The owner of a Tempe ramen shop on why he loves what he cooks

By Mark Brodie
Published: Thursday, October 5, 2023 - 11:07am

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College students are known for seeking out inexpensive meals, and, at least stereotypically, it doesn’t get much cheaper than ramen.

A chef near Arizona State University's Tempe campus is trying to change that narrative.

Mark Kondo is the chef and owner of Yatai Ramen. He was born and raised in Japan and came to the United States in the early '70s, when he was 21 years old.

The Show stopped by his small ramen shop to talk to him and the conversation began by asking what got him interested in food originally.

Mark Kondo
Mark Brodie/KJZZ
Mark Kondo

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