An Early Look at Oh Man! Ramen, True Food’s Expansion, More A.M. News

A first look at Oh Man! Ramen

LA Weekly’s Eddie Lin takes a long look at Oh Man! Ramen from chefs Luke Reyes and Phillip Frankland Lee in Encino. The Scratch Bar adjacent noodle joint is still in soft opening mode, which does make this look a very early one. A few things to take away: the place is making their own noodles, which goes in line with Lee’s view that everything should be made in house (sometimes to mixed success). Eschewing a traditional approach, the ramen is inevitably a new “style,” with a lighter, MSG-less approach versus the creamier, heavier tonkotsu you’d find in other shops.

True Food’s expansion plans

True Food Kitchen, a chain focused on healthy food, is really on the move, with locations already in Santa Monica and Pasadena. Currently at 15 units, Nation’s Restaurant News goes into how the CEO plans to take True Food to new heights. You’ll need a subscription to get past the paywall.

Craft beer’s central hub

While craft beer breweries tend to congregate in the South Bay, with more friendly regulations and plenty of real estate, the emotional hub is still centered in Downtown, with the help of breweries like Iron Triangle, Arts District Brewing, and Mumford. Newer brewers like Boomtown and Dry River add to the mix while major beer bars like Karl Strauss, Mikkeller, and Modern Times will continue to bolster the central business district as the heart of LA’s craft beer movement.

Westside Mexican finds

Santa Monica isn’t the easiest place to find international cuisines, but CBS has a nifty listing of where to find Mexican food in the Westside municipality. While the populist picks include Red O and Blue Plate Taco, it’s a mystery why Tacos Punta Cabras wasn’t included.

A tequila primer

Tequila is still one of the trendiest spirits in the market right now and LA Weekly has a great little explainer on tequila and mezcal out this morning. Rather than sticking to some major brand, go to a bar specializing in a wide variety of agave spirits and try something new.

South Bay on the move

Lisa Eriksen, the popular cafe owner and caterer behind Lisa’s Cafe & Bakery, is expanding from her Torrance locale to a second spot inside the new Elevon development in El Segundo nearby the upcoming Petros Kafe. El Segundo continues to be a choice spot for smart restaurateurs looking for a rabid fanbase.

West Hollywood nightlife’s popularity

There’s a reason why West Hollywood has one of the best nightlife and restaurant scenes in town: it has the highest density of liquor licenses in the L.A. area. WeHoville shows that the municipality has 60 licenses per 10,000 people, more than Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, and nearly twice as much as Culver City. Glendale and Los Angeles by comparison only have about 9 licenses per 10,000 residents.

Shooting at South LA McDonald’s

Several shots were fired last night at a South LA McDonald’s, resulting in a man getting shot in the leg. The gunman is still at large while the condition of the victim is currently unknown.