Came here for dinner and overall this was some of the best food I’ve had at a ramen-ya in la. the large menu reminded of an izakaya more than anything.
I didn’t realize this was in the former saint martha and little tart location. And I don’t think anybody in this thread has mentioned jeffry, the part-owner, is also the general manager and somm at n/naka.
The only disappointment was the overuse of truffle oil. out of the ten savory items we ordered, three of them unfortunately had truffle oil.
Highlights were the takoyaki, tender octopus, kaisen don, uni mazeman, tonkotsu.
and does anybody know what the hell “au nori” is? i suspect it’s a typo on the menu and should be “aonori”?
salmon burrata - salmon, burrata cheese, yuzu, olive oil honey truffle, black sea salt, cherry tomato
nice fresh ingredients that didn’t need all the truffle oil.
smoky pork bao - shredded smoked pork belly, cucumbers, spicy mayo
ebi katsu shrimp bao - panko-crusted fried shrimp patties, yuzu-kosho mayo, au nori, scallions
i really liked the crispy shrimp, but the bao to shrimp ratio was too high.
kaisen don - sushi rice, sesame seed, cucumber, spicy tuna, blue crab, salmon, yellowtail, sea bream, dashi ikura, japanese scallop, mixed with special soy sauce, kizami wasabi
this isn’t very photogenic and sounds like there’s way too much going on, but all mixed together it just works and was pretty damn delicious.
takoyaki - octopus filled wheat batter fried fitters, okonomi sauce, kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, au nori
the trio of textures in this takoyaki were incredible, perfectly crisped crust, fluffy interior, and tender octopus. and i appreciate how it wasn’t overwhelmed with sauce.
tender octopus - braised; flash fried octopus, shishito, spicyu garlic ponzu, au nori, shichimi
if you’re going to name a dish “tender” you better nail it, fortunately this lived up to the name. this wouldn’t be out of place on a tasting menu at providence or kato.
langostino mazemen - temomi ramen noodle, mentaiko sauce, au nori, white truffle oil, langostino
Reminded me of the fettuccine seafood alfredo from the olive garden, only with white truffle oil.
uni mazemen - temomi ramen noodle, mentaiko, sea urchin sauce, dashi ikura, au nori
the noodles were on the firm side and you can really taste the uni in the sauce. the ikura was also noteworthy for not just being salty and briny, but also having a subtle sweetness. really good.
tonkotsu ramen - rich, shoyu seasoned pork bone stock, slow braised pork belly, kikurage, sweet corn, scallions, nori, seasoned soft boiled egg
one of the best tonkotsu ramen i’ve had in la. the broth was flavorful and light but not too salty or fatty. you can actually finish this bowl of ramen without feeling like shit afterwards.
scallop uni sushi - seared japanese scallop, sea urchin, yuzu, yuzu kosho, sea salt
again truffle oil, why?
shio koji ice cream - house-made shio koji ice cream, sea salt
yuzu ice cream - house-made yuzu ice cream, organic palm sugar, white chocolate pearl
a cross between a creamy ice cream and a refreshing yuzu sorbet, pretty unique.
black sesame creme brulee - home-made black sesame creme brulee, sesame seeds
