Tsukemen: A Rare Ramen Treat At Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa, But Only Until Sunday

Photo by my lunch date Joz

​Mitsuwa Marketplace in Costa Mesa is hosting a food fair right now (they stretch the word "fair" to mean they're offering a couple special, limited-time-only dishes) and this time, pop-up shop Nidaime Tsujita is serving up tsukemen, or "dipping noodles."  The result: mouthgasm. The spaghetti-like noodles are perfectly al-dente and the broth, made with pork and chicken bones, seafood and vegetables, is rich, slightly creamy and enhanced with a tangy kick thanks to the slices of lime. It's delicious, yet intense--you'll have no urge to gulp down the rest of the soup once the noodles are gone. The chashu is tender, oily and fatty, the way chashu should be.