11555 W. Olympic Blvd. ~ West Los Angeles, CA 90064 ~ 310-575-9337 (TACO Map)
Asahi on Sawtelle has dominated the Westside ramen scene for years. With long waits for ramen that is fulfilling in overly salty, oily, soy-drenched gi-normous bowls, sparsely swimming with pork or beef over a dozen similar dishes, we knew their must be another option west of Broadway for our Japanese noodles.
Sure 'nuff, hiding around the corner, Ramenya has a more refined, though similarly inexpensive, array of flavor, with just as generous portions of excellent ramen, and no lack of options on their 61-item deep menu including plenty of spicy numbers. The second and first generation crowd is also still there, though we had no wait, and the ambiance leans entirely more towards cafeteria than Edo-period hideaway (albeit one with a small manga collection). But the magic of Ramenya is in those fat bowls that hit the table right after your free glass of cold tea does...