Whether you're sick, cold, or just plain hungry, there's nothing quite as comforting as a good bowl of ramen.
Lucky for us, we're in the epicenter of some of the best ramen in the country. Get ready to slurp on some proper slow-cooked broth with our guide to the best ramen in the greater Los Angeles area.
327 E 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(Various Locations)
Daikokuya sits smack dab in the middle of Little Tokyo with traditional bowls coming straight from Japan. The renowned ramen shop is known for its filling, satisfying bowls with a non-oily broth, melt-in-your-mouth chashu pork, and a jammy soft-boiled egg. The lines can get really long, so we suggest putting in your name when they open and walking around the Japanese Village Plaza Mall until your name gets called.
photo: Ramen tatsunoya
16 N Fair Oaks Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103
(Various Locations)
Ramen Tatsunoya takes all of the best flavors of traditional Japanese ramen and throws it all in a pretty bowl for us to enjoy. The Japanese ramen chain offers authentic ramen in the heart of Pasadena. Their broth is infused with bone marrow, making it suitable for meaty, garlicky ramen lovers. The classic Tonkotsu bowl is the dish to order here, but we promise you that everything on the menu is worth driving on several freeways for.
photo: jinya ramen bar
700 Wilshire Blvd. Suite B
Los Angeles, CA 90017
JINYA Ramen Bar prioritizes the flavors of whole pork bones, chicken, and vegetables in their six signature broths, which are slowly simmered for over 20 hours, resulting in a rich, thick, full-flavored, and unforgettable broth. Down for a little bit of spice? Order the spicy umami miso ramen. You won't regret it!
photo: ramen hood
317 S Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Top Chef winner Ilan Hall's vegan ramen shop is nestled in the hub of Grand Central Market. Their bustling counter specializes in vegan ramen along with other specialty vegan dishes. Don't let the vegan focus keep you from trying Ramen Hood; their noodles, broth, and fresh toppings are delicious enough to convert any hardcore carnivore.
photo: ramen nagi
10250 Santa Monica Blvd Ste. #2850
Los Angeles, CA 90067
The legendary Japanese ramen brand, Ramen Nagi has officially made its Los Angeles debut . Nagi is known for its perfect noodles and both traditional and fusion broth flavors ranging from tonkotsu, a pork marrow bone broth cooked for at least 24 hours, to niboshi, a sardine and soy sauce-based broth. Is your mouth watering yet? Come try it for yourself.
11555 W Olympic Blvd Suite B,
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(Various Locations)
A ramen spot so good that they had to name it twice. Mogumogu specializes in mazemen which is broth-less ramen typically flavored with a chili and garlic soy sauce. Mogumogu in West LA offers well-sauced, fully-loaded mazemen with toppings like chashu pork and poached eggs. It's best enjoyed in cold weather, but you know that we're eating it any time of the year.
photo: DTLA ramen
952 S Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
A noodle newcomer, DTLA Ramen has quickly become a necessary East side pitstop. Stop by for a bowl and their happy hour for drink specials and $1 off appetizers. Pork lovers can try the true Tonkotsu or delve into Tsukemen for their concentrated pork broth. Vegetarians and vegans can enjoy kelp and their mushroom-based vegan bowl. Spice it up with an add-on of spicy miso paste for an extra kick!
photo: Santouka
3760 S Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Hidden inside the Mistuwa food court, Hokkaido Ramen is a perfect place to take someone who's never had ramen before. Order the Hokkaido-style shio (salt) ramen for a simple, but well-balanced bowl. Their swirly pink fish cakes give their bowls that authentic touch.
6220 W 87th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
The Ramen Joint serves up some of our favorite veggie miso ramen in the city. Top it off with some crispy garlic chips and thank us later. We also recommend their chashu pork rice bowl for our carnivore readers; the braised pork belly melts in your mouth. The owners, Jimin Kim and Sandy Han plan to introduce a variety of ramen styles, including vegetarian options, gyoza, rice bowls, poke, karaage, and Korean options like kimbap, bibimbap, and bulgogi bowls.
