Japanese Craft Beer and Ramen: A Match Made in Flavor Heaven

Ramen is extremely popular in Japan, and it has begun to gain momentum in the United States as well. It is prized as both a simple lunch and a warm dinner. In Japan, the bond between ramen and craft beer is unbreakable; people might enjoy a beer with a bowl of ramen for lunch, or drink beer at an izakaya followed up with some ramen to finish off.

DTLA Ramen: A Los Angeles Hotspot

In downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), an increasingly energetic and hip area of the city, there’s a restaurant where you can experience this quintessentially Japanese combination of ramen and beer.

DTLA Ramen is located within walking distance of the Staples Center, home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers, and the venue often hosts other sporting events and concerts. Further contained in the area are other convention centers and several new hotels.

Within this bustling metropolitan area, DTLA Ramen remains very popular, and it is always filled with both locals and visitors enjoying a warming bowl of ramen alongside flavorful Japanese craft beer.

Not one to deny a good one-liner, for this year’s Valentine’s Day, they put up a humorous message on a customizable sign out front that read: “THE ONLY MEN I WANT IN MY LIFE IS RAMEN,” to attract passersby.

Beyond its amusing signs and delicious ramen, the restaurant is currently running a promotion for Japanese craft beer, which has attracted a lot of customers.

Their main ramen dishes include TONKOTSU, tofu-based Spicy Creamy Vegetarian (also recommended for vegans) and chicken-based Tori Shio Paitan. There are other appetizing options like Tsukemen, which comes with a rich, gravy-like soup, and Mazemen, which has no broth and is eaten like pasta. There are over 10 different toppings available, and of these, our top recommendation is the seasoned egg. The boiled egg is filled with the flavor of soy sauce and other seasonings, and goes perfectly with the soup.

The restaurant has a modern atmosphere, with the stylishness of a bar combined with Japanese art.

A group of three people who were enjoying ramen and Japanese craft beer at a table in front of a samurai mural said that this was their first time trying Japanese craft beer.

“Since we’re at a popular L.A. ramen restaurant, we thought we might as well try some Japanese craft beer,” they said, ordering two styles.

The Sorry Umami IPA, which has bonito flakes as one of its ingredients, goes well with broth soup or ramen, and Yona Yona Ale, with its characteristic fragrances of hops and citrus, is a good palate-cleanser to have after a filling ramen dish. Both of these popular beers are brewed by YOHO Brewing, located in Nagano Prefecture.

The group agreed that “It’s interesting how they turned the flavor of Japanese cuisine into a beer,” and “Between this and the vegetarian ramen, it was really a gourmet meal.”

DTLA Ramen is currently running a Japanese craft beer promotion. Promotions are also occurring elsewhere in Los Angeles along with locations in San Diego, San Francisco and Portland. You can enjoy the beer of six breweries—COEDO Brewery, DHC Beer, Karuizawa Brewery, Kizakura, Miyazaki Hideji Beer and YOHO Brewing—at bars and restaurants in these cities. Find your favorite flavor variety of the multitude on offer.

DTLA Ramen

952 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Website: http://dtlaramen.com