NJ in LA

Tsujita, Sawtelle, Los Angeles

I recently met someone who loves ramen just as much as myself. Our never ending texts dedicated to noodles, broth, and where we can find the next bowl has become a regular thing these days. Having been on numerous ramen adventures in the short time we’ve known each other, I approached my friend Brandon to be a guest contributor (a first) on NJ in LA, not just because he knows his ramen, but because his knowledge of food continues to impress me. Born and raised in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles, Brandon is a graduate of the Art Institute with 10 years of professional cooking under his belt, including 4 years in the military, 3 years in fine dining and time spent traveling, researching further developing his skills in Asia and Europe. His craftsmanship has been seen in the kitchens of the Royal Mail Hotel, one of the most prized restaurants Australia and here in Los Angeles, at Providence, voted the best restaurant of 2013 by Jonathan Gold of the L.A. Times.

Now that L.A. has begun to cool down, it’s our goal to slurp as many noodles as we possibly can and share our detailed account of each bowl, from two different perspectives. It was pouring rain on a rare L.A. afternoon, Brandon and I landed on Sawtelle with nothing but Tsujita on our minds. Neither us equipped with an umbrella, we hit the ground running, trying our best to see amongst drops so large it almost felt torrential. Running in the rain never felt so good, knowing that a hot bowl of goodness was awaiting us. We finally arrived at Tsujita, with a line out the door and around the corner. We waited for about 15 minutes until we were seated at one of the hottest ramen houses in L.A., I have heard of much longer waits but then again our visit was on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. Many have called Tsujita the best and friends have proclaimed it life changing. The time had finally come to enjoy my very own pipping hot bowl of tonkotsu ramen.

Natalie: I ordered the Hakata Nagahama Tonkotsu Ramen, which was decorated nicely with juicy pieces of char siu (bbq pork), ajitama (a seasoned boiled egg), nori (seaweed), green onion, wood ear mushrooms and men-ma (bamboo shoots). Complimentary accoutrements on the table included beni-shoga (pickled red ginger, my absolute fave) and a jar of karashi takana (hot leaf mustard), which we quickly polished off and then asked for a re-up. The first thing I noticed, aside from the incredible fragrance emitting from my bowl, was the almost gelatinous layer that was beginning to form atop my broth. This porky liquid, slowly simmered for 60 hours, is practically a form of liquid lard, so rich you know it has to be good for the heart! I had never tasted a broth of such consistency and with each spoonful, I felt delicious drops of liquid fat roll onto my tongue, coating it with intense flavor. The noodles were thin straight, as they typically are with tonkotsu, but I prefer my noodles on the curlier side, the standard with shoyo (soy sauce). These particular noodles were most definitely a secondary character to the immaculate broth I could not stop spooning past my lips. The flavored egg, which is my most treasured possession in a bowl of ramen, once popped open, was a beautiful hue of orange-yellow and creamy like custard. Keeping up with all things savory, this bowl included wonderfully chunky slices of pork that made chewing pieces of fat feel like buttery pieces of bubblegum. I haven’t been the same since my trip to Tsujita, a ramen join that just stepped up the game and is well worth the hype.

This is Brandon slurping noodles at Ramen Jinya, one of our many upcoming posts!

Brandon: Ooey gooey gold best describes Tsujita’s Tsukemen bowl of ramen. The key attribute of this bowl of ramen is, YOU OWN YOUR OWN DESTINY of dunking your own noodles at will. Let’s start off with the broth. Its brown and murky in color, with the viscosity of cold chicken noodle soup. An 1/8 inch of pork fat sits atop of the soup and the pork fragments nestled inside does this bowl no justice by mere appearance. This savory pig juice plays with your senses because it’s enriched with fish undertones. Dried bonito, mackerel, and sardines give this bowl an umami blast to your palate and taste buds.

My noodles were thick and perfectly springy with a texture of fresh cut Udon. They were so good, I inhaled the first serving and quickly asked for another. This time around I enveloped my noodles with this mustard leaf condiment which tasted like a Japanese version of kimchi. Lets just say, “can I get the damn recipe” to this. I heavily contemplated asking for a to-go container to smuggle some of this spicy condiment goodness, as I knew how perfectly it would compliment the ramen I create at home. The slow poached egg, once cracked into, spews out runny molting yolk. It’s quite the addition to the bowl. Other accompaniments are the standard char siu pork, nori, and a lime wedge to marry all the notes in this harmonious symphony of flavors. #flavorsonflavorsonflavors Rain or shine, sleepwalking or awake, make your way down to the west side to experience this LA gem. Just be prepared to have cash on you and an appetite for gelatinous goodness.

Tsujita L.A., 2057 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025

The post Tsujita, Sawtelle, Los Angeles appeared first on NJ in LA.

  • Love
  • Save
    Add a blog to Bloglovin’
    Enter the full blog address (e.g. https://www.fashionsquad.com)
    We're working on your request. This will take just a minute...