Ramen Room’s Closure Highlights the Valley’s Complicated Dining Scene

The end of Ramen Room

Looks like last call has come and gone for Ramen Room, the short-lived ramen joint by chef Andre Guerrero up in Sherman Oaks. The place only first picked up in the fall, but seems per Yelp and Google to have called it quits recently.

On its face, it seems that Ramen Room would have had every chance to succeed. Situated on Ventura Boulevard near a stretch of popular concepts — and with more on the way — the casual joint provided relatively inexpensive and familiar bowls of noodles, all backed by a locally established chef with a name. Yet the restaurant couldn’t manage to hold on.

The result is another shutter along the boulevard, despite the Valley’s growing culinary presence and massive amounts of often underserved potential diners. So what’s the key to unlocking all that potential? Folks have been trying to figure that out for years, some more successfully than others, but the simple fact is that for some, the Valley remains as much a restaurant enigma as ever.

How it all came to be

Check out this awesome Bon Appetit video showing off Kris Yenbamroong and his family, cooking it up and talking about the beginnings over at Night + Market.

Come inside at Casita del Campo

There’s a lot to love about Casita del Campo, from the margaritas to the ambiance, but you may not realize how important the restaurant has traditionally been for the Silver Lake LGBTQ scene. LA Weekly dutifully lays it out in this awesome read about the restaurant’s basement theater, and all the great shows going on there.

LA’s best bars

Conde Nast Traveler put together a package on the prodigious bar scene in Los Angeles, pointing out nearly a dozen drinking destinations around town. Highlights include Everson Royce Bar, stalwart Musso & Frank, and, strangely, the only weeks-old Bar Clacson.

The South Bay’s Chinese secret

Did you know there is a collection of authentic Chinese restaurants hovering around Lomita in the South Bay? That’s what LA Weekly says, with author David Chan laying out the unsung section of the city and its surprisingly populous collection of great restaurants.

Fat Tuesday Downtown

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, and to celebrate Caña Rum Bar is planning a party. The whole thing kicks off at 9 p.m. and will include beads, masks, and lots of rum, plus $5 daiquiris, hurricanes, and more.