Tsujita LA Artistan Noodle ANNEX
2050 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 231-0222
11am-12am (11:30 PM Last Order) 7 days a week


It has been years since  I have eaten on Japanese food on Sawtelle, and it sure has changed a whole lot. Kelly and I wanted to have something special for our wedding anniversary, so we wanted to try something great, and I kept reading reviews of Tsujita and especially of it's annex.

When you get there, neither will be hard to find as there are huge lines for both and they are across the street from each other. At the annex, it is in a little parking lot where they have setup chairs to wait. There are no reservations, no takeout and it is cash only. You put your name on a list, an they wait a while, then when they are getting ready they come over to you and take your order, then you wait some more and get brought in. We waited for a little over an hour, and people just kept coming, but some people do leave, so sometimes you will move up the list quickly!



The inside is quite small, though not packed, with a sushi style bar with the chefs behind it, and a couple of tables (which we sat at) and traditional Japanese music playing.

Kelly and I both wanted to try the Tsukemen, which is Ramen with the noodles cooked, but seperate for dipping into your bowl of delicious pork bone broth. We both got Tsukemen with Char siu (pork) though I got a large. You get the same sized boll with broth, which comes with garlic and Onikasu (red Spice, though you can get it without, and there is ample more at the table) and a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. In the broth is some pork that is melty delicious, and some more cold pork in with the noodles that you put in the broth to heat up.





I was so excited to eat that I was late taking a picture, so this from their menu, and then after I had eaten quit a bit.

Prepare to get messy, as you could use a big with all the dipping and slurping, of which there will be a lot. The broth is fatty and salty and vinegary and delicious, and the Onikasu is not too spicy at all but perfect.

This will make you realize what is so special about Ramen. It is so damn good! Just incredible! This is absolutely amazing food!

Honestly my only complaint is it is a bit too salty for my pallet, but then post my heart surgery I really stay away from salt even more that I used to, and is so good it is worth the extra salt to try this delicious dish!

Man this place is good!

10201 Reseda Blvd, Suite 105,
Northridge, CA 91324
(818) 993-0088
10 AM till 9 PM

First off, how could I have lived in the valley for 5 years and not know that the Galleria Market on Reseda is an amazing and huge Korean Grocery store? And that it has a pretty impressive food court, with 3 Korean restaurants, this Katsu place and a Sushi place, and filled with Koreans (think I was the only white person there). I will be going back and trying the Korean places, but loving Chicken Katsu Curry form the curry house I had to see if there was something like it closer than downtown LA.

And there is, though not quite up to par with Curry House, though I love the sides, but great for so close to my house.

Kelly and I both got the Chicken Katsu Curry. And we got a device to tell us when to come back. Finding a seat was a bit of a fight as their could certainly be more seats, but you can find one, and they have people to come and clean what people have left.

As you can see the Kastu plate is huge for under $10, with a delicious cabbage salad, 2 pickled veggies, rice, Miso soup and the curry sauce. And the chicken is white meat, with a good breading (though dark meat always gives a little more flavor. My biggest complaint was the curry sauce, which while good, was just not strong enough, and with zero spice. Next time I might need to bring some hot oil to put in to kick the flavor up, and give me my spice level I like (and yes I will go back).

Quite good and tasty, though yes I could use a little stronger curry sauce.

Can't wait to get back to the Galleria food court and try some more food!

Asahi Sushi
10375 Balboa Blvd
Granada Hills, CA 91344
(818) 360-8499

Pretty darn good Sushi in the valley. Sure it is not Sushi Ike that i had near me in Hollywood, but fairly reasonably priced and good service. The only complaint is the place gets pretty packed, and you might wait for a table, but the service is pretty fast, especially at the Sushi bar. And the best part both times i have been there has been great Albacore. Exceptional in fact.

Overall there is a decent variety of good sushi, and a huge amount of strange and different rolls. Lots of quirky rolls. My favorites are the Balboa Roll with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, avocado  cucumber w/seared albacore and fried onion (more like thin panko onion strips).

There are other rolls I would like to try, though too many have spicy tuna or albacore, and I tend to shy away from that as I think the spicy wipes out the fish flavor completely!

They also have tons of bento boxes and the like that lots of people get and I would like to try sometime, though I don't know if I will be able to stay away from the sushi.

I signed up on their web site and go ta $5 coupon for my 2nd visit, and enjoyed it immensely the second time as well.

Well worth checking out.