Ready for the Challenge at Orochon Ramen?

123 S Onizuka St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 617-1766

I first heard about Orochon on a TV Show called Man Vs. Food. Yup, by the name of the show, you can probably tell this restuarant contains a challenge. The challenge? Spicy Ramen!

After watching the show, I was so determined to try one of their most spicy ramen--Special #2 if I ever go to Los Angeles. How could I turn down a spicy challenge when I LOVE spicy food?! But after reading some reviews from people who did the challenge, I backed out. It seemed like if I were to finish the ramen and the spicy soup in 30 mins, I would end up like many challengers...having to deal with the painful aftermath in the bathroom.

Soooo, when I got to Orochon, I decided to choose 3 level of spiciness lower just to test out the water. I decided to get the Orochon #2, which is the "Hyper Orochon" with Miso Broth. I think Miso Broth is richer in flavor and would probably enhance the spiciness more.

Orochon #2 with Miso Broth

My Orochon #2 Miso Ramen did not look spicy at all. The soup was not hot fiery red, so it put me at ease for a moment. I tasted the soup first, and to my disbelief, it was hot and spicy. I took a few bite of ramen and it enhanced the spiciness even more since the carby noodle retained more heat. As much as I have high tolerance to spiciness, I admit that the Orochon #2 is spicy enough for me to keep blowing my nose and drinking water.  

The noodle itself was just okay. It is skinny and semi-chewy. I think I had better. The soup was just okay also. It is spicy but it is also very grainy since it contains so much spice powder. It was very hard to drink because the powder irritates the throat.

I think there is nothing too special about the ramen at Orochon besides it being spicy if you want them spicy. I think I would just stick with my favorite two ramen houses next time I am in LA or try some other ones I never been to before.