AFURI ramen + dumpling is an international chain, now bringing their game to L.A.’s Arts District… Never having tried any of their locations before, I went in with a blank slate, not knowing what to expect.
The space is large for a ramen-ya. Large open kitchen. Two large tablet kiosks are located at the entrance for ordering - expect QR codes and credit card-only payment. Once the customer orders, the party receives an obelisk with an order number (a la Carl’s Jr.), and then can go find any open spot to sit. There are mostly communal tables. A few bar seats and a few two-tops and four-tops are available.
… and now, onto the food!!!
Gyoza soup (pork, green onion, ginger, garlic, cabbage, chicken broth, sesame, chili threads, lemon)… This was ok. The broth was light. Reminiscent of won ton soup. The house special yuzu lemonade was refreshing.
Ebi spring roll… Nicely fried.
Soft shell crab bun (soft shell crab, spicy mayo, kimchi, cucumber)… Delicious! This is a must-order.
Yuzu shio ramen (shio tare, chicken broth, yuzu, bamboo, egg, chashu pork, endive, fried garlic, nori)… I ordered extra tamago, nori and ginger pork crumble. The main show! Their chintan broth was, as promised, light and airy. What really impressed me, though was the quality and bite of the noodles (made in-house). The menma and chashu were top-rate as well. This made the overall bowl superb. It’s up there with Iki Ramen - and that’s high praise.
G.O.A.T. ramen is unlocked if you’re lucky enough to be assigned this number…
Afuri’s ramen should garner a good following in L.A. Non-pork seekers will be satisfied with their offerings. I hope the quality stays high - we shall see!
Recommended.
AFURI ramen + dumpling
688 Mateo St.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
213.221.7206
afuriramen.com