The noodle craze that's been sweeping through Japan for the last decade has centered around tsukemen, a chewy mound of noodles served with a hyper-rich dipping broth, fortified with pork bone and bonito until it's as thick as motor oil. When Tsujita, a respected tsukemen joint in Japan, opened its first foreign outpost on Sawtelle, ramen lovers swooned — even now, the lengthy wait list for a table often rivals something out of the UCLA admissions department. (Making matters worse, ramen is served only during lunch, out of concern that the dish's popularity would overshadow the dinnertime kaiseki menu.) Still, the chefs at Tsujita L.A. take their craft as seriously as brain surgeons. Combine the slices of tender char siu and the quivering soft-boiled egg bobbing on the surface, and the elements of Tsujita's tsukemen bowl form the ultimate black hole of umami — denser, and more delicious, than any ramen you've previously experienced. 2057 Sawtelle Blvd., Sawtelle; (310) 231-7373, tsujita-la.com. Daily, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. & Sun., 6 p.m.-mid.; Fri.-Sat., 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Entrees $10-$19. Beer, wine and sake.

 

Besha Rodell's Introduction

Anne Fishbein's Photography

The Google Map

 

The 99 Essential Restaurants List:

A-Frame
Alma
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Attari Sandwich Shop
Bäco Mercat
Bar Amá
The Bazaar
Bestia
BierBeisl
Bludso's
Cacao Mexicatessen
Canelé
La Casita Mexicana
Cemitas Poblanas Elviritas
Chichen Itza
Chung King
Cole's
Coni'Seafood
Cube Cafe & Marketplace
Din Tai Fung
Eva
Father's Office
Fred 62
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Go's Mart
Il Grano
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Hatfield's
Ha Tien Quan
Hawkins House of Burgers
Hayat's Kitchen
El Huarache Azteca
Huckleberry
The Hungry Cat
ink.
Jar
Jitlada
JTYH Heavy Noodle II
Kang Ho Dong Baekjong
Kiriko
Kiyokawa
Kogi Truck
Krua Siri
L&E Oyster Bar
Langer's
Little Dom's
Lucques
Ludo Truck
Lukshon
Mariscos Jalisco
Matsuhisa
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Milo and Olive
Mo-Chica
Musso & Frank
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
Nickel Diner
Night + Market
Oinkster
Osteria Mozza
Pann's
Pa-Ord Noodle
El Parian
Park's BBQ
Philippe the Original
Picca
Pink's
Pizzeria Mozza
Playa
Pollo a la Brasa
Providence
R&R Soul Food
Ración
Red Medicine
Ricky's Fish Tacos
Rivera
Rocio's Moles de los Dioses
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Savoy Kitchen
Sea Harbour
Shanghai No. 1 Village Seafood
Soban
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
The Spice Table
Superba Snack Bar
Tacos Leo
The Tasting Kitchen
Tavern
Tsujita LA
Vincenti Ristorante
Wurstküche
Zam Zam Market

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