Ramen Champ
| Address: | 727 N Broadway #203, Los Angeles, CA 90012, USA |
| Phone: | +1 213-266-0055 |
| Site: | ramenchampla.com |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–4PM Closed 11:30AM–4PM 11:30AM–4PM 11:30AM–4PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
TI
Tim C
Where do I start?? Did we come closer to closing? Its one of those places I am glad hours end at midnight. It did take on one of those styles like in Japan, you order outside and wait for an open seat. Its a small place but very well decorated and the kitchen layout was great. Open to view from any seat you are waiting for your order. Huge Manga style murals for you to study as I did since there is a traditional Dragon in it. When someone says, "ramen?" at 10pm on any night of the week, you just show up. Looking over the menu while salivating, we decided with a ramen bowl each and two appetizers to share. Mushroom for me, Shiyo and Tonkatsu for Alonzo and Krystin while we ordered takoyaki and fried mushrooms. I really liked the appetizers as they were very flavorful even before the sauce that accompanied it. I have never met Alvin, or have I, who was there in the restaurant busy with food preparations and conversation at the other end of the counter. So I would assume the quality of the food was in good trust of his staff who also checked on us. Ok, triple checked on us if everything was good and if we were enjoying it all. In any Asian restaurant, this would make me very nervous but this is...not?? Once we were finishing our appetizers, the bowls arrive with the Ramen Champ logo. Like any foodies and not only Yelpers, we tasted each bowl to only come to this conclusion. Yes, the ramen bowls are small compared to other ramen houses but that shouldnt matter. What really stood out is the broth which tastes like hot water. I should have read the menu to see if they called it broth. I thought it was because I ordered the mushroom ramen which can be considered vegetarian but I ordered a side of chashu to add in my bowl. When I tasted the Tonkatsu, I arrived to the same opinion. Is this just hot water or watered down like some of those 24 hour Vietnamese Pho places? Noodles are mushy soft so I ordered more hard or "al dente" noodles because I wanted extra noodles. Now that tastes just like undercooked noodles. Perhaps a different noodle company to consider buying from? Ive had noodles in a few ramen places that really seem like they opened a package of ramen, boiled it, served it and be better than this in my bowl. I would rather go somewhere else if this is how the bowls are and intended to be served. I wont turn down an offer to come back to try this place again because it could have been an off night. I dont mean for this review to be a slam but more of constructive critism. I would still encourage a friend or anyone to come try it because this is just one persons opinion. One good point is the eggs were cooked to perfection as a soft-boiled egg. Runny yolk is how I love these eggs so dont change out the person with a different task. Thats all Im saying...
JU
Juvi Guevara
Under new management, and apparently not as good as it was before we came here. The fried mushrooms and chicken shio are no longer available, and the new menu is pretty modest, even by ramen shop standards in LA. That being said, the ramen here isnt half bad. It has a good balance of savoriness and heft, with a decent broth and good quality ingredients. I measure most ramen shops in LA- especially Chinatown and Little Tokyo- by their original ramens, which usually include tonkatsu (pork belly), noodles, green onions, mushrooms, and egg, with a smattering of other veggies. The version they serve here is pretty darn good- not great- and youll get a good ramen buzz from it for a good while afterwards. Its certainly filling. The fried chicken karage is also pretty good, and makes a great appetizer for sharing, or over-indulging yourself on cheat day. The vibe is really chill, and this part of Chinatown has certainly been spruced up a bit; theres certainly a lot more hipster culture taking over the area, and theres a strange mix of old vs. new going on that may or may not be a good thing. This spot is pretty legit, though, and worth a try at least once. Not a bad plate of ramen for under $10.
ST
Stephanie Han
When I heard that the people of Eggslut (which I still havent been to) were opening a ramen joint in Chinatown, I was intrigued! Located in the center on Broadway that also houses Chego and Pok Pok Thai, its pretty much at Hipster Ground Zero, but that did not deter me from seeing it out. My three friends and I got there pretty early so we didnt have to wait too long to get seated. The place IS pretty tiny but its pleasant enough, with modern decor, music and a lively crowd. But how is the ramen? Well, I got their Tonkotsu ramen, along with an order of tako tots and chicken karagge. The ramen had a very oily rich broth, tender slices of pork, and perfectly al dente noodles--pretty much how I liked my ramen, so lots of wins on that. The boiled eggs that come with them were also delish, with a nice soft center. However, at $12.99, its a pretty pricey smallish bowl of ramen. We were less than impressed with the chicken karagge (kind of spongy--not as crisply fried as Id expect), but the tako tots got thumbs way up (nice and crispy, with bits of real octopus). Id definitely like to go back try some of their other offerings.
NI
Nicole Lu
Tiny little ramen joint upstairs next to Wing Hop Fung PARKING: Theres underground parking that they validate for 30 minutes, but note that youre probably going to be here for longer than that! I ended up paying $8.75 for parking (RIDIC) including validation. Their minimum for validation is $15 per 30 minutes - which I found odd because youd need to order a bowl of ramen, a side, AND a drink to qualify for that price. Save yourself the trouble and take metro. FOOD: -Tonkotsu Tan-Tan: This broth isnt for the faint of heart. It was incredibly rich and quite thick. Noodles had a good chew. Opt for the extra $1.50 to add the egg - totally worth it! The egg yolk had a crazy thick gel texture - very very well executed. SERVICE: Sign said seat yourself, but we were a bit confused because the party ahead of us ordered at the counter. When my friend mentioned the sign, the waitress just looked confused. Food came out relatively quick, and said waitress was prompt in asking for a drink order. Overall, this place is A-OK, but Id only come back if I were taking metro or found a street parking spot. Plaza parking sucks!
AL
alice chung
Ramen Champ blew my mind. Sure, the eatery is small but the wait wasnt horrible on a rainy Sunday evening around 7pm. We waited for about 10 minutes and was seated in front of the kitchen. I love the open kitchen where you can see the chefs do their magic. My friend and I ordered two appetizers - the karaage (fried chicken) and fried mushrooms. Both were superb! Fried chicken never tasted so moist and juicy. Now for the tonkotsu ramen - broth was so thick and creamy, I couldnt believe the flavor that was coming from JUST the broth. The noodles werent as abundant as your regular ramen place but it was the perfect portion size for me, a 55 Asian gal. The semi-cooked egg was amazing. When opened, the yolk was of a thick orange hue and so packed with flavor I couldnt understand how it could have been so flavorful from the inside. Mind blown. Thank you ramen champ. Looking forward to trying other dishes when I return!
