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Laki Ramen

4.6 (188 reviews)
ModerateRamen
Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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LAKI RAMEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Good for groups

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So Spicy Chicken Baitang (Chicken Chashu) Spicy Chicken Baitang (Chicken Chashu)
Dawn A.

Was looking for a ramen spot that wasn't necessarily a joke in the wall but was good. The pics made it seems like it was bigger than it was. It's pretty small inside and it is in a strip mall, however, the food did made up for it. We also had an allergy they were able to make sure to work around. The parking lot is quite small but the evening we went we didn't have a problem getting a spot. We got a variety of dishes. All were very delicious. Would definitely go back.

Spicy Vegan Ramen
Michael T.

We were here on a Saturday because my girlfriend and I were checking out some museums and wanted to find something close by that we could walk to. We stumbled across this place and wanted to try it. We really liked how it had an open patio to sit at and the weather was perfect for it. It was a little busy but we were seated quickly. I ordered the spicy vegan ramen and got mild spice level. I played it safe with the spice level since we were gonna be out and about for the day. Surprisingly the mild spice level was pretty spicy for mild which I loved. The broth was flavorful and creamy. The garlic oil was a nice addition to the broth as well! The tofu was perfect in my opinion and they gave a decent amount! The one thing I would remove from the ramen is the tomato. The tomato wasn't bad but I would've gone with a different choice of vegetable. Overall a very tasty ramen and would definitely get it again! Also the staff were very friendly especially our waiter Alex! He was very friendly, helpful, and was fun talking to him!

Karaage
Estele K.

Food 5/5: wow, karaage was super juicy and tasty... I got the clam chowder and wow, so unique and loved every bite of it. My husband got the mazeman and he loved it. It also came with truffle oil and tasted super unique. Wow. They also had matcha ramen, I would def try it out next time. Service 5/5: food came out fairly quick! Ambiance 5/5: clean, tidy, and modern. Highly recommend it!

Open Kitchen
James G.

It was a rainy day, so I went looking for a bowl of ramen and found Laki Ramen right around the corner. The place looks new and modern. We walked in right as they opened and were the first customers of the day. You can tell they care about presentation -- every table was neatly set, menus fanned out in the same direction. I ordered the lunch special, which lets you pick one of three ramens and a side. I went with the Dan Dan Ramen and a side of curry. Both were delicious. The broth was rich, and the noodles were springy. At first, I thought the noodles were perfect, but by the time I got to the bottom, they leaned a bit salty -- still good, just a touch heavy at the end. My partner ordered the Chicken Karaage and loved it -- crunchy outside, tender inside. He also had the Pork Chashu Ramen and said it was very good, but he kept coming back to how good the karaage was. For dessert he got the Matcha Tiramisu, and the server brought two spoons. I'm not usually a dessert person, but this one won me over -- smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. Service was friendly and quick. Any time we finished something, the server was right there to clear it without hovering. Overall, solid spot for ramen and great service.

Vegan Ramen
Melanie G.

My boyfriend and I were checking out a few museums in the area and wanted something within walking distance so we wouldn't have to repark; We found this place and I'm glad we did! We went on a Saturday around 1:30 and it was moderately full but we were able to be seated right away. It's nice because they have a more open-air patio seating, which is where we sat. The colors and seating give a beach-resort feel and the branding and art on the wall is so nice! I got a vegan ramen for $18. While this is pricey, this is almost average for most ramens nowadays. Their noodles are a little on the thinner side but they were cooked well. The broth was creamy and enhanced with garlic oil. They gave a lot of little cubed tofu pieces and the green and fried onions added extra flavor. Their bamboo shorts are a little sweet. I could do without the tomato and maybe a few different vegetable choices, and would prefer cooked tofu, but it was still a good, filling and flavorful dish! Also, shoutout to our waiter, Alex! He was really helpful when it came to food allergies, attentive and kind. He was enjoyable to talk to and get to know as he made conversation with us!

Chicken Cutlet Curry
Will R.

This place was amazing! Great lunch sets and very reasonable prices. Staff was really attentive and quick. Vibes were really chill and had a great time eating great food! Will definitely be back!

