Kotoya Ramen
| Address: | 11901 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA |
| Phone: | +1 310-477-1199 |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11:45AM–3:30PM 11:45AM–3:30PM 11:45AM–3:30PM 11:45AM–3:30PM 11:45AM–3:30PM 11:45AM–3:30PM 11:45AM–3:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
JO
Johnny Wang
Third consecutive ramen meal of my trip to SoCal a few weeks back, and third favorite one. Whether this was due to the beginnings of ramen overload or actual preferences is hard to say, but... I came with a friend who said Kotoya was her favorite ramen place in the area: someone who spent many years living in Japan too, no less. So along we came, with myself ordering their spicy miso ramen (which differs from the spicy red ramen in that the latters spiciness comes from peppers and chili oil, while the formers comes from the miso preparation itself). All in all, not bad, and better than places like Santouka, but not great, and certainly not as good as Yamadaya, or even Shinsengumi. Why? Well, the noodles themselves were okay, and their soft-boiled egg was solid (not literally), but the broth, while tasty, lacked the depth and flavor complexity of the aforementioned places, which brought the overall dish down a notch. I could perhaps see myself coming here every so often if I lived in the area, but, as a visitor with limited meals, Im 100% more likely to be eating at one of the other ramen joints in town instead. ***Accessibility Info*** Venue - The parking lot located directly in front of the restaurant was fairly packed when I arrived, but, considering its all short term green zones, you wont be waiting too long before you get to snag a space to park at as long as youd like (assuming you have a placard anyway). The inside of the restaurant itself is a bit more snug, with only the seating down the aisle being accessible. Bathroom - Didnt check them out.
TI
Tim C
Been here twice now thanks to my Yelp friend, Nahid D. It was one of those cold Winter evenings which makes it perfect for some type of soup. Any ideas? Oh, lets do ramen. I had no problem driving to the Westside just for ramen. I guess it doesnt have to be ramen because I would drive anywhere for just about any kind of food. This place definitely made the trek worth it. Having an appetizer is my recommendation if you have an appetite like me. The bowls in my opinion are just the right size so it doesnt quite fill you up like some of the other ramen places. We ordered takoyaki and I love the bonito flakes on top when it seems like its alive and moving in an odd way. Its fried food, you cannot go wrong with it especially with delicious sauce over the top. There was great flavor in the broth whether you have it tonkatsu or spicy. Yes, I did get brave on one of the visits. There is a small ramen size you can order which I think it would be an appetizer size. I would have order two or three of this size to satisfy my hunger. Its a small place so expect a wait. You can probably see from everyone elses pictures that its just one row of seats. Half of the restaurant is the kitchen while in the far corner seating you can see what everyone in the kitchen is doing. If you are trying to find a place to rank in your list of ramen places to stop at, put this one on your list to consider visiting. You can thank my friend, Nahid, later. Then you can thank me for the takoyaki when you order it.
LI
Lily Yip
Good place to fulfill your quick ramen craving! If you dont want to try to find parking in Sawtelle, then come here to get your ramen! I love how this spot offers free parking within the plaza. If there are no spots on ground level, theres plenty of underground parking for FREE. This place is definitely an authentic ramen place. You are greeted by the Japanese waiters and the chef is Japanese. This place serves ramen, rice bowls, teas, drinks and beers. What Ive Tried: *Spicy Red Ramen (Level 1) with a soft-boiled egg (extra cost) - Delicious! Perfect amount of kick to the broth. I love the thinly sliced tonkotsu (pork) which has a nice flavor to it. The noodles were also thin but cooked perfectly. *White Ramen - Good! Just your simple tonkotsu ramen with a slice of pork, bean sprouts, green onion, and seaweed. This place may charge a little bit more for your typical bowl of ramen ($9-$11), but you definitely get good quality ramen thats close to what you would get in Japan. This place tastes way better than Tsujita Annex and Tatsu. I am a fan and will be back to get my ramen fix here! :) FYI, cash only if the bill is less than $20.
VE
Vegas and Food
This place is bomb. I ordered small regular shoyu ramen with pork broth. When you order small size, you dont get egg. I wish I ordered regular size because my small ramen was really small. But ramen was really flavorful. I asked if they also have small size fried rice and they made it for me. It was alright. Our server was new, she didnt know anything about the menu. When I was ordering my small ramen, she asked me which egg I want, because she said it comes with egg. When I got my ramen, there was no egg, of course, because it says on the menu. But at least she should apologize about it. Also when I asked her if they have small size fried rice or not, she went to kitchen to ask, and she never came back, she never told me anything and 10 minutes later, she brought me fried rice. Its ok because I wanted to eat fried rice anyway, but I was just asking her if they have it or not, and I really didnt order it. For overall, Im not very happy with service, but I really liked my ramen. I wish they have combo. I know they used to have it.
BR
Brian Rios
Ramen is the best Ive had in west L.A and side dishes are very good. Ordered: black ramen and buttered salt ramen both served hot and tasty. Sides: jumbo gyoza, Ebi-Yaki and Tako-yaki all served very hot and good. Service is good here. I only have two small issues with this place otherwise it would of got 5 stars. STOP charging customers 50 cents for take out food containers and sell jumbo gyoza by set not by pieces. Ive been to this place 3 times I still like it but the charge for take out containers is pathetic !
TI
Tina Segura
BOMB Ramen! I didnt really want to review this place because I dont want it to get overcrowded, but its SO good. Decent prices, good selection. Ive been to other places, but this one is sort of under the radar, and Im not sure why.The restaurant is small, so if theres a crowd, good luck! My only beef with this place is that they arent open later! Try it! They even have a vegetarian broth!
CH
Chris Boldon
Katoya used to be the premier Ramen shop in the area. Ownership and menu have changed, and the quality is not what it once was. That being said, it is still great ramen. Their menu sold out to match what the other area shops are doing, and the quality of ingredients seems to have also changed. There is nothing left that truly separates Katoya from the other shops.
MI
Minh Chung
This is a small ramen shop in a strip mall in Santa Monica. Its great because it doesnt get as crowded as other ramen shops in the Sawtelle area but theres definitely a wait on the weekends. The ramen here is very rich and thick but the flavor is definitely all there. I always get extra cha shu because they give you so little.
DI
Dilda Zhaksybek
I love ordering system ( you put your order on a paper). My ramen was very good. Food was very tasty. Portions are big. I couldnt finish mine. Place is rather small.. for our party of 7 we had a problem finding a sit. Yet a good place to have ramen. 1 star is missing due to the prices... and small place.
