This Valley Noodle Shop Serves a Spicy Pineapple Ramen Bowl

The Valley arguably launched the modern ramen trend in Los Angeles, what with Jinya debuting in Studio City back in the mid aughts. More recently, places like Oh Man! Ramen and Ramen Room have presented new styles of Japanese noodles, but there’s another compelling spot called Gokoku that opened in September on the southern part of Studio City along Lankershim. With ten different kinds of plant-based ramen, with everything from tomato and kabocha to a classic savory profile, it’s a vegetarian’s noodle dream come true.

The first few reviews on Yelp have been stellar across the board, with early adopters in love with the wide variety of flavors and the innovative approach to an increasingly common dish. Ramen Champ might’ve championed vegan ramen early on a few years ago when it opened, but Gokoku takes ingredients like kabocha, mayo garlic jalapeno, and even pineapple into the flavor palette. Heck, there’s even kale and black bean for something completely out of left field.

If you’re not in the mood for a noodle bowl, you can try a vegetable bento bowl with spicy miso eggplant and a thing called pokemon tofu. Prices for bowls start at $12.99, a tad higher than what you’d see elsewhere, but for something this interesting and different, it’s worth the premium.

Hours run 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then 5 to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and continuously from 1 to 10 p.m. on weekends.

Gokoku Vegetarian Ramen Shop
4147 Lankershim Blvd
Studio City, CA 91602

• LA’s Essential Ramen Shops [ELA]