Tan tan men, tsukemen, and karaage
Rebecca T.

Got Laki Ramen for take-out, and food came quickly. The tsukemen was tasty, on-par with Tsujita's. The tan tan men was nice and spicy, but a bit too salty-- plus, the thin noodles were a bit different from what I'm used to in tan tan men. Also got karaage, which was nice and juicy, but texture-wise, it gave off more popcorn chicken vibes than karaage. Overall, decent place for noodles, but it is pricey for the amount you get. If you're in the area, it's worth a go.

Chicken Baitang Ramen
Maria C.

Came here with two kids & was satisfying for the whole family! Loved that the restaurant had kiddy plates & utensils. Ramen was hearty, and delicious. Noodles were bouncy and still had a bite to it. We didn't try any appetizers but will try to make it back to explore the rest of the menu. Only downside were the seats, we got seated with backless chairs, which was a pain with two kids. Their high chair was too small for our 4 yr old.

Ashlie B.

The food was amazing, I'm very picky with ramen and not easily impressed but I'll start with atmosphere it's soft and just as light as it's ramen it almost has a beach vibe to it the restaurant is vary clean and the workers are attentive , the bathrooms clean For our starter we got the Karaage super crunchy outside with a soft juicy inside the chicken was executed beautifully the sauce that comes with definitely there is very well, We also got the mío ( sparkling water sake, which on its own was very nice a little sweet ) and pour it into our lemonade, Matcha We got the clear chicken Ramen with special toppings if you like a light Ramen, I would highly suggest grabbing that one if you like something a little bit more creamy their signature Ramen is to go for both are very light and airy both filled with amazing broths three well portioned it doesn't feel like an overwhelming amount of bras to Ramen. It also doesn't feel like a very heavy meal which is something I also look for going forward I would highly recommend this place and it's amazing service

Chicken Baitang Ramen(chicken chashu)
Tara F.

Came here for lunch with my co workers and didn't even realize they offered lunch specials, which were really great. The place itself is very cute and fresh. The open space really reminds me of being in Japan, even though we're in a strip mall. Our server was friendly and attentive. The food was good too. We all enjoyed it. I had the lunch special ($20), which was a ramen of your choice (chicken baitaing - she said that was the most popular), and a small bowl, and I picked the chicken curry. Very delicious and you didn't feel heavy afterwards. Will definitely be coming back to try other items on the menu.

Black Fried Rice
Brian W.

Lake Ramen is a small ramen shop in LA. This spot sits in a little strip mall that is one way, so driving in is a little hard. However, there are usually a good amount of parking! The inside of the restaurant is very cute, and I liked how many large tables there are. The service was a little slow when we went, as we had to repeatedly ask for water. They were still very friendly though. The food itself was great. The ramen was very unique! For some reason, it reminded me of freshly baked milk toast. The Karage was very good, although it was more like a Chinese Chicken Steak than a Japanese Chicken Karage. The Black Fried Rice looked super interesting, but it ended up being a little too salty for me. Overall, Laki Ramen was a great little ramen shop serving yummy food!

Menu
Shanelle S.

Delicious local ramen spot with focus on chicken. Came here for dinner with a friend on a weeknight and were able to get a table with no wait outside. They were kind enough to turn on the outdoor heater upon our request. There is a small parking lot or if it's full, you can try your hand at finding street parking a couple of blocks out. I ordered the spicy vegan ramen as I wanted something a bit lighter, and it was tasty. The broth was rich without being overbearing and I had tofu for my protein. You pay inside at the register. There is one single occupant restroom available inside. Credit cards are accepted.

Greet tea tiramisu
Chuck S.

