Upcoming Ramen Yokocho - Nisei Week 2014
Every August, the Japanese American community in Los Angeles, gathers to celebrate Nisei Week in Little Tokyo. "Nisei" is the 2nd generation of Japanese Americans. The first Nisei Week celebration was back in 1934, way before my time...
I'm Yonsei or 4th Generation,
I give credit to the 1st and 2nd generations
for laying the ground work for me and
generations to come.
Courtesy of Nisei Week
Why not have a Ramen Yokocho
as a part of Nisei Week?
Sounds good to me!
To find out more about the Nisei Week
events, click HERE
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August 16 & 17, 2014
Saturday: 11 am - 11 pm
Sunday: 11 am - 9 pm
Admission is $5
100 N Central Avenue
(1st Street and Central Avenue)
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Behind the Japanese American National Museum
and The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
What is the Ramen Yokocho?
Photo Courtesy of Ramen Yokocho
This is where a lot of ramen fans get together
Photo Courtesy of Ramen Yokocho
with ramen vendors
and a place you can try different
types of ramen from all over in one place.
Such as...
The famous Tokushima Ramen
in a rich tonkotsu broth
from Men-Oh.
If you stop by Men-Oh,
and you see my friend Mathew, tell him:
Ohayo Gozai Masu!
(ohio-go-zai-mas)
It means "Good Morning"
It's a greeting restaurant people in Japan
say this to each other all day long.
From this point "we all work together"
(no matter what the time of day is).
What to Expect
If you've attended the first Ramen Yokocho 2013 in Torrance,
you know tons of people showed up, long lines,
and unhappy ramen fans.
In March, the Ramen Yokocho 2014 moved to Santa Anita Park,
which is a great venue and better organized.
I'm not going to sugar-coat this,
it will be crowded and expect to wait,
this is a smaller venue
and part of Nisei Week.
Here's My Suggestions
1. Before you arrive, have an idea of which ramen
vendor you want to try. There will be up to 9 ramen
vendors at the festival and each bowl is $8.
For more info, click HERE
Photo Courtesy of Ramen Yokocho
2. Bring a friend or two or more,
you can cover more lines and be able to try
a wider variety.
NOTE: You're not going to eat an
entire bowl at each vendor anyway.
3. Other things to see and do:
They'll have Matsuri (festival) stalls, Anime Expo's
popular Ninja Arts Exhibition, and
stay for the World Gyoza Eating Championship
in the afternoon.
4. While you're in Little Tokyo, walk around
and see some of the historic buildings and
landmarks. Little Tokyo is celebrating it's
130th Anniversary this year.
The Go For Broke Monument,
commemorates the Japanese Americans
who served in the US Army during WW2.
The motto: "Go For Broke" was adopted by
the 442nd Infantry Regiment Combat Team.
It's just steps away from the Ramen Yokocho.
What I'm Looking Forward to at
Ramen Yokocho
1. Tsujita in West Los Angeles, a shoyu tonkotsu ramen, only
available at their original Ochanomizu, Tokyo location.
available at their original Ochanomizu, Tokyo location.
2. Shoki Ramen House in Sacramento, I want to try their
healthy White Ramen. Made with mostly soy milk and
kelp stock, the noodles will be gluten free.
Hope to see you there,
Pass the Chopsticks!
Photos by Jay Terauchi
Unless noted
Jay Eats Worldwide
©Jay Terauchi
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