By Carole Dixon
With cooler weather finally engulfing LA — OK, it’s still 70 in the day and sunny, but the nights require a jacket, so it’s high time for a streaming bowl of this Japanese staple. Ramen is always comforting and a good cheap eats alternative. Even the most flavorful, satisfying order loaded with pork, egg, and scallion will only set you back about $10 to $12, and in some cases is enough for two to share.
Daikokuya (West LA)
Just when you thought there was no room for another ramen joint on Sawtelle’s Little Osaka row, this Downtown LA transplant opened in a stretch of the street with mostly bad chain food pit stops. One of the things that will set them apart — besides the simple spicy miso broth — is that starting December 1st, they will be open until 2 a.m. for late night fixes.
By 6 p.m. there is usually a line down this unremarkable stretch of Washington Blvd. for classic pork bone marrow broth called tonkotsu from this original Torrance eatery. Other favorites worth the line include tonkotsu shoyu ramen with soy sauce and black sesame paste or Kakuni ramen with steamed pork belly.
Another ramen dynasty from Gardena that has expanded to Little Tokyo and specializes in thinner style noodles. The pork-bone soup is cooked for more than 15 hours but the secret sauce remains just that. At least you can have control over how well your noodles are cooked and feel free to order an extra bowl on the side.
Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles (West LA)
Make sure to arrive right when they open at 11 a.m. to get a table at this sleek artisan noodle house which usually has a long wait for lunch or dinner, especially on the weekends. Order your noodles hard, medium, or soft with a broth that has been simmering for 60 hours with fish, chicken, and pork bones that are served separately. Be sure to hit the ATM before you put your name down as they only take cash.
Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle Annex (West LA)
Tsujita was just so good, and the lines so painstaking long, that they had to open a sister restaurant directly across the streetin the heart of Little Osaka. It’s smaller but still serves the same incredible dipping noodles and broth — just don’t mix them all together at once or you may never be granted a seat at the tiny bar again. This is not a cash and carry operation so you won’t be able to skip the lines with a take-out order. You’ve been warned.
This small, sexy Japanese pub style eatery by the beach is well known for robata-yaki preparations and sushi (from the IDG Group behind Sushi Roku) but they also have added a hearty Hakata ramen dish to their menu made with pork cha-shu, topped with chopped scallions, red ginger, and sesame seeds that is a must order item.
Not exactly a ramen joint, they do make delicious noodle soups such as beef, nutty dan dan, and minced pork zha jiang, plus the minimalist décor fits the bill for Silver Lake hipsters seeking a comforting bowl of broth served in a Peter Sheldon ceramic bowl designed with sipping in mind.
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Photo from Ramen Yamada by Carole Dixon
