Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle

Tsujita LA Artisan Noodle is a ramen restaurant at 2057 Sawtelle Boulevard in Sawtelle Japantown, West Los Angeles, California, specialising in tsukemen, or dipping ramen. The Sawtelle strip is a compact Japanese-American dining and shopping district, and Tsujita is among its best-known names, an American outpost of a Japanese noodle brand. The cuisine is Japanese ramen, and the kitchen's focus is a very rich pork bone broth. The signature dish is tsukemen, in which thick, chewy noodles are served separately and dipped into a concentrated, intensely flavoured broth, often finished by adding a little soup to the leftover dipping sauce at the end of the meal. A conventional pork bone broth ramen is also served for those who prefer noodles in soup. The dining room is casual, compact and busy, with counter and table seating, a brisk pace and moderate to loud noise at peak hours; there is no dress code. There is no notable wine programme, with the beverage list centred on Japanese beer, tea and soft drinks. Prices are moderate at about $18 to $30 per person, depending on toppings and sides. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, though hours should be confirmed on the website. Reservations are not taken; guests add their name to a waitlist on arrival, and waits of 30 to 60 minutes are common at weekend dinner, while weekday afternoons are usually quicker. Visitors often combine the meal with a walk along Sawtelle Boulevard, which has dessert shops, bakeries, Japanese groceries and other noodle and sushi restaurants. Street parking on Sawtelle is limited and there are small lots nearby, so arriving by ride-hail or allowing extra time to park is sensible. The neighbourhood sits close to Santa Monica Boulevard and the Westside Pavilion area.