Image via Complex Original
It is officially ramen weather in Los Angeles, which means it's time to start mapping out that much needed noodle pilgrimage you promise to take every year. The frenzy over tonkotsu, tsukemen, and anything simmered for over twenty hours has reached an all time high, so now is the perfect time to strike.These days it is not uncommon to overhear people at lunch fighting over who has the best bowl in town and it is practically de rigueur to catch anonymous blog commenters go ape-shit when their favorite spot doesn't make a top 10 list.
You know a ramen joint is going to be popping when you get a whiff of the broth from the parking lot. When the kurobuta pork bones are simmered just right, the smell penetrates your nostrils and you have no other choice but to surrender every ounce of your being to the bowl. From both Valleys, San Gabriel and San Fernando, to Downtown to the South Bay, ramen options are multiplying quickly, meaning there is no excuse not to be devouring delicious bowls of broth across this city's culinary terrain. The ramen experience encourages the imagination with a sort of "choose your own adventure" element and the ending always looks like a beautiful food coma.
Who needs cuffing season when you have a bowl of ramen to keep you warm? Do your mouth a favor and drop some flavor bombs on those taste buds. Here are some of the most crucial spots you should be slurping ramen at right now.
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Written by Natalie James (@NJinLA)
Tsujita
Neighborhood: Sawtelle
Address: 2057 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles
Website: Tsujita-la.com
Tsujita is that name whispered in the streets that sends chills down the spine. And, if you've ever had the privilege of trying this Sawtelle hot spot, you know why. If you haven't indulged in a bowl of Tsujita tonkotsu, I suggest you make it your chief priority this winter and, if at all possible, make your visit on a rainy day so the line will be a little less gnarly.
A wait around the block at Tsujita is standard protocol, but that gives you time to figure out if you're going to go with a classic bowl or choose the all too rare tsukemen option. If you select their tonkotsu, you'll be served what's probably the thickest bowl of ramen broth you've ever seen, a form of liquid lard if you will. The glistening pork film is so rich, your stomach will quickly send transmitters to your brain letting it know a food coma is in nigh. The tsukemen route—the art of dipping noodles into a separate bowl of broth—is less dramatic, but still offers that punch of flavor you came for. If you are on your A-game, you won't be bashful with the spicy mustard at the table: go in and go hard on those greens! It takes only one visit to Tsujita to understand the hype, so what are you waiting for?
Santouka
Neighborhood: Mar Vista
Address: 3760 S Centinela Ave., Los Angeles
Website: Santouka.co.jp
A chain across the globe but a classic in L.A., this joint nestled in the Mitsuwa food court will forever be one of the city's darlings. Before the ramen craze really took off, there was Santouka, most identifiable on Instagram with its hot pink fish cake swirl and pickled plum sitting atop a piping hot bowl of noodles. Ramen lovers have flocked to Santouka for a comforting bowl of soy sauce, salt, or miso ramen in sizes small, medium and large before you could even pronounce the word tsukemen. The formula has remained the same and that's why people keep coming back. A bowl of ramen at Santouka is like getting a big hug at grandma's house, no matter how many times you experience it, the warm feeling always remains the same.
Ramen Yamadaya
Neighborhood: Culver City
Address: 411172 Washington Blvd., Culver City, Calif.
Website: Ramen-Yamadaya.com
At one point, Yamadaya Culver City was one of the most talked about ramen openings in L.A. Though a bit of the luster has rubbed off, you can still count on this Culver City staple to be serving solid bowls of tonkotsu ramen until 10 p.m. almost every night of the week and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. And, when you get a case of the munchies, that late night ramen can be so clutch. Yamadaya is best known for their tonkotsu ramen, which is boiled at the highest heat for about twenty hours. The menu intrigues with offerings like cheese ramen, spicy ramen or tsukemen, but your best bet is to stick with their signature tonkotsu that comes doused in some inky black garlic oil. When your bowl looks like a pork-filled milky way, as it does at Yamadaya, it's a sure sign your meal is going to be serious.
JINYA Ramen Bar
Neighborhood: Studio City
Address: 11239 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, Calif.
Website: Jinya-Ramenbar.com
The Valley rarely gets the culinary coverage it deserves, but JINYA is reason enough to keep you driving past Hollywood. Their "No.1" a.k.a. JINYA Tonkotsu Black is your standard delicious pork broth but raised to whole other levels with beautiful swirls of black garlic oil. If it looks like you struck black gold, it's because you have—embrace it! Boasting one of the best flavored eggs to grace a bowl, with an appearance similar to a sunset-colored custard, yolk porn is serious business at this strip mall eatery. If pork isn't your thing, a spicy chicken ramen packed with spinach, spicy bean spouts, and green onion is also up for grabs. At the end of your meal, don't forget to swing by their cotton candy cart to spin yourself a pink cloud. Not a typical pairing, but somehow it works.