My new favorite ramen spot! Just absolutely lovely, and but a mere stone's throw from LACMA and the Peterson car museums! Plus parking is very doable in the strip mall lot. But most importantly, this is truly deliciously sexy, and elegant ramen. No matter what you order, from the signature "bai tang" stock, to their vegetarian base, or even the clam chowder ramen, each style screams refinement. Maximum elegance, worthy of being awarded 7 Stella Stars this side of Eden Academy of Berlint. And the after feeling is super clean, no doubt due to the highest quality ingredients and preparation; it actually rings true of basically everything on the menu. Personally the clam chowder ramen really does it for me - the creamy comfort of clam chowder base, the briny yet gentle seafood sweetness of scallops that envelopes the palate but wraps the soul of your inner child with warmth and promise to never break your heart. The karaage, rather than chunks, are like a cutlet slit into tender strips, avec un mariage of 2 wonderfully balanced dipping sauces. The matcha tiramisu might be a bit soft-spoken for most palates, but I think it's one of the greatest. While I do think it could use more in terms of layers of lady fingers, the flavor balance is definitely my type. Especially when you dig your spoon deep into its depths, and get to the concentrated heart of oozing matcha - the kind that digs up memories of being clad in kimono in a chado ceremony - the flavor frolic of bitter and sweet of frothy matcha that takes center stage, unapologetic for it's lack of cloying sugar. Punchy, rich fatty tonkotsu, this place is not. It doesn't need to be loud and obnoxious like a Lamborghini. It's more of an Aston Martin. Understated, luxurious, yet refined. Like a woman. She is beautiful. What beautiful spot.

Vegan ramen

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12 days ago

I love Laki Ramen. I just feel there are so many better places in Los Angeles. I wish they were a little more experimental with their menu.

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6 months ago

Solid ramen spot. Get the karaage and truffle mazemen. Those plates hit different. Service is great. Vibes are chill.

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Ask the Community - Laki Ramen

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Daikokuya Little Tokyo - Daikoku Ramen

Daikokuya Little Tokyo

4.1(9.9k reviews)
7.2 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
$$

I'm really torn because the food was really good, but the service was seriously lacking. There were…read moresix of us, and all of us felt how rude they were. We ended up being sat next to the grill, I have a shellfish allergy so we asked to sit in their outdoor seating area (which had plenty of tables open) instead just so my allergies don't get triggered by all the vapors. As we walked to our outdoor table, my husband and friend heard three workers talking crap about me and complaining that I shouldn't even be eating there because everything had shellfish. Let's be honest it's not that hard to accommodate, plus we're giving you our business so what's the problem? Rude all the way through table service, then when we were all finished, we had barely just paid and we were finishing our drinks when the same three workers rushed into our table to clear everything out and pushed us out of our table. We're all a pretty chill group of people but every single one of us left saying what the actual f*ck was their problem?

First time visit. I feel like this place always has a wait. Fortunately for us I don't feel like we…read morewaited very long. The service was amazing. It's a well oiled machine. Seating is available inside and out. The restaurant inside is small. Open kitchen. Very cool to see the process. Hands down I highly recommend ordering the Handmade gyoza . They were juicy and flavorful. For ramen I went with the Daikokuya Ramen combination with chashu pork rice bowl. The ramen broth was rich in flavor. I added spicy oil. The noodles were perfectly cooked. The chashu pork was delicious. I would definitely come back and order everything again.

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Daikokuya Little Tokyo - Inside

Inside

Daikokuya Little Tokyo - Spicy Miso Ramen

Spicy Miso Ramen

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RAKKAN Ramen - DTLA - SPICY GARNET is made with an original blend of spicy miso. Enjoy with our Spicy Beef Gyoza for an extra kick!

RAKKAN Ramen - DTLA

4.2(1.2k reviews)
7.3 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
$$
Vegan friendly
Kitchen open late

My favorite ramen spot to go to when we come to Jtown. The soy sauce ramen is so packed with flavor…read moreand not overly salty. A special thank you to Cece and her incredible customer service and stickers she gave to my little boy. He was so happy! Can't wait to come again to our favorite ramen spot when we're in LA.