2927 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
It may be small, but it is mighty. Silverlake Ramen consistently has long lines of folks waiting for a coveted seat on this Sunset Boulevard spot, but it's always worth the wait. Since 2012, Silverlake Ramen has won us over with its rich 16-hour-boiled butter broth and high-quality ingredients. Leave your number with the host, and grab a cocktail at the neighboring Thirsty Crow; before you know it you'll be spooning, delicious stewed broth into your mouth.
333 S Alameda St. Ste. 310
Los Angeles, CA 90013
For the culinary conscious, Shojin Organic and Natural provides vegan, macrobiotic, gluten-free, and, of course, organic meals. Of those clean, guilt-free options you can enjoy their Hot & Spicy Ramen, Spicy Ramen Revolution, or their Shoyu Ramen. Shojin focuses on creating homemade dishes with high-quality ingredients, ensuring customer satisfaction and happiness in every bite.
319 S Arroyo Pkwy
Pasadena, CA 91105
(Various Locations)
With locations from Melrose to Pasadena, Tatsu Ramen spot which offers chicken-based broth, gluten-free noodles, and vegan alternatives. Despite offering healthier options, the bold, spicy broth offers a robust flavor profile at a reasonable price. They make all of their broths in-house from scratch. You can order on their site for delivery via Caviar, so, no need to leave the couch to get their 14-hour broth.
photo: tsujita la
2057 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Three words: RICH PORK BROTH. You want ramen the way it should be? Head down to Tsujita on Sawtelle, and you can get a warm bowl of broth and noodles for as little as $12. Ramen veterans say that the tsukemen dip ramen is one of the greatest bowls of soup in LA. Tsujita's tsukemen is a popular dipping ramen with a 60-hour simmering of kurobuta pork bones. The noodles are thick, chewy, and dense, and the wait for seats can vary. We concur that their tsukemen lives up to the hype.
15 S Central Ave. Unit G,
Glendale, CA 91204
Revered for its broth, tasty noodles, and friendly staff, R101 is an LA favorite quickly gaining notoriety among locals. Their truffle shoyu ramen is no joke nor is their yuzu clam shio Ramen. For the less adventurous, don’t fret, they still offer staples like Tonkotsu. They also offer 50% discount on beers and sakes from 2 - 6 p.m. daily. Satisfy those cravings!
photo: killer noodle
2030 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Not for the faint of heart…or stomach, Killer Noodle brings the heat to Sawtelle. Bowls are ranked by heat level so work your way up and enjoy! The tantanmen specialist is part of the Tsujita group, which has two other notable noodle restaurants on the same block. It focuses on spicy, Chinese-inflected tantanmen, served as a noodle soup or "dry" on a platter, with long wait times during prime dining hours.
photo: kazan beverly hills
111 N La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Kazan Ramen, founded by Ryu Isobe, is a bourgeois Beverly Hills ramen spot with high-quality broth and housemade noodles. Despite steep menu prices, the chicly decorated ramenya offers traditional broths, vegan options, and premium toppings such as truffle oil. This Michelin-recommended ramen shop offers upscale, polished cuisine with bowls exceeding $30, so make sure to save up your next pay check. The signature shina soba ramen, with intense broth, wontons, and chashu, is a standout. For a creative twist, try whole lamb chops in spicy red soup.
740 S Western Ave. #115
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(Various Locations)
Iki Ramen crafts broths showcasing ingredient integrity and unique flavor profiles. They also serve Japanese craft beer, sake, shochu, and comfort food for all palates. They offer light, bright, and nuanced broths such as yuzu shio, as well as brothless mazemen.
photo: afuri
688 Mateo St.
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Afuri, a Tokyo-based ramenya, is known for its signature yuzu shio broth and unique twists on classic dishes. The tonkotsu-shio blend pairs pork and umami flavors, while the hazelnut-crafted tantanmen offers diners a multisensory experience. We're partial to their lighter, yuzu-tinted shio broth with soba-like noodles and high-quality toppings.
359 E First St.
Los Angeles 90012
Rakkan Ramen, founded in 2011, is a Tokyo-based ramen bar that opened its first overseas location in Los Angeles, CA in 2017. The star of the show here is the dashi bomb broth, a traditional Japanese soup stock rich in umami. The broth is made from carefully selected vegetables like kombu, and is 100% plant-based. Despite this, customers still enjoy the rich, thick flavor of their tonkotsu broth.
