We recently had the privilege of visiting Tentenyu Ramen in Sawtelle, Los Angeles. Although the restaurant had not yet officially opened, its cook, Aris Miller, personally invited us to try out what he described was a different kind of ramen than what weโre used to in LA.
First for a bit of history. Sawtelle is the first US location for this Japanese ramen restaurant that started in Kyoto in 1971. For over 40 years of its existence, the restaurant has managed to maintain its status as one of the best ramen restaurants in Kyoto.
As soon as we set foot through its doors, we could literally smell what it was that made Tentenyu unique: chicken broth. Unlike other ramen establishments that utilize pork-based broth, Tentenyu create their broth by boiling 110 lbs of chicken for more than 10 hours to create just 100 bowls of ramen. This process allows their broth to become thick and flavorful, much more so than what you might initially expect.
The menu is divided into two groups: (1) Tori Paitan Ramen, and (2) Teriyaki Tsukamen (tsukamen version of the Tori Paitan). Both are made with chicken broth and come with few pieces of chashu. You can also add their house-made spicy sauce that contains a mixture of four peppers (habanero, jalopeno, ghost pepper, and red bell pepper) for an additional cost.
So what is the verdict? Thumbs up to both the Tori Paitan Ramen and the Teriyaki Tsukamen. The chicken based broth was thick, rich and flavorful and the noodles were done just right. The chashu was one of the best we ever tasted and the menma topping in particular added nice crunch and flavor to the rest of the bowl. On our next visit to Sawtelle, we will no doubt stop by again to satiate our ramen cravings.
Their grand opening is on June 23, 2016. Make sure you go visit them today!
Address: 2012 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Hours: 11am โ 2am, 7 days a week
Website: http://www.tentenyu-us.com