Nestled betwixt Downtown (proper), the Arts District and, ahem, Skid Row, to form a misfit tetrad of walkable neighborhoods, Little Tokyo is home to your next favorite restaurant coffee shop bar spot. Est. 1886 (i.e. in LA terms, pre-historic), it’s one of few remaining US Japantowns, and the well-documented taciturn cultural pride has protected its authenticity, skewing it less tourist-trap and more Taste of Tokyo.
Of the two schools of (ramen) thought, one is to perfect a single menu item, and the other is to provide a mind-bogglingly diverse array of options that ensures ordering is akin to a convoluted logic problem. As you step into the bustling interior, the entire staff will yell, yes yell, salutations in Japanese, and will do so again upon your departure. But before you leave, you’ll second- and triple-guess your combination expertise as you decide what varietal of mushroom, flavored butter, type of seaweed or form of pork to add to your broth. The most authentic of its kind in LA.
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