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| - As a tonkotsu ramen aficionado, I'm constantly on the lookout for the next great ramen-ya, especially one that can rival the best in LA, or dare to dream, the ones in Hakata, Fukuoka, Japan. It was with great excitement that I noticed their preopening announcement, and we set out to try them for a weekend lunch. Upon entering the restaurant, we noted a clean Spartan aesthetic but the wooden benches were quite hard and mildly uncomfortable. The menu was simple and straightforward. We asked the waitress what the Tatsu ramen was, and she explained it is their tonkotsu with additional chashu (6 vs 2 pieces). We went ahead and ordered the tonkotsu ($7.77) and Tatsu ($10.77) ramen. Our bowls came out quickly and were accompanied by seaweed, ginger, a tiny bit of green onion and sesame, but no egg. Surprisingly, there didn't seem to be an option to add an egg, or other accompaniments, i.e. additional green onion, corn, etc. Interestingly, the shio and shoyu versions appear to come with an egg though.
While it looked promising initially with the proper thin white ramen noodles, our experience was underwhelming. First off, the noodles were overcooked and not al dente or firm enough. While the amount of noodles was adequate, the amount of broth was on the skimpy side and could have been served hotter. (Usually the better ramen joints serve their broth piping hot so that it is still plenty warm by the time you're finishing your meal.) The porky flavor and richness of the broth was ok but not something you would want to slurp up every last drop of. The chashu was not quite tender enough, a bit too fatty (that I was compelled to pick off the fatty parts), and somewhat bland at the same time. It was also odd that when I asked for shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili powder and a classic condiment), they only had chili oil available.
In the end, Ramen Tatsu was just okay for us. It is better than much of the local competition, but doesn't induce any cravings to return.
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