Service is top notch. Everyone was super attentive, friendly, and welcoming. From start to end, I…read morenever felt out of place there dining on my own and it wasn't awkward in the slightest. All the workers answered my questions and even as the dinner rush came in, I never felt like I was pressured to hurry up. Huge kudos to them for this. There are lots of places to get ramen in Little Tokyo and I have my go to places, but now that so many other ramen places are popping up in the 626, the daunting task of driving to DTLA and finding parking have also factored into my decision to wander out. But as a J-fashion and anime fan, I'm just constantly thrown back into the Little Tokyo vortex. For this recent visit, I remember my friend hyping up the Anaheim Rakkan Ramen, so I thought why not? Came a bit later into the dinner rush, around 6-something PM and was seated immediately as a solo diner on a Friday night. It started to get a bit busier around the time I was finishing up. Seating is a bit tight inside with a couple of tables, counter bar seating, but they do have outdoors seating as well. Food came out efficiently and super piping hot. For my dinner, I got the: 1) Coffee Jelly: -One of my favorite, comforting Japanese desserts. If a bakery has it, I'll order it, and I felt a bit indulgent so I ordered it then. Staff asked if I wanted to have it at the end or just have it come out ASAP. I said ASAP and it was a good palate cleanser between the savory and sweet so I didn't get tired of the flavor. Not a super huge amount of coffee jelly (but makes sense since this is a restaurant and not a to go ordering counter at a bakery), but it was silky and had a good coffee flavor to it. You get a small "shot" of heavy cream milk to mix in and you can control how sweet you want it. Not bad. 2) Ramen Sushi Combo (Spicy Quartz Ramen + Aburi Salmon): -This comes with any signature ramen and any 2 pieces of sushi (extra fee for any upgrades) -I got their spicy quartz ramen, which is their creamy miso broth ramen made with your choice of chicken or pork chashu (I got pork), crispy fried garlic, seasoned egg, fried broccolini, and 2 pieces of nori. -There's LOTS of crispy fried garlic pieces in it. Every bite has a slight garlic after taste and it's nice to add a bit of crunchy texture to the ramen. -The broccolini is unique, I don't think I've ever had that with a ramen before and it's nice to have some greens too. - It's a seasoned egg, not a soft boiled egg, so don't expect that. It's not hard boiled all the way, but the flavor wasn't super strong for the egg. Not bad, but not the best. -The noodles are thicker egg noodles that had a nice chew and texture to it. However, the broth flavor wasn't that strong to me? If that makes sense. You get a good taste of creamy miso and a very slight kick, but I felt like the 2 small pieces of chashu and noodles didn't really take the flavor of the broth that well. Maybe I should have left my bowl of ramen soaking longer to get a better taste profile? Who knows. 3) Aburi Salmon (2 pieces): -I chose this with my combo and it doesn't incur an extra free. It's a seared salmon with mayo on top. -Not bad. Can never go wrong with aburi salmon. It's comparable to what you can get from Kura. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing or maybe my taste buds have been blasted by ramen spots with heavier, flavor intensive broths like Tenkaippin and Nagi. I don't mind going if someone else invites me and hopefully it's a better experience.

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RAKKAN Ramen - DTLA - Healthy and Tasty, Our ramen is made with 100% plant-based broth. (QUARTZ Vegan)

Healthy and Tasty, Our ramen is made with 100% plant-based broth. (QUARTZ Vegan)

RAKKAN Ramen - DTLA - Vegan Gyoza are crunchy, crispy and packed with delicious vegetables like edamame, cabbage and carrots!

Vegan Gyoza are crunchy, crispy and packed with delicious vegetables like edamame, cabbage and carrots!

RAKKAN Ramen - DTLA - Kanikama Sushi Bites come topped with savory teriyaki sauce and crunchy fried onions!

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Kanikama Sushi Bites come topped with savory teriyaki sauce and crunchy fried onions!

Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen - Little Tokyo - Shinsengumi ramen hakata style with side egg

Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen - Little Tokyo

4.0(3.2k reviews)
7.3 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
$$
Casual dining
30 years in business

The food, service, efficiency and the specials during Dodgers Day and weekend is amazing…read more Pure ramen/izakaya comfort food and even if you don't get the Ramen, the curry donkatsu is delicious. I also love they have small and large size for these rice bowls ("donburi") dishes so you can mix and match. You can eat there by yourself, small group and even big groups. They can split the check 4 ways. Also love that it can be a place you eat when you are short for time (40 minutes) OR can just keep ordering drinks and food for 2 hours. Best value and Efficient. A constant in my Japanese comfort food rotation.

