It is officially ramen weather in Los Angeles, which means it's time to start mapping out that much needed noodle pilgrimage you promise to take every year. The frenzy over tonkotsu, tsukemen, and anything simmered for over twenty hours has reached an all time high, so now is the perfect time to strike.These days it is not uncommon to overhear people at lunch fighting over who has the best bowl in town and it is practically de rigueur to catch anonymous blog commenters go ape-shit when their favorite spot doesn't make a top 10 list.
You know a ramen joint is going to be popping when you get a whiff of the broth from the parking lot. When the kurobuta pork bones are simmered just right, the smell penetrates your nostrils and you have no other choice but to surrender every ounce of your being to the bowl. From both Valleys, San Gabriel and San Fernando, to Downtown to the South Bay, ramen options are multiplying quickly, meaning there is no excuse not to be devouring delicious bowls of broth across this city's culinary terrain. The ramen experience encourages the imagination with a sort of "choose your own adventure" element and the ending always looks like a beautiful food coma.
Who needs cuffing season when you have a bowl of ramen to keep you warm? Do your mouth a favor and drop some flavor bombs on those taste buds. Here are some of the most crucial spots you should be slurping ramen at right now.
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Written by Natalie James (@NJinLA)