So. Is there a consensus on best current destination over there in Little Osaka for food? Just food quality consideration.
Used to hang out there soooo much but lately not even an annual visit and it’s always for Tsukemen. I know there are other spots i’m missing and we will be going to Annenberg today and should grub first.
Have Menya bookmarked.
Artelise for desserts seems an easy decision after.
Have you tried Killer Noodle yet?
No. Haven’t even heard of it. Thanks
Kind of want not noodle though since we always go to Tsujita.
“Best” is hard b/c, while there’s a lot of ramen joints, it’s hard to compare ramen to Chinese food to Korean tofu places (all of which are along that stretch).
Have been to Menya once and enjoyed it (certainly found it to be relatively rich w/o being disgustingly so). Didn’t think the curry cutlet was THAT great of a deal, though, since I’d need the larger size to feel full. Don’t over order w/ the ramen b/c the portion sizes for the ramen is pretty decent (large w/o a lot of additional filler is pretty satisfying).
I enjoyed Sonoritas tacos (or whatever it’s called) the one time I went. Yeah, I know people don’t go to Sawtelle for tacos, but… Ditto on Kimukatsu (which has a great old-school feel).
Some people have found Tasty Noodle House to be bland, but I think the food there is pretty good. SJB are great, skip the XLB, though.
Also skip the udon place b/c, while it’s fine for what it is, it’s not a destination.
If you’re going to Annenberg, though, did you just want to go to DTF instead? Very close and you can weigh in on the quality of the XLB (a current topic of discussion in another thread).
The person who cuts my hair didn’t think much of Artelice. I haven’t been myself.
Edit: just saw @PorkyBelly’s post. Yes, if it’s absolutely and only food quality you’re after, then Sushi Tsujita does make sense… 
sushi tsujita
RE: Killer Noodle - apparently they’ve really toned-down the spice levels there, which used to be somewhat legendary. I wouldn’t know what they originally were, but I ordered mine fairly spicy and found it quite mild. My dining companions told me it was quite toned-down from when they had been going regularly previously.
Otherwise the food was good, but not really destination-worthy IMO.
Uh oh. Might it have been an off night, or is this based on multiple visits? Also, was this the heat level, numbing level, or both?
I really love Chinchikurin (Sawtelle and Little Tokyo locations) for their Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
FTC opinions are mixed. More here: Japanese Savory Pancakes - Doya Doya vs. Chinchikurin
Also: they will be opening their third location soon in the old Musha space in Torrance on Carson & Western (near Torihei).
Musha closed?
Yep, both locations.
There are rumors circulating about who is going to move into the Wilshire Blvd space.
Ahem. Are you allowed to give some hints about the rumors? (esp since I live not far from the Wilshire location)
I went to the Chinchikurin in Little Tokyo this past weekend and it was pretty good. My brother frequents the Sawtelle location and really enjoys it…crispy noodles all the way!
@paranoidgarliclover I just did some digging and it seems to be less of a rumor and more of a work in progress.
The Raku Corporation（楽コーポレーション–no relation to Aburiya Raku）is planning on opening one of their Shirube（汁べゑ）concepts in the old Musha space on Wilshire.
This is very exciting news. Some FTCers may have even been to one of their restaurants in Tokyo (Store List [in Japanese]).
I used to go to their Shimikitazawa location semi-frequently.
They serve better-than-average izakaya fare and lots of booze in a fun atmosphere. (Menu)
One of their signature dishes is shime saba (vinegared mackerel) dish that is served and torched tableside (photo below).
Reference:
Raku Corporation Homepage: https://raku-co.com/
Shirube - Shimokitazawa Page: 汁べゑ 下北沢店 | 楽コーポレーション
Website Release re: Santa Monica location: Shirubē Santa Monica | 楽コーポレーション
This states:
汁べゑサンタモニカ店
Shirube - Santa Monica2018年秋を目標に、汁べゑサンタモニカ店の出店準備を進めております。
With a target opening date of Fall 2018, preparations for Shirube - Santa Monica are underway.詳細が決まり次第、こちらでお知らせいたします。
We will announce updates here as they become available.
Torched Shime Saba:
Photos of the Shimokitazawa location (Google Image search):
I liked Musha for an easy-going, fun neighborhood place.
Sad to see it go, but this should be a nice upgrade!
Have you tried Takuma? I had never been to Musha, and Takuma is not anything elevated (and some of Taku’s takes on izakaya are… idiosyncractic, shall we say?), but it might have the fun and easy-going vibe you’er looking for…
Thanks for that shout. If there are lines it’s not going to be a good idea but it’s a walking distance! Wonton +chili sauce!!! Was kind of excited to walk around Sawtelle for a bit again.
Both heat and numbing. I was adding ghost pepper flakes by the spoonful. I’ve only been once, and I don’t really see a compelling reason to make a repeat trip, to be honest. I live and work closer to DTLA and South Bay; between Little Tokyo and Gardena, I’m pretty sure better ramen can be found.
Manpuku BBQ and Sushi Tsujita.
Gotcha. That’s disappointing.
OK. I didn’t say you should. Just trying to figure out if it’s part of a trend or not.
The couple I went with told me it used to be their go-to date spot, but it had been a little while since they’d last been. They said it wasn’t how they’d remembered it, and were glad they’d requested the little jar of ghost pepper flakes.