Shinsengumi is new to Sawtelle street (Ramen Blvd) but hardly new to the ramen scene. They have 3 locations in Tokyo and 6 in Gardena but the one I was always trying to get to was downtown’s Little Tokyo location.

Lucky for me they just opened up one in Little Osaka (near my work) and saved me a trip!

There’s really only ramen to choose from (Tonkotsu, which is that thick, milky pork broth) but you can customize it pretty much any way.

They provide you little papers to choose your type of noodle, how rich you want the broth and which of the dozen or so additions (like savory egg or crispy onions) you want to add to it.

They also have 6 types of fried chicken appetizers (karaage) to choose from. We chose the Curry and Yuzu Pepper and while both were tasty, I found that the curry packed more of a flavor punch since there weren’t any dipping sauces. These are dark meat, in case anyone was wondering.

The ramen was really tasty and I love that they have the 1/2 order option, since trying to finish the typical big ass bowl can be a bit punishing (especially if you also want to pig out on some fried chicken).

It wasn’t the best I’ve had (that still goes to Daikokuya’s heavenly ramen nectar) but it’s still very tasty and worth checking out.

Plus, it’s in a less congested part of Sawtelle in case you don’t want to stress over where to park and wait 45 minutes just for lunch.

1601 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
shinsengumiusa.com