Chin-ma-ya (Los Angeles)

Chin-ma-ya (Little Tokyo – Los Angeles)



Chin-ma-ya is a newcomer to the L.A. ramen scene, opening in December 2008 and located in Little Tokyo. There is a chain of these restaurants in Japan and this is their first location in the United States.

This is Tan-tan men ramen. Originally from the Sichuan province of China, this noodle style was initially imported from China to Japan in the 1980’s. The Japanese ramen version was then converted from a noodle dish to a noodle soup. However, the Japanese tan-tan men ramen version is usually significantly less spicy than its Chinese brethren.
This broth is thickened with a spiced sesame oil, giving it strong peanut butter-y overtunes. Creamy, somewhat spicy, and lush, this viscous yet not overly flavorful broth beautifully coats their firm but standard curly egg noodles. The soup is sparsely topped with fresh spinach and a smidgen of finely ground pork; not necessarily a bad thing since this broth is a caloric bomb anyway.

I loved the tan-tan men style served here but could only imagine having it every so often.


Chin-ma-ya of Tokyo
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka St
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 625-3400

http://www.chinmayaoftokyo.com/