Ever since moving from LA to L.A. for school, I've gotten to experience an entirely different food scene; my diet here mostly consists of Mexican and Asian flavors. As far as Japanese cuisine goes, I've only had sushi and ramen, and I didn't experience authentic ramen until a couple years ago. The packs of ramen noodles I grew up eating (and still keep on hand now) will always have a nostalgic spot in my heart, but they will never compare to the real thing. And at Okiboru House of Tsukemen, they have it.
What is Tsukemen?
I thought there was only the noodles in broth version, but Okiboru introduced me to tsukemen. Tsukemen is a dipping-style ramen. The noodles are served cold or room temperature along side a reduced, deeply flavored broth. I would equate the broth to a sauce in its consistency. Pick the noodles up with your chop sticks, dip in brothy goodness, and slurp away.
What makes Okiboru special?
Located in Chinatown, Okiboru is literally THE House of Tsukemen because they eat, sleep and breath their ramen. They are the only shop in the country that makes their own noodles in house. Others outsource the noodles from specialty makers. The noodles were the perfect thickness and texture to be able to grip onto the broth. The richly flavored, almost creamy broth gets its sauce-like texture from being simmered over 2-3 days. That's right, DAYS.
The meat, oh the meat. The pork belly and ribs were so tender, I was in fatty heaven. They achieve the melt-in-your-mouth goodness by brining their meats overnight, braising for 4 hours, and finally finishing on the grill for a slightly charred flavor. If you're on a plant-based diet, they have a veggie option and you can sub vegan, gluten-free noodles for an extra charge.
Our Recommendations
The Okiboru. Their classic, given it's the name of the restaurant. The broth cushions a soft-boiled egg, pickled radish, scallion, bamboo shoots, and their oh-so-tender pork ribs.
Grilled Pork Belly Chashu. An obvious favorite for me given my love for pork belly. The broth holds the same components as the Okiboru, but grilled pork chashu replaces the ribs.
Try their Stubborn brand Agave Vanilla Creme Soda, too! I stopped drinking sodas years ago, but this one was worth it.