There’s an amazing spot in SoCal that takes ramen way beyond traditional tonkotsu and we applaud its considerable efforts to make this trendy Japanese soup extra cool.
MTN
This stylish restaurant from the folks behind beloved Gjusta and Gjelina delivers on its farm-to-table promise by working directly with producers to source its quality ingredients.
That means finding super flavorful Jidori chicken — a heritage breed that’s distinguished by its full-on poultry flavor profile — for its astonishingly good chicken ramen.
The process for creating this single soup takes days and intense prep to create the nine separate elements that go into the finished bowl, said general manager Vyas Bishop.
For stock-building geeks, that involves starting with a slow boil, adding dried anchovies, Kizimi-kombu (a dried, shredded kelp) and shiitake mushrooms to build an intense base.
The finished broth involves another long simmer to get to the place where the final bowl is carefully assembled, shimeji mushroom, shoyu tomago and white sesame playing supporting roles to the spectacular grilled chicken. Be sure and request the house-fermented Fresno chili pepper sauce to accompany those succulent slices.
Menu development
Sous chef Erika Aoki was instrumental in helping create the ramen, which is more like a home-style recipe, lighter and leaner than traditional pork-driven ramen. “It’s like something your grandma might make,” Bishop explained.
The small-batch production is driven by what’s available, which means the menu changes often. For instance, this year, it’s been challenging to source crab for the excellent ramen preparation. “That might mean we’ll have a limited number of bowls available,” said Bishop, who added that the restaurant group’s commitment to fresh means that it would never use frozen.
Of course, there’s pork-driven ramen, as well. The house ramen is a pork, chicken and duck consommé, accompanied by Napa cabbage, bean sprouts, shoyu tamago, pork collar chashu, white sesame, toasted nori and pickled ginger. There’s also an ultra-rich version featuring pork bone.
In addition to the lineup of steamy soup, the Izakaya-style menu includes rice bowls, shareable starters — don’t miss the exceptional pickle plate — and a selection of skewers cooked on a charcoal grill.
The vibe
Beyond the impressive food, this destination dining spot on Abbott Kinney has managed to create a dining room that feels comfortable and cool without being painfully hip like many of its neighbors.
Among the many thoughtful touches: Custom-made wooden spoons from Japan and gorgeous glassware made by chef de cuisine Pedro Aquino’s family in Oaxaca. The wall of records and two turntables come into play several nights a week.
One change that’s coming right up? Switching out the tall communal tables for more intimate four-tops. We hope they keep at least one of those handsome pieces, especially at lunch because interesting conversations often start in those situations.
Please check out additional Los Angeles coverage:
