July 11, 2019 8:09 am
Who Wants Ramen?
If you live in Los Angeles, you no doubt have your favorite ramen joint – but how about one that offers up delicious Ramen bowls AND Tempura as well?
Welcome To Sawtelle Japantown AKA Little Osaka!
On the westside of Los Angeles, west of the 405 and north of Olympic there is a neighborhood known officially as Sawtelle Japantown, and there are many terrific restaurants lining the street. Many in the area also call it “Little Osaka” as well…either way, there are terrific ramen restaurants including Marugame Udon – which is a terrific Ramen Noodle and Tempura Bar – where everything is served cafeteria style!
I have eaten here a half dozen times, the last one when I had lunch with Cameron Diaz. Well, she stood in front of me when ordering and sat nearby, so it counts.
Yes, it does.
So here is the process that Cameron followed: you wait at the entrance to peruse the menu, then step up to order…
The fresh noodles are cooked right in front of you, then dumped into a bowl where a second Chef adds the rest of your ingredients…since Ms. Diaz ate the same thing I did, she had the sweet beef with the softboiled egg added…
Then you slide your tray, cafeteria-style, past a terrific array of tempura: everything from chicken (Karaage!) to vegetables, asparagus, squid, fishcake and more…
As you can see, lots of options, including lots of vegetables as well…and after loading up on Tempura, you can get some Musubi rice balls as well!
After sliding around to the cashier, you can head over to the condiment bar, where there are fresh herbs, green onions and tempura krispies as well…
So what did I have? I got the udon with sweet beef and a soft-boiled egg added, then got myself some chicken, shrimp and squid tempura – and it was time to dig in…
The verdict? Delicious! The sweet beef Udon is really flavorful, the soft boiled egg gives the broth a yellow-y thickness – and the tempura is perfectly cooked…this is a great meal!
The street is lined with terrific restaurants – yes, I am also a fan of Tsujita’s multiple restaurants as well…and just a few blocks away is another of LA’s legendary food haunts:
Yes, just a mile or so away is The Apple Pan, which has the best apple pie in town!
You can see my entire review of The Apple Pan by clicking here:
Let me know your favorite LA Ramen joint!
Posted by johnrieber
Categories: cookbooks, Food, food blog, Food Review, Los Angeles, Pop Culture, Recipes, Restaurants, Travel, Travel Adventures, Uncategorized, Wacky Food
Tags: 2017 Los Angeles best restaurants, best apple pie in Los Angeles, best burgers in los angels, best hamburger joints in Los Angeles, best LA ramen shops, best Los Angeles ramen noodle shops, best tempura in Los Angeles, classic Hollywood, classic Hollywood restaurants, classic hollywood stories, classic LA history, classic LA websites, classic Los Angeles, LA's best apple pie, LA's best burgers, LA's best ramen noodles, Little Osake in Los Angeles, Los Angeles food, Los Angeles hamburger stands, Los Angeles ramen restaurants, Los Angeles Tempura, Marugame Ramen, Marugame Udon, saving los angeles restaurants, saving the apple pan restaurant, Sawtelle Japantown, Sawtelle Japantown neighborhood, Sawtelle restaurants, The Apple Pan, the apple pan restaurant los angeles, the apple pan restaurant review, The Apple Pan restaurant west los angeles, the apple pan review
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[…] Marugame Udon’s Cafeteria-Style Ramen And Tempura! LA’s Sawtelle Japantown Gem! […]
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[…] Marugame Udon’s Cafeteria-Style Ramen And Tempura! LA’s Sawtelle Japantown Gem! […]
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[…] https://johnrieber.com/2019/07/11/marugame-udons-cafeteria-style-ramen-and-tempura-las-sawtelle-japan… […]
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By I Ate Amazing “Glow In The Dark” Ramen! A “Neon Noodle” Feast At Legendary Yamashiro Hollywood! – johnrieber on August 6, 2019 at 8:37 am
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By BestMay on July 20, 2019 at 12:12 am
I have never heard of this. I am clearly over sheltered. I haven’t seen them in the UK or in New Zealand either. I am glad to know that Cameron eats. Not all the stars to as far as I can tell [wink].
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By robbiesinspiration on July 13, 2019 at 9:45 am
HA!
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By johnrieber on July 13, 2019 at 11:07 am
My family and I love eating ramen. Delicious.
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By Colline on July 11, 2019 at 9:21 am
Yes, this place delivers a great meal at a reasonable price!
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By johnrieber on July 11, 2019 at 9:34 am
Shrimp Tempura, please.
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By Cindy Bruchman on July 11, 2019 at 9:21 am
Cindy, they have shrimp, calamari, fish, chicken, plus a wide array of vegetables, and I loved the cafeteria-style!
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By johnrieber on July 11, 2019 at 9:34 am
I had to smile at the ‘Bukkake’ noodles on the menu. I might give that option a miss…
But the rest looks delicious, especially the beef Udon.
Best wishes, Pete.
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By beetleypete on July 11, 2019 at 8:27 am
Pete, I didn’t notice that…hmmmm…..
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By johnrieber on July 11, 2019 at 8:38 am
First thing I spotted! 🙂 🙂
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By beetleypete on July 11, 2019 at 8:42 am
The “official” definition: “A Japanese dish made by pouring broth over cold noodles, commonly udon.” But, the dictionary also references the “unofficial” definition and for those who don’t know, DO NOT google it – the restaurant isn’t at fault here!
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By johnrieber on July 11, 2019 at 8:50 am
Sorry, John. I just couldn’t resist it! 🙂
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By beetleypete on July 11, 2019 at 9:02 am
Feel free to delete my comment, in case it upsets anyone.
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By beetleypete on July 11, 2019 at 9:02 am
LOL.
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By Cindy Bruchman on July 11, 2019 at 9:20 am
I responded to Pete – he’s not trying to offend, and no one needs to followup – in fact, they’ve been warned against it!
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By johnrieber on July 11, 2019 at 9:34 am
Look Pete you aren’t trying to upset anyone, it’s a new pop culture slang that is very offensive…you are simply pointing that out, there is no reason for anyone to be upset if they DON’T go elsewhere to try and discover the meaning….they’ve been warned!
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By johnrieber on July 11, 2019 at 9:33 am