Tatsu Ramen
“Tatsu” means dragon and opened its doors in 2012, the year of the dragon. There is a reason why Tatsu has the longest lines on Sawtelle. A killer bowl with lots of variety and great ingredients. They are doing a lot of things right here, and it’s a must visit for any ramen fan.
Bold Ramen
Ratings
Broth
Noodles
Chashu
Egg
Toppings
Overall
Date of Visit: August 2018
What I Ordered: Bold Ramen
Cost: $13.50
Offers Extra Noodles: $3.00
Offers Extra Broth: $4.00
Review
As always, I am sticking to the main items on the menu. I got the "Bold Ramen" which is a tonkotsu broth that is also spicy. They also include garlic, egg, and green onion. I am so looking forward to this. They have a unique ordering system. They have you order first, on iPads. You pay right away. Ordering and paying is your spot in line. So don't order if you don't think you will wait out the line. Then they call the number on the check and have you seated, serving the ramen shortly after. I got a seat at the bar after 75 minutes of waiting. I am super excited and super hungry.
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Wowza. The broth is flavorful, creamy, and rich. It has an excellent kick that is not overpowering or masking the flavor. The spices in this dish really give it a fantastic spice flavor as well. It has a very distinct creaminess that isn’t just fat, but rather more like a buttery smoothness, but still light and not thick. The spices of the broth is really what makes it phenomenal.
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The noodles in this bowl are thin and long, but cooked excellently. They have a perfect chew that just makes you want more. Very few noodles have great flavor that lead you to just want the noodles, but these do it. They soak up a little bit of the spices in the broth which gives them a great flavor that combines with the noodle taste already present. Very well done.
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When you have two fantastic ingredients, the noodles and the broth, it is hard to go wrong. In this bowl, the noodles provide the texture, the broth provides the flavor. It’s as simple as that. But the flavor, that is not simple. With the great flavor of the creamy broth, the kick of the spice, and the chew of the noodles, this combo performs really well. It is no wonder why it is loved by so many. The bowl also has fresh garlic in it, with the option to crush some more in the bowl for yourself. So garlic lovers rejoice, garlic is like the backup singer for this bowl. It doesn’t stand out, but without it, the bowl wouldn’t be the same.
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The chashu is a soft cut of pork belly. The fatty strips on the pork belly melt in your mouth. It also makes it fall apart in the bowl. The pork has a dryer pork taste and doesn’t match the fat unfortunately. The flavor is partly lacking in this cut. It is still quite good, but nothing notable and not the star of the bowl.
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This is one of the softest, best cooked eggs I have ever had. This soft boiled egg is a really soft, and the yolk is like a little packet of cream that just dissolves in the bowl and melts your mouth. The white is also super soft due to the super soft boiling. The flavor is near perfect, being very subtle, but fleeting. There is no distinctive overpowering sweetness or soy, which makes it great.
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The toppings on this bowl consist of green onions and that is it. Any other toppings are extra add ons. And that is okay.
Overall: 8/10
Would certainly recommend. Normally, for a bowl to be perfect, it has to perfect the holy trinity. This bowl does all three very well, but also throws in the egg, that in my opinion is the star of the show. For the bold ramen, there is a complex blend of spices that give the broth a distinct and unique flavor unlike any other bowl. And it isn’t super spicy either, so you can truly focus on the flavor. The noodles were cooked perfectly, giving that perfect chew with every bite. And they somehow don’t mush up into a ball which is nice and pleasant while trying to consume them all. The chashu isn’t notable. It is still good, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I would have to say it is the weakness of this bowl. All in all, there is a reason why Tatsu has the longest lines on Sawtelle. A killer bowl with lots of variety and great ingredients. They are doing a lot of things right here, and it’s a must visit for any ramen fan.
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