Always busy, at least the times when my friends and I would go to dine here. It's a staple of…read moreLittle Tokyo and I have some fond memories of going here for almost a decade, especially with friends who are no longer here and those who have moved on. I remember going here during their grand opening ages ago, did their, back then, super cheap deal with unlimited noodle refill (even further discounted due to the special event day) and eating to the point of barely being able to sit up in the car without throwing up. I have a picture of my brother eating here in middle school with us and then later on in his early 20's. Crazy time lapse, and truly shows what a favorite this place is and it's place in the community. As with all businesses in Little Tokyo, parking can suck (not as bad as K-town, but you're either paying or super circling around). Service is super efficient, welcoming and polite, as with their other locations as well. It's not the biggest restaurant, but none of the Shinsengumis I've been to have been particularly large. With this location, from my first visit, and all the subsequent visits, I always get their Hakata ramen, firmer noodles, since the longer I eat and enjoy the food, they'll soften a bit, less soup oil and less saltiness. I get all of the toppings that it comes with and I always add in a poached egg. Love the strong pork flavor since they stew their broth for so long and the tenderness of the chashu (sometimes I order more). Prices have definitely gone up and a slightly altered upgraded version of this ramen is almost $30 if you're not careful enough. Times have changed but how good this place hasn't. There's more ramen options now than there were like 10 years ago, but Shinsengumi is always a classic.

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Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen - Little Tokyo - Rainbow (salad) ramen: cold noodles & julienned vegetables.

Rainbow (salad) ramen: cold noodles & julienned vegetables.

Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen - Little Tokyo - Fried pork rice (my favorite)

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Shin-Sen-Gumi Hakata Ramen - Little Tokyo - 12 piece gyoza for $5.15

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Hachioji Craft Ramen - Hachioji Shoyu Ramen w/ Duck

Hachioji Craft Ramen

4.3(446 reviews)
7.2 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
$$

This was our first time dining here. After a short wait on a Saturday evening we were seated…read more Tables were very clean and comfortable and the service was really friendly. I ordered the Salmon Ikura Bowl and my guest had the Tonkotsu Yama. My order came with miso soup and a small salad, both of which were delicious. The salad had the perfect dressing - not overwhelming but flavorful. My tuna bowl was great. The tuna was perfectly tender and looked beautiful. My guest really enjoyed his Salmon Ikura Bowl. Many other nearby restaurants had really long lines and wait times. But I doubt their food was any better than what we had here. I highly recommend this restaurant.

I developed a love of shoyu & shio ramen while in Japan and went to Hachioji on a recommendation…read morespecifically for the shoyu since it seems to be the hardest to find. We ordered a chicken karaage to start and it wasn't bad, nothing to write home about though. Since the pieces were large, it was slightly awkward to eat without any plates, and I was just catching the crumbs with my hand (didn't have the ramens at the time). Also got a yuzu beer to try and it was delicious, nice yuzu flavor with some tanginess. I had the shoyu with duck while my husband had the yama tonkotsu that came with fragrant black garlic oil. The tonkotsu is not one of those rich, milky, creamy ones and I personally like these lighter ones more. I also enjoyed the shoyu which had a pleasant depth of flavor, but it felt like it was relying too heavily on MSG for umami. Noodles came out chewy. Definitely not the best ramens I've had but are some of the better ones in LA. Our server was friendly, as were the rest of the staff. Service was quick. The restaurant decor feels straight out of Japan, an extra bit of fun. There's a $10 paid lot behind this block of buildings that's convenient for anything in this part of Little Tokyo.

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Hachioji Craft Ramen - Interior

Interior

Hachioji Craft Ramen - Hachioji Bun Burger

Hachioji Bun Burger

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Sapporo Beer

Marugame Monzo - Red Dragon Rice -with ground pork

Marugame Monzo

4.4(5.1k reviews)
7.2 miLittle Tokyo, Downtown
$$

We passed this place during a food excursion and decided to try their hand rolled udon. One of the…read morebest decisions we made during our trip! We only tried the carbonara udon, but it was truly memorable. The sauce was creamy although a little split, but not overly salty which allowed the subtle umami and miso flavors to shine. The noodles were cooked well and had a gentle chew. The bacon was juicy with lots of fatty bits. Next time I would add an ontama to it to make it even better. The service was great and quick. We sat at the counter so could watch the noodles being made. This is definitely among the top 3 places I ate in JTown during this visit!

