I love holes-in-the-wall, with or without a recession.

I've just realized that I have a good enough list of these cheap joints I love to start a series that is very apropos for this recessionary economy.

My boss' final words to me before he departed for a permanent relocation to Manila: "Try Santa Ramen."

Only last night, with dining mate and co-cheapskate Steve, did I heed his advice.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

SANTA RAMEN is located in San Mateo CA. I was immediately impressed by its short menu and long line of Japanese customers.

A short menu is a clue--that means, the place serves up food so excellent, they only need a few stellar items to stay in business.

When dining ethnic, if the people of the restaurant's own ethnicity will line up for the food, that means this restaurant is most likely serving authentic cuisine that is at least one step better than home cooking.

Santa Ramen is a master at efficiency. They don't waste your time--the hostess takes your order before you get a seat. The food gets to you in less than 15 minutes.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

To get a good sampling, Steve and I split 2 appetizers, roast squid legs and chicken on a stick. The chicken was juicy, the legs were on the dry side. Price per appetizer: about $4-$5.

The ramen bowls come in 3 different flavors: soy sauce, pork and miso. The soy sauce was out on a Friday night (Clue: probably the best on the menu) so I went for miso. Ramen bowl only: about $7+

With extra toppings: about $4-$5+. I took the most expensive one, cod fish roe with roasted seaweed. The additional boiled egg cost about $1.50.

The Japanaese aesthetic will not disappoint, even with simple cheap fare. The artfully presented miso soup was creamy and rich, though on the salty side. The bowl was crammed with the standard fare, 2 slices of pork, roasted seaweed, green onion and ramen. It was topped with the codfish roe (they said it was spicy, it was actually salty) on a sheet of roasted nori.

Even without the extras the ramen bowl itself was close to perfection. On a tight budget, you might get a soul-satisfying meal for a lttile over $7.

Total bill, for 2 people with appetizers, extras and a soda: $35, tip not included. Not bad at all for a sporadic Friday night dinner during a recession.

SANTA RAMEN is closed Tuesdays, they are open til 9 PM. Google it, I'm bad with directions.

Next Hub : A cheap, fast dimsum fix with tons of parking. Wait for my next one!