Ikemen. (NOW CLOSED)

There's not much one can say about good ramen... but Ikemen has got it down. "Home of the dip ramen" they say. I've tried the Zebra garlic dip- ramen and concentrated broth separated, waiting for you to unite them like the One Ring and its Master. Pretty tasty but I personally prefer good ol' fashion Tonkatsu ramen, whether it be their regular or specialty. Be sure to add the poached onsen tamago and zebra garlic seasoning for that extra kick.

Tonkatsu Specialty ramen.

Simple and clean, with good ingredients- perfect for this season and rainy days. This place has the tiniest parking lot in the world though, so be prepared! I promise it's worth the aggravation. I daresay I prefer this over Ramen Jinya. Please don't hate.

> IKEMEN
1655 N La Brea Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Ramen Jinya, all the time, ya.

Tonkatsu Black Special.

Ramen Jinya is hands down my favorite Ramen joint- authentic, food high-inducing deliciousness. Nothing beats their Tonkatsu Black Special: Pork broth with pork chashu, spinach, green onions, fried onions, dried seaweed, garlic oil, and special flavored runny egg (heaven in your mouth). I usually like pairing that with their iced matcha green tea.

Tan Tan men.

That's my usual, but a few visits ago I wasn't feeling like ramen so I tried their Tan Tan men, their spicy no soup ramen (originated in Sichuan- Noodles with rich spicy sauce, minced pork, ground prok, Tokyo negi, bokchoy, red bell pepper, and chilli oil). It is a definitely a tasty alternative to their broth ramen.

However, DO NOT, BY ANY MEANS, ORDER THEIR VEGETABLE POTAGE RAMEN- thick soup with a salad forest on top. Just don't do it, there are may more ramen dishes worthy of your palate here- like the Tonkatsu Red, the spicy version of the Tonkatsu Black special. $10.50 is a small price to pay for ramen heaven.

> Ramen Jinya
5174 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(also coming soon to Sawtelle!)

 p/s: At the time of this entry, I have been to Ramen Jinya almost once a week for the past 2 months and I'm so glad I plan to go again today because writing this entry has been torture.