Mogu Mogu
The most authentic mazemen you will find in Orange County.
Deluxe Mazemen
Ratings
Noodles
Chashu
Egg
Toppings
Overall
Date of Visit: February 2022
What I Ordered: Deluxe Mazemen
Cost: $16.50
Offers Extra Noodles: $4.00
Offers Extra Broth: N/A
Review
After sharing my Ramen obsession, I was recommended Mogu Mogu in Costa Mesa. Turns out that Mogu specializes in Mazemen, not ramen. Mazemen is similar to ramen, but the main difference is that Mazemen is a broth less noodle dish.
Since Mogu specializes in Mazemen, I would do myself a disservice if I were to get a ramen instead of their specialty. I am still going to review the relevant components for fun, but it won’t necessarily be comparable to a normal ramen review since I can’t judge the (arguably) most import part of ramen, the broth.
Mogu provides a friendly guide on how to eat Mazemen for the uninitiated.
How to eat MAZEMEN (Soupless noodles):
Snap It! Take a picture of our good looking bowl of Mazemen and share it with your friends!
Mix it! Mix really well for about 30 seconds!
The better you mix the better it tastes! Umami! About half way done with your bowl, try our homemade Umami vinegar for a new taste!
Oi-Meshi! Small scoop of rice will be served at the end to fully enjoy our bowl of Mazemen.
The restaurant features a countertop bar with about 8 seats, and a fair amount of tables inside. They also have multiple tables outside including a tent area in the parking lot for additional seating.
The menu offers a selection of Mazemen with various toppings, and spice levels. There is a Tonkotsu and Miso ramen for those who want broth with their noodles. They also offer a vegan Mazemen and ramen option. Accompanying these main dishes are some typical Japanese sides and also a happy hour menu.
Today, I ordered the deluxe Mazemen, which is their offering with all the toppings, including:
Sliced pork chashu, Spicy minced pork, Poached egg, Chives, Minced garlic, Fish powder, Seaweed Soft boiled egg, Seaweed flakes, Scallion.
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Mazemen is served brothless!
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The noodles are thick and chewy, with good firmness. Just the way that I like them. I assume that since they aren’t soaking in broth, these noodles will stay firm, delivering great texture for the entire meal. They have medium crimp and curl, with a thick square shape. The thick noodles also pack good flavor on their own.
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Not technically a broth, but more of a sauce. There is a sauce base underneath the noodles, and various spices and ingredients served on top intended to be mixed together. The end result is a delicious spicy sauce mixture. The level of spice is perfect, with just enough to feel the heat, but not enough to make you sweat or to mask the flavor. The ground pork and green onions also get mixed in, providing a variance in texture and a sprig of freshness. The dish actually comes with two eggs. A lightly poached egg that I mixed in with the sauce, and a marinaded soft boiled egg served whole. The restaurant recommends to try adding some home made vinegar mid-way through the bowl, to compare the difference. In my opinion, I do not like the addition of the vinegar. It makes the sauce even more acidic, and I think the spice and flavor profile was excellent before. I prefer the savory and spicy flavor profile for noodles. With the addition of vinegar, it inches closer to a hot and sour soup.
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The deluxe bowl is served with two thin slices of chashu. The chashu is the rolled style, and is sliced thin. Unfortunately the texture and taste is dry. The meat flakes apart and is not fatty or soft. The taste is correspondingly dry, not providing the fatty richness that a good chashu has. Aside from the initial dry flavor, the flavor profile isn’t that interesting either. Not much sweetness nor a smokier richness from a well done marinade and preparation. Not that great, but at least it isn’t the focus of the bowl.
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The egg is very well cooked, with a medium soft white, and a vibrant orange soft boiled yolk. The yolk has a great pudding like texture and is a bright orange. This vibrant color is a characteristic of a high quality egg, and it also appears that it marinaded long enough for the flavors to permeate the middle. My main disappointment was the unexpected cold temperature. With no broth bath to warm up the egg, the center is cold which is an unwelcome contrast from the rest of the dish.
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The main difference between the Deluxe and Tokyo style Mazemen bowl is the addition of a soft boiled egg and chashu. In my opinion, the chashu is not worth. The soft boiled egg, while showcasing eggcelent flavor, has a temperature mismatch, and is better when backed up by the broth. Thus it is no surprise that the Tokyo style is the most popular order. The other toppings in the bowl all mix together to form a homogenous sauce. The ground pork provides good texture, and the various spices all contribute well to the flavor without overpowering it. Notable toppings also include green onions which mix into the sauce to provide some freshness, and nori, which is an inclusion I am indifferent to.
Overall: 8/10
Would recommend.
As an overall experience I would certainly recommend Mogu Mogu. The noodles are thick in shape and firm in texture. They provide excellent chew, texture, and still have flavor of their own. Mixed in with the sauces and spices, the end result is a noodle dish with an excellent balance of savory notes from the sauce base and fish powder, and also well balanced flavorful spiciness. I think that overall, the chashu and soft boiled egg in the deluxe bowl is not necessary, so I would recommend the Tokyo style.
Near the end of the meal, each order of Mazemen is provided a small serving of white rice served in a ramekin. The intention is to mix the rice with the remaining sauce as a finishing treat. Not only does this provide an interesting texture change from the noodles, it pushes the bowl from filling to very filling.
Read Eat More Ramen
