LTT: Soy Sauce Number Four from Orochon Ramen

Ramen is something the average American isn’t too familar with. Sure, most of us grew up on the cup variation in college, but very few people have had an authentic bowl of Japanese ramen. You’re now probably staring at your case of Cup O’ Noodles sitting on top of your fridge and are pissed that you’ve been duped by your local grocer. You want ramen. The real deal. But where does one go for a truly authentic and amazing bowl of ramen?

The Little Tokyo District of LA is a great start if you don’t have a ticket to Japan readily available. Founded around the beginning of the 20th century, Little Tokyo is a goldmine for authentic Japanese food and a frequent dinner spot for the LTT crew. We called for the first ever LTT Dinner Party last night and had a great turnout.

Let’s get down to business. Orochon Ramen has plenty of competition. What separates this ramen shop from the rest is the spiciness of their broth. They have a total of nine levels of spice, with the top two being suicidal. Out of the thousands of people that have tried the “Special 2″, the absolute hottest ramen they have to offer, only a few hundred have succeeded. They have a wall in their honor named the “Wall of Bravery” that’s worth a look at. You can see a picture of my idol while you’re there.

LTT didn’t go with a death wish. We just went for some delicious ramen. We had basic Orochon 4, a ramen with great broth and just the right amount of kick. For those that like their foods really spicy, we suggest kicking up to Impact Orochon 3. It would be spicy enough to give your tongue a workout, but not too spicy where you ditch the monstrosity. The option to add extras to your ramen is something that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially when it comes to the Cha-Shu Pork Slice. We added Cha-Shu, extra noodles, and a slab of butter to ours.

The broth is very complicated. There’s definitely some cayenne peppers in there, but subtle hints of other spices I still haven’t been able to place my finger on. Of course, if it were that easy, Orochon would have copycats everywhere. Maybe it’s a good thing it’s complicated. Definitely worth a try, especially if you’re a ninja on your off-time or something.