If you even been to Sawtelle Blvd. in West LA, you know there are some awesome Japanese restaurants. I've been to Sawtelle for Japanese plant nurseries few times and of course, couldn't pass on all those yummy foods. I heard about Asahi ramen few times on the internet that it's one of the top 10 ramen place to go in LA. I've been to few really good ramen places, mostly in Southbay. Shinsengumi Hakata Ramen (Gardena), Asa Ramen (Gardena), Eboshi noodle bar (Lomita), Chabuya (W. LA & Torrance), Gardena Ramen (Gardena), Orochon (Little Tokyo), Koraku (Little Tokyo), Tampopo (Gardena), Santouka (Torrance),.....
I just had to stop by Asahi Ramen to see what all the fuss is about.
I ordered chahan (fried rice), gyoza (Dumplings), miso ramen, and mabo ramen which were recommended by my coworker who happened to be there for lunch. He recommended a lot more stuff from the menu but I just ordered basics like chahan, miso ramen and gyoza. He personally selected mabo ramen for me to try at this place. I usually like the basic combination in my ramen but I had to try it.
First of all, I was in awe by the proportion of all the food they serve. Compare to the Chabuya across the street this place is definitely for big eaters. Chahan wasn't all that special for me. I prefer Shinsengumi or Eboshi for thier smoky, chewy, and fluffy chahan. Asahi's chahan was too mushy and big chunks of carrot were just not delicate enough for my taste but their gyoza was one of the best I've had at this type of restaurants. They look and taste like home-made and flavorful.
Both ramens were above the average in taste of their soup. I really enjoy the rich broth made by chicken, pork, and vegetable. It seems like they been boiling the soup for hours to get the rich flavor. I was really surprise how mabo sauce enhanced the ramen soup so well. Just enough spiciness and saltiness but not overwhelming the taste of the broth. I wish the noodle was as good as the broth. I was very disappointed that the noodle was soft and had no life to it unlike Orochon (maybe, too chewy). I like my noodle to be al dente for it will get softer in time. Miso ramen was also very flavorful using the light miso instead of dark and pungent miso. I personally like darker but this was still very good. My favorite miso ramen is from Eboshi noodle bar in Lomita. Too bad the charshu (roast pork) wasn't as good. It was a solid meat with no fat and too hard. Asa ramen in Gardena has a best charshu on the ramen. It just melts in your mouth with a explosion of flavor. Over all, I enjoyed my lunch and took some home for dinner. All the ramen places I been to have pros and cons. Asahi has my vote for it's rich and satifying broth.
Asahi Ramen
2027 Sawtelle Blvd.
West Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 479-2231
