Rainy Days and Ramen
There are very little things better than a delicious bowl of ramen on a rainy day. As a kid living in Japan, I have very distinct memories of running into hole-in-the-wall ramen joints trying to escape the pouring rain. To order, my dad would give my brother and me Yen to put into a vending machine with pictures of ramen. It was the most exciting thing. Out would come a little chip- almost like a poker chip. We would sit on the bar, hand our chip to the ramen chef and watch him work his magic. The first slurp of the broth was always the best. We learned in Japan that slurping loudly was a huge compliment to the chef. Till this day, I slurp when I eat. Ramen is MY comfort food.
While LA doesn’t have a lot of rainy days, we do have a ton of ramen. The craze hit a few years ago and new ones just keep poppin up, but of course- I have my go-tos. Before we dive into my LA faves, I did a little quick cheat sheet for the ramen newbs. See summary below for everything you need to know when ordering your ramen:
Shio - salt based
Shoyu - soy based
Miso - fermented soybeans, barley/rice, salt and koji (mold)
Tonkotsu - MY FAVE; pork bone, creamy broth
Tantanmen - creamy, usually comes with ground pork, Chinese fusion
Tsukemen - dipping ramen, broth is served on the side
Hakata noodles - thin, slightly al dente
Ok let’s get into it!
1. TATSU
7111 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Long ass wait at the Melrose location, always! Is it worth it? Absolutely. Easy ordering system on iPads which makes it easy to choose your broth, level of spiciness, amount of garlic and green onions, egg, type of protein. My go-to is the BOLD (tonkotsu based broth) with soft boiled egg, tofu, lots of green onions, lots of garlic, spicy!, and lots of corn. Did I mention the corn add-on is FREE? More locations on Sawtelle and Pasadena.
2. RAKKAN
359 E First St.
Los Angeles CA 90012
My newest go-to! 100% plant based broth and 100% tasty. They offer a soy, salt, and miso based broth and my favorite is the spicy miso. It shows up without a hint of red but don’t let that fool you, their spice has a kick!
3. IPPUDO
8352 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tried Ippudo ramen for the first time in NYC and we waited for over an hour. And every single time we went back to NYC, we waited for over n hour to eat Ippudo. Now in LA - my husband and I finally made our way over on a Friday night and to our surprise - there was absolutely NO wait at all. In the land of waiting in line?!?! How could it be? Our usual - the Karaka Spicy! While the broth is amazing, the house-made noods are the star of the show.
4. DAIKOKUYA
327 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Before there was a ramen craze in LA, there was Daikokuya! Since I can remember, the hype has not died down and for very good reason. Love their spicy miso (with a side of a small chashu pork bowl)! Not pictured because all I have are old pictures from my iPhone 4, lol! That means I am LONG overdue for another bowl soon.
5. SHIN-SEN-GUMI
132 S Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Not only can you customize the ingredients, but you can also choose the strength of the soup base, the firmness of the noodles, and the amount of oil (YES!). So they get it exactly how you want it with every detail considered... how are you NOT going to love it?
6. JINYA
700 Wilshire Blvd Ste B
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Jinya’s ramen is consistently good with lots of bold flavors! Their broth stands out as rich, thick, and full of intense and authentic flavors. Cha cha ramen (pictured below) is for the garlic lovers. That me. I am garlic lover.
7. EBAES
1111 Wilshire Blvd Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90017
My go-to lunch spot in DTLA. My favorite is the veggie ramen - the spinach noodles are excellent. And who knew that a vegetarian broth could be so creamy and delicious? Love their salad made with house-made soft tofu, seaweed salad, almonds, cucumber, and crispy garlic. They celebrate RAMEN DAY every first of the month - $5 ramen bowls!
8. SANTOUKA
3760 S.Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Located in a Japanese grocery store food court - Mitsuwa - but don’t knock it till you try it! The broth has a perfect amount of flavor and the noodles are perfectly cooked. The portions are a bit small and the prices are pretty high, but you're paying for the quality of the food and not the quantity. A bowl might not leave you full, but you'll definitely be satisfied. :)
9. RAMEN HOOD
317 S Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Located in Grand Central Market is a vegan’s dream: 100% vegan ramen. The broth is super rich and creamy - made by simmering kelp and shiitake mushrooms to extract umami and combined with white miso roasted sunflower seed extract to give it that creamy texture. Don’t sleep on the vegan soft boiled egg!
