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Marissa Johnson/Scottsdale Chronicle

Nishikawa Totoro entrance decor when walking in the restaurant.

Here in Arizona, it is rare how many real ramen places there are. Newly-opened Nishikawa Ramen, located at 1909 East Ray Road (the corner of Ray and Cooper), wants people to know what authentic ramen tastes like. According to their website, the broth is broiled for twenty hours and noodles are made fresh every day. By my dish’s aroma and taste, I can believe it.

When you first walk in, you notice drapes and “My Neighbor Totoro” figures in a glass case. You are greeted and seated fast. When handed the menu, you will notice that the menu is small and there isn’t much on it. You get three main courses of food to choose from – Ramen, Donburi, and Tapas – plus sides to add to your ramen. Donburi is a large bowl with a meat over rice and Tapas are the appetizer. There isn’t an enormous quantity of food here, the key here is quality. I ordered Pork Gyoza and Chicken Karaage both as appetizers; they were delicious and came out fast. Both small dishes have a distinct taste that you can tell is Nishikawa’s own take on these dishes. After that, my main dish arrived.

I got ramen tonkotsu, your standard ramen dish. It has pork broth with pork meat, green onions, kikurage, seasoned egg, fish powder and sesame. The first thing anyone will notice is the size. Unlike most restaurants, the portion size isn’t humongous. I thought that it was unique to stick to traditional Japanese portion size. You’ll also notice that the main dish is extremely pinpointed to look nice. When brought out to you, every piece of food is in place, making the food look picture-worthy. The bowl size with the amount of noodles and broth is perfect. You’ll end up eating the whole thing and not being overly stuffed. The aroma and the taste is simply delicious. Overall, the taste of authenticity is there and I can say that the place is worth trying out.

The best thing about this place is the food, but the prices are also very affordable. The most expensive dish here is $11.95, not including any additional toppings. Honestly, that is a really good price. The main downside of this place is, unless you live in Chandler, the drive can be a ways away. Also, while it didn’t ruin my experience, the waiter was a bit inattentive. I sat in my booth for a little while longer than any usual restaurant but because the food was so good, I didn’t mind in the slightest.

Overall, people who are dying to try some good ramen or are looking for a new place to try should give Nishikawa Ramen a shot.