Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai: A Torrance Ramen Shop for Clear Shoyu Broth

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai at 4338 Pacific Coast Hwy in Torrance sells its namesake bowl for $14.45, well under what most Los Angeles shops charge, and the soup is a clear pork broth with soy seasoning rather than a cloudy tonkotsu. This South Bay ramen shop sits in a shopping plaza, opens at 11 am daily, and lets you join a Yelp waitlist before you leave home, a useful trick on busy weekend evenings.

The style is what makes the place worth the drive. Kitakata, a small city in Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, is known for one of the country's three great regional ramen styles, according to the restaurant. Its bowls use flat, wavy noodles that are crinkled by hand, a method called temomi, in a light pork-bone broth seasoned with soy. The result is cleaner and lighter than the rich pork bowls most Angelenos know.

Start with the Kitakata Ramen at $14.45. The menu lists pork broth, a shoyu base, five slices of toro chashu, bamboo shoots and green onions. The fatty chashu melts into the hot soup, and the wavy noodles grip the broth with every lift of the chopsticks. Add a seasoned egg for $1.70, a small price that makes this one of the best values in South Bay ramen, especially at lunch.

Pork lovers should order the Chashu Ramen at $19.95, which covers the bowl with 13 slices of chashu. For heat, the Green Chili Shio Ramen at $16.45 is the bowl The Infatuation singled out, praising the optional green chili oil for its lip-numbing kick. The Spicy Tan Tan Ramen and the Spicy Miso Ramen each cost $17.75, while the Rich Miso Ramen is $15.95.

An honest suggestion: skip the Tonkotsu Ramen at $16.95. It is a fine bowl, but you can find thicker pork broths at dozens of shops across the South Bay, and ordering it here misses the reason Ban Nai exists. Choose the Kitakata or Chashu Ramen instead. On hot afternoons, the Tsukemen Dashi Shoyu at $15.95 brings cold noodles with a dipping sauce, and the Vegan Miso Ramen costs $16.95 for plant-based diners.

Small plates round out the meal. Pan-fried gyoza cost $7.50 for five pieces, the Juicy Fried Chicken is $8.50 for five pieces, and a Chashu Bun sells for $5.20. The Aburi Chashu Bowl, $16.75, tops rice with torched pork for anyone who prefers rice to noodles. The Infatuation notes that combo sets pair ramen with gyoza or fried chicken, which is the smartest way for a hungry pair to share.

The official site lists Monday through Thursday hours of 11 am to 3 pm and 5 pm to 9:30 pm, with dinner running until 10 pm on Friday. Saturday service runs straight through from 11 am to 10 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm. The afternoon break on weekdays catches many visitors, so plan a weekday lunch before 3 pm or a weekend meal in the quiet middle of the afternoon.

Lines build on weekend evenings, and both Time Out and The Infatuation recommend joining the Yelp waitlist before arriving. Do that from home, then time your drive so you reach the plaza as your table is ready. The Infatuation also says service is fast, so even a full room turns over quickly. If the wait runs past 45 minutes, walk over to the H Mart Food Court, open daily from 8 am to 9 pm.

The room is a modest strip-mall restaurant, and that suits the food. The menu is short, the bowls come out quickly, and the focus stays on the noodles. The Infatuation calls it its go-to when the craving is for something different from the typical pork-heavy tonkotsu, and that is the right expectation. Come for a clean, comforting bowl and a quick meal, rather than for design or a long evening.

The story starts in Kitakata itself. According to the company, founder Akira Nakahara fell in love with the noodles at Ban Nai Shokudo, a small restaurant in Kitakata run by Shingo and Hisa Ban Nai. With the family's blessing, he turned the recipe into a chain that spread across Japan, and it has since grown abroad, with its first shop in Germany opening in 2025 and branches across Southern California.

The family recipe survives in the details. The noodles are curly and slightly flat, the broth is clear and amber rather than milky, and the chashu is the fatty toro cut that gives the soup body without making it heavy. In Kitakata, ramen is famous as a breakfast food, and the light flavor explains why a bowl here never leaves you sluggish.

Ban Nai fits easily into a South Bay afternoon. Before or after your meal, browse the H Mart grocery for Japanese and Korean snacks, then take a short drive west to the beach at Torrance or Redondo for a sunset walk.

The official website lists the full menu with current prices, store hours for every location, and online ordering when the kitchen is accepting it. Parking is in the shared plaza lot. Groups of four or more should join the Yelp waitlist early on weekends, and solo diners can usually slip in quickly, especially on weekday lunch breaks before the 3 pm pause.

This ramen shop is best for diners who find tonkotsu too heavy, South Bay families looking for an affordable lunch, and noodle fans curious about Japan's regional styles. Order the Kitakata Ramen with an extra egg and a plate of gyoza, then try the Green Chili Shio Ramen with chili oil on your next visit. For more South Bay food ideas near the beach, ask the Karpo APP.