A. Scattergood

tsukemen and matcha tea at Tsujita Annex

Sometimes the ramen gods hear you, don't they. Tsujita Annex, the little ivy-covered outpost of the larger Tsujita L.A. ramen palace across Sawtelle Boulevard, opened recently serving big bowls of tonkotsu ramen and not too much else. The lunchtime bowls of tsukemen, or dip ramen, were the province of the larger restaurant, which has had long lines pretty much since it opened as crowds gathered for bowls of the stuff. But a few days ago, tsukemen showed up on the menu of the Annex, for which some of us are unreasonably grateful.

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A. Scattergood

Ramen at Tsujita Annex

With the dollar-yen exchange rate so good right now, you may be reading this in a Tokyo tsukemen shop. Lucky you. But if you're still in L.A., you might consider heading over to Little Osaka, where the beautiful noodle palace of Tsujita L.A. has recently expanded across the street. Lucky us.

A few weeks ago, Tsujita Annex opened in the space that previously housed the short-lived ramen shop, Miyata Menji.

That Tsujita has expanded should come as no surprise to anyone who has spent time waiting outside the original shop at lunchtime, when long lines often snake down the street as the usual crowd waits for a table at which to consume tsukemen, the dip ramen in which the restaurant has specialized since its opening in 2011, which is served only at lunch.

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Google Maps

Ever notice that squish of small Russian restaurants on the corner of Sunset and Fuller? Probably not, considering all the oddball people watching you can do at the Rock N' Roll Ralph's across the street. Well, the next time you're crawling along Sunset (say, on your way to Cochon 555 at the House of Blues), swing your eyes into the parking lot strip mall that sits at the corner. You'll find a few curious-looking Russian spots (one dine in, one casual and one that's basically a takeaway joint), an Indian food place and a relatively new ramen bar. It's an eclectic mix, but then again you are on Sunset Boulevard.

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A. Scattergood

Daikokuya in Arcadia

As Daikokuya prepares to celebrate 11 years of delivering steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen to the slurping masses, it has been amazing to watch the rest of Los Angeles catch up. There are ramen shops in Torrance for the noodle-obsessed, in West L.A. for those who follow best-of lists, and all over Little Tokyo, where Daikokuya's most heralded location sits. This city is positively ramen-obsessed.

Now, Daikokuya is looking to give back to all of those hungry hordes that have braved the mild Los Angeles weather for a shot at their rich pork ramen. The namesake Daikoku Ramen, a savory mix of long-simmered pork bone stock, kurobuta pork slices, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, green onions and a soft boiled egg, regularly retails for $8.95. But from the date of their 11 year anniversary on Wednesday, Feb. 20 through Friday, Feb. 22, those same bowls will be $5 (at the Little Tokyo location only). The generous offer is valid for all three days, from open to close.

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Ikemen Ramen

Zebra Dip

Little Tokyo's array of ramen eateries attests to the dish's versatility -- and booming popularity. There's Daikokuya's rich pork broth. Shin-Sen-Gumi's thin, Hakata-style noodles. The blended soy-pork broth of Men Oh Tokushima. Orochon's super spicy "Special #2." Possibly two dozen types at Mr. Ramen. Plus the noodles at Japanese-Chinese diners Suehiro and Kouraku. Too bad Chin Ma Ya just closed, depriving us of chicken-pork broth infused with sesame paste.

Now, yet another variety has set up shop: Ikemen Ramen, opening today in Little Tokyo's Weller Court. (Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.) Ikemen may be new to Little Tokyo, but not L.A. -- it debuted in a Hollywood strip mall in fall 2011. The style? Just call it "Hollywood," says co-owner Max Kawabata. The menu -- and techniques behind it -- aim for innovation rather than tradition.

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Shako Liu

Tokushima Ramen at Men Oh

The history of the San Francisco-Los Angeles rivalry is well-documented in many fields, whether it's the Giants and Dodgers contesting the NL West (we're all aware of how that turned out this season) or a frank debate on which city offers the biggest and best representation of West Coast cuisine. In the realm of high-proof Japanese ramen, though, the superior city hasn't been as murky. We have Santouka; we have Daikokuya; and we are darn proud of it. Even in San Francisco, Yelpers end up comparing their favorite spots with two of L.A.'s undeniable heavyweights.

That's why it was something of a surprise when the newest ramen purveyor to roll into town was imported from the Bay Area -- well, sort of. The Los Angeles branch of Men Oh Tokushima Ramen, located in Little Tokyo's Honda Plaza across from the ever-bustling Sushi Gen, was preceded by the opening of 12 locations in Japan and two in San Francisco.

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T. Nguyen

Men Oh Tokushima Ramen

It's October on the calendar and thus theoretically great ramen weather. Alas, theory hasn't quite met thermometer just yet, but when it does, it might be a good time to welcome the belated fall season with a nice bowl of noodles from a new ramen joint (yes, another one): Japanese chain Men Oh Tokushima Ramen officially opens a 29-seat location in Little Tokyo's Honda Plaza today, Tuesday, Oct. 2.

As general manager Jun Isogai explains, most regions in Japan have their unique style of ramen, and even with our many ramen joints all over the city, Los Angeles has not yet seen much of Men Oh's namesake version.

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B. Rodell

Tonkotsu ramen at Silver Lake Ramen

The sign went up months ago: Silver Lake Ramen, replacing Los Cobanos pupuseria on Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake. And this past Friday the new ramen shop opened its doors.

The menu is fairly straightforward, offering tonkotsu ramen, tonkotsu spicy ramen, shoyu ramen and tsukemen, as well as some sushi rolls. The space is small, sleek and sparse, with blonde wood and -- seemingly -- glowing yellow light emanating from the walls.

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Gary Soup/Flickr

Ramen at Men Oh Tokushima Ramen's San Francisco shop

Because we still have room for ramen in this city, it looks like we'll have at least one more noodle shop to add before the sky falls, the zombies attack and 2012 is over: Japanese chain Men Oh Tokushima Ramen is coming to Little Tokyo. Per this Craigslist post, the restaurant is now hiring servers and kitchen staff for lunch and dinner service.

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Flickr/PonderousPilgrim

Negitama ramen from Menya Iroha

If the recent boom of Japan-imported ramen chains in Southern California is the crosscultural cousin of the '60s British Invasion -- which feels like a fair comparison lately -- then round up the screaming fangirls, because the Beatles have just landed in Los Angeles and Gardena's Marukai Market is looking to be their Ed Sullivan Show.

Starting today through Sept. 16, Ramen Menya Iroha will open in the food court of the Gardena branch of the Japanese specialty supermarket Marukai, serving its three distinct styles of ramen: spicy red miso, white chicken broth and a specialty black shoyu-based negitama ramen.

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