A surprisingly great ramen shop all the way in Sherman Oaks, Kai also has outlets in SGV, Koreatown, and West Hollywood. The tsukemen is a solid draw here, with rich dipping broth. The red ramen bowl comes with thick pork belly slices and a good dose of spice for an extra kick.

This Japanese transplant regularly fields long lines in the heart of Pasadena. Though the tonkotsu bowl is the standard thing to order, try varying the flavors with a dose of spice and extra chashu pork.

This recent transplant from Northern California serves spectacular tonkotsu ramen with a deeply flavored broth and a fully customizable bowl from the noodles to the tare to the toppings. The waits here are already at least 20 minutes and upwards of an hour during prime meal hours. But it’s worth the wait.

One of LA’s most creative ramen shops has held court at Grand Central Market for years from Top Chef winner Ilan Hall. The big thing to know is that instead of pork or chicken or any meat, the broth is sunflower seed-based, which means vegans can enjoy the pleasures of ramen. Hall takes umami-rich ingredients like konbu and shiitake mushrooms, then combining roasted sunflower seeds and white miso for a rich broth that’s virtually as good as a classic broth. There’s even a vegan “egg” for a complete experience.

One of the oldest running ramen shops in LA, Orochon is famous for their incredibly spicy ramen competition that gives a special designation for people who can finish it within 30 minutes. The other not-as-spicy bowls are great too for a taste of ramen that would’ve felt just right in the early 2000s.

This tantanmen ramen shop to Sawtelle comes from the prolific Tsujita group, which already has two standout noodle restaurants on the block. But what’s different about Killer Noodle is its clear homage to the spicy Chinese-inflected tantanmen, with sesame and pepper-laden noodles that come in either soups or “dry” style platters. The waits can be very long during prime house, so plan accordingly.

This all-ramen restaurant is right across the street from its sister, and its signature bowl uses thick noodles and a dense broth that’s chock full of garlic and pork back fat. The dip-able tsukemen, tinged with a vinegary kick, might be even better, with flat noodles that work best for slurping with gusto.

Both the standard ramen and tsukemen are the two best offerings in LA in either category. The broth and noodles are nearly perfect (one might argue a tad salty), while the tsukemen might even be better than the ramen, with a heavy dose of fish-oriented umami to round it out. The waits can be lengthy here as well.

Tokyo’s famous Afuri has finally opened in LA after initially expanding the Portland, Oregon area. Sporting a yuzu-tinted seafood and chicken broth, this lighter style of ramen still has plenty of flavor packed in, with soba-like noodles made on the premises and high quality toppings. The cocktails and minimalist ambience make it a really pleasant ramen experience.

The longstanding ramen spot on the Westside, it hasn't lost too much luster despite most of the new noodles shops in the city. The miso and shio ramen are tops here, available in various sizes. The broth is unreal, incredibly porky and delicious. Noodles aren't the best, but the chewy alkaline variety are more than sufficient. Available in Torrance’s Mitsuwa as well.

This diminutive ramen shop is probably the best place for Japanese noodles on the deep Westside. With a composed, well balanced broth that's not too rich, and sporting firm, high quality noodles, it's a very good Tsujita competitor. Amp up the flavor with a spice bomb. For something a little less heavy, opt for the chuka soba, a Tokyo-style bowl with a lighter broth.

A long trip for most in the city, this ramen offering from the folks behind Torihei izakaya has an excellent tsukemen that's pure fish funk (in the best sense of the word) to go along with the intense porkiness. The standard ramen offerings can be slightly inconsistent from bowl to bowl, but when it's good, the tonkotsu is very admirable. The lighter Tokyo-style ramen has a terrific burst of bonito to round out the flavors.