Mottainai Ramen
Neighborhood: South Bay
Address: 1630 W Redondo Beach Blvd Ste 9., Gardena, Calif.
Website: N/A
The South Bay is a culinary gem in this city's landscape. If you're willing to take a drive for a great meal (or if this happens to be in your hood) Gardena, Torrance, and Hawthorne are some of the cities that make up this diverse community. Mottainai is in the cut, and if you blink while driving on Redondo Beach Blvd you just might miss the shopping center in which it's located. With no official website and very little press, this soup haven often slips under the radar, but Mottainai serves such a crucial bowl of ramen, you will be kicking yourself for sleeping on it for this long. A bowl of tonkotsu here presents a broth so thick it begins to congeal the moment it hits the table. This is one of those meals that will have you praying to the ramen gods. With a name that means "a sense of regret concerning waste" you better come hungry. Keep your eyes on their sandwich board of rotating specials; rumor has it that on occasion you can score some tsukemen-style ramen.
Ramen Fujisan
Neighborhood: San Gabriel Valley
Address: 529 E Valley Blvd Ste 138-B., San Gabriel, Calif.
Website: N/A
People like to joke that when the line is just too cray at Shin-Sen-Gumi on Valley, you should just head over to Ramen Fujisan to quell your ramen desires. Never a wait and very much under the radar, this spot is a major underdog, but their potent bowls will treat you right. For the competitive eater in you, Fujisan offers the "Mt. Fuji Ramen" challenge that will land a Polaroid of your broth soaked face onto their hall of fame. That is, upon completion. If you can pound back four orders of noodles, one liter of broth, five slices of chashu, and the standard accouterments x 4, all within twenty minutes, you leave with a free bowl of ramen and a $10 gift card. You might have to be carried out, but your name will live on!
Men Oh Tokushima Ramen
Neighborhood: Downtown L.A.
Address: 456 E 2nd St., Los Angeles
Website: N/A
If you are in Downtown L.A., specifically Little Tokyo, and looking for ramen, I suggest you skip over that over-hyped jawn with the long line and head over to Men Oh. Cozy up in this intimate ramen shop and order a bowl of the Tokushima Ramen, named after its region and sip on a complex broth composed of kurobata pork bone soup seasoned with soy sauce and packed with butabara (stir fried pork belly), chashu, bamboo shoots and a seasoned boiled egg. Also on the menu is the much loved tonkotsu, shoyu (and, to the applause of many) a vegetarian ramen made with a shitake mushroom and kelp base, seasoned with soy sauce. Now pork-loving rameniacs have a spot that they can bring their vegetarian friends without emitting a deep sigh.
Asa Ramen
Neighborhood: South Bay
Address: 18202 S Western Ave., Gardena, Calif.
Website: N/A
When you simply need a chill no-nonsense ramen joint, Asa Ramen is the place. Located in a strip mall off the 405, this dimly lit restaurant with only a sign in Japanese allows you to enjoy a low-key meal without the noise and craziness of most other ramen shops. When you walk towards the entry, you'll see a chalkboard that sometimes reads (but sometimes not) "Asa Ramen" and "open until 1am." You have arrived. The options are minimal in comparison to other ramen shops, but the lack of choice is a welcomed switch up. Asa's kotteri shoyu tonkotsu soup is a rich creation, accompanied by textured noodles that further elevate it. Feeling extra decadent? Throw on some cod roe or pork back fat as toppings and find yourself grinning with each slurp.
Hakata Ramen Shin-Sen-Gumi
Neighborhood: San Gabriel Valley, Downtown L.A., South Bay
Address: 8450 E Valley Blvd #103., Rosemead, Calif.
Website: ShinSenGumiGroup.com
This was one of the first legit bowls of ramen to get people psyched n the blog world and in the streets. Shin-Sen-Gumi's vibe introduced swarms of Angelenos to ramen culture and, from that moment forward, everyone was hooked. Still one of the most savory bowls around—though not all locations all created equal—Rosemead's Shin-Sen-Gumi stays slaying the flavor game. The entire plaza it's located in is enveloped with a thick fragrance of porky broth; when you get a whiff, you immediately understand why the line is so long. If you're looking for more of a scene, the Downtown hub comes correct, and also offers some rare toppings like pig ears. You'll also get the chance to design your very own custom bowl when you pull up to the counter or share a large bottle of Asahi with friends. With all the red pickled ginger you can eat, don't be surprised if you instantly become addicted.