Sorry folks, we totally forgot to do this in August! But we have been trying new places and we are pretty thrilled to be writing this overdue quarterly report! Here are our thoughts, with a link to the blog post.

5. Ramen Jidaiya, Gardena

Joan: Okay, so Tanya wasn’t a big fan of her first tsukemen experience here, but I liked it! The broth was rich and so packed with flavor, I seriously wanted to lick the bowl at the end. The noodles were great, the toppings were perfect for the dish as a whole. I honestly would drive out of my way to have their tsukemen again. Their ramen looked good too!

Tanya: It wasn’t bad for what it was, but I wasn’t a fan of the pork and fish broth. The seasoning seemed right and the thickness of the broth was just right to coat the noodles. I also ate it slow so the broth got cold before I could finish it.

Blog post: Birthday Ramen for a Ramen Girl

4. Ikemen Dip Ramen, Little Tokyo in Los Angeles (CLOSED)

Joan: I’ve been here twice with family and friends, and every dish we ordered was fantastic! Their broth flavors are unique and they do a good job with broth consistency and chewy noodles. And I LOVE their onsen tamago (slow-cooked egg)! It’s too bad this place closed in Little Tokyo, but the one in Hollywood is still open and supposedly way better.

Blog post: LA Tourists

3. Tatsu Ramen, Little Osaka in West LA

Joan: After having spent many late and ravenous nights after a gig at Tatsu, it quickly made its way into the top 5! I was very hesitant to come back here after my first time, but they surprised me with consistently satisfying ramen, especially for a place that stays open til 2am! I tried almost every ramen flavor they have and it’s at that point where I have a hard time deciding which one I will order when I go back!

Blog post: Post-Reggae Ramen

2. Takara Ramen Bar, Hollywood – LA

Tanya: I really loved this place. It’s my personal tie with first place. I loved the veggies, broth, chashu and noodles. It also bumped close to first place because of the location. May be a headache getting around but there is a lot to do in Hollywood.

Blog post: Surprise on Sunset

1. Ramen Hayatemaru, West LA

Joan: Despite my mediocre first experience here, (Blog post: Adventures in Little Osaka) the third time was definitely the charm! I tried their new shrimp ramen as technically my second time during the Ramen Yokocho Festival and was pretty pleased with it. This third time, at their actual restaurant, their dip ramen blew me away! I LOVED it. I’m a sucker for food presentation, and its even better when the food tastes as great as it looks! I would definitely come back here again.

Tanya: I liked this place. Despite the tiny parking lot the place wasn’t overwhelmingly busy. The broth was thicker than what I was used to. I really liked the texture of the broth and the noodles were great. I loved the area in general. I’m actually starting to crave that black sesame shaved ice, and I always love a good Japanese food market near by.

Blog post: Haaayatemaru! ROUND 2!

We hope that you found this post useful! There are so many new places opening up and old places we have never been that we’re having a hard time keeping up! Check back soon for more of our ramen runs! Maybe you can join us next time!

Thanks for reading!

Joan and Tanya