Aight, I eat pretty plain food most of the time and occasionally get Instagram baited into trying…read moreviral stuff, including Menchirashi's carbonara udon in Tokyo, which I enjoyed despite the sauce being fairly light. Marugame Monzo's sauce, however, is the opposite of Menchirashi's. The sauce is SUPER flavorful with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and a strong umami flavor from the bacon and miso. I added mentaiko since I did the same at Menchirashi and honestly, everything was fantastic. The udon itself is pretty much exactly like fresh udon in Japan. Perfectly bouncy, chewy, and satisfying. Staff were also wonderful and service was insanely fast. We probably waited less than 10 minutes for both our udon and tempura, and they consistently checked in to make sure everything was good. I can't wait to come back and try more of their menu, especially the uni cream udon. The only thing I didn't like was the shrimp tempura since it had a lot of batter and not a ton of shrimp, so it was on the greasy side. I did enjoy the soft boiled egg tempura though. The yolk exploded into the udon and somehow made the whole bowl even better hehe. There are plenty of tables inside with limited bar seating. If you're a 2 top you might be sharing a table real close with some neighbors (they put a divider). If there's a wait, write your name down on the clipboard outside!

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Marugame Monzo - Inside

Inside

Marugame Monzo - Agedashi Eggplant ($6)

Agedashi Eggplant ($6)

Marugame Monzo - Miso Carbonara ($17)

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Miso Carbonara ($17)

Tsujita Artisan Noodle - Chashu Ramen

Tsujita Artisan Noodle

4.1(161 reviews)
7.5 miArts District, Downtown
$$

I love making a stop when I visit LA…read more Stopped by a weekday lunch and it was so easy to park. The restaurant is clean and cozy and service was nice. Quick in and out lunch. Ordered the tonkatsu and tsukemen. Both delicious and the broth and flavor is rich and delicious. Next time I would probably order extra pork on the side.

PREMISE: I went to this location on a Wednesday evening at approximately 5PM for a party of two…read more WAIT TIME: We got seated right away! There was not anyone at the restaurant at the time, but people did start trickling in as more time elapsed. We got our food relatively quickly as well. FOOD: I ordered the spicy pork tsukemen ($23.45), which is their dipping noodle. The noodles are thicker than standard ramen, but in a good way! It comes with thick chashu (thick, fatty pork) slices and soft boiled eggs. If you haven't had tsukemen before, you essentially dip your noodles into the broth and then eat it that way. The broth is extremely flavorful and there are also pieces of chashu in it as well. The only critique that I have regarding this is the broth was lukewarm which made the dish taste slightly off. I've tried this dish at another branch and the broth was also lukewarm there, so I'm not sure if this is a location issue or a standard amongst all branches. Also, this dish does not really have any vegetables in this, but I also don't know if traditional tsukemen has veggies included. SERVICE: Service was quick and everyone was nice and doing their job. Didn't seem like the staff was slacking or messing around while there weren't many customers. They were very attentive to us, refilling our water immediately once they saw it was getting low, and being very attentive towards if we had any other concerns or if we needed anything else. PARKING: There technically is street parking but since it's in Little Tokyo, it's going to be very difficult to find it. There's $4-6 valet parking available nearby the location. There are a lot of people walking around though so just be safe. INTERIOR: It's not too big of a place but it's also not too small as well. It looks very well kept and clean. BATHROOM: Two gender neutral bathroom stalls that are both very clean and accessible. No issues here with them. TLDR: Overall, I thought the place was pretty good to eat at! I would definitely come back for the tsukemen (as long as the broth is warmed up until it's hot). A very good dish combined with great music (they have some great Japanese music variety) is definitely a spot worth coming to with friends !! :))

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