A year ago, I wrote about some ramen joints in LA. From that point to now, there has been a lot of development in Downtown LA, especially in Little Tokyo. After getting back from my “short trip” from Southeast Asia (Philippines/Thailand) recently, I headed straight to Hakata Ramen SSG.

This spot just opened up from the SSG-line no less than a year ago. What I like about their resto (other than their service) is how you can customize your ramen.

I usually order a Hakata ramen w/ hard noodles (it gets to the right softness by the time it gets on your table, and by the time you finish taking photos ^^), light oil, and normal soup base. I then get the extras: thick cut chasu, and another tamago/egg. This just feels right after all is done; I’m one happy dude.
Another thing that I like about Hakata is its location. It’s located right across the Little Tokyo Plaza. You can either get 1‑hour free parking via validation by parking at the Office Depot parking lot; or you can park at the Plaza’s parking lot for $7 (w/o validation; free with). With that, if I find that its too long of a wait at my other favorite ramen spot (Daikokuya), I just head here. Also, if I find that I need something sweet after my bowl of ramen, I just hit up the Yogurtland literally next door. With all of those positives, how can you lose in having a Hakata Ramen bowl for yourself? You can’t!
But, lets not forget about Daikokuya. This ramen is still on the top of my list. Sans the waiting-in-line just to sit down and eat, this is still the ramen to beat.

What I like about this place (again, other than its service) is the gyoza. It’s just different, and good. The portions are big. It comes with about 5 big pieces. Each… cradled with lots of love, care and deliciousness.

So, just to update my list of favorite Los Angeles Ramen Spots, here it is:1
- Daikokuya
- Hakata Ramen SSG
- Kouraku
- Keeping it to a max of top‑3. [↩]
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