New Valley Ramen Joint: Tamashii Ramen House

tonkotsu shoya ramen

I was so excited to see a new ramen joint in the valley, but alas, it wasn't that good. 

Let's start with the positives of this place.

#1: Free parking the back lot. It's tiny though, so you might have to end up parking on Ventura Blvd which isn't that easy.

#2: Service was friendly

#3: Cute decor

Now, on to the negatives.

#1: Ramen wasn't very flavorful. I ordered the tonkotsu shoyu ramen which came with bamboo shoots, green onions, 1/2 of a hard boiled egg, crispy onions, and "succulent" pork. 

The pork was not succulent at all. It was quite chewy and hard to eat. The noodles are huge and curly. I'm more a fan of the thin, straight noodles. I felt the noodles were comparable to the ones in Top Ramen

#2: They charge you $.50 for garlic. Really? It's just a side of garlic! Throw it in for free, like most other ramen places do.

#3: The huge wooden spoon provided does not make it easy for you to drink your soup or put your noodles in. We had to ask for a regular soup spoon. 

#4: Portions are on the smaller side for ramen.

All in all, the place wasn't horrible, but I won't be coming back. There's way better ramen places in the area.

Tamashii Ramen House
14531 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
(818) 990-1268

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle

In the last few months, I've had the pleasure of visiting this popular noodle restaurant five or six times. On my first trip, it was definitely a five star experience. The last few times I've gone, it's dwindled down to 4 stars overall.

The wait can be ridiculous if you go anytime after it opens. I've gone there at 11:15 am, 15 minutes after opening and have waited 30 minutes. On a weekday, no less. On weekends, forget it, it's definitely at least 45 minutes. My advice, get there early, like before 11 am.

Tsukemen is the way to go here. These thick noodles are not ramen, but beat their ramen by a landslide. Basically, you dip the tsukemen  into a pork based broth that has pork, egg and bamboo shoots. The fatty broth is damn delicious and if you're really a glutton, you can ask them to fill the remaining broth with hot water so you can drink the fat. Yeah, I did that once and I was thirsty for the rest of the day. I also gained a couple pounds from that meal so don't do that if you're on a diet.

Tsukemen with egg

Tonkotsu ramen

The ramen is pretty good, although the portion size is smaller than other ramen places. However, if you're still hungry, you can ask for a side order of just noodles to add to your ramen broth. I think the bowls just look smaller, because after I was done with my ramen, I was stuffed! I still think Santouka has better ramen and it's cheaper too.


They have spicy tuna rice bowls on the menu as well for those who don't want noodles.

The service is usually good, but I have felt rushed at times. Not good for someone who has waited outside for a while.

BTW, cash only. Hit the ATM before going.


4****


Tsujita LA
2057 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 231-7373