Tatsu Ramen - does it have a soul?

I was going to wait on writing this post, but I refreshed the Yelp page I opened this morning, and saw the number of reviews went up by 10 o_O Everybody I saw in the restaurant must have been a Yelp reviewer or something...

Tatsu Ramen has three iPads by the door for ordering. It's pretty slick and fun. At the end of the process, you swipe you credit card to complete the purchase. The whole thing reminds me of ramen shops in Japan where people order and pay from a vending machine before sitting down.

There are only two items in the menu, Naked Ramen and Tonkotsu Ramen. I got it with chicken and soft broiled egg. I LOL'ed as soon as I had my first bite. It tastes exactly like Damae Itcho with sesame oil and fake chicken. Don't get me wrong, that's an excellent thing to taste like. The sauce is quite intense with heavy sesame taste and somewhat spicy even though I ordered mild. The grilled seaweed is also very flavorful. The chicken is tender and doesn't have much taste, which strangely balances nicely with the sauce. The soft broiled egg is perfectly cooked but not much flavor.

The Tonkotsu Ramen tastes not at all like normal tonkotsu ramen. The soup tastes like some kind of Taiwanese marinade sauce to me. The noodle is different from the Naked Ramen, which is a nice attention to detail. The chashu is fatty and tender so no complains there. The only problem is that the soft broiled egg in this bowl is completely cooked. 

Tatsu Ramen must be the evil Caucasian twin of Miyata Menji. They both serve creative ramen and both only have two choices. Miyata Menji has more family-friendly flavors, whereas Tatsu's flavors is perfect with a beer. Does it have a soul? I think so, maybe a little twisted but it's an interesting addition to Sawtelle for sure.

Tatsu Ramen
2123 Sawtelle Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90025