Mensho Tokyo LA: Umami-Rich Ramen & Innovative Flavors

Matthew Kang
is the Lead Editor of the Southern California/Southwest area, and has covered eating, dining establishments, food culture, and night life in Los Angeles considering that 2008. He hosted a YouTube show called K-Town, covering Korean food in America and has actually been included on Netflix’s Road Food.

Mensho’s Signature Ramen: A Culinary Masterpiece

Mensho maintains it fairly simple with a creamy, chicken-based brew that is as rich as, or even richer than, Hakata-style tonkotsu, using a refined sweet taste that stabilizes the thick, mochi-like noodles. The shop’s trademark ramen ($28), covered with tender duck slices, A5 wagyu beef, fermented pork chashu, truffle sauce, mushroom menma, smoked ajitama egg, gobo chips, and hojicha, is a torrential cavalcade of umami-rich active ingredients. The toppings mix along with the spirituous, aromatic, and textural pleasures on par with a few of the best ramen bowls in Japan. Even amongst Los Angeles’s crowded ramen market, this is one of the most impressive bowls already.

Appetizers & Ambiance at Mensho Tokyo

Appetizers are focused yet well-executed, consisting of corn “wings” implied to look like ones made with chicken, karaage fried chicken, fried horse mackerel (aji), and a negi-ikura rice dish topped with seasoned salmon roe. The dining establishment’s small space, formerly occupied by Sweet Lily Pastry shop, fits concerning 40 restaurants at a time, consisting of those seated at a huge triangular public table, four-tops, and counter seating.

Flavorful Ramen Variations and Vegan Options

Flavor mixes include the Garlic Knock senseless, packed with numerous notes of the allium, consisting of smoked garlic, black garlic oil, diced garlic, fried garlic chips, red onion, spicy gobo chips, and a subtle chile sauce. Think of it as a redolent relative to Mensho’s signature, with a great deal much more crispy texture. An Old-fashioned dish gets the luxe duck and A5 wagyu, maintaining the toppings extra classic. A poultry and lamb-based brew makes up the last meat-based variation, with spicy ground lamb, eggplant, smoked nuts, and shishito peppers offering a truly gonzo permutation. Mensho additionally prepares 3 vegan ramen bowls (a take on the Garlic Knock senseless, cauliflower tan tan, and yuzu) which employ a shio koji and dashi broth. Unfortunately, the store doesn’t supply gluten-free noodles yet.