.<\/p>\n Dean also owns Sheldon\u2019s Service Station, a restaurant down the street serving healthy, contemporary fare that gained instant popularity when he opened it last year in a circa-1920 building.<\/p>\n For this newest venture, he brought in Chef Reo Goto who worked previously at Sushi Ota and for a ramen kitchen in San Diego\u2019s Convoy Street district.<\/p>\n Goto uses medium-width ramen noodles imported from Japan. And his spot-on broths are available in classic varieties: pork-based tonkotsu; soy sauce-based shoyu; and pork or vegetarian miso.<\/p>\n Before delving into our big bowls of goodness, we encroached on a few crafty appetizers while imbibing on flights of smooth sake. My companion was wildly smitten over the gelatinous canned version parked alongside, choosing peach flavor over berry.<\/p>\n A trio of bao bun \u201ctacos\u201d was crowned with slow-braised brisket that practically melted into its bedding of cucumber-carrot slaw. Sriracha aioli, hoisin sauce and fresh cilantro added lushness and complexity, yet without sending them over the top.<\/p>\n Filipino house-made lumpia makes a surprise appearance on the menu with crispy casings capturing mildly spiced beef. They\u2019re served with seasoned vinegar and sweet chili sauce, either of which breathes life into these otherwise plain-tasting noshes.<\/p>\n White miso mingled superbly with butter, sesame oil, jalapenos and cilantro in a generous bowl of corn shaved straight off their cobs. The light-yellow kernels were like garden candy, popping with sweetness in every mouthful.<\/p>\n My companion opted for the Mesa ramen made with beef broth and low-sodium shoyu. It\u2019s finished tastefully with ginger-onion oil. Floating above the curly noodles was a stockpile of the aforementioned ultra-tender brisket plus wilted spinach, enoki mushrooms, pickled ginger and soft boiled eggs sporting gorgeous orange yolks.<\/p>\n Like the BLVD ramen I ordered, but with tonkotsu pork broth and cha-siu (pork belly) instead, it wasn\u2019t salty or bland \u2014 the two common pitfalls of ramen.<\/p>\n His broth flaunted a soothing, fermented flavor brightened by the ginger. Mine was laced with the richness of fat and marrow from pork bones, but without the obnoxious heaviness I\u2019ve encountered in other places. Both were outstanding and needed no help from the chili condiments on our table.<\/p>\n With a passionate chef and artful family-friendly environment in place, Dean has filled a culinary niche on La Mesa Boulevard, sparing foodies the trek into San Diego for sating their ramen cravings.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>