This restaurant has been here for decades and I've only been here a handful of times (less than 5 to be exact). My last visit will make me come back for more. There's just a certain charm to this place you won't find at any other hour wait lines. They have a pretty extensive list of ramen options though they aren't that different from one another.
I ordered their Spicy Tonsai Ramen. It's not a ramen I would normally order, but I really wanted to try something different instead of the tonkotsu. Their Tonsai Ramen is a soy sauce based soup with stir-fried pork and vegetables (normally cabbage). From their level of Mild to 1-5 levels of "spicy", I picked level 4. For 1, I can eat spicy. 2, in case that shit is spicy, I'm assuming I should be able to handle level 4 without dying. I'm already anticipating butt fires, but that's part of the fun of eating spicy foods. Not really, but the eating part is freaking amazing.
To start, just some typical Yakisoba... And this was because they ran out of curry. Decent. Nothing spectacular, but comforting.
The devils bowl. I called the server's bluff when she warned me it was spicy. Almost went with level 5 just because of that. How dare she tell me that their spicy ramen is actually spicy? That's blasphemy I tell you. But, she was right.
But... I was not slain. I was sweating.. a lot.. This had a good kick to my throat, but it wasn't so spicy that it was NOT delicious. Because this was the opposite of that. This was pretty freaking tasty. The chili paste or whatever they used had great flavor. It didn't just taste spicy and bland. I wouldn't drink the soup though... I still don't want to die. Will I do level 5? maybe.... Level 4 felt just right. It had the spiciness I craved without making it unbearable. And the best part? No butt fires.
333 S Alameda St Ste 303
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Little Tokyo, Downtown