Eating in LA - Men Oh Tokushima Ramen

Heading to the Arts District in LA today

I suddenly had a craving for Ramen. I was stepping of the train when it struck me, and, being a lazy Sunday with late lunches it was perfect timing. I knew of some of the more famous ones in the area, but being on a kick to try new places, I decided to go somewhere new. Google showed me a bunch of places near the station where I was, and based on what I saw between the $ and the high reviews, picked Men Oh Tokushima Ramen.

It was only a 5 or six minutes walk to get there from the Metro. Which, having finally started to use after living here for a couple years, is a gem. From my experience so far, clean, safe, on-time and always expanding.

Men Oh Tokushima Ramen took a second to find.

I actually walked by it without realizing it the first time. The signs were a bit hidden, and the white over the windows made it look like the surrounding walls. But, find it I did.

The inside was cozy.

A section off to the left with tables for 4 and groups. To the right, the bar, where I ended up sitting. There was Japanese music playing. A crazy mix of pop, classic, and rock that I had grown quite used to when I lived in Japan. I was a bit surprised that the TV didn't have NHK playing. But, they did have a lot of the stylized beer posters for Sapporo chilling on some walls. Definitely a Japanese vibe with an LA bent.

The menu was pretty simple.

Mostly Tonkotsu or bust. Which was fine for me since I'm a huge fan of the deep savory flavors that the style is know for. I believe their was a sides menu on the other side, but I didn't see many people ordering from it. I opted for their signature dish, the Tokushima Ramen. Though, the Spicy Tonkotsu was close second.

I didn't have to wait too long. Nowhere near as fast as you get it in Japan, it still came out pretty quick. There was enough time to catch a couple commercial breaks on TV, sip through some water, have a couple nostalgia trips as songs I recognized played, and then it was set in front of me.

Get ready for some food porn! :)

The broth was solid.

I was hit with a nice complex mix of spice and cream, and with a solid bite from the tsukemono, amazing. Noodles were a straighter variety, and cooked just right with a good firmness to them. The chunks of meat, I have to be honest, were only so-so. From how bold the broth was I was surprised at the lack of competition, no counterpoints to contrast. Just, really well cooked meat. The umami was solid, but...I hoped for a little more.

About this time my neighbors Spicy Tonkotsu showed up and I was tempted to take a quick snap. But his appetite was faster than my reactions. So, that just gives me a reason to come back and try another of their ramens.

What I had with the Tokushima Special

Was definitely tasty and I have no regrets about it. Good to the last drop. I kinda made the people sitting on my other side gasp by how fast I ate it. I guess they'd never been to Japan. I'm a slowpoke compared to my old co-workers. The stories I could tell about eating out there...

I'll probably hold off on coming back here until I've tried some other places. The meat as well as the price also got me a little bit. I suppose it's normal for that part of town, but $11.75 was a little much for me when I could just hop over to another Ramen shop I know of and get the same level for $9.50. The crew at the shop was great though. Service with a smile and no problems I heard of while I was there.

If you have any recommendations for Ramen in LA, let me know! I'd love to hear about those secret places :) (I already know about Daikokuya, hehe)

Similar Posts
Eating in LA - Cemitas Poblanas El Sapito