August 15, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Belly Warming Sawtelle Ramen Standouts

Sorting the noodle and broth chaos of Sawtelle Blvd.

By Kerry Slater

While a heaping bowl of ramen sounds mouth-watering all year round, the winter months make it an especially desirable meal. In many parts of the country, the only way to satisfy this craving is with a pack of Maruchan instant noodles, but luckily on the Westside, a ramen-heaven exists. The holy place in question is, of course, Sawtelle Boulevard, where in some areas three ramen houses stand within a 100-foot radius of each other. To help sort through all the noodles and broth, here are four stand-out ramen houses on Sawtelle, ranked in no particular order.

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles
2057 Sawtelle Blvd

Tsukemen ramen with a soft boiled egg at Tsujitsa Annex. Photo:
Flickr (City Foodsters, https://bit.ly/2D0KWf9).

Remember when I just wrote that these entries were ranked in no particular order? Well, that was a lie. Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles, located on the corner of Sawtelle Boulevard and Missippi Avenue is considered by many to be the holy grail of ramen shops, not only on Sawtelle, not only in Los Angeles but throughout the entire United States.

Their specialty is Tsukemen ramen, with tonkatsu (pork) broth on the side of thick, perfectly al-dente noodles. Words can not do justice describing the experience of slurping down a bowl of ramen at Tsujitsa. Instead, head on over to Sawtelle and wait in line for ramen that may or may not change your life. 

Tatsu
2123 Sawtelle Blvd

Soul Ramen at Tatsu. Photo: Facebook.

Tatsu may not quite be on the same level as Tsujitsa, but they still serve a mighty fine bowl of ramen. Located a hop, skip and a jump from Tsujitsa, diners are greeted at Tatsu not by a hostess but rather by a row of iPads where patrons place their orders. There are a variety of ramen options to choose from, all excellent, but the “bold” and “soul” ramens are particular standouts. The bold ramen is heavy on the garlic, heavy on the spice and will leave even the most ambitious eater feeling full. The soul ramen, while by no means light, is a bit more subtle than the bold ramen, and living up to its namesake, really does warm the soul.

Shin-Sen-Gumi
1601 Sawtelle Blvd #101

Hakata style ramen at Shinsengumi. Photo: Facebook.

Located north of Santa Monica Boulevard, away from the hustle and bustle of central Sawtelle, Shin-Sen-Gumi may not be on many diners’ radar. Despite being removed from the chaos, Shinsengumi delivers Hakata ramen that stands up to any place on the block. Patrons choose from a variety of sides to put in their ramen, from staples like garlic and mushrooms to lesser-seen options like flavored-egg and spicy miso paste flavor bombs. Despite the level of customization offered, the broth and noodles at Shin-sen-gumi speak for themselves, a mark of any top-notch ramen house.

Killer Noodle
2030 Sawtelle Blvd

Tokyo style ramen at Killer Noodle. Photo: Kerry Slater.

A bowl of ramen at Killer Noodle not only looks much different than a typical bowl of ramen, but it also tastes a whole lot different as well.

The signature dish at Killer Noodle is their Tokyo style ramen. Made with a peanut-based broth, diners are asked to choose on a scale of 1-7 both how spicy and how numbing they want their ramen to be. Killer Noodle uses sansho peppers in their broth. Packed with citrus flavor and a tongue- numbing agent, these peppers make eating a bowl of ramen at Killer Noodle not only a meal but a full-body experience.

Related Posts

Sweet Wheat Bakery & Bistro Opens in Downtown Culver City August 18

August 14, 2025

August 14, 2025

French Brothers Open Bakery with Authentic Parisian Pasteries A new bakery and bistro from two French-born brothers is set to...

Sidecar & Van Leeuwen Unite for One-Night-Only Doughnuts Ă  la Mode

August 14, 2025

August 14, 2025

Limited-Time Collab Pairs Iconic Doughnuts With Artisanal Scoops Sidecar Doughnuts, the purveyors of some of Los Angeles’ best doughnuts, is...

Mr. Charlie’s Brings Plant-Based Fast Food to 26th Street With Grand Opening Giveaway

August 13, 2025

August 13, 2025

Plant-Based Favorite Opens Brentwood Adjacent Spot With Opening Day Perks Mr. Charlie’s, the fast-growing plant-based fast-food chain known for its...

Drag Bingo Returns to The Godfrey Hotel Hollywood With “The Bingo Babe” Roxy Wood

August 13, 2025

August 13, 2025

About Last Knife Hosts a Night of Games, Prizes, Followed by Late-Night Happy Hour About Last Knife, the signature restaurant...

Bánh Mì Pop-Up Returns: Chef Tra An Serves Pork & Mushroom Versions After Months-Long Hiatus

August 13, 2025

August 13, 2025

Following Four Sold-Out Events, Pre-Orders are Live for The Next Delicious Pop-Up Private chef Tra An, celebrated for making what...

After a Fire in July, the Culver City Adjacent Museum of Jurassic Technology Reopens

August 13, 2025

August 13, 2025

Quick Action Saves and Volunteers Helped Reopen the Eccentric Treasure Smoke and fire tore through the Museum of Jurassic Technology’s...

Ex-LAPD Officer Among Four Charged in Kidnapping and Violent Home Invasion Robbery

August 13, 2025

August 13, 2025

Prosecutors Say the Suspects Handcuffed Victims, Stole Cash, and Cryptocurrency Felony charges were filed against a former Los Angeles police...

Beverly Hills Senior Scammed Out of $59K; Richmond Man Charged in Fraud Scheme

August 12, 2025

August 12, 2025

Suspect Posed as a Bank Employee and Federal Agent, Collecting Cash Twice  Multiple charges have been leveled at a Richmond,...

Rare Chinese Manuscripts Stolen From UCLA Library, Suspect Stayed at Brentwood Hotel

August 12, 2025

August 12, 2025

Suspect Swapped Originals for Fakes and Stored Evidence at Hotel Angeleno. Federal prosecutors have charged a Fremont, Calif., man with...

LAUSD Responds to Immigration Raids With Expanded Campus Safety Measures for New School Year

August 12, 2025

August 12, 2025

Superintendent Condemns Federal Agents’ Actions, Announces Safe-Passage Programs  Responding to heightened concerns about federal immigration activity near campuses, the Los...

(Video) Jennifer Levi, mother of Braun Levi, speaks at the Live Like Braun Memorial Tennis Tournament on His Birthday

August 12, 2025

August 12, 2025

After Braun was killed by a drunk driver, the Levis founded the Live Like Braun Foundation in his memory. The...

Two Hospitalized After Fourth-Floor Apartment Fire in Pico-Robertson

August 11, 2025

August 11, 2025

44 Firefighters Contained the Blaze, Rescued a 94-Year-Old Woman Flames erupted from a fourth-floor balcony of a six-story residential building...

Masked Man Sought After Explosion Damages Inglewood Apartment

August 11, 2025

August 11, 2025

Blast Followed a Confrontation as Suspect Demanded Money Police are investigating a Sunday explosion inside a second-floor apartment that damaged...

Mountain Lion Euthanized After Attacking 11-Year-Old Outside Malibu Home

August 11, 2025

August 11, 2025

Wildlife Officials Say the Girl Was Bitten Near Her Family’s Chicken Coop Wildlife officers shot and killed a mountain lion...

Frank Gehry Designed Playa Vista Office Complex Gets Green Light From LA Council

August 10, 2025

August 10, 2025

City Council Approves Environmental Study for Playa Vista Development City lawmakers last week moved a Frank Gehry–designed office development in...