A surprisingly great ramen shop all the way in Sherman Oaks, Kai also has outlets in SGV 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.

A solid addition to the LA ramen scene, 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. To avoid a long wait, try to go in the middle of day, like 2:30 p.m., or right before dinner service.

With a Downtown LA location and an expansive Melrose Avenue shop, Ramen Koo is looking to take down Tatsu from its Mid-City perch. Ramen isn’t cheap here, with some bowls going up to nearly $20, but they’re stuffed with everything from layers of chashu to a whole chicken leg. A massive “king” ramen throws in scallops, shrimp, mussels, and king crab for a seafood take on the Japanese noodle bowl.

This Chinatown ramen shop is doing something pretty unique in LA’s scene: making its own noodles from scratch. The results are pretty good off the get-go, with chewy, pasta-like strands that do a nice job of soaking up the rich pork-based tsukemen broth. For hot summer days, the cold somen, with tender pork chashu and kimchi, is a strong order.

This versatile ramen shop tucked into a sleepy Koreatown strip mall prepares everything from a classic shoyu bowl to a Tokyo-style yuzu shio that you would find at a popular Japanese chain like Afuri. But the bowls don’t stop there, with everything from burnt garlic tonkotsu to a wagyu beef ramen, which means there’s really something for everyone here. In addition to the ramen menu, there’s a wide selection of izakaya fare, from sushi rolls to fried shishito.

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. Cash only, and closed on Wednesdays.

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. Annex serves in a crowded, loud nook of a room until 12 a.m. (the last order is taken at 11:30 p.m.), seven days a week.

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. Formerly just a lunchtime affair, the original Tsujita now serves ramen day and night, a boon to noodlehounds on the Westside.

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.

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 housemade 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.

This focused ramen shop in Torrance has polished bowls with a garlicky broth. Chashu pork is melt-in-your-mouth while the noodles are of the thin wheat variety common at Hakata-style shops. The tantanmen is comparatively mild, but the gyoza, crisped to a dark brown, are terrific.

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.