Mr. Ramen

I'm always a bit surprised when I read people's impressions of Mr. Ramen down in Little Tokyo on 1st Street. To be fair, it does have the odds stacked against it, being just a few doors down from Daikokuya, which happens to be the "darling" of hipster SoCal ramen eaters. I don't think the often maligned comments are deserved. In fact, I would actually rate Mr. Ramen above Daikokuya.

Upon entering, you'll notice the decor is a little...odd. Random paintings on the wall, autographed pictures of lounge singers, and a collection of small tables and a long bench. Nine times out of ten, reggae can be heard over the speaker system, and to be quite honest, I think all of the above just add to the charm. Not only does Mr. Ramen beat Daikokuya in warmth, but the service is miles better and the selection is outstanding.

Mr. Ramen caters to us savage carnivores, as well as those who stay strictly vegetarian; on the back of their menu, they offer a full selection of vegetarian dishes , including multiple bowls of ramen made with vegetarian broth. Being a ravenous meat-eater, I haven't tried any of these dishes, but the look of satisfaction I saw on my vegetarian cousin's face told me it was probably pretty damn good.

Flipping back to the regular menu, you will find an impressive selection of various bowls of ramen and combos. Their pork bone ramen is a little less flavorful than the one found a hundred feet away at Daikokuya, but it's still an above-average bowl of ramen (especially when dosed with copious amounts of nanami togarashi!) My two personal favorites here are the chicken curry ramen and the spicy chashu ramen. The chicken curry has an amazing broth that isn't too thick or too thin, but just right. Along for the ride are sizable chunks of juicy white meat chicken breast that just suck up the flavor of the broth, resulting in an orgasmic flavor explosion once you bite into it. The spicy chashu doesn't seem like anything special at first; after all, it's regular chashu ramen with an extra kick. But the thing that sets it apart from known heat factories like Orochon is that none of the flavor is lost due to the spiciness. I always dump some more togarashi in it to step it up, but it's also perfect the way it is. The pork is juicy with just the right amount of fat, and the seemingly fresh nori adds in a little more flavor without falling apart.

The waitresses who work here are extremely friendly, and are never seen without a smile. Drinks are usually refilled on time, checks are only brought after the table has been cleared, and the food comes out lightning fast. I'm sure most of this is possible due to the fact that they are rarely super busy (again, due to the cult following of Daikokuya), but you just can't get this friendliness down the street.

Overall, try out Mr. Ramen. If you love chicken and Japanese curry, then I highly recommend the chicken curry ramen. I know it'll be tough to pull yourself away from the entrancing gaze of Daikokuya, but you owe it to yourself to at least visit this little shop at least once.