Tokyo’s Menya Musashi Ramen Shop Debuts July 21 in Sawtelle Japantown

One of Tokyo’s most celebrated ramen shops, Menya Musashi, which boasts huge pork belly chunks and chewy tsukemen noodles, will open in Sawtelle Japantown on July 21. The shop takes over the former Tentenyu, which sputtered despite some solid reception early on. Tentenyu still has a shop in Culver City, if anyone misses its chicken-centric ramen.

As for Menya Musashi, it’ll debut on a prime summer weekend in the thick of LA’s warmest season. Menya Musashi, which has 14 outlets throughout Asia, makes it first continental U.S. landing here in Los Angeles, cementing LA’s status as one of the country’s best ramen destinations. Menya Musashi had initially opened in Hawaii, but it appears that location no longer goes by the name. Proprietor Takeshi Yamada first opened Menya Musashi in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district back in 1996, and it’s received numerous accolades for

Menya Musashi’s ramen is distinctive for a number of reasons. First, they braise whole chunks of pork belly and place them unsliced right on top of the noodles. They serve a soup-based ramen with a rich pork bone and seafood broth and also specialize in hearty tsukemen noodles that are designed to be dipped into an intense broth. Once it opens, Menya Musashi will serve daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., then reopen at 5:30 p.m. to serve until 10 p.m. On weekends, they’ll serve continuously without a break between lunch and dinner.

Menya Musashi. 2012 Sawtelle Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA.

• This Tokyo Ramen Shop Expanding to LA Serves Huge Pork Belly Chunks [ELA]