Whether it's a beach day or sweater weather in Los Angeles, ramen is a staple of the Angeleno diet. But not all tonkotsu, miso and shoyu are created equally. Scroll on for top ramen picks and order recommendations from some of LA chefs, creatives and Citizine’s very own noodle experts:
Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles Annex
Sawtelle, $$
Robin Chang (Little Meats): Under the assumption that everybody is privy to Japanese ramen, tsukemen is all the rage and it's here to stay. My Korean palate that likes its flavor bombs is quite possibly to blame, (especially because my initial introduction to ramen was the kind you boil in a packet), but I believe Annex is a flavor bomb of dipping ramen. If you want to experience it, order a negi (shredded green onion) ramen with an extra order of negi. Drop a couple spoonfuls of red pepper flakes and a spoonful of raw garlic and you're in business. As you dip the ramen into the sauce it catches all of that goodness and flavor in one a powerful bite.
Image courtesy of @thedailyjenny
Daikokuya
Monterey Park, $$
Michael Cimarusti (Providence; Connie and Ted's; Best Girl):The Monterey Park location, tucked away in a tiny strip mall, serves ramen that is as good as its DTLA sister store. Sometimes I find myself craving the cabbage salad that they serve as a side.
Tatsu Ramen
Sawtelle and Melrose, $$
Adam Fleischman (Founder, Umami Burger): In the past couple of years, Tatsu Ramen has taken LA by storm with its iPad ordering system and delicious ramen, but the true star is the waygu ramen burger: a beef patty topped with special 'ramen' sauce, egg and mayo between a fried ramen 'bun’.
Image courtesy of @seohungry
Silver Lake Ramen
Silverlake, $
Jessica Rosen (One Down Dog): I love Ramen and have tried a lot in my day. This place is by far my favorite. Not only is their ramen fantastic, they also have the yummiest salad, sushi, bowls and other sides. This place is worth the wait…and there’s always a wait.
Hollywood, $$
Courtney Minji (Photogenics LA Model): My friend @JimmyPaints showed me this spot. Some of the best ramen I've had in LA. It's such a hidden gem located on Hollywood Blvd. Get the Ghost dip ramen. You will be craving it all the time.
Image courtesy of @shinramenmagic
Okiboru House of Tsukemen
Chinatown, $
Citizine: When Okiboru opened in mid-2018, it changed the game for all tsukemen shops around the country. Owner and chef Huyn "Sean" Park makes his own tsukemen noodles by hand on-site, and steeps the pork broth slowly for days. The result is tsuk'ing unbelievable.
Citizine: When Okiboru opened in mid-2018, it changed the game for all tsukemen shops around the country. Owner and chef Huyn "Sean" Park makes his own tsukemen noodles by hand on-site, and steeps the pork broth slowly for days. The result is tsuk'ing unbelievable.
DTLA, $$
Tal Ronnen (Crossroads Kitchen): I've really been enjoying the ramen at Grand Central Market from the vegan Ramen Hood. It's delicious.
Image courtesy of @sade_k24
Mitsuwa Marketplace
Mar Vista, $$
Citizine: A Japanese emporium with quite possibly the best food court west of the 405, Mitsuwa is a foodie’s heaven. Hit up Santouka Ramen you can even rent a movie from the old school video store to watch on your laptop after lunch if your boss is out of town.
Image courtesy of @taylseats
Mtn
Venice, $$$
Shelby Wild (Founder, Playa): Order the veggie ramen. You won’t regret it.
Ted Hopson & Ann-Marie Verdi (The Bellwether): Jinya Ramen is one of those indulgent after-work treats where we can go get a bowl of ramen and be totally content. They are always upping the menu, which is great when we want to try something new. They always keep the classics, so when you want that super comforting bowl of ramen, this place hits the spot.
Image courtesy of @jinyaramenbar
Asianya
Sawtelle, $$
Niki Nakayama (n/naka): Asianya, formerly known as Ramen-YA, is great for ramen because they have additional soup bases besides tonkotsu.
Image courtesy of @luvto_winedine
Fukurou Ramen
Los Feliz, $
Shezi Rosewood (Designer at OU:RS): This is the not-so-Thai spot that we all count on for that mid-day lunch getaway or late night take-out. It’s on Hollywood Blvd, less than a two-minute walk from the shop.
Image courtesy of @ijan780
Killer Noodle
Sawtelle, $$
Citizine: The newest installment of the Tsujita empire, Killer Noodle is serving up six levels of spicy ramen on Sawtelle. Once you make it to the front of the line, relish in the chewiest noodles on the Westside. Pick your heat level and pile on the chashu pork, poached egg and cilantro for a holy trinity of flavor.
Image courtesy of @thedailyjenny
Header image courtesy of @mtnvenice
