Praise Be to Tsujita
We originally wrote a review comparing the two Tsujita’s first, but after recently going there for dinner, we decided Tsujita #1 deserves its own review. It would be a disservice not to give it the 1-on-1 attention it deserves. We’ll keep it short and simple, but if you’re interested in seeing how the two Tsujita’s compare to one another, be sure to peep the other article.
We only started coming to Tsujita at the end of last year and it’s one of those experiences where you can’t believe you’ve been missing out on it your entire life and vow never to go without it again for as long as you live. Though both of us were pretty big tsukemen fans prior to learning about Tsujita, we'd say that none of the places we ate at compares to it. It’s truly in a league of its own.
It was also pretty sweet timing that it was only several months after having Tsujita that we got to travel to Japan and compare Tsujita to well-established ramen shops in Tokyo. Let’s just say, Tsujita isn’t too far off. It was similar to the style of Ginza Oborozuki, or the more well-known, Fu-unji’s tsukemen (for those of you that don’t know, Fu-unji is one of those Tokyo tsukemen establishments that every ramen lover visits when in Shibuya). Very thick, salty, dank broth accompanied with thick, springy noodles. Tsujita serves their tsukemen with chashu and a lime wedge. The lime adds a nice layer of sourness and acidity to the overall experience, but if you’re a purist, you’ll probably leave it out. The noodles are always perfectly cooked (perhaps equivalent to what ‘al dente’ would be for pasta). Springy and chewy with the perfect texture that allows for the tsukemen broth to coat every square inch of each noodle.
The broth is thick, salty, and rich with flavor and depth. Every bite is a mouthful of the perfect combination of texture and flavor. When you’re finished with your noodles, you can ask for some soup wari, a dashi that gets added to your broth to thin it out and make it more drinkable. A perfect way to end the euphoric experience at Tsujita.
Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle
2057 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
