Hi friends, Joan here!

Long time no see! But I just went to a new ramen spot over the weekend and wanted to quickly share about it.

One of the things that I love about LA, especially Downtown LA, is that you can transport yourself to different countries within a 1 mile radius. I brought my friend, Elena, who’s originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, and has not visited DTLA yet.

As I was googling ramen spots that had vegan options in Little Tokyo, I stumbled upon Okiboru House of Tsukemen. It’s summer, it’s hot… and tsukemen will hit the spot! Heh. That rhymed. Anyway… Okiboru was located in China Town instead.

The restaurant was still pretty empty since they had just opened up for the day. I wish I had taken photos of the inside because it looked really cool and modern with the concrete walls and wooden panels at the kitchen counter.

Elena ordered the Buta Paitan with Gyokai, which is a rich pork & seafood broth served with chashu & egg. I ordered the Yasai Paitan, a creamy mushroom & veggie broth served with tofu & spinach.

And now… the ramen critique.

I have to say, that this is the BEST tsukemen I have ever had! Before I went vegan, I’ve had tsukemen with meat, but the broth was never that rich. I can only guess that Elena’s broth was outstanding. It was so rich, that when you dipped the noodles, the broth coated the noodles like a thick sauce. I wish I had a bigger stomach otherwise I would have ordered another side of noodles. There was broth leftover and I just had to drink it up!

The grilled tofu was a nice touch and the noodles were perfect. I forgot to have them leave out the bamboo and decided to try one… still can’t stand bamboo. Anyway, I would definitely come back here again and I definitely recommend this place! (just texted my brother to check this place out… lol)

We continued our cultural enrichment the rest of the afternoon by foot. I had an ice cold watermelon agua fresca from a street vendor at Olvera Street and later a matcha tea oat latte in Little Tokyo. Each neighborhood was vibrant, full of life, with fun shops, museums and good food everywhere you turn. If you’re looking to experience a variety of cultures in one afternoon, park your car in DTLA and go for a stroll!

It’s been a while since I’ve explore these pockets of DTLA. It’s one of those places where you can eat, walk it off for a couple of hours, then eat again! Elena and I had a great time despite the summer heat. I will definitely be making my way back to China Town soon for some tsukemen.

Thanks for reading!

Joan

Restaurant Info
Okiboru House Of Tsukemen
635 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 988-7212

Parking Info
There’s a small lot right across the street from the restaurant for just $5 for the whole day. Make sure you bring cash!