Asa Ramen — Restaurant in Los Angeles

3 or 4 stars. I can't really make up my mind on this place. So I'll start of what some may consider the cons. Eating here is not going to be like "Holy Ramen balls, this is amazing!!" This place doesn't offer anything unique tasting or anything memorable. The ramen bowls have very little add-ons unless you request on the side and pay more. You're basically looking at the broth, the noodles, the chashu, and some bamboo shoots. The presentation isn't anything spectacular either. The few times I've been, I've noticed the employees there to be very introverted. But that said, I've felt that this place was very Japanese and I will explain a bit further in what I mean by that. Japanese people in general are very introverted for the most part, that is unless they get drunk, then, like most other cultures, we see a more animated side. The reason why I do like this place is because the food there is not too bland but not too salty or rich either. A trend I've noticed in the past 5+ years or so is new Ramen shops opening, they try to make their food exciting but in return, it becomes a bit too rich or too salty. It's great to eat for that one sitting but you may not be able to eat the whole thing or if you do eat it all, you may feel bloated or feel your arteries clogging as you pay for your food. This place on the other hand has a very good balance in terms of price and quantity and taste. It's not as expensive as other locations, especially during happy hour so it makes you want to consider this place more when you're on a budget. Even if you had food from this location the night before or earlier that day, it makes you want to consider going back because it wasn't too much/too overwhelming the previous time. They also have enough variety of foods to where you can go there consecutive days and always order something different but the menu is small enough that you won't sit there for a long time trying to figure out what you want to eat. Asa Ramen is a nice family owned and run location and I would love to come here again when in the area since I feel more places like this needs to exist and they on the other hand try to give you the best service for the price...

Beside having great ramen, I think the one thing I like is the fact that they are open really late. I do watch late night movies at AMC Del Amo and getting a late dinner wouldn't be harder without restaurants that open late, so +1 to that! 🥂 The place look old, but don't worry, It is clean.

On to the food: I thought the ramen texture was pretty great! Not too soft, a little on the hard side. Therefore, if you like your ramen a little softer, you could perhaps let the waiter (there was only one guy serving everyone) know ahead of time.

Salt ramen: Not too salty. It tasted like your typical (the great ones) salt ramen. However you don't feel heavy afterwards because it is not too oily. The meat given was kinda sad though. I thought there were very little meat in the ramen. Egg was great! But if you are looking forward to runny egg🥚 yolk then I am afraid you are out of luck.

Curry ramen: This was great too! Smells really good and it definitely satisfies your curry craving!

Kaarage: This was alright. Nothing extraordinary. They were kind of thick on the flour. You can give it a try nonetheless if you want some appetizers.

Fried oyster: My girlfriend enjoyed them thoroughly! I didn't touch this because I am afraid of oysters 🦪!

Overall, it was pretty great experience. I will definitely be...

Google maps said it has been 7 years since I last ate here, decided to give it another try. So much regret.

My party of 3 was promptly seated, provided water, and took out order (just 3 Kotteri ramens). We waited over half an hour to get our food. And it was NOT worth the wait. It was overly salty, barely edible. The flavor reminds me of Ichiran home cook packs which now I suspect that's what they use.

The restaurant is connected to a "bar" next door, and the entire time there were cigar smells (more prominent when people are entering/leaving the bar through a door). This was very off-putting when trying to eat ramen.

Writing this review to remind myself to NEVER return in another 7 